now when the girl had left her foster - mother , and had wandered for a time , she came to a large , large wood , and no matter how far she went she could not reach its end . when evening came , she climbed into a high tree that stood over a spring , and sat down in its branches to sleep . not far from it stood a king 's castle , and early the next morning a serving - maid came from it , to get water from the spring for the prince 's tea . and when the serving - maid saw the lovely face in the spring , she thought it was her own . at once she threw down her pail and ran back home holding her head high , and saying : " if i am as beautiful as all that , i am too good to carry water in a pail ! " then another was sent to fetch water , but the same thing happened with her ; she , too , came back and said she was far too handsome and too good to go to the spring and fetch water for the prince . then the prince went himself , for he wanted to see what it all meant . and when he came to the spring , he also saw the picture , and at once looked up into the tree . and so he saw the lovely maiden who was seated among its branches . he coaxed her down , took her back home with him , and nothing would do but that she must be his bride , because she was so beautiful .
she was so beautiful .
why did the prince want the maiden to be his bride ?
why did the prince want the maiden to be his bride ?