WhentheHuntercamenearerhesawthemaiden，andsaidtohimself，’IhavetravelledsofarnowthatIwillrest，andturnintothisbeautifulcastle；moneyIhaveinplenty。’Buttherealreasonwasthathehadcaughtsightofthelovelyface。
Hewentintothehouse，andwaskindlyreceivedandhospitablyentertained。Itwasnotlongbeforehewassomuchinlovewiththewitch-maidenthathethoughtofnothingelse，andonlylookedinhereyes，andwhatevershewanted，thathegladlydid。Thentheoldwitchsaid，’Nowwemusthavethebird-heart；hewillnotfeelwhenitisgone。’Shepreparedadrink，andwhenitwasreadyshepoureditinagobletandgaveittothemaiden，whohadtohandittothehunter。
’Drinktomenow，mydearest，’shesaid。Thenhetookthegoblet，andwhenhehadswallowedthedrinkthebird-heartcameoutofhismouth。Themaidenhadtogetholdofitsecretlyandthenswallowitherself，fortheoldwitchwantedtohaveit。
Thenceforwardhefoundnomoregoldunderhispillow，anditlayunderthemaiden’s；buthewassomuchinloveandsomuchbewitchedthathethoughtofnothingexceptspendingallhistimewiththemaiden。
Thentheoldwitchsaid，’Wehavethebird-heart，butwemustalsogetthewishing-cloakfromhim。’