The garden belongs to the King of the Underworld who employs a gardener and a court magician. The gardener has noticed that over the last few nights, a spirit in white has been draining the moat and allowing a maiden without hands to enter the forest and eat of the tree. The gardener informs the king, who enters the garden and finds that pears is missing for all the pears are counted. That evening, the king, his gardener, and his magician watch the maiden cross the moat and eat the fruit. He sends his magician to speak to her, as he is adept at speaking with spirits. The king falls madly in love with her and takes her to his castle to be his wife. Out of compassion for her, he has fashioned out of silver, a pair of hands.They live in the castle quite happily for a time.