So he was led out to the sea, and a gold ring was thrown into it, in his sight; then the King ordered him to fetch this ring up from the bottom of the sea, and added, "If you come up again without it you will be thrown in again and again until you perish amid the waves." All the people grieved for the handsome youth; then they went away, leaving him alone by the sea. He stood on the shore and considered what he should do, when suddenly he saw three fishes come swimming towards him, and they were the very fishes whose lives he had saved. The one in the middle held a mussel in its mouth, which it laid on the shore at the youth's feet, and when he had taken it up and opened it, there lay the gold ring in the shell. Full of joy he took it to the King, and expected that he would grant him the promised reward. But when the proud princess perceived that he was not her equal in birth, she scorned him, and required him first to perform another task.

他被带到海边，一枚戒指当着他的面被扔进了海中。 国王命令他从海底把戒指捞上来，并且说："要是你捞不上来，我们就把你重新推进大海，直到浪涛把你吞没。"大家都为这位英俊的小伙子感到惋惜，一个个都悄悄走了，只留下他一个人在海边。
他站在海边，盘算着该怎么办。 突然，他看到有三条鱼在向他游来，而且正是他救过的那三条鱼。中间那条鱼衔着一只贝壳，游到岸边就把它吐在了年轻人的脚边。他捡起贝壳打开一看，只见那枚金戒指就在里面。他兴冲冲地带着戒指去见国王，以为国王一定会把答应的奖赏赐给他。
可是，当高傲的公主得知他出身低微时，非常瞧不起他，要他先完成第二项任务。