ne might have wept over her grief, as she
lamented and entreated. But when he fastened the rose in his hat, she
followed him.

Finding that he could not be persuaded to restore the rose, they
agreed to be married. So they went to Mogarzea, to be wedded by the
emperor, and remained there, but every year in the month of May they
returned to the Milk Lake to bathe their children in its waves.

After the emperor's death Mogarzea divided the kingdom with his
preserver.

Cunning Ileane.

Once upon a time something happened. If it had not happened, it would
not be told.

There was once an emperor who had three daughters; the oldest was
beautiful, the middle one more beautiful, but the youngest, Ileane,
was so fair that even the sun stopped to gaze at her and admire her
charms.

One day the emperor received the news that his neighbor, a mighty
monarch, was no longer friendly, but wanted to fight with him on
account of a great imperial feud. The emperor consulted the old men of
the country, and, seeing there was nothing else to be done, he
commanded his valiant soldiers to mount their horses, take their
weapons, and prepare for the terrible battle which was to be fought.

Before mounting himself, the emperor called his daughters, addressed a
few fatherly, touching words to them, and gave each one a beautiful
flower, a merry little bird, and a rosy-cheeked apple.

"Whoever has her flower wither, her bird mope or her apple rot, I
shall know has not kept her faith," said the wise emperor; then
mounting his steed he wished them "Good-health" and set off with his
brave soldiers on their toilsome way.

When the neighboring emperor's three sons heard the news that the
emperor had quitted his home and gone to the war, they made an
agreement among themselves and sprang on their horses to ride to the
palace and vex the monarch by making his three daughters faithless to
his trust. The oldest prince, a brave, spirited, handsome fellow, went
first to see how matters stood and bring tidings afterward to the
others.

Three days and three nights the champion stood under the wall, but not
one of the girls had appeared at the windows. In the gray dawn of the
fourth day he lost patience, plucked up his courage, and tapped on the
oldest princess's window.

"What is it--what is it? What is wanted?" asked the royal maiden,
roused from her sleep.

"It is I, little sister," said the prince, "I, an emperor's son, who
have stood