nt alive.

Well, day after day passed, and the prince grew sadder and sadder,
thinking that he would soon be cooked and dressed for the king; but
sad as the prince was, he was not half as sad as the Princess Eileen
in the giant's castle, watching and waiting for the prince to return
and save her.

And the dwarfs had wound two balls, and were winding a third.

At last the prince heard from the old giantess that the king of the
giants was to return on the following day, and she said to him:

"As this is the last night you have to live, tell me if you wish for
anything, for if you do your wish will be granted."

"I don't wish for anything," said the prince, whose heart was dead
within him.

"Well, I'll come back again," said the giantess, and she went away.

The prince sat down in a corner, thinking and thinking, until he heard
close to his ear a sound like "purr, purr!" He looked around, and
there before him was the little white cat.

"I ought not to come to you," said the cat; "but, indeed, it is not
for your sake I come. I come for the sake of the Princess Eileen. Of
course, you forgot all about her, and, of course, she is always
thinking of you. It's always the way--

"Favoured lovers may forget,
Slighted lovers never yet."

The prince blushed with shame when he heard the name of the
princess.

"'Tis you that ought to blush," said the cat; "but listen to me now,
and remember, if you don't obey my directions this time you'll never
see me again, and you'll never set your eyes on the Princess Eileen.
When the old giantess comes back tell her you wish, when the morning
comes, to go down to the sea to look at it for the last time. When you
reach the sea you will know what to do. But I must go now, as I hear
the giantess coming." And the cat jumped out of the window and
disappeared.

"Well," said the giantess, when she came in, "is there anything you
wish?"

"Is it true I must die to-morrow?" asked the prince.

"It is."

"Then," said he, "I should like to go down to the sea to look at it
for the last time."

"You may do that," said the giantess, "if you get up early."

"I'll be up with the lark in the light of the morning," said the
prince.

"Very well," said the giantess, and, saying "good night," she went
away.

The prince thought the night would never pass, but at last it faded
away before the grey light of the dawn, and he sped down to the sea.
He thre