n it. Having pushed it a little from the land, he said:
"Now go on for some time in the boat; it will be very pleasant, for
the sea is calm. Soon you will come to a palace built like fishes'
scales; this is the palace of the Sea-king. When you reach the gate,
you will see a fine cassia-tree growing above the well by the side of
the gate. If you will sit on the top of that tree, the Sea-king's
daughter will see you, and tell you what to do."

So Prince Fire-fade did as he was told, and everything came to pass
just as the Wise Old Man of the Sea had told him. As soon as he was
come to the Sea-king's palace, he made haste, and climbed up into the
cassia-tree, and sat there. Then came the maidens of the Princess
Pearl, the Sea-king's daughter, carrying golden water-pots. They were
just going to draw water, when they saw a flood of light upon the
well. They looked up, and there in the cassia-tree was a beautiful
young man. Prince Fire-fade saw the maidens, and asked for some water.
The maidens drew some, and put it in a golden cup, and gave him to
drink. Without tasting the water, the Prince took the jewel that hung
at his neck, put it between his lips, and let it drop into the golden
cup. It stuck to the cup, so that the maidens could not take it off;
so they brought the cup, with the jewel on it, to the Princess Pearl.

When she saw the jewel, the Princess asked her maidens: "Is there
anyone inside the gate?" So the maidens answered: "There is someone
sitting on the top of the cassia-tree, above our well. It is a
beautiful young man--more beautiful even than our King. He asked for
water, and we gave him some; but, without drinking it, he dropped this
jewel from his lips into the cup, and we have brought it to you." Then
Princess Pearl, thinking this very strange, went out to look. She was
delighted at the sight, but not giving the Prince time to take more
than one little peep at her, she ran to tell her father, saying:
"Father, there is a beautiful person at our gate."

Then the Sea-king himself went out to look. When he saw the young man
on the top of the tree, he knew that it must be Prince Fire-fade. He
made him come down, and led him into the palace, where he seated him
upon a throne made of sea-asses' skins, and silk rugs, eight layers of
each. Then a great feast was spread, and every one was so kind to
Prince Fire-fade, that the end of it was, he married Princess Pearl,
and lived in that land for three years.

No