What can a beggar such as I promise you?' answered the prince. 'I have
nothing to give you save my life; even the coat on my back belongs to my
master, whom I serve for my keep and my clothes.'

The stranger looked at the sack of peas, and said, 'But you must possess
something; you are carrying this sack, which seems to be very heavy.'

'It is full of peas,' was the reply. 'My old aunt died last night,
without leaving money enough to buy peas to give the watchers, as is
the custom throughout the country. I have borrowed these peas from my
master, and thought to take a short cut across the forest; but I have
lost myself, as you see.'

'Then you are an orphan?' asked the stranger. 'Why should you not enter
my service? I want a sharp fellow in the house, and you please me.'

'Why not, indeed, if we can strike a bargain?' said the other. 'I was
born a peasant, and strange bread is always bitter, so it is the same to
me whom I serve! What wages will you give me?'

'Every day fresh food, meat twice a week, butter and vegetables, your
summer and winter clothes, and a portion of land for your own use.'

'I shall be satisfied with that,' said the youth. 'Somebody else will
have to bury my aunt. I will go with you!'

Now this bargain seemed to please the old fellow so much that he spun
round like a top, and sang so loud that the whole wood rang with his
voice. Then he set out with his companion, and chattered so fast that he
never noticed that his new servant kept dropping peas out of the sack.
At night they slept under a fig tree, and when the sun rose started
on their way. About noon they came to a large stone, and here the
old fellow stopped, looked carefully round, gave a sharp whistle, and
stamped three times on the ground with his left foot. Suddenly there
appeared under the stone a secret door, which led to what looked like
the mouth of a cave. The old fellow seized the youth by the arm, and
said roughly, 'Follow me!'

Thick darkness surrounded them, yet it seemed to the prince as if their
path led into still deeper depths. After a long while he thought he saw
a glimmer of light, but the light was neither that of the sun nor of
the moon. He looked eagerly at it, but found it was only a kind of pale
cloud, which was all the light this strange underworld could boast.
Earth and water, trees and plants, birds and beasts, each was different
from those he had seen before; but what most struck terror into his
heart was th