ne blow. With a second, split its head in two, and in its brain
you will see a bright red ball. Bring that to me. Meanwhile, I will do
what is needful here.

And the prince thought to himself, 'Better kill the calf than be killed
ourselves. If we can once escape, we will go back home. The peas which I
strewed about must have sprouted, so that we shall not miss the way.'

Then he went into the stall, and with one blow of the axe killed the
calf, and with the second split its brain. In an instant the place was
filled with light, as the red ball fell from the brain of the calf. The
prince picked it up, and, wrapping it round with a thick cloth, hid it
in his bosom. Mercifully, the cow slept through it all, or by her cries
she would have awakened the master.

He looked round, and at the door stood the maiden, holding a little
bundle in her arms.

'Where is the ball?' she asked.

'Here,' answered he.

'We must lose no time in escaping,' she went on, and uncovered a tiny
bit of the shining ball, to light them on their way.

As the prince had expected the peas had taken root, and grown into a
little hedge, so that they were sure they would not lose the path.
As they fled, the girl told him that she had overheard a conversation
between the old man and his grandmother, saying that she was a king's
daughter, whom the old fellow had obtained by cunning from her parents.
The prince, who knew all about the affair, was silent, though he was
glad from his heart that it had fallen to his lot to set her free. So
they went on till the day began to dawn.

The old man slept very late that morning, and rubbed his eyes till he
was properly awake. Then he remembered that very soon the couple were
to present themselves before him. After waiting and waiting till quite
a long time had passed, he said to himself, with a grin, 'Well, they are
not in much hurry to be married,' and waited again.

At last he grew a little uneasy, and cried loudly, 'Man and maid! what
has become of you?'

After repeating this many times, he became quite frightened, but, call
as he would, neither man nor maid appeared. At last he jumped angrily
out of bed to go in search of the culprits, but only found an empty
house, and beds that had never been slept in.

Then he went straight to the stable, where the sight of the dead calf
told him all. Swearing loudly, he opened the door of the third stall
quickly, and cried to his goblin servants to go and chase the f