only one servant, set out on his quest.

After travelling for many days, he arrived at length before a large
gate, and through the bars he could see the streets of a town, and even
the palace. The prince tried to pass in, but the way was barred by the
keeper of the gate, who wanted to know who he was, why he was there, and
how he had learnt the way, and he was not allowed to enter unless the
empress herself came and gave him leave. A message was sent to her, and
when she stood at the gate the prince thought he had lost his wits, for
there was the maiden he had left his home to seek. And she hastened to
him, and took his hand, and drew him into the palace. In a few days they
were married, and the prince forgot his father and his brothers, and
made up his mind that he would live and die in the castle.

One morning the empress told him that she was going to take a walk by
herself, and that she would leave the keys of twelve cellars to his
care. 'If you wish to enter the first eleven cellars,' said she, 'you
can; but beware of even unlocking the door of the twelfth, or it will be
the worse for you.'

The prince, who was left alone in the castle, soon got tired of being by
himself, and began to look about for something to amuse him.

'What CAN there be in that twelfth cellar,' he thought to himself,
'which I must not see?' And he went downstairs and unlocked the doors,
one after the other. When he got to the twelfth he paused, but his
curiosity was too much for him, and in another instant the key was
turned and the cellar lay open before him. It was empty, save for a
large cask, bound with iron hoops, and out of the cask a voice was
saying entreatingly, 'For goodness' sake, brother, fetch me some water;
I am dying of thirst!'

The prince, who was very tender-hearted, brought some water at once, and
pushed it through a hole in the barrel; and as he did so one of the iron
hoops burst.

He was turning away, when a voice cried the second time, 'Brother, for
pity's sake fetch me some water; I'm dying of thirst!'

So the prince went back, and brought some more water, and again a hoop
sprang.

And for the third time the voice still called for water; and when water
was given it the last hoop was rent, the cask fell in pieces, and out
flew a dragon, who snatched up the empress just as she was returning
from her walk, and carried her off. Some servants who saw what had
happened came rushing to the prince, and the poor young