s ripe.
This I would have done to-night too, if you had not seized me with such
force, and so broken the spell I was under.'

Iwanich, who had been prepared to meet a terrible magician and not a
lovely girl, fell desperately in love with her. They spent the rest of
the night in pleasant conversation, and when Militza wished to go away
he begged her not to leave him.

'I would gladly stay with you longer,' said Militza, 'but a wicked witch
once cut off a lock of my hair when I was asleep, which has put me in
her power, and if morning were still to find me here she would do me
some harm, and you, too, perhaps.'

Having said these words, she drew a sparkling diamond ring from her
finger, which she handed to the Prince, saying: 'Keep this ring in
memory of Militza, and think of her sometimes if you never see her
again. But if your love is really true, come and find me in my own
kingdom. I may not show you the way there, but this ring will guide you.

'If you have love and courage enough to undertake this journey, whenever
you come to a cross-road always look at this diamond before you settle
which way you are going to take. If it sparkles as brightly as ever go
straight on, but if its lustre is dimmed choose another path.'

Then Militza bent over the Prince and kissed him on his forehead, and
before he had time to say a word she vanished through the branches of
the tree in a little white cloud.

Morning broke, and the Prince, still full of the wonderful apparition,
left his perch and returned to the palace like one in a dream, without
even knowing if the fruit had been taken or not; for his whole mind was
absorbed by thoughts of Militza and how he was to find her.

As soon as the head-gardener saw the Prince going towards the palace he
ran to the trees, and when he saw them laden with ripe fruit he hastened
to tell the King the joyful news. The King was beside himself for joy,
and hurried at once to the garden and made the gardener pick him some of
the fruit. He tasted it, and found the apple quite as luscious as it
had been in his dream. He went at once to his son Iwanich, and after
embracing him tenderly and heaping praises on him, he asked him how
he had succeeded in protecting the costly fruit from the power of the
magician.

This question placed Iwanich in a dilemma. But as he did not want the
real story to be known, he said that about midnight a huge wasp had
flown through the branches, and buzzed incessantly