For a long time he wandered all through the world, and it was not till
the ninety-ninth day after he started that he found an old man who
was able to tell him where the Tree of the Sun grew. He followed his
directions, and rode on his way, and after another ninety-nine days
he arrived at a golden castle, which stood in the middle of a vast
wilderness. He knocked at the door, which was opened noiselessly and by
invisible hands. Finding no one about, the Prince rode on, and came to
a great meadow, where the Sun-Tree grew. When he reached the tree he put
out his hand to pick a golden apple; but all of a sudden the tree grew
higher, so that he could not reach its fruit. Then he heard some one
behind him laughing. Turning round, he saw the girl in red walking
towards him, who addressed him in these words:

'Do you really imagine, brave son of the earth, that you can pluck an
apple so easily from the Tree of the Sun? Before you can do that, you
have a difficult task before you. You must guard the tree for nine days
and nine nights from the ravages of two wild black wolves, who will try
to harm it. Do you think you can undertake this?'

'Yes,' answered the Sun-Hero, 'I will guard the Tree of the Sun nine
days and nine nights.'

Then the girl continued: 'Remember, though, if you do not succeed the
Sun will kill you. Now begin your watch.'

With these words the Red Girl went back into the golden castle. She had
hardly left him when the two black wolves appeared: but the Sun-Hero
beat them off with his sword, and they retired, only, however, to
reappear in a very short time. The Sun-Hero chased them away once more,
but he had hardly sat down to rest when the two black wolves were on
the scene again. This went on for seven days and nights, when the white
horse, who had never done such a thing before, turned to the Sun-Hero
and said in a human voice: 'Listen to what I am going to say. A Fairy
gave me to your mother in order that I might be of service to you; so
let me tell you, that if you go to sleep and let the wolves harm the
tree, the Sun will surely kill you. The Fairy, foreseeing this, put
everyone in the world under a spell, which prevents their obeying the
Sun's command to take your life. But all the same, she has forgotten
one person, who will certainly kill you if you fall asleep and let the
wolves damage the tree. So watch and keep the wolves away.'

Then the Sun-Hero strove with all his might and kept the black wo