picture
and advised her to keep quite still, and he placed himself behind
the picture also. Presently the eagles came flying in, and changed
themselves into young men, and in a moment the Princess recognised her
husband amongst them all, and tried to come out of her hiding-place; but
the old man held her back. The youths seated themselves at the table;
and now the Prince said again, while he took up the cup of wine:

'A health to my dearest lady,
Long may she live and well!
But a curse on the cruel mother
That burnt my golden shell!'

Then the Princess could restrain herself no longer, but ran forward and
threw her arms round her husband. And immediately he knew her again, and
said:

'Do you remember how I told you that day that you would betray me?
Now you see that I spoke the truth. But all that bad time is past. Now
listen to me: I must still remain enchanted for three months. Will you
stay here with me till that time is over?'

So the Princess stayed with him, and said to the old man, 'Go back to
the castle and tell my parents that I am staying here.'

Her parents were very much vexed when the old man came back and told
them this, but as soon as the three months of the Prince's enchantment
were over, he ceased to be an eagle and became once more a man, and they
returned home together. And then they lived happily, and we who hear the
story are happier still.

THE IRON STOVE(7)

(7) Grimm.

Once upon a time when wishes came true there was a king's son who was
enchanted by an old witch, so that he was obliged to sit in a large iron
stove in a wood. There he lived for many years, and no one could free
him. At last a king's daughter came into the wood; she had lost her way,
and could not find her father's kingdom again. She had been wandering
round and round for nine days, and she came at last to the iron case. A
voice came from within and asked her, 'Where do you come from, and where
do you want to go?' She answered, 'I have lost my way to my father's
kingdom, and I shall never get home again.' Then the voice from the iron
stove said, 'I will help you to find your home again, and that in a very
short time, if you will promise to do what I ask you. I am a greater
prince than you are a princess, and I will marry you.' Then she grew
frightened, and thought, 'What can a young lassie do with an iron
stove?' But as she wanted very much to go home to her father, she
promised