d when they reached it, that he was already dead.
They gave him a magnificent burial, and then the prince had to examine
the new laws which had been made in his absence, and do a great deal of
business besides, till he grew quite ill from fatigue, and was obliged
to go away to one of his palaces on the banks of the river, in order to
rest. Here he soon got better, and began to hunt, and to shoot wild duck
with his bow; and wherever he went, his dog, now grown very old, went
with him.

One morning the prince and his dog were out as usual, and in chasing
their game they drew near the bank of the river. The prince was running
at full speed after his dog when he almost fell over something that
looked like a log of wood, which was lying in his path. To his surprise
a voice spoke to him, and he saw that the thing which he had taken for a
branch was really a crocodile.

'You cannot escape from me,' it was saying, when he had gathered his
senses again. 'I am your fate, and wherever you go, and whatever you do,
you will always find me before you. There is only one means of shaking
off my power. If you can dig a pit in the dry sand which will remain
full of water, my spell will be broken. If not death will come to you
speedily. I give you this one chance. Now go.'

The young man walked sadly away, and when he reached the palace he
shut himself into his room, and for the rest of the day refused to see
anyone, not even his wife. At sunset, however, as no sound could be
heard through the door, the princess grew quite frightened, and made
such a noise that the prince was forced to draw back the bolt and let
her come in. 'How pale you look,' she cried, 'has anything hurt you?
Tell me, I pray you, what is the matter, for perhaps I can help!'

So the prince told her the whole story, and of the impossible task given
him by the crocodile.

'How can a sand hole remain full of water?' asked he. 'Of course, it
will all run through. The crocodile called it a "chance"; but he might
as well have dragged me into the river at once. He said truly that I
cannot escape him.'

'Oh, if that is all,' cried the princess, 'I can set you free myself,
for my fairy godmother taught me to know the use of plants and in the
desert not far from here there grows a little four-leaved herb which
will keep the water in the pit for a whole year. I will go in search of
it at dawn, and you can begin to dig the hole as soon as you like.

To comfort her husband,