ess Eileen in the
giant's castle, watching and waiting for the prince to return and save
her.

And the dwarfs had wound two balls, and were winding a third.

At last the prince heard from the old giantess that the king of the
giants was to return on the following day, and she said to him:

"As this is the last night you have to live, tell me if you wish for
anything, for if you do your wish will be granted."

"I don't wish for anything," said the prince, whose heart was dead
within him.

"Well, I'll come back again," said the giantess, and she went away.

The prince sat down in a corner, thinking and thinking, until he heard
close to his ear a sound like "purr, purr!" He looked around, and there
before him was the little white cat.

"I ought not to come to you," said the cat; "but, indeed, it is not for
your sake I come. I come for the sake of the Princess Eileen. Of course,
you forgot all about her, and, of course, she is always thinking of you.
It's always the way--

"'Favored lovers may forget,
Slighted lovers never yet.'"

The prince blushed with shame when he heard the name of the princess.

"'Tis you that ought to blush," said the cat; "but listen to me now, and
remember, if you don't obey my directions this time you'll never see me
again, and you'll never set your eyes on the Princess Eileen. When the
old giantess comes back tell her you wish, when the morning comes, to go
down to the sea to look at it for the last time. When you reach the sea
you will know what to do. But I must go now, as I hear the giantess
coming." And the cat jumped out of the window and disappeared.

"Well," said the giantess, when she came in, "is there anything you
wish?"

"Is it true I must die to-morrow?" asked the prince.

"It is."

"Then," said he, "I should like to go down to the sea to look at it for
the last time."

"You may do that," said the giantess, "if you get up early."

"I'll be up with the lark in the light of the morning," said the prince.

"Very well," said the giantess, and, saying "good night," she went away.

The prince thought the night would never pass, but at last it faded
away before the gray light of the dawn, and he sped down to the sea. He
threw out the third ball, and before long he saw the little boat coming
towards him swifter than the wind. He threw himself into it the moment
it touched the shore. Swifter than the wind it bore him out to sea, and
before he had time to look behin