ter, when a lovely little green
frog, much prettier than frogs generally are, jumped into the cup. Far
from admiring its beauty, Saphir shook it impatiently off; but it was
no good, for quick as lightning the frog jumped back again. Saphir,
who was raging with thirst, was just about to shake it off anew, when
the little creature fixed upon him the most beautiful eyes in the
world, and said, 'I am a friend of the bird you are seeking, and when
you have quenched your thirst listen to me.'

So the Prince drank his fill, and then, by the command of the Little
Green Frog, he lay down on the grass to rest himself.

'Now,' she began, 'be sure you do exactly in every respect what I tell
you. First you must call together your attendants, and order them to
remain in a little hamlet close by until you want them. Then go, quite
alone, down a road that you will find on your right hand, looking
southwards. This road is planted all the way with cedars of Lebanon;
and after going down it a long way you will come at last to a
magnificent castle. And now,' she went on, 'attend carefully to what I
am going to say. Take this tiny grain of sand, and put it into the
ground as close as you can to the gate of the castle. It has the
virtue both of opening the gate and also of sending to sleep all the
inhabitants. Then go at once to the stable, and pay no heed to
anything except what I tell you. Choose the handsomest of all the
horses, leap quickly on its back, and come to me as fast as you can.
Farewell, Prince; I wish you good luck,' and with these words the
Little Frog plunged into the water and disappeared.

The Prince, who felt more hopeful than he had done since he left home,
did precisely as he had been ordered. He left his attendants in the
hamlet, found the road the frog had described to him, and followed it
all alone, and at last he arrived at the gate of the castle, which was
even more splendid than he had expected, for it was built of crystal,
and all its ornaments were of massive gold. However, he had no
thoughts to spare for its beauty, and quickly buried his grain of sand
in the earth. In one instant the gates flew open, and all the dwellers
inside fell sound asleep. Saphir flew straight to the stable, and
already had his hand on the finest horse it contained, when his eye
was caught by a suit of magnificent harness hanging up close by. It
occurred to him directly that the harness belonged to the horse, and
without ever thinkin