g of harm (for indeed he who steals a horse can
hardly be blamed for taking his saddle), he hastily placed it on the
animal's back. Suddenly the people in the castle became broad awake,
and rushed to the stable. They flung themselves on the Prince, seized
him, and dragged him before their lord; but, luckily for the Prince,
who could only find very lame excuses for his conduct, the lord of the
castle took a fancy to his face, and let him depart without further
questions.

[Illustration: Prince Saphir Steals the Horse and Harness]

Very sad, and very much ashamed of himself poor Saphir crept back to
the fountain, where the Frog was awaiting him with a good scolding.

'Whom do you take me for?' she exclaimed angrily. 'Do you really
believe that it was just for the pleasure of talking that I gave you
the advice you have neglected so abominably?'

But the Prince was so deeply grieved, and apologised so very humbly,
that after some time the heart of the good little Frog was softened,
and she gave him another tiny little grain, but instead of being sand
it was now a grain of gold. She directed him to do just as he had done
before, with only this difference, that instead of going to the stable
which had been the ruin of his hopes, he was to enter right into the
castle itself, and to glide as fast as he could down the passages till
he came to a room filled with perfume, where he would find a beautiful
maiden asleep on a bed. He was to wake the maiden instantly and carry
her off, and to be sure not to pay any heed to whatever resistance she
might make.

The Prince obeyed the Frog's orders one by one, and all went well for
this second time also. The gate opened, the inhabitants fell sound
asleep, and he walked down the passage till he found the girl on her
bed, exactly as he had been told he would. He woke her, and begged her
firmly, but politely, to follow him quickly. After a little persuasion
the maiden consented, but only on condition that she was allowed first
to put on her dress. This sounded so reasonable and natural that it
did not enter the Prince's head to refuse her request.

But the maiden's hand had hardly touched the dress when the palace
suddenly awoke from its sleep, and the Prince was seized and bound. He
was so vexed with his own folly, and so taken aback at the disaster,
that he did not attempt to explain his conduct, and things would have
gone badly with him if his friends the fairies had not softened the