from the table the
king said to her, 'Dear child, this mighty lord does you the honour to
ask your hand in marriage.'

'Oh, father,' answered she, 'spare me, I pray you, for I desire to
remain single.'

Then Bensurdatu turned to her, and said: 'And if I were Bensurdatu,
would you give the same answer to me?'

And as she stood silently gazing at him, he added: 'Yes, I am
Bensurdatu; and this is my story.'

The king and queen had their hearts stirred within them at the tale of
his adventures, and when he had ended the king stretched out his hand,
and said: 'Dear Bensurdatu, my youngest daughter shall indeed be your
wife; and when I die my crown shall be yours. As for the men who have
betrayed you, they shall leave the country and you shall see them no
more.'

And the wedding feast was ordered, and rejoicings were held for three
days over the marriage of Bensurdatu and the youngest princess.

[From the _Sicilianische Maerchen_.]

_THE MAGICIAN'S HORSE_

Once upon a time, there was a king who had three sons. Now it happened
that one day the three princes went out hunting in a large forest at
some distance from their father's palace, and the youngest prince lost
his way, so his brothers had to return home without him.

For four days the prince wandered through the glades of the forest,
sleeping on moss beneath the stars at night, and by day living on roots
and wild berries. At last, on the morning of the fifth day, he came to a
large open space in the middle of the forest, and here stood a stately
palace; but neither within nor without was there a trace of human life.
The prince entered the open door and wandered through the deserted rooms
without seeing a living soul. At last he came on a great hall, and in
the centre of the hall was a table spread with dainty dishes and choice
wines. The prince sat down, and satisfied his hunger and thirst, and
immediately afterwards the table disappeared from his sight. This struck
the prince as very strange; but though he continued his search through
all the rooms, upstairs and down, he could find no one to speak to. At
last, just as it was beginning to get dark, he heard steps in the
distance and he saw an old man coming towards him up the stairs.

'What are you doing wandering about my castle?' asked the old man.

To whom the prince replied: 'I lost my way hunting in the forest. If you
will take me into your service, I should like to stay with you, and will
se