and
how he had contrived to woo and win the Princess Osra, and finally to
carry her off from the palace.

It was an hour later when the whole of the two companies, that of the
king and that of the ambassador, were all gathered together again, and
had heard the story; so that when the king went to where Osra and
the Grand Duke walked together among the trees, and, taking each by
a hand, led them out, they were greeted with a great cheer; and they
mounted their horses, which the Grand Duke now found without any
difficulty--although when the need of them seemed far greater the
student could not contrive to come upon them--and the whole company
rode together out of the wood and along the road towards Strelsau, the
king being full of jokes and hugely delighted with a trick that suited
his merry fancy. But before they had ridden far, they met the great
crowd which had come out from Strelsau to learn what had happened to
the Princess Osra. And the king cried out that the Grand Duke was to
marry the princess, while his guards who had been with him and the
ambassador's people spread themselves among the crowd and told the
story. And when they heard it, the Strelsau folk were nearly beside
themselves with amusement and delight, and thronged round Osra,
kissing her hands and blessing her. But the king drew back, and let
her and the Grand Duke ride alone together, while he followed with
Count Sergius. Thus, moving at a very slow pace, they came in the
forenoon to Strelsau; but some one had galloped on ahead with the
news, and the cathedral bells had been set ringing, the streets were
full, and the whole city given over to excitement and rejoicing. All
the men were that day in love with Princess Osra; and, what is more,
they told their sweethearts so, and these found no other revenge than
to blow kisses and fling flowers at the Grand Duke as he rode past
with Osra by his side. Thus they came back to the palace whence they
had fled in the early gleams of that morning's light.

It was evening, and the moon rose, fair and clear, over Strelsau. In
the streets there were sounds of merriment and rejoicing; for every
house was bright with light, and the king had sent out meat and
wine for every soul in the city, that none might be sad or hungry or
thirsty in all the city that night; so that there was no small
uproar. The king himself sat in his armchair, toasting the bride and
bride-groom in company with Count Sergius of Antheim, whose