rack. He got on his legs, and
walked quietly by all those giants, lions, fiery serpents, and all
manner of other frightful things too numerous to mention, while they
were fast asleep, and that only for the space of one hour, when into the
castle he goes neck or nothing. Turning to the right, upstairs he runs,
and enters into a very grand bedroom, and sees a beautiful Princess
lying full stretch on a gold bedstead, fast asleep. He gazed on her
beautiful form with admiration, and he takes her garter off, and buckles
it on his own leg, and he buckles his on hers; he also takes her gold
watch and pocket-handkerchief, and exchanges his for hers; after that he
ventures to give her a kiss, when she very nearly opened her eyes.
Seeing the time short, off he runs downstairs, and passing through the
kitchen to go into the garden for the apples, he could see the cook
all-fours on her back on the middle of the floor, with the knife in one
hand and the fork in the other. He found the apples, and filled the
wallet; and on passing through the kitchen the cook near wakened, but he
was obliged to make all the speed he possibly could, as the time was
nearly up. He called out for the swans, and they managed to take him
over; but they found that he was a little heavier than before. No sooner
than he had mounted his horse he could hear a tremendous noise, the
enchantment was broke, and they tried to follow him, but all to no
purpose. He was not long before he came to the oldest brother's house;
and glad enough he was to see it, for the sight and the noise of all
those things that were after him nearly frightened him to death.

"Welcome, my boy; I am proud to see you. Dismount and put the horse in
the stable, and come in and have some refreshments; I know you are
hungry after all you have gone through in that castle. And tell me all
you did, and all you saw there. Other kings' sons went by here to go to
that castle, but they never came back alive, and you are the only one
that ever broke the spell. And now you must come with me, with a sword
in your hand, and must cut my head off, and must throw it in that well."

The young Prince dismounts, and puts his horse in the stable, and they
go in to have some refreshments, for I can assure you he wanted some;
and after telling everything that passed, which the old gentleman was
very pleased to hear, they both went for a walk together, the young
Prince looking around and seeing the place looking dre