but as they each wished
to win the crown, they determined to do their best, and after a very few
days set out on their travels again.

At the cross roads they separated once more. The youngest went by
himself along his lonely way, but this time he felt much more cheerful.
Hardly had he sat down under the bridge and heaved a sigh, than Puddocky
came out; and, sitting down opposite him, asked, 'What's wrong with you
now, dear Prince?'

The Prince, who this time never doubted the little toad's power to help
him, told her his difficulty at once. 'Prince, I will help you,' said
the toad again, and crawled back into her swamp as fast as her short
little legs would carry her. She returned, dragging a hazel-nut behind
her, which she laid at the Prince's feet and said, 'Take this nut home
with you and tell your father to crack it very carefully, and you'll see
then what will happen.' The Prince thanked her heartily and went on his
way in the best of spirits while the little puddock crept slowly back
into the water.

When the Prince got home he found his brothers had just arrived with
great waggon-loads of little dogs of all sorts. The King had a walnut
shell ready, and the trial began; but not one of the dogs the two
eldest sons had brought with them would in the least fit into the shell.
When they had tried all their little dogs, the youngest son handed his
father the hazel-nut, with a modest bow, and begged him to crack it
carefully. Hardly had the old King done so than a lovely tiny dog sprang
out of the nutshell, and ran about on the King's hand, wagging its tail
and barking lustily at all the other little dogs. The joy of the Court
was great. The father again embraced his fortunate son, commanded the
rest of the small dogs to be thrown into the water and drowned, and once
more addressed his sons. 'The two most difficult tasks have been
performed. Now listen to the third and last: whoever brings the fairest
wife home with him shall be my heir.'

[Illustration]

This demand seemed so easy and agreeable and the reward was so great,
that the Princes lost no time in setting forth on their travels. At the
cross roads the two elder brothers debated if they should go the same
way as the youngest, but when they saw how dreary and deserted it looked
they made up their minds that it would be impossible to find what they
sought in these wilds, and so they stuck to their former paths.

The youngest was very depressed this time a