capricious. She had made a vow to marry no one who would not promise her
that if she died first, he would allow himself to be buried alive with
her. 'If he loves me truly,' she used to say, 'what use would life be to
him then?' At the same time she was willing to do the same, and if he
died first to be buried with him. This curious vow had up to this time
frightened away all suitors, but the young man was so captivated by her
beauty, that he hesitated at nothing and asked her hand of her father.
'Do you know,' asked the King, 'what you have to promise?' 'I shall have
to go into her grave with her,' he answered, 'if I outlive her, but my
love is so great that I do not think of the risk.' So the King
consented, and the wedding was celebrated with great splendour.

Now, they lived for a long time very happily with one another, but then
it came to pass that the young Queen fell seriously ill, and no doctor
could save her. And when she lay dead, the young King remembered what he
had promised, and it made him shudder to think of lying in her grave
alive, but there was no escape. The King had set guards before all the
gates, and it was not possible to avoid his fate.

When the day arrived on which the corpse was to be laid in the royal
vault, he was led thither, then the entrance was bolted and closed up.

Near the coffin stood a table on which were placed four candles, four
loaves of bread, and four bottles of wine. As soon as this provision
came to an end he would have to die. So he sat there full of grief and
misery, eating every day only a tiny bit of bread, and drinking only a
mouthful of wine, and he watched death creeping nearer and nearer to
him. One day as he was sitting staring moodily in front of him, he saw a
snake creep out of the corner towards the corpse. Thinking it was going
to touch it, he drew his sword and saying, 'As long as I am alive you
shall not harm her,' he cut it in three pieces. After a little time a
second snake crept out of the corner, but when it saw the first one
lying dead and in pieces it went back and came again soon, holding three
green leaves in its mouth. Then it took the three bits of the snake and
laid them in order, and put one of the leaves on each wound. Immediately
the pieces joined together, the snake moved itself and became alive and
then both hurried away. The leaves remained lying on the ground, and it
suddenly occurred to the unfortunate man who had seen everything, that
the