, dressed
in white; she had a silver girdle round her waist, and a crown of pearls
on her head, but was pale and sad, as if she had risen from the grave.
The prince recognized her at once, sprang forward, and went to meet her;
but before he could utter a word the wizard addressed him: "I know for
what you have come; you want to take the princess away. Well, be it so!
Take her, if you can keep her in sight for three nights, so that she
doesn't vanish from you. If she vanishes, you will be turned into stone
as well as your three servants; like all who have come before you." He
then motioned the princess to a seat and departed.

The prince could not take his eyes off the princess, so beautiful was
she. He began to talk to her, and asked her all manner of questions, but
she neither answered nor smiled, nor looked at any one more than if she
had been of marble. He sat down by her, and determined not to sleep all
night long lest she should vanish from him, and, to make surer, Long
extended himself like a strap, and wound himself round the whole room
along the wall; Broad posted himself in the doorway, swelled himself up,
and stopped it up so tight that not even a mouse could have slipped
through; while Sharpsight placed himself against a pillar in the midst
of the room on the look-out. But after a time they all began to nod,
fell asleep, and slept the whole night, just as if the wizard had thrown
them into the water.

In the morning, when it began to dawn, the prince was the first to wake,
but--as if a knife had been thrust into his heart--the princess was
gone! He forthwith awoke his servants, and asked what was to be done.
"Never mind, sir," said Sharpsight, and looked sharply out through the
window, "I see her already. A hundred miles hence is a forest, in the
midst of the forest an old oak, and on the top of the oak an acorn, and
she is that acorn." Long immediately took him on his shoulders, extended
himself, and went ten miles at a step, while Sharpsight showed him the
way.

No more time elapsed than would have been wanted to move once round a
cottage before they were back again, and Long delivered the acorn to the
prince. "Sir, let it fall on the ground." The prince let it fall and
that moment the princess stood beside him. And when the sun began to
show itself beyond the mountains, the folding doors flew open with a
crash, and the wizard entered the room and smiled spitefully; but when
he saw the princess he frowne