princesses. However,
he allowed him to depart in search of the princess.

Then the prince hurried home and once more walked toward the forest by
the same path he had gone the day he went in search of the hare for
his father's broth. He soon found the place where the hare had crossed
his path, and he did his best to remember the course they had followed
as he pursued her into the forest.

In the forest he saw evidences of what looked like a flood. The water
had washed away every trace of the entrance of the cave. He dug and
dug at the place where he thought it ought to be. He found nothing
which seemed like the cave's entrance.

He dug and dug at a new place near by and soon he found his way barred
by a massive door. The entrance to the cave was securely shut by it.
The prince knocked at the door with all his might.

Soon the door was opened a tiny bit and the face of a little old woman
looked out. "I am the _ama_ of the princess," she said. "I think you
are the prince she was expecting to return to deliver her from all the
terrible calamities which have befallen her."

"What has happened to my beautiful princess who saved my life?" asked
the prince. "I am indeed the prince, but I am surprised that you
should recognize me in my fisherman's garb."

"The princess told me that I would know you by the smile in your
eyes," replied the old _ama_. "I did not look at your clothes at all.
I looked at your eyes. You have the smile in them though your face is
sad. Come into the cave, and I will tell you all that has happened."

When the prince was inside the cave she hastily barred the door and
said, "When the giant returned he was terribly angry at the princess
because she had let you escape. He seized her roughly and put her into
the box in your place. The princess had thrown away the key to the box
when she let you out; and, search as he would, the giant was unable to
find it again anywhere. That made him even angrier than before. All
day he sits on the top of the chest when the princess is in the form
of the hare. At night when he goes away he causes a great river to
flow around the entrance to the cave. He has placed a huge fish as
guard to the entrance. This fish swims up and down before our door and
calls out such vile names at the princess, that, when she is in her
own form, she stays in the box and stuffs cotton in her ears. You got
here just as the giant had left. The water must have risen as soon as
you were insi