ut still her eyes were full of discontent. And, best of all, she
loved to while away the hours in a shady fir-wood, seated upon the
bank of a little stream, into which she would cast the flowers she had
gathered and watch them float away.

The gnome tried hard by every means in his power to please the
princess and win her love, but little did he guess the real reason of
his lack of success. He imagined that she was too young and
inexperienced to care for him; but that was a mistake, for the truth
was that another image already filled her heart. The young Prince
Ratibor, whose lands joined her father's, had won the heart of the
princess; and the lovers had been looking forward to the coming of
their wedding-day when the bride's mysterious disappearance took
place. The sad news drove Ratibor distracted, and as the days went on,
and nothing could be heard of the princess, he forsook his castle and
the society of men, and spent his days in the wild forests, roaming
about and crying her name aloud to the trees and rocks. Meanwhile, the
maiden, in her gorgeous prison, sighed in secret over her grief, not
wishing to arouse the gnome's suspicions. In her own mind she was
wondering if by any means she might escape from her captivity, and at
last she hit upon a plan.

By this time spring once more reigned in the valley, and the gnome
sent the fires back to their places in the deeps of the earth, for the
roots which they had kept warm through all the cruel winter had now
come to their full size. Day by day the princess pulled up some of
them, and made experiments with them, conjuring up now this longed-for
person, and now that, just for the pleasure of seeing them as they
appeared; but she really had another purpose in view.

One day she changed a tiny turnip into a bee, and sent him off to
bring her some news of her lover.

'Fly, dear little bee, towards the east,' said she, 'to my beloved
Ratibor, and softly hum into his ear that I love him only, but that I
am a captive in the gnome's palace under the mountains. Do not forget
a single word of my greeting, and bring me back a message from my
beloved.'

So the bee spread his shining wings and flew away to do as he was
bidden; but before he was out of sight a greedy swallow made a snatch
at him, and to the great grief of the princess her messenger was eaten
up then and there.

After that, by the power of the wonderful wand she summoned a cricket,
and taught him this greetin