r our spell,
Till water be brought from the Thirsty Well!"

'Then they took the top blossom of all, and broke it to pieces, and
threw the petals away as they cried,--

"Sister, your life goes down for a term,
Till they bring you breath from the Camphor-Worm!"

'And when they had done all this, they turned her back into her true
shape, and left her standing even as you see her now, without warmth,
or sight, or memory, or motion, dead saving for her beauty, that never
changes or dies. And here she must stand till the spells which have
been fastened upon her have been unloosed. No long time after,
the wickedness of the three sisters and of their cruel mother was
discovered to the king, and they were all put to death for the crime.
Yet the ill they had done remained; and the king's grief became so
great to see his loved daughter standing dead before him that he
removed with his court to another place, and left this palace to the
care of only a few serving-men, and myself to keep watch and guard
over the Princess.

'So now four-fold is the spell that holds her, and to break the
lightest of them the water of the Thirsty Well is needed; with two of
its drops laid upon her eyes memory will come back to her, and her
mind will remember of the things of the past. And for the breaking
of the second spell is needed a blossom of the Burning Rose, and the
plucking of that no man's hand can achieve; but when the Rose is laid
upon her breast, her heart will belong to the world once more, and
will beat again under her bosom. And for the breaking of the third
spell one must bring the breath of the Camphor-Worm that has lain for
a whole year inside its body, and breathe it between her lips; then
she will breathe again, and all her five senses will return to her.
And for the last spell only the Galloping Plough can uproot her back
to life, and free her feet for the ways of earth. Now, here we have
the Galloping Plough with no man who can guide it, and what aid can it
be? If these fools should be able to make it so much as but touch the
feet of my dear mistress, she will be mown down like grass, and die
presently for lack of earth; for only the three other charms I have
told you of can put whole life back into her.'

'As for the mastery of the Plough,' said Noodle, 'I will fetch that
from them in a breath. See, in a moment, how marvellous will be the
uplifting of their eyes!' He put to his lips the firestone ring--the
Sweetener-