should coil round his body and
kiss him. Suddenly he remembered the lucky egg: he took the little box
from his pocket, opened it, and took the little egg, which was not
larger than that of a sparrow, between his fingers.

At this moment the snow-white snake glided from under the stone, wound
round his body, and had just raised her head to kiss him, when--he
himself knew not how it happened--he pushed the lucky egg into her
mouth. His heart froze within him, but he stood firm, without shrinking,
till the snake had kissed him three times. A tremendous flash and crash
followed, as if the stone had been struck by lightning, and amid the
loud pealing of the thunder, Paertel fell on the ground like one dead,
and knew nothing more of what happened to him.

But at this terrible moment the bondage of the enchantment was loosened,
and the royal maiden was released from her long captivity. When Paertel
awakened from his heavy swoon, he found himself lying on cushions of
white silk in a magnificent glass room of a sky-blue colour. The fair
maiden knelt by his bedside, patted his cheek, and cried out, when he
opened his eyes, "Thanks to the Heavenly Father who has heard my prayer,
and a thousand thousand thanks to you, dear youth, who released me from
my long enchantment! Take my kingdom as your reward, along with this
beautiful palace, and all my treasures, and if you will, accept me also
as your bride into the bargain! You shall always live here in happiness,
as befits the lord of the lucky egg. Hitherto your lot has been as that
of your godfather, but now you succeed to a better lot, such as fell to
your godmother."

No one could now come between Paertel and his happiness and good fortune,
and all the unknown longings of his heart, which constantly drew him
back under the lime-tree, were finally laid to rest. He lived apart from
the world with his dear bride in the enjoyment of the greatest happiness
until his death.

But great sorrow was caused by his disappearance, both in the village,
and in the farm-house where he had worked, and where he was much loved
for his steady quiet ways. All the people went out to look for him, and
their first visit was to the lime-tree which Paertel was accustomed to
visit so often, and towards which they had seen him going on the
previous evening. Great was the amazement of the people when they found
no trace of either Paertel, the lime-tree, or the stone. The little
spring near was dried up, a