ve to be with the gardener, but none of the other
servants would sleep with him, and so he had to sleep by himself under
the steps of the summer-house. It stood upon beams, and had a high
staircase. Under that he got some turf for his bed, and there he lay
as well as he could.

So, when he had been some time at the palace, it happened one morning,
just as the sun rose, that the lad had taken off his wig, and stood
and washed himself, and then he was so handsome, it was a joy to look
at him.

So the _Princess_ saw from her window the lovely gardener's boy, and
thought she had never seen any one so handsome. Then she asked the
gardener why he lay out there under the steps.

"Oh," said the gardener, "none of his fellow-servants will sleep with
him; that's why."

"Let him come up to-night, and lie at the door inside my bedroom, and
then they'll not refuse to sleep with him any more," said the
_Princess_.

So the gardener told that to the lad.

"Do you think I'll do any such thing?" said the lad. "Why they'd say
next there was something between me and the _Princess_."

"Yes," said the gardener, "you've good reason to fear any such thing,
you who are so handsome."

"Well, well," said the lad, "since it's her will, I suppose I must
go."

So, when he was to go up the steps in the evening, he tramped and
stamped so on the way, that they had to beg him to tread softly lest
the _King_ should come to know it. So he came into the _Princess'_
bedroom, lay down, and began to snore at once. Then the _Princess_
said to her maid:

"Go gently, and just pull his wig off;" and she went up to him.

But just as she was going to whisk it off, he caught hold of it with
both hands, and said she should never have it. After that he lay down
again, and began to snore. Then the _Princess_ gave her maid a wink,
and this time she whisked off the wig; and there lay the lad so
lovely, and white and red, just as the _Princess_ had seen him in the
morning sun.

[Illustration: And this time she whisked off the wig; and there lay the
lad, so lovely, and white and red, just as the Princess had seen him in
the morning sun.]

After that the lad slept every night in the _Princess'_ bedroom.

But it wasn't long before the _King_ came to hear how the gardener's
lad slept every night in the _Princess'_ bedroom; and he got so wroth
he almost took the lad's life. He didn't do that, however, but he
threw him into the prison tower; and as for his d