_Queen_ did not like this; but at last his heart was so set on it,
and he longed and longed so much, there was no holding him back, so
she said:

"One thing you must promise me. This--only to do what your father begs
you to do, and not what mother wishes;" and that he promised.

Then she gave him a ring, which was of that kind that any one who wore
it might wish two wishes. So he wished himself home, and when he got
home his parents could not wonder enough what a grand man their son
had become.

Now, when he had been at home some days, his mother wished him to go
up to the palace and show the _King_ what a fine fellow he had come
to be. But his father said:

"No! don't let him do that; if he does, we shan't have any more joy of
him this time."

But it was no good, the mother begged and prayed so long that at last
he went. So when he got up to the palace he was far braver, both in
clothes and array, than the other king, who didn't quite like this,
and at last he said:

"All very fine; but here you can see my _Queen_, what like she is, but
I can't see yours: that I can't. Do you know, I scarce think she's so
good-looking as mine."

"Would to Heaven," said the young _King_, "she were standing here,
then you'd see what she was like." And that instant there she stood
before them.

But she was very woeful, and said to him:

"Why did you not mind what I told you; and why did you not listen to
what your father said? Now, I must away home, and as for you, you have
had both your wishes."

With that she knitted a ring among his hair with her name on it, and
wished herself home, and was off.

Then the young _King_ was cut to the heart, and went, day out day in,
thinking and thinking how he should get back to his _Queen_. "I'll
just try," he thought, "if I can't learn where Whiteland lies;" and so
he went out into the world to ask. So when he had gone a good way, he
came to a high hill, and there he met one who was lord over all the
beasts of the wood, for they all came home to him when he blew his
horn; so the _King_ asked if he knew where Whiteland was.

"No, I don't," said he, "but I'll ask my beasts." Then he blew his
horn and called them, and asked if any of them knew where Whiteland
lay. But there was no beast that knew.

So the man gave him a pair of snow-shoes.

[Illustration: So the man gave him a pair of snow-shoes.]

"When you get on these," he said, "you'll come to my brother, who
lives hundreds of