reast, she screamed and rushed out of the hall, as if
the evil one was behind her--Don't interrupt me, child--don't--I shall
forget it all if you do. Well, the Prince went on his way, thinking the
old man had sent him on a fool's errand--but he dared not disobey his
dead father, seeing he was a King. It would take me from sun to sun to
tell of all the places where he stopped, and of all the screaming and
threatening that followed him wherever he went. It is a wonder he did
not turn deaf as an adder. At last he got very tired and sorrowful, and
sat down by the wayside and wept, thinking he would rather turn to
marble at once, than live by such a horrible remedy. He saw a little
cabin close by, but he had hardly strength to reach it, and he thought
he would stay there and die.

"'What makes you weep?' said a voice so sweet he thought it was music
itself, and looking up, he saw a young maiden, who had come up a path
behind him, with a pitcher of water on her head. She was beautiful and
fair to look upon, though her dress was as plain as could be. She
offered him water to drink, and told him if he would go with her to the
little cabin, her mother would give him something to eat, and a bed to
lie upon, for the night dew was beginning to fall. He had not on his
fine dress at this time, having changed it for that of a young peasant,
thinking perhaps he would succeed better in disguise. So he followed her
steps, and they gave him milk, and bread, and honey, and a nice bed to
sleep upon, though it was somewhat hard and coarse. And there he fell
sick, and they nursed him day after day, and brought him back to health.
The young maiden grew more lovely in his eye, and her voice sounded more
and more sweet in his ear. Sometimes he thought of the sacrifice he was
to ask, but he could not do it. No, he would die first. One night, the
old man with the long, white beard, came in his dream, to his bedside.
He looked dark and frowning.

"'This is the maiden,' he cried, 'your pilgrimage is ended here. Do as
thou art bidden, and then depart.'

"When the morning came, he was pale and sad, and the young girl was pale
and sad from sympathy. Then the Prince knelt down at her feet, and told
her the history of his father's dream and his own, and of his exceeding
great and bitter sorrow. He wept, but the maiden smiled, and she looked
like an angel with that sweet smile on her face.

"'My heart is yours,' she said, 'I give it willingly and cheer