mountain had fallen upon it.

When the plain was entirely covered, he stopped expanding, heaved a
deep breath that shook the forest trees, and returned to his natural
size.

"You made me run for my life!" the prince said. "I tell you I don't
meet a fellow like you every day! By all means join me."

They went across the plain and as they neared the rocks they met a man
whose eyes were bandaged with a handkerchief.

"Master," said Longshanks, "there is my other comrade. Take him into
your service, too, and I can tell you you won't regret the bread he
eats."

"Who are you?" the prince asked. "And why do you keep your eyes
bandaged? You can't see where you're going."

"On the contrary, master, it is just because I see too well that I
have to bandage my eyes. With bandaged eyes I see as well as other
people whose eyes are uncovered. When I take the handkerchief off, my
sight is so keen it goes straight through everything. When I look at
anything intently it catches fire, and if it can't burn, it crumbles
to pieces. On account of my sight I'm called Keen."

He untied the handkerchief, turned to one of the rocks opposite, and
gazed at it with glowing eyes. Soon the rock began to crumble and fall
to pieces. In a few moments it was reduced to a heap of sand. In the
sand something gleamed like fire. Keen picked it up and handed it to
the prince. It was a lump of pure gold.

"Ha, ha!" said the prince. "You are a fine fellow and worth more than
wages! I should be a fool not to take you into my service. Since you
have such keen eyes, look and tell me how much farther it is to the
Iron Castle and what is happening there now."

"If you rode there alone," Keen answered, "you might get there within
a year, but with us to help you, you will arrive this very day. Our
coming is not unexpected, either, for at this very moment they are
preparing supper for us."

"What is the captive princess doing?"

"She is sitting in a high tower behind an iron grating. The magician
stands on guard."

"If you are real men," the prince cried, "you will all help me to free
her."

The three comrades promised they would.

They led the prince straight through the gray rocks by a defile which
Keen made with his eyes, and on and on through high mountains and deep
forests. Whatever obstacle was in the way one or another of the three
comrades was able to remove it.

By late afternoon they had crossed the last mountain, had left behind
them the