s a river but it didn't flow,
and no fish could live in its waters. There wasn't a singing bird
anywhere, and there wasn't even one tiny flower.

In the morning, at noon, and at supper-time the prince and his
companions found a rich feast prepared for them. Unseen hands served
them food and poured them wine.

Then after supper, as on the preceding night, the doors burst open
and the magician led in the princess, whom he handed over to the
prince to guard for the second night.

Of course the prince and his men determined to fight off drowsiness
this time with all their strength. But in spite of this determination
again they fell asleep. At dawn the prince awoke and saw that the
princess was gone.

He jumped up and shook Keen by the shoulder.

"Wake up, Keen, wake up! Where is the princess?"

Keen rubbed his eyes, took one look out of the window, and said:

"There, I see her. Two hundred miles from here is a mountain, in the
mountain is a rock, in the rock a precious stone. That stone is the
princess. If Longshanks will carry me over there we'll get her."

Longshanks put Keen on his shoulder, stretched himself out until he
was able to go twenty miles at a stride, and off he went. Keen fixed
his glowing eyes on the mountain and the mountain crumbled. Then the
rock that was inside the mountain broke into a thousand pieces and
there was the precious stone glittering among the pieces.

They picked it up and carried it back to the prince. As soon as he
dropped it on the floor the princess reappeared.

When the magician came in and found her there, his eyes sparkled with
anger, and bang! the second of his iron bands cracked and burst
asunder. Rumbling and growling he led the princess away.

That day passed as the day before. After supper the magician brought
back the princess and, looking fiercely at the prince, he sneered and
said: "Now we'll see who wins, you or I."

This night the prince and his men tried harder than ever to stay
awake. They didn't even allow themselves to sit down but kept walking.
All in vain. One after another they fell asleep on their feet and
again the princess escaped.

In the morning the prince, as usual, was the first to awake. When he
saw the princess was gone, he aroused Keen.

"Wake up, Keen!" he cried. "Look out and tell me where the princess
is."

This time Keen had to look long before he saw her.

"Master, she is far away. Three hundred miles from here there is a
black sea.