birds flew away, and the young man
looked about him, his heart beating fast at the thought that here dwelt
the lady whom he had sought all the world over.

He walked on through the streets, and presently he reached the house of
a weaver who was standing at his door, resting from his work.

'You are a stranger here, that is plain,' said the weaver, 'but come in,
and I will give you food and drink.' And the young man was glad, for he
knew not where to go, and they sat and talked till it grew late.

'Stay with me, I pray, for I love company and am lonely,' observed the
weaver at last, and he pointed to a bed in a corner, where the fisher's
son threw himself, and slept till dawn.

'There is to be a horse-race in the town to-day,' remarked the weaver,
'and the winner is to have the king's daughter to wife.' The young
man trembled with excitement at the news, and his voice shook as he
answered:

'That will be a prize indeed, I should like to see the race.'

'Oh, that is quite easy--anyone can go,' replied the weaver. 'I would
take you myself, but I have promised to weave this cloth for the king.'

'That is a pity,' returned the young man politely, but in his heart he
rejoiced, for he wished to be alone.

Leaving the house, he entered a grove of trees which stood behind, and
took the box from his pocket. He raised the lid, and out flew the three
little birds.

'Good master, what shall we do for thee?' asked they, and he answered,
'Bring me the finest horse that ever was seen, and the grandest dress,
and glass shoes.'

'They are here, master,' said the birds, and so they were, and never had
the young man seen anything so splendid.

Mounting the horse he rode into the ground where the horses were
assembling for the great race, and took his place among them. Many
good beasts were there which had won many races, but the horse of the
fisher's son left them all behind, and he was first at the winning post.
The king's daughter waited for him in vain to claim his prize, for
he went back to the wood, and got off his horse, and put on his old
clothes, and bade the box place some gold in his pockets. After that
he went back to the weaver's house, and told him that the gold had been
given him by the man who had won the race, and that the weaver might
have it for his kindness to him.

Now as nobody had appeared to demand the hand of the princess, the king
ordered another race to be run, and the fisher's son rode into the fiel