was to be king. But in
spite of that, he was almost too late, and every fight had been fought
save the last, which was between a snake and a great black raven. Both
struck hard, but in the end the snake proved the stronger, and would
have twisted himself round the neck of the raven till he died had not
the king's son drawn his sword, and cut off the head of the snake at a
single blow. And when the raven beheld that his enemy was dead, he was
grateful, and said:

'For thy kindness to me this day, I will show thee a sight. So come up
now on the root of my two wings.' The king's son did as he was bid, and
before the raven stopped flying, they had passed over seven bens and
seven glens and seven mountain moors.

'Do you see that house yonder?' said the raven at last. 'Go straight
for it, for a sister of mine dwells there, and she will make you right
welcome. And if she asks, "Wert thou at the battle of the birds?" answer
that thou wert, and if she asks, "Didst thou see my likeness?" answer
that thou sawest it, but be sure thou meetest me in the morning at this
place.'

The king's son followed what the raven told him and that night he had
meat of each meat, and drink of each drink, warm water for his feet, and
a soft bed to lie in.

Thus it happened the next day, and the next, but on the fourth meeting,
instead of meeting the raven, in his place the king's son found waiting
for him the handsomest youth that ever was seen, with a bundle in his
hand.

'Is there a raven hereabouts?' asked the king's son, and the youth
answered:

'I am that raven, and I was delivered by thee from the spells that bound
me, and in reward thou wilt get this bundle. Go back by the road thou
camest, and lie as before, a night in each house, but be careful not to
unloose the bundle till thou art in the place wherein thou wouldst most
wish to dwell.'

Then the king's son set out, and thus it happened as it had happened
before, till he entered a thick wood near his father's house. He had
walked a long way and suddenly the bundle seemed to grow heavier; first
he put it down under a tree, and next he thought he would look at it.

The string was easy to untie, and the king's son soon unfastened the
bundle. What was it he saw there? Why, a great castle with an orchard
all about it, and in the orchard fruit and flowers and birds of very
kind. It was all ready for him to dwell in, but instead of being in the
midst of the forest, he did wish he had