might take the sacks of gold and go, and
the young men went off in such a hurry that the prince was left
behind. Presently, they met an old man who asked for money.

'No, we haven't any,' they answered.

So they hurried on, and by-and-by up came the prince.

'Has your lordship a piece of money for a poor man?' asked the old
fellow.

'Yes,' said the prince, and gave him his whole sackful.

'I don't want it,' said the old man, who was really the troll they had
just left in disguise. 'But since you're so generous, here is the
princess's lamp, and the princess herself is in the cave where you
found her; but how you're going to save her again without the magic
sword I don't know.'

When he heard that, the prince knew where she was; and that was the
beginning of her rescue. So he disguised himself to look like a
peddler and travelled on until he reached his own city, where his
mother, the queen, and the robber-chief were living. Then he went in
to a goldsmith's shop and ordered a great number of kitchen pots to be
made out of pure gold. That was not an order the goldsmith had every
day, but the things were ready at last, saucepans and kettles and
gridirons all of pure gold. Then the prince put them in his basket and
went up to the palace, and asked to see the queen.

Directly she heard about the wonderful gold pots and pans she came out
at once, and began unpacking the basket and admiring the things. She
was so absorbed in them that the prince soon found an opportunity to
steal into the bedroom and take the sword and shirt which were hung
there, and go back again without his mother having noticed his
absence.

'The things are all beautiful!' she said. 'How much would you take for
them?'

'Name your own price, your majesty,' answered the prince.

'I really don't know what to say,' said the queen. 'Wait till my
husband comes back--men understand such things better; and then, as
you are a stranger, he would like to chat with you a little.' The
prince bowed, and waited silently in a corner.

* * * * *

Soon after the robber returned.

'Come and see all these lovely gold saucepans!' cried the queen.

But, as the robber entered the room, the prince touched him with the
magic sword, and he fell to the ground.

'Perhaps, now you know me, mother,' the prince said, taking off his
disguise, 'you had better repent for all the wrong you have done me,
or your life will be short.'

'Oh,