ok counsel with her
father, who summoned the young men into his presence, and then told
them that they must each of them learn some trade, and whichever of
them proved the cleverest at the end of six months should become the
husband of the princess.

'Though the three suitors may have been secretly disappointed, they
could not help feeling that this test was quite fair, and left the
palace together, talking as they went of what handicrafts they might
set themselves to follow. The day was hot, and when they reached a
spring that gushed out of the side of the mountain, they stopped to
drink and rest, and then one of them said:

'"It will be best that we should each seek our fortunes alone; so let
us put our rings under this stone, and go our separate ways. And the
first one who returns hither will take his ring, and the others will
take theirs. Thus we shall know whether we have all fulfilled the
commands of the pasha, or if some accident has befallen any of us."

'"Good," replied the other two. And three rings were placed in a
little hole, and carefully covered again by the stone.

'Then they parted, and for six months they knew naught of each other,
till, on the day appointed, they met at the spring. Right glad they
all were, and eagerly they talked of what they had done, and how the
time had been spent.

'"I think I shall win the princess," said the eldest, with a laugh,
"for it is not everybody that is able to accomplish a whole year's
journey in an hour!"

'"That is very clever, certainly," answered his friend; "but if you
are to govern a kingdom it may be still more useful to have the power
of seeing what is happening at a distance; and that is what _I_ have
learnt," replied the second.

'"No, no, my dear comrades," cried the third, "your trades are all
very well; but when the pasha hears that I can bring back the dead to
life he will know which of us three is to be his son-in-law. But come,
there only remain a few hours of the six months he granted us. It is
time that we hastened back to the palace."

'"Stop a moment," said the second, "it would be well to know what is
going on in the palace." And plucking some small leaves from a tree
near by, he muttered some words and made some signs, and laid them on
his eyes. In an instant he turned pale, and uttered a cry.

'"What is it? What is it?" exclaimed the others; and, with a shaking
voice, he gasped:

'"The princess is lying on her bed, and has barely a