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By Root 2300 0

the light?” “No,” replied the man, “but I must not remove the bandage, for whatsoever I look at with my eyes, splits to pieces, so powerful is my glance. If you can use that, I shall be glad to serve you.” “Come with me,” replied the King’s son, “I can make use of you.” They journeyed onwards and found a man who was lying in the hot sunshine, trembling and shivering all over his body, so that not a limb was still. “How can you shiver when the sun is shining so warm?” said the King’s son. “Alas,” replied the man, “I am of quite a different nature. The hotter it is, the colder I am, and the frost pierces through all my bones; and the colder it is, the hotter I am. In the midst of ice, I cannot endure the heat, nor in the midst of fire, the cold.” “You are a strange fellow!” said the prince, “but if you will enter my service, follow me.” They traveled onwards, and saw a man standing who made a long neck and looked about him, and could see over all the mountains. “What are you looking at so eagerly?” said the King’s son. The man replied: “I have such sharp eyes that I can see into every forest and field, and hill and valley, all over the world.” The prince said: “Come with me if you will, for I am still in want of such an one.”

And now the King’s son and his six servants came to the town where the aged Queen dwelt. He did not tell her who he was, but said: “If you will give me your beautiful daughter, I will perform any task you set me.” The sorceress was delighted to get such a handsome youth as this into her net, and said: “I will set you three tasks, and if you are able to perform them all, you shall be husband and master of my daughter.” “What is the first to be?” “You shall fetch me my ring which I have dropped into the Red Sea.” So the King’s son went home to his servants and said: “The first task is not easy. A ring is to be got out of the Red Sea. Come, find some way of doing it.” Then the man with the sharp sight said: “I will see where it is lying,” and looked down into the water and said: “It is hanging there, on a pointed stone.” The Tall One carried them thither, and said: “I would soon get it out, if I could only see it.” “Oh, is that all!” cried the Stout One, and lay down and put his mouth to the water, on which all the waves fell into it just as if it had been a whirlpool, and he drank up the whole sea till it was as dry as a meadow. The Tall One stooped down a little, and brought out the ring with his hand. Then the King’s son rejoiced when he had the ring, and took it to the old Queen. She was astonished, and said: “Yes, it is the right ring. You have safely performed the first task, but now comes the second. Do you see the meadow in front of my palace? Three hundred fat oxen are feeding there, and these must you eat, skin, hair, bones, horns and all, and down below in my cellar lie three hundred casks of wine, and these you must drink up as well, and if one hair of the oxen, or one little drop of the wine is left, your life will be forfeited to me.” “May I invite no guests to this repast?” inquired the prince, “no dinner is good without some company.” The old woman laughed maliciously, and replied: “You may invite one for the sake of companionship, but no more.”

The King’s son went to his servants and said to the Stout One: “You shall be my guest to-day, and shall eat your fill.” Hereupon the Stout One puffed himself up and ate the three hundred oxen without leaving one single hair, and then he asked if he was to have nothing but his breakfast. Then he drank the wine straight from the casks without feeling any need of a glass, and drained them down to their dregs. When the meal was over, the prince went to the old woman, and told her that the second task also was performed. She wondered at this and said: “No one has ever done so much before, but one task still remains,” and she thought to herself: “You shall not escape me, and will not keep your head on your shoulders! This night,” said she, “I will bring my daughter to you in your chamber, and you shall put your arms round her, but when you are sitting