Page:Danish fairy and folk tales.djvu/323

 "Bring us the heart which is buried deep in the ground below the old castle," said the eagle. The little fellow at once dug himself into the ground, and returned, pushing a small gray lump in front of him.

"Take this lump," said the eagle, "and when we arrive at the philosopher's house, walk in and bid him set your brother and the two princesses free. If he tries to hurt you, throw his heart at him, and he will obey you."

The prince again seated himself on the eagle's back, and away they went to the house in the forest, where the wise old man had so cruelly treated his brother and the two princesses. Here the bird stopped his flight, and the prince hastily entered the house. He saw the philosopher bending over his books and papers, while the princess was engaged in drying some evil-smelling herbs on the stove.

"Undo the wrong," cried the prince, "and set my brother and the two princesses free!"

The old man turned furiously upon him, and reached for his staff, but at the same moment he felt a stinging pain in his left side, threw up his hands, staggered to his feet, and cried: "Mercy, mercy! I have served the Evil One! Some one gave me back my heart. Oh, give me my youth again, that I may live like other men!"

In the next second the two figures outside the windows became alive again, and the two brothers