Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 11, 1900.djvu/125

 Miscellanea. 115

shepherd." The princess begged him to let her husband try his fortune, and the king at length consented. The fisherman's son knew that he had been promised to the beast, and that it would still claim him if he passed its haunt. So before starting he gave his wife three pinks, and told her that as long as they lived he was safe, but if they faded she was to know he had been eaten. He then bade her good-bye, and went off to the war, where he conquered all his enemies by the help of the lion. The time of his return was drawing nigh, when one day the princess saw the pinks withered, and she knew what had befallen her husband. She built herself a house on the seashore, just where the monster lived. One day she went down to the beach and began playing with an apple. In a Uttle while the beast appeared and said : " Give me that apple for a pretty youth who is inside me." " Let him put his head out and I will," said the princess, and when her husband put his head out of the beast's jaws she threw the apple to him. Next day she went again playing with an apple, and the beast again asked her for it for the youth inside him. " Let him come half out," said the princess, and the beast allowed it, and she again threw the apple. Next day it was : " Let him come and stand on your back," and when the beast allowed this too, and her husband stood on its back, the princess said : " Now fly ! " and calling on the eagle he flew into her arms, and they went back and lived happily ever afterwards.^

VL The Eagle.

Once upon a time there was a king who had one daughter. He kept her shut up in a glass chamber, and one day as she was playing at ball with her waiting-women one of the balls broke the glass, and an eagle flew in and kissed her and flew out again. The princess ran away and went to seek her lover. After walking a long way she came to a little house in a wood. She said : " In God's name I will go in, and if they are Christians they will take pity on me." Inside was an ogress. "Here is a nice morsel come just when I wanted it," said the ogress. " I have finished my

' According to a tradition, known only, I think, from a vase-painting, the dragon that guarded the golden fleece swallowed Jason, and only gave him up by the force of Medea's enchantments.

I 2