Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 22, 1911.djvu/513

 Collectanea. 477

to the traveller ; I would not tell it to the Prince. The Prince cast me into prison. I dug with a knife, I came here, and you know the rest."

The Princess fell in love with the young man, and he with her. . ..

Now the King of the West comes to ask for the hand of the daughter of the King of the East to be given in marriage to his son. The King of the East is the afore-mentioned Prince. He sends a staff to the King of the East, both ends of which are alike, and he says, — " Which is the head, and which is the foot? Guess it if you can. If not, I will carry off your daughter." The King enquires everywhere, but he cannot solve the riddle. But his daughter tells the young man who is in prison about it, and he says to her, — "Go tell your father to cast the staff into the lake. The heavy end will sink ; that is the head. Let them break it open and see." It is as the young man has said. They take the staff and go away.

The next day they send three horses just alike, and ask, — " Which is the yearling, which is the two-year-old, and which is the mother ? Guess it if you can ; if not, I will carry off your daughter." They all set to work, but no one can solve the riddle. The King is at his wits' ends, and says, — "What shall I do?" The daughter goes to the young man, and says, — "They can't find it out. They are going to take me away." The man says, — " Go tell your father to wet a bundle of clover, to sprinkle it with salt, and to place it before the horses in the evening. In the morning the mother will go ahead, the two-year-old will follow, and the yearling will come last." So they find that out also, and send away the King of the West.

Then the King of the West sends a steel lance and a steel shield, and says, — " If he is able to pierce that shield with that lance, I will give my daughter to his son ; but if he cannot, let him give his daughter to my son." People come from every quarter, and the King tries also, but they cannot pierce it. The King says to his daughter, — "Go bring that young man here. Let us see him." The young man comes. He takes up the steel lance, lays the steel shield on the ground, strikes it with the lance, and pierces the steel shield.