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284 take us quickest into another country, where we shall be safe." Now they knew all the while that what they were saying was untrue; and as soon as Conrad said, "No, that will take us straight back into the town we came from—we must keep on the left hand," they picked a quarrel with him, and said, "What do you give yourself airs for? you know nothing about it." Then they fell upon him and knocked him down, and beat him over the head till he was blind. And having taken all the money out of his pockets, they dragged him to a gallows-tree that stood hard by, bound him fast down at the foot of it, and went back into the town with the money. But the poor blind man did not know where he was; and he felt all around him, and finding that he was bound to a large beam of wood, thought it was a cross, and said, "After all, they have done kindly in leaving me under a cross; now Heaven will guard me."

When night came on, he heard something fluttering over his head. It turned out to be three crows that flew round and round, and at last perched upon the tree. By and by they began to talk together, and he heard one of them say, "Sister, what is the best news with you to-day?" "Oh! if men did but know all that we know!" said the other. "The princess is ill, and the king has vowed to marry her to any one who will cure her: but this none can do, for she will not be well until yonder blue flower is burned to ashes and swallowed by her." "Oh, indeed," said the other crow, "if men did but know what we know! To-night there will fall from heaven a dew of such power, that even a blind man, if he washed his eyes with it, would see again." And the third spoke, and said, "Oh! if men knew what we know! The flower is wanted but for one, the dew is wanted but