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202 looking-glass. The prince looked into the glass, and silently wished to see the inn where he was to meet his brothers. At once he saw his elder brother sitting in the inn, and, judging from his countenance, in a happy mood. The prince concluded from this that his brother had gained possession of some extraordinary thing, and mounting a fast horse he galloped quickly back to the place of meeting.

Meanwhile, the youngest prince, who had chosen the road leading straight on before him, wandered on like a man bewildered; the one clear thought which filled both heart and mind was the thought of Libena.

One day, as he walked into the market-place of a town, he came upon a crowd of people who had collected round an old woman.

"Whoever heard of such a thing?" "To ask ten gold pieces for an apple!" "This is a foolish woman!" "She is mad!"

These were the exclamations which the prince heard, uttered in laughter or in indignation, from the crowd round the old woman.

"Buy, gentlemen, buy!" cried she continually. "I have only three apples for sale, and each of them costs ten gold pieces."

The prince at once concluded that these apples must be something extraordinary, and without further