Page:Tales from the Fjeld.djvu/330

308 As they were on their way home the ass said to Boots—

"Now, when you come to honour and glory, see if you don't forget me and all I have done for you, so that I shall be broken-kneed for hunger."

"Nay, nay, that should never be," said the lad.

So when he got home to the princess with the water of life, she sprinkled a few drops over her sister, and woke her up, and then there was such great joy, and they were so happy.

Then they travelled home to the king, and he too was glad and joyful because he had got those two back; but still he went about longing and longing that the three years might pass away, and his youngest daughter come home.

As for Boots, who had brought them back, the king made him a mighty man, so that he was the first in the land after the king himself. But there were many who were jealous that he should have grown to be such a man of mark, and one of them was Ritter Red, who they did say wished to have the eldest princess, and he got her to sprinkle over Boots a little of the water of death, so that he swooned off and lay as dead.

So when the three years were over, and a bit of the fourth was gone, there came sailing up a strange ship of war, and on board was the third sister, and with her she had a boy three years old. She sent word up to the king's grange, and said she would not set her foot on land till they had sent him who had been in the golden castle and set her free. So they sent down to her one of the highest men about court, the master of