Page:The Allies Fairy Book.djvu/128

 jasmine. So the old woman was left without any daughters at all. She wept, and wept, and wept, all day and all night, and went on weeping so long that her son, who had been a little boy when his sisters disappeared, grew up to be a tall youth. Then one night he asked his mother to tell him what was the matter.

When he had heard the whole story he said: “Give me your blessing, mother, and I will go and search the world till I find them.”

So he set forth, and after he had travelled several miles without any adventures, he came upon three big boys fighting in the road. He stopped and inquired what they were fighting about, and one of them answered:

“My lord! our father left to us, when he died, a pair of boots, a key, and a cap. Whoever puts on the boots and wishes himself in any place will find himself there; the key will open every door in the world; and with the cap on your head no one can see you. Now our eldest brother wants to have all three things for himself, and we wish to draw lots for them.”

“Oh, that is easily settled,” said the youth. “I will throw this stone as far as I can, and the one who picks it up first shall have the three things.” So he took the stone and flung it, and while the three brothers were running after it, he hastily drew on the boots, and said: “Boots, take me to the place where I shall find my eldest sister.”

The next moment the young man was standing on a steep mountain before the gates of a strong castle guarded by bolts and bars and iron chains. The key, which he had not forgotten to put in his pocket, opened the doors one by one, and he walked through a number of halls and corridors, till he met a beautiful and richly dressed young lady who started back in surprise at the sight of him, and