Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 2 1884.djvu/21

 Rh true citizen thereof thou art bound to execute three commands of mine; but because it is late to-day, we will begin to-morrow; meanwhile go to thy room."

The prince slept comfortably in the room assigned to him, and early on the morrow Bony summoned him and said: "We will see, prince, what thou canst do. In the course of the following night build me a palace of pure marble; let the windows be of crystal, the roof of gold, an elegant garden round about it, and in the garden seats and fountains; if thou buildest it, thou wilt gain thyself my love; if not, I shall command thy head to be cut off." The prince heard it, returned to his apartment, and was sitting mournfully thinking of the death that threatened him, when outside at the window a bee came buzzing and said: "Let me in!" He opened the lattice, in flew the bee, and the princess, Bony's youngest daughter, appeared before the wondering prince. "What are you thus thinking about, Prince Unexpected?" "Alas! I am thinking that your father wishes to deprive me of life." "Don't be afraid! lie down to sleep, and when you get up to-morrow morning your palace will be ready."

So, too, it came to pass. At dawn the prince came out of his room and espied a more beautiful palace than he had ever seen, and Bony, when he saw it, wondered and wouldn't believe his own eyes. "Well! thou hast won this time, and now thou hast my second command. I shall place my twelve daughters before thee to-morrow; if thou dost not guess which of them is the youngest, thou wilt place thy head beneath the axe." "I unable to recognize the youngest princess!" said the prince in his room: "What difficulty can there be in that?" "This," answered the princess, flying into the room in the shape of a bee, "that if I don't help you, you won't recognize me, for we are all so alike that even our father only distinguishes us by our dress." "What am I to do?" "What indeed? That will be the youngest over whose right eye you espy a ladycow; only look well—Adieu!" On the morrow King Bony again summoned Prince Unexpected.

The princesses stood in a row side by side, all dressed alike and with eyes cast down. The prince looked and marvelled how alike all the princesses were; he went past them once, twice— he did not find the appointed token; the third time he saw a ladycow over the eyebrow of