Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 2 1884.djvu/23

 Rh splitting with laughter at them. Bony all but burst with rage, and ordered them all to start off in pursuit of the prince, threatening them with death if they returned empty-handed. They sprang on horseback and hastened away after the prince and princess.

Meanwhile Prince Unexpected and the princess, Bony's daughter, were hurrying away on their spirited horse, and amidst their rapid flight heard "tramp, tramp," behind them. The prince sprang from the horse, put his ear to the ground and said "They are pursuing us." "Then," said the princess, "we have no time to lose." Instantly she transformed herself into a river, changed the prince into a bridge, the horse into a raven, and the grand highway beyond the bridge divided into three roads. Swiftly on the fresh track hastened the pursuers, came on to the bridge, and stood stupified; they saw the track up to the bridge, but beyond it disappeared, and the highway divided into three roads. There was nothing to be done but to return, and they came with nought. Bony shouted with rage and cried out: "A bridge and a river: it was them, how was it that ye did not guess it? Back, and don't return without them!" The pursuers recommenced the pursuit.

"I hear tramp, tramp!" whispered the princess, Bony's daughter, affrightedly to Prince Unexpected, who sprang from the saddle, put his ear to the ground and replied: "They are making haste and are not far off." That instant the princess and prince and with them also their horse became a gloomy forest, in which were roads, bye-roads, and footpaths without number, and on one of them it seemed that two riders were hastening on a horse. Following the fresh track, the pursuers came up to the forest, and when they espied the fugitives in it they hastened speedily after them. On and on hurried the pursuers, seeing continually before them a thick forest, a wide road and the fugitives on it; now, now they thought to overtake them, when the fugitives and the thick forest suddenly vanished and they found themselves at the self-same place whence they had started in pursuit. They returned therefore again to Bony empty-handed. "A horse, a horse! I'll go myself! they won't escape out of my hands!" yelled Bony, foaming at the mouth, and started in pursuit.

Again the princess said to Prince Unexpected "Methinks they are pursuing us, and this time it is Bony, my father, himself, but the first