Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 6 1888.djvu/214

 206 He commenced his return homeward with delight. He neither ate nor drank, nor saw nor heard for very joy; but when the third day came a vacuum began to make itself felt in his stomach. He was so hungry that he would gladly have then and there betaken himself to the leaden dumplings, if his pocket hadn't been empty. His pocket was empty, and all around was just as bare as the palm of his hand. Then he took a lemon out of his pocket and cut it into halves—and what came to pass? Out of the lemon sprang a beautiful damsel with no more covering on than his thumb, made a reverence before him, and cried out, "Have you made ready for me to eat? Have you made ready for me to drink? Have you made pretty dresses ready for me?" "I have nothing, beautiful creature, for you to eat, nothing for you to drink, nothing for you to put on," said the prince in a sorrowful voice, and the beautiful damsel clapped her white hands thrice before him, made a reverence, and vanished.

"Aha! now I know what sort of lemons these are," said the prince. "Stay! I won't cut them up so lightly." From the cut one he ate and drank to his satisfaction, and thus refreshed proceeded onwards.

But on the third day a hunger three times worse than the preceding assailed him. "God help me!" said he; "I have still one remaining over. I'll cut it up." He then took out the second lemon, cut it in halves, and lo! a damsel still more beautiful than the preceding one placed herself before him just as God created her. "Have you made ready for me to eat? Have you made ready for me to drink? Have you made pretty dresses ready for me?" "I have not, dear soul; I have not," and the beautiful damsel clapped her hands thrice before him, made a reverence, and vanished.

Now he had only one lemon remaining. He took it in his hand, and said, "I will not cut you open save in my father's house," and therewith proceeded onwards. On the third day he saw after long absence his native town. He did not know himself how he got there, when he found himself at once in his father's castle. Years of joy bedewed his old father's cheeks. "Welcome, my son! welcome, a hundred times!" he cried, and fell upon his neck. The prince related how it had gone with him on his journey, and the members of the household how anxiously they had waited for him.