Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 3).djvu/538

 "Give us your two daughters to be our wives."

"I give them to you," replied the young mother.

She motioned to her daughters to come from the cabin, saluted her future sons-in-law, burst into laughter, and disappeared. The elder princes took up their betrothed on the same horse, and an hour or two afterwards it descended, as its master had commanded, in front of the palace of the princess's parents.

The King and Queen, on seeing their only daughter returned, flew to meet her with cries of delight, embraced her tenderly, and thanked her liberator.

Embracing her father tenderly, the princess with the golden locks said—

"My most honoured king and lord, the prince, my betrothed, knows the vow I made when I was carried away by Vikhar the Storm—only to give my hand to him who should succeed in guessing my six enigmas. Is a princess with golden locks permitted to break her word?"

The King made no answer, but the prince cried—

"I am ready; speak, princess, I listen."

"This is my first enigma," said the princess. "Two of my extremities form one sharp point; the two others, each a ring; and, in the middle, there is a rivet."

"Scissors," said the prince.

"Well guessed. Here is the second: I pass round the table on a single foot, but if I am broken my injury is past remedy."

"A wineglass."

"Very good. My third enigma: Though tongueless, I answer faithfully; nobody sees me; all hear me."

"Echo."

"True. Here is my fourth: Fire does not light me and the broom cannot sweep me away; no painter can paint me, no prison can hold me."

"The light of the sun."

"Even so. Listen to my fifth enigma: I existed before Adam was created; I have always alternated the two colours of my dress; thousands of years have passed, yet I have changed neither in form nor colour."

"Time—made up of day and night."

"You have guessed the five that were the most difficult, the last one is simpler: By day a ring, by night a serpent—who-ever guesses that shall be my husband."

"A waist-belt."

"You have guessed them all aright," said the princess, placing her hand in that of the young prince.

Both knelt at the feet of the King and Queen. The marriage of the three couples was celebrated that same evening. A splendid banquet was prepared, to which a host of noble guests were invited, and the festivities were joyously continued far into the next day.