Page:The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (c1899).djvu/204

 reach her bed-chamber through the window The fellow-traveller then returned to the inn, where Johannes was still asleep, took off his wings, and went to bed likewise, for he might well be tired.

Johannes woke at an early hour next morn- ing. His fellow- traveller got up, and told him that he had had a strange dream that night about the princess and her shoe, and therefore urged him to ask whether it was not her shoe that the princess was think- ing about ? For this he had learned from the magician in the mountain.

" I may as well ask that as an)-thing else," said Johannes. " Per- haps your dream may turn out to be the truth, for I trust in God to help me through. Still, I will take leave of you, because should I guess wrong, I shall never see you again."

THRASHED HER MORE VIOLENTLY THAN BEFORE, HAVING TAKEN TWO RODS WITH HIM.

They then embraced one another, and Johannes went into the town, and walked to the palace. The whole hall was filled with people. The judges sat in their arm-chairs, with their heads propped up by eider-down cushions, because they had so much to think about. The old king stood wiping his eyes with a white pocket-handkerchief The princess now entered. She looked more beautiful than even the day before, and saluted the assembly with charming grace. But she extended her hand to Johannes, saying : " Good-morning to you."

Johannes was now called upon to guess what she had thought of me ! how kindly she did look at him ! But no sooner had he pronounced the single word "shoe," than she turned as pale as chalk, and trembled all over. Still, this did not serve her much, since he had guessed correctly.

But, goodness ! how pleased the old king was — he cut a caper that was quite pleasant to behold I And all present c.lapped their hands, to cheer both him and Johannes, who had been successful in this, his first ordeal.

The fellow-traveller was likewise much rejoiced on hear- ing how matters had turned out. But Johannes folded his hands and thanked his God BUT THE PRINCESS LAY ON THE SOFA, AND WOULD NOT SPEAK A WORD.