"Ah me! the
evil has come to pass; what will become of us?"

Then he strengthened the King with wine, until he came to himself. The
first words that he said were,

"Oh, the beautiful picture! whose portrait is it?"

"It is the portrait of the Princess of the Golden Palace," answered
Faithful John. Then the King said,

"My love for her is so great that if all the leaves of the forest were
tongues they could not utter it! I stake my life on the chance of
obtaining her, and you, my Faithful John, must stand by me."

The faithful servant considered for a long time how the business should
be begun; it seemed to him that it would be a difficult matter to come
only at a sight of the Princess. At last he thought out a way, and said
to the King,

"All that she has about her is of gold--tables, chairs, dishes,
drinking-cups, bowls, and all the household furniture; in your treasury
are five tons of gold, let the goldsmiths of your kingdom work it up
into all kinds of vessels and implements, into all kinds of birds, and
wild creatures, and wonderful beasts, such as may please her; then we
will carry them off with us, and go and seek our fortune."

The King had all the goldsmiths fetched, and they worked day and night,
until at last some splendid things were got ready. When a ship had been
loaded with them, Faithful John put on the garb of a merchant, and so
did the King, so as the more completely to disguise themselves. Then
they journeyed over the sea, and went so far that at last they came to
the city where the Princess of the Golden Palace dwelt.

Faithful John told the King to stay in the ship, and to wait for him.

"Perhaps," said he, "I shall bring the Princess back with me, so take
care that everything is in order; let the golden vessels be placed
about, and the whole ship be adorned."

Then he gathered together in his apron some of the gold things, one of
each kind, landed, and went up to the royal castle. And when he reached
the courtyard of the castle there stood by the well a pretty maiden, who
had two golden pails in her hand, and she was drawing water with them;
and as she turned round to carry them away she saw the strange man, and
asked him who he was. He answered,

"I am a merchant," and opened his apron, and let her look within it.

"Ah, what beautiful things!" cried she, and setting down her pails, she
turned the golden toys over, and looked at them one after another: then
she said,

"The Princess