ounds, and her heart sank, for she knew that in a few moments she
would be summoned to his presence. Indeed, he had hardly entered the
castle when he sent for her, and told her to get ready for the
wedding. The princess tried to look cheerful, as she answered:

"I will be ready as soon as you wish; but you must first promise me
something."

"Ask anything you like, little princess," said Trencoss.

"Well, then," said Eileen, "before I marry you, you must make your
dwarfs wind three balls as big as these from the fairy dew that lies
on the bushes on a misty morning in summer."

"Is that all?" said Trencoss, laughing. "I shall give the dwarfs
orders at once, and by this time to-morrow the balls will be wound,
and our wedding can take place in the evening."

"And will you leave me to myself until then?"

"I will," said Trencoss.

"On your honour as a giant?" said Eileen.

"On my honour as a giant," replied Trencoss.

The princess returned to her rooms, and the giant summoned all his
dwarfs, and he ordered them to go forth in the dawning of the morn and
to gather all the fairy dew lying on the bushes, and to wind three
balls--one yellow, one red, and one blue. The next morning, and the
next, and the next, the dwarfs went out into the fields and searched
all the hedgerows, but they could gather only as much fairy dew as
would make a thread as long as a wee girl's eyelash; and so they had
to go out morning after morning, and the giant fumed and threatened,
but all to no purpose. He was very angry with the princess, and he was
vexed with himself that she was so much cleverer than he was, and,
moreover, he saw now that the wedding could not take place as soon as
he expected.

When the little white cat went away from the castle he ran as fast as
he could up hill and down dale, and never stopped until he came to the
Prince of the Silver River. The prince was alone, and very sad and
sorrowful he was, for he was thinking of the Princess Eileen, and
wondering where she could be.

"Mew," said the cat, as he sprang softly into the room; but the prince
did not heed him. "Mew," again said the cat; but again the prince did
not heed him. "Mew," said the cat the third time, and he jumped up on
the prince's knee.

"Where do you come from, and what do you want?" asked the prince.

"I come from where you would like to be," said the cat.

"And where is that?" said the prince.

"Oh, where is that, indeed! as if I didn't know w