n thy sword, take thy spear in thy hand, and fight for thy
patrimony. If not, remain here till thou hast closed mine eyes, and
then do as seems right to thee."

The youth set out and first reached the palace of Bela, which had the
appearance of a temple, inhabited by a goddess. He knocked and desired
to be admitted, but the porter, as soon as he saw that the stranger
appeared with empty hands, dismissed him as a beggar, and closed the
door in his face. He proceeded sorrowfully, and came to the dwelling
of Therba, where he knocked and desired a hearing. The porter peeped
out of the window, and said, "If thou bearest gold in thy pocket so
that thou canst weigh it out to my mistress, she will give thee one of
her wise sayings that will tell thee thy fate. If not, go and gather
on the shore of the Elbe as much of it as the tree has leaves, the
sheaf has ears, and the bird has feathers, and then I will open this
door for thee." The youth thus again deceived, departed quite out of
heart, especially when he learned that the prophet Crocus had gone to
Poland, to officiate as umpire between some Magnates, who could not
agree together. He expected no better reception from the third sister,
and when he saw her paternal forest-castle from a hill in the distance,
he did not venture to approach it, but concealed himself in a thick
bush to brood over his grief. He was soon roused from his gloomy
reflections by a noise like the tramp of horses' feet. A flying roe
darted through the bushes followed by a beautiful huntress and her
attendants, all mounted on magnificent steeds. She hurled a javelin
which whizzed through the air without reaching the animal. The youth
who watched the scene, at once caught up his cross-bow, and from the
twanging string sent forth a winged arrow which darted at once through
the heart of the beast, so that it fell down on the spot. The lady,
surprised at this unexpected phenomena, looked round for the unknown
hunter, which, when the marksman perceived, he stepped forward and
bowed humbly to the ground. The Lady Libussa thought she had never
seen a handsomer man. At the very first glance his frame made upon her
so strong an impression that she could not help being involuntarily
prepossessed in his favour, and confessing he was of a noble figure.
"Tell me, dear stranger," said she, "who are thou, and what chance has
conducted thee to these precincts?" The youth rightly surmised that
his good fortu