e absolute stillness that reigned everywhere. Not a rustle
or a sound could be heard. Here and there he noticed a bird sitting on a
branch, with head erect and swelling throat, but his ear caught nothing.
The dogs opened their mouths as if to bark, the toiling oxen seemed
about to bellow, but neither bark nor bellow reached the prince. The
water flowed noiselessly over the pebbles, the wind bowed the tops of
the trees, flies and chafers darted about, without breaking the silence.
The old greybeard uttered no word, and when his companion tried to ask
him the meaning of it all he felt that his voice died in his throat.

How long this fearful stillness lasted I do not know, but the prince
gradually felt his heart turning to ice, his hair stood up like
bristles, and a cold chill was creeping down his spine, when at
last--oh, ecstasy!--a faint noise broke on his straining ears, and this
life of shadows suddenly became real. It sounded as if a troop of horses
were ploughing their way over a moor.

Then the greybeard opened his mouth, and said: 'The kettle is boiling;
we are expected at home.'

They walked on a little further, till the prince thought he heard the
grinding of a saw-mill, as if dozens of saws were working together, but
his guide observed, 'The grandmother is sleeping soundly; listen how she
snores.'

When they had climbed a hill which lay before them the prince saw in
the distance the house of his master, but it was so surrounded with
buildings of all kinds that the place looked more like a village or
even a small town. They reached it at last, and found an empty kennel
standing in front of the gate. 'Creep inside this,' said the master,
'and wait while I go in and see my grandmother. Like all very old
people, she is very obstinate, and cannot bear fresh faces about her.'

The prince crept tremblingly into the kennel, and began to regret the
daring which had brought him into this scrape.

By-and-by the master came back, and called him from his hiding-place.
Something had put out his temper, for with a frown he said, 'Watch
carefully our ways in the house, and beware of making any mistake, or it
will go ill with you. Keep your eyes and ears open, and your mouth shut,
obey without questions. Be grateful if you will, but never speak unless
you are spoken to.'

When the prince stepped over the threshold he caught sight of a maiden
of wonderful beauty, with brown eyes and fair curly hair. 'Well!' the
young ma