,
and that is, when you go to milk her, take with you a pan of burning
coals and a pair of tongs. Place the pan on the floor of the stall, and
the tongs on the fire, and blow with all your might, till the coals burn
brightly. The black cow will ask you what is the meaning of all this,
and you must answer what I will whisper to you.' And she stood on
tip-toe and whispered something in his ear, and then went away.

The dawn had scarcely reddened the sky when the prince jumped out of
bed, and, with the pan of coals in one hand and the milk pail in the
other, went straight to the cow's stall, and began to do exactly as the
maiden had told him the evening before.

The black cow watched him with surprise for some time, and then said:
'What are you doing, sonny?'

'Oh, nothing,' answered he; 'I am only heating a pair of tongs in case
you may not feel inclined to give as much milk as I want.'

The cow sighed deeply, and looked at the milkman with fear, but he took
no notice, and milked briskly into the pail, till the cow ran dry.

Just at that moment the old man entered the stable, and sat down to milk
the cow himself, but not a drop of milk could he get. 'Have you really
managed it all yourself, or did somebody help you?'

'I have nobody to help me,' answered the prince, 'but my own poor head.'
The old man got up from his seat and went away.

That night, when the prince went to his master to hear what his next
day's work was to be, the old man said: 'I have a little hay-stack out
in the meadow which must be brought in to dry. To-morrow you will have
to stack it all in the shed, and, as you value your life, be careful not
to leave the smallest strand behind.' The prince was overjoyed to hear
he had nothing worse to do.

'To carry a little hay-rick requires no great skill,' thought he, 'and
it will give me no trouble, for the horse will have to draw it in. I am
certainly not going to spare the old grandmother.'

By-and-by the maiden stole up to ask what task he had for the next day.

The young man laughed, and said: 'It appears that I have got to learn
all kinds of farmer's work. To-morrow I have to carry a hay-rick, and
leave not a stalk in the meadow, and that is my whole day's work!'

'Oh, you unlucky creature!' cried she; 'and how do you think you are to
do it. If you had all the men in the world to help you, you could not
clear off this one little hay-rick in a week. The instant you have
thrown down the hay at t