neither brook nor
fish in the desert.'

'And did you find nothing else at all?'

'Oh, nothing but a rose tree on the edge of a wood, with a rose hanging
on it.'

'Idiots!' cried he. 'Why, that was they.' And he threw open the door of
the seventh stall, where his mightiest goblins were locked in. 'Bring
them to me, however you find them, dead or alive!' thundered he, 'for I
will have them! Tear up the rose tree and the roots too, and don't leave
anything behind, however strange it may be!'

The fugitives were resting in the shade of a wood, and were refreshing
themselves with food and drink. Suddenly the maiden looked up.
'Something has happened,' said she. 'The ball has nearly jumped out of
my bosom! Some one is certainly following us, and the danger is near,
but the trees hide our enemies from us.'

As she spoke she took the ball in her hand, and said:

'Listen to me, my ball, my ball.
Be quick and change me into a breeze,
And make my lover into a midge.'

An instant, and the girl was dissolved into thin air, while the prince
darted about like a midge. The next moment a crowd of goblins rushed up,
and looked about in search of something strange, for neither a rose bush
nor anything else was to be seen. But they had hardly turned their backs
to go home empty-handed when the prince and the maiden stood on the
earth again.

'We must make all the haste we can,' said she, 'before the old man
himself comes to seek us, for he will know us under any disguise.'

They ran on till they reached such a dark part of the forest that, if
it had not been for the light shed by the ball, they could not have
made their way at all. Worn out and breathless, they came at length to
a large stone, and here the ball began to move restlessly. The maiden,
seeing this, exclaimed:

'Listen to me, my ball, my ball.
Roll the stone quickly to one side,
That we may find a door.'

And in a moment the stone had rolled away, and they had passed through
the door to the world again.

'Now we are safe,' cried she. 'Here the old wizard has no more power
over us, and we can guard ourselves from his spells. But, my friend, we
have to part! You will return to your parents, and I must go in search
of mine.'

'No! no!' exclaimed the prince. 'I will never part from you. You
must come with me and be my wife. We have gone through many troubles
together, and now we will share our joy