se
to take him to the king. The shepherd let himself be persuaded so to do,
took a skin having a golden fleece, sewed the young man in it, putting
in also food and drink, and so brought him before the king.

When the latter saw the golden lamb, he asked the herd: 'Will you sell
me this lamb?'

But the herd answered: 'No, oh king; I will not sell it; but if you find
pleasure therein, I will be willing to oblige you, and I will lend it to
you, free of charge, for three days, after that you must give it back to
me.'

This the king agreed to do, and he arose and took the lamb to his
daughter. When he had led it into her palace, and through many rooms,
he came to a shut door. Then he called 'Open, Sartara Martara of the
earth!' and the door opened of itself. After that they went through many
more rooms, and came to another closed door. Again the king called out:
'Open, Sartara Martara of the earth!' and this door opened like the
other, and they came into the apartment where the princess dwelt, the
floor, walls, and roof of which were all of silver.

When the king had embraced the princess, he gave her the lamb, to her
great joy. She stroked it, caressed it, and played with it.

After a while the lamb got loose, which, when the princess saw, she
said: 'See, father, the lamb is free.'

But the king answered: 'It is only a lamb, why should it not be free?'

Then he left the lamb with the princess, and went his way.

In the night, however, the young man threw off the skin. When the
princess saw how beautiful he was, she fell in love with him, and asked
him: 'Why did you come here disguised in a sheepskin like that?'

Then he answered: 'When I saw how many people sought you, and could not
find you, and lost their lives in so doing, I invented this trick, and
so I am come safely to you.'

The princess exclaimed: 'You have done well so to do; but you must know
that your wager is not yet won, for my father will change me and my
maidens into ducks, and will ask you, "Which of these ducks is the
princess?" Then I will turn my head back, and with my bill will clean my
wings, so that you may know me.'

When they had spent three days together, chatting and caressing one
another, the herd came back to the king, and demanded his lamb. Then the
king went to his daughter to bring it away, which troubled the princess
very much, for she said they had played so nicely together.

But the king said: 'I cannot leave it with you, my d