ing, however, held him back from this step which day by day he saw
more clearly was the only one possible. His new overlord would demand
the service of one of his sons. And the old emperor had no son; only
three daughters.

Look on which side he would, nothing but ruin seemed to lie before him,
and he became so gloomy, that his daughters were frightened, and did
everything they could think of to cheer him up, but all to no purpose.

At length one day when they were at dinner, the eldest of the three
summoned up all her courage and said to her father:

'What secret grief is troubling you? Are your subjects discontented? or
have we given you cause for displeasure? To smooth away your wrinkles,
we would gladly shed our blood, for our lives are bound up in yours; and
this you know.'

'My daughter,' answered the emperor, 'what you say is true. Never have
you given me one moment's pain. Yet now you cannot help me. Ah! why is
not one of you a boy!'

'I don't understand,' she answered in surprise. 'Tell us what is wrong:
and though we are not boys, we are not quite useless!'

'But what can you do, my dear children? Spin, sew, and weave--that is
all your learning. Only a warrior can deliver me now, a young giant who
is strong to wield the battle-axe: whose sword deals deadly blows.'

'But WHY do you need a son so much at present? Tell us all about it! It
will not make matters worse if we know!'

'Listen then, my daughters, and learn the reason of my sorrow. You have
heard that as long as I was young no man ever brought an army against
me without it costing him dear. But the years have chilled my blood and
drunk my strength. And now the deer can roam the forest, my arrows will
never pierce his heart; strange soldiers will set fire to my houses and
water their horses at my wells, and my arm cannot hinder them. No, my
day is past, and the time has come when I too must bow my head under the
yoke of my foe! But who is to give him the ten years' service that is
part of the price which the vanquished must pay?'

'_I_ will,' cried the eldest girl, springing to her feet. But her father
only shook his head sadly.

'Never will I bring shame upon you,' urged the girl. 'Let me go. Am I
not a princess, and the daughter of an emperor?'

'Go then!' he said.

The brave girl's heart almost stopped beating from joy, as she set about
her preparations. She was not still for a single moment, but danced
about the house, turning chests an