largest of which he stopped. Here a crowd of wizards and witches
surrounded him, screaming at the top of their voices, "What are you
looking for?"

"My wife," said he.

"She is here," they cried, "but you cannot take her away unless you
recognise her among two hundred women all exactly like her."

[Illustration]

"What! Not know my own wife? Why, here she is," said he, as he clasped
her in his arms. And she, delighted to be with him again, kissed him
fondly. Then she whispered:

"Dearest, though you knew me to-day I doubt whether you will
to-morrow, for there will be so many of us all alike. Now I will tell
you what to do. At nightfall go to the top of the Crystal Mountain,
where live the King of Time and his court. Ask him how you may know
me. If you are good and honest he will help you; if not, he will
devour you whole at one mouthful."

"I will do what you advise, dear one," he replied, "but tell me, why
did you leave me so suddenly? If you only knew what I have suffered! I
have sought you all over the world."

"I did not leave you willingly," said she. "A countryman asked me to
come and look at the mountain torrent. When we got there he sprinkled
some water over himself, and at once I saw wings growing out of his
shoulders, and he soon changed his shape entirely into that of a
drake; and I too became a duck at the same time, and whether I would
or no I was obliged to follow him. Here I was allowed to resume my own
form; and now there is but the one difficulty of being recognised by
you."

So they parted, she to join the other women, he to continue his way to
the Crystal Mountain. At the top he found twelve strange beings
sitting round a large fire: they were the attendants of the King of
Time. He saluted them respectfully.

"What dost thou want?" said they.

"I have lost my dear wife. Can you tell me how to recognise her among
two hundred other women all exactly alike?"

"No," said they, "but perhaps our King can."

Then arose from the midst of the flames an old man with bald head and
long white beard, who, on hearing his request, replied: "Though all
these women be exactly alike, thy wife will have a black thread in the
shoe of her right foot."

So saying he vanished, and the traveller, thanking the twelve,
descended the mountain.

Sure it is that without the black thread he would never have
recognised her. And though the Magician tried to hide her, the spell
was broken; and the two returned rej