ind was blowing that she
was almost blinded with dust, and was obliged to throw herself on the
ground, and feel about after the precious herb.

For a few terrible moments she thought that the rock was bare, and that
her journey had been to no purpose. Feel where she would, there was
nothing but grit and stones, when, suddenly, her fingers touched
something soft in a crevice. It was a plant, that was clear; but was it
the right one? See she could not, for the wind was blowing more fiercely
than ever, so she lay where she was and counted the leaves. One, two,
three--yes! yes! there were four! And plucking a leaf she held it safe
in her hand while she turned, almost stunned by the wind, to go down the
rock.

When once she was safely over the side all became still in a moment, and
she slid down the rock so fast that it was only a wonder that she did
not land in the chasm. However, by good luck, she stopped quite close
to her rope bridge and was soon across it. The donkey brayed joyfully at
the sight of her, and set off home at his best speed, never seeming to
know that the earth under his feet was nearly as hot as the sun above
him.

On the bank of the great river he halted, and the princess rushed up to
where the prince was standing by the pit he had digged in the dry sand,
with a huge water pot beside it. A little way off the crocodile lay
blinking in the sun, with his sharp teeth and whity-yellow jaws wide
open.

At a signal from the princess the prince poured the water in the hole,
and the moment it reached the brim the princess flung in the four-leaved
plant. Would the charm work, or would the water trickle away slowly
through the sand, and the prince fall a victim to that horrible monster?
For half an hour they stood with their eyes rooted to the spot, but the
hole remained as full as at the beginning, with the little green leaf
floating on the top. Then the prince turned with a shout of triumph, and
the crocodile sulkily plunged into the river.

The prince had escape for ever the second of his three fates!

He stood there looking after the crocodile, and rejoicing that he was
free, when he was startled by a wild duck which flew past them, seeking
shelter among the rushes that bordered the edge of the stream. In
another instant his dog dashed by in hot pursuit, and knocked heavily
against his master's legs. The prince staggered, lost his balance and
fell backwards into the river, where the mud and the rushes ca