they had come.

"We have a youth here who would solve your three riddles," said the
king.

Then the old witch laughed, "Ha, ha, ha!" and the gnomes, ghouls, and
all the rest of the enchantress' followers took up the refrain and
laughed till the air was very dense with sulphurous fumes.

"Well, if the youth is resolved, let him see the doom that awaits him,"
said the witch, and she waved her stick.

Forthwith a strange procession issued from the castle. First came two
little imps, then came two black demons, and last of all the swans, two
by two, mournfully flapping their wings and giving utterance to sighs
and moans more dismal than any sounds ever before heard.

"You are going to have a new companion, my pretty pets," said the old
witch to the swans, whereupon the swans moaned and sighed with renewed
vigor.

The king and his court trembled and wept at the spectacle, for in these
unhappy birds they recognized the poor princes who had fallen victims
to the foul witch's arts. To add to the misery of the scene, the
beautiful princess Mary appeared at the barred window of her chamber in
the castle and stretched out her white arms beseechingly. But the king
and his court could avail her nothing, for the hideous catamaran and
the cruel boogaboo were prepared to pounce upon and destroy whosoever
attempted to rescue the unhappy maiden by violence.

"Let the presumptuous youth stand before me," cried the witch. And
Wilhelm strode boldly to the open spot between the witch and the kingly
retinue.

"A fine, plump swan will you make," hissed the old witch. "Now can you
tell me what is sweeter than the kiss of the princess' mother?"

Now the witch had supposed that Wilhelm would reply "The kiss of the
princess herself," for this was the reply that all the other youths had
made. But Wilhelm made no such answer. He faced the old witch boldly
and replied, "The kiss of my own mother!"

And hearing this, which was the correct answer, the witch quivered with
astonishment and rage, and the catamaran fell down upon the grass and
vomited its flaming breath upon itself until it was utterly consumed.
So that was the last of the hideous catamaran.

"Having said that, he will not think to repeat it," thought the old
witch, and she propounded the second question, which was: "What always
lieth next a good man's heart?"

Now for a long time Wilhelm paused in doubt, and the king and his
retinue began to tremble and the poor swan