For a long time he wandered all through the world, and it was not till
the ninety-ninth day after he started that he found an old man who was
able to tell him where the Tree of the Sun grew. He followed his
directions, and rode on his way, and after another ninety-nine days he
arrived at a golden castle, which stood in the middle of a vast
wilderness. He knocked at the door, which was opened noiselessly and
by invisible hands. Finding no one about, the Prince rode on, and came
to a great meadow, where the Sun-Tree grew. When he reached the tree
he put out his hand to pick a golden apple; but all of a sudden the
tree grew higher, so that he could not reach its fruit. Then he heard
some one behind him laughing. Turning round, he saw the girl in red
walking towards him, who addressed him in these words:

'Do you really imagine, brave son of the earth, that you can pluck an
apple so easily from the Tree of the Sun? Before you can do that, you
have a difficult task before you. You must guard the tree for nine
days and nine nights from the ravages of two wild black wolves, who
will try to harm it. Do you think you can undertake this?'

[Illustration: The Sun Here Guards the Apples of the Sun]

'Yes,' answered the Sun-Hero, 'I will guard the Tree of the Sun nine
days and nine nights.'

Then the girl continued: 'Remember, though, if you do not succeed the
Sun will kill you. Now begin your watch.'

With these words the Red Girl went back into the golden castle. She
had hardly left him when the two black wolves appeared: but the
Sun-Hero beat them off with his sword, and they retired, only,
however, to reappear in a very short time. The Sun-Hero chased them
away once more, but he had hardly sat down to rest when the two black
wolves were on the scene again. This went on for seven days and
nights, when the white horse, who had never done such a thing before,
turned to the Sun-Hero and said in a human voice: 'Listen to what I am
going to say. A Fairy gave me to your mother in order that I might be
of service to you; so let me tell you, that if you go to sleep and let
the wolves harm the tree, the Sun will surely kill you. The Fairy,
foreseeing this, put everyone in the world under a spell, which
prevents their obeying the Sun's command to take your life. But all
the same, she has forgotten one person, who will certainly kill you if
you fall asleep and let the wolves damage the tree. So watch and keep
the wolves away.'

T