ords, she answered innocently as her mother had told
her, whereupon the ogress, seizing her by her hair, carried her off to
a wood which the horses of the Sun never entered, not having paid the
toll to the pastures of those Shades. Then she put the poor girl into a
tower which she caused to arise by her art, having neither gate nor
ladder, but only a little window through which she ascended and
descended by means of Parsley's hair, which was very long, just as
sailors climb up and down the mast of a ship.

Now it happened one day, when the ogress had left the tower, that
Parsley put her head out of the little window and let loose her tresses
in the sun, and the son of a Prince passing by saw those two golden
banners which invited all souls to enlist under the standard of Beauty,
and, beholding with amazement, in the midst of those gleaming waves, a
face that enchanted all hearts, he fell desperately in love with such
wonderful beauty; and, sending her a memorial of sighs, she decreed to
receive him into favour. She told him her troubles, and implored him to
rescue her. But a gossip of the ogress, who was for ever prying into
things that did not concern her, and poking her nose into every corner,
overheard the secret, and told the wicked woman to be on the look-out,
for Parsley had been seen talking with a certain youth, and she had her
suspicions. The ogress thanked the gossip for the information, and said
that she would take good care to stop up the road. As to Parsley, it
was, moreover, impossible for her to escape, as she had laid a spell
upon her, so that unless she had in her hand the three gall-nuts which
were in a rafter in the kitchen it would be labour lost to attempt to
get away.

Whilst they were thus talking together, Parsley, who stood with her
ears wide open and had some suspicion of the gossip, overheard all that
had passed. And when Night had spread out her black garments to keep
them from the moth, and the Prince had come as they had appointed, she
let fall her hair; he seized it with both hands, and cried, "Draw up."
When he was drawn up she made him first climb on to the rafters and
find the gall-nuts, knowing well what effect they would have, as she
had been enchanted by the ogress. Then, having made a rope-ladder, they
both descended to the ground, took to their heels, and ran off towards
the city. But the gossip, happening to see them come out, set up a loud
"Halloo," and began to shout and make s