e took the golden lion into his
room and lifted some loose boards from the floor. Below the floor there
was a staircase, which he went down till he reached a door at the
foot. This he unlocked, and found himself in a narrow passage closed by
another door, which he also opened. The young man, hidden in the golden
lion, kept count of everything, and marked that there were in all seven
doors. After they had all been unlocked the king entered a lovely hall,
where the princess was amusing herself with eleven friends. All twelve
girls wore the same clothes, and were as like each other as two peas.

'What bad luck!' thought the youth. 'Even supposing that I managed to
find my way here again, I don't see how I could ever tell which was the
princess.'

And he stared hard at the princess as she clapped her hands with joy and
ran up to them, crying, ' Oh, do let us keep that delicious beast for
to-night; it will make such a nice plaything.'

The king did not stay long, and when he left he handed over the lion to
the maidens, who amused themselves with it for some time, till they got
sleepy, and thought it was time to go to bed. But the princess took the
lion into her own room and laid it on the floor.

She was just beginning to doze when she heard a voice quite close to
her, which made her jump. 'O lovely princess, if you only knew what
I have gone through to find you!' The princess jumped out of bed
screaming, 'The lion! the lion!' but her friends thought it was a
nightmare, and did not trouble themselves to get up.

'O lovely uprincess!' continued the voice, 'fear nothing! I am the son
of a rich merchant, and desire above all things to have you for my wife.
And in order to get to you I have hidden myself in this golden lion.'

'What use is that?' she asked. 'For if you cannot pick me out from among
my companions you will still lose your head.'

'I look to you to help me,' he said. 'I have done so much for you that
you might do this one thing for me.'

'Then listen to me. On the eighth day I will tie a white sash round my
waist, and by that you will know me.'

The next morning the king came very early to fetch the lion, as the old
woman was already at the palace asking for it. When they were safe from
view she let the young man out, and he returned to the king and told him
that he wished to find the princess.

'Very good,' said the king, who by this time was almost tired of
repeating the same words; 'but if you fail