. There I can bathe my wounds and
sit in the shade."

"I'll do that much for you," the older one said, taking the blinded man
by the hand. "For the rest, God will have to take care of you."

With that he led him over to the fir tree and left him. The blinded man
groped his way to the spring and bathed his wounds, then sat down under
the tree and prayed God for help and protection.

When night came he fell asleep and he slept until midnight when he was
awakened by the sound of voices at the spring. A company of Vilas were
bathing and playing as they bathed. He was blind, as you remember, so he
couldn't see their beautiful forms but he knew that they must be Vilas
from their voices which were as sweet as gurgling waters and murmuring
treetops. Human voices are never half so lovely. Yes, they must be Vilas
from the mountains and the woods.

"Ho, sisters!" cried one of them, "if only men knew that we bathed in
this spring, they could come to-morrow and be healed in its water--the
maimed and the halt and blind! To-morrow this water would heal even the
king's daughter who is afflicted with leprosy!"

When they were gone the blind man crept down to the spring and bathed
his face. At the first touch of the healing water his wounds closed and
his sight was restored. With a heart full of gratitude he knelt down and
thanked God for the miracle. Then when morning came he filled a vessel
with the precious water and hurried to the king's palace.

"Tell the king," he said to the guards, "that I have come to heal his
daughter."

The king admitted him at once to the princess's chamber and said to him:

"If you succeed in healing the princess you shall have her in marriage
and in addition I shall make you heir to my kingdom."

The moment the princess was bathed in the healing water she, too, was
restored to health and at once the proclamation was sent forth that the
princess was recovered and was soon to marry the man who had cured her.

Now when the evil older brother heard who this fortunate man was, he
could scarcely contain himself for rage and envy.

"How did that fool get back his sight?" he asked himself. "What magic
secret did he discover that enabled him to heal the princess of leprosy?
Whatever it was he got it under the fir tree for where else could he
have got it? I've a good mind to go to the fir tree myself to-night and
see what happens."

The more he thought about it the surer he became that if he went to the