s to his horse and departed,
bidding the prince farewell, so that the king's message might be
delivered the sooner. As soon as he had started the king went to
the chamber of the prince, and said to him, 'If you do not start
immediately, you will never reach the place where you must camp for the
night.'

'I cannot start without my friend,' replied the king's son.

'Oh, he will be back in an hour,' replied the king, 'and I will give him
my best horse, so that he will be sure to catch you up.' The king's son
allowed himself to be persuaded and took leave of his father-in-law, and
set out with his wife on his journey home.

Meanwhile the poor friend had been unable to get through his task in the
short time appointed by the king, and when at last he returned the king
said to him,

'Your comrade is a long way off by now; you had better see if you can
overtake him.'

So the young man bowed and left the king's presence, and followed after
his friend on foot, for he had no horse. Night and day he ran, till at
length he reached the place where the king's son had pitched his tent,
and sank down before him, a miserable object, worn out and covered with
mud and dust. But the king's son welcomed him with joy, and tended him
as he would his brother.

And at last they came home again, and the queen was waiting and watching
in the palace, as she had never ceased to do since her son had rode
away. She almost died of joy at seeing him again, but after a little she
remembered his sick friend, and ordered a bed to be made ready and the
best doctors in all the country to be sent for. When they heard of the
queen's summons they flocked from all parts, but none could cure him.
After everyone had tried and failed a servant entered and informed the
queen that a strange old man had just knocked at the palace gate and
declared that he was able to heal the dying youth. Now this was a holy
man, who had heard of the trouble the king's son was in, and had come to
help.

It happened that at this very time a little daughter was born to the
king's son, but in his distress for his friend he had hardly a thought
to spare for the baby. He could not be prevailed on to leave the sick
bed, and he was bending over it when the holy man entered the room. 'Do
you wish your friend to be cured?' asked the new comer of the king's
son. 'And what price would you pay?'

'What price?' answered the king's son; 'only tell me what I can do to
heal him.'

'Liste