or hours. In the meantime the Prince's companions
sought him far and wide, but to no purpose, so they sent two messengers
to tell the sad news to the King, who immediately ordered a regiment of
cavalry and one of infantry to go and look for him.

After three days' search, they found the hut. The Prince was still
sitting by the door and had been so happy in the maiden's company that
the time had seemed like a single hour. Before leaving he promised to
return and fetch her to his father's court, where he would make her his
bride. When he had gone, she sat down to her wheel to make up for
lost time, but was dismayed to find that her thread had lost all
its brightness. Her heart beat fast and she wept bitterly, for she
remembered the old woman's warning and knew not what misfortune might
now befall her.

The old woman returned in the night and knew by the tarnished thread
what had happened in her absence. She was furiously angry and told
the maiden that she had brought down misery both on herself and on the
Prince. The maiden could not rest for thinking of this. At last she
could bear it no longer, and resolved to seek help from the Prince.

As a child she had learned to understand the speech of birds, and this
was now of great use to her, for, seeing a raven pluming itself on a
pine bough, she cried softly to it: "Dear bird, cleverest of all birds,
as well as swiftest on wing, wilt thou help me?" "How can I help
thee?" asked the raven. She answered: "Fly away, until thou comest to a
splendid town, where stands a king's palace; seek out the king's son
and tell him that a great misfortune has befallen me." Then she told the
raven how her thread had lost its brightness, how terribly angry the old
woman was, and how she feared some great disaster. The raven promised
faithfully to do her bidding, and, spreading its wings, flew away. The
maiden now went home and worked hard all day at winding up the yarn her
elder sisters had spun, for the old woman would let her spin no longer.
Toward evening she heard the raven's "craa, craa," from the pine tree
and eagerly hastened thither to hear the answer.

By great good fortune the raven had found a wind wizard's son in the
palace garden, who understood the speech of birds, and to him he had
entrusted the message. When the Prince heard it, he was very sorrowful,
and took counsel with his friends how to free the maiden. Then he said
to the wind wizard's son: "Beg the raven to fly quickl