and that he was to remember what she had just told him. When
he got back to his lodging he went to bed without eating any supper, and
his little dog, who was called Frisk, couldn't eat any either, but came
and lay down close to him. All night Charming sighed and lamented.

"How am I to find a ring that fell into the river a month ago?" said
he. "It is useless to try; the Princess must have told me to do it on
purpose, knowing it was impossible." And then he sighed again.

Frisk heard him and said:

"My dear master, don't despair; the luck may change, you are too good
not to be happy. Let us go down to the river as soon as it is light."

But Charming only gave him two little pats and said nothing, and very
soon he fell asleep.

At the first glimmer of dawn Frisk began to jump about, and when he had
waked Charming they went out together, first into the garden, and then
down to the river's brink, where they wandered up and down. Charming was
thinking sadly of having to go back unsuccessful when he heard someone
calling: "Charming, Charming!" He looked all about him and thought he
must be dreaming, as he could not see anybody. Then he walked on and the
voice called again: "Charming, Charming!"

"Who calls me?" said he. Frisk, who was very small and could look
closely into the water, cried out: "I see a golden carp coming." And
sure enough there was the great carp, who said to Charming:

"You saved my life in the meadow by the willow tree, and I promised that
I would repay you. Take this, it is Princess Goldilock's ring." Charming
took the ring out of Dame Carp's mouth, thanking her a thousand times,
and he and tiny Frisk went straight to the palace, where someone told
the Princess that he was asking to see her.

"Ah! poor fellow," said she, "he must have come to say good-by, finding
it impossible to do as I asked."

So in came Charming, who presented her with the ring and said:

"Madam, I have done your bidding. Will it please you to marry my
master?" When the Princess saw her ring brought back to her unhurt she
was so astonished that she thought she must be dreaming.

"Truly, Charming," said she, "you must be the favorite of some fairy, or
you could never have found it."

"Madam," answered he, "I was helped by nothing but my desire to obey
your wishes."

"Since you are so kind," said she, "perhaps you will do me another
service, for till it is done I will never be married. There is a prince
not far from her