ing, which enabled him who wore it to obtain two
wishes.
He wished himself at home, and instantly found himself there; but his
parents were so amazed at the splendour of his apparel that their wonder
never ceased.
When he had been at home for some days his mother wanted him to go up to
the palace, to show the King what a great man he had become.
The father said, 'No; he must not do that, for if he does we shall have
no more delight in him this time; 'but he spoke in vain, for the mother
begged and prayed until at last he went.
When he arrived there he was more splendid, both in raiment and in all
else, than the other King, who did not like it, and said:
'Well, you can see what kind of Queen mine is, but I can't see yours. I
do not believe you have such a pretty Queen as I have.'
'Would to heaven she were standing here, and then you would be able to
see!' said the young King, and in an instant she was standing there.
But she was very sorrowful, and said to him, 'Why didst thou not
remember my words, and listen only to what thy father said? Now must I
go home again at once, and thou hast wasted both thy wishes.'
Then she tied a ring in his hair, which had her name upon it, and wished
herself at home again.
And now the young King was deeply afflicted, and day out and day in went
about thinking of naught else but how to get back again to his Queen.
'I will try to see if there is any place where I can learn how to find
Whiteland,' he thought, and journeyed forth out into the world.
When he had gone some distance he came to a mountain, where he met a man
who was Lord over all the beasts in the forest--for they all came to him
when he blew a horn which he had. So the King asked where Whiteland was.
'I do not know that,' he answered, 'but I will ask my beasts.' Then he
blew his horn and inquired whether any of them knew where Whiteland lay,
but there was not one who knew that.
So the man gave him a pair of snow shoes. 'When you have these on,' he
said, 'you will come to my brother, who lives hundreds of miles from
here; he is Lord over all the birds in the air--ask him. When you have
got there, just turn the shoes so that the toes point this way, and then
they will come home again of their own accord.'
When the King arrived there he turned the shoes as the Lord of the
beasts had bidden him, and they went back.
And now he once more asked after Whiteland, and the man summoned all the
birds together,
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