d, growled, and bang! one of the iron hoops
which he wore splintered and sprang off him. He then took the damsel by
the hand and led her away.

The whole day after the prince had nothing to do but walk up and down
the castle, and round about the castle, and look at the wonderful
things that were there. It was everywhere as if life had been lost in a
single moment. In one hall he saw a prince, who held in both hands a
brandished sword, as if he intended to cleave somebody in twain; but the
blow never fell: he had been turned into stone. In one chamber was a
knight turned into stone, just as if he had been fleeing from some one
in terror, and, stumbling on the threshold, had taken a downward
direction, but not fallen. Under the chimney sat a servant, who held in
one hand a piece of roast meat, and with the other lifted a mouthful
toward his mouth, which never reached it; when it was just in front of
his mouth, he had also been turned to stone. Many others he saw there
turned to stone, each in the position in which he was when the wizard
said, "Be turned into stone." He likewise saw many fine horses turned to
stone, and in the castle and round the castle all was desolate and dead;
there were trees, but without leaves; there were meadows, but without
grass; there was a river but it did not flow; nowhere was there even a
singing bird, or a flower, the offspring of the ground, or a white fish
in the water.

Morning, noon, and evening the prince and his companions found good and
abundant entertainment in the castle; the viands came of themselves, the
wine poured itself out. After supper the folding doors opened again, and
the wizard brought in the princess for the prince to guard. And although
they all determined to exert themselves with all their might not to fall
asleep, yet it was of no use, fall asleep again they did. And when the
prince awoke at dawn and saw the princess had vanished, he jumped up and
pulled Sharpsight by the arm, "Hey! get up, Sharpsight, do you know
where the princess is?" He rubbed his eyes, looked, and said: "I see
her. There's a mountain two hundred miles off, and in the mountain a
rock, and in the rock a precious stone, and she's that precious stone.
If Long carries me thither, we shall obtain her."

Long took him at once on his shoulders, extended himself, and went
twenty miles at a step. Sharpsight fixed his flaming eyes on the
mountain, the mountain crumbled, and the rock in it split into a
th