g; I
must go higher still.'

Then the mermaid carried him to the very top. 'You must surely be able
to hear _now_?' said she.

'Nothing but the water,' repeated the youth. So she took him right to
the land.

'At any rate you can hear _now_?' she said again.

[Illustration: 'LISTEN, LISTEN!' SAID THE MERMAID TO THE PRINCE]

'The water is still rushing in my ears,' answered he; 'but wait a
little, that will soon pass off.' And as he spoke he put his hand
into his breast, and seizing the hair wished himself a bee, and flew
straight into the pocket of the princess. The mermaid looked in vain
for him, and floated all night upon the sea; but he never came back,
and never more did he gladden her eyes. But the princess felt that
something strange was about her, though she knew not what, and
returned quickly to the palace, where the young man at once resumed
his own shape. Oh, what joy filled her heart at the sight of him! But
there was no time to be lost, and she led him right into the hall,
where the king and his nobles were still sitting at the feast. 'Here
is a man who boasts that he can do wonderful tricks,' said she,
'better even than the Red Knight's! That cannot be true, of course;
but it might be well to give this impostor a lesson. He pretends, for
instance, that he can turn himself into a lion; but that I do not
believe. I know that you have studied the art of magic,' she went on,
turning to the Red Knight, 'so suppose you just show him how it is
done, and bring shame upon him.'

Now the Red Knight had never opened a book of magic in his life; but
he was accustomed to think that he could do everything better than
other people without any teaching at all. So he turned and twisted
himself about, and bellowed and made faces; but he did not become a
lion for all that.

'Well, perhaps it _is_ very difficult to change into a lion. Make
yourself a bear,' said the princess. But the Red Knight found it no
easier to become a bear than a lion.

'Try a bee,' suggested she. 'I have always read that anyone who can do
magic at all can do that.' And the old knight buzzed and hummed, but
he remained a man and not a bee.

'Now it is your turn,' said the princess to the youth. 'Let us see if
you can change yourself into a lion.' And in a moment such a fierce
creature stood before them, that all the guests rushed out of the
hall, treading each other underfoot in their fright. The lion sprang
at the Red Knight, and would ha