maiden saw him flying
away, she thought at first that this experiment too was only in jest,
and cried out, "Come back, my friend. You see now that I have told you
the truth." But he who did not return was the youth, and when the maiden
realised his treachery, she broke out into bitter lamentations over her
misfortune.

The youth did not cease his flight till he arrived, some days later, at
the house of the famous sorcerer who had taught him the language of
birds. The sorcerer was greatly delighted to find that his pupil's
journey had turned out so successfully. He set to work at once to read
the secret inscriptions on the ring, but he spent seven weeks before he
could accomplish it. He then gave the young man the following
instructions how to destroy the Northern Frog:--"You must have a great
iron horse cast, with small wheels under each foot, so that it can be
moved backwards and forwards. You must mount this, and arm yourself with
an iron spear two fathoms long, which you will only be able to wield
when you wear the magic ring on the thumb of your left hand. The spear
must be as thick as a great birch-tree in the middle, and both ends must
be sharpened to a point. You must fasten two strong chains, ten fathoms
long, to the middle of the spear, strong enough to hold the frog. As
soon as the frog has bitten hard on the spear, and it has pierced his
jaws, you must spring like the wind from the iron horse to avoid falling
into the monster's throat, and must fix the ends of the chains into the
ground with iron posts so firmly that no force can drag them out again.
In three or four days' time the strength of the frog will be so far
exhausted that you can venture to approach it. Then place Solomon's
ring on the thumb of your left hand, and beat the frog to death. But
till you reach it, you must keep the ring constantly on the ring-finger
of your left hand, that the monster cannot see you, or it would strike
you dead with its long tail. But when you have accomplished all this,
take great care not to lose the ring, nor to allow anybody to deprive
you of it by a trick."

Our friend thanked the sorcerer for his advice, and promised to reward
him for his trouble afterwards. But the sorcerer answered, "I have
learned so much magic wisdom by deciphering the secret inscriptions on
the ring, that I need no other profit for myself." Then they parted, and
the young man hastened home, which was no longer difficult to him, as he
could