e. At last the Magician lost all
patience, and commanded the door to be burst open. But when his servants
did so, they found the room empty, and the frozen breath laughed
aloud. Out of his mind with rage, the Magician ordered the Prince to be
pursued.

Then a wild chase began. 'I hear horses' hoofs behind us,' said
Hyacinthia to the Prince. Milan sprang from the saddle, put his ear to
the ground and listened. 'Yes,' he answered, 'they are pursuing us, and
are quite close.' 'Then no time must be lost,' said Hyacinthia, and
she immediately turned herself into a river, Prince Milan into an iron
bridge, and the charger into a blackbird. Behind the bridge the road
branched off into three ways.

The Magician's servants hurried after the fresh tracks, but when they
came to the bridge, they stood, not knowing which road to take, as the
footprints stopped suddenly, and there were three paths for them to
choose from. In fear and trembling they returned to tell the Magician
what had happened. He flew into a dreadful rage when he saw them, and
screamed out, 'Oh, you fools! the river and bridge were they! Go back
and bring them to me at once, or it will be the worse for you.'

Then the pursuit began afresh. 'I hear horses' hoofs,' sighed
Hyacinthia. The Prince dismounted and put his ear to the ground. 'They
are hurrying after us, and are already quite near.' In a moment the
Princess Hyacinthia had changed herself, the Prince, and his charger
into a thick wood where a thousand paths and roads crossed each other.
Their pursuers entered the forest, but searched in vain for Prince Milan
and his bride. At last they found themselves back at the same spot they
had started from, and in despair they returned once more with empty
hands to the Magician.

'Then I'll go after the wretches myself,' he shouted. 'Bring a horse at
once; they shan't escape me.'

Once more the beautiful Hyacinthia murmured, 'I hear horses' hoofs quite
near.' And the Prince answered, 'They are pursuing us hotly and are
quite close.'

'We are lost now, for that is my father himself. But at the first church
we come to his power ceases; he may chase us no further. Hand me your
cross.'

Prince Milan loosened from his neck the little gold cross his mother had
given him, and as soon as Hyacinthia grasped it, she had changed herself
into a church, Milan into a monk, and the horse into a belfry. They had
hardly done this when the magician and his servants rode up.