'Alas! I must
go off and leave you, but take this ring and wear it as a remembrance of
me, and when I am King I will return and fetch you home.'

Then he rode off, and when he reached his father he found him mortally
ill and very near death.

The King said: 'Dearest son, I have desired to see you again before
my end. Promise me, I beg of you, that you will marry according to my
wishes'; and he then named the daughter of a neighbouring King who he
was anxious should be his son's wife. The Prince was so overwhelmed
with grief that he could think of nothing but his father, and exclaimed:
'Yes, yes, dear father, whatever you desire shall be done.' Thereupon
the King closed his eyes and died.

After the Prince had been proclaimed King, and the usual time of
mourning had elapsed, he felt that he must keep the promise he had made
to his father, so he sent to ask for the hand of the King's daughter,
which was granted to him at once.

Now, his first love heard of this, and the thought of her lover's
desertion grieved her so sadly that she pined away and nearly died. Her
father said to her: 'My dearest child, why are you so unhappy? If there
is anything you wish for, say so, and you shall have it.'

His daughter reflected for a moment, and then said: 'Dear father, I
wish for eleven girls as nearly as possible of the same height, age, and
appearance as myself.'

Said the King: 'If the thing is possible your wish shall be fulfilled';
and he had his kingdom searched till he found eleven maidens of the same
height, size, and appearance as his daughter.

Then the Princess desired twelve complete huntsmen's suits to be made,
all exactly alike, and the eleven maidens had to dress themselves in
eleven of the suits, while she herself put on the twelfth. After this
she took leave of her father, and rode off with her girls to the court
of her former lover.

Here she enquired whether the King did not want some huntsmen, and if he
would not take them all into his service. The King saw her but did not
recognize her, and as he thought them very good-looking young people, he
said, 'Yes, he would gladly engage them all.' So they became the twelve
royal huntsmen.

Now, the King had a most remarkable Lion, for it knew every hidden or
secret thing.

One evening the Lion said to the King: 'So you think you have got twelve
huntsmen, do you?'

'Yes, certainly,' said the King, 'they _are_ twelve huntsmen.'

'There you are mistaken,' said