other kick; 'I wish
you were burnt to cinders.'

"Hardly had she said the words when a sudden noise like a clap of
thunder shook the air; a flash of lightning seemed to glance past her
and alight on the skin, which in an instant shrivelled up to a cinder
like a burnt glove. Too startled at first to know whether she should
rejoice or not, the Princess gazed at her work in bewilderment, when a
voice of anguish, but, alas! a well-known voice, made her turn round. It
was the Prince, hastening from the palace with an expression half of
anger half of sorrowful reproach on his face.

"'O Princess, Princess,' he cried, 'what have you done? But a little
more patience and all might have been well. And now I know not if I
shall ever see you again.'

"'O Prince, forgive me, I did not mean it,' sobbed the poor Princess. 'I
_will_ see you again, and all shall yet be well.'

"'Seek for me across the hill of ice and the sea of glass,' said the
Prince; but almost before the words had passed his lips a second
thunderclap, louder and more terrific than the first, was heard. The
Princess sank half fainting on the ground. When she again opened her
eyes, Prince, palace, everything had disappeared. She was alone, quite
alone, on a barren moorland, night coming on, and a cold cutting wind
freezing the blood in her veins. And she was clothed in the plain black
dress with which she had made her strange journey riding on the brown
bull.

"It must be a dream, she thought, a terrible dream, and she shut her
eyes again. But no, it was no dream, and soon her courage revived, and
she began to ask herself what she should do.

"'Seek me beyond the hill of ice and the sea of glass,' the Prince had
said; and she rose up to begin her weary journey. As she rose her hand
came in contact with something hard in the folds of her dress; it was
her golden balls. With the greatest delight she took them out of her
pocket and looked at them. They were as bright and beautiful as ever,
and the fairy's prophecy returned to the Princess's mind.

"'With my balls and my ready wit I shall yet conquer the evil powers
that are against my poor Prince,' she said to herself cheerfully.
'Courage! all will be well."

"But there were sore trials to go through in the first place. The
Princess set off on her journey. She had to walk many weary miles across
the moor, the cold wind blowing in her face, the rough ground pricking
her tender feet. But she walked on and on till