ll that the king, coming by chance, or else with a sort
of remorse, past the tower, was touched by the voice of the young
Avenant, whom he had once so much regarded. In spite of all the
courtiers could do to prevent him, he stopped to listen, and overheard
these words. The tears rushed into his eyes; he opened the door of the
tower, and called, "Avenant!" Avenant came, creeping feebly along,
fell at the king's knees, and kissed his feet:

"O sire, what have I done that you should treat me so cruelly?"

"You have mocked me and my ambassador; for you said, if I had sent you
to fetch the Fair One with Golden Locks, you would have been
successful and brought her back."

"I did say it, and it was true," replied Avenant fearlessly; "for I
should have told her so much about your majesty and your various high
qualities, which no one knows so well as myself, that I am persuaded
she would have returned with me."

"I believe it," said the king, with an angry look at those who had
spoken ill of his favourite; he then gave Avenant a free pardon, and
took him back with him to the court.

After having supplied the famished youth with as much supper as he
could eat, the king admitted him to a private audience, and said, "I
am as much in love as ever with the Fair One with Golden Locks, so I
will take thee at thy word, and send thee to try and win her for me."

"Very well, please your majesty," replied Avenant cheerfully; "I will
depart to-morrow."

The king, overjoyed with his willingness and hopefulness, would have
furnished him with a still more magnificent equipage and suite than
the first ambassador; but Avenant refused to take anything except a
good horse to ride, and letters of introduction to the princess's
father. The king embraced him and eagerly saw him depart.

It was on a Monday morning when, without any pomp or show, Avenant
thus started on his mission. He rode slowly and meditatively,
pondering over every possible means of persuading the Fair One with
Golden Locks to marry the king; but, even after several days' journey
towards her country, no clear project had entered into his mind. One
morning, when he had started at break of day, he came to a great
meadow with a stream running through it, along which were planted
willows and poplars. It was such a pleasant, rippling stream that he
dismounted and sat down on its banks. There he perceived, gasping on
the grass, a large golden carp, which, in leaping too far afte