may name your own price," said the _Princess_.

"Well! if I may get to the _Prince_, who lives here, and be with him
to-night, you shall have it," said the lassie whom the North Wind had
brought.

Yes! she might; that could be done. So the _Princess_ got the gold
apple; but when the lassie came up to the _Prince's_ bed-room at night
he was fast asleep; she called him and shook him, and between whiles
she wept sore; but all she could do she couldn't wake him up. Next
morning, as soon as day broke, came the _Princess_ with the long nose,
and drove her out again.

So in the daytime she sat down under the castle windows and began to
card with her carding-comb, and the same thing happened. The
_Princess_ asked what she wanted for it; and she said it wasn't for
sale for gold or money, but if she might get leave to go up to the
_Prince_ and be with him that night, the _Princess_ should have it.
But when she went up she found him fast asleep again, and all she
called, and all she shook, and wept, and prayed, she couldn't get life
into him; and as soon as the first gray peep of day came, then came
the _Princess_ with the long nose, and chased her out again.

So, in the daytime, the lassie sat down outside under the castle
window, and began to spin with her golden spinning-wheel, and that,
too, the _Princess_ with the long nose wanted to have. So she threw up
the window and asked what she wanted for it. The lassie said, as she
had said twice before, it wasn't for sale for gold or money; but if
she might go up to the _Prince_ who was there, and be with him alone
that night, she might have it.

Yes! she might do that and welcome. But now you must know there were
some Christian folk who had been carried off thither, and as they sat
in their room, which was next the _Prince_, they had heard how a woman
had been in there, and wept and prayed, and called to him two nights
running, and they told that to the _Prince_.

That evening, when the _Princess_ came with her sleepy drink, the
_Prince_ made as if he drank, but threw it over his shoulder, for he
could guess it was a sleepy drink. So, when the lassie came in, she
found the _Prince_ wide awake; and then she told him the whole story
how she had come thither.

"Ah," said the _Prince_, "you've just come in the very nick of time,
for to-morrow is to be our wedding-day; but now I won't have the
_Long-nose_, and you are the only woman in the world who can set me
free. I'll say I