great high wall, covered with ivy, rose before them, and was so high
they could not see to the top of it; and there was an arch in this wall,
and the bottom of the draw-well was inside the arch. The youngest
pair went last; and says the princess to the prince, 'I'm sure the two
princes don't mean any good to you. Keep these crowns under your cloak,
and if you are obliged to stay last, don't get into the basket, but put
a big stone, or any heavy thing inside, and see what will happen.'

As soon as they were inside the dark cave, they put in the eldest
princess first, and stirred the basket, and up she went. Then the basket
was let down again, and up went the second princess, and then up went
the youngest; but first she put her arms round her prince's neck, and
kissed him, and cried a little. At last it came to the turn of the
youngest prince, and instead of going into the basket he put in a big
stone. He drew on one side and listened, and after the basket was drawn
up about twenty perches, down came it and the stone like thunder, and
the stone was broken into little bits.

Well, the poor prince had nothing for it but to walk back to the castle;
and through it and round it he walked, and the finest of eating and
drinking he got, and a bed of bog-down to sleep on, and long walks he
took through gardens and lawns, but not a sight could he get, high or
low, of Seven Inches. He, before a week, got tired of it, he was so
lonesome for his true love; and at the end of a month he didn't know
what to do with himself.

One morning he went into the treasure room, and took notice of a
beautiful snuff-box on the table that he didn't remember seeing there
before. He took it in his hands and opened it, and out Seven Inches
walked on the table. 'I think, prince,' says he, 'you're getting a
little tired of my castle?' 'Ah!' says the other, 'if I had my princess
here, and could see you now and then, I'd never know a dismal day.'
'Well, you're long enough here now, and you're wanted there above.
Keep your bride's crowns safe, and whenever you want my help, open this
snuff-box. Now take a walk down the garden, and come back when you're
tired.'

The prince was going down a gravel walk with a quickset hedge on each
side, and his eyes on the ground, and he was thinking of one thing
and another. At last he lifted his eyes, and there he was outside of
a smith's gate that he often passed before, about a mile away from the
palace of his betrot