ld see her nowhere, and indeed, no sooner had he reached one spot
than the voice sounded in another direction, and he followed it up and
down, till he was suddenly stopped by the sight of a large fish's
skin, which lay stretched on the sand between the sea and the rocks.
The thing was so ugly, that he stepped aside in disgust, and at that
instant something leapt into the sea behind his back. This caused him
to look round. The fish's skin was no longer there, but in a cave in
the rock behind it he discovered a bath of ebony lined with gold,
which glittered in the sunlight.

Days passed without any adventures, and the prince had almost made up
his mind to leave the shore, and to seek his sister inland, when once
more he heard the voice that had so charmed him, and beheld the bloody
skin lying on the sand, and the bath, now filled with water, in the
grotto. Little sleep had he that night, and before dawn he hid himself
behind the rocks, determined not to move from the place till the fish
should come back again.

He had not very long to wait, for with the first rays of the sun there
appeared, out to sea, a shining white object which was blown by gentle
breezes towards the shore. As it came nearer he beheld a maiden, of
dazzling loveliness, seated in a shell where blues and pinks and
greens all melted into each other. In her hand she held the rope with
which the shell was guided.

The prince was so bewildered at her beauty that he forgot that he was
in hiding, and, rushing out, sank on his knees on the sands, holding
out his hands towards this wonderful vision. But as he did so the comb
and its case fell out of his pocket, and at the sight the lady uttered
a wild shriek, and, steering her shell round, vanished speedily in the
direction of the island. Throwing off his clothes, the prince was
preparing to swim after her, when he perceived beside him a snow white
fox, looking the same way, and making frantic signs with his paws,
till a small boat put out and set sail towards them, to the great joy
of the little creature.

When the boat drew up to the beach, the fox waved his paw towards the
prince's clothes, which he took to mean that he was to put them on
again. This done, they both got in, and had just pushed off, when the
prince suddenly recollected that the sight of the comb had frightened
away the beautiful lady. In a transport of fury he raised his hand to
fling it into the sea, but the fox sprang on him and held on s