hind the great trees, for
her heart was still sore at his forgetfulness. One day, however, when
she was gathering herbs, he came upon her suddenly, before she had
time to escape, though as she had stained her face and hands brown,
and covered her beautiful hair with a scarlet cap, he did not guess
her to be his foster-sister.

'What is your name, pretty maiden?' asked he.

'Lauphertha,' answered the girl with a low curtesy.

'Ah! it is you, then, of whom I have heard so much,' said he; 'you are
too beautiful to spend your life serving the forester's daughters.
Come with me to the palace, and my mother the queen will make you one
of her ladies in waiting.'

'Truly, that would be a great fortune,' replied the maiden. 'And, if
you really mean it, I will go with you. But how shall I know that you
are not jesting?'

'Give me something to do for you, and I will do it, whatever it is,'
cried the young man eagerly. And she cast down her eyes, and answered:

'Go to the stable, and bind the calf that is there so that it shall
not break loose in the night and wander away, for the forester and his
daughters have treated me well, and I would not leave them with aught
of my work still undone.'

[Illustration: PULL AS HE MIGHT HE COULD NOT GET FREE]

So Grethari set out for the stable where the calf stood, and wound the
rope about its horns. But when he had made it fast to the wall, he
found that a coil of the rope had twisted itself round his wrist, and,
pull as he might, he could not get free. All night he wriggled and
struggled till he was half dead with fatigue. But when the sun rose
the rope suddenly fell away from him, and, very angry with the maiden
he dragged himself back to the palace. 'She is a witch,' he muttered
crossly to himself, 'and I will have no more to do with her.' And he
flung himself on his bed and slept all day.

Not long after this adventure the king and queen sent their beloved
son on an embassy to a neighbouring country to seek a bride from
amongst the seven princesses. The most beautiful of all was, of
course, the one chosen, and the young pair took ship without delay for
the kingdom of the prince's parents. The wind was fair and the vessel
so swift that, in less time than could have been expected, the harbour
nearest the castle was reached. A splendid carriage had been left in
readiness close to the beach, but no horses were to be found, for
every one had been carried off to take part in a grea