letheralone,"hesaid;"youwillfareasbadlyasallthe,iwillshowyou."thenheledhimoutintotheprincess'spleasuregardens,andtherehesawafrightfulsight.oneverytreehungthreeorfourking'ssonswhohadwooedtheprincess,buthadnotbeenabletoguesstheriddlesshegavethem.theirskeletonsrattledineverybreeze,sothattheterrifiedbirdsneverdaredtoventureintothegarden.alltheflowersweresupportedbyhumanbonesinsteadofsticks,andhumanskullsintheflower-potsgrinnedhorribly.itwasreallyadolefulgardenforaprincess."doyouseeallthis?"saidtheoldking;"yourfatewillbethesameasthosewhoarehere,thereforedonotattemptit.youreallymakemeveryunhappy,-itakethesethingstoheartsoverymuch."

johnkissedthegoodoldking'shand,andsaidhewassureitwouldbeallright,forhewasquiteenchantedwiththebeautifulprincess.thentheprincessherselfcameridingintothepalaceyardwithallherladies,andhewishedher"goodmorning."shelookedwonderfullyfairandlovelywhensheofferedherhandtojohn,andhelovedhermorethanever.howcouldshebeawickedwitch,asallthepeopleasserted?heaccompaniedherintothehall,andthelittlepagesofferedthemgingerbreadnutsandsweetmeats,buttheoldkingwassounhappyhecouldeatnothing,andbesides,gingerbreadnutsweretoohardforhim.itwasdecidedthatjohnshouldcometothepalacethenextday,whenthejudgesandthewholeofthecounsellorswouldbepresent,totryifhecouldguessthefirstriddle.ifhesucceeded,hewouldhavetocomeasecondtime;butifnot,hewouldlosehislife,-andnoonehadeverbeenabletoguessevenone.however,johnwasnotatallanxiousabouttheresultofhistrial;onthecontrary,hewasverymerry.hethoughtonlyofthebeautifulprincess,andbelievedthatinsomewayheshouldhavehelp,buthowheknewnot,anddidnotliketothinkaboutit;sohedancedalongthehigh-roadashewentbacktotheinn,wherehehadlefthisfellow-travellerwaitingforhim.johncouldnotrefrainfromtellinghimhowgracioustheprincesshadbeen,andhowbeautifulshelooked.helongedforthenextdaysomuch,thathemightgotothepalaceandtryhisluckatguessingtheriddles.buthiscomradeshookhishead,andlookedverymournful."idosowishyoutodowell,"saidhe;"wemighthavecontinuedtogethermuchlonger,andnowiamlikelytoloseyou;youpoordearjohn!icouldshedtears,butiwillnotmakeyouunhappyonthelastnightwemaybetogether.wewillbemerry,reallymerrythisevening;to-morrow,afteryouaregone,shallbeabletoweepundisturbed."

itwasveryquicklyknownamongtheinhabitantsofthetownthatanothersuitorhadarrivedfortheprincess,andtherewasgreatsorrowinconsequence.thetheatreremainedclosed,thewomenwhosoldsweetmeatstiedcraperoundthesugar-sticks,andthekingandthepriestswereontheirkneesinthechurch.therewasagreatlamentation,fornooneexpectedjohntosucceedbetterthanthosewhohadbeensuitorsbefore.

intheeveningjohn'scomradepreparedalargebowlofpunch,andsaid,"nowletusbemerry,anddrinktothehealthoftheprincess."butafterdrinkingtwoglasses,johnbecamesosleepy,thathecouldnotkeephiseyesopen,andfellfastasleep.thenhisfellow-travellerliftedhimgentlyoutofhischair,andlaidhimonthebed;andassoonasitwasquitedark,hetookthetwolargewingswhichhehadcutfromthedeadswan,andtiedthemfirmlytohisownshoulders.thenheputintohispocketthelargestofthethreerodswhichhehadobtainedfromtheoldwomanwhohadfallenandbrokenherleg.afterthisheopenedthewindow,andflewawayoverthetown,straighttowardsthepalace,andseatedhimselfinacorner,underthewindowwhichlookedintothebedroomoftheprincess.

thetownwasperfectlystillwhentheclocksstruckaquartertotwelve.presentlythewindowopened,andtheprincess,whohadlargeblackwingstohershoulders,andalongwhitemantle,flewawayoverthecitytowardsahighmountain.thefellow-traveller,whohadmadehimselfinvisible,sothatshecouldnotpossiblyseehim,flewafterherthroughtheair,andwhippedtheprincesswithhisrod,sothatthebloodcamewheneverhestruckher.ah,itwasastrangeflightthroughtheair!