56 Prince Beder and

i

‘Why should I not. give so much?’ replied the old woman: ‘if
that be the lowest price, you need only say you will take it, and
I wiil fetch you the money.’

King Beder, seeing the old woman so Acne dressed, could
not imagine she could find the money; therefore to try her, he
said, ‘Go, fetch me the money, and the mare is yours.’ The old
woman immediately unloosed a purse. she had fastened to. her
girdle, and desiring him to alight, bade him tell over the money,
and in case he found it came short of the sum demanded, she
said her house was not far off, and she could quickly fetch the rest.

The surprise of King Beder, at the sight of this purse, was
not small. <‘Good woman,’. said he, ‘do you not perceive I
have been bartering you all this while? I assure you my mare
is not to be sold,’ :

The old man, who had been witness to all that was said, now
began to speak. ‘Son, quoth he to King Beder, ‘it is necessary
you should know one thing, which I find you are ignorant of;
and that is, that in this city it is not permitted to any one to
tell a lie, on any account whatsoever, on pain of death. You
cannot refuse taking this good woman's money, and delivering
your mare, when she gives you the sum according to the agree-
ment; and this you had better do without any noise, than expose
yourself to what may. happen.’

- King Beder, sorely afflicted to find himself thus trapped by his
rash offer, alighted with great regret. The old woman stood ready
to seize the bridle, aid immediately ‘unbridled the mare, and
taking some water in her hand, from a stream that ran in the
middle of the street, she threw it in the mare’s face, uttering these
words, ‘ Daughter;, quit that strange shape, and re-assume thine
own. The transformation was effected in a moment, and King
Beder, who swooned.as soon as he saw Queen Labe appear, would
have fallen to the ground, if the old man had not caught him.