TWILIGHT LAND

and blood, and the princess stepped down from where she
stood ; and the prince thought that he had never seen any
one so beautiful as she. ‘‘You have brought me back to
life,” said she, ‘and whatever I shall have shall be yours
as well as mine.”

Then they all set their faces homeward again, and
the prince took with him a cupful of the water of
life.

When they reached the farther shore the black dogs
came running to meet them. The prince sprinkled the
water he carried upon them, and as soon as it touched
them that instant they were black dogs no longer, but the
tall, noble young men that the sorceress’ queen had
bewitched. There, as the old man had hoped, he found
his own three sons, and kissed them with the tears
running down his face.

But when the people of that land learned that their
youngest princess, and the one whom they loved, had
come back again, and that the two sorceresses would
trouble them no longer, they shouted and shouted for joy.
All the town was hung with flags and illuminated, the
fountains ran with wine, and nothing was heard but
sounds of rejoicing. In the midst of it all the prince
married the princess, and so became the king of that
country.

And now to go back again to the beginning.

After the youngest prince had been driven away from
home, and the old king had divided the kingdom betwixt
the other two, things went for a while smoothly and joy-
fully. But by little and little the king was put to one
side until he became as nothing in his own land. At last

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