She answered: ‘Alas! it is so far off, and what should I do in a strange country where I know no one?’
As she did not wish to go, and yet they could not bear to be parted, he changed her into a beautiful Pink, which he took with him.
Then he set out on his journey, and the Poodle was made to run alongside till the Prince reached his own country.
Arrived there, he went straight to the tower where his mother was imprisoned, and as the tower was so high he wished for a ladder to reach the top. Then he climbed up, looked in, and cried, ‘Dearest mother, lady Queen, are you still alive?’
She, thinking it was the Angels who brought her food come back, said, ‘I have just eaten; I do not want anything more.’
Then he said, ‘I am your own dear son whom the wild animals were supposed to have devoured ; but I am still alive, and I shall soon come and rescue you.’
Then he got down and went to his father. He had himself announced as a strange Huntsman, anxious to take service with the King, who said, ‘Yes; if he was skilled in game preserving, and could procure plenty of venison, he would engage him. But there had never before been any game in the whole district.’
The Huntsman promised to procure as much game as the King could possibly require for the royal table.
Then he called the whole Hunt together, and ordered them all to come into the forest with him. He caused a great circle to be enclosed, with only one outlet; then he took his place in the middle, and began to wish as hard as he could. Immediately over two hundred head of game came running into the enclosure; these the Huntsmen had to shoot, and then they were piled on to sixty country wagons, and driven home to the King. So for once he was able to load his board with game, after having had none for many years.
The King was much pleased, and commanded his whole court to a banquet on the following day. When they were all