HERE was once a rich and powerful king, who had a daughter remarkable for her beauty. When this Princess arrived at an age to be married, he caused a proclamation to be made by sound of trumpet and by placards on all the walls of his kingdom, to the effect that all those who had any pretension to her hand were to assemble in a wide-spread meadow.
Her would-be suitors being in this way gathered together, the Princess would throw into the air a golden apple, and whoever succeeded in catching it would then have to resolve three problems, after doing which he might marry the Princess, and, the King having no son, inherit the kingdom.
On the day appointed the meeting took place. The Princess threw the golden apple into the air, but not one of the first three who caught it was able to complete the easiest task set him, and neither of them attempted those which were to follow.
At last, the golden apple, thrown by the Princess into the air for the fourth time, fell into the hands of a young shepherd, who was the handsomest, but, at the same time, the poorest of all the competitors.
The first problem given him to solve—certainly as difficult as a problem in mathematics—was this:—
The King had caused one hundred hares to be shut up in a stable; he who should succeed in leading them out to feed upon the meadow where the meeting was being held, the next morning, and conduct them all back to the stable the next evening, would have resolved the first problem.
When this proposition was made to the young shepherd, he asked to be allowed a day to reflect upon it; the next day he would say "yes" or "no" to it.
The request appeared so just to the King that it was granted to him.
He immediately took his way to the forest, to medit there on the means of accomplishing the task set him.
With down-bent head he slowly traversed a narrow path running beside a brook, when he came upon a little old woman with snow-white hair, but sparkling eyes, who inquired the cause of his sadness.
The young shepherd replied, shaking his head:
"Alas! nobody can be of any assistance to me, and yet I greatly desire to wed the King's daughter."
"Don't give way to despair so quickly," replied the little old woman; "tell me all about your trouble, and perhaps I may be able to get you out of your difficulty."
The young shepherd's heart was so heavy that he needed no entreaty to tell her his story.
"Is that all?" said the little old woman; "in that case you have not much to despair about."
And she took from her pocket an ivory whistle and gave it to him.
This whistle was just like other whistles in appearance; so the shepherd, thinking
