he was made King over half of the realm. And there was ever so much merrymaking throughout the entire land for weeks. and weeks and weeks. And the King's daughter wept tears of joy, and she returned thanks to Heaven for having saved her from becoming the wife of the gipsy, who beyond all question was the most horrid creature in the whole world.

AND

THE GOLDEN APPLES

(Praslea Cel Voinic Și Merele De Aur)

In the long, long ago there lived once a mighty King; and he had behind his palace a most beautiful garden, which contained all kinds of wonderful flowers and fruit-trees, and was most carefully looked after. Never before was the like of it seen anywhere in the world. Away in the rear of the garden stood a tree that bore golden apples, but the King had never tasted one of those apples, for no sooner had they ripened than they would all disappear; somebody would come in the dead of night and steal them just when they were all ready to be eaten. Year after year the King's own guards as well as the pick of the soldiers of the realm had been stationed in the garden to keep watch, but all to no avail; the apples would vanish, and never was the thief caught. One day the King's eldest son came to him and said:

"Father dear, I have passed my whole life here, and every year I have seen the beautiful golden apples ripen, yet never once have we tasted one of them. Now they are getting ripe again. Give me leave, I beg of you, to keep watch this time, and I wager I will catch the thief who has been robbing us all these many years."

Said the King: "My dear boy, what good is it trying again? Ever so many men have stood watch in the garden, but they have all failed to capture the thief and save the apples." But the Prince begged so very hard that the King finally gave his consent, saying: "Well, I have spent lots and lots of money on this tree, and I should like to see one of those beautiful apples on my table. I will let you try; though, truth to tell, I have not much hope that you will succeed."

For one whole week the Prince kept close watch in the garden. He stood on guard every night, and in the daytime he rested himself. But one morning he came to his father and told him that towards midnight he had become so terribly drowsy that he could scarcely keep on his feet, and that, finally,

overpowered by sleep, he had fallen down on the ground like one dead; and that when he had waked up, quite late in the morning, the apples were all gone, and the thief had made his escape!

On hearing this, the King was much aggrieved, and he resolved to put an end to the whole business and have the tree cut down. However, his second son came and begged him very hard to allow him also to try, and he vowed he would catch the thief who had brought so much sorrow upon them. And the King yielded and decided not to have the tree felled for another year.

Time wore on and fall came again, and when the apples were ripening once more, the Prince started on his watch. But alas! he met with the same fate as his elder brother. One night the apples had all vanished. Never a one was left upon the tree, and of the thief not the least trace anywhere!

Fancy, if you can, the King s d.smay. He gave up zil 15p › now, and, once more determined to have done with it all, he commanded the tree to be felled, when Praslea, his youngest son, came to him and said:

"Father dear, you have surely had a great deal of trouble and it would no doubt be better by far to cut the tree down rather than have years and years roll by without your ever tasting its marvellous fruit. For all this, I beg you to spare the tree for a while yet; it were but fair that I too be allowed to try my luck with it."

But the King was wroth, and he cried: "What! You? Begone, young fool! Your elder brothers and many other brave and shrewd men have tried, and they have failed, one and all. And you, a mere stripling, think you will succeed! You are well aware what fearsome things your brothers had to conten with, and there is doubtless witchcraft behind all this, and it might go hard with you if you tried."

But Praslea insisted and said:

"Please, father, I do not expect to catch the thief, but I may as well make an attempt; no harm will befall you. It is only fair that I shall have my chance."

And he kept on begging so hard that at length the King gave in and resolved to suffer the tree to stand for one year longer.

When spring came again the apple-tree, clothed in beautiful white and pink blossoms, was marvellous to behold; and in the fall it bore such magnificent fruit that the King's heart was gladdened at the sight; but when he thought that he would! never have any part in it, he was very sad, and he regretted that he had given his consent to have the tree spared.

In the meantime, Praslea would visit the garden daily, and he would turn round and round the apple tree, and he would keep pondering and pondering all the time. And finally, one day he went to his father and said:

"Father dear, the apples are ripening again, and the time has come for me to show what I can do."

But the King said: "Well, my lad, good luck to you! But I must tell you once more that I very much fear that you will return empty-handed and disgraced, even like your brothers.”

But Praslea said: "I do not hold out any promise. But try I must. And if I fail, it will be nothing to be ashan ed of, for, anyway, I am the youngest of the boys."

At nightfall he went to the garden, taking along with him h's bow and arrows and some food and drink, and also a few books to help him beguile away the time. He likewise brought two big poles. Now mind what he did. Having chosen a hidden spot hard by the apple-tree, he drove the poles in the ground but a few inches apart, and that done he stood up right between them, with one pole in front and the other back of him, and in this position he kept watch for several nights in succession, his bow and arrows ever ready at hand. One night, at about twelve o'clock, he felt all of a sudden a balmy breeze waited owirl 13a, chargel with a lovely sweet fragrance, and a heavy drowsiness fell upon his eyelids; and do what he might, he could not keep awake, and before he knew it he went to sleep and began to nod. But when his head would drop forwards, bang! it struck the front pole; and when it fell backwards, bang! bang! it struck the rear pole. And every time his head bumped against either pole, he woke up from that terrible drowsiness that threatened to overpower him. In this manner he succeeded in keeping awake and standing watch all night. At peep of day he suddenly heard a rustling noise coming up towards the apple-tree. Ever nearer and nearer it crept, very, very softly. His eyes intently fixed upon the tree, he

grasped his bow and arrows and held himself in readiness. Meanwhile the noise grew louder and louder, and he thought he heard someone steal slowly up to the tree and lay hold of its fruit-laden branches. Then, whizz! off flew one arrow, and whizz! off flew another arrow, and whizz! off flew still another arrow, and Praslea heard a cry and a moan of pain come from near the tree, and then there was a deadly silence. At length the golden apples were saved! And in the first glimmering of dawn, Praslea plucked a few apples from off the tree, and he put them on a golden tray and brought them to his father.

Just imagine, if you can, the King's surprise and his joy when he saw upon the table right before him the beautiful golden apples for which he had been longing all these many, many years! He could scarcely believe his own eyes. And he was gazing and gazing upon them as if in a dream when suddenly he heard Praslea cry out:

"But the thief has made his escape! I must set out at once and catch him!"

However, the King was so happy, so happy that he would not hear of it. But Praslea persisted. He took his father to the garden and showed him the trail of blood starting right from the tree, and he vowed that he would run the thief down even if he had to search him out in a serpent's lair. He asked his brothers to go with him, and they were only too willing to do so. For they were envious and jealous of their younger brother, who by his great deed had put them to shame, and they hated him from the bottom of their heart, and were in hopes that perhaps they might find an opportunity to do away with him during the course of the journey. So the three brothers made ready, and without further delay they set forth in hot pursuit of the thief.

On and on and on they travelled, following the tracks left by the thief in his flight, until they reached the wilderness; and still farther and farther they went until suddenly they came upon a great big cave, and there the trail stopped.

But how could they ever get down into the cave? They decided to let themselves down into it one after the other by means of a rope and a pulley. The eldest brother was the first to descend. But no sooner had they dropped him a few feet into the cave then he gave the rope a twitch, which was the sign