“Ha! ha! ha! you make me laugh so that I can scarcely buckle the saddle-straps.  I think I shall make it all right, my uncle, if I see a young lady there, you may depend.”

“Well, my boy, I shall see how you will get on.”

So he mounts his Arab steed, and off he goes like a shot out of a gun.  At last he comes in sight of the castle.  He ties his horse safe to a tree, and pulls out his watch.  It was then a quarter to one, when he called out, “Swan, swan, carry me over, for the name of the old Griffin of the Greenwood.”  No sooner said than done.  A swan under each side, and one in front, took him over in a crack.  He got on his legs, and walked quietly by all those giants, lions, fiery serpents, and all manner of other frightful things too numerous to mention, while they were fast asleep, and that only for the space of one hour, when into the castle he goes neck or nothing.  Turning to the right, upstairs he runs, and enters into a very grand bedroom, and sees a beautiful Princess lying full stretch on a gold bedstead, fast asleep.  He gazed on her beautiful form with admiration, and he takes her garter off, and buckles it on his own leg, and he buckles his on hers; he also takes her gold watch and pocket-handkerchief, and exchanges his for hers; after that he ventures to give her a kiss, when she very nearly opened her eyes.  Seeing the time short, off he runs downstairs, and passing through the kitchen to go into the garden for the apples, he could see the cook all-fours on her back on the middle of the floor, with the knife in one hand and the fork in the other.  He found the apples, and filled the wallet; and on passing through the kitchen the cook near wakened, but he was obliged to make all the speed he possibly could, as the time was nearly up.  He called out for the swans, and they managed to take him over; but they found that he was a little heavier than before.  No sooner than he had mounted his horse he could hear a tremendous noise, the enchantment was broke, and they tried to follow him, but all to no purpose.  He was not long before he came to the oldest brother’s house; and glad enough he was to see it, for the sight and the noise of all those things that were after him nearly frightened him to death.

“Welcome, my boy; I am proud to see you.  Dismount and put the horse in the stable, and come in and have some refreshments; I know you are hungry after all you have gone through in that castle.  And tell me all you did, and all you saw there.  Other kings’ sons went by here to go to that castle, but they never came back alive, and you are the only one that ever broke the spell.  And now you must come with me, with a sword in your hand, and must cut my head off, and must throw it in that well.”