To this they agreed; so she put them back.  And when they had thanked her for her kind thought and said good-bye, she went on her journey.

Now she had not travelled far before she came to a forest where the King of the country was hunting with his nobles, and as the gay cavalcade passed down the glade she stood back to avoid them; but the King caught sight of her, and drew up his horse, fairly amazed at her beauty.

“Fair maid,” he said, “who art thou, and whither goest thou through the forest thus alone?”

“I am the King of Colchester’s daughter, and I go to seek my fortune,” says she, and her voice was sweeter than the nightingale’s.

Then the King jumped from his horse, being so struck by her that he felt it would be impossible to live without her, and falling on his knee begged and prayed her to marry him without delay.

And he begged and prayed so well that at last she consented.  So, with all courtesy, he mounted her on his horse behind him, and commanding the hunt to follow, he returned to his palace, where the wedding festivities took place with all possible pomp and merriment.  Then, ordering out the royal chariot, the happy pair started to pay the King of Colchester a bridal visit:  and you may imagine the surprise and delight with which, after so short an absence, the people of Colchester saw their beloved, beautiful, kind, and gracious princess return in a chariot all gemmed with gold, as the bride of the most powerful King in the world.  The bells rang out, flags flew, drums beat, the people huzzaed, and all was gladness, save for the ugly Queen and her ugly daughter, who were ready to burst with envy and malice; for, see you, the despised maiden was now above them both, and went before them at every Court ceremonial.

So, after the visit was ended, and the young King and his bride had gone back to their own country, there to live happily ever after, the ugly ill-natured princess said to her mother, the ugly Queen: 

“I also will go into the world and seek my fortune.  If that drab of a girl with her mincing ways got so much, what may I not get?”

So her mother agreed, and furnished her forth with silken dresses and furs, and gave her as provisions sugar, almonds, and sweetmeats of every variety, besides a large flagon of Malaga sack.  Altogether a right royal dowry.

Armed with these she set forth, following the same road as her step-sister.  Thus she soon came upon the old man with a white beard, who was seated on a stone by the mouth of a cave.

“Good morrow,” says he.  “Whither away so fast?”

“What’s that to you, old man?” she replied rudely.

“And what hast thou for dowry in bag and bottle?” he asked quietly.

“Good things with which you shall not be troubled,” she answered pertly.

“Wilt thou not spare an old man something?” he said.

[Illustration:  The thorns closed in around her so that she was all scratched and torn]