“Well to be sure,” said the Princess, “that’s how you amuse yourselves, is it?  Looking at strangers out of the window!  Be quick and give me my blue satin embroidered dress, and comb out my golden hair.  Let somebody make me fresh garlands of flowers, and give me my high-heeled shoes and my fan, and tell them to sweep my great hall and my throne, for I want everyone to say I am really ‘Pretty Goldilocks.’”

You can imagine how all her maids scurried this way and that to make the Princess ready, and how in their haste they knocked their heads together and hindered each other, till she thought they would never have done.  However, at last they led her into the gallery of mirrors that she might assure herself that nothing was lacking in her appearance, and then she mounted her throne of gold, ebony, and ivory, while her ladies took their guitars and began to sing softly.  Then Charming was led in, and was so struck with astonishment and admiration that at first not a word could he say.  But presently he took courage and delivered his harangue, bravely ending by begging the Princess to spare him the disappointment of going back without her.

“Sir Charming,” answered she, “all the reasons you have given me are very good ones, and I assure you that I should have more pleasure in obliging you than anyone else, but you must know that a month ago as I was walking by the river with my ladies I took off my glove, and as I did so a ring that I was wearing slipped off my finger and rolled into the water.  As I valued it more than my kingdom, you may imagine how vexed I was at losing it, and I vowed to never listen to any proposal of marriage unless the ambassador first brought me back my ring.  So now you know what is expected of you, for if you talked for fifteen days and fifteen nights you could not make me change my mind.”

Charming was very much surprised by this answer, but he bowed low to the Princess, and begged her to accept the embroidered scarf and the tiny dog he had brought with him.  But she answered that she did not want any presents, and that he was to remember what she had just told him.  When he got back to his lodging he went to bed without eating any supper, and his little dog, who was called Frisk, couldn’t eat any either, but came and lay down close to him.  All night Charming sighed and lamented.

“How am I to find a ring that fell into the river a month ago?” said he.  “It is useless to try; the Princess must have told me to do it on purpose, knowing it was impossible.”  And then he sighed again.

Frisk heard him and said: 

“My dear master, don’t despair; the luck may change, you are too good not to be happy.  Let us go down to the river as soon as it is light.”

But Charming only gave him two little pats and said nothing, and very soon he fell asleep.

At the first glimmer of dawn Frisk began to jump about, and when he had waked Charming they went out together, first into the garden, and then down to the river’s brink, where they wandered up and down.  Charming was thinking sadly of having to go back unsuccessful when he heard someone calling:  “Charming, Charming!” He looked all about him and thought he must be dreaming, as he could not see anybody.  Then he walked on and the voice called again:  “Charming, Charming!”