When the two brothers came home again at night they had much to tell of how the riding had gone off that day, and at last they told about the knight in the golden armor too.  “He was a fine fellow, that was!  Such another splendid knight is not to be found on earth!” said the brothers.

“Oh, how I should have liked to see him too!” said Cinderlad.

“Well, he shone nearly as brightly as the coal-heaps that thou art always lying raking among, dirty black creature that thou art!” said the brothers.

Next day all the knights and princes were to appear before the King and Princess—­it had been too late for them to do it the night before—­in order that he who had the golden apple might produce it.  They all went in turn, first princes, and then knights, but none of them had a golden apple.

“But somebody must have it,” said the King, “for with our own eyes we all saw a man ride up and take it.”  So he commanded that everyone in the kingdom should come to the palace, and see if he could show the apple.  And one after the other they all came, but no one had the golden apple, and after a long, long time Cinderlad’s two brothers came likewise.  They were the last of all, so the King inquired of them if there was no one else in the kingdom left to come.

“Oh! yes, we have a brother,” said the two, “but he never got the golden apple!  He never left the cinder-heap on any of the three days.”

“Never mind that,” said the King; “as everyone else has come to the palace, let him come too.”

So Cinderlad was forced to go to the King’s palace.

“Hast thou the golden apple?” asked the King.

“Yes, here is the first, and here is the second, and here is the third, too,” said Cinderlad, and he took all three apples out of his pocket, and with that drew off his sooty rags, and appeared there before them in his bright golden armor, which gleamed as he stood.

“Thou shalt have my daughter, and the half of my kingdom, and thou hast well earned both!” said the King.  So there was a wedding, and Cinderlad got the King’s daughter, and everyone made merry at the wedding, for all of them could make merry, though they could not ride up the glass hill, and if they have not left off their merry-making they must be at it still.[1]

[1] Asbjornsen and Moe.

THE STORY OF PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY PARIBANOU

There was a sultan, who had three sons and a niece.  The eldest of the Princes was called Houssain, the second Ali, the youngest Ahmed, and the Princess, his niece, Nouronnihar.