tower. When he looked at the height he knew his troubles were not at an end. He looked around for some way to scale the wall, but it was as smooth as glass. While he stood looking at the top he saw something[Pg 35] white slowly coming down the wall from a little window. [Pg 35] Down it came until the Prince could see that it was a piece of white thread, and on the end of it was a little golden curl. The Prince untied it and kissed it, then, looking up at the window, he kissed his hand, for he knew that somewhere in the tower the Princess had been looking for the Prince who was to come for her, and had seen him. He was more anxious than ever to reach the Princess, but how could he climb those slippery walls? How? And then he thought of the silver shoes that the witch had walked on the top of the cave with, and he took them off his horse and tied one on each foot and took one in each hand. Placing his hands on the wall of the tower, he walked up as easily as if he were walking on the ground, and in a few minutes was at the little window above. The Princess smiled when she saw him, and then he saw that the window which looked so small to him from the ground was really a door. He stepped in and knelt at the feet of the[Pg 36] blushing Princess, who said, “I shall be glad to leave here, but how can I get to the ground?” [Pg 36] “In my arms,” answered the bold Prince, and, picking her up, he stepped out on the smooth wall again, easily reaching the ground with the Princess. He placed her in front of him on his horse and rode down the mountain, at the bottom of which a crowd was waiting for him, and the King also, for it had been noised abroad that a youth had been seen to climb the mountain and the people wanted to see him. “Well done, my son,” said the King, riding up to greet them. “You will make a good soldier, for you have shown that you can overcome obstacles to gain that which you desire. Come home; the wedding feast is prepared.” So the Prince gained a princess for a wife, a father-in-law who admired his courage, and was happy ever after. [Pg 37] [Pg 37]
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