His fellow-traveller stood by with folded hands, gazing on thedark wood and the towns bathed in the warm sunshine. At this momentthere sounded over their heads sweet music. They looked up, anddiscovered a large white swan hovering in the air, and singing asnever bird sang before. But the song soon became weaker and weaker,the bird's head drooped, and he sunk slowly down, and lay dead attheir feet.
  "It is a beautiful bird," said the traveller, "and these largewhite wings are worth a great deal of money. I will take them with me.You see now that a sword will be very useful."
  So he cut off the wings of the dead swan with one blow, andcarried them away with him.
  They now continued their journey over the mountains for manymiles, till they at length reached a large city, containing hundredsof towers, that shone in the sunshine like silver. In the midst of thecity stood a splendid marble palace, roofed with pure red gold, inwhich dwelt the king. John and his companion would not go into thetown immediately; so they stopped at an inn outside the town, tochange their clothes; for they wished to appear respectable as theywalked through the streets. The landlord told them that the king was avery good man, who never injured any one: but as to his daughter,"Heaven defend us!"
  She was indeed a wicked princess. She possessed beauty enough-nobody could be more elegant or prettier than she was; but what ofthat? for she was a wicked witch; and in consequence of her conductmany noble young princes had lost their lives. Any one was atliberty to make her an offer; were he a prince or a beggar, itmattered not to her. She would ask him to guess three things which shehad just thought of, and if he succeed, he was to marry her, and beking over all the land when her father died; but if he could not guessthese three things, then she ordered him to be hanged or to have hishead cut off. The old king, her father, was very much grieved at herconduct, but he could not prevent her from being so wicked, because heonce said he would have nothing more to do with her lovers; shemight do as she pleased. Each prince who came and tried the threeguesses, so that he might marry the princess, had been unable tofind them out, and had been hanged or beheaded. They had all beenwarned in time, and might have left her alone, if they would. Theold king became at last so distressed at all these dreadfulcircumstances, that for a whole day every year he and his soldiersknelt and prayed that the princess might become good; but shecontinued as wicked as ever. The old women who drank brandy wouldcolor it quite black before they drank it, to show how they mourned;and what more could they do?
  "What a horrible princess!" said John; "she ought to be wellflogged. If I were the old king, I would have her punished in someway."
  Just then they heard the people outside shouting, "Hurrah!" and,looking out, they saw the princess passing by; and she was really sobeautiful that everybody forgot her wickedness, and shouted"Hurrah!" Twelve lovely maidens in white silk dresses, holdinggolden tulips in their hands, rode by her side on coal-black horses.The princess herself had a snow-white steed, decked with diamondsand rubies. Her dress was of cloth of gold, and the whip she held inher hand looked like a sunbeam. The golden crown on her head glitteredlike the stars of heaven, and her mantle was formed of thousands ofbutterflies' wings sewn together. Yet she herself was more beautifulthan all.
  When John saw her, his face became as red as a drop of blood,and he could scarcely utter a word. The princess looked exactly likethe beautiful lady with the golden crown, of whom he had dreamed onthe night his father died. She appeared to him so lovely that he couldnot help loving her.
  "It could not be true," he thought, "that she was really awicked witch, who ordered people to be hanged or beheaded, if theycould not guess her thoughts. Every one has permission to go and askher hand, even the poorest beggar. I shall pay a visit to the palace,"he said; "I must go, for I cannot help myself."
  Then they all advised him not to attempt it; for he would besure to share the same fate as the rest. His fellow-traveller alsotried to persuade him against it; but John seemed quite sure ofsuccess. He brushed his shoes and his coat, washed his face and hishands, combed his soft flaxen hair, and then went out alone into thetown, and walked to the palace.
  "Come in," said the king, as John knocked at the door. John openedit, and the old king, in a dressing gown and embroidered slippers,came towards him. He had the crown on his head, carried his sceptre inone hand, and the orb in the other. "Wait a bit," said he, and heplaced the orb under his arm, so that he could offer the other hand toJohn; but when he found that John was another suitor, he began to weepso violently, that both the sceptre and the orb fell to the floor, andhe was obliged to wipe his eyes with his dressing gown. Poor old king!"