Let her alone," he said; "you will fare as badly as all the others.Come, I will show you." Then he led him out into the princess'spleasure gardens, and there he saw a frightful sight. On every treehung three or four king's sons who had wooed the princess, but had notbeen able to guess the riddles she gave them. Their skeletonsrattled in every breeze, so that the terrified birds never dared toventure into the garden. All the flowers were supported by human bonesinstead of sticks, and human skulls in the flower-pots grinnedhorribly. It was really a doleful garden for a princess. "Do you seeall this?" said the old king; "your fate will be the same as those whoare here, therefore do not attempt it. You really make me veryunhappy,- I take these things to heart so very much."
  John kissed the good old king's hand, and said he was sure itwould be all right, for he was quite enchanted with the beautifulprincess. Then the princess herself came riding into the palace yardwith all her ladies, and he wished her "Good morning." She lookedwonderfully fair and lovely when she offered her hand to John, andhe loved her more than ever. How could she be a wicked witch, as allthe people asserted? He accompanied her into the hall, and thelittle pages offered them gingerbread nuts and sweetmeats, but the oldking was so unhappy he could eat nothing, and besides, gingerbreadnuts were too hard for him. It was decided that John should come tothe palace the next day, when the judges and the whole of thecounsellors would be present, to try if he could guess the firstriddle. If he succeeded, he would have to come a second time; but ifnot, he would lose his life,- and no one had ever been able to guesseven one. However, John was not at all anxious about the result of histrial; on the contrary, he was very merry. He thought only of thebeautiful princess, and believed that in some way he should have help,but how he knew not, and did not like to think about it; so hedanced along the high-road as he went back to the inn, where he hadleft his fellow-traveller waiting for him. John could not refrain fromtelling him how gracious the princess had been, and how beautifulshe looked. He longed for the next day so much, that he might go tothe palace and try his luck at guessing the riddles. But his comradeshook his head, and looked very mournful. "I do so wish you to dowell," said he; "we might have continued together much longer, and nowI am likely to lose you; you poor dear John! I could shed tears, but Iwill not make you unhappy on the last night we may be together. Wewill be merry, really merry this evening; to-morrow, after you aregone, shall be able to weep undisturbed."
  It was very quickly known among the inhabitants of the town thatanother suitor had arrived for the princess, and there was greatsorrow in consequence. The theatre remained closed, the women who soldsweetmeats tied crape round the sugar-sticks, and the king and thepriests were on their knees in the church. There was a greatlamentation, for no one expected John to succeed better than those whohad been suitors before.
  In the evening John's comrade prepared a large bowl of punch,and said, "Now let us be merry, and drink to the health of theprincess." But after drinking two glasses, John became so sleepy, thathe could not keep his eyes open, and fell fast asleep. Then hisfellow-traveller lifted him gently out of his chair, and laid him onthe bed; and as soon as it was quite dark, he took the two large wingswhich he had cut from the dead swan, and tied them firmly to his ownshoulders. Then he put into his pocket the largest of the three rodswhich he had obtained from the old woman who had fallen and broken herleg. After this he opened the window, and flew away over the town,straight towards the palace, and seated himself in a corner, under thewindow which looked into the bedroom of the princess.
  The town was perfectly still when the clocks struck a quarter totwelve. Presently the window opened, and the princess, who had largeblack wings to her shoulders, and a long white mantle, flew awayover the city towards a high mountain. The fellow-traveller, who hadmade himself invisible, so that she could not possibly see him, flewafter her through the air, and whipped the princess with his rod, sothat the blood came whenever he struck her. Ah, it was a strangeflight through the air!