Andwhenhehadsosunghehowledaswolveshowl。Thentheheartoftheeldersunk，andhehastenedtowardshim，crying，’Brother，littlebrother，cometome；’buthe，beinghalfawolf，onlycontinuedhissong。Andtheloudertheeldercalledhim，’Brother，littlebrother，cometome，’theswifterhefledafterhisbrothersthewolves，andtheheaviergrewhisskin，till，withalonghowl，hevanishedintothedepthsoftheforest。
　　So，withshameandanguishinhissoul，theelderbrotherwentbacktohisvillage，and，withhissister，mournedthelittleboyandthebrokenpromisetilltheendofhislife。
　　FromtheHungarian。Kletke。
　　TherewasonceuponatimeaKingandQueenwhohadeverythingtheycouldpossiblywishforinthisworldexceptachild。Atlast，aftertwelveyears，theQueengavebirthtoason；butshedidnotlivelongtoenjoyherhappiness，foronthefollowingdayshedied。Butbeforeherdeathshecalledherhusbandtoherandsaid，’Neverletthechildputhisfeetontheground，forassoonashedoessohewillfallintothepowerofawickedFairy，whowilldohimmuchharm。’AndthesewerethelastwordsthepoorQueenspoke。
　　Theboythroveandgrewbig，andwhenhewastooheavyforhisnursetocarry，achairwasmadeforhimonlittlewheels，inwhichhecouldwanderthroughthepalacegardenswithouthelp；atothertimeshewascarriedaboutonalitter，andhewasalwayscarefullywatchedandguardedforfearheshouldatanytimeputhisfeettotheground。
　　Butasthissortoflifewasbadforhishealth，thedoctorsorderedhimhorseexercise，andhesoonbecameafirst-raterider，andusedtogooutforlongexcursionsonhorseback，accompaniedalwaysbyhisfather’sstud-groomandanumerousretinue。
　　Everydayherodethroughtheneighbouringfieldsandwoods，andalwaysreturnedhomeintheeveningsafeandwell。Inthiswaymanyyearspassed，andthePrincegrewtomanhood，andhardlyanyonerememberedtheQueen’swarning，thoughprecautionswerestilltaken，morefromuseandwontthanforanyotherreason。
　　OnedaythePrinceandhissuitewentoutforarideinawoodwherehisfathersometimesheldahunt。Theirwayledthroughastreamwhosebankswereovergrownwiththickbrushwood。Justasthehorsemenwereabouttofordtheriver，ahare，startledbythesoundofthehorses’hoofs，startedupfromthegrassandrantowardsthethicket。TheyoungPrincepursuedthelittlecreature，andhadalmostovertakenit，whenthegirthofhissaddlesuddenlybrokeintwoandhefellheavilytotheground。
　　Nosoonerhadhisfoottouchedtheearththanhedisappearedbeforetheeyesofthehorrifiedcourtiers。
　　Theysoughtforhimfarandnear，butallinvain，andtheywereforcedtorecognisethepoweroftheevilFairy，againstwhichtheQueenhadwarnedthemonherdeath-bed。TheoldKingwasmuchgrievedwhentheybroughthimthenewsofhisson’sdisappearance，butashecoulddonothingtofreehimfromhisfate，hegavehimselfuptoanoldageofgriefandloneliness，cherishingatthesametimethehopethatsomeluckychancemightonedaydelivertheyouthoutofthehandsofhisenemy。
　　HardlyhadthePrincetouchedthegroundthanhefelthimselfviolentlyseizedbyanunseenpower，andhurriedawayheknewnotwhither。Awholenewworldstretchedoutbeforehim，quiteunliketheonehehadleft。AsplendidcastlesurroundedbyahugelakewastheabodeoftheFairy，andtheonlyapproachtoitwasoverabridgeofclouds。Ontheothersideofthelakehighmountainsroseup，anddarkwoodsstretchedalongthebanks；overallhungathickmist，anddeepsilencereignedeverywhere。
　　NosoonerhadtheFairyreachedherowndomainthanshemadeherselfvisible，andturningtothePrinceshetoldhimthatunlessheobeyedallhercommandsdowntotheminutestdetailhewouldbeseverelypunished。Thenshegavehimanaxemadeofglass，andbadehimcrossthebridgeofcloudsandgointothewoodbeyondandcutdownallthetreestherebeforesunset。Atthesametimeshecautionedhimwithmanyangrywordsagainstspeakingtoablackgirlhewouldmostlikelymeetinthewood。
　　ThePrincelistenedtoherwordsmeekly，andwhenshehadfinishedtookuptheglassaxeandsetoutfortheforest。Ateverystepheseemedtosinkintotheclouds，butfeargavewingstohisfeet，andhecrossedthelakeinsafetyandsettoworkatonce。
　　Butnosoonerhadhestruckthefirstblowwithhisaxethanitbrokeintoathousandpiecesagainstthetree。Thepooryouthwassoterrifiedhedidnotknowwhattodo，forhewasinmortaldreadofthepunishmentthewickedoldFairywouldinflictonhim。Hewanderedtoandfrointhewood，notknowingwherehewasgoing，andatlast，wornoutbyfatigueandmisery，hesankonthegroundandfellfastasleep。
　　Hedidnotknowhowlonghehadsleptwhenasuddensoundawokehim，andopeninghiseyeshesawablackgirlstandingbesidehim。MindfuloftheFairy’swarninghedidnotdaretoaddressher，butsheonherpartgreetedhiminthemostfriendlymanner，andaskedhimatonceifhewereunderthepowerofthewickedFairy。ThePrincenoddedhisheadsilentlyinanswer。
　　ThentheblackgirltoldhimthatshetoowasinthepoweroftheFairy，whohaddoomedhertowanderaboutinherpresentguiseuntilsomeyouthshouldtakepityonherandbearherinsafetytotheothersideoftheriverwhichtheysawinthedistance，andontheothersideofwhichtheFairy’sdomainandpowerended。
　　Thegirl’swordssoinspiredthePrincewithconfidencethathetoldherallhistaleofwoe，andendedupbyaskingheradviceastohowhewastoescapethepunishmenttheFairywouldbesuretoinflictonhimwhenshediscoveredthathehadnotcutdownthetreesinthewoodandthathehadbrokenheraxe。
　　’Youmustknow，’answeredtheblackgirl，’thattheFairyinwhosepowerwebothareismyownmother，butyoumustnotbetraythissecret，foritwouldcostmemylife。IfyouwillonlypromisetotryandfreemeIwillstandbyyou，andwillaccomplishforyouallthetaskswhichmymothersetsyou。’
　　ThePrincepromisedjoyfullyallsheasked；thenhavingoncemorewarnedhimnottobetrayherconfidence，shehandedhimadraughttodrinkwhichverysoonsunkhissensesinadeepslumber。
　　Hisastonishmentwasgreatwhenheawoketofindtheglassaxewholeandunbrokenathisside，andallthetreesofthewoodlyingfelledaroundhim！
　　Hemadeallhasteacrossthebridgeofclouds，andtoldtheFairythathercommandswereobeyed。Shewasmuchamazedwhensheheardthatallthewoodwascutdown，andsawtheaxeunbrokeninhishand，andsinceshecouldnotbelievethathehaddoneallthisbyhimself，shequestionedhimnarrowlyifhehadseenorspokentotheblackgirl。ButthePrinceliedmanfully，andsworehehadneverlookedupfromhisworkforamoment。Seeingshecouldgetnothingmoreoutofhim，shegavehimalittlebreadandwater，andshowinghimtoasmalldarkcupboardshetoldhimhemightsleepthere。
　　MorninghadhardlydawnedwhentheFairyawokethePrince，andgivinghimtheglassaxeagainshetoldhimtocutupallthewoodhehadfelledthedaybefore，andtoputitinbundlesreadyforfirewood；atthesametimeshewarnedhimoncemoreagainstapproachingorspeakingawordtotheblackgirlifhemetherinthewood。
　　Althoughhistaskwasnoeasierthanthatofthedaybefore，theyouthsetoutmuchmorecheerfully，becauseheknewhecouldcountanthehelpoftheblackgirl。Withquickerandlighterstephecrossedthebridgeofclouds，andhardlyhadhereachedtheothersidethanhisfriendstoodbeforehimandgreetedhimcheerfully。WhensheheardwhattheFairydemandedthistime，sheansweredsmilingly，’Neverfear，’andhandedhimanotherdraught，whichverysooncausedthePrincetosinkintoadeepsleep。
　　Whenheawokeeverything，wasdone。Allthetreesofthewoodwerecutupintofirewoodandarrangedinbundlesreadyforuse。
　　Hereturnedtothecastleasquicklyashecould，andtoldtheFairythathercommandswereobeyed。Shewasevenmoreamazedthanshehadbeenbefore，andaskedhimagainifhehadeitherseenorspokentotheblackgirl；butthePrinceknewbetterthantobetrayhisword，andoncemoreliedfreely。
　　OnthefollowingdaytheFairysethimathirdtasktodo，evenharderthantheothertwo。Shetoldhimhemustbuildacastleontheothersideofthelake，madeofnothingbutgold，silver，andpreciousstones，andunlesshecouldaccomplishthiswithinanhour，themostfrightfuldoomawaitedhim。
　　ThePrinceheardherwordswithoutanxiety，soentirelydidherelyonthehelpofhisblackfriend。Fullofhopehehurriedacrossthebridge，andrecognisedatoncethespotwherethecastlewastostand，forspades，hammers，axes，andeveryotherbuildingimplementlayscatteredonthegroundreadyfortheworkman’shand，butofgold，silver，andpreciousstonestherewasnotasign。ButbeforethePrincehadtimetofeeldespondenttheblackgirlbeckonedtohiminthedistancefrombehindarock，whereshehadhiddenherselfforfearhermothershouldcatchsightofher。Fullofjoytheyouthhurriedtowardsher，andbeggedheraidandcounselinthenewpieceofworkhehadbeengiventodo。
　　ButthistimetheFairyhadwatchedthePrince’smovementsfromherwindow，andshesawhimhidinghimselfbehindtherockwithherdaughter。Sheutteredapiercingshrieksothatthemountainsre-echoedwiththesoundofit，andtheterrifiedpairhadhardlydaredtolookoutfromtheirhiding-placewhentheenragedwoman，withherdressandhairflyinginthewind，hurriedoverthebridgeofclouds。ThePrinceatoncegavehimselfupforlost，butthegirltoldhimtobeofgoodcourageandtofollowherasquicklyashecould。Butbeforetheylefttheirsheltershebrokeoffalittlebitoftherock，spokesomemagicwordsoverit，andthrewitinthedirectionhermotherwascomingfrom。InamomentaglitteringpalacearosebeforetheeyesoftheFairywhichblindedherwithitsdazzlingsplendour，andwithitsmanydoorsandpassagespreventedherforsometimefromfindingherwayoutofit。
　　InthemeantimetheblackgirlhurriedonwiththePrince，hasteningtoreachtheriver，whereonceontheothersidetheywouldforeverbeoutofthewickedFairy’spower。Butbeforetheyhadaccomplishedhalfthewaytheyheardagaintherustleofhergarmentsandhermutteredcursespursuingthemclosely。
　　ThePrincewasterrified；hedarednotlookback，andhefelthisstrengthgivingway。Butbeforehehadtimetodespairthegirlutteredsomemoremagicwords，andimmediatelysheherselfwaschangedintoapond，andthePrinceintoaduckswimmingonitssurface。
　　WhentheFairysawthisherrageknewnobounds，andsheusedallhermagicwitstomaketheponddisappear；shecausedahillofsandtoariseatherfeet，meaningittodryupthewateratonce。Butthesandhillonlydrovethepondalittlefartheraway，anditswatersseemedtoincreaseinsteadofdiminishing。