The Tinder Box (12)

The Tinder Box (12)

Early next morning the King, Queen, Ladies-in-waiting, and officers came out to see where the Princess had been.
" There it is ! " exclaimed the King, when he saw the first door with a cross on it.

" No, there it is, my dear ! " exclaimed the Queen, when she also saw a door with a cross on it.

" But here is one, and there is another ! " they all exclaimed; wherever they looked there was a cross on the door.

Then they realised that sign would not help them at all.

However, the Queen was an extremely clever woman, who could do a great deal more than just drive in a coach. 
She took her golden scissors, cut up a piece of silk, and made a petty little bag of it.

This she filled with the finest buckwheat grains, and tied it round the Princess's neck; she cut a little hole in the bag, so that the grains would strew the whole road wherever the Princess went. 

In the night the dog came again, took the princess on his back and ran away with her to Soldier, who was very much in love with her, and would have liked to have been a prince so that he might have had her for his wife.  

The dog did not notice how the grains were strewn right from the castle to the Soldier's window, where he ran up the wall with the Princess.

(12/15)