So once more the brothers set out upon their travels. As for the
youngest, he mounted his wooden horse and rode straight back to his
dear White Cat.
She was delighted to welcome him, and when the Prince told her that
the King had now ordered him to find a piece of muslin fine enough to
go through the eye of a needle, she smiled at him very sweetly, and
told him to be of good cheer.
"In my palace I have some very clever spinners," she said; "and I will
set them to work upon the muslin."
The Prince had begun to suspect by this time that the White Cat was
no ordinary pussy, but whenever he begged her to tell him her history,
she only shook her head mournfully and sighed.
Well, the second year passed away as quickly as the first, and the
night before the day on which the three Princes were expected at their
father's court, the White Cat gave the young Prince a walnut, telling
him that it contained the muslin. Then she bade him good-by, and he
mounted the wooden horse and rode away.
This time the young Prince was so late that his brothers had already
begun to display their pieces of muslin to the King when he arrived
at the castle gates. The materials they had brought were of extremely
fine texture, and passed easily through the eye of a darning-needle,
but through the small needle the King had provided they would _not_
pass.
Pages:
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445