Before she returned in her circle, the clouds had begun to gather about the moon. The wind rose, the trees moaned, and their lighter branches leaned all one way before it. The prince feared that the princess would go in, and he should see her no more that night. But she came dancing on more jubilant than ever, her golden dress and her sunny hair streaming out upon the blast, waving her arms towards the moon, and in the exuberance of her delight ordering the clouds away from off her face. The prince could hardly believe she was not a creature of the elements, after all. By the time she had completed another circle, the clouds had gathered deep, and there were growlings of distant thunder. Just as she passed the tree where he stood, a flash of lightning blinded him for a moment, and when he saw again, to his horror, the princess lay on the ground. He darted to her, thinking she had been struck; but when she heard him coming, she was on her feet in a moment. “What do you want?” she asked. “I beg your pardon. I thought--the lightning” said the prince, hesitating. “There's nothing the matter,” said the princess, waving him off rather haughtily. The poor prince turned and walked towards the wood. “Come back,” said Daylight: “I like you. You do what you are told. Are you good?” “Not so good as I should like to be,” said the prince. “Then go and grow better,” said the princess. Again the disappointed prince turned and went. “Come back,” said the princess. He obeyed, and stood before her waiting. “Can you tell me what the sun is like?” she asked. “No,” he answered. “But where's the good of asking what you know?” “But I don't know,” she rejoined. “Why, everybody knows.” “That's the very thing: I'm not everybody. I've never seen the sun.” “Then you can't know what it's like till you do see it.” “I think you must be a prince,” said the princess. “Do I look like one?” said the prince. “I can't quite say that.” “Then why do you think so?” “Because you both do what you are told and speak the truth.--Is the sun so very bright?” “As bright as the lightning.” “But it doesn't go out like that, does it?” “Oh, no. It shines like the moon, rises and sets like the moon, is much the same shape as the moon, only so bright that you can't look at it for a moment.” “But I would look at it,” said the princess. “But you couldn't,” said the prince. “But I could,” said the princess. “Why don't you, then?” “Because I can't.” “Why can't you?” “Because I can't wake. And I never shall wake until----” Here she hid her face in her hands, turned away, and walked in the slowest, stateliest manner towards the house. The prince ventured to follow her at a little distance, but she turned and made a repellent gesture, which, like a true gentleman-prince, he obeyed at once. He waited a long time, but as she did not come near him again, and as the night had now cleared, he set off at last for the old woman's cottage.