The prince had not returned as yet on the commencement of the evening festivities. The castle resounded with music and mirth. The doors of the knights' hall and the great antechamber were thrown open to admit persons of all ranks to the dance and masque. The amusements here, as at the merry carnival, consisted in whimsical mummings, and scenic representations, in which the spectators beheld, without displeasure, the most grotesque mixture of sacred, and profane, subjects. Even a number of disguised ecclesiastics took part in this diversion, and enacted what was called "a mystery," or a biblical farce; in which a German harlequin constantly cracked his jests, while the fight between David and Goliath was represented, to the great delight of the populace, who thought to discern, in King David, an allusion to the king, and in the gigantic Goliath recognized a resemblance, now to Duke Longshanks, now to the Junker; but as soon as the Drost noticed the unlucky interpretation of the farce, he ordered these masks away. When Eric stepped forth among the dancers in the antechamber, the young maidens sang the ballad, with which he was usually greeted, and which had now become a kind of a national song. With a feeling of enthusiasm for their youthful sovereign, and allusion to one of the most romantic adventures which had occurred in his childhood--they sang gaily: "O'er Ribe's bridge the dance is led, The castle it is won! In broidered shoe the knights they tread, For young Eric this feat is done!"[8] The king listened with pleasure to the lay, and talked with Aage of his beloved Drost Peter Hessel, of whom this song always reminded him; and when Count Gerhard heard the ballad of Ribehuus, he tramped gaily into the ranks of the dancers, in joyous remembrance of that event, at which he had himself been present. The king's mother and Queen Helvig now entered the antechamber, with the young and lovely bride, and the joy of the people was uttered yet more loudly. The ballad-singers instantly began the ballad of Queen Dagmar's bridal; all the maidens joined in it, and the dancers moved to the tune. The king stepped forward, with his bride, at the head of the troop of dancers. At last the maidens sang: "'Great joy there was o'er Denmark's land, When Dagmar stepped upon the strand; Both burgher and peasant then lived in peace, From tax and ploughpenny-yoke had ease, From Bohmerland[9] the lady crossed the seas!" But as they were going to sing the last verse, the ballad-singers took up the lay and sang: "'Again there's joy o'er Denmark's land,' Fair Ingeborg comes unto our strand! Like Waldemar Seier, King Eric hath found A Dagmar to bring us on Danish ground; From Sweden's land so far renowned!" This verse was repeated amid loud and joyous acclamations.