“I have kept my most precious treasure till the last,” said the old woman; “but let me go first, for the stairs are steep, and you might easily break your leg.” So on she went, now and then calling back to the young man in the darkness. But he did not know that she had slipped aside into a recess, till suddenly he put his foot on a trap door which gave way under him, and he fell down, down, as many good knights had done before him, and his voice joined the echoes of theirs. “So you would not marry me!” chuckled the old witch. “Ha! ha! Ha! ha!” Meanwhile his brother had wandered far and wide, and at last he wandered back to the same great city where the other young knight had met with so many adventures. He noticed, with amazement, that as he walked through the streets the guards drew themselves up in line, and saluted him, and the drummers played the royal march; but he was still more bewildered when several servants in livery ran up to him and told him that the princess was sure something terrible had befallen him, and had made herself ill with weeping. At last it occurred to him that once more he had been taken for his brother. “I had better say nothing,” thought he; “perhaps I shall be able to help him after all.” So he suffered himself to be borne in triumph to the palace, where the princess threw herself into his arms. “And so you did go to the castle?” she asked. “Yes, of course I did,” answered he. “And what did you see there?” “I am forbidden to tell you anything about it, until I have returned there once more,” replied he. “Must you really go back to that dreadful place?” she asked wistfully. “You are the only man who has ever come back from it.” “I must,” was all he answered. And the princess, who was a wise woman, only said: “Well, go to bed now, for I am sure you must be very tired.” But the knight shook his head. “I have sworn never to lie in a bed as long as my work in the castle remains standing.” And the princess again sighed, and was silent. Early next day the young man started for the castle, feeling sure that some terrible thing must have happened to his brother. At the blast of his horn the long nose of the old woman appeared at the grating, but the moment she caught sight of his face, she nearly fainted from fright, as she thought it was the ghost of the youth whose bones were lying in the dungeon of the castle. “Lady of all the ages,” cried the new comer, “did you not give hospitality to a young knight but a short time ago?” “A short time ago!” wailed the voices. “And how have you ill-treated him?” he went on. “Ill-treated him!” answered the voices. The woman did not stop to hear more; she turned to fly; but the knight’s sword entered her body. “Where is my brother, cruel hag?” asked he sternly. “I will tell you,” said she; “but as I feel that I am going to die I shall keep that piece of news to myself, till you have brought me to life again.”