Still, the animal was quiet enough, so Peder got safely to market on its back. There he met a man who offered nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars for it, but Peder would take nothing less than a thousand. At last there came an old, grey-bearded man who looked at the horse and agreed to buy it; but the moment he touched it the horse began to kick and plunge. ‘I must take the bridle off,’ said Peder. ‘It is not to be sold with the animal as is usually the case.’ ‘I’ll give you a hundred dollars for the bridle,’ said the old man, taking out his purse. ‘No, I can’t sell it,’ replied Hans’s father. ‘Five hundred dollars!’ ‘No.’ ‘A thousand!’ At this splendid offer Peder’s prudence gave way; it was a shame to let so much money go. So he agreed to accept it. But he could hardly hold the horse, it became so unmanageable. So he gave the animal in charge to the old man, and went home with his two thousand dollars. Kirsten, of course, was delighted at this new piece of good fortune, and insisted that the new house should be built and land bought. This time Peder consented, and soon they had quite a fine farm. Meanwhile the old man rode off on his new purchase, and when he came to a smithy he asked the smith to forge shoes for the horse. The smith proposed that they should first have a drink together, and the horse was tied up by the spring whilst they went indoors. The day was hot, and both men were thirsty, and, besides, they had much to say; and so the hours slipped by and found them still talking. Then the servant girl came out to fetch a pail of water, and, being a kind- hearted lass, she gave some to the horse to drink. What was her surprise when the animal said to her: ‘Take off my bridle and you will save my life.’ ‘I dare not,’ said she; ‘your master will be so angry.’ ‘He cannot hurt you,’ answered the horse, ‘and you will save my life.’ At that she took off the bridle; but nearly fainted with astonishment when the horse turned into a dove and flew away just as the old man came out of the house. Directly he saw what had happened he changed himself into a hawk and flew after the dove. Over the woods and fields they went, and at length they reached a king’s palace surrounded by beautiful gardens. The princess was walking with her attendants in the rose garden when the dove turned itself into a gold ring and fell at her feet. ‘Why, here is a ring!’ she cried, ‘where could it have come from?’ And picking it up she put it on her finger. As she did so the hill-man lost his power over Hans--for of course you understand that it was he who had been the dog, the cow, the horse and the dove. ‘Well, that is really strange,’ said the princess. ‘It fits me as though it had been made for me!’ Just at that moment up came the king. ‘Look at what I have found!’ cried his daughter. ‘Well, that is not worth much, my dear,’ said he. ‘Besides, you have rings enough, I should think.’ ‘Never mind, I like it,’ replied the princess.