‘I have done my best,’ replied Cinderlad. ‘Then thou canst tell me what my seven foals eat and drink?’ asked the King. So Cinderlad pulled out the consecrated bread and the flask of wine, and showed them to the King. ‘Here may you behold their meat, and here their drink,’ said he. ‘Yes, diligently and faithfully hast thou watched,’ said the King, ‘and thou shalt have the Princess and half the kingdom.’ So all was made ready for the wedding, and the King said that it was to be so stately and magnificent that everyone should hear of it, and everyone inquire about it. But when they sat down to the marriage-feast, the bridegroom arose and went down to the stable, for he said that he had forgotten something which he must go and look to. When he got there, he did what the foals had bidden him, and cut off the heads of all the seven. First the eldest, and then the second, and so on according to their age, and he was extremely careful to lay each head at the tail of the foal to which it had belonged, and when that was done, all the foals became princes again. When he returned to the marriage-feast with the seven princes, the King was so joyful that he both kissed Cinderlad and clapped him on the back, and his bride was still more delighted with him than she had been before. ‘Half my kingdom is thine already,’ said the King, ‘and the other half shall be thine after my death, for my sons can get countries and kingdoms for themselves now that they have become princes again.’ Therefore, as all may well believe, there was joy and merriment at that wedding.[31] [31] From J. Moe. THE MARVELLOUS MUSICIAN There was once upon a time a marvellous musician. One day he was wandering through a wood all by himself, thinking now of one thing, now of another, till there was nothing else left to think about. Then he said to himself: ‘Time hangs very heavily on my hands when I’m all alone in the wood. I must try and find a pleasant companion.’ So he took his fiddle out, and fiddled till he woke the echoes round. After a time a wolf came through the thicket and trotted up to the musician. ‘Oh! it’s a Wolf, is it?’ said he. ‘I’ve not the smallest wish for his society.’ But the Wolf approached him and said: ‘Oh, my dear musician, how beautifully you play! I wish you’d teach me how it’s done.’ ‘That’s easily learned,’ answered the fiddler; ‘you must only do exactly as I tell you.’ ‘Of course I will,’ replied the Wolf. ‘I can promise that you will find me a most apt pupil.’ So they joined company and went on their way together, and after a time they came to an old oak tree, which was hollow and had a crack in the middle of the trunk. ‘Now,’ said the Musician, ‘if you want to learn to fiddle, here’s your chance. Lay your front paws in this crack.’ The Wolf did as he was told, and the Musician quickly seized a stone, and wedged both his fore paws so firmly into the crack that he was held there, a fast prisoner.