At last the old woman consented, and a few days later the maiden cut off a lock of her golden hair and sent the old woman with it to market, bidding her not to sell it for less than a hundred ducats. The old woman went straight to the very city where the Prince lived, for he had returned from camp and had ordered the whole city to go into mourning because of his lost love. Fortunately the old woman met the Prince and asked him if he would like to buy a lock of golden hair. The moment the Prince saw the lock he was beside himself with surprise, for he perceived at once that it was his beloved's hair. So he seized hold of the old woman and asked her how she came by it The old woman, terrified, confessed the whole. Upon this he quickly mounted his horse, placed the old woman upon another, and they rode to the village where the old woman lived. When they arrived they found the maiden bathed in tears, bewailing her lost lover. He rushed to her, they kissed and embraced, and then went home, taking the old woman with them. When the Emperor's son had heard the details of the whole story he commanded the two maidens to be put to death. Then he married his own love. The old woman he honored as his own mother, and when she died he gave her an imperial funeral. "That is a beautiful story, grandmother," said the little boy, "although there is not a Dragon nor a Fox nor a Mouse in it. There is a plant, though. I wish one of the plants in our field would turn into a golden-haired maiden--a very little one, big enough to play with me." "Wait till the little baby in your brother's house grows bigger," said the grandmother. "It will not be long." CHAPTER XXIV AFTER THE WEDDING The third evening of the wedding-feast had come, and with music and singing the whole village escorted the young couple to their house. They were to have a house of their own, and not live with the bridegroom's father, for so had the starosta insisted. Now they were there at last, and though some of the young men remained in the streets singing noisily, the bride's family went quietly home. "It seems lonely without our princess," said the starosta as they gathered around the stove. "Grandmother, I know the little boy is hoping for a story. Let us all hear it. Tell one of your very best ones, that we may forget for a time that our family circle is smaller." The grandmother, with great willingness, told the story of STEELPACHA Once upon a time there was an Emperor who had three sons and three daughters. As he was very old, his last hour drew nigh. He therefore called his children to his bedside and laid earnest command upon his sons to give their sisters, without hesitation, to the first suitors who asked for them in marriage. "Marry them off," he said to the sons, "or my curse will be upon you!" These were his last words.