“Uff!” said the one-eyed witch, “here is a smell of Christian blood, for sure and certain.” But all the same, she saw no more of the drummer than if he had never been born. “See, mother,” said the princess, “that rogue of a drummer answered my question without winking over it.” “So,” said the old witch, “we have missed for once, but the second time hits the mark; he will be asking you a question to-morrow, and here is a book that tells everything that has happened in the world, and if he asks you more than that he is a smart one and no mistake.” After that they sat down to supper again, but it was little the princess ate, for the drummer helped himself out of her plate just as he had done before. After a while the princess flew away home, and the drummer with her. “And, now, what will we ask her that she cannot answer?” said the drummer; so off he went back of the house, and blew a turn or two on his whistle, and there stood King Stork. “And what will we ask the princess,” said he, “when she has a book that tells her everything?” King Stork was not long in telling him that; “Just ask her so and so and so and so,” said he, “and she would not dare to answer the question.” Well, the next morning there was the drummer at the castle all in good time; and, had he come to ask her a question? that was what the princess wanted to know. Oh, yes, he had come for that very thing. Very well, then, just let him begin, for the princess was ready and waiting, and she wet her thumb, and began to turn over the leaves of her Book of Knowledge. Oh, it was an easy question the drummer was going to ask, and it needed no big book like that to answer it. The other night he dreamed that he was in a castle all built of shining steel, where there lived a witch with one eye. There was a handsome bit of a lass there who was as great a witch as the old woman herself, but for the life of him he could not tell who she was; now perhaps the princess could make a guess at it. There the drummer had her as tight as a fly in a bottle, for she did not dare to let folks know that she was a wicked witch like the one-eyed one; so all she could do was to sit there and gnaw her lip. As for the Book of Knowledge, it was no more use to her than a fifth wheel under a cart. But if the king was glad when the drummer answered the princess’s question, he was twice as glad when he found she could not answer his. All the same, there is more to do yet, and many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip. “The bird I want is the one-eyed raven,” said the princess; “Now bring her to me if you want to keep your head off of the wall yonder.” Yes; the drummer thought he might do that as well as another thing. So off he went back of the house to talk to King Stork of the matter.