pieces to fly from it in all directions, and after a very short time nothing remained but a heap of fine dust. And in this dust something flashed and quivered like fire. Sharp-Eyes went to fetch it and brought it to the king’s son. It was pure gold.
“Ho! ho! Thou art a lad beyond money’s worth,” said the king’s son. “A fool were he who would not desire to use thy services. But since thou hast such a good sight, please look again and tell me if I have still far to go to the castle of iron, and what is going on there.” “If you had been riding alone there, master,” answered Sharp-Eyes, “perhaps you would not have reached it even by next year; but with us you will get there this very day; for us and no one else they are now preparing supper.” “And what is my destined bride doing there?” “In an iron-grated bower, all upon a lofty tower, Black-Prince holds her in his power.” And the king’s son said: “Thou who art good, help me to set her free.”
And they all promised to help him. And so they led him between those grey rocks by that cleft which Sharp-Eyes had made in them with his two eyes, on and on among those rocks and lofty mountains and deep forests; and where there was any kind of obstacle in the way, those three jolly mates had cleared it off in no time; and as the sun inclined towards the west, the mountains began to lower, the woods to thin out, and the rocks to cower among the heather; and when it was already above the west, the king’s son saw not far before him a castle of iron; and when it was just setting, he rode over the iron bridge into the gateway of the castle, and the instant it had set, the iron bridge rose of itself, the gates closed with a bang, and the king’s son and his companions were imprisoned in the castle of iron.
When they had looked about here in the courtyard, the king’s son put his horse into the stable—and everything was already prepared there for it; then after this they went into the castle. In the courtyard, in the stable, in the castle hall, and also in the rooms, they saw in the twilight many people richly dressed, some of them masters and some servants, but none of them moved the least; they were all turned to stone. They passed through several rooms and came to the dining hall. It was brightly lighted, in the middle a table on which were plenty of good eatables and good drinkables; it was laid for four persons. They waited and waited, and thought that someone would come; but when after a long time no one came, they sat down and ate and drank to their hearts’ content.
