DANISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALES
in her lap, and she recognized it at once as her own; but the young man immediately rode away again.
The next day all the guests were required to produce their golden apples. Many came and showed their treasures, but the right one was not found. At last the groom came riding along, dressed in yellow, and flung his apple into the lap of the princess, who knew it again as her own. He rode away at once, however, before any one had seen him.
On the third day the king ordered that if the stranger should appear, the gates must be closed as soon as he entered the palace, in order that it might be known who he was. The young man appeared in due time, mounted on his horse and dressed in white, and the gates were promptly closed as soon as he had entered the court-yard. It did not seem to affect him in the least; he rode forward, apparently unconcerned. Of course every one recognized him as the one who had ascended the glass mountain, and they perceived that a corner of his coat was missing. Now all became very busy in tearing off bits of their coats, but to no effect at all; for when they were all brought into the presence of the princess, the piece of cloth in her possession fitted exactly, and only, to the groom's coat, and she was at once sure that he, and no one else, had saved her, and wished to be married to him. At first the king was not quite satisfied, hearing that the young man was only his groom; but as the princess insisted, and as the boy was also will-
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