THE LITTLE MARE
self the one you like best." She had taken such a fancy to the mare, however, that she went on begging and praying, until the king assented and bought the animal for her. "Now take good care of her, Hans," said the little princess. Hans readily promised, and kept his word so well that every day the little mare grew more and more beautiful. The princess drove with and rode on her, and liked her very much.
Some time afterwards the king's oldest daughter—for he had two daughters and no sons—had been fishing in a pond in the garden. She happened to lose a ring which had belonged to her mother, and as it was both a great treasure and a talisman, she and her father were alike unhappy over her misfortune. The king ordered a careful search for it, but all were unsuccessful. At last the king proclaimed that he who could find the ring could be married to the princess and be endowed with one-half of the kingdom. Many princes and noblemen from this and other countries came and searched, but no one found the ring, although several actually lost their lives by exercising too much zeal.
In the mean time the little princess liked her mare better and better every day; she both kissed and patted it, and had it shoed with splendid gold shoes.
One day, when Hans was watering the little mare by the pond, he noticed a beautiful goldfish in the water, and at once jumped for it, without, however,
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