It was a sensible speech. It made the knights ashamed of the way
they had been carrying on war in the country, and they left the
castle wiser and better men.

All this happened long, long ago, before Germany could be called one
country, for the different parts of the land were ruled over by
different people and in different ways.

This same Count Frederick, their father told them, had great love for
the poor. When he was still quite young, he made a vow. He said, "I
will never marry a woman of noble family."

Not long after this, he fell in love with a princess. But he could
not ask her to marry him on account of the vow he had made.

He was so unhappy that he went into the army. He did not wish to
live, and hoped he would soon meet death.

But the fair princess loved Frederick as deeply as he loved her, and
as soon as she learned of the vow he had made, she made up her mind
what to do.

She put on the dress of a poor singing-girl, and left her grand home.
She followed Frederick from place to place. They met face to face
one beautiful evening. Then it was that the princess told her lover
she had given up her rank and title for his sake.

How joyful she made him as he listened to her story! You may be sure
they were soon married, and the young couple went to live in
Heidelberg Castle, where they were as happy and as merry as the day