came every day and begged her to marry him--which she would
rather die than do.

To all this the soldier listened, and when she had ended her
story he bade her to dry her tears, for, after all, the jug was
only cracked, and not past mending. Then he told her that when
the sorcerer came again that day she should say so and so and so
and so, and that he would be by to help her with his feather cap
upon his head.

After that they sat talking together as happy as two
turtle-doves, until the magician's foot was heard on the stairs.
And then the soldier clapped his feather cap upon his head just
as the door opened.

"Snuff, snuff!" said the magician, sniffing the air, "here is a
smell of Christian blood."

"Yes," said the princess, "that is so; there came a peddlar
to-day, but after all he did not stay long."

"He'd better not come again," said the magician, "or it will be
the worse for him. But tell me, will you marry me?"

"No," said the princess, "I shall not marry you until you can
prove yourself to be a greater man than my husband."

"Pooh!" said the magician, "that will be easy enough to prove;
tell me how you would have me do so and I will do it."