At last they reached the frontier; there another messenger was
waiting for them, who said that the king had sent two splendid
robes for the prince and his bride, and begged that they would wear
them for their state entry. But the servant implored the prince to
have nothing to do with them, and never gave him any peace till he
had obtained leave to destroy the robes.

The old king was furious when he found that all his arts had failed;
that his son still lived and that he would have to give up the crown
to him now he was married, for that was the law of the land. He
longed to know how the prince had escaped, and said: 'My dear
son, I do indeed rejoice to have you safely back, but I cannot
imagine why the beautiful carriage and the splendid robes I sent did
not please you; why you had them destroyed.'

'Indeed, sire,' said the prince, 'I was myself much annoyed at their
destruction; but my servant had begged to direct everything on the
journey and I had promised him that he should do so. He declared
that we could not possibly get home safely unless I did as he told
me.'

The old king fell into a tremendous rage. He called his Council
together and condemned the servant to death.

The gallows was put up in the square in front of the palace. The
servant was led out and his sentence read to him.

The rope was being placed round his neck, when he begged to be
allowed a few last words. 'On our journey home,' he said, 'we spent
the first night at an inn. I did not sleep but kept watch all night.'