this one. The prince would listen to nothing, and, accompanied
by only one servant, set out on his quest.

After travelling for many days, he arrived at length before a
large gate, and through the bars he could see the streets of a
town, and even the palace. The prince tried to pass in, but the
way was barred by the keeper of the gate, who wanted to know who
he was, why he was there, and how he had learnt the way, and he
was not allowed to enter unless the empress herself came and gave
him leave. A message was sent to her, and when she stood at the
gate the prince thought he had lost his wits, for there was the
maiden he had left his home to seek. And she hastened to him,
and took his hand, and drew him into the palace. In a few days
they were married, and the prince forgot his father and his
brothers, and made up his mind that he would live and die in the
castle.

One morning the empress told him that she was going to take a
walk by herself, and that she would leave the keys of twelve
cellars to his care. 'If you wish to enter the first eleven
cellars,' said she, 'you can; but beware of even unlocking the
door of the twelfth, or it will be the worse for you.'

The prince, who was left alone in the castle, soon got tired of
being by himself, and began to look about for something to amuse
him.

'What CAN there be in that twelfth cellar,' he thought to
himself, 'which I must not see?' And he went downstairs and
unlocked the doors, one after the other. When he got to the