the boat she never could tell; but when she did, she fainted away.
Coming to herself, she seized the oars, kept herself steady as best
she could, and rowed and rowed, though she had never rowed before.
Round rocks, and over shallows, and through mud she rowed, till she
got to the landing- stairs of the palace. By this time her people
were on the shore, for they had heard her shriek. She made them
carry the prince to her own room, and lay him in her bed, and light
a fire, and send for the doctors.

"But the lake, your Highness!" said the chamberlain, who, roused by
the noise, came in, in his nightcap.

"Go and drown yourself in it!" she said.

This was the last rudeness of which the princess was ever guilty;
and one must allow that she had good cause to feel provoked with
the lord chamberlain.

Had it been the king himself, he would have fared no better. But
both he and the queen were fast asleep. And the chamberlain went
back to his bed. Somehow, the doctors never came. So the princess
and her old nurse were left with the prince. But the old nurse was
a wise woman, and knew what to do.

They tried everything for a long time without success. The princess
was nearly distracted between hope and fear, but she tried on and
on, one thing after another, and everything over and over again.

At last, when they had all but given it up, just as the sun rose,
the prince opened his eyes.