Pagina 307 van 626

You shall become a black poodle and have a gold collar round your

neck, and shall eat burning coals, till the flames burst forth

from your throat.' And when he had spoken these words, the old

man was changed into a poodle dog, and had a gold collar round

his neck, and the cooks were ordered to bring up some live coals,

and these he ate, until the flames broke forth from his throat.

The king's son remained there a short while longer, and he

thought of his mother, and wondered if she were still alive. At

length he said to the maiden: 'I will go home to my own country;

if you will go with me, I will provide for you.' 'Ah,' she

replied, 'the way is so long, and what shall I do in a strange

land where I am unknown?' As she did not seem quite willing, and

as they could not be parted from each other, he wished that she

might be changed into a beautiful pink, and took her with him.

Then he went away to his own country, and the poodle had to run

after him.