So the princess did as the witch advised her . The king , when he heard her strange request , was greatly astonished , and asked her what she meant to do with a wheel-barrow and a bear 's skin . And the princess answered , ` You never let me leave the house -- at least you might grant me this request . ' So the king granted it , and the princess went back to her nurse , taking the barrow and the bear 's skin with her . As soon as the witch saw them , she touched them with her magic wand , and in a moment the barrow began to move about in all directions . The princess next put on the bear 's skin , which so completely changed her appearance , that no one could have known that she was a girl and not a bear . In this strange attire she seated herself on the barrow , and in a few minutes she found herself far away from the palace , and moving rapidly through a great forest . Here she stopped the barrow with a sign that the witch had shown her , and hid herself and it in a thick grove of flowering shrubs . Now it happened that the prince of that country was hunting with his dogs in the forest . Suddenly he caught sight of the bear hiding among the shrubs , and calling his dogs , hounded them on to attack it . But the girl , seeing what peril she was in , cried , ` Call off your dogs , or they will kill me . What harm have I ever done to you ? ' At these words , coming from a bear , the prince was so startled that for a moment he stood stock-still , then he said quite gently , ` Will you come with me ? I will take you to my home . ' ' I will come gladly , ' replied the bear ; and seating herself on the barrow it at once began to move in the direction of the prince 's palace . You may imagine the surprise of the prince 's mother when she saw her son return accompanied by a bear , who at once set about doing the house-work better than any servant that the queen had ever seen . Now it happened that there were great festivities going on in the palace of a neighbouring prince , and at dinner , one day , the prince said to his mother : ` This evening there is to be a great ball , to which I must go . ' And his mother answered , ` Go and dance , and enjoy yourself . ' Suddenly a voice came from under the table , where the bear had rolled itself , as was its wont : ` Let me come to the ball ; I , too , would like to dance . ' But the only answer the prince made was to give the bear a kick , and to drive it out of the room .
-LSB- Illustration : The Prince Kicks The Bear Out Of The Room -RSB- In the evening the prince set off for the XXXXX .
ball bear dinner girl hunting mother nurse room wand words