And as she stood silently gazing at him , he added : ` Yes , I am Bensurdatu ; and this is my story . ' The king and queen had their hearts stirred within them at the tale of his adventures , and when he had ended the king stretched out his hand , and said : ` Dear Bensurdatu , my youngest daughter shall indeed be your wife ; and when I die my crown shall be yours . As for the men who have betrayed you , they shall leave the country and you shall see them no more . ' And the wedding feast was ordered , and rejoicings were held for three days over the marriage of Bensurdatu and the youngest princess . -LSB- From the Sicilianische Märchen . -RSB- THE MAGICIAN 'S HORSE Once upon a time , there was a king who had three sons . Now it happened that one day the three princes went out hunting in a large forest at some distance from their father 's palace , and the youngest prince lost his way , so his brothers had to return home without him . For four days the prince wandered through the glades of the forest , sleeping on moss beneath the stars at night , and by day living on roots and wild berries . At last , on the morning of the fifth day , he came to a large open space in the middle of the forest , and here stood a stately palace ; but neither within nor without was there a trace of human life . The prince entered the open door and wandered through the deserted rooms without seeing a living soul . At last he came on a great hall , and in the centre of the hall was a table spread with dainty dishes and choice wines . The prince sat down , and satisfied his hunger and thirst , and immediately afterwards the table disappeared from his sight . This struck the prince as very strange ; but though he continued his search through all the rooms , upstairs and down , he could find no one to speak to . At last , just as it was beginning to get dark , he heard steps in the distance and he saw an old man coming towards him up the stairs . ` What are you doing wandering about my castle ? ' asked the old man . To whom the prince replied : ' I lost my way hunting in the forest . If you will take me into your service , I should like to stay with you , and will serve you faithfully . ' ` Very well , ' said the old man . ` You may enter my service .
You will have to keep the stove always lit , you will have to fetch the wood for it from the XXXXX , and you will have the charge of the black horse in the stables .
adventures father forest hand home man one princes search time