The animal, as if understanding what the lad said, neighed and beat the ground with its hoofs, and seemed to say, “Yes, let us go; I am ready to go.”
The lad came back to the castle, gave to the maidens many precious presents, and sent them away free. He gave the castle and the treasures in it to the fairies, himself taking only his saddlebags full of gold coins. He mounted the horse and went down the river until he came to the city of the King of the East. He stopped before the cottage of an old woman on the outskirts of the city and knocked at the door.
“Have you a night’s lodging for me, mother?” asked the lad.
“No, master, I have no place for you,” answered the dame. “You had better go elsewhere.”
“Here is something for you,” said the lad, giving her a handful of gold. “You are the crown of my head, son!” exclaimed the old woman. “I have room both for you and your horse.”
The lad entered in to lodge. After the meal he asked the old woman in regard to the news in the city, and was told that Zoolvisia was in the King’s palace, where for thirty-five days there had been a wedding festival, and after five days she would be married to the King. But she had said to the King that she did not wish to marry him, as she was the wife of some one else, and that rather than to be forced to it she would die by drinking poison, which she had ready in her hand. She therefore received nobody.
“Well, well, mother; that is enough,” said the lad. “You keep a secret, don’t you?”
“Oh, better than you desire,” answered the old woman.
“Here is another handful of gold coins,” said the lad; “go to the market place and buy a suit of costly garments. Put them on, and go and see Zoolvisia. Take this ring, put it on your finger, and show it to her; then bring me word what she says.”
The old woman did just as he had told her. The palace servants thought she was the wife of the prime minister, and told Zoolvisia that the greatest lady in the realm had come to visit her.