"Where shall I find this horse?" inquired Argilius.
The brothers-in-law replied:—
"The witch Iron-nose keeps the horse concealed under-ground; go to her, enter into her service, and demand the horse in lieu of other wages."
"Carry me thither, dear brothers-in-law," said Argilius.
"Immediately," said the Sun-king; "but first accept this gift from thy brothers-in-law, who love thee dearly."
With these words he gave him a little staff, which was half gold and half silver, and which never ceased vibrating. It was made of sunshine, moonshine, and wind.
"Whenever thou standest in need of us, stick this staff in the ground, and immediately we shall be by thy side."
Then the Sun-king took his little brother-in-law on one of his beams, and carried him for one day; then the Moon-king did the same for a whole night, and finally the Wind-king carried him for a whole day and a whole night too, and by that time he reached the palace of the witch Iron-nose.
The palace of the witch was constructed entirely of deaths'-heads; one only was wanting to complete the building. When the old woman heard a knocking at her gate, she looked out of the window, and rejoiced: "At last another!" exclaimed she, "I have waited three hundred years in vain for this death's-head to complete my magnificent edifice: come in, my good youth!"
Argilius entered, and was a little startled when he first beheld the old woman, for she was very tall, very ugly, and her nose was of iron.