Hastily flying toward the castle entrance she gazed out upon the roadway that wound up from the valley below.
At some distance she made out dimly the figures of a number of horsemen.
Returning swiftly to the castle, she tweaked the giant's big toe. That, you can easily imagine, awoke him with a start.
"What's the matter?" he asked in a frightened whisper which, although only a whisper, was enough to make the castle tremble, thereby awakening Ned and the princess herself.
"The crafty stepfather of the princess is coming," answered the bluebird.
"Then it's all up with me," cried the giant, "for he'll change me again into a pine tree."
The bluebird made no reply, but hastened to find Ned. On entering his bedroom through the half open window she found him already dressing. "Take the ring," he said, slipping it over her glossy neck, after she had informed him of what she had seen. "If you can manage to touch him with it, this wicked man will find that he has no power whatever to harm us."
"I will make haste," replied the little bird, "for they must by this time have reached the drawbridge."
So saying she flew swiftly away and reached the other side of the moat just as the cavalcade set foot upon the bridge.
Awaiting her opportunity to touch the wicked stepfather of the princess with the magic ring, she alighted quietly on the tip of a spear which one of the horsemen carried.