“I will be ready as soon as you wish; but you must first promise me something.”
“Ask anything you like, little princess,” said Trencoss.
“Well, then,” said Eileen, “before I marry you, you must make your dwarfs wind three balls as big as these from the fairy dew that lies on the bushes on a misty morning in summer.” 46
“Is that all?” said Trencoss, laughing. “I shall give the dwarfs orders at once, and by this time to-morrow the balls will be wound, and our wedding can take place in the evening.”
“And will you leave me to myself until then?”
“I will,” said Trencoss.
“On your honour as a giant?” said Eileen.
“On my honour as a giant,” replied Trencoss.
The princess returned to her rooms, and the giant summoned all his dwarfs, and he ordered them to go forth in the dawning of the morn and to gather all the fairy dew lying on the bushes, and to wind three balls––one yellow, one red, and one blue. The next morning, and the next, and the next, the dwarfs went out into the fields and searched all the hedgerows, but they could gather only as much fairy dew as would make a thread as long as a wee girl’s eyelash; and so they had to go out morning after morning, and the giant fumed and threatened, but all to no purpose. He was very angry with the princess, and he was vexed with himself that she was so much cleverer than he was, and, moreover, he saw now that the wedding could not take place as soon as he expected.
When the little white cat went away from the castle he ran as fast as he could up hill and down dale, and never stopped until he came to the Prince 47 of the Silver River. The prince was alone, and very sad and sorrowful he was, for he was thinking of the Princess Eileen, and wondering where she could be.