When the cut had healed, he went again to his cousin and asked for her hand with some confidence, but she said:
“First you must cut your left cheek also, and then I shall know that you really love me.”
The young man did not like to do it, but he would not give up, and he slashed his left cheek also.
He waited for the second cut to heal and then went to her with his scarred face and begged her to marry him at once.
“Yes,” said she, “I will marry you, for you have done well,” and she kissed him, so that he became more in love than ever. Finally she told him sweetly that she was not yet entirely satisfied, and that before the wedding he must cut off all his hair.
Now short hair is considered a disgrace to a man, and the prince was most unwilling to cut his off, but at last he yielded and went to her to ask that the wedding day might be set. But she refused to see him, merely sending a servant with the message that he must be quite mad to suppose that she would marry such a hideous object as he had made of himself.
The poor young man was very unhappy, and he left his home and wandered away until he came to a small hut that stood all by itself under a hill.
An old woman opened the door and kindly asked him to come in—“that is,” said she, “if you are the chief’s son who was rejected by his cousin.”
“I am he,” declared the youth.
“What can I do for you?” asked the old woman.