That night Linda Branca again removed her ugly mask and dressed herself in the beautiful gown of blue embroidered in gold. She was even lovelier than the night before.
When she entered the grand ball room the king was almost wild with joy. He ran to her side at once and kept dancing with her the entire evening.
"What country do you come from?" he asked again.
"I'm from the land of the hairbrush," replied Linda Branca.
"Where is that land?" asked the king, but Linda Branca would not tell him.
"Where is the land of the hairbrush?" asked the king of the queen mother, and of all the wise men of the court.
Nobody could tell him, and nobody could find the land of the hairbrush upon any map or in any book.
"Stupid ones!" cried the king. "I don't believe you have half tried to find it!"
He looked through all the maps and books himself and at last he grew ill from so much studying. His friends all gathered about him in the royal bedchamber and sought to console him. However he refused consolation.
"I do not care whether I live or die!" he cried. "I care for nothing except the beautiful stranger who came to my feast."