The next night the princess flew away to the house of the one-eyed witch again, but there was the drummer close behind her just as he had been before.
“Uff!” said the one-eyed witch, “here is a smell of Christian blood, for sure and certain.” But all the same, she saw no more of the drummer than if he had never been born.
“See, mother,” said the princess, “that rogue of a drummer answered my question without winking over it.”
“So,” said the old witch, “we have missed for once, but the second time hits the mark; he will be asking you a question to-morrow, and here is a book that tells everything that has happened in the world, and if he asks you more than that he is a smart one and no mistake.”
After that they sat down to supper again, but it was little the princess ate, for the drummer helped himself out of her plate just as he had done before.
After a while the princess flew away home, and the drummer with her.
“And, now, what will we ask her that she cannot answer?” said the drummer; so off he went back of the house, and blew a turn or two on his whistle, and there stood King Stork.
“And what will we ask the princess,” said he, “when she has a book that tells her everything?”
King Stork was not long in telling him that; “Just ask her so and so and so and so,” said he, “and she would not dare to answer the question.”
Well, the next morning there was the drummer at the castle all in good time; and, had he come to ask her a question? that was what the princess wanted to know.