Oh, yes, he had come for that very thing.
Very well, then, just let him begin, for the princess was ready and waiting, and she wet her thumb, and began to turn over the leaves of her Book of Knowledge.
Oh, it was an easy question the drummer was going to ask, and it needed no big book like that to answer it. The other night he dreamed that he was in a castle all built of shining steel, where there lived a witch with one eye. There was a handsome bit of a lass there who was as great a witch as the old woman herself, but for the life of him he could not tell who she was; now perhaps the princess could make a guess at it.
There the drummer had her as tight as a fly in a bottle, for she did not dare to let folks know that she was a wicked witch like the one-eyed one; so all she could do was to sit there and gnaw her lip. As for the Book of Knowledge, it was no more use to her than a fifth wheel under a cart.
But if the king was glad when the drummer answered the princess’s question, he was twice as glad when he found she could not answer his.
All the same, there is more to do yet, and many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip. “The bird I want is the one-eyed raven,” said the princess; “Now bring her to me if you want to keep your head off of the wall yonder.”
Yes; the drummer thought he might do that as well as another thing. So off he went back of the house to talk to King Stork of the matter.
“Look,” said King Stork, and he drew a net out of his pocket as fine as a cobweb and as white as milk; “take this with you when you go with the princess to the one-eyed witch’s house to-night, throw it over the witch’s head, and then see what will happen; only when you catch the one-eyed raven you are to wring her neck as soon as you lay hands on her, for if you don’t it will be the worse for you.”
Well, that night off flew the princess just as she had done before, and off flew the drummer at her heels, until they came to the witch’s house, both of them.
“And did you take his head this time?” said the witch.