Jalmir rubbed his eyes again, and looked around his chamber, but there was no old man anywhere. “It was only a dream,” thought he. Again he lay down and slept soundly; but when he woke in the morning he felt so well that he sprang from his bed, and jumped around the chamber from gladness. His nurse returned at that moment; but when she saw that her weakly charge was well, she ran to the king, and before she had reached the door, cried: “Jalmir is well!”
The king went out, and asked in a sad voice: “Hast thou lost thy senses?”
“He is really well,” said the nurse with greater rejoicing; but the king shook his head.
Meanwhile Jalmir recollected his supposed dream, and ascribed his recovery to that majestic old man. “Since he has cured me, I must obey him,” said he to himself. He dressed quickly and went to the king. When the king saw him he believed the nurse, and, thoroughly happy, fell on the young man’s neck; but he was astonished still more when Jalmir said: “Now, father, let me go; I must follow my brothers.”
“And thou wilt leave me?” complained the father.
“I must,” answered Jalmir seriously, and he told his dream. The king shook his head incredulously, and at first would not even hear of the departure of his favorite son; but at last he consented with tears. Jalmir made ready for the journey without delay.
The king gave him a carriage and four servants, he took money, and departed straightway. Outside the town he dismissed the servants, giving them the carriage and the horses, and walked on alone to the pear-tree, where a splendid white steed was waiting, stamping the ground impatiently. “Sit on me, quickly,” said he with the voice of a man, “or we shall be late.”
Jalmir sprang to his back and they went on, not on the ground though, but through the air. In a short time the white steed asked: “Dost thou see thy brothers?”
“I do not see,” answered Jalmir.
“But the hill on which they are?”