As they fought, a spark from their hoofs fell upon the barrel of tar and set it on fire. The flame of it rose straight and clear through the air.
At once Boots slipped down from the tree and ran over to where the two horses were fighting. As soon as he did so, he saw that Dapplegrim had seized the strange horse by the neck and was holding him with his teeth.
Boots made haste to slip the bridle over the strange horse’s head, and at once it became quiet and gentle, only it still shook and sweated from the fight.
Then Boots mounted on the new Dapplegrim’s back and rode back toward the castle, and the old Dapplegrim trotted along beside him. Safely they passed through the forest and crossed the plain, and as they neared the castle they saw that the King and all his court had come out to meet them, for they had heard the news of their coming.
Boots lighted down from the new Dapplegrim and led both horses to the King, and the King was filled with wonder and amazement at the sight of two such horses, and both exactly alike.
“And now,” said Boots, “can you tell me which is the new Dapplegrim and which the old?”
Well, the King looked them all over from head to tail; he looked at their eyes and their ears and their hoofs, and not a hair did one have that was different from the other’s. The King was obliged to own that he could not tell which was which.
“So I have brought the horse as you bade me,” said Boots, “and now am I to have the Princess for a wife?”
Well, there was nothing more for the King to do but to let Boots marry the Princess. But now the Princess herself had something to say about it.
“Look,” said she to Boots. “You have shown how brave you are: now let us see whether you are clever as well. I will hide twice, and you shall hide twice. If you can find me, and I cannot find you, then we will know you are more clever than I am, and I will marry you. But if you fail, then you must look elsewhere for a wife.”