Well, Boots was not slow to do as Dapplegrim bade him. He took a sharp knife and went into the castle kitchen, and there were seven fresh loaves of bread on the table.
Boots drew the middle loaf toward him, and laid the sharp edge of the knife on it as though to cut it.
Then the loaf cried aloud in a woeful voice, “Alas, do not cut me! It is I, your Princess.”
And so Boots had found the Princess for the second time.
Now it was Boots’ turn to hide, and while the Princess was not looking he changed himself into a fly and hid in Dapplegrim’s ear.
The Princess hunted for him everywhere, all through the castle, but she could not find him. Last of all she came to Dapplegrim’s stall to look there, but when she tried to enter Dapplegrim would not let her. He kicked and snorted and bit until the Princess was fairly frightened.
At last she was obliged to own that she could not find Boots. Then at once he stood before her in his own proper shape.
“You have failed once,” he said. “Now let us see whether you will be any more clever the second time.”
The next thing Boots did was to change himself into a clod of earth and hide in the hollow of Dapplegrim’s foot.