“It is pretty far from here, and you don’t know the way; but take this apple, and wherever it rolls do you follow it, and you will come to Muhlenberg.”
The young man bade the South-wind adieu and followed the apple, going on for a long, long time. Suddenly he came upon some robbers. He went up to them as if they were old acquaintances, exclaiming, “Good-day to you, brothers! Are you right well? Here I am with you at last!”
They really believed that he was one of themselves, so they took him with them, and showed him a coat which had the power of rendering invisible the person who wore it. Next they showed him a pair of boots that would enable one to put a mile behind him at every step. He put on both the coat and the boots, as if to test the truth of the story, and immediately made off. The robbers could not even think of trying to follow him, since they could not see him.
So he rolled the apple again along the ground before him, and at last he arrived at Muhlenberg. He heard music in every part of the city, cannons were thundering, and above all swept the South-wind.
When the South-wind saw him he went down and greeted him, saying, “So here we are, at last, in Muhlenberg!”
The young man now went into the city, and, being still invisible, he helped himself to all the food and drink he wanted, and refreshed himself with his gossip, the South-wind. Then, taking leave of him, he made his way into the royal palace which had once been his own. There he saw the Queen beside the newly chosen spouse whom she was about to marry, and heard her sigh:
“Just seven years ago to-day my beloved husband deserted me!”
Upon this he began to sing a song which he used to be always singing when he was king. She recognized it at once, and, full of joy, cried out, “That is my husband, my first good fortune! My wedding-guests, drink the foaming wine and take your leave. I have no need to marry, for my husband has come home again, my only joy and bliss!”
And from this time they lived long and happily together. And the Queen bore to her husband a son with a mole like a golden sword upon his arm, and a beautiful golden-haired daughter.
So ends the story.