"'I must go,' he said; 'my hour of liberty is over.'
"'Go?' said the Princess in surprise and distress, for she had found the Prince a very pleasant companion. 'You must go? and leave me alone here?'
"She looked as if she were going to cry, and the Prince looked as if he were going to cry too.
"'Alas, Princess!' he said, 'in my joy for the moment, I had almost forgotten my sad fate;' and then he went on to explain to her that for many years past he had been under a fairy spell, the work of an evil fairy who had vowed to revenge herself on his parents for some fancied insult to her. He had been forced to take the form of a bull and to spread terror wherever he went; and the power of this spell was to continue till he should meet with a beautiful Princess who of her own free will would return with him to his country and treat him with friendliness, both of which conditions had been now fulfilled.
"'Then all is right!' exclaimed the Princess joyfully. 'Why should you look so sad?'
"'Alas! no,' repeated the Prince, 'the spell is but partly broken. I have only power to regain my natural form for three hours every evening after sunset. And for three years more must it be so. Then, if your goodness continues so long, all will indeed be right. But during that time it will be necessary for you to live alone, except for the three hours I can pass with you, in this enchanted palace of mine. No harm will befall you, all your wants will be supplied by invisible hands; but for a young and beautiful Princess like you, it will be a sad trial, and one that I feel I have no right to ask your consent to.'
"'And can nothing be done?' said the Princess, 'nothing to shorten your endurance of the spell?'
"'Nothing,' said the Prince, sadly. 'Any effort to do so would only cause fearful troubles. I drop my hated skin at sunset, but three hours later I must resume it.'
"He glanced towards the corner of the room where, though the Princess had not before observed it, the brown bull's skin lay in a heap.
"'Hateful thing!' said the Princess, clenching her pretty hands, 'I would like to burn it.'