The two officers thought the king would banish them or inflict some punishment upon them, but he pardoned them and gave them sufficient money to live at the court. Anthony himself did not care for royalty. He and his wife arranged that they would return to the place where he had first found the princesses. So they departed for that land, but a storm drove them on shore near to the place where he had met the old crone. She gave him welcome.
“So you are back again,” she said.
They explained to her that what they wished was to go back to that palace beneath the fountain.
“Well,” she said, “I will show you the way to the other world, and I will let you down the well.”
They came to the opening, and Anthony was about to enter the well, but the old hag begged him to wait with her and let the princess go on before.
So the princess was let down to the bottom of the well, and then the crone said: “I won’t let you follow her unless you first cut off my head.”
“This is a strange way to repay the good you have done me,” said Anthony.
“Well, unless you promise this you will never see your princess again.”
So he had to promise, and with that she waved her wand and a road appeared, which led them straight to the princess. Then Anthony struck off the crone’s head, and they found themselves amid crowds of farmers who were ploughing and soldiers standing at attention, and one and all welcoming their new lords. For this land was an enchanted land, and the old crone was a witch.