He ran quickly up the ruined staircase. To his surprise when he reached the top, the door of the chamber opened, and there before him stood his lost sweetheart.
“How camest thou here?” gasped the Prince. “And where is the grey ghost.”
“Last night I was the grey ghost,” she said.
“And thou wilt change thy form again to-night?” he asked in horror.
“Never again,” said the maiden. “In order to part us a wicked witch threw a spell over me—a spell which changed me into the awful shape thou sawest last night. But thou hast broken her wicked charm.”
“Tell me how,” said the Prince, whose face was beaming with happiness.
“The witch’s charm could not be broken until some knight should serve me, even though my form was horrible. By thy courtesy thou hast broken the spell,” said the maiden.
So the Prince and his true love rode away, and were happily married, and when the king heard of his son’s adventure in the hunting hall he said, “Now I know what that old witch meant by her prophecy.”
Scotch legend.