CH. xn SONGS AND ROMANCE IX OLD MINAEAS8A 319 



answering conimdrums. Attracted by her beauty and riches, 

 many princes sought her hand ; but no one could captivate her. 

 In order to check the stream of suitors, she declared that she 

 would never marry anyone who could not beat her in asking and 

 answering conundrums ; and furthermore, whoever failed to guess 

 the answer to her riddle, or gave her a riddle that she could guess, 

 would be immediately hanged. Many noble princes fell victims to 

 this cruel proclamation. 



Far away from the dwelling of the princess there hved a king 

 who had an only son, named Salmon. When he was a child, 

 his parents had allowed him to become the playfellow of a slave 

 of the same age, named Louis. Both youths were brought up 

 with the greatest caution, and they scarcely knew that the 

 world was any larger than their own little kingdom. It was with 

 the greatest wonder therefore that they saw from time to time 

 columns of smoke arise in the distance into the blue sky, and a 

 burning desire came over them to climb the mountains to see 

 what lay beyond. The distance, however, was so great that they 

 could not reach the mountains on foot, and the king had care- 

 fully hidden his horses away that they might not use them. 

 One day the king sent Louis into the forest to fetch his horse 

 whilst he himself went into the fields. The slave quickly fetched 

 it, and then sought for Salmon that they might ride away to the 

 mountains together. The mother asked them before they started 

 where they were going. ' We are going,' answered the son, ' to 

 see what it is like on the other side of yonder mountain.' Then 

 the mother cried aloud and threatened them with punishment, 

 but it was of no avail. ' You and father have shut us up long 

 enough, and now we wiU no longer put up with it,' said the son. 

 ' Then is it better that my son should die,' said the mother, and 

 at the same time tried to throw over them a strong poison. The 

 youths, however, were already seated and moving off, so that it 

 fell only on the hind-quarters of the horse. 



But the poison soon began to work, and before they had got 

 very far the horse fell dead by the wayside. The youths waited 

 for some time to see what would happen to the dead horse. 

 Soon afterwards two gluttonous crows that had been feeding on 

 the carcase fell dead to earth. Salmon and his playfellow took 

 these crows, cut them each in half, smoked them over a fire, 

 and, wrapping them iii woka leaves, started off on foot. When 



