DANISH FAIRY AND FOLK TALES
son-in-law. Those who tried and failed must, however, lose their lives.
Many persons from all parts of the country had tried in vain to restore the young lady's power of speech. One by one they were conducted into the room of the princess, but no one could call forth a single sound from her by way of reply.
At length the watch-maker's apprentice decided to try, so this young man, whom Knowledge had endowed so well, entered the room. He affected not to see the princess at all, but walked up to a mirror hanging there, and addressed it thus: "Good-morning, little mirror! Let me tell you a story! There were once three men who walked about in the country: a tailor, a sculptor, and a teacher. As they were obliged to keep up a fire at night, they decided that one of them must always keep awake, while the two others slept. First the sculptor was to watch—but this is merely a story, little mirror!—and when he looked about in the dark, he found an infant boy in the grass. He was so surprised that he awoke the tailor, and while the latter rubbed his eyes—but this is merely a tale, little mirror!—he sewed a whole dress for the child. When the school-master's turn came, he at once taught the little boy to speak. But to which of these three men did this boy belong, little mirror?"
"It belonged to the sculptor, of course, since he found it," said the princess, who had become so interested in the story that she could not help an-
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