At last he arrives at the cross-roads, where he has to meet his brothers
on the very day appointed. Coming up to the place, he sees no tracks of
horses, and, being very tired, he lays himself down to sleep, by tying
the horse to his leg, and putting the apples under his head. Presently
up come the other brothers the same time to the minute, and found him
fast asleep; and they would not waken him, but said one to another, "Let
us see what sort of apples he has got under his head." So they took and
tasted them, and found they were different to theirs. They took and
changed his apples for theirs, and off to London as fast as they could,
and left the poor fellow sleeping.
After a while he awoke, and, seeing the tracks of other horses, he
mounted and off with him, not thinking anything about the apples being
changed. He had still a long way to go, and by the time he got near
London he could hear all the bells in the town ringing, but did not know
what was the matter till he rode up to the palace, when he came to know
that his father was recovered by his brothers' apples.
Pages:
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176