I'm
sure he won't eat his victuals for naught."
"Who are you?" the prince asked him, "and why are your eyes bandaged?
You don't see your way!" "No, sir, quite the contrary! It is just
because I see too well that I am obliged to bandage my eyes; I see with
bandaged eyes just as well as others with unbandaged eyes; and if I
unbandage them I look everything through and through, and when I gaze
sharply at anything it catches fire and bursts into flame, and what
can't burn splits into pieces. For this reason my name is Sharpsight."
He then turned to a rock opposite, removed the bandage, and fixed his
flaming eyes upon it; the rock began to crackle, pieces flew on every
side, and in a very short time nothing of it remained but a heap of
sand, on which something glittered like fire. Sharpsight went to fetch
it, and brought it to the prince. It was pure gold.
"Heigho! you're a fellow that money can't purchase!" said the prince.
"He is a fool who wouldn't make use of your services, and if you have
such good sight, look and tell me whether it is far to the iron castle,
and what is now going on there?" "If you rode by yourself, sir,"
answered Sharpsight, "maybe you wouldn't get there within a year; but
with us you'll arrive to-day--they're just getting supper ready for us."
"And what is my bride doing?"
"An iron lattice is before her,
In a tower that's high
She doth sit and sigh,
A wizard watch and ward keeps o'er her.
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