Sharpsight, seeing what was going on in the
castle, and in what danger his master was, told Long. Long made a step,
and threw the ring through the window into the room. The wizard roared
with rage till the castle quaked, and then, bang! went the third iron
hoop that was round his waist, and sprang off him; the wizard turned
into a raven, and flew out and away through the shattered window.
Then, and not till then, did the beautiful damsel speak and thank the
prince for setting her free, and blushed like a rose. In the castle and
round the castle everything became alive again at once. He who was
holding in the hall the outstretched sword, swung it into the air, which
whistled again, and then returned it to its sheath; he who was stumbling
on the threshold, fell on the ground, but immediately got up again and
felt his nose to see whether it was still entire; he who was sitting
under the chimney put the piece of meat into his mouth and went on
eating; and thus everybody completed what he had begun doing, and at the
point where he had left off. In the stables the horses merrily stamped
and snorted, the trees round the castle became green like periwinkles,
the meadows were full of variegated flowers, high in the air warbled the
skylark, and abundance of small fishes appeared in the clear river.
Everywhere was life, everywhere enjoyment.
Meanwhile a number of gentlemen assembled in the room where the prince
was, and all thanked him for their liberation.
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