The Magic Tree Trunks

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"That shows a good heart," thought the prince, "and when she is happy her beauty will come back, no doubt." So without any further delay he begged the queen to agree to their engagement, for the marriage must take place in his own country of Greece.

The queen was delighted. She had hardly expected to succeed so soon. At once, she set about her preparations.

So the young prince of Greece and Lineik set sail in a splendid ship headed back to Greece. In a short time, however, a dense fog came on. In the dark, the captain somehow steered to land. It was not long before the prince noticed the two beautiful trees, one red and the other blue, and they were quite different as you can imagine from any trees that grew back home in Greece.

Eager to bring back such rare treasures, the prince bade his sailors to cut down the two trees and carry them on board the ship. And so Sigurd and Sophie, hidden inside the two tree trunks, were carried onto the ship. The ship sailed to Greece.

The king and queen met their son and his intended bride on the steps of their palace, and led the girl to the women's house, where she would have to stay until her wedding day. The prince then ordered that the two unusual blue and red trees should be brought in to his own room.

The next morning the prince bade his attendants bring his future bride to his room. When she came, he said, "All the world knows of your exceptional skill at weaving, Princess Sophie," - for as you'll remember he thought Lineik was the Princess Sophie - "Here's silk in which to weave two dresses, one blue and one red, and a robe in green. They must all be ready before the wedding. The blue dress should be done first and the green robe last, because this is to be the most splendid of all, for I will wear it at our marriage," said he.

Left alone, Liniek, who did not know the first thing about weaving, sat and stared at the heap of shining silk before her. She burst into tears as she thought that everything would be discovered, for Princess Sophie's skill in weaving was as famous as her beauty.