All this the Prince promised; but he thought all the time there was
little fear of his forgetting her.

Now, just as he came home to the palace, one of his brothers was
thinking of holding his bridal feast, and the bride, and all her kith
and kin, were just come to the palace. So they all thronged round
him, and asked about this thing and that, and wanted him to go in
with them; but he made as though he did not see them, and went
straight to the stall and got out the horses, and began to put them
to. And when they saw they could not get him to go in, they came out
to him with meat and drink, and the best of everything they had got
ready for the feast; but the Prince would not taste so much as a
crumb, and put to as fast as he could. At last the bride's sister
rolled an apple across the yard to him, saying:

'Well, if you won't eat anything else, you may as well take a bite of
this, for you must be both hungry and thirsty after so long a
journey.'

So he took up the apple and bit a piece out of it; but he had scarce
done so, before he forgot the Mastermaid, and how he was to drive
back for her.

'Well, I think I must be mad', he said; 'what am I to do with this
coach and horses?' So he put the horses up again, and went along with
the others into the palace, and it was soon settled that he should
have the bride's sister, who had rolled the apple over to him.

There sat the Mastermaid by the seashore, and waited and waited for