LONG ago there lived a rich nobleman, who for many years was unhappy because he had no children, but at last a son came to him and his wife. The same night the child was born the nobleman dreamed that the boy's chance of living to grow up would depend on one condition namely, that his feet should never touch the earth. or the floor of a room until he was seven years old. Great care was taken that this should be avoided, and the boy's nurses were the most trustworthy who could be found. He was always carefully guarded. Sometimes he was carried in his nurse's arms, sometimes rocked in his cradle, but his feet were not allowed to touch the ground or a floor even after he had become quite a big boy.

When the end of the time drew near, the father began preparations for a magnificent feast which should be given to celebrate his son's release. On the day before that appointed for the feast, as the nurse was sitting with the boy in her lap, a frightful yelling was heard just outside, which was so loud it shook the castle. The nurse was very much startled, and she dropped the lad to the floor and ran to look out of the window to learn the cause of the noise. That instant the yelling ceased. On turning to take up the boy the nurse was dismayed to find him no longer there. Then she remembered that in her terror she had disobeyed her master's orders.

"The sounds I heard must have been made by some evil power," said she, "on purpose to get possession of the child, and we shall never see him more."

Then she began to scream and lament, and the other servants came hurrying to her, and the nobleman soon followed.

"What is the matter?" he asked. "What has happened? Where is my son?"

The nurse, trembling and weeping, told of the disappearance of the boy, his only child, and the father was greatly distressed. He sent the servants in every direction to hunt for the lad, and spent money right and left, promising everything if only his son might be restored to him. But no trace of the boy could be discovered. He had vanished as completely as if he had never existed.

About fifteen years later the unhappy nobleman learned that in one of the most beautiful rooms of the castle, footsteps were heard every midnight as of someone walking back and forth. He thought this might in some way concern his lost son, and he made known that a reward of three hundred gold pieces would be given to anyone who would watch for one whole night in the haunted room. Many were willing to do this, but each of them, when left alone in the room, found that his courage failed as midnight approached, and the watcher could not resist the impulse to run away.

Close to the castle dwelt a widow who had three daughters. The family was very poor, and they hardly earned enough for their daily needs. When they heard of the midnight noises in the castle and the promised reward, the eldest daughter said, "I would like to earn those three hundred gold pieces, and I will spend a night in the haunted room, mother, if you will let me."

The mother shrugged her shoulders. She hardly knew what to say, but when she thought of their poverty and the difficulty they had to earn a living she gave her permission. The daughter went to the castle and repeated her intention to the nobleman.

"Are you sure you are not afraid, my good girl?" said he.

"I am willing to spend this very night in the room," she replied. "I only ask you to let me have some food, for I shall be hungry before the night is over, and I want to cook the food myself that I may have something to do."

Orders were given that she should be supplied with everything she wanted. A couch was placed for her in the room, and a table and a chair, and she was furnished with plenty of food and dishes and firewood and a candle. Like a good housewife, she first lit the fire and put on her saucepans. Then she laid the table and cooked the food. This work filled up the early part of the evening, and the time passed so quickly that she was surprised to hear the clock strike twelve just as she was ready to put the food on the table. At the last stroke footsteps sounded in the room. The frightened girl ran from one corner to another, but could not see anyone until suddenly a young man approached her and pointing toward the fireplace, asked, "For whom is this food cooked?"

"For myself," she said.

The face of the stranger saddened. After a short silence he said, "And for whom is this table laid?"

"For myself," was her answer.

The brow of the young man clouded over, but in a few moments he inquired, "And for whom is this couch?"

"For myself," she replied once more.

The young man's blue eyes filled with tears, and he waved his arms and vanished.

Next morning the girl told the nobleman all that had happened, but without mentioning how painfully her answers seemed to affect the stranger. The father was thankful to have at last heard something that might possibly lead to the discovery of his son, and gladly paid the three hundred gold pieces.

In hope to learn still more he renewed his promise of the reward. Then the second daughter of the widow went to the castle to offer her services, and the room was made ready for her just as it had been for her sister. As soon as she was left alone she lit the fire, put on the saucepans, and spread a white cloth on the table. Her cooking was nearly done when the clock struck twelve, and immediately she heard the footsteps and the young stranger appeared.

"For whom is this food prepared?" he asked. "For myself," was her reply.

"For whom is the table laid?" he inquired.

"For myself," she said again.

"And for whom is this couch?" he questioned.

"For myself," she answered, and the young man's eyes filled with tears and he waved his arms and disappeared.

Next morning the girl told the nobleman what had occurred, but failed to mention the sad impression her replies had made. The three hundred gold pieces were given to her and she went home.

Now the youngest girl wanted to try her fortune. "Sisters," said she, "as you have succeeded in earning three hundred gold pieces each to help our dear mother, I too would like to do my part and remain a night in the haunted room."

So she went to the castle, and when night came the room was prepared for her just as it had been before. She lit the fire, put on the saucepans and laid the table. At length the clock struck twelve and she heard the footsteps of someone walking back and forth in the room. The girl looked everywhere but no living being could she see. Suddenly there stood before her a young man who asked, "For whom have you prepared this food?"

Somewhat confused, she replied, "I prepared it for myself, but if you are hungry I would gladly give it to you."

At these words the stranger's brow grew more serene. "And this table," he continued   "for whom is it spread?"

"For myself," she replied, "unless you will honor me by being my guest."

A smile lit up his face as he said, "And for whom is this couch?"

"For myself," she answered, "but if you have need of rest it is for you."

He clapped his hands for joy and said, "Ah, how good of you! I accept all that you have been so kind as to offer me. But wait, I must first thank my friends for the care they have taken of me during the years I have lived with them."

A fresh, warm breath of spring filled the air, and the girl saw that a deep crevice had opened in the middle of the room and she could look down a vast precipice into a valley. The young man began to descend the rocks, and she, curious to know whither he was going, followed him, unnoticed.

They both reached the valley where she found flower-covered meadows bordering a river of liquid gold. The young man, as he went on, saluted the field flowers as old friends, and caressed them and bade them good by. Then he entered a forest where the trees were of silver, and the girl still followed.

Many birds of different kinds began to sing, and flying round him perched familiarly on his head and shoulders. He spoke to and petted each one.

     While he was thus engaged the girl broke off from a tree a silver twig, saying to herself, "This will serve me as a token of this wonderful land am in, I for without something to show, my sisters would not believe what I shall have to tell them of my journey."

When the young man had taken leave of all his friends he returned by the paths  he had come, and the girl followed without being seen. So  they  continued to the foot of the precipice, and then ascended until they reached the room in the castle. Immediately the floor closed without a trace of the opening. The girl went and stood by the fire where she had been before they started to descend the precipice, and the young man thought she had been there all the time.

"My farewells have been spoken," said he, "and now I would like something to eat."

He sat down at the table and she waited on him. After he had made a good meal he said, "I am tired and would sleep."

So he lay down on the couch, and the girl placed by his side the silver twig she had picked, that he might see it when he awoke and know she had accompanied him to the magic valley. Soon he was sleeping peacefully.

Next day the nobleman waited long for the girl to come and give an account of herself. The sun was high in the sky, and yet she did not appear. He became impatient and at last determined to go and learn for himself what had happened. Great was his surprise and joy on entering the haunted room to see his long-lost son sleeping on the couch, while at the young man's side sat the widow's beautiful daughter. At that moment the son awoke, and his father ran to embrace him, and shortly afterward went to call the attendants of the castle to rejoice with him in his new-found happiness.

While he was gone, his son noticed with astonishment the twig on the couch, and said to the girl, "What do I see? Did you follow me down there? Your kindness to me when I came to you at midnight broke the spell which bound me and released me from the enchantment. Now you have brought from the land of magic this twig which will make a palace for us to live in."

Thereupon he took the branch and threw it out of the window. At once there arose a magnificent palace, all of shining silver, and the nobleman's son married the widow's daughter, and they dwelt happily in their silver palace, and if they have not died they live there still.