They sought for him far and near , but all in vain , and they were forced to recognise the power of the evil Fairy , against which the Queen had warned them on her death-bed . The old King was much grieved when they brought him the news of his son 's disappearance , but as he could do nothing to free him from his fate , he gave himself up to an old age of grief and loneliness , cherishing at the same time the hope that some lucky chance might one day deliver the youth out of the hands of his enemy . Hardly had the Prince touched the ground than he felt himself violently seized by an unseen power , and hurried away he knew not whither . A whole new world stretched out before him , quite unlike the one he had left . A splendid castle surrounded by a huge lake was the abode of the Fairy , and the only approach to it was over a bridge of clouds . On the other side of the lake high mountains rose up , and dark woods stretched along the banks ; over all hung a thick mist , and deep silence reigned everywhere . No sooner had the Fairy reached her own domain than she made herself visible , and turning to the Prince she told him that unless he obeyed all her commands down to the minutest detail he would be severely punished . Then she gave him an axe made of glass , and bade him cross the bridge of clouds and go into the wood beyond and cut down all the trees there before sunset . At the same time she cautioned him with many angry words against speaking to a black girl he would most likely meet in the wood . The Prince listened to her words meekly , and when she had finished took up the glass axe and set out for the forest . At every step he seemed to sink into the clouds , but fear gave wings to his feet , and he crossed the lake in safety and set to work at once . But no sooner had he struck the first blow with his axe than it broke into a thousand pieces against the tree . The poor youth was so terrified he did not know what to do , for he was in mortal dread of the punishment the wicked old Fairy would inflict on him . He wandered to and fro in the wood , not knowing where he was going , and at last , worn out by fatigue and misery , he sank on the ground and fell fast asleep . He did not know how long he had slept when a sudden sound awoke him , and opening his eyes he saw a black girl standing beside him . Mindful of the Fairy 's warning he did not dare to address her , but she on her part greeted him in the most friendly manner , and asked him at once if he were under the power of the wicked Fairy . The Prince nodded his head silently in answer . Then the black girl told him that she too was in the power of the Fairy , who had doomed her to wander about in her present guise until some youth should take pity on her and bear her in safety to the other side of the river which they saw in the distance , and on the other side of which the Fairy 's domain and power ended . The girl 's words so inspired the Prince with confidence that he told her all his tale of woe , and ended up by asking her advice as to how he was to escape the punishment the Fairy would be sure to inflict on him when she discovered that he had not cut down the trees in the wood and that he had broken her axe . ` You must know , ' answered the black girl , ` that the Fairy in whose power we both are is my own mother , but you must not betray this secret , for it would cost me my life .
If you will only promise to try and free me I will stand by you , and will accomplish XXXXX you all the tasks which my mother sets you . '
against at before beside for of over to unlike with