When the fight was ended , the buffalo skins were in ribbons , and the beaten animal writhing with pain on the grass . Nothing now remained to be done but to drive the whole stud to the emperor 's court . So the princess came down from the tree and mounted Sunlight , while the stud followed meekly after , the wounded horse bringing up the rear . On reaching the palace , she drove them into a yard , and went to inform the emperor of her arrival . The news was told at once to Iliane , who ran down directly and called them to her one by one , each mare by its name . And at the first sight of her the wounded animal shook itself quickly , and in a moment its wounds were healed , and there was not even a mark on its glossy skin . By this time the emperor , on hearing where she was , joined her in the yard , and at her request ordered the mares to be milked , so that both he and she might bathe in the milk and keep young for ever . But they would suffer no one to come near them , and the princess was commanded to perform this service also . At this , the heart of the girl swelled within her . The hardest tasks were always given to her , and long before the two years were up , she would be worn out and useless . But while these thoughts passed through her mind , a fearful rain fell , such as no man remembered before , and rose till the mares were standing up to their knees in water . Then as suddenly it stopped , and , behold ! the water was ice , which held the animals firmly in its grasp . And the princess 's heart grew light again , and she sat down gaily to milk them , as if she had done it every morning of her life . The love of the emperor for Iliane waxed greater day by day , but she paid no heed to him , and always had an excuse ready to put off their marriage . At length , when she had come to the end of everything she could think of , she said to him one day : ` Grant me , Sire , just one request more , and then I will really marry you ; for you have waited patiently this long time . ' ` My beautiful dove , ' replied the emperor , ` both I and all I possess are yours , so ask your will , and you shall have it . ' ` Get me , then , ' she said , ' a flask of the holy water that is kept in a little church beyond the river Jordan , and I will be your wife . ' Then the emperor ordered Fet-Fruners to ride without delay to the river Jordan , and to bring back , at whatever cost , the holy water for Iliane . ` This , my mistress , ' said Sunlight , when she was saddling him , ` is the last and most difficult of your tasks .
But fear nothing , XXXXX the hour of the emperor has struck . '
after as at beyond by for from of through within