This mission seemed to Ciccu a hundred times worse than either of the others , and with tears in his eyes he took his way to the stables . ` Cheer up , ' laughed the horse ; ` tell the king you must have some bread and honey , and a purse of gold , and leave the rest to me . ' Ciccu did as he was bid , and they started at a gallop . After they had ridden some way , they saw a swarm of bees lying on the ground , so hungry and weak that they were unable to fly . ` Get down , and give the poor things some honey , ' said the horse , and Ciccu dismounted . By-and-bye they came to a stream , on the bank of which was a fish , flapping feebly about in its efforts to reach the water . ` Jump down , and throw the fish into the water ; he will be useful to us , ' and Ciccu did so . Farther along the hillside they saw an eagle whose leg was caught in a snare . ` Go and free that eagle from the snare ; he will be useful to us ; ' and in a moment the eagle was soaring up into the sky . At length they came to the castle where the fairest in the world lived with her parents . Then said the horse , ` You must get down and sit upon that stone , for I must enter the castle alone . Directly you see me come tearing by with the princess on my back , jump up behind , and hold her tight , so that she does not escape you . If you fail to do this , we are both lost . ' Ciccu seated himself on the stone , and the horse went on to the courtyard of the castle , where he began to trot round in a graceful and elegant manner . Soon a crowd collected first to watch him and then to pat him , and the king and queen and princess came with the rest . The eyes of the fairest in the world brightened as she looked , and she sprang on the horse 's saddle , crying , ` Oh , I really must ride him a little ! ' But the horse made one bound forward , and the princess was forced to hold tight by his mane , lest she should fall off . And as they dashed past the stone where Ciccu was waiting for them , he swung himself up and held her round the waist . As he put his arms round her waist , the fairest in the world unwound the veil from her head and cast it to the ground , and then she drew a ring from her finger and flung it into the stream . But she said nothing , and they rode on fast , fast .
The king of Ciccu 's country was watching for them XXXXX the top of a tower , and when he saw in the distance a cloud of dust , he ran down to the steps so as to be ready to receive them .
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