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 from 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 . Bowing low before the fairest in the world , he spoke : ` Noble lady , will you do me the honour to become my wife ? ' But she answered , ` That can only be when Ciccu brings me the veil that I let fall on my way here . ' And the king turned to Ciccu and said , ` Ciccu , if you do not find the veil at once , you shall lose your head . ' Ciccu , who by this time had hoped for a little peace , felt his heart sink at this fresh errand , and he went into the stable to complain to the faithful horse . ` It will be all right , ' answered the horse when he had heard his tale ; ` just take enough food for the day for both of us , and then get on my back . ' They rode back all the way they had come till they reached the place where they had found the eagle caught in the snare ; then the horse bade Ciccu to call three times on the king of the birds , and when he replied , to beg him to fetch the veil which the fairest in the world had let fall . ` Wait a moment , ' answered a voice that seemed to come from somewhere very high up indeed . ` An eagle is playing with it just now , but he will be here with it in an instant ; ' and a few minutes after there was a sound of wings , and an eagle came fluttering towards them with the veil in his beak .
And Ciccu saw it was the very same eagle that he had freed XXXXX the snare .
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