They never came back any more , though the prince returned to the tree every night , and wept his heart out for his lost love . This went on for some time , till the prince could bear it no longer , and made up his mind he would search the world through for her . In vain his father tried to persuade him that his task was hopeless , and that other girls were to be found as beautiful as this one . The prince would listen to nothing , and , accompanied by only one servant , set out on his quest . After travelling for many days , he arrived at length before a large gate , and through the bars he could see the streets of a town , and even the palace . The prince tried to pass in , but the way was barred by the keeper of the gate , who wanted to know who he was , why he was there , and how he had learnt the way , and he was not allowed to enter unless the empress herself came and gave him leave . A message was sent to her , and when she stood at the gate the prince thought he had lost his wits , for there was the maiden he had left his home to seek . And she hastened to him , and took his hand , and drew him into the palace . In a few days they were married , and the prince forgot his father and his brothers , and made up his mind that he would live and die in the castle . One morning the empress told him that she was going to take a walk by herself , and that she would leave the keys of twelve cellars to his care . ` If you wish to enter the first eleven cellars , ' said she , ` you can ; but beware of even unlocking the door of the twelfth , or it will be the worse for you . ' The prince , who was left alone in the castle , soon got tired of being by himself , and began to look about for something to amuse him . ` What CAN there be in that twelfth cellar , ' he thought to himself , ` which I must not see ? ' And he went downstairs and unlocked the doors , one after the other . When he got to the twelfth he paused , but his curiosity was too much for him , and in another instant the key was turned and the cellar lay open before him . It was empty , save for a large cask , bound with iron hoops , and out of the cask a voice was saying entreatingly , ` For goodness ' sake , brother , fetch me some water ; I am dying of thirst ! ' The prince , who was very tender-hearted , brought some water at once , and pushed it through a hole in the barrel ; and as he did so one of the iron hoops burst . He was turning away , when a voice cried the second time , ` Brother , for pity 's sake fetch me some water ; I 'm dying of thirst ! ' So the prince went back , and brought some more water , and again a hoop sprang . And for the third time the voice still called for water ; and when water was given it the last hoop was rent , the cask fell in pieces , and out flew a dragon , who snatched up the empress just as she was returning from her walk , and carried her off .
Some servants who saw what had happened came rushing XXXXX the prince , and the poor young man went nearly mad when he heard the result of his own folly , and could only cry out that he would follow the dragon to the ends of the earth , until he got his wife again .
If after at by from of on out though to