Death stepped across the narrow line that surrounds the Land of Immortality , and the queen proposed the wager which was to decide the prince 's fate . ' I will throw him up into the sky , ' she said , ` right to the back of the morning star , and if he falls down into this city , then he is mine . But if he should fall outside the walls , he shall belong to you . ' In the middle of the city was a great open square , and here the queen wished the wager to take place . When all was ready , she put her foot under the foot of the prince and swung him into the air . Up , up , he went , high amongst the stars , and no man 's eyes could follow him . Had she thrown him up straight ? the queen wondered anxiously , for , if not , he would fall outside the walls , and she would lose him for ever . The moments seemed long while she and Death stood gazing up into the air , waiting to know whose prize the prince would be . Suddenly they both caught sight of a tiny speck no bigger than a wasp , right up in the blue . Was he coming straight ? No ! Yes ! But as he was nearing the city , a light wind sprang up , and swayed him in the direction of the wall . Another second and he would have fallen half over it , when the queen sprang forward , seized him in her arms , and flung him into the castle . Then she commanded her servants to cast Death out of the city , which they did , with such hard blows that he never dared to show his face again in the Land of Immortality . -LSB- From Ungarischen Volksmurchen . -RSB- The Stone-Cutter Once upon a time there lived a stone-cutter , who went every day to a great rock in the side of a big mountain and cut out slabs for gravestones or for houses . He understood very well the kinds of stones wanted for the different purposes , and as he was a careful workman he had plenty of customers . For a long time he was quite happy and contented , and asked for nothing better than what he had .
Now XXXXX the mountain dwelt a spirit which now and then appeared to men , and helped them in many ways to become rich and prosperous .
For From across amongst as if in into outside to