In her own mind she was wondering if by any means she might escape from her captivity , and at last she hit upon a plan . By this time spring once more reigned in the valley , and the gnome sent the fires back to their places in the deeps of the earth , for the roots which they had kept warm through all the cruel winter hand now come to their full size . Day by day the princess pulled up some of them , and made experiments with them , conjuring up now this longed-for person , and now that , just for the pleasure of seeing them as they appeared ; but she really had another purpose in view . One day she changed a tiny turnip into a bee , and sent him off to bring her some news of her lover . ` Fly , dear little bee , towards the east , ' said she , ` to my beloved Ratibor , and softly hum into his ear that I love him only , but that I am a captive in the gnome 's palace under the mountains . Do not forget a single word of my greeting , and bring me back a message from my beloved . ' So the bee spread his shining wings and flew away to do as he was bidden ; but before he was out of sight a greedy swallow made a snatch at him , and to the great grief of the princess her messenger was eaten up then and there . After that , by the power of the wonderful wand she summoned a cricket , and taught him this greeting : ` Hop , little cricket , to Ratibor , and chirp in his ear that I love him only , but that I am held captive by the gnome in his palace under the mountains . ' So the cricket hopped off gaily , determined to do his best to deliver his message ; but , alas ! a long-legged stork who was prancing along the same road caught him in her cruel beak , and before he could say a word he had disappeared down her throat . These two unlucky ventures did not prevent the princess from trying once more . This time she changed the turnip into a magpie . ` Flutter from tree to tree , chattering bird , ' said she , 'till you come to Ratibor , my love . Tell him that I am a captive , and bid him come with horses and men , the third day from this , to the hill that rises from the Thorny Valley . ' The magpie listened , hopped awhile from branch to branch , and then darted away , the princess watching him anxiously as far as she could see . Now Prince Ratibor was still spending his life in wandering about the woods , and not even the beauty of the spring could soothe his grief . One day , as he sat in the shade of an oak tree , dreaming of his lost princess , and sometimes crying her name aloud , he seemed to hear another voice reply to his , and , starting up , he gazed around him , but he could see no one , and he had just made up his mind that he must be mistaken , when the same voice called again , and , looking up sharply , he saw a magpie which hopped to and fro among the twigs . Then Ratibor heard with surprise that the bird was indeed calling him by name . ` Poor chatterpie , ' said he ; ` who taught you to say that name , which belongs to an unlucky mortal who wishes the earth would open and swallow up him and his memory for ever ? ' Thereupon he caught up a great stone , and would have hurled it at the magpie , if it had not at that moment uttered the name of the princess .
This was so unexpected that the prince 's arm fell helplessly XXXXX his side at the sound , and he stood motionless .
In along around before for if into of to towards