She went towards the altar , and right up to it , but there was no one there ; then she screamed again , My father has set no sentry in , War and Pest will now begin . Then she went round the whole church , both up and down , sighing and weeping , My father has set no sentry in , War and Pest will now begin . Then she went away again , and at the same moment the clock in the tower struck one . Then the smith heard in the church a soft music , which grew louder and louder , and soon filled the whole building . He heard also a multitude of footsteps , as if the church was being filled with people . He heard the priest go through the service in front of the altar , and there was singing more beautiful than he had ever heard before . Then he also heard the priest offer up a prayer of thanksgiving because the land had been freed from war and pestilence , and from all misfortune , and the king 's daughter delivered from the evil one . Many voices joined in , and a hymn of praise was sung ; then he heard the priest again , and heard his own name and that of the princess , and thought that he was being wedded to her . The church was packed full , but he could see nothing . Then he heard again the many footsteps as ol' folk leaving the church , while the music sounded fainter and fainter , until it altogether died away . When it was silent , the light of day began to break in through the windows . The smith sprang up out of the chest and fell on his knees and thanked God . The church was empty , but up in front of the altar lay the princess , white and red , like a human being , but sobbing and crying , and shaking with cold in her white shroud . The smith took his sentry coat and wrapped it round her ; then she dried her tears , and took his hand and thanked him , and said that he had now freed her from all the sorcery that had been in her from her birth , and which had come over her again when her father broke the command against seeing her until she had completed her fourteenth year . She said further , that if he who had delivered her would take her in marriage , she would be his . If not , she would go into a nunnery , and he could marry no other as long as she lived , for he was wedded to her with the service of the dead , which he had heard . She was now the most beautiful young princess that anyone could wish to see , and he was now lord of half the kingdom , which had been promised him for standing on guard the third nigh . So they agreed that they would have each other , and love each other all their days . With the first sunbeam the watch came and opened the church , and not only was the colonel there , but the king in person , come to see what had happened to the sentinel . He found them both sitting hand in hand on the step in front of the altar , and immediately knew his daughter again , and took her in his arms , thanking God and her deliverer .
He made no objections to what they had arranged , and so Christian the smith held his wedding with the princess , and got half the kingdom at once , and the whole XXXXX it when the king died .
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