To-morrow you will have to stack it all in the shed , and , as you value your life , be careful not to leave the smallest strand behind . ' The prince was overjoyed to hear he had nothing worse to do . ` To carry a little hay-rick requires no great skill , ' thought he , ` and it will give me no trouble , for the horse will have to draw it in . I am certainly not going to spare the old grandmother . ' By-and-by the maiden stole up to ask what task he had for the next day . The young man laughed , and said : ` It appears that I have got to learn all kinds of farmer 's work . To-morrow I have to carry a hay-rick , and leave not a stalk in the meadow , and that is my whole day 's work ! ' ` Oh , you unlucky creature ! ' cried she ; ` and how do you think you are to do it . If you had all the men in the world to help you , you could not clear off this one little hay-rick in a week . The instant you have thrown down the hay at the top , it will take root again from below . But listen to what I say . You must steal out at daybreak to-morrow and bring out the white horse and some good strong ropes . Then get on the hay-stack , put the ropes round it , and harness the horse to the ropes . When you are ready , climb up the hay-stack and begin to count one , two , three . The horse will ask you what you are counting , and you must be sure to answer what I whisper to you . ' So the maiden whispered something in his ear , and left the room . And the prince knew nothing better to do than to get into bed . He slept soundly , and it was still almost dark when he got up and proceeded to carry out the instructions given him by the girl . First he chose some stout ropes , and then he led the horse out of the stable and rode it to the hay-stack , which was made up of fifty cartloads , so that it could hardly be called ' a little one . '
The prince did all that the maiden had told him , and when XXXXX last he was seated on top of the rick , and had counted up to twenty , he heard the horse ask in amazement : ` What are you counting up there , my son ? '
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