a man ! ' cried she ; but when the guards rushed in there was only a bumble-bee buzzing about the room . They looked under the bed , and behind the curtains , and into the cupboards , then came to the conclusion that the princess had had a bad dream , and bowed themselves out . The door had scarcely closed on them than the bee disappeared , and a handsome youth stood in his place . ' I knew a man was hidden somewhere , ' cried the princess , and screamed more loudly than before . Her shrieks brought back the guards , but though they looked in all kinds of impossible places no man was to be seen , and so they told the princess . ` He was here a moment ago -- I saw him with my own eyes , ' and the guards dared not contradict her , though they shook their heads and whispered to each other that the princess had gone mad on this subject , and saw a man in every table and chair . And they made up their minds that -- let her scream as loudly as she might -- they would take no notice . Now the princess saw clearly what they were thinking , and that in future her guards would give her no help , and would perhaps , besides , tell some stories about her to the king , who would shut her up in a lonely tower and prevent her walking in the gardens among her birds and flowers . So when , for the third time , she beheld the prince standing before her , she did not scream but sat up in bed gazing at him in silent terror . ` Do not be afraid , ' he said , ' I shall not hurt you ' ; and he began to praise her gardens , of which he had heard the servants speak , and the birds and flowers which she loved , till the princess 's anger softened , and she answered him with gentle words . Indeed , they soon became so friendly that she vowed she would marry no one else , and confided to him that in three days her father would be off to the wars , leaving his sword in her room . If any man could find it and bring it to him he would receive her hand as a reward . At this point a cock crew , and the youth jumped up hastily saying : ` Of course I shall ride with the king to the war , and if I do not return , take your violin every evening to the seashore and play on it , so that the very sea-kobolds who live at the bottom of the ocean may hear it and come to you . ' Just as the princess had foretold , in three days the king set out for the war with a large following , and among them was the young prince , who had presented himself at court as a young noble in search of adventures . They had left the city many miles behind them , when the king suddenly discovered that he had forgotten his sword , and though all his attendants instantly offered theirs , he declared that he could fight with none but his own . ` The first man who brings it to me from my daughter 's room , ' cried he , ` shall not only have her to wife , but after my death shall reign in my stead . ' At this the Red Knight , the young prince , and several more turned their horses to ride as fast as the wind back to the palace . But suddenly a better plan entered the prince 's head , and , letting the others pass him , he took his precious parcel from his breast and wished himself a lion . Then on he bounded , uttering such dreadful roars that the horses were frightened and grew unmanageable , and he easily outstripped them , and soon reached the gates of the palace .
Here he hastily changed himself XXXXX a bee , and flew straight into the princess 's room , where he became a man again .
Of after as at if in into though to with