And , what was worse , the ball suddenly fell out of its snake 's skin bag right into the river . Now , it is not at all an uncommon thing for balls to tumble into rivers , but in that case they generally either fall to the bottom and stay there , or else bob about on the top of the water close to where they first touched it . But this ball , instead of doing either of these things , went straight across to the other side , and there one of the girls saw it when she stooped to dip some water into her pail . ` Oh ! what a lovely ball ! ' cried she , and tried to catch it in her pail ; but the ball always kept bobbing just out of her reach . ` Come and help me ! ' she called to her sister , and after a long while they had the ball safe inside the pail . They were delighted with their new toy , and one or the other held it in her hand till bedtime came , and then it was a long time before they could make up their minds where it would be safest for the night . At last they locked it in a cupboard in one corner of their room , and as there was no hole anywhere the ball could not possibly get out . After that they went to sleep . In the morning the first thing they both did was to run to the cupboard and unlock it , but when the door opened they started back , for , instead of the ball , there stood a handsome young man . ` Ladies , ' he said , ` how can I thank you for what you have done for me ? Long , long ago , I was enchanted by a wicked fairy , and condemned to keep the shape of a ball till I should meet with two maidens , who would take me to their own home . But where was I to meet them ? For hundreds of years I have lived in the depths of the forest , where nothing but wild beasts ever came , and it was only when the lion threw me into the sky that I was able to fall to earth near this river . Where there is a river , sooner or later people will come ; so , hanging myself on a tree , I watched and waited . For a moment I lost heart when I fell once more into the hands of my old master the wild cat , but my hopes rose again as I saw he was making for the river bank opposite where you were standing . That was my chance , and I took it . And now , ladies , I have only to say that , if ever I can do anything to help you , go to the top of that high mountain and knock three times at the iron door at the north side , and I will come to you . '
So , XXXXX a low bow , he vanished from before them , leaving the maidens weeping at having lost in one moment both the ball and the prince .
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