and now the king’s son and his six servants came to the town where the aged queen dwelt. he did not tell her who he was, but said, "if you will give me your beautiful daughter, i will perform any task you set me." the sorceress was delighted to get such a handsome youth as this into her net, and said, "i will set thee three tasks, and if thou art able to perform them all, thou shalt be husband and master of my daughter." "what is the first to be?" "thou shalt fetch me my ring which i have dropped into the red sea." so the king’s son went home to his servants and said, "the first task is not easy. a ring is to be got out of the red sea. come, find some way of doing it." then the man with the sharp sight said, "i will see where it is lying," and looked down into the water and said, "it is sticking there, on a pointed stone."