at two o’clock the raven came driving up with four white horses, but she was already in deep grief and said, "i know he is asleep." and when she came into the garden, he was indeed lying there asleep on the heap of tan. she alighted from the carriage, went to him, shook him, and called him, but he did not awake. next day about noon, the old woman came again and brought him food and drink, but he would not take any of it. but she let him have no rest and persuaded him until at length he again took one drink out of the glass. towards two o’clock he went into the garden to the tan heap to wait for the raven, but all at once felt such a great weariness that his limbs would no longer support him. he could not help himself, and was forced to lie down, and fell into a heavy sleep. when the raven drove up with four brown horses, she was already full of grief, and said, "i know he is asleep." she went to him, but there he lay sleeping, and there was no wakening him. next day the old woman asked what was the meaning of this? he was neither eating nor drinking anything; did he want to die? he replied, "i am not allowed to eat or drink, and will not do so." but she set a dish with food, and a glass with wine before him, and when he smelt it he could not resist, and swallowed a deep draught. when the time came, he went out into the garden to the heap of tan, and waited for the king’s daughter; but he became still more weary than on the day before, and lay down and slept as soundly as if he had been a stone. at two o’clock the raven came with four black horses, and the coachman and everything else was black. she was already in the deepest grief, and said, "i know that he is asleep and cannot deliver me." when she came to him, there he was lying fast asleep. she shook him and called him, but she could not waken him. then she laid a loaf beside him, and after that a piece of meat, and thirdly a bottle of wine, and he might consume as much of all of them as he liked, but they would never grow less. after this she took a gold ring from her finger, and put it on his, and her name was graven on it. lastly, she laid a letter beside him wherein was written what she had given him, and that none of the things would ever grow less; and in it was also written, "i see right well that here you will never be able to deliver me, but if thou art still willing to deliver me, come to the golden castle of stromberg; it lies in thy power, of that i am certain." and when she had given him all these things, she seated herself in her carriage, and drove to the golden castle of stromberg.