and now all days seemed like one day to the princess, and the next day always seemed the day when her mother would come out of the stone and kiss her again. and the years went slowly by. the wicked king died, and some one else took his kingdom, and many things were changed in the world; but the island did not change, nor the nine whirlpools, nor the griffin, nor the dragon, nor the two stone ladies. and all the time, from the very first, the day of the princess's deliverance was coming, creeping nearer, and nearer, and nearer. but no one saw it coming except the princess, and she only in dreams. and the years went by in tens and in hundreds, and still the nine whirlpools spun around, roaring in triumph the story of many a good ship that had gone down in their swirl, bearing with it some prince who had tried to win the princess and her dowry. and the great sea knew all the other stories of the princes who had come from very far, and had seen the whirlpools, and had shaken their wise young heads and said: "'bout ship!" and gone discreetly home to their nice, safe, comfortable kingdoms.