It was very early the next morning when John awoke.When his comrade arose he told John of a very strange dream he had had about the Princess and one of her shoes.He begged him to ask the Princess if she didn't have one of her shoes in mind.This,of course,was what he had overheard the sorcerer say in the mountain,but he didn't tell John about that.He merely told him to be sure to guess that the Princess had her shoe in mind.
“I may as well ask about that as anything else,”John agreed.“Maybe your dream was true,for I have always thought that God would look after me.However,I'll be saying good-by,because if I guess wrong I shall never see you again.”
They embraced,and John went straight through the town and up to the palace.The whole hall was packed with people.The judges sat in their armchairs,with eiderdown pillows behind their heads because they had so much to think about,and the old King stood there wiping his eyes with a white handkerchief.Then the Princess entered.She was even lovelier than she was the day before,and she bowed to everyone in the most agreeable fashion.To John she held out her hand and wished him,“Good morning to you.”
John was required to guess what she had in mind.She looked at him most charmingly until she heard him say the one word “shoe.”Her face turned chalk-white and she trembled from head to foot.But there was nothing she could do about it.His guess was right.
Merciful Heavens!How glad the old King was.He turned heels over head for joy,and everyone applauded both his performance and that of John,who had guessed rightly the first time.