That night, the eldest prince sat down beside the tree with his gun across his knees, to wait for the coming of the thief. He waited and waited and still he saw not so much as a thread or a hair. But about midnight, there came the prettiest music that his ears had ever heard and before he knew what that was about, he was asleep and snoring until the little leaves shook upon the tree. When morning came and the prince awoke, another pear was gone, and he could tell no more about it than the man in the moon.
The next morning, the second son set out to watch the pear tree, but he fared no better than the first. About midnight, he heard the music, and in a little while, he was snoring until the stones rattled. When morning came, another pear was gone, and he could tell no more about it than his brothers. The third night, it was the turn of the youngest prince. He was more clever then his brothers for he stuffed his ears with wax so that when the music came, he heard none of it and stayed wide awake. When midnight passed and the music had ended, he took the wax out of his ears so that he might listen for the coming of the thief. Presently, there was a loud clapping and rattling, and a white swan flew overhead and alit in the pear tree above him. It began pecking at one of the golden pears. The prince raised his gun to shoot at it, but when he looked along the barrel of the gun, it was not a swan that he saw, but the prettiest maiden that he ever looked upon.
"Don't shoot me, King's Son! Don't shoot me!" she cried.
"TO BE CONTINUED"
