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“I can but try,” said little Mary Louise bravely. And when the serpent heard this, he lifted up his head and said:

“If you will undertake this great deed for me, I will give you whatever you desire, even my castle and all my lands.”

“I would not take them from you,” replied Mary Louise. “I am only a little girl.” And she paused for a moment, wondering when and how she would return to her dear mother’s home.

“How may I reach the Gardens of the West?” she asked anxiously.

“You must go down to the sea and wait for the sun to sink in the west,” answered the little Black Man. “And when you see golden rays, like a bright road upon the water, call to King Neptune. I will give you a whistle made from a pearl shell on which you must blow three times, and when the King of the Sea hears it, he will come to you. But whether he will carry you across the ocean in his chariot, I know not. But you can try.”

And the little Black Man disappeared.

“Do you think you will be able to do all this?” asked the serpent anxiously.

“I do,” replied Mary Louise, and she opened the garden gate and made straight for the great ocean, and by and by she came to the beach, where the great waves rolled and broke into foamy spray making the pretty shells glisten in the sun.

No sooner had Mary Louise blown three times upon the magic whistle than King Neptune drove up in his beautiful chariot. His splendid horses with foamy manes raised their forefeet and snorted till the old Sea King was forced to quiet them.

“What can I do for you, pretty maiden?” he asked kindly.

“Oh please, Mr. Neptune, take me to the garden of golden apples. I must give one to a poor Snake Prince that he may regain his human form.”

King Neptune remained silent for a time. At last he put his hand in his great pocket and said with a sigh:

“Here is a golden apple. It was to be a present to my wife. But it will be of greater use to this poor Snake Prince.”

“Thank you, thank you,” cried Mary Louise, and running hastily back to the garden she stood before the poor miserable snake.

“Here is the magic golden apple,” she cried in a glad voice. No sooner had the serpent eaten the apple, than, all of a sudden, just as he swallowed the last piece, he changed into a handsome prince and all his retainers and servants who were snakes, you remember, regained their human form.

“Now you shall have whatever is in my power to grant,” said the prince, “even if you ask for my castle.”

“I will take nothing from you,” replied generous little Mary Louise, “unless you wish to give me the ring you wear on your finger.”

“It is yours,” said the prince. “May you always wear it and remember me.”