But though Long stretched down his hand as far as it would go , he could not find the shell , for it lay at the bottom of the sea . ` Wait a moment , comrades , it will be all right . I will help you , ' said Broad . Then he swelled himself out so that you would have thought the world could hardly have held him , and stooping down he drank . He drank so much at every mouthful , that only a minute or so passed before the water had sunk enough for Long to put his hand to the bottom . He soon found the shell , and pulled the ring out . But time had been lost , and Long had a double burden to carry . The dawn was breaking fast before they got back to the castle , where the prince was waiting for them in an agony of fear . Soon the first rays of the sun were seen peeping over the tops of the mountains . The door burst open , and finding the prince standing alone the wizard broke into peals of wicked laughter . But as he laughed a loud crash was heard , the window fell into a thousand pieces , a gold ring glittered in the air , and the princess stood before the enchanter . For Quickeye , who was watching from afar , had told Long of the terrible danger now threatening the prince , and Long , summoning all his strength for one gigantic effort , had thrown the ring right through the window . The wizard shrieked and howled with rage , till the whole castle trembled to its foundations . Then a crash was heard , the third band split in two , and a crow flew out of the window . Then the princess at length broke the enchanted silence , and blushing like a rose , gave the prince her thanks for her unlooked-for deliverance . But it was not only the princess who was restored to life by the flight of the wicked black crow . The marble figures became men once more , and took up their occupations just as they had left them off . The horses neighed in the stables , the flowers blossomed in the garden , the birds flew in the air , the fish darted in the water . Everywhere you looked , all was life , all was joy ! And the knights who had been turned into stone came in a body to offer their homage to the prince who had set them free .
` Do not thank me , ' he said , ` XXXXX I have done nothing .
as before down for in like over that till to