Note 2 — THE ILL-TEMPERED PRINCESS.

So they continued walking round the walls to see where they might effect an entrance, and all to no purpose. By and by Listeno exclaimed, “I hear some one cry;” and they all listened, but could hear nothing. So Listeno made them follow him in the direction whence the sound proceeded till at last they were near enough for the others to hear the sound also; and they went on following it up, till they came to the mouth of a great well all grown over with climbing-plants; when they had cleared these away, the hole looked so black and deep, it seemed as if it went down to the centre of the earth, and up the shaft there came sounds of a woman’s wailing, so loud and pitiful, they were all moved to pity, and anxious to run to the relief of the distressed person; but there was no means of telling how to reach the bottom. Then Ropo came forward, and said, “We will all go abroad, and gather five thousand bundles of esparto, and palmito2 grass, and all five shall set to work to make a long rope; and with that we will reach the bottom.”