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Meantime the old king was lingering on in daily hope of his son's

return, till at last the second son said, 'Father, I will go in

search of the Water of Life.' For he thought to himself, 'My

brother is surely dead, and the kingdom will fall to me if I find

the water.' The king was at first very unwilling to let him go,

but at last yielded to his wish. So he set out and followed the

same road which his brother had done, and met with the same elf,

who stopped him at the same spot in the mountains, saying, as

before, 'Prince, prince, whither so fast?' 'Mind your own

affairs, busybody!' said the prince scornfully, and rode on.

But the dwarf put the same spell upon him as he put on his elder

brother, and he, too, was at last obliged to take up his abode in

the heart of the mountains. Thus it is with proud silly people,

who think themselves above everyone else, and are too proud to

ask or take advice.