The Earl at once called to his eldest son and bade him go and look for the Golden Blackbird; and he promised him great riches if he would find it and bring it back with him.

The young man started out very gaily, for he thought it would be fine sport to go into the woods and pick a golden blackbird off the first tree he came to. He traveled on without seeing anybody, and came at last to a place where four roads met. There were no signboards there, and so he was a long time making up his mind which road to take.

"I suppose that they all lead to the land of Nobody-knows-where," he said; "but I should like to take the shortest cut, for I am getting tired."

Then he shut his eyes and threw his hat high into the air, and when it fell he took the road which was nearest to it. He followed this road for two or three days, seeing plenty of trees but not a single blackbird. At last he came to an inn where there were several young men of his own age, eating and drinking.

"Where are you going, sir?" asked the landlord.

"To Nobody-knows-where," answered he.

"Then come in and rest a little while," said the landlord.

"Yes, come in and rest a little while," said all the guests.

The young man went inside with the merry-makers, and was in no haste to come out again.

"Why should I spend my time in hunting for a blackbird?" he said to himself. "If I should find it, I would only get what I am sure to have as soon as my father dies."

And he stayed in the inn.

After waiting a long time, the sick Earl called his second son and bade him go and find the Golden Blackbird. The youth started out in the same direction which his brother had taken, and when he came to the cross-roads he threw up his cap to find out which way he should go.

The cap fell in the same place, and the youth took the same road. After traveling until he was very tired, he came to the same inn, and saw his brother among the merry guests who were eating and drinking within.

"Come in and rest a little while," said the landlord.

"Yes, come in and rest a little while," said the young man, his brother.

He was not slow to do as they asked him, and he was in no hurry to begin his journey again.

"Why should we bother about the Golden Blackbird?" said the brothers. "If our father dies, we shall both be rich; for we will divide the property between us."

And they stayed at the inn until all their money was gone; and then they stayed until they had gotten so deeply in debt that the landlord would not let them go, but held them as prisoners until they should pay him.

After a while the sick Earl called to his youngest son, whose name was Princet, and bade him go and find the Golden Blackbird. Princet started out at once, and in three or four days came to the inn where his brothers were staying. They tried hard to get him to stop.

"What is the use of hunting for that blackbird?" they said. "Come in, and let us have a good time; and when our father dies we'll divide the property."

But Princet shook his head.

"My father trusted me," he said and I will go all over the world to find the Golden Blackbird. So, don't ask me to stop."

The young men laughed at him and called him names, but he went on.

One day, after he had been traveling for a long time, he met a White Rabbit, who stopped to look at him and said:

"Good morning, my laddie! Where are you going?"

"I am on my way to Nobody-knows-where," answered Princet. "I want to find the Golden Blackbird and fetch him home to cure my father, who is sick."

"You have a long way to go," said the White Rabbit; "for it is at least seven hundred miles to the place where the Golden Blackbird sits."

"Oh, dear!" cried Princet. "How can I ever travel so far?"

"Get on my back, and I'll carry you," said the White Rabbit.

Princet did so, and the White Rabbit started at once for the land of Nobody-knows-where. At each leap he went seven miles, and in a little while they came in sight of a white castle with golden towers, more beautiful than anything Princet had ever seen before.

"I will leave you here," said the White Rabbit.

"But where is the Golden Blackbird?" asked the lad.

"There is a little log hut in the wood close by the castle," answered the White Rabbit; "and in the log hut there is a golden bird cage; and, sitting on a perch close beside the bird cage, you will find the Golden Blackbird. When you take the Blackbird do not put him in the cage, for then the people of the castle will think you are trying to steal him. But you will not be stealing him; for the law of the land says that he belongs to any one who can take him."

Princet hurried away to the log hut, and there he saw the Golden Blackbird sitting just as the White Rabbit had said. But the bird was stiff and cold, and seemed to be dead, and this troubled Princet very much.

"If I could only put him into the cage," said he, "maybe he would come to life again."

As soon as the Golden Blackbird touched the bars of the cage, he opened his eyes and began to sing so loudly that everybody in the castle rushed out to see what was the matter.

"The lad is trying to steal the Golden Blackbird," cried the servants.

"I am not trying to steal him," said Princet; "but my father is very sick, and if I may carry the Blackbird to him, he will get well."

"All right!" they answered. "You may have the Golden Blackbird, if you will find the Porcelain Maiden and bring her to this place."