Atondido Stories
happiest maiden in all the world, at the hour of her greatest hap-
piness, calls my name three times. You will be the very happiest
girl in all the world on the day of your marriage, and if you will
remember to call my name three times then you will break my
enchantment and I shall once more be a lovely princess instead
of a sea serpent."
Dionysia promised her friend that she would remember to
do this. The sea serpent asked her to promise three times to
make sure. When Dionysia had promised three times and again
embraced her old playmate and thanked her for all that she had
done she sailed away in the little ship. The sea serpent disap-
peared into the sea.
Dionysia sailed and sailed in the little ship and at last it bore
her to a lovely island. She thought that she had reached her des-
tination, so she stepped out of the boat not forgetting to take her
box of dresses with her. As soon as she was out of the boat it
sailed away. "Now what shall I ever do?" said Dionysia. "The
ship has gone away and left me and how shall I ever earn my
living? I have never done anything useful in all my life."
Dionysia surely had to do something to earn her living im-
mediately, so she at once set out to see what she could find to
do. She went from house to house asking for food and work. At
last she came to the royal palace. Here at the royal palace they
told her that they had great need of a maid to take care of the
hens. Dionysia thought that this was something which she could
do, so she accepted the position at once. It was, of course, very
different work from being a princess in a royal palace but it pro-
vided her with food and shelter, and when Dionysia thought of
having to marry the old king she was never sorry that she had
left home.
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