Now the king's son left the man with the golden beard and went out of the forest of silence that is full of knowledge, into the free field of action.

Here he met the two retired soldiers. The two, however, went in disguise.

“In reality they were a sun-alf and a moon-alf - both of which teach here on the Island of Happiness - and they were sent by the father of the prince to lead him seven times through the nine worlds.
The little boy, however, did not know of anything.