The Project Gutenberg eBook ofPrince PrigioThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.Title: Prince PrigioAuthor: Andrew LangRelease date: June 25, 2007 [eBook #21935]Most recently updated: February 24, 2021Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by David Widger*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PRINCE PRIGIO ***
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online atwww.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
Title: Prince PrigioAuthor: Andrew LangRelease date: June 25, 2007 [eBook #21935]Most recently updated: February 24, 2021Language: EnglishCredits: Produced by David Widger
Title: Prince Prigio
Author: Andrew Lang
Author: Andrew Lang
Release date: June 25, 2007 [eBook #21935]Most recently updated: February 24, 2021
Language: English
Credits: Produced by David Widger
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PRINCE PRIGIO ***
p089-frontis (196K)
CONTENTSTO CHILDREN.PRINCE PRIGIOPREFACE.CHAPTER I.—How the Fairies were not Invited to CourtCHAPTER II.—Prince Prigio and his familyCHAPTER III.—About the Firedrake.CHAPTER IV.—How Prince Prigio was deserted by EverybodyCHAPTER V.—What Prince Prigio found in the garret.CHAPTER VI.—What Happened to Prince Prigio in TownCHAPTER VII.—The Prince Falls in LoveCHAPTER VIII.—The Prince is PuzzledCHAPTER IX.—The Prince and the FiredrakeCHAPTER X.—The Prince and the RemoraCHAPTER XI.—The BattleCHAPTER XII.—A Terrible MisfortuneCHAPTER XIII.—SurprisesCHAPTER XIV.—The King Explains.CHAPTER XV.—The King’s ChequeCHAPTER XVI.—A Melancholy ChapterCHAPTER XVII.—The Black Cat and the brethrenCHAPTER XVIII.—The Very LastIllustrationsChapter OneChapter TwoPage 12Chapter ThreePage 15Page 17Chapter FourPage 24Chapter FiveChapter SixPage 31Page 35Chapter SevenPage 40Page 42Chapter EightPage 44Page 46Chapter NineChapter TenChapter ElevenPage 58Chapter TwelvePage 65Chapter ThirteenPage 69Chapter FourteenPage 72Chapter FifteenThe King’s ChequeChapter SixteenPage 84Page 85Chapter SeventeenPage 91Page 93Page 97Chapter EighteenPage 100Page 103
CONTENTS
TO CHILDREN.
PRINCE PRIGIO
PREFACE.
CHAPTER I.—How the Fairies were not Invited to Court
CHAPTER II.—Prince Prigio and his family
CHAPTER III.—About the Firedrake.
CHAPTER IV.—How Prince Prigio was deserted by Everybody
CHAPTER V.—What Prince Prigio found in the garret.
CHAPTER VI.—What Happened to Prince Prigio in Town
CHAPTER VII.—The Prince Falls in Love
CHAPTER VIII.—The Prince is Puzzled
CHAPTER IX.—The Prince and the Firedrake
CHAPTER X.—The Prince and the Remora
CHAPTER XI.—The Battle
CHAPTER XII.—A Terrible Misfortune
CHAPTER XIII.—Surprises
CHAPTER XIV.—The King Explains.
CHAPTER XV.—The King’s Cheque
CHAPTER XVI.—A Melancholy Chapter
CHAPTER XVII.—The Black Cat and the brethren
CHAPTER XVIII.—The Very Last
Illustrations
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Page 12
Chapter Three
Page 15
Page 17
Chapter Four
Page 24
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Page 31
Page 35
Chapter Seven
Page 40
Page 42
Chapter Eight
Page 44
Page 46
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Page 58
Chapter Twelve
Page 65
Chapter Thirteen
Page 69
Chapter Fourteen
Page 72
Chapter Fifteen
The King’s Cheque
Chapter Sixteen
Page 84
Page 85
Chapter Seventeen
Page 91
Page 93
Page 97
Chapter Eighteen
Page 100
Page 103
The Author of this book is also the Editor of the Blue, Red, Greenland Yellow Fairy Books. He has always felt rather an impostor, because so many children seem to think that he made up these books out of his own head. Now he only picked up a great many old fairy tales, told in French, German, Greek, Chinese, Red Indian, Russian, and other languages, and had them translated and printed, with pictures. He is glad that children like them, but he must confess that they should be grateful to old forgotten people, long ago, who first invented these tales, and who knew more about fairies than we can hope to do.
My Own Fairy Book, which you now have in your hands, was made up altogether out of his own head by the Author, of course with the help of the Historical Papers in the kingdom of Pantouflia. About that ancient kingdom very little is known. The natives speak German; but the Royal Family, as usual, was of foreign origin. Just as England has had Norman, Scottish, and, at present, a line of German monarchs, so the kings of Pantouflia are descended from an old Greek family, the Hypnotidæ, who came to Pantouflia during the Crusades. They wanted, they explained, not to be troubled with the Crusades, which they thought very injudicious and tiresome. The Crest of the regal house is a Dormouse, dormant, proper, on a field vert, and the Motto, when translated out of the original Greek, means,Anything for a Quiet Life.
It may surprise the young reader that princes like Prigio and Ricardo, whose feet were ever in the stirrup, and whose lances were always in rest, should have descended from the family of the Hypnotidæ, who were remarkably lazy and peaceful. But these heroes doubtless inherited the spirit of their great ancestress, whose story is necessary to be known. On leaving his native realm during the Crusades, in search of some secure asylum, the founder of the Pantouflian monarchy landed in the island of Cyprus, where, during the noon-tide heat, he lay down to sleep in a cave. Now in this cave dwelt a dragon of enormous size and unamiable character. What was the horror of the exiled prince when he was aroused from slumber by the fiery breath of the dragon, and felt its scaly coils about him!
“Oh, hang your practical jokes!” exclaimed the prince, imagining that some of his courtiers were playing a prank on him.
“Do you callthisa joke?” asked the dragon, twisting its forked tail into a line with his royal highness’s eye.
“Do take that thing away,” said the prince, “and let a man have his nap peacefully.‘’
“Kiss me!” cried the dragon, which had already devoured many gallant knights for declining to kiss it.
“Give you a kiss,” murmured the prince; “oh, certainly, if that’s all!Anything for a quiet life.”
So saying, he kissed the dragon, which instantly became a most beautiful princess; for she had lain enchanted as a dragon, by a wicked magician, till somebody should be bold enough to kiss her.
“My love! my hero! my lord! how long I have waited for thee; and now I am eternally thine own!”
So murmured, in the most affectionate accents, the Lady Dragonissa, as she was now called.
Though wedded to a bachelor life, the prince was much too well-bred to make any remonstrance.
The Lady Dragonissa, a female of extraordinary spirit, energy, and ambition, took command of him and of his followers, conducted them up the Danube, seized a principality whose lord had gone crusading, set her husband on the throne, and became in course of time the mother of a little prince, who, again, was great, great, great, great-grandfather of our Prince Prigio.
From this adventurous Lady Dragonissa, Prince Prigio derived his character for gallantry. But her husband, it is said, was often heard to remark, by a slight change of his family motto:
“Anything for a Quiet Wife!”
You now know as much as the Author does of the early history of Pantouflia.
As to the story calledThe Gold of Fairnilee, such adventures were extremely common in Scotland long ago, as may be read in many of the works of Sir Walter Scott and of the learned in general. Indeed, Fairnilee is the very place where the fairy queen appointed to meet her lover, Thomas the Rhymer.
With these explanations, the Author leaves to the judgment of young readers hisOwn Fairy Book.
In compiling the following History from the Archives of Pantouflia, the Editor has incurred several obligations to the Learned. The Return of Benson (chapter xii.) is the fruit of the research of the late Mr. Allen Quatermain, while the finalwishof Prince Prigio was suggested by the invention or erudition of a Lady.
A study of theFiredrakein South Africa, where he is called theNanaboulélé, a difficult word-has been published in French (translated from the Basuto language) by M. Paul Sébillot, in theRevue des Traditione Populaires. For theRémora, the Editor is indebted to theVoyage à la Luneof M. Cyrano de Bergérac.
Chapter One
ONCE upon a time there reigned in Pantouflia a king and a queen. With almost everything else to make them happy, they wanted one thing: they had no children. This vexed the king even more than the queen, who was very clever and learned, and who had hated dolls when she was a child. However, she too, in spite of all the books she read and all the pictures she painted, would have been glad enough to be the mother of a little prince. The king was anxious to consult the fairies, but the queen would not hear of such a thing. She did not believe in fairies: she said that they had never existed; and that she maintained, thoughThe History of the Royal Familywas full of chapters about nothing else.
Well, at long and at last they had a little boy, who was generally regarded as the finest baby that had ever been seen. Even her majesty herself remarked that, though she could never believe all the courtiers told her, yet he certainly was a fine child—a very fine child.
Now, the time drew near for the christening party, and the king and queen were sitting at breakfast in their summer parlour talking over it. It was a splendid room, hung with portraits of the royal ancestors. There was Cinderella, the grandmother of the reigning monarch, with her little foot in her glass slipper thrust out before her. There was the Marquis de Carabas, who, as everyone knows, was raised to the throne as prince consort after his marriage with the daughter of the king of the period. On the arm of the throne was seated his celebrated cat, wearing boots. There, too, was a portrait of a beautiful lady, sound asleep: this was Madame La Belle au Bois-dormant, also an ancestress of the royal family. Many other pictures of celebrated persons were hanging on the walls.
“You have asked all the right people, my dear?” said the king.
“Everyone who should be asked,” answered the queen.
“People are so touchy on these occasions,” said his majesty. “You have not forgotten any of our aunts?”
“No; the old cats!” replied the queen; for the king’s aunts were old-fashioned, and did not approve of her, and she knew it. “They are very kind old ladies in their way,” said the king; “and were nice to me when I was a boy.”
Then he waited a little, and remarked:
“The fairies, of course, you have invited? It has always been usual, in our family, on an occasion like this; and I think we have neglected them a little of late.”
“Howcanyou be soabsurd?” cried the queen. “How often must I tell you that there arenofairies? And even if there were—but, no matter; pray let us drop the subject.”
“They are very old friends of our family, my dear, that’s all,” said the king timidly. “Often and often they have been godmothers to us. One, in particular, was most kind and most serviceable to Cinderella I., my own grandmother.”
“Your grandmother!” interrupted her majesty. “Fiddle-de-dee! If anyone puts such nonsense into the head of my little Prigio——”
But here the baby was brought in by the nurse, and the queen almost devoured it with kisses. And so the fairies were not invited! It was an extraordinary thing, but none of the nobles could come to the christening party when they learned that the fairies had not been asked. Some were abroad; several were ill; a few were in prison among the Saracens; others were captives in the dens of ogres. The end of it was that the king and queen had to sit down alone, one at each end of a very long table, arrayed with plates and glasses for a hundred guests—for a hundred guests who never came!
“Any soup, my dear?” shouted the king, through a speaking-trumpet; when, suddenly, the air was filled with a sound like the rustling of the wings of birds.
Flitter, flitter, flutter, went the noise; and when the queen looked up, lo and behold! on every seat was a lovely fairy, dressed in green, each with amost interesting-looking parcelin her hand. Don’t you like opening parcels? The king did, and he was most friendly and polite to the fairies. But the queen, though she saw them distinctly, took no notice of them. You see, she did not believe in fairies, nor in her own eyes, when she saw them. So she talked across the fairies to the king, just as if they had not been there; but the king behaved as politely as if they werereal—which, of course, they were.
When dinner was over, and when the nurse had brought in the baby, all the fairies gave him the most magnificent presents. One offered a purse which could never be empty; and one a pair of seven-leagued boots; and another a cap of darkness, that nobody might see the prince when he put it on; and another a wishing-cap; and another a carpet, on which, when he sat, he was carried wherever he wished to find himself. Another made him beautiful for ever; and another, brave; and another, lucky: but the last fairy of all, a cross old thing, crept up and said, “My child, you shall betooclever!”
This fairy’s gift would have pleased the queen, if she had believed in it, more than anything else, because she was so clever herself. But she took no notice at all; and the fairies went each to her own country, and none of them stayed there at the palace, where nobody believed in them, except the king, a little. But the queen tossed all their nice boots and caps, carpets, purses, swords, and all, away into a dark lumber-room; for, of course, she thought that they wereall nonsense, and merely old rubbish out of books, or pantomime “properties.”
Chapter Two
WELL, the little prince grew up. I think I’ve told you that his name was Prigio—did I not? Well, thatwashis name.
You cannot think how clever he was. He argued with his nurse as soon as he could speak, which was very soon. He argued that he did not like to be washed, because the soap got into his eyes. However, when he was told all about thepores of the skin, and how they could not be healthy if he was not washed, he at once ceased to resist, for he was very reasonable. He argued with his father that he did not see why there should be kings who were rich, while beggars were poor; and why the king—who was a little greedy—should have poached eggs and plum-cake at afternoon tea, while many other persons went without dinner. The king was so surprised and hurt at these remarks that he boxed the prince’s ears, saying, “I ‘ll teach you to be too clever, my lad.” Then he remembered the awful curse of the oldest fairy, and was sorry for the rudeness of the queen. And when the prince, after having his ears boxed, said that “force was no argument,” the king went away in a rage.
Indeed, I cannot tell you how the prince was hated by all! He would go down into the kitchen, and show the cook how to make soup. He would visit the poor people’s cottage, and teach them how to make the beds, and how to make plum pudding out of turnip-tops, and venison cutlets out of rusty bacon. He showed the fencing-master how to fence, and the professional cricketer how to bowl, and instructed the rat-catcher in breeding terriers. He set sums to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and assured the Astronomer Royal that the sun does not go round the earth—which, for my part, I believe it does. The young ladies of the court disliked dancing with him, in spite of his good looks, because he was always asking, “Have you read this?” and “Have you read that?”—and when they said they hadn’t, he sneered; and when they said theyhad, he found them out.
He found out all his tutors and masters in the same horrid way; correcting the accent of his French teacher, and trying to get his German tutor not to eat peas with his knife. He also endeavoured to teach the queen-dowager, his grandmother, an art with which she had long been perfectly familiar! In fact, he knew everything better than anybody else; and the worst of it was that hedid: and he never was in the wrong, and he always said, “Didn’t I tell you so?” And, what was more, hehad!
Page 12
As time went on, Prince Prigio had two younger brothers, whom everybody liked: They were not a bit clever, but jolly. Prince Alphonso, the third son, was round, fat, good-humoured, and as brave as a lion. Prince Enrico, the second, was tall, thin, and a “little sad, butnevertoo clever.” Both were in love with two of their own cousins (with the approval of their dear parents); and all the world said, “What nice, unaffected princes they are!” But Prigio nearly got the country into several wars by being too clever for the foreign ambassadors. Now, as Pantouflia was a rich, lazy country, which hated fighting, this was very unpleasant, and did not make people love Prince Prigio any better.
Chapter Three
OF all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King Grognio, disliked him most. For the king knew he was not clever himself. When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and when he happened to say, “Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are three pounds, fifteen,” it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, “One pound, ten and twopence,”—which, of course, itis. And the king was afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself—which was the last thing Prigio really wanted. He much preferred to idle about, and know everything without seeming to take any trouble.
Well, the king thought and thought. How was he to get Prigio out of the way, and make Enrico or Alphonso his successor? He read in books about it; and all the books showed that, if a king sent his three sons to do anything, it was always the youngest who did it, and got the crown. And he wished he had the chance. Well, it arrived at last.
Page 15
There was a very hot summer! It began to be hot in March.’ All the rivers were dried up. The grass did not grow. The corn did not grow. The thermometers exploded with heat. The barometers stood at Set Fair. The people were much distressed, and came and broke the palace win-dows—as they usually do when things go wrong in Pantouflia.
The king consulted the learned men about the Court, who told him that probably a FIREDRAKE was in the neighbourhood.
Now, the Firedrake is a beast, or bird, about the bigness of an elephant. Its body is made of iron, and it is always red-hot. A more terrible and cruel beast cannot be imagined; for, if you go near it, you are at once broiled by the Firedrake.
But the king was not ill-pleased: “for,” thought he, “of course my three sons must go after the brute, the eldest first; and, as usual, it will kill the first two, and be beaten by the youngest. It is a little hard on Enrico, poor boy; butanythingto get rid of that Prigio!”
Then the king went to Prigio, and said that his country was in danger, and that he was determined to leave the crown to whichever of them would bring him the horns (for it has horns) and tail of the Firedrake.
“It is an awkward brute to tackle,” the king said, “but you are the oldest, my lad; go where glory waits you! Put on your armour, and be off with you!”
Page 17
This the king said, hoping that either the Firedrake would roast Prince Prigio alive (which he could easily do, as I have said; for he is all over as hot as a red-hot poker), or that, if the prince succeeded, at least his country would be freed from the monster.
But the prince, who was lying on the sofa doing sums in compound division, for fun, said in the politest way:
“Thanks to the education your majesty has given me, I have learned that the Firedrake, like the siren, the fairy, and so forth, is a fabulous animal which does not exist. But even granting, for the sake of argument, that there is a Firedrake, your majesty is well aware that there is no kind of use in sendingme. It is always the eldest son who goes out first, and comes to grief on these occasions, and it is always the third son that succeeds. Send Alphonso” (this was the youngest brother), “andhewill do the trick at once. At least, if he fails, it will be most unusual, and Enrico can try his luck.”
Then he went back to his arithmetic and his slate, and the king had to send for Prince Alphonso and Prince Enrico. They both came in very warm; for they had been whipping tops, and the day was unusually hot.
“Look here,” said the king, “just you two younger ones look at Prigio! You see how hot it is, and how coolly he takes it, and the country suffering; and all on account of a Firedrake, you know, which has apparently built his nest not far off. Well, I have asked that lout of a brother of yours to kill it, and he says—”
“That he does not believe in Firedrakes,” interrupted Prigio, “The weather’s warm enough without going out hunting!”
“Not believe in Firedrakes!” cried Alphonso. “I wonder what youdobelieve in! Just let me get at the creature!” for he was as brave as a lion. “Hi! Page, my chain-armour, helmet, lance, and buckler!A Molinda! A Molinda!” which was hiswar-cry.
The page ran to get the armour; but it wasso uncommonly hotthat he dropped it, and put his fingers in his mouth, crying!
“You had better put on flannels, Alphonso, for this kind of work,” said Prigio. “And if I were you, I’d take a light garden-engine, full of water, to squirt at the enemy.”
“Happy thought!” said Alphonso. “I will!” And off he went, kissed his dear Molinda, bade her keep a lot of dances for him (there was to be a dance when he had killed the Firedrake), and then he rushed to the field!
But he never came back any more!
Everyone wept bitterly—everyone but Prince Prigio; for he thought it was a practical joke, and said that Alphonso had taken the opportunity to start off on his travels and see the world.
“There is some dreadful mistake, sir,” said Prigio to the king. “You know as well as I do that the youngest son has always succeeded, up to now. But I entertain great hopes of Enrico!”
And he grinned; for he fancied it was allnonsense, and that there were no Firedrakes.
Enrico was present when Prigio was consoling the king in this unfeeling way.
“Enrico, my boy,” said his majesty, “the task awaits you, and the honour. Whenyoucome back with the horns and tail of the Fire-drake, you shall be crown prince; and Prigio shall be made an usher at the Grammar School—it is all he is fit for.”
Enrico was not quite so confident as Alphonso had been. He insisted on making his will; and he wrote a poem about the pleasures and advantages of dying young. This is part of it:
The violet is a blossom sweet,That droops before the day is done—Slain by thine overpowering heat, O Sun!And I, like that sweet purple flower,May roast, or boil, or broil, or bake,If burned by thy terrific power, Firedrake!
This poem comforted Enrico more or less, and he showed it to Prigio. But the prince only laughed, and said that the second line of the last verse was not very good; for violets do not “roast, or boil, or broil, or bake.”
Enrico tried to improve it, but could not. So he read it to his cousin, Lady Kathleena, just as it was; and she cried over it (though I don’t think she understood it); and Enrico cried a little, too.
However, next day he started, with a spear, a patent refrigerator, and a lot of the bottles people throw at fires to put them out.
Buthenever came back again!
After shedding torrents of tears, the king summoned Prince Prigio to his presence.
“Dastard!” he said. “Poltroon!Yourturn, which should have come first, has arrived at last.Youmust fetch me the horns and the tail of the Fired rake. Probably you will be grilled, thank goodness; but who will give me back Enrico and Alphonso?”
“Indeed, your majesty,” said Prigio, “you must permit me to correct your policy. Your only reason for dispatching your sons in pursuit of this dangerous but I believefabulousanimal, was to ascertain which of us would most worthily succeed to your throne, at the date—long may it be deferred!—of your lamented decease. Now, there can be no further question about the matter. I, unworthy as I am, represent the sole hope of the royal family. Therefore to send me after the Firedrake were* both dangerous and unnecessary. Dangerous, because, if he treats me as you say he did my brothers—my unhappy brothers,—the throne of Pantouflia will want an heir. But, if I do come back alive—why, I cannot be more the true heir than I am at present; nowcanI? Ask the Lord Chief Justice, if you don’t believeme.”
* Subjunctive mood! He was a great grammarian!
These arguments were so clearly and undeniably correct that the king, unable to answer them, withdrew into a solitary place where he could express himself with freedom, and give rein to his passions.
Chapter Four
MEANWHILE, Prince Prigio had to suffer many unpleasant things. Though he was the crown prince (and though his arguments were unanswerable), everybody shunned him for a coward. The queen, who did not believe in Firedrakes, alone took his side. He was not only avoided by all, but he had most disagreeable scenes with his own cousins, Lady Molinda and Lady Kathleena. In the garden Lady Molinda met him walking alone, and did not bow to him.
“Dear Molly,” said the prince, who liked her, “how have I been so unfortunate as to offend you?”
“My name, sir, is Lady Molinda,” she said, very proudly; “and you have sent your own brother to his grave!”
Page 24
“Oh, excuse me,” said the prince, “I am certain he has merely gone off on his travels. He’ll come back when he’s tired: thereareno Firedrakes; a French writer says they are ‘purement fabuleux, purely fabulous, you know.”
“Prince Alphonso has gone on his travels, and will come back when he is tired! And was he then—tired—ofme?” cried poor Molinda, bursting into tears, and forgetting her dignity.
“Oh! I beg your pardon, I never noticed; I’m sure I am very sorry,” cried the prince, who, never having been in love himself, never thought of other people. And he tried to take Molinda’s hand, but she snatched it from him and ran away through the garden to the palace, leaving Prince Prigio to feel foolish, for once, and ashamed.
As for Lady Kathleena, she swept past him like a queen, without a word. So the prince, for all his cleverness, was not happy.
After several days had gone by, the king returned from the solitary place where he had been speaking his mind. He now felt calmer and better; and so at last he came back to the palace. But on seeing Prince Prigio, who was lolling in a hammock, translating Egyptian hieroglyphs into French poetry for his mother, the king broke out afresh, and made use of the most cruel and impolite expressions.
At last, he gave orders that all the Court should pack up and move to a distant city; and that Prince Prigio should be left alone in the palace by himself. For he was quite unendurable, the king said, and he could not trust his own temper when he thought of him. And he grew so fierce, that even the queen was afraid of him now.
The poor queen cried a good deal; Prigio being her favourite son, on account of his acknowledged ability and talent. But the rest of the courtiers were delighted at leaving Prince Prigio behind. For his part, he, very good-naturedly, showed them the best and shortest road to Falkenstein, the city where they were going; and easily proved that neither the chief secretary for geography, nor the general of the army, knew anything about the matter—which, indeed, they did not.
The ungrateful courtiers left Prigio with hoots and yells, for they disliked him so much that they forgot he would be king one day. He therefore reminded them of this little fact in future history, which made them feel uncomfortable enough, and then lay down in his hammock and went to sleep.
When he wakened, the air was cold and the day was beginning to grow dark. Prince Prigio thought he would go down and dine at a tavern in the town, for no servants had been left with him. But what was his annoyance when he found that his boots, his sword, his cap, his cloak—all his clothes, in fact, except those he wore,—had been taken away by the courtiers, merely to spite him! His wardrobe had been ransacked, and everything that had not been carried off had been cut up, burned, and destroyed. Never was such a spectacle of wicked mischief. It was as if hay had been made of everything he possessed. What was worse, he had not a penny in his pocket to buy new things; and his father had stopped his allowance of fifty thousand pounds a month.
Can you imagine anything more cruel andunjustthan this conduct? for it was not the prince’s fault that he was so clever. The cruel fairy had made him so. But, even if the prince had been born clever (as may have happened to you), was he to be blamed for that? The other people were just as much in fault for being born so stupid; but the world, my dear children, can never be induced to remember this. If you are clever, you will find it best not to let people know it—if you want them to like you.
Well, here was the prince in a pretty plight. Not a pound in his pocket, not a pair of boots to wear, not even a cap to cover his head from the rain; nothing but cold meat to eat, and never a servant to answer the bell.
Chapter Five
THE prince walked from room to room of the palace; but, unless he wrapped himself up in a curtain, there was nothing for him to wear when he went out in the rain. At last he climbed up a turret-stair in the very oldest part of the castle, where he had never been before; and at the very top was a little round room, a kind of garret. The prince pushed in the door with some difficulty—not that it was locked, but the handle was rusty, and the wood had swollen with the damp. The room was very dark; only the last grey light of the rainy evening came through a slit of a window, one of those narrow windows that they used to fire arrows out of in old times.
But in the dusk the prince saw a heap of all sorts of things lying on the floor and on the table. There were two caps; he put one on—an old, grey, ugly cap it was, made of felt. There was a pair of boots; and he kicked off his slippers, and got intothem. They were a good deal worn, but fitted as if they had been made for him. On the table was a purse with just three gold coins—old ones, too—in it; and this, as you may fancy, the prince was very well pleased to put in his pocket. A sword, with a sword-belt, he buckled about his waist; and the rest of the articles, a regular collection of odds and ends, he left just where they were lying. Then he ran downstairs, and walked out of the hall door.