transcribed from the @number@ j w arrowsmith edition by david price , email @email@ { book cover : cover.jpg } prince prigio by andrew lang author of " the mark of cain , " the gold of fairnilee " etc . twenty-seven illustrations by gordon browne @number@ bristol j w arrowsmith , quay street london simpkin , marshall & co . , @number@ stationers ' hall court all rights reserved { " so the two went into the gardens together , and talked about a number of things . " : p0.jpg } prince prigio is dedicated to alma thyra edith rosalind norna cecily and violet preface . in compiling the following history from the archives of pantouflia , the editor has incurred several obligations to the learned . for the remora , the editor is indebted to the voyage a la lune of m . cyrano de bergerac . chapter i. { chapter heading picture : p1.jpg } how the fairies were not invited to court . 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 . the king was anxious to consult the fairies , but the queen would not hear of such a thing . 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 . on the arm of the throne was seated his celebrated cat , wearing boots . 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 ? " then he waited a little , and remarked : " the fairies , of course , you have invited ? " how can you be so absurd ? " cried the queen . " how often must i tell you that there are no fairies ? 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 ! some were abroad ; several were ill ; a few were in prison among the saracens ; others were captives in the dens of ogres . 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 . when dinner was over , and when the nurse had brought in the baby , all the fairies gave him the most magnificent presents . chapter ii . { chapter heading picture : p9.jpg } prince prigio and his family . well , the little prince grew up . i think i 've told you that his name was prigio did i not ? well , that was his 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 . then he remembered the awful curse of the oldest fairy , and was sorry for the rudeness of the queen . { prigio reading a book : p11.jpg } 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 showed the fencing-master how to fence , and the professional cricketer how to bowl , and instructed the rat-catcher in breeding terriers . he also endeavoured to teach the queen-dowager , his grandmother , an art with which she had long been perfectly familiar ! and , what was more , he had ! 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 , but never too clever . but prigio nearly got the country into several wars by being too clever for the foreign ambassadors . chapter iii . about the firedrake . 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 . 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 . { the king at his desk : p15.jpg } well , the king thought and thought . how was he to get prigio out of the way , and make enrico or alphonso his successor ? and he wished he had the chance . well , it arrived at last . 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 windows 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 . it is a little hard on enrico , poor boy ; but anything to get rid of that prigio ! " put on your armour , and be off with you ! " { " put on your armour and be off with you ! " : p18.jpg } but the prince , who was lying on the sofa doing sums in compound division for fun , said in the politest way : send alphonso " ( this was the youngest brother ) , " and he will 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 ! 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 you do believe 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 his war-cry . { the page crying : p21.jpg } " 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 ! " but he never came back any more ! " 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 all nonsense , 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 . 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 ! this poem comforted enrico more or less , and he showed it to prigio . enrico tried to improve it , but could not . but he never came back again ! after shedding torrents of tears , the king summoned prince prigio to his presence . " dastard ! " he said . " poltroon ! your turn , which should have come first , has arrived at last . you must fetch me the horns and the tail of the firedrake . 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 . 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 { 25 } both dangerous and unnecessary . ask the lord chief justice , if you don't believe me . " chapter iv . how prince prigio was deserted by everybody . 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 . " oh , excuse me , " said the prince , " i am certain he has merely gone off on his travels . { " my name , sir , is lady molinda , she said . " : p29.jpg } " prince alphonso has gone on his travels , and will come back when he is tired ! and was he then tired of me ? " cried poor molinda , bursting into tears , and forgetting her dignity . " oh ! 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 . 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 . the ungrateful courtiers left prigio with hoots and yells , for they disliked him so much that they forgot he would be king one day . 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 . 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 . can you imagine anything more cruel and unjust than this conduct ? for it was not the prince 's fault that he was so clever . the cruel fairy had made him so . 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 . chapter v. what prince prigio found in the garret . 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 into them . they were a good deal worn , but fitted as if they had been made for him . then he ran downstairs , and walked out of the hall door . chapter vi . what happened to prince prigio in town . by this time the prince was very hungry . but , then , the town was twenty-one leagues away sixty-three long miles ! but this , of course , the prince did not know . now you should be told that seven-league boots only take those prodigious steps when you say you want to go a long distance . otherwise they would be very inconvenient when you only want to cross the room , for example . perhaps this has not been explained to you by your governess ? well , the prince walked into " the bear , " and it seemed odd to him that nobody took any notice of him . he was so puzzled by not being attended to as usual , that he quite forgot to take off his cap . at first he thought they were too busy , but presently another explanation occurred to him . { the waiters : p38.jpg } well , i don't mean to starve in the midst of plenty , anyhow ; here goes ! " the prince rose , and went to the table in the midst of the room , where a huge roast turkey had just been placed . he then went back to a table in a corner , where he dined very well , nobody taking any notice of him . when he had finished , he sat watching the other people dining , and smoking his cigarette . with these words , the officer sat down suddenly in the prince 's lap , as if he did not see him at all . he was a heavy man , and the prince , enraged at the insult , pushed him away and jumped to his feet . as he did so , his cap dropped off . the officer fell on his knees at once , crying : " pardon , my prince , pardon ! i never saw you ! " this was more than the prince could be expected to believe . " nonsense ! count frederick von matterhorn , " he said ; " you must be intoxicated . sir ! you have insulted your prince and your superior officer . consider yourself under arrest ! you shall be sent to a prison to-morrow . " on this , the poor officer appealed piteously to everybody in the tavern . " it is a disgraceful conspiracy , " he said . " the king shall answer for this ! i shall write to the newspapers at once ! " he was not put in a better temper by the way in which people hustled him in the street . in one of these encounters , the prince pushed so hard against a poor old beggar woman that she fell down . overcome with surprise , he thrust the money into the woman 's hand , and put on his cap again . { the crowd running : p42.jpg } things are not as they appear . " a great ball was going on ; but , as usual , nobody took any notice of the prince . he walked among the guests , being careful not to jostle them , and listening to their conversation . it was all about himself ! everyone had heard of his disgrace , and almost everyone cried " serve him right ! " yes , one had ! it was the pretty lady of the carriage . i never could tell you how pretty she was . the prince first thought how nice and good she looked , even before he thought how pretty she looked . she stood up for prince prigio when her partner would speak ill of him . " and , then , think how hard they made him work at school ! and now he is minister for education , though he can't do a line of greek prose ! " the prince blushed at this , for he knew his conduct had not been honourable . you see he was so clever ! something seemed to give a whirr ! in his brain , and in one instant he knew all about it ! he had read about those things in historical books : but now he believed in them . chapter vii . the prince falls in love . he understood all this , and burst out laughing , which nearly frightened an old lady near him out of her wits . ah ! how he wished he was only in evening dress , that he might dance with the charming young lady . but there he was , dressed just as if he were going out to hunt , if anyone could have seen him . so , even if he took off his cap of darkness , and became visible , he was no figure for a ball . once he would not have cared , but now he cared very much indeed . but the prince was not clever for nothing . he struck a light with a flint and steel , lit a torch , and ran upstairs to the garret . was there yes , there was another cap ! there it lay , a handsome green one with a red feather . the prince pulled off the cap of darkness , put on the other , and said : " i wish i were dressed in my best suit of white and gold , with the royal pantouflia diamonds ! " he threw down the wishing cap , put on the other the cap of darkness and made three strides in the direction of gluckstein . but he was only three steps nearer it than he had been , and the seven-league boots were standing beside him on the floor ! that 's mathematics ! " he then hunted about in the lumber-room again till he found a small , shabby , old persian carpet , the size of a hearthrug . he went to his own room , took a portmanteau in his hand , sat down on the carpet , and said : " i wish i were in gluckstein . " { the prince on the carpet : p52.jpg } everybody made place for him , bowing down to the ground , and the loyal band struck up the prince 's march ! heaven bless our prince prigio ! what is there he doesn't know ? greek , swiss , german ( high and low ) , and the names of the mountains in mexico , heaven bless the prince ! he used to be very fond of this march , and the words some people even said he had made them himself . but now , somehow , he didn't much like it . she was the daughter of the new english ambassador , and her name was lady rosalind . however , it was impossible to refuse , and so she danced with the prince , and he danced very well . and the prince said : for , even a clever person can be nice when he likes above all , when he is not thinking about himself . and now the prince was thinking of nothing in the world but the daughter of the english ambassador , and how to please her . in pantouflia , it is the custom that a ball must not end while one of the royal family goes on dancing . { the mothers asleep : p56.jpg } chapter viii . the prince is puzzled . prince prigio did not go to bed . it was bright daylight , and he had promised to bring the horns and tail of a firedrake as a present to a pretty lady . " first , " he said , " where is the firedrake ? " he reflected for a little , and then ran upstairs to the garret . indeed , he had found the spyglass of carved ivory which prince ali , in the arabian nights , bought in the bazaar in schiraz . prigio 's first idea was to look at his lady . " but she does not expect to be looked at , " he thought ; " and i won't ! " the prince clapped the glass to his eye , stared out of window , and there , sure enough , he saw the firedrake . he was floating about in a sea of molten lava , on the top of a volcano . the prince did not like the looks of him . { the prince looking through the telescope : p59.jpg } poor little alphonso ! poor enrico ! what plucky fellows they were ! how horrid being too clever makes one ! and now , what am i to do ? " { the remora : p60.jpg } what was he to do , indeed ? and what would you have done ? bring the horns and tail he must , or perish in the adventure . otherwise , how could he meet his lady ? why , she would think him a mere braggart ! the prince sat down , and thought and thought ; and the day went on , and it was now high noon . at last he jumped up and rushed into the library , a room where nobody ever went except himself and the queen . in that book , prince prigio fancied he would find something he half remembered , and that would be of use to him . and he did ! so you see that cleverness , and minding your book , have some advantages , after all . then he seized the ivory glass , clapped it to his eye , and looked for the remora . never you fight , if you can help it , except with plenty of food to keep you going and in good heart . then off he flew , and soon he reached the volcano of the firedrake . chapter ix . { chapter heading picture : p64.jpg } the prince and the firedrake . it was dreadfully hot , even high up in the air , where the prince hung invisible . great burning stones were tossed up by the volcano , and nearly hit him several times . the garden-engine of poor little alphonso was lying in the valley , all broken and useless . " hi ! " shouted the prince . " who 's there ? " he said in a hoarse , angry voice . " just let me get at you ! " " it 's me , " answered the prince . it was the first time he had forgotten his grammar , but he was terribly excited . " what do you want ? " grunted the beast . " hi ! " " well , " grunted the firedrake , " what 's the matter ? why can't you give a civil answer to a civil question ? " " will you go back to your hole and swear , on your honour as a firedrake , to listen quietly ? " " on my sacred word of honour , " said the beast , casually scorching an eagle that flew by into ashes . the cinders fell , jingling and crackling , round the prince in a little shower . then the firedrake dived back , with an awful splash of flame , and the mountain roared round him . the prince now flew high above him , and cried : " a message from the remora . he says you are afraid to fight him . " " don't know him , " grunted the firedrake . then he dropped his own glove into the fiery lake . " does he ? " yelled the firedrake . " just let me get at him ! " and he scrambled out , all red-hot as he was . chapter x. the prince and the remora . if he had been too warm before , the prince was too cold now . the prince felt his blood stand still , and he grew faint ; but he took heart , for there was no time to waste . yet he could nowhere see the remora . " hi ! " shouted the prince . then there came a whisper , like the breath of the bitter east wind on a winter day : " where are you , and how can i come to you ? " " here i am ! " said the prince from the top of the hill . and still the thing slipped up , from the chink under the mountain . " hi ! " he shouted , as soon as his tongue could move within his chattering teeth . there came a clear , hissing answer , like frozen words dropping round him : " wait till i come down . what do you want ? " then the white folds began to slide , like melting ice , from the black hill . prince prigio felt the air getting warmer behind him , and colder in front of him . chapter xi . the battle . it was an awul sight to behold ! the green trees dropped their leaves as he advanced ; the birds fell down dead from the sky , slain by his frosty breath ! but , fast as the remora stole forward , the firedrake came quicker yet , flying and clashing his fiery wings . meanwhile , the prince , safe on his hill , was lunching on the loaf and the cold tongue he had brought with him . " go it , remora ! go it , firedrake ! you 're gaining . give it him , remora ! " he shouted in the wildest excitement . nobody had ever seen such a battle ; he had it all to himself , and he never enjoyed anything more . " go it , remora ! " cried the prince : " his legs are giving way ; he 's groggy on his pins ! one more effort , and he won't be able to move ! " then the firedrake stood groaning like a black bull , knee-deep in snow ; and still the remora climbed and climbed . the wounded remora curled back his head again on himself , and again crawled , steaming terribly , towards his enemy . but the struggle was too much for the gallant remora . with one final roar , like the breath of a thousand furnaces , the firedrake expired . drawing the sword of sharpness , he hacked off , at two blows , the iron head and the tail of the firedrake . { the prince in front of the firedrake : p78.jpg } but the castle clock struck half-past seven ; dinner was at eight , and the poor prince crawled on hands and knees to the garret . punctuality is the politeness of princes ! and a prince is polite , when he is in love ! she seemed prettier and kinder than ever . the prince was so happy , that he never noticed how something went wrong about the dinner . but the prince was so busy in talking to his lady , and in eating his dinner too , that he never observed anything unusual . he had never been at such a pleasant dinner ! chapter xii . a terrible misfortune . when the ladies left , and the prince and the other gentlemen were alone , the ambassador appeared more gloomy than ever . at last he took the prince into a corner , on pretence of showing him a rare statue . " does your royal highness not know , " he asked , " that you are in considerable danger ? " " still ? " said the prince , thinking of the firedrake . the ambassador did not know what he meant , for he had never heard of the fight , but he answered gravely : " never more than now . " then he showed the prince two proclamations , which had been posted all about the town . { the ambassador showing the prince the proclamation : p82.jpg } here is the first : to all loyal subjects . whereas , our eldest son , prince prigio , hath of late been guilty of several high crimes and misdemeanours . secondly : by attending an unseemly revel in the town of gluckstein , where he brawled in the streets . this is to give warning , that whoever consorts with , comforts , aids , or abets the said prince prigio , is thereby a partner in his treason ; and that a reward of five thousand purses will be given to whomsoever brings the said prince , alive , to our castle of falkenstein . grognio r. and here is the second proclamation : reward . the firedrake . whereas , our dominions have lately been devastated by a firedrake ( the salamander furiosus of buffon ) ; this is to advise all , grognio r. " we don't want to fight ; and no more , i think , do you , " said the prince , smiling . " then how does your royal highness mean to treat the proclamations ? " " why , by winning these ten thousand purses . i can tell you @number@ pounds is worth having , " said the prince . " i 'll deliver up the said prince , alive , at falkenstein this very night ; also the horns and tail of the said firedrake . but i don't want to marry my cousin molly . " " may i remind your royal highness that falkenstein is three hundred miles away ? the ambassador was so astonished that he ran straight upstairs , forgetting his manners , and crying : " linda ! linda ! come down at once ; here 's a surprise for you ! " lady rosalind came sweeping down , with a smile on her kind face . she guessed what it was , though the prince had said nothing about it at dinner . he turned quite pale , and said : " will you kindly ask the servants where the little persian prayer-rug and the parcel which i brought with me have been placed ? " lord kelso rang the bell , and in came all the servants , with william , the under-butler , at their head . " william , " said his lordship , " where have you put his royal highness 's parcel and his carpet ? " " please , your lordship , " said william , " we think benson have took them away with him . " " and where is benson ? " " we don't know , your lordship . we think he have been come for ! " " come for by whom ? " william stammered , and seemed at a loss for a reply . " quick ! answer ! what do you know about it ? " william said at last , rather as if he were making a speech . " your royaliness , and my lords and ladies , it was like this . his royaliness comed in with a rug over his arm , and summat under it . and he lays it down on that there seat , and thomas shows him into the droring- room . then benson says : ' dinner 'll be ready in five minutes ; how tired i do feel ! ' i 'm about tired , and i thinks of bettering myself . i wish i was at the king 's court , and butler . ' i run to the door , and there he was , flying right hover the town , in a northerly direction . and that 's all i know ; for i would not tell a lie , not if it was never so . and me , and thomas as didn't see it , and cook , we thinks as how benson was come for . and cook says as she don't wonder at it , neither ; for a grumblinger , more ill-conditioneder " { the butler on the carpet : p89.jpg } " thank you , william , " said lord kelso ; " that will do ; you can go , for the present . " chapter xiii . surprises . the prince said nothing , the ambassador said nothing , lady rosalind said never a word till they were in the drawing-room . below them flowed the clear , green water of the gluckthal . and still nobody said a word . at last the prince spoke : " this is a very strange story , lord kelso ! " " very , sir ! " said the ambassador . " i can hardly believe , sir , that the conduct of benson , whom i always found a most respectable man , deserved " " that he should be ' come for , ' " said the prince . " oh , sir , you honour us too highly , " murmured lady rosalind ; and the prince blushed and said : " not at all ! impossible ! " " what on earth am i to do with the young man ? " he thought . it is dreadful ! " { the king and queen on the carpet : p95.jpg } chapter xiv . the king explains . the first who recovered his voice and presence of mind was benson . when he had gone , the prince threw himself at the king 's feet , crying : " pardon , pardon , my liege ! " " i shall waken presently ; this is nothing out of the way for a dream . dr rumpfino ascribes it to imperfect nutrition . " all this time , the lady rosalind , as pale as a marble statue , was leaning against the side of the open window . meanwhile , the ambassador had induced the king to take a seat ; but there was no use in talking to the queen . " it would be a miracle , " she said to herself , " and miracles do not happen ; therefore this has not happened . presently , i shall wake up in my own bed at falkenstein . " now , benson , william , and thomas brought in the coffee , but the queen took no notice . { the king and queen : p99.jpg } " you want to know all about it , i suppose ? " said his majesty , in a sulky voice . " well , you have a right to it , and i shall tell you . the tail is like the iron handle of a pump , but the horns are genuine . the ambassador bowed . " well , we asked him where he killed the firedrake , and he said in a garden near gluckstein . rather a neat thing ; drew it up myself , " added his majesty . " very much to the point , " said the ambassador , wondering what the king was coming to . " glad you like it , " said the king , much pleased . " well , where was i ? oh , yes ; your man said he had killed the creature in a garden , quite near gluckstein . her heart is buried , if i may say so , with poor alphonso . but the queen is a very remarkable woman very remarkable " " very ! " said the ambassador , with perfect truth . this had not occurred to me , i am a plain king , but i at once saw the force of her majesty 's argument . ' yes , ' said i ; ' how did you manage it ? ' but he your man , i mean was not a bit put out . on this her majesty grew more indignant , if possible . these were her very words . " " her majesty 's expressions are ever choice and appropriate , " said the ambassador . when the experiment has failed , thy head shall from thy shoulders be shorn ! ' so your man merely said , ' very well , mum , your majesty , i mean , ' and sat down . then we rose , flew through the air at an astonishing pace , and here we are ! the queen accompanied him , remarking that she was sound asleep , but would waken presently . neither of them said " good-night " to the prince . indeed , they did not see him again , for he was on the balcony with lady rosalind . after this she went to bed ; and the prince , who had not slept at all the night before , felt very sleepy also . but he knew that first he had something that must be done . so he went into the drawing-room , took his carpet , and wished to be now , where do you suppose ? beside the dead body of the firedrake ! there he was in a moment ; and dreadful the body looked , lying stark and cold in the white moonshine . chapter xv . the king 's cheque . when they all wakened next morning , their first ideas were confused . however , she was a determined woman , and stood to it that nothing unusual was occurring . as for the king , he was only anxious to get back to falkenstein , and have the whole business settled in a constitutional manner . benson 's evidence was taken first . he declined to say exactly where or how he killed the firedrake . yet one or the other choice seemed certain . unhappy lady ! perhaps no girl was ever more strangely beset by misfortune ! prince prigio was now called on to speak . he admitted that the reward was offered for bringing the horns and tail , not for killing the monster . but were the king 's intentions to go for nothing ? any fellow with a waggon could bring the horns and tail ; the difficult thing was to kill the monster . if benson 's claim was allowed , the royal prerogative of saying one thing and meaning something else was in danger . he was ready to do this himself . was mr benson equally ready ? on this being interpreted to him for he did not speak pantouflian benson grew pale with horror , but fell back on the proclamation . he had brought the horns and tail , and so he must have the perquisites , and the lady molinda ! the king 's mind was so much confused by this time , that he determined to leave it to the lady molinda herself . " which of them will you have , my dear ? " he asked , in a kind voice . but poor molinda merely cried . then his majesty was almost driven to say that he would give the reward to whoever produced the hoofs by that day week . but no sooner had he said this than the prince brought them out of his wallet , and displayed them in open court . and i regret to say that his temper was not at all improved by his failure to better himself . but if benson was irritated , and suffered from the remarks of his fellow- servants , i do not think we can envy prince prigio . here he was , restored to his position indeed , but by no means to the royal favour . for the king disliked him as much as ever , and was as angry as ever about the deaths of enrico and alphonso . nay , he was even more angry ; and , perhaps , not without reason . he called up prigio before the whole court , and thereon the courtiers cheered like anything , but the king cried : " silence ! mcdougal , drag the first man that shouts to the serpent-house in the zoological gardens , and lock him up with the rattlesnakes ! " after that the courtiers were very quiet . but your base and malevolent nature is even more conspicuously manifest in your selfish success than in your previous dastardly contempt of duty . eh ! what do you say , you sneak ? ' you didn't believe there were any firedrakes ? ' that just comes of your eternal conceit and arrogance ! ' you have not generally found it so ? ' when his majesty had recovered , he said to prigio ( who had not been crying , he was too much absorbed ) : " a king 's word is his bond . bring me a pen , somebody , and my cheque-book . " the royal cheque-book , bound in red morocco , was brought in by eight pages , with ink and a pen . { a cheque for ten thousand purses , payable to prince prigio : p114.jpg } " hi ! here ! come back ! i forgot something ; you 've got to marry molinda ! " chapter xvi . a melancholy chapter . the prince had gone some way , when the king called after him . how he wished he had the seven-league boots on , or that he had the cap of darkness in his pocket ! if he had been so lucky , he would now have got back to gluckstein , and crossed the border with lady rosalind . " prigio ! " said his majesty , " where were you off to ? don't you remember that this is your wedding-day ? i congratulate you , sir ; molinda is a dear girl . " " i have the highest affection and esteem for my cousin , sir , " said the prince , " but " " never ! i despise him ! " { molinda before the king : p117.jpg } " never better , sire , " said the man , bowing with more courtliness than his profession indicated . " very well , " said the king ; " prince prigio , you have your choice . there is the gallows , here is lady molinda . my duty is painful , but clear . a king 's word cannot be broken . molly , or the gibbet ! " the prince bowed respectfully to lady molinda : i am compelled , most unwillingly , to slight your charms , and to select the extreme rigour of the law . executioner , lead on ! do your duty ; for me , prigio est pret ; " for this was his motto , and meant that he was ready . poor lady molinda could not but be hurt by the prince 's preference for death over marriage to her , little as she liked him . { the family executioner : p119.jpg } for alphonso was gone crying would not bring him back . " ah , madam ! " said the prince , " you are forgiving " " for you are brave ! " said molinda , feeling quite a respect for him . " but neither your heart nor mine is ours to give . since mine was another 's , i understand too well the feeling of yours ! do not let us buy life at the price of happiness and honour . " then , turning to the king , the prince said : " sir , is there no way but by death or marriage ? cannot the whole proclamation be annulled , and will you consider the bargain void if i tear up this flimsy scroll ? " and here the prince fluttered the cheque for @number@ pounds in the air . for a moment the king was tempted ; but then he said to himself : " never mind , it 's only an extra penny on the income-tax . " then , " keep your dross , " he shouted , meaning the million ; " but let me keep my promise . to chapel at once , or " and he pointed to the executioner . " the word of a king of pantouflia is sacred . " " and so is that of a crown prince , " answered prigio ; " and mine is pledged to a lady . " the prince thought for the space of a flash of lightning . " i accept the alternative , " he said , " if your majesty will grant me my conditions . " " name them ! " said the king . prigio of pantouflia will perish by his own hand . " the king , whose mind did not work very quickly , took some minutes to think over it . " honour bright ? " said the king at last . poor molinda merely stared ; for she could not imagine what he meant . chapter xvii . the black cat and the brethren ! who was glad to see the prince , if it was not lady rosalind ? for either he would have brought his brothers back , sound and well , to falkenstein , or he would not survive his dishonour . and i should have fallen , dear rosalind , if i had faced the firedrake before i knew you . " and the firedrake would have made a mouthful of him , then . but the prince said he had his plan , and he stayed that night at the ambassador 's . at last , stretched at full length in a sunny place , the prince found a very old , half-blind , miserable cat . " well , " said the prince at last , " he could not live long anyway , and it must be done . he will feel nothing . " then he drew the sword of sharpness , and with one turn of his wrist cut the cat 's head clean off . { poor old frank : p128.jpg } the dead cat lay there , like any common cat . very soon there was nothing of old black frank left but ashes ! then the prince ran upstairs to the fairy cupboard , his heart beating loudly with excitement . the sun was shining through the arrow-shot window , all the yellow motes were dancing in its rays . the light fell on the strange heaps of fairy things talismans and spells . this was what was written on the plates : aqva . de . fonte . leonvm . { 130 } " thank heaven ! " said the prince . " i thought they were sure to have brought it ! " he opened the bottle , and poured a few drops of the water on the ashes and the dying embers . { the prince and the bottles : p130.jpg } i'll ! " do you know what he meant to do , if he could not find his brothers ? let every child guess ! off he flew ; and there he was in a second , just beside poor alphono 's garden-engine . " hullo , prigio ! " cried he ; " are you come after the monster too ? i 've been asleep , and i had a kind of dream that he beat me . but the pair of us will tackle him . how is molinda ? " " prettier than ever , " said prigio ; " but anxious about you . however , the firedrake 's dead and done for ; so never mind him . but i left enrico somewhere about . just you sit down and wait a minute , till i fetch him . " " all right , old fellow , " says alphonso ; " but have you any luncheon with you ? never was so hungry in my life ! " in a hollow of the hill , sure enough there was the sword of enrico , the diamonds of the hilt gleaming in the sun . and there was a little heap of grey ashes . there they were in a moment , among the old knights whom , if you remember , the remora had frozen into stone . " long live prince prigio ! " so he marshalled them in order , and sent them off to ride to falkenstein and cry : " prince prigio is coming ! " off they went , the horses ' hoofs clattering , banners flying , sunshine glittering on the spear-points . { riding off to falkenstein : p136.jpg } chapter xviii . the very last . the princes returned to gluckstein on the carpet , and went to the best inn , where they dined together and slept . kings are like that . this threat properly frightened king grognio , and he apologised . then the king shook hands with prigio in public , and thanked him , and said he was proud of him . now , just as they were forming a procession to march into church , who should appear but the queen ! i say luckily because if she had heard of them , she would not have believed a word of them . but when she saw alphonso and enrico , she was much pleased , and said : { the queen and her sons : p140.jpg } " naughty boys ! where have you been hiding ? the king had some absurd story about your having been killed by a fabulous monster . bah ! don't tell me . i always said you would come back after a little trip didn't i , prigio ? " " certainly , madam , " said prigio ; " and i said so , too . didn't i say so ? " and they do ! the honeymoon of prince prigio and the crown princess rosalind was passed at the castle , where the prince had been deserted by the court . but the prince did not like the tone of her voice , and he said : " no , there 's something ; do tell me what it is . " no , not quite so very much , but i want them to like you . now they can't , because they are afraid of you ; for you are so awfully clever . now , couldn't you take the wishing cap , and wish to be no cleverer than other people ? then everybody would like you ! " the prince thought a minute , then he said : " your will is law , my dear ; anything to please you . just wait a minute ! " then he ran upstairs , for the last time , to the fairy garret , and he put on the wishing cap . " no , " thought he to himself , " i won't wish that . every man has one secret from his wife , and this shall be mine . " then he said aloud : " i wish to seem no cleverer than other people . " but occasionally rosalind would say , " i do believe , my dear , that you are really as clever as ever ! " and he was ! { the prince putting on the wishing cap : p144.jpg } printing office of the publisher . footnotes { 25 } subjunctive mood ! he was a great grammarian ! { 100 } the history of this prince may be read in a treatise called the rose and the ring , by m a titmarsh . london , @number@ { 130 } water from the fountain of lions .