ur young prince
follows his own sweet will, and no one dare ask why. One morning the
news came, and the castle people hardly know whether they are standing
on their heads or their heels. I had enough trouble to get the place
ready in two days."

"I can believe that; no one has visited Rodeck for years, but the
prince's visit will put some life in the old walls, at any rate."

"Well, it turns everything topsy-turvey," growled the castle steward.
"If you only knew how we have been upset, Herr Schoenau. The hunting-room
is crammed full of lion and tiger skins, and all sorts of stuffed
animals, and monkeys and parrots are sitting around in all the rooms.
The whole place is in such an uproar from them that one can't hear one's
self speak. And now his highness has just announced to me that there are
a troop of elephants and a great sea-serpent on the way. I think I
struck a blow at them, though."

"What is on the way?" inquired the head forester, who did not believe he
had heard aright.

"A sea-serpent and a dozen elephants. I have fought against them with
all my might. 'Your highness,' I said, 'we cannot accommodate any more
animals, and as to the sea-serpent, such a beast will need water and we
have no pond at Rodeck. And if the elephants do come we'll have to chain
them to trees in the forest, I know no other way.'"

"'That's just the thing' his highness answered, 'just chain them to the
trees, that'll be very wild and picturesque, and we'll send the
sea-serpent to board at Fuerstenstein; the castle fish-pond is big
enough.' Herr Schoenau, he will people the whole neighborhood with these
monsters, I believe."

The head forester laughed aloud, and gave the steward, who seemed to
enjoy his special favor, a hearty slap on the shoulder.

"But, Stadinger, have you really taken all this in earnest? You ought to
know the prince better. He certainly does not seem to come back any
steadier than he went away."

"No indeed, he does not," sighed Stadinger. "And what his highness does
not devise for himself, Herr Rojanow hatches for him. He is the worst of
the two. It's hard lines that such a dare-devil should be quartered on
us."

"Rojanow? Who is he?" asked Schoenau, all attention now.

"I hardly know, but he's come with the prince, who cannot live without
him. He met this friend in some heathen country. Maybe he is a
half-heathen, or Turk; he looks enough like one, with his dark face and
strange eyes. And the fellow, wi