like whole forests. In less than an hour the entire
army vanished. Some of them remained upon the spot, dead; some of them
fled. Prince Kindhearted and the Knight Invisible met upon the
battle-field, shook hands in a friendly way, and in a minute the Knight
Invisible and his horse turned into a bright red flame, then into thick
smoke, which disappeared in the darkness. The prince returned quietly to
the palace.

The young princess felt very sad that evening. She could not sleep and so
leaned out of her window, whence she overheard the conversation between the
prince and the servant. Then she saw what was going on behind the city
walls. She also saw the Knight Invisible disappear in the darkness, and
Prince Kindhearted return to the palace. She saw the false prince coming
out of the palace, taking the knightly armor from the servant, and Prince
Kindhearted entering the stable to rest.

The next morning, the old king, seeing his land freed from the enemies,
felt very happy, and gave the prince many rich presents. But when he
announced the engagement of his daughter to him, she stood up, took the
hand of the real prince, who helped to serve at the table, led him before
the old king and said: "My dearest father and king, and all you that are
present here! This man is my bridegroom, sent to me by God, for he is your
savior, and the real prince. And that one who calls himself a prince, is a
traitor; a false and dishonest man." Then the princess told everything she
knew and said: "Let him show some proof that he really is a prince."

The false prince gave to the king the note, which was given to him in the
well. The king opened it and read aloud: "The bearer of this note, the
false and untrue servant of Prince Kindhearted, asks for pardon and
expects a just punishment. The note was given to him in the well by Prince
Kindhearted."

"Is it really so?" cried the wretch and he became pale as death.

"Yes, read it yourself, if you do not believe it," answered the king.

"I cannot read," said the poor fellow. He knelt before his master and
begged for mercy, but he received what he deserved.

Prince Kindhearted and the princess were happily married, and I was present
at the wedding feast and also felt happy.

THE TIMID HARE AND THE FLIGHT OF THE BEASTS

Once upon a time when Brahmadatta reigned in Benares, the Bodhisatta came
to life as a young lion. And when fully grown he lived in a wood. At this
same time there w