g at the queen, who nodded to
him. "But, besides, I have a few other wishes. In the first place, I
would like to have a nice horse with handsome new saddle and bridle, and
I would like to be allowed to take frequent rides with my parents, but
always at a gallop--at a full gallop!"

"But, Fred, that would be bad for you, considering that you are not yet
a skilful horseman," exclaimed the queen, laughing.

"Well, then," said the prince, gravely, "I wish for another birthday
present, that I may become a skilful horseman without learning, for that
is a very unpleasant and slow affair, as I found it out again to-day,
when, in skating, I wanted to imitate my teacher in describing a circle
on the ice, and only succeeded in falling on my nose!"

"Every thing in the world has to be learned," said the king, "and
although you may at first fall, you learn thereby to stand the firmer
afterward, and to keep your head erect. But have you told us all your
birthday wishes, or are there any more?"

"Oh, there are a great many yet, your majesty," exclaimed the prince,
laughing. "If I could sow all my great and small wishes, like the
dragon's teeth of Cadmus, I would be at the head of a very pretty
regiment of soldiers to-morrow."

"It is strange how many desires young folks have nowadays," said the
king, thoughtfully. "That boy, although he is but twelve years old,
wishes to have a saddle-horse as a birthday present, and in times so
hard as these! When I was as old as you, there were golden times in
Prussia, and yet I did not receive many presents on my birthday.
Sometimes I had to be content with nothing but a small flower-pot, worth
a few shillings, and if my instructor wished to be particularly kind to
me he took me to a public garden, and treated me to one, or, at the
best, two silver groschens' worth of cherries."

"Oh," said the queen, with tearful eyes, "it makes my heart ache when I
think of the cheerless youth of your good and noble father, and of the
sufferings he had to undergo under his harsh instructor."

"It is true, Counsellor Benisch was a rigorous and harsh man," said the
king; "he treated me very roughly, often wreaked his ill-humor upon me,
and thought he ought to rob me entirely of my youthful pleasures. He did
not do so because he was a bad man, but because he believed it to be the
best system of education. And then it produced good fruits. I learned
early to bear disagreeable things, and uncomplainingly to do