re the King, who had found out
that the King's son-in-law was imprisoned in the East, not by men, but
by some more powerful being. The King now sent messengers to the East to
look for his son-in-law, and they by good luck met with the old magician
who had interpreted the signs on King Solomon's ring, and thus was
possessed of more wisdom than anyone else in the world. The magician
soon found out what he wished to know, and pointed out the place where
the Prince was imprisoned, but said: 'He is kept there by enchantment,
and cannot be set free without my help. I will therefore go with you
myself.'

So they all set out, guided by birds, and after some days came to the
cave where the unfortunate Prince had been chained up for nearly seven
years. He recognised the magician immediately, but the old man did not
know him, he had grown so thin. However, he undid the chains by the
help of magic, and took care of the Prince until he recovered and became
strong enough to travel. When he reached home he found that the old King
had died that morning, so that he was now raised to the throne. And now
after his long suffering came prosperity, which lasted to the end of his
life; but he never got back the magic ring, nor has it ever again been
seen by mortal eyes.

Now, if YOU had been the Prince, would you not rather have stayed with
the pretty witch-maiden?

STORY OF THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES(4)

(4) Andersen.

Many years ago there lived an Emperor who was so fond of new clothes
that he spent all his money on them in order to be beautifully dressed.
He did not care about his soldiers, he did not care about the theatre;
he only liked to go out walking to show off his new clothes. He had a
coat for every hour of the day; and just as they say of a king, 'He is
in the council-chamber,' they always said here, 'The Emperor is in the
wardrobe.'

In the great city in which he lived there was always something going on;
every day many strangers came there. One day two impostors arrived
who gave themselves out as weavers, and said that they knew how to
manufacture the most beautiful cloth imaginable. Not only were the
texture and pattern uncommonly beautiful, but the clothes which were
made of the stuff possessed this wonderful property that they were
invisible to anyone who was not fit for his office, or who was
unpardonably stupid.

'Those must indeed be splendid clothes,' thought the Emperor. 'If I
had them on I could find out