is way
round the lake to the other side. There the wood was wilder, and the
shore steeper--rising more immediately towards the mountains which
surrounded the lake on all sides, and kept sending it messages of
silvery streams from morning to night, and all night long. He soon
found a spot whence he could see the green light in the princess's
room, and where, even in the broad daylight, he would be in no danger
of being discovered from the opposite shore. It was a sort of cave in
the rock, where he provided himself a bed of withered leaves, and lay
down too tired for hunger to keep him awake. All night long he dreamed
that he was swimming with the princess.
X. LOOK AT THE MOON.
Early the next morning the prince set out to look for something to eat,
which he soon found at a forester's hut, where for many following days
he was supplied with all that a brave prince could consider necessary.
And having plenty to keep him alive for the present, he would not think
of wants not yet in existence. Whenever Care intruded, this prince
always bowed him out in the most princely manner.
When he returned from his breakfast to his watch-cave, he saw the
princess already floating about in the lake, attended by the king or
queen--whom he knew by their crowns--and a great company in lovely
little boats, with canopies of all the colours of the rainbow, and
flags and streamers of a great many more. It was a very bright day, and
soon the prince, burned up with the heat, began to long for the cold
water and the cool princess. But he had to endure till twilight; for
the boats had provisions on board, and it was not till the sun went
down that the gay party began to vanish. Boat after boat drew away to
the shore, following that of the king and queen, till only one,
apparently the princess's own boat, remained. But she did not want to
go home even yet, and the prince thought he saw her order the boat to
the shore without her. At all events, it rowed away; and now, of all
the radiant company, only one white speck remained. Then the prince
began to sing.
And this is what he sang:--
"Lady fair,
Swan-white,
Lift thine eyes
Banish night
By the might
Of thine eyes.
Snowy arms,
Oars of snow,
Oar her hither,
Plashing low.
Soft and slow,
Oar her hither.
Stream behind her
O'er the lake,
Radiant whiteness!
In her wake
Following, following for her sake,
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