zzled to know what to do. He had strict orders to
refuse the prince nothing; yet he remembered the prophecy, and felt that
this was a serious matter. At last he thought he had better tell the
king the whole story, and let him decide the question.

'Oh, get him a dog if he wants one,' said the king, 'he will only cry
his heart out if he does not have it.' So a puppy was found, exactly
like the other; they might have been twins, and perhaps they were.

Years went by, and the boy and the dog played together till the boy grew
tall and strong. The time came at last when he sent a message to his
father, saying:

'Why do you keep me shut up here, doing nothing? I know all about the
prophecy that was made at my birth, but I would far rather be killed at
once than live an idle, useless life here. So give me arms, and let me
go, I pray you; me and my dog too.'

And again the king listened to his wishes, and he and his dog were
carried in a ship to the other side of the river, which was so broad
here it might almost have been the sea. A black horse was waiting for
him, tied to a tree, and he mounted and rode away wherever his fancy
took him, the dog always at his heels. Never was any prince so happy as
he, and he rode and rode till at length he came to a king's palace.

The king who lived in it did not care about looking after his country,
and seeing that his people lived cheerful and contented lives. He spent
his whole time in making riddles, and inventing plans which he had much
better have let alone. At the period when the young prince reached the
kingdom he had just completed a wonderful house for his only child, a
daughter. It had seventy windows, each seventy feet from the ground,
and he had sent the royal herald round the borders of the neighbouring
kingdoms to proclaim that whoever could climb up the walls to the window
of the princess should win her for his wife.

The fame of the princess's beauty had spread far and wide, and there
was no lack of princes who wished to try their fortune. Very funny the
palace must have looked each morning, with the dabs of different colour
on the white marble as the princes were climbing up the walls. But
though some managed to get further than others, nobody was anywhere near
the top.

They had already been spending several days in this manner when the
young prince arrived, and as he was pleasant to look upon, and civil to
talk to, they welcomed him to the house, which had been giv