concerns, and who was much pleased with the little Prince, endowed him
with the power of pleasing everybody from his cradle, as well as with
a wonderful ease in learning everything which could help to make him a
perfectly accomplished Prince. Accordingly, to the delight of his
teachers, he made the most rapid progress in his education, constantly
surpassing everyone's expectations. Before he was many years old,
however, he had the great sorrow of losing his mother, whose last
words were to advise him never to undertake anything of importance
without consulting the Fairy under whose protection she had placed
him.

The Prince's grief at the death of his mother was great, but it was
nothing compared to that of the King, his father, who was quite
inconsolable for the loss of his dear wife. Neither time nor reason
seemed to lighten his sorrow, and the sight of all the familiar faces
and things about him only served to remind him of his loss.

[Footnote 14: From _Les Fees illustres_.]

He therefore resolved to travel for change, and by means of his magic
art was able to visit every country he came to see under different
shapes, returning every few weeks to the place where he had left a few
followers.

Having travelled from land to land in this fashion without finding
anything to rivet his attention, it occurred to him to take the form
of an eagle, and in this shape he flew across many countries and
arrived at length in a new and lovely spot, where the air seemed
filled with the scent of jessamine and orange flowers with which the
ground was thickly planted. Attracted by the sweet perfume he flew
lower, and perceived some large and beautiful gardens filled with the
rarest flowers, and with fountains throwing up their clear waters into
the air in a hundred different shapes. A wide stream flowed through
the garden, and on it floated richly ornamented barges and gondolas
filled with people dressed in the most elegant manner and covered with
jewels.

In one of these barges sat the Queen of that country with her only
daughter, a maiden more beautiful than the Day Star, and attended by
the ladies of the Court. No more exquisitely lovely mortal was ever
seen than this Princess, and it needed all an eagle's strength of
sight to prevent the King being hopelessly dazzled. He perched on the
top of a large orange tree, whence he was able to survey the scene and
to gaze at pleasure on the Princess's charms.

Now, an eagle with a