a rock, where there were chains hanging from the wall. The maiden now
chained the young man's hands and feet so that he could not escape;
then she said in an angry voice, 'Here you shall remain chained up
until you die. I will bring you every day enough food to prevent you
dying of hunger, but you need never hope for freedom any more.' With
these words she left him.

The old King and his daughter waited anxiously for many weeks for the
Prince's return, but no news of him arrived. The King's daughter often
dreamed that her husband was going through some great suffering; she
therefore begged her father to summon all the enchanters and
magicians, that they might try to find out where the Prince was and
how he could be set free. But the magicians, with all their arts,
could find out nothing, except that he was still living and undergoing
great suffering; but none could tell where he was to be found. At last
a celebrated magician from Finland was brought before 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?

[Illustration: 'Here You Shall Remain Chained Up Until You Die']

_STORY OF THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES_[4]

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