perfectly familiar! In fact, he knew everything better than anybody
else; and the worst of it was that he _did_: and he was never in the
wrong, and he always said, "Didn't I tell you so?" And, what was more,
he _had_!

As time went on, Prince Prigio had two younger brothers, whom everybody
liked. They were not a bit clever, but jolly. Prince Alphonso, the
third son, was round, fat, good-humoured, and as brave as a lion. Prince
Enrico, the second, was tall, thin, and a little sad, but _never_ too
clever. Both were in love with two of their own cousins (with the
approval of their dear parents); and all the world said, "What nice,
unaffected princes they are!" But Prigio nearly got the country into
several wars by being too clever for the foreign ambassadors. Now, as
Pantouflia was a rich, lazy country, which hated fighting, this was very
unpleasant, and did not make people love Prince Prigio any better.

CHAPTER III.

_About the Firedrake_.

Of all the people who did not like Prigio, his own dear papa, King
Grognio, disliked him most. For the king knew he was not clever,
himself. When he was in the counting-house, counting out his money, and
when he happened to say, "Sixteen shillings and fourteen and twopence are
three pounds, fifteen," it made him wild to hear Prigio whisper, "One
pound, ten and twopence"--which, of course, it _is_. And the king was
afraid that Prigio would conspire, and get made king himself--which was
the last thing Prigio really wanted. He much preferred to idle about,
and know everything without seeming to take any trouble.

{The King at his desk: p15.jpg}

Well, the king thought and thought. How was he to get Prigio out of the
way, and make Enrico or Alphonso his successor? He read in books about
it; and all the books showed that, if a king sent his three sons to do
anything, it was always the youngest who did it, and got the crown. And
he wished he had the chance. Well, it arrived at last.

There was a very hot summer! It began to be hot in March. All the
rivers were dried up. The grass did not grow. The corn did not grow.
The thermometers exploded with heat. The barometers stood at SET FAIR.
The people were much distressed, and came and broke the palace windows--as
they usually do when things go wrong in Pantouflia.

The king consulted the learned men about the Court, who told him that
probably a

FIREDRAKE

was in the neighbourhood.

Now, the Firedrake