complicated. It is easy to do right in the one, and
exceedingly difficult not to do wrong in the other. If your crop is
blighted, you can take off your bonnet and say, 'God's will be done';
but if the prince meets with a reverse, he may have to blame himself for
the attempt. And, perhaps, if all the kings in Europe were to confine
themselves to innocent amusement, the subjects would be the better off."

"Ay," said the young man Fritz, "you are in the right of it there. That
was a true word spoken. And I see you are like me, a good patriot and an
enemy to princes."

Otto was somewhat abashed at this deduction, and he made haste to change
his ground. "But," said he, "you surprise me by what you say of this
Prince Otto. I have heard him, I must own, more favourably painted. I
was told he was, in his heart, a good fellow, and the enemy of no one
but himself."

"And so he is, sir," said the girl, "a very handsome, pleasant prince;
and we know some who would shed their blood for him."

"O! Kuno!" said Fritz. "An ignoramus!"

"Ay, Kuno, to be sure," quavered the old farmer. "Well, since this
gentleman is a stranger to these parts, and curious about the Prince, I
do believe that story might divert him. This Kuno, you must know, sir,
is one of the hunt servants, and a most ignorant, intemperate man: a
right Gruenewalder, as we say in Gerolstein. We know him well, in this
house; for he has come as far as here after his stray dogs; and I make
all welcome, sir, without account of state or nation. And, indeed,
between Gerolstein and Gruenewald the peace has held so long that the
roads stand open like my door; and a man will make no more of the
frontier than the very birds themselves."

"Ay," said Otto, "it has been a long peace--a peace of centuries."

"Centuries, as you say," returned Killian: "the more the pity that it
should not be for ever. Well, sir, this Kuno was one day in fault, and
Otto, who has a quick temper, up with his whip and thrashed him, they do
say, soundly. Kuno took it as best he could, but at last he broke out,
and dared the Prince to throw his whip away and wrestle like a man; for
we are all great at wrestling in these parts, and it's so that we
generally settle our disputes. Well, sir, the Prince did so; and, being
a weakly creature, found the tables turned; for the man whom he had just
been thrashing like a negro slave, lifted him with a back grip and threw
him heels overhead."

"He broke his bridle