th in the Crushed
Strawberry Wizard, and he meant to be very cautious in approaching the
palace.

By sundown, as the Wizard had promised, the young Prince found his long
journey ended, and beheld at last the dear old home where he was born
and had always lived till his own misdoings sent him forth. How
beautiful it looked to the worn and footsore Prince, with its velvety
terraces, its clear blue lake, marble statues, and crystal fountains,
lovely flowers, waving ferns, and shady trees, and, above all, the great
golden palace itself, its turrets flashing and glittering in the rays of
the setting sun! The Prince could have wept for very joy.

Everything about the palace seemed wonderfully still. The white swans
slept upon the lake, and the peacocks stood like jewelled images upon
the terrace.

Peeping about cautiously for any signs of the wicked General, the Prince
made his way softly through the shrubbery till he was very near the
front entrance of the palace. Still no signs of the pretended king. The
court cat, sleeker than in the days when Vance made her life a burden,
sat alone on the upper step, placidly washing herself.

"You may as well come out from behind that almond-tree," she said, "for
I see you plainly enough."

At this the Prince came out, still cautiously looking about him, and set
his box down upon the steps.

"Dear cat," he said politely, "how do you do?"

"Humph!" replied Tabby, rather unpleasantly. "'Dear cat!' How touching!"

"I've been gone a long time," ventured the Prince.

"That may be," returned the cat; "the days have passed swiftly enough
with us here. We have not grown thin in your absence."

"That is true," the Prince assented rather shamefacedly, and he
hastened to change the subject. "Where is everybody?"

"Beheaded," replied the cat, briefly; "that is, all but the King."

"Do you mean General Bopi?" asked the Prince. "You know I have the real
King here in my box."

"Don't quibble!" retorted the cat, sharply. "A king is known by his
deeds. If you have seen the way he's been beheading people right and
left, I think you'd call him something more than a general. What few he
has left alive have fled from the palace and are hiding in the woods."

[Illustration]

"And where is the Gen--King himself?" asked Vance, uneasily.

"Oh!" replied the cat, carelessly, "he's 'round."

"'Round where?" asked Vance.

"'Round here," the cat replied.

"I don't see him," said the Prince, wi