could be expected of one so twisted.

The Prince, however, had already tasted of the pasty, which proved
hotter than fire with red pepper. So it was with everything on the
table. Nothing was fit to eat. The ragout was full of pins and needles,
the wine was drugged with nauseous herbs, the cakes were stuffed with
cotton; and the Prince cracked his teeth instead of the almonds, which
were cleverly made out of stone.

All this nonsense was very bitter to the hungry Prince, as you may
suppose; but as for the Funny Man, he was quite wild with delight. He
rolled over and over on the floor, and the tears of joy streamed down
his cheeks at the success of his jokes.

"This is the best fun I've had for months," he cried. "This is joy! This
is true happiness!"

"A very poor sort of happiness," the Prince said ruefully. "I think I
will go to bed."

Alas! here things were just as bad. As the Prince entered his chamber a
bucket of ice-cold water, balanced above, fell down and drenched him to
the skin. His bed was full of eels and frogs; and when the poor boy
tried to get a nap in a chair a tame owl and a pair of pet bats flapped
their wings in his face and tweaked his nose and ears. At the earliest
peep of dawn the tortured Prince shouldered his box and left his
chamber.

Sitting on the balustrade, whittling, was the host.

XV

"Good-morning!" said the Funny Man, politely. "I hope you slept well."

"I did not sleep at all," replied the Prince, hotly; "and of course you
knew I wouldn't."

"That was the joke, you know," the Funny Man chuckled, pocketing his
knife and preparing to lead the way to the breakfast-table.

The Prince, however, had no mind for another feast like that of the
night before; so he resisted all urging and started forth.

"Don't miss the way!" said the Funny Man, who seemed to be much cast
down because the Prince would not stay to breakfast. "Cross the stream,
you know, than climb a red stile, and there you are on the straight
road. If ever I come your way I'll make you a visit. I've taken a fancy
to you."

"That's more than I've done to you," muttered Vance, as he trudged away.

He was very angry indeed with the Funny Man, and yet he had an
unpleasant remembrance of a time, not so very far away, when he himself
was the terror of the entire palace on account of his fondness for
playing cruel jokes upon others.

The road was rough, the sun was hot, and the Prince was so famished that
he w