ng. The talk even reached the Court,
and the Queen, who was very curious, had a great desire to see the
wonderful Prince.

'Very well,' said the King; 'let him be asked to come and play cards
with me.'

This time the Kinglet was not late for his appointment.

The King sent for the cards and they sat down to play. They had six
games, and John always lost. The stake was fifty crowns, and each time
he emptied his purse, which was full the next instant.

[Illustration]

The sixth time the King exclaimed, 'It is amazing!'

The Queen cried, 'It is astonishing!'

The Princess said, 'It is bewildering!'

'Not so bewildering,' replied the little soldier, 'as your change into a
serpent.'

'Hush!' interrupted the King, who did not like the subject.

'I only spoke of it,' said John, 'because you see in me the man who
delivered the Princess from the goblins and whom she promised to
marry.'

'Is that true?' asked the King of the Princess.

'Quite true,' answered Ludovine. 'But I told my deliverer to be ready to
go with me when I passed by with my coach. I passed three times, but he
slept so soundly that no one could wake him.'

'What is your name?' said the King, 'and who are you?'

'My name is John. I am a soldier, and my father is a boatman.'

'You are not a fit husband for my daughter. Still, if you will give us
your purse, you shall have her for your wife.'

'My purse does not belong to me, and I cannot give it away.'

'But you can lend it to me till our wedding-day,' said the Princess with
one of those glances the little soldier never could resist.

'And when will that be?'

'At Easter,' said the monarch.

'Or in a blue moon!' murmured the Princess; but the Kinglet did not hear
her and let her take his purse.

Next evening he presented himself at the palace to play picquet with the
King and to make his court to the Princess. But he was told that the
King had gone into the country to receive his rents. He returned the
following day, and had the same answer. Then he asked to see the Queen,
but she had a headache. When this had happened five or six times, he
began to understand that they were making fun of him.

'That is not the way for a King to behave,' thought John. 'Old
scoundrel!' and then suddenly he remembered his red cloak.

'Ah, what an idiot I am!' said he. 'Of course I can get in whenever I
like with the help of this.'

That evening he was in front of the palace, wrapped in his red cloak.