from you as long as you remain in the palace of Prosperity.'

That night, when he went to his soft bed, the Prince thought very much
as to the conversation he had held with Satiety, and he resolved to go
out of the palace for a time, just to get rid of the ugly little grey,
yawning dwarf.

The very resolution seemed to do him good, and he slept better that
night after he had made it than he had done for many a night before.

Chapter II

The next morning when he rose he felt quite refreshed, and he said to a
groom: 'Bring me my stout horse, Expedition; I am going out to take a
ride all alone.'

The groom answered not a word, for in that palace everyone obeyed the
Prince at once, and nobody troubled him but the ugly little dwarf,
Satiety. As he went away, however, the groom said to himself with a
sigh: 'It is a sad thing to be in the wide world all alone. My Prince
does not know what it is. But let him try; it may be better for him.'

He accordingly brought the horse to the palace-door. But when the Prince
came down he felt quite well, and, looking about amongst all his
attendants, he could only catch a distant glimpse of Satiety standing
yawning behind. For a minute he was half-inclined not to go, for he did
not mind seeing Satiety at a distance if he did not come near. But the
groom, whose name was Resolution, seeing him hesitate, said: 'You had
better go, my Prince, as you determined; it may do you good.' And a
chamberlain called Effort helped him on his horse.

At first, as the Prince rode along, everything was quite delightful to
him. He seemed to breathe more freely now that he was no more troubled
with Satiety. The flowers looked bright, and the sky beautiful, for a
cloud or two here and there only gave variety. The very air seemed
fresher than it had been in the sheltered gardens of the palace, and the
Prince said to himself: 'What a delightful country this is, just on the
verge of the land of Prosperity.'

Just then he saw a countryman gathering grapes in a vineyard, and every
now and then putting some into his mouth, and the Prince asked him whose
fine estate it was that he was passing through.

'It belongs to a gentleman and lady equally, sir,' replied the good man;
'they are called Activity and Ease. They are the happiest couple ever
seen. When Activity is tired, Ease takes his head upon her lap; and soon
as she is weary of her burden, Activity jumps up and relieves her from
it.'

'But to whom