t he knew of a long way from the
palace. But he was surprised to find that the brook was gone, and where
it had been stood a great house that seemed to be built of gold and
precious stones. Numbers of people splendidly dressed were going into
it, and sounds of music and dancing and feasting could be heard from the
windows.

But what seemed very strange was that those people who came out of the
house were pale and thin, and their clothes were torn, and hanging in
rags about them. Some fell down dead as they came out before they had
time to get away; others crawled farther with great difficulty; while
others again lay on the ground, fainting with hunger, and begged a
morsel of bread from those who were going into the house, but they would
not so much as look at the poor creatures.

Prince Darling went up to a young girl who was trying to eat a few
blades of grass, she was so hungry. Touched with compassion, he said to
himself:

"I am very hungry, but I shall not die of starvation before I get my
dinner; if I give my breakfast to this poor creature perhaps I may save
her life."

So he laid his piece of bread in the girl's hand, and saw her eat it up
eagerly.

She soon seemed to be quite well again, and the Prince, delighted to
have been able to help her, was thinking of going home to the palace,
when he heard a great outcry, and, turning round, saw Celia, who was
being carried against her will into the great house.

For the first time the Prince regretted that he was no longer the
monster, then he would have been able to rescue Celia; now he could only
bark feebly at the people who were carrying her off, and try to follow
them, but they chased and kicked him away.

He determined not to quit the place till he knew what had become of
Celia, and blamed himself for what had befallen her.

"Alas!" he said to himself, "I am furious with the people who are
carrying Celia off, but isn't that exactly what I did myself, and if I
had not been prevented did I not intend to be still more cruel to her?"

Here he was interrupted by a noise above his head--someone was opening
a window, and he saw with delight that it was Celia herself, who came
forward and threw out a plate of most delicious-looking food, then the
window was shut again, and Prince Darling, who had not had anything to
eat all day, thought he might as well take the opportunity of getting
something. He ran forward to begin, but the young girl to whom he
had given