king hesitated at this proposal. He hoped that some day he might
have children in his home, and the thought that he must yield up the
heir to his crown was very bitter to him; but just then a huge wave
broke with great force on the ship's side, and his men fell on their
knees and entreated him to save them.

So he promised, and this time a wave lifted the vessel clean off the
rocks, and she was in the open sea once more.

The affairs of the islands took longer to settle than the king had
expected, and some months passed away before he returned to his
palace. In his absence a son had been born to him, and so great was
his joy that he quite forgot the mermaid and the price he had paid for
the safety of his ship. But as the years went on, and the baby grew
into a fine big boy, the remembrance of it came back, and one day he
told the queen the whole story. From that moment the happiness of both
their lives was ruined. Every night they went to bed wondering if they
should find his room empty in the morning, and every day they kept him
by their sides, expecting him to be snatched away before their very
eyes.

At last the king felt that this state of things could not continue,
and he said to his wife:

'After all, the most foolish thing in the world one can do is to keep
the boy here in exactly the place in which the mermaid will seek him.
Let us give him food and send him on his travels, and perhaps, if the
mermaid ever _does_ come to seek him, she may be content with some
other child.' And the queen agreed that his plan seemed the wisest.

So the boy was called, and his father told him the story of the
voyage, as he had told his mother before him. The prince listened
eagerly, and was delighted to think that he was to go away all by
himself to see the world, and was not in the least frightened; for
though he was now sixteen, he had scarcely been allowed to walk alone
beyond the palace gardens. He began busily to make his preparations,
and took off his smart velvet coat, putting on instead one of green
cloth, while he refused a beautiful bag which the queen offered him to
hold his food, and slung a leather knapsack over his shoulders
instead, just as he had seen other travellers do. Then he bade
farewell to his parents and went his way.

[Illustration: THE MERMAID ASKS FOR THE KING'S CHILD]

All through the day he walked, watching with interest the strange
birds and animals that darted across his path in the forest o