ot have believed a word of them. But when she
saw Alphonso and Enrico, she was much pleased, and said:

"Naughty boys! Where have you been hiding? The king had some absurd
story about your having been killed by a fabulous monster. Bah! don't
tell _me_. I always said you would come back after a little trip--didn't
I, Prigio?"

"Certainly, madam," said Prigio; "and I said so, too. Didn't I say
so?" And all the courtiers cried: "Yes, you did;" but some added, to
themselves, "He _always_ says, 'Didn't I say so?'"

Then the queen was introduced to Lady Rosalind, and she said it was
"rather a short engagement, but she supposed young people understood
their own affairs best." And they do! So the three pairs were married,
with the utmost rejoicings; and her majesty never, her whole life long,
could be got to believe that anything unusual had occurred.

The honeymoon of Prince Prigio and the Crown Princess Rosalind was
passed at the castle, where the prince had been deserted by the Court.
But now it was delightfully fitted up; and Master Frank marched about
the house with his tail in the air, as if the place belonged to him.

Now, on the second day of their honeymoon, the prince and princess were
sitting in the garden together, and the prince said, "Are you _quite_
happy, my dear?" and Rosalind said, "Yes; _quite_."

But the prince did not like the tone of her voice, and he said:

"No, there's something; do tell me what it is."

"Well," said Rosalind, putting her head on his shoulder, and speaking
very low, "I want everybody to love you as much as I do. No, not quite
so very much,--but I want them to like you. Now they _can't_, because
they are afraid of you; for you are so awfully clever. Now, couldn't you
take the wishing cap, and wish to be no cleverer than other people? Then
everybody would like you!"

The prince thought a minute, then he said:

"Your will is law, my dear; anything to please you. Just wait a minute!"

Then he ran upstairs, for the last time, to the fairy garret, and he put
on the wishing cap.

"No," thought he to himself, "I won't wish _that_. Every man has one
secret from his wife, and this shall be mine."

Then he said aloud: "I wish to SEEM no CLEVERER THAN OTHER PEOPLE."

Then he ran downstairs again, and the princess noticed a great
difference in him (though, of course, there was really none at all), and
so did everyone. For the prince remained as clever as ever he had been;
but, as nobo