and said that Alphonso had taken the opportunity
to start off on his travels and see the world.

"There is some dreadful mistake, sir," said Prigio to the king. "You
know as well as I do that the youngest son has always succeeded, up to
now. But I entertain great hopes of Enrico!"

And he grinned; for he fancied it was all _nonsense_, and that there
were no Firedrakes.

Enrico was present when Prigio was consoling the king in this unfeeling
way.

"Enrico, my boy," said his majesty, "the task awaits you, and the
honour. When _you_ come back with the horns and tail of the Fire-drake,
you shall be crown prince; and Prigio shall be made an usher at the
Grammar School--it is all he is fit for."

Enrico was not quite so confident as Alphonso had been. He insisted on
making his will; and he wrote a poem about the pleasures and advantages
of dying young. This is part of it:

The violet is a blossom sweet,
That droops before the day is done--
Slain by thine overpowering heat, O Sun!
And I, like that sweet purple flower,
May roast, or boil, or broil, or bake,
If burned by thy terrific power, Firedrake!

This poem comforted Enrico more or less, and he showed it to Prigio. But
the prince only laughed, and said that the second line of the last verse
was not very good; for violets do not "roast, or boil, or broil, or
bake."

Enrico tried to improve it, but could not. So he read it to his cousin,
Lady Kathleena, just as it was; and she cried over it (though I don't
think she understood it); and Enrico cried a little, too.

However, next day he started, with a spear, a patent refrigerator, and a
lot of the bottles people throw at fires to put them out.

But _he_ never came back again!

After shedding torrents of tears, the king summoned Prince Prigio to his
presence.

"Dastard!" he said. "Poltroon! _Your_ turn, which should have come
first, has arrived at last. _You_ must fetch me the horns and the tail
of the Fired rake. Probably you will be grilled, thank goodness; but who
will give me back Enrico and Alphonso?"

"Indeed, your majesty," said Prigio, "you must permit me to correct your
policy. Your only reason for dispatching your sons in pursuit of this
dangerous but I believe _fabulous_ animal, was to ascertain which of us
would most worthily succeed to your throne, at the date--long may it
be deferred!--of your lamented decease. Now, there can be no further
question about the