acious indifference as she had given it to him the first time
they met. It happened that this farewell took place before the whole
Court, and so great a favourite had Prince Mannikin become that they
were all indignant at the coldness with which the Princess treated him.

Finally the King said to him:

'Prince, you have constantly refilled all the gifts which, in my
gratitude for your invaluable services, I have offered to you, but I
wish the Princess to present you with her cloak of marten's fur, and
that I hope you will not reject!' Now this was a splendid fur mantle
which the Princess was very fond of wearing, not so much because she
felt cold, as that its richness set off to perfection the delicate tints
of her complexion and the brilliant gold of her hair. However, she took
it off, and with graceful politeness begged Prince Mannikin to accept
it, which you may be sure he was charmed to do, and, taking only this
and a little bundle of all kinds of wood, and accompanied only by two
spaniels out of the fifty who had stayed with him when the war was
ended, he set forth, receiving many tokens of love and favour from the
people in every town he passed through. At the last little village he
left his horse behind him, to begin his toilful march through the snow,
which extended, blank and terrible, in every direction as far as the eye
could see. Here he had appointed to meet the other forty-eight spaniels,
who received him joyfully, and assured him that, happen what might,
they would follow and serve him faithfully. And so they started, full
of heart and hope. At first there was a slight track, difficult, but
not impossible to follow; but this was soon lost, and the Pole Star was
their only guide. When the time came to call a halt, the Prince, who
had after much consideration decided on his plan of action, caused a few
twigs from the faggot he had brought with him to be planted in the
snow, and then he sprinkled over them a pinch of the magic powder he had
collected from the enchanted boat. To his great joy they instantly
began to sprout and grow, and in a marvellously short time the camp was
surrounded by a perfect grove of trees of all sorts, which blossomed and
bore ripe fruit, so that all their wants were easily supplied, and they
were able to make huge fires to warm themselves. The Prince then sent
out several spaniels to reconnoitre, and they had the good luck to
discover a horse laden with provisions stuck fast in th