took to his
heels, and fled away with all his might, his one idea being to put as
much space as possible between himself and the dreary place into which
he had ventured so rashly, just to consult a tedious Oracle who after
all had told him nothing. He actually reflected for about five seconds
on his folly, and came to the conclusion that it might sometimes be
advisable to think before one acted.

After wandering about for several days until he was weary and hungry, he
at last succeeded in finding a way out of the forest, and soon came to
a wide and rapid river, which he followed, hoping to find some means of
crossing it, and it happened that as the sun rose the next morning he
saw something of a dazzling whiteness moored out in the middle of the
stream. Upon looking more attentively at it he found that it was one of
the prettiest little ships he had ever seen, and the boat that belonged
to it was made fast to the bank quite close to him. The Prince was
immediately seized with the most ardent desire to go on board the
ship, and shouted loudly to attract the notice of her crew, but no
one answered. So he sprang into the little boat and rowed away without
finding it at all hard work, for the boat was made all of white paper
and was as light as a rose leaf. The ship was made of white paper too,
as the Prince presently discovered when he reached it. He found not a
soul on board, but there was a very cosy little bed in the cabin, and an
ample supply of all sorts of good things to eat and drink, which he
made up his mind to enjoy until something new happened. Having been
thoroughly well brought up at the court of King Gridelin, of course
he understood the art of navigation, but when once he had started, the
current carried the vessel down at such a pace that before he knew where
he was the Prince found himself out at sea, and a wind springing up
behind him just at this moment soon drove him out of sight of land.
By this time he was somewhat alarmed, and did his best to put the ship
about and get back to the river, but wind and tide were too strong for
him, and he began to think of the number of times, from his childhood
up, that he had been warned not to meddle with water. But it was too
late now to do anything but wish vainly that he had stayed on shore, and
to grow heartily weary of the boat and the sea and everything connected
with it. These two things, however, he did most thoroughly. To put the
finishing touch to his mis