joy and he said to the queen:

"But which is the older and which is the younger?"

The queen, thinking that the king was asking in order to know which
was the heir to the throne, slipped in her favorite as the older. The
king, of course, did not question his wife's word and so, thereafter,
he always spoke of the younger one as his heir.

When the boys had grown into handsome youths, the older one wearied of
life at home and of hearing his brother always spoken of as the future
king. He longed to go out into the world and seek adventures of his
own. One day as he was pouring out his heart to the little horse that
had been his companion from infancy, much to his amazement the horse
spoke to him with a human voice and said:

"Since you are not happy at home, go out into the world. But do not go
without your father's permission. I advise you to take no one with you
and to mount no horse but me. This will bring you good luck."

The prince asked the horse how it happened that he could talk like a
human being.

"Don't ask me about that," the horse said, "for I can't tell you. But
I wish to be your friend and counselor and I will be as long as you
obey me."

[Illustration: _When the Boys Had Grown into Handsome Youths_]

The prince promised to do as the horse advised. He went at once to his
father to beg his leave to ride out into the world. At first his
father was unwilling to let him go but his mother gave her permission
at once. By dint of coaxing he finally won his father's consent. Of
course the king wanted the prince to set forth in a manner befitting
his rank with a great company of men and horses. But the prince
insisted that he wished to go unattended.

"Why, my dear father, do I need any such retinue as you suggest? Let
me have some money for the journey and let me ride off alone on my own
little horse. This will give me more freedom and less trouble."

Again he had to argue with his father for some time, but at last he
succeeded in arranging everything to his liking.

The day of parting came. The little horse stood saddled at the castle
gate. The prince bade farewell to his parents and his brother. They
all wept on his neck and at the last moment the queen's heart misgave
her for the deceit she had practised and she made the prince solemnly
promise that he would return home within a year or at least send them
word of his whereabouts.

So the prince mounted his little horse and off they trotted. The ho