ay back, the young man pointed to a thick wood
ahead, and asked what lay beyond it. Then the old man told him that
there was a legend that beyond the wood was an enchanted palace where
a beautiful Princess had lain sleeping for a hundred years, and whom a
Prince was to awaken with a kiss.

Directly the Prince Florimond heard this, nothing would serve but he
must go there and see for himself if the tale were true. So he rode
and he rode until he came to the edge of the wood, and there he got
off his horse and began to push his way through the thorny thicket. It
was hard work indeed, for the briars were so strong and so sharp that
you would never believe that anyone could get past them, and they
closed up behind him as he went.

But he was strong and brave, and after a time the way became easier,
until at last he came to the palace.

There everyone was sleeping--the sentinels and soldiers in the
court-yard, the cooks in the kitchen, and pages and lords and
ladies-in-waiting in the corridors and chambers; and, in the great
throne-room the King and Queen on their golden and ivory thrones.

Prince Florimond passed on, wondering more and more, till he came at
length to the narrow staircase which led to the little tower in which
the Princess had fallen asleep. He mounted this, and then came the
greatest wonder of all--the beautiful sleeping lady, in her glistening
white robes. She was so beautiful that to see her almost took away his
breath; and, falling on his knees, he bent to kiss her cheek. And as
he kissed her, she opened her lovely blue eyes and said, smiling: "Oh!
Prince, have you come at last? I have had such pleasant dreams."

Then she sat up laughing and rubbing her eyes, and gave him her hand,
and they went hand in hand together down the stairs and along the
corridors, till they came to the throne-room. And there were the King
and Queen rubbing their eyes too, and they kissed their daughter and
welcomed the Prince most gladly.

And, all at the same time, the whole palace was awake. Cocks crowed,
dogs barked, the cats began to mew, the spits to turn, the clocks to
strike, the soldiers presented arms, the heralds blew their trumpets,
the head cook boxed a little scullion's ears, the butler went on
drinking his half-finished tankard of wine, the first lady-in-waiting
finished winding her skein of silk.

Everything, in short, went on exactly as though the spell had lasted
a hundred seconds instead of years. To b