The Red Romance Book

saw him, to be the handsomest child in the whole world. When he was four years old, his mother, the queen, made up her mind that it was time to tak

country, and Latin, which all princes ought to know, while the Great Chamberlain woul

beaten in anything he tried to do, whether it was making out the sense of a roll of parchment written in strange black letters, which w

a king he

ble end came to

rn he was away at the wars, and did not return till five years later. Then he lost no time in making friends with the two ladies who took care of William, and slowly managed to gain

illed with wild beasts. The royal family loved to roam about the park, and often held jo

the king and his courtiers shot at a mark. Suddenly there leapt from a bush a huge grey wolf with his mouth open and his tongue hanging out. Before anyone had time to recover from his surprise, the great

that their little son was gone from them for ever, only, as they supposed, to die a cr

ey swam across the Straits of Messina. On the other side, not far from Rome, was a forest of tall trees, and as by this time it was getting dark, the wolf placed William on a bed of soft fern, and broke off a branch of delicious fruits, which he

e mouth of a wolf, with w

carries Princ

as if he had never dwelt anywhere else. There was so much to see an

the wolf. ‘I have to go right over to the other side of the wood, on some business of a friend’s, and I shall not be back till sunset. Be careful

e got up and had his breakfast. While he was eating, birds with blue and green feathers came and hopped on his shoulder and pecke

helped him to collect the cows when they wandered, and to keep off any strange beasts that threatened to attack them. On this particular morning there were no cows, so the dog ran

a pit, out of which came a frightened cry. The old man looked in, and there he saw a c

it seemed a long time since the wolf had gone away. Would he really ever come back? This old man looked kind, and there could be no harm in speaking to him. So he took the outstretched hand and scrambled out of the pit, and the co

ttle boy,’ he said, ‘who

-day,’ answered she. ‘And what is your name, my

will stay with you,’ said the boy; and the old people were very

lion must have carried off the boy and eaten him, or that an eagle must have pounced on him from the sky, and borne him away to his young ones for supper. But after he had cried till he could cry no more, it occ

y on horseback. Dog

r carries

eft them in the morning, with the creepers still knotting tree to tree. No, it was clear that no lion had been near the spot. Then he examined the ground car

where there was a hole in the door just big enough for the cats to come in and out of. The wolf peeped through this hole and saw William eating his supper, and chattering away to the old woman as if

with them than with m

st teacher, and he and his playfellows — the sons of charcoal-burners and woodmen — were wont to keep the pots supplied at home with the game they found in the forest. Besides this, he fil

outstripped all his courtiers and lost his way. Turning first down one path and then the other, he came u

hild?’ asked the emperor

sound of his voice, and, t

a cottage near by. Other kindred have I none that ever I heard of;’ for the gardens of

nd speak to me,’ said the empe

h me,’ he answered, ‘and that shall never

nd William took courage and hast

hen the boy and the cowherd returned tog

, told the whole story, and when he

-day the boy shall be mine, and

ly he and his wife would miss William, but he kept s

not taken me and nourished me. I know not whence I came or

e able to reward the good that they have done you;’ and then the cow

w. Be true to your lord, and fair of speech to a

the cowherd, and sent a sorrowful greeting to his wife and to his playfellows Hugonet, and Abel

emperor led William into the hall, and

would your brother, for he has come of goodly kindred, though now he does not know where he was born

away, and saw that supper was set before him, and clothes provided

as skilled in what a gentleman should know. Wise he was too, beyond his years, and the emperor kept him eve

ore her father set on him? Yet she remembered with sadness certain whispers she had heard of a match between

in secret, till her cousin Alexandr

ieves you so sorely. You know that you can trust me, for I have ser

nd woma

two girls had played together, and well Alexandrine knew that the emperor had cast his eyes

magic, and can heal you. So weep no more.

there the rest might go, and that she was the princess that was waiting for every prince. But who was he that he should dare to ask for the emperor’s daughter? and what chan

work. At last one morning she thought the time had come to heal the wounds she had caused, and planne

ad to follow the emperor, and more than once saved the life of his master. On their return, when the enemy was put to flight, the expected ambassadors from Greece arrived at court, to seek the hand of M

ine only sho

e; but how are you to get away when there are guards before every door of the palace, except by

despair. ‘Do try to think of some way to save us! I am sur

y, but what it was must be told i