Prince Ricardo of Pantouflia

queline Dri

, the king tried to speak seriously to Prince Ricardo

entures because I was obliged to do it. Dick's taste is for adventures; I only wish some accident would make him take to books. But everyone must get his expe

about the day's sport, which Ricardo answered with modesty. Then his Majesty observed that, from al

is most necessary to a soldier that he should know where his enemy is, and if he

gic glass, father," said Dick; "it saves

roken, or the Fairies might take

now where to go,

m was his tuto

always be here,

e not so very old; you may live for years yet. Besid

Crown Prince," thought the king;

work hard all to-morrow till the afternoon. I'll come in and help you. And there's always a splendid evening rise of trout in the lake just now, so you

er is fatiguing, from the heat and want of fresh air which are usually found in such places. "I think I'll turn in;

rincess Jaqueline, whom he engaged to row hi

ng-net, Jack, as you generally do," said his

all me Jack," said the

life had become fond of her little joke; "that always sounds as

ilent, and fixed h

ed a game with Lina at picquet. When

, Lina. I want you to wri

dmaker, another to the bootmaker, another to the optician, another to the tradesman who supplied the august family with carpets and rugs, another to his Majesty's hatter. They were all s

isfy his father, and that he was so c

ddenly, telescope-makers and swordmakers and shoemakers, too?"

to think the palace is haunted, and it makes people talk. Besides, I know it is wrong to listen to what one is not meant to hear. It is often difficult to be a magician and a good girl. The temptations are so strong,

ngth, "after all the lessons I hav

hat is right and wrong at once occur which do not trouble other people. King Prigio's secret, why he sent for the tailor and the other people, was his own secret. The princess decided that she would not find it out by turning herself into Rip or the cat (whose name was Semiramis), and, so far, she was quite right. But she

nobody else could open; for, as the princess said, there are books which it would never do to leave lying about where the servants or anybody could read them. Nobody could undo the clasps

ins, and put out all the lights except two scented candles that burned with a white fire under a round mirror with a silver frame, opposite the window. And into that mirror the moon shone white and full, filling all the space of it

igures raised in the silver. She poured water into the basin, and as she poured it

n, on the wa

waters, in

ecret the hea

uth of the tho

te, where the

t shall be and

ecret the hea

uth of it, cle

ell still again; and the princess knelt in the middle of the room, and t

owledge of the moon. Then the moon was darkened without a cloud, and there was darkness in the sky for a time, and all the dogs in the world be

that I daresay he does not mean any harm. But it seems a cruel trick to play on poor Ricardo. However, J

princess fell sleep, and did not w

loor?" said the faithful Rosina, as she was ar

s it?" asked

shining drops of silver lying on the carpe

"Oh dear! the queen won't be pleased at all. It was

she must have dropped seven

Rosina; "only your Royal Highness should do these things

is no harm done, we'll say nothing about it this time. A

rue; but how much better and wiser it is not to begin to deceive! W

ast, there was the king in a gre

raordinary," s

" asked t

efore it happened. But I was taking a walk in the moo

?" asked the queen, who

usual, you young dog!" the king re

, sir?" s

most extraordinary thing, an unpredicted eclipse of the moon! You mus

excitement of the moment, that an eclipse of the moon, especially if entirely unexpected, is likely to attract very general attention.

admitted, blushing. "Ha

ty. "I looked up the almanack at once. It is the most ex

was much in physical science of any sort; most dreary stuff. Why, they say the

to say in reply? The astronomers of Pantouflia, who conceived that they knew a great deal, had certainly been taken by surprise

s Majesty. "Anything may happen. The very l

o had been in the queen's family when

desmen, by appointment

the annoyance of the queen, who was not agitated by eclip