The Little Lame Prince

nt nursery and a regular suite of attendants, and was treated with the greatest respect and state. Nobody was allowed to talk to him in silly baby language,

w after she died everything seemed to go wrong with him. From a beautiful baby he became sickly and p

kicked them out either in passion or play, and when, as he got to be nearly

lk about it. A prince, and not able to stand on his own leg

ck to his sweet little face, and his body grew larger and stronger, though still his legs remained the same, people continued to speak of him in whispers, and wit

at people anything unpleasant. And besides, his Majesty took very little notice

ld see the Beautiful Mountains, and was often observed looking at them as if he thought she had flown away thither, and that his longing could bring her back again. And by a curious coincidence, which nobody dared inquire into, he

is very best, was brought to the King his father for half an hour, but his M

h Prince Dolor playing in a corner of the room, dragging himself about with his arms rather than his legs, and sometime

Highness?" said he s

nths, and five days,

far more forward than he is now ought he not, brother? You, who have

derstand at all, but stood frightened and trembling with the tears in her eyes. "Nothing

row-w

e spine; something inherited,

she was the sweetest woman that ev

r's,-his Majesty the King smiled and held out his arms. But when the boy came to him, not ru

rible-terrible! And for a prince too. Send fo

ng they agreed in was what had been pretty well known before, that the Prince must have been hurt wh

r which unluckily good memory all the others scolded her so severely that she had no peace of her life, and soon after, by the influence of the young lady nurse who had carried the baby that fatal day, and who was a sort

ajesty never liked painful things. Sometimes he inquired after Prince Dolor, and they told him his Royal Highness was going on as well as could be expected, which really was the case. For, after worrying the poor child and perple

his body; but the body itself was strong and sound. And his face was th

nderness, noticing how cleverly he learned to crawl and swing himself about by his arms

he Crown-Prince, who was more constant than ever in his attendance upon the sick monarch. "If anything sho

y such misfortune. I assure your Majesty-everybody

e King died as suddenly and quietly as the Queen had done-indeed, in her very room and bed; and Pri

ved the next. "The king is dead-long live the king!" was the cry that rang through the nation, and almost before his late Majesty had been

d him-fancy carrying a king!-to the chair of state, and put the crown on his head, he shook it off again, it was so heavy and uncomfortable. Sliding down to the foot of the throne he began

mourning, stood silently beside the throne of his young nephew. He was a handsome man, very grand and clever-looking). "What a king! who can never s

It is always bad for a nation when its king is a child

and pretended to hear nothing. "I have heard that these sort of children with very large heads, and great broad for

t, to take all care of his Royal Highness-his Majesty, I mean," with a grand bow to the little child, who laughed innocen

at his beck and call, so that he could have begun a civil war in

he land-that is, his uncle did; and everybody said what a fortunate thing it w

rade revived, and the country was said to be more flourishing than it had been for a century. Whenever the Regent and his sons appeared, they were received with shouts: "Long live the Crown-Prince!" "Long live the royal family!" And, in

l him his Majesty, which seemed such a ridiculous title for a poor little fellow, a helpless c

ntelligent face and large, melancholy eyes-no, not exactly melancholy, for they were his mother's, and she was by no means sad-minded, but thoughtful and dreamy. They rather perplexed people, those childish eyes; they were so exceedingly inno

an many other children, but there was something about him which made bad people sorry

him, living his baby life as happy as the day is long. Thus, whether or not he was good himself, the sight of him and his affliction ma

onvenient to little boys and girls. Even the "cruel uncle" of the "Babes in the Wood" I believe to be qu

of the country. But he was a man who had always been accustomed to consider himself first and foremost, believing that whatever he wanted was sure to be right, and

g was in failing health, and that it would be advisable to send him for a time to the Beautiful Mountains. Whether he really meant to do this, or whethe

h a guard of honor composed of two whole regiments of soldiers,-the nation learned, without much surprise, that th

physician in attendance and the nurse who had been sent to take care of him. They br

d his uncle reigned in his stead. That illustrious personage accepted his crown with great decorum, an