he little heeded where, and the lark still stayed, nestled down in his
bosom, hopped from his hand to his shoulder, and kissed him with its
dainty beak, as if it loved him, Prince Dolor forgot all his grief, and
was entirely happy.

But when he got in sight of Hopeless Tower a painful thought struck him.

"My pretty bird, what am I to do with you? If I take you into my room
and shut you up there, you, a wild skylark of the air, what will become
of you? I am used to this, but you are not. You will be so miserable;
and suppose my nurse should find you--she who can't bear the sound of
singing? Besides, I remember her once telling me that the nicest thing
she ever ate in her life was lark pie!"

The little boy shivered all over at the thought. And, though the merry
lark immediately broke into the loudest carol, as if saying derisively
that he defied anybody to eat him, still, Prince Dolor was very uneasy.
In another minute he had made up his mind.

"No, my bird, nothing so dreadful shall happen to you if I can help it;
I would rather do without you altogether. Yes, I'll try. Fly away, my
darling, my beautiful! Good-by, my merry, merry bird."

Opening his two caressing hands, in which, as if for protection, he had
folded it, he let the lark go. It lingered a minute, perching on the rim
of the cloak, and looking at him with eyes of almost human tenderness;
then away it flew, far up into the blue sky. It was only a bird.

But some time after, when Prince Dolor had eaten his supper--somewhat
drearily, except for the thought that he could not possibly sup off lark