XIX

PRINCE WICKED AND THE GRATEFUL ANIMALS


Once upon a time a king had a son named Prince Wicked. He was fierce
and cruel, and he spoke to nobody without abuse, or blows. Like grit
in the eye, was Prince Wicked to every one, both in the palace and out
of it.

His people said to one another, "If he acts this way while he is a
prince, how will he act when he is king?"

One day when the prince was swimming in the river, suddenly a great
storm came on, and it grew very dark.

In the darkness the servants who were with the prince swam from him,
saying to themselves, "Let us leave him alone in the river, and he may
drown."

When they reached the shore, some of the servants who had not gone
into the river said, "Where is Prince Wicked?"

"Isn't he here?" they asked. "Perhaps he came out of the river in the
darkness and went home." Then the servants all went back to the
palace.

The king asked where his son was, and again the servants said: "Isn't