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always refused, because the prince and his wife were so poor and had nothing to give them. At length, however, one day, a trader, kind and wealthy, heard of their desire, and perceiving that they were gentle-mannered people and of a good countenance, he had compassion upon them, and engaged for them a berth on board one of the vessels then about to start on some distant voyage. Before they left the trader inquired who they were, and whence they came, and what was their inten. tion. "For surely," he said, "Ye both are of a princely mien and countenance, and by some foul trickery have become thus poor and helpless." "True, true," replied the young prince weeping; and he related to him all his history.
"I am a prince," said he, "Of splendid destiny.
Through me alone the king doth rule and power obtain.
"But on an evil day
Did my fond father say, 'Whose fortune is it-mine or thine, by which I rule ?'
"I told him, 'Mine, O King.'
Said he, 'What, thine! What thing Is this? Away, O proud and foolish child, far hence!'
"And so my home I left, Of father's love bereft,
And wandered far and lone into the desert wilds.
"Then came my wife to me,
And we lived happily,
Till bow and string refused me help to strike my prey.
"Next hunger drove us forth
East, West, and South, and North, To seek for bread and shelter with a beggar's
cry.
"And then God brought us here To give us such good cheer
As thy kind sympathy and help provideth
us.
"O friend, to thee long life And happiness without strife,
And after death to dwell in richest joys above."
The trader was so much moved by the prince's touching tale that he could scarcely
[SEPTEMBER, 1885.
keep from weeping. "I know that what you have said is correct," he said, "because as soon as you left your father's kingdom, my agent, who lives there, sent me word that a foreign force had entered the city, slain many of the inhabitants, and taken the king and his brothers, together with their wives and families, prisoners." When the prince heard this he wept bitterly, and mourned his poverty and helplessness to afford succour to his father and brethren and people, whom he so loved. It was useless for his wife and the trader to try and cheer him by saying how thankful he should be to have left the city before these sad events occurred. The prince was of far too noble a character to attend to such words-nay, he rather reproached himself the more, knowing that if he had but tarried at home, these things would not have happened.
After a long time had elapsed they were sailing with a boisterous wind not far from the country where they hoped to disembark; but the wind became fiercer and the waves rolled mountains high, threatening every moment to overwhelm the ship. All hands were at work and everything was done that could be done for the safety of the crew. For hours and hours they thus lingered between life and death, until at last one great wave, swifter and larger than the rest, broke upon the ship, so that it divided into two pieces and everyone and everything were swept into the waters. Only two were saved, and these two were the prince and his wife, who had caught hold of a spar and a plank from the wreck and were thus carried to the shore. The prince, however, was carried to one part of the country,. whilst the princess floated to another part, perhaps, of another country far distant. The place where the princess landed was near a large garden, which had evidently been laid out with great care, but was flowerless and leafless. As soon, however, as the princess approached its walls the trees and shrubs began to freshen and here and there a tiny bud appeared. Great was the surprise of the headgardener when, on going his customary round of inspection the following morning, he noticed these things. He had come as usual to give orders concerning the withered trees, that they might be uprooted and taken away for fuel or other purposes, but lo! there was life
