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SEPTEMBER, 1885.]
THE SHIPWRECKED PRINCE.
241
in them, and he told the under-gardeners to go flowers should be provided every day for the for that day, as there was no work for them. pleasure of the royal household. Hence his The gardener then hastened to inform his extreme care over the garden that no flowers master, who was the king of that country, be stolen, lest there should not be sufficient concerning the good news. The king was daily for the palace. “I wish," said the prince, exceedingly glad to hear it, and thought that "that you would allow me to arrange these at last God would cause the trees to bring flowers into bouquets. They would look so forth fruit and the flowers to blossom in the much more beautiful, and his Majesty the garden, over which he had expended so large a king would be so much better pleased with sum of money. Then the gardener returned them.” The gardener consented, and presently once more to feast his eyes upon the new sight there were several bouquets of flowers tastefully and saw a woman squatting by the gate. arranged, ready to be taken to the palace.
e inquired who she was, whence she came, The king and all the royal family, when they and what she had come for; but never a word saw the beautiful bouquets, were greatly escaped the princess's lips; and so he left her. pleased, and giving many presents to the
The place where the prince arrived, turned gardener ordered him thus to prepare the out to be close to the walls of a large and flowers every day. The gardener made his magnificent city. In the course of his pere. obeisance and departed. grinations through this city he came upon a On reaching his house he told his wife of most beautiful garden, one blaze of colours, the pleasure of the king, and of the many and redolent with perfumes. He looked presents which had been given to him; and within the entrance gate, but dared not ven- then went and honestly told the prince that ture right in, as seeing no person there, he all this honour was through his skill, and that thought that people were prohibited from he must abide in their house and arrange the entering and therefore stopped. He was still flowers every day, because if he now left them there, looking at this wonderful sight, when the the king would not have his wish, and perhaps royal gardener came. Seeing a man at the would imprison him (the gardener) or take gate gazing with such longing eyes upon the away his life. The prince thinking that noflowers he suspected that he had trespassed thing better would offer itself, at all events for inside the garden and stolen some of them, and a long time, readily complied. And so matters for the moment he was filled with fear and continued. Every day the king and the royal trembling, not knowing what the king would household were delighted with the most delido to him if such were the case. But when cious bouquets of flowers, and every day the he discovered that no harm had been done he gardener returned with rich rewards. felt rather pleased with the stranger, and per- Becoming more and more wealthy, and ceiving that he was clever and gentle, he asked loving money the more as it increased to who he was and what business he had there. him, the gardener and his wife were some"I am a beggar come from a far country," was times filled with terrible fears lest their guest, the reply. “Then follow me," said the gar- the prince, should suddenly depart and leave dener. "I will make some arrangement for them as they were before. Accordingly they your food and clothes." Of course the beggar- hit upon a plan to marry him to their only prince was only too delighted, and followed the daughter, that he might be certain not to gardener to his house. There it was told how leave them; for said they, "though he came to that he was a poor man wandering upon the us in great distress, yet how do we know that face of the earth for a bit of bread; and food he is not some great man reduced by trickery was set before him, and clothes provided, and and falsehood to this state. At all events he was invited to draw near to the fire and he is wise and skilful, and of a noble counwarm his shivering limbs. During conversa. tenance, and by his means we have attained to tion the stranger-guest asked why the gardener this great wealth.” And so it was arranged had plucked the flowers. The gardener replied to ask the prince to marry the gardener's that it was the order of the king that fresh daughter. The prince at first demurred, but
• Cf. Wide-awake Stories, pp. 150, 151.
