d eagerly round. But no;
he only beheld, lying in a corner of the room, his precious
traveling-cloak.

Prince Dolor darted towards it, tumbling several times on the way.
Snatching it to his breast, he hugged and kissed it. Then he began
unrolling it, wondering each minute what would happen.

CHAPTER V.

No doubt you think Prince Dolor was unhappy. If you had seen him as he
sat patiently untying his wonderful cloak, which was done up in a very
tight parcel, using his deft little hands, and knitting his brows with
determination, while his eyes glistened with pleasure, you might have
changed your opinion.

When Prince Dolor had carefully untied all the knots, the cloak began
to undo itself. Slowly unfolding, it laid itself down on the carpet,
as flat as if it had been ironed; the split joined with a little sharp
crick-crack, and the rim turned up all round till it was breast-high;
for the meantime the cloak had grown and grown, and become quite large
enough for one person to sit in it, as comfortable as if in a boat.

The Prince watched it rather anxiously; it was such an extraordinary
thing. However, he was no coward, but a thorough boy, who, if he had
been like other boys, would doubtless have grown up daring and
adventurous--a soldier--a sailor, or the like. As it was, he could
only show his courage by being afraid of nothing, and by doing boldly
all that was in his power. And I am not sure but that in this way he
showed more real valor than if he had had six pairs of proper legs.

He said to himself, "What a goose I am! As if my dear godmother would
ever have given me anything to hurt me. Here goes!"

So, with one of his active leaps, he sprang right into the middle of the
cloak, where he squatted down, wrapping his arms tight round his knees,
for they shook a little and his heart beat fast. But there he sat,
waiting for what might happen next.

[Illustration: PRINCE DOLOR MADE A SNATCH AT THE TOPMOST TWIG OF THE
TALLEST TREE. [PAGE 32.]]

Nothing did happen, and he began to think nothing would when he
recollected the words. "Abracadabra, dum, dum, dum!"

He repeated them, laughing all the while, they seemed such nonsense.
And then--and then--

The cloak rose, slowly and steadily at first, only a few inches, then
gradually higher and higher, till it nearly touched the skylight. Prince
Dolor's head actually bumped against the glass.

Then he suddenly remembered his godmother's command--"Open the