ater, and you shall see what
you shall see."

The prince did as he was told, and the ball floated out to sea,
unraveling as it went, and it went on until it was out of sight.

"Pull now," said the cat.

The prince pulled, and, as he did, he saw far away something on the sea
shining like silver. It came nearer and nearer, and he saw it was a
little silver boat. At last it touched the strand.

"Now," said the cat, "step into this boat and it will bear you to the
palace on the island on which no man has ever placed his foot--the
island in the unknown seas that were never sailed by vessels made of
human hands. In that palace there is a sword with a diamond hilt, and
by that sword alone the giant Trencoss can be killed. There also are
a hundred cakes, and it is only on eating these the hundred hounds can
die. But mind what I say to you: if you eat or drink until you reach the
palace of the little cat in the island in the unknown seas, you will
forget the Princess Eileen."

"I will forget myself first," said the prince, as he stepped into the
silver boat, which floated away so quickly that it was soon out of sight
of land.

The day passed and the night fell, and the stars shone down upon the
waters, but the boat never stopped. On she went for two whole days
and nights, and on the third morning the prince saw an island in the
distance, and very glad he was; for he thought it was his journey's end,
and he was almost fainting with thirst and hunger. But the day passed
and the island was still before him.

At long last, on the following day, he saw by the first light of the
morning that he was quite close to it, and that trees laden with fruit
of every kind were bending down over the water. The boat sailed round
and round the island, going closer and closer every round, until, at
last, the drooping branches almost touched it. The sight of the fruit
within his reach made the prince hungrier and thirstier than he was
before, and forgetting his promise to the little cat--not to eat
anything until he entered the palace in the unknown seas--he caught one
of the branches, and, in a moment, was in the tree eating the delicious
fruit. While he was doing so the boat floated out to sea and soon was
lost to sight; but the prince, having eaten, forgot all about it, and,
worse still, forgot all about the princess in the giant's castle. When
he had eaten enough he descended the tree, and, turning his back on the
sea, set out straight