t through Syria and Mesopotamia as far as the great River
Euphrates. Mesopotamia, or Naharaina, as the Egyptians called it, had
been an unknown land to them before this time; but now it became to them
what America was to the men of Queen Elizabeth's time, or the heart of
Africa to your grandfathers--the wonderful land of romance, where all
kinds of strange things might happen. And this story of the Doomed
Prince, which I have to tell you, belongs partly to Naharaina, and, as
you will see, some of our own fairy-stories have been made out of very
much the same materials as are used in it.

Once upon a time there was a King in Egypt who had no child. His heart
was grieved because he had no child, and he prayed to the gods for a
son; so in course of time a son was born to him, and the Fates (like
fairy godmothers) came to his cradle to foretell what should happen to
him. And when they saw him, they said, "His doom is to die either by the
crocodile, or by the serpent, or by the dog." When the King heard this,
his heart was sore for his little son, and he resolved that he would put
the boy where no harm could come to him; so he built for him a beautiful
house away in the desert, and furnished it with all kinds of fine
things, and sent the boy there, with faithful servants to guard him, and
to see that he came to no hurt. So the boy grew up quietly and safely in
his house in the desert.

But it fell on a day that the young Prince looked out from the roof of
his house, and he saw a man walking across the desert, with a dog
following him. So he said to the servant who was with him, "What is this
that walks behind the man who is coming along the road?" "It is a dog,"
said the page. Then the boy said, "You must bring me one like him," and
the page went and told His Majesty. Then the King said, "Get a little
puppy, and take it to him, lest his heart be sad." So they brought him a
little dog, and it grew up along with him.

Now, it happened that, when the boy had grown to be a strong young man,
he grew weary of being always shut up in his fine house. Therefore he
sent a message to his father, saying, "Why am I always to be shut up
here? Since I am doomed to three evil Fates, let me have my desire, and
let God do what is in His heart." So the King agreed, and they gave the
young Prince arms, and sent him away to the eastern frontier, and his
dog went with him, and they said to him, "Go wherever you will." So he
went northward throu