and the dreary and lonely tower. I do so want
to see the world! Pretty swallows, dear swallows! tell me what it looks
like--the beautiful, wonderful world!"

But the swallows flew past him--steadily, slowly pursuing their course
as if inside each little head had been a mariner's compass, to guide
them safe over land and sea, direct to the place where they wished to
go.

The boy looked after them with envy. For a long time he followed with
his eyes the faint, wavy black line as it floated away, sometimes
changing its curves a little, but never deviating from its settled
course, till it vanished entirely out of sight.

Then he settled himself down in the center of the cloak, feeling quite
sad and lonely.

"I think I'll go home," said he, and repeated his "Abracadabra, tum tum
ti!" with a rather heavy heart. The more he had, the more he wanted;
and it is not always one can have everything one wants--at least, at the
exact minute one craves for it; not even though one is a prince, and has
a powerful and beneficent godmother.

He did not like to vex her by calling for her and telling her how
unhappy he was, in spite of all her goodness; so he just kept his
trouble to himself, went back to his lonely tower, and spent three days
in silent melancholy, without even attempting another journey on his
traveling-cloak.

CHAPTER VI

The fourth day it happened that the deaf-mute paid his accustomed visit,
after which Prince Dolor's spirits rose. They always did when he got the
new books which, just to relieve his conscience, the King of Nomansland
regularly sent to his nephew; with many new toys also, though the latter
were disregarded now.

"Toys, indeed! when I'm a big boy," said the Prince, with disdain,
and would scarcely condescend to mount a rocking-horse which had
come, somehow or other,--I can't be expected to explain things very
exactly,--packed on the back of the other, the great black horse, which
stood and fed contentedly at the bottom of the tower.

Prince Dolor leaned over and looked at it, and thought how grand it must
be to get upon its back--this grand live steed--and ride away, like the
pictures of knights.

"Suppose I was a knight," he said to himself; "then I should be obliged
to ride out and see the world."

But he kept all these thoughts to himself, and just sat still, devouring
his new books till he had come to the end of them all. It was a repast
not unlike the Barmecide's feast which you re