d him from a great many disagreeable
things, but you must let me take him away and take care of him, and you
will not see him again until he is all covered with fur!'

At these mysterious words the King and Queen burst into tears, for they
lived in such a hot climate themselves that how or why the Prince should
come to be covered with fur they could not imagine, and thought it must
portend some great misfortune to him.

However, Genesta told them not to disquiet themselves.

[Illustration]

'If I left him to you to bring up,' said she, 'you would be certain to
make him as foolish as yourselves. I do not even intend to let him know
that he is your son. As for you, you had better give your minds to
governing your kingdom properly.' So saying, she opened the window, and
catching up the little Prince, cradle and all, she glided away in the
air as if she were skating upon ice, leaving the King and Queen in the
greatest affliction. They consulted everyone who came near them as to
what the Fairy could possibly have meant by saying that when they saw
their son again he would be covered with fur. But nobody could offer any
solution of the mystery, only they all seemed to agree that it must be
something frightful, and the King and Queen made themselves more
miserable than ever, and wandered about their palace in a way to make
anyone pity them. Meantime the Fairy had carried off the little Prince
to her own castle, and placed him under the care of a young peasant
woman, whom she bewitched so as to make her think that this new baby was
one of her own children. So the Prince grew up healthy and strong,
leading the simple life of a young peasant, for the Fairy thought that
he could have no better training; only as he grew older she kept him
more and more with herself, that his mind might be cultivated and
exercised as well as his body. But her care did not cease there: she
resolved that he should be tried by hardships and disappointments and
the knowledge of his fellowmen; for indeed she knew the Prince would
need every advantage that she could give him, since, though he increased
in years, he did not increase in height, but remained the tiniest of
Princes. However, in spite of this he was exceedingly active and well
formed, and altogether so handsome and agreeable that the smallness of
his stature was of no real consequence. The Prince was perfectly aware
that he was called by the ridiculous name of 'Mannikin,' but he consoled
h