John himself stood bewildered, and the animals around him shivered and
looked surprised. They were not used to such tumults. Suddenly John
felt his hand clasped softly. The little Princess was at his side,
looking up in his face and smiling through tears. "Dear John!" she
said. "Now you are safe. Now you will be our brother indeed!"

"Yes, he is safe," said the Hermit, embracing the boy tenderly. "My
John! My brother's son! Oh, how I have longed to tell you and claim
you for my nephew! But I vowed that I would wait until you had proved
yourself worthy of him, worthy of the name by which I christened you.
And you are worthy, O my dear John, even to wear the silver Cross!"

"I do not understand yet," said John. "Who am I? And why do the
people shout my name and seem to love me so much?"

"You are the son of John, the holy friend of the people," answered the
Hermit.

"But you, my father,--for so I must call you still," said John; "who
are you, and how came you to be living in the forest?"

"I was but a humble servant of God," said the Hermit. "But when King
Cyril died, and my brother and you were gone, there was not happiness
for me in the city of sorrow. I became an exile. I fled to the forest
with the hunted animals who were my brother's friends. And there I
made a home for them, a kingdom of my own, with Brutus for my prime
minister. And there, after many years, you came to find me, my dear
son! It was a miracle!"

Now the Prince came forward and laid his hand timidly on John's
shoulder. "John," he said, "now you know how less than ever you have
reason to love the rulers of this land. But oh, John! I beg you to
forgive us. Be my brother, John; and if you can forget, let me be your
friend!"

"My brother and friend!" cried John; and the two hugged each other
affectionately, while Brutus leaped up and licked the face first of
one, then of the other, and the other animals frisked joyously.

"Hurrah! Hurrah!" shouted the people, "They are like good King Cyril
and his friend the holy John. Let it be so! Let it be so! Hurrah!
Hurrah!"

CONCLUSION

And so it turned out to be. For soon the old King died, worn out by
wicked passions, and Prince Hugh became King. Then began a new order
of things. The land was now a happy kingdom, full of love and peace.
Like his uncle, the new monarch became known as the Good King. In his
realm was never hunting or cruel sport. The houses of his s