desire it more than
anything else, which is very foolish, for it would be much better to be
contented with what they have.

He was a wise fox, my dear Charlie, who thought the grapes were sour
when he could not reach them. Now the Prince's misfortune consisted in
this, that he had everything on earth he could want or desire, and a
little more. He had a fine palace and a fine country, obedient subjects
and servants, and true friends. When he got up in the morning, there was
someone ready to put on his clothes for him; when he went to bed at
night, someone to take them off again. A fairy called Prosperity gave
him everything he desired as soon as he desired it. If he wanted peaches
at Christmas, or cool air at mid-summer, the first came instantly from
his hothouses, and the second was produced by an enormous fan, which
hung from the top of the room, and was moved by two servants.

But strange to say, the Prince got weary of all this; he was tired of
wanting nothing. When he sat down to dinner he had but little appetite,
because he had had such a good breakfast; he hardly knew which coat to
put on, they were all so beautiful; and when he went to bed at night,
though the bed was as soft as a white cloud, he could not sleep, for he
was not tired.

There was only one ugly thing in the whole palace, which was a little,
drowsy, grey dwarf, left there by the fairy Prosperity. He kept yawning
all day, and very often set the Prince yawning, too, only to look at
him. This dwarf they called Satiety, and he followed the Prince about
wherever he went.

One day the Prince asked him what he was yawning for, and Satiety
answered:

'Because I have nothing to do, and nothing to wish for, my Prince.'

'I suppose that is the reason why I yawn, too,' replied the Prince.

'Rather is it having me always with you,' answered Satiety.

'Then get away and leave me,' said the Prince.

'I cannot do that,' answered Satiety. 'You can go from me, but I cannot
go from you; I can never leave you as long as you remain in the palace
of Prosperity.'

'Then I will have you turned out,' said the Prince.

'No one can do that,' said Satiety, 'but Misfortune, and he is a very
capricious person. Though he is a very disagreeable monster, some people
seem to court him, but cannot get him to come near them; while to a
great many he comes unawares, and catches them, though they fly from
him eagerly. I tell you, Prince, you can go from me, but I cannot go