does that more barren country just beyond belong?' asked
the Prince. 'And what is that great thick wood I see farther on still?'

'That is the land of Labour and the Forest of Adversity,' said the man.
'I would advise you to get through them as soon as possible, for the
first you will find very wearisome, and the second exceedingly
unpleasant, although people do say that there is a great deal of very
good fruit in the forest; only one gets well-nigh torn to pieces with
the thorns before one can reach it.'

The Prince determined to follow his advice, and rode on. There was not
anything very tempting to him as he passed through the land of Labour,
and it seemed a long and weary way from the beginning to the end of it.
But the forest, even at its entrance, was very dark and gloomy indeed.
Thick trees crossed each other overhead, and shut out the bright,
cheerful daylight. He could hardly see his way along the narrow,
tortuous paths, and the thorns which the peasant had spoken of ran into
him continually, for they grew high as well as thick, and crossed the
path in every direction. He began heartily to repent that he had quitted
the palace of Prosperity, and wished himself back again with all his
heart, thinking that he should care little about yawning Satiety if he
could but get out of the thorns of Adversity. Indeed, he tried to turn
his horse back; but he found it more difficult than he imagined, for, as
I have told you, the road was very narrow and those thorns hedged it on
every side. There was nothing for it, in short, but to try and force his
way on through the wood, in the hope of finding something better beyond.

The Prince did not know which way to take, indeed, and he tried a great
number of paths, but in vain. Still there were the same thorns and the
same gloomy darkness. He was hungry and thirsty, and he looked round for
those fruits he had heard of; but he could see none of them at the time,
and the more he sought his way out, the deeper he seemed to get into the
forest. The air was very sultry and oppressive, too; he grew weary and
faint, quite sick at heart, and even the limbs of his good horse seemed
to be failing him, and hardly able to carry him on.

Dark as it all was, it at length begin to grow darker, and he perceived
that night was coming, so that the poor Prince began to give up all
hope, and to think that there would be nothing for him but to lie down
and die in despair, when suddenly he caught a