now he is Minister for Education, though he can't
do a line of Greek prose!"

The prince blushed at this, for he knew his conduct had not been
honourable. But he at once fell over head and ears in love with the
young lady, a thing he had never done in his life before, because--he
said--"women were so stupid!" You see he was so clever!

Now, at this very moment--when the prince, all of a sudden, was as
deep in love as if he had been the stupidest officer in the room--an
extraordinary thing happened! Something seemed to give a whirr! in his
brain, and in one instant _he knew all about it!_ He believed in fairies
and fairy gifts, and understood that his cap was the cap of darkness,
and his shoes the seven-league boots, and his purse the purse of
Fortunatus! He had read about those things in historical books: but now
he believed in them.

[Illustration: Chapter Seven]

CHAPTER VII.--_The Prince Falls in Love_

HE understood all this, and burst out laughing, which nearly frightened
an old lady near him out of her wits. Ah! how he wished he was only in
evening dress, that he might dance with the charming young lady. But
there he was, dressed just as if he were going out to hunt, if anyone
could have seen him. So, even if he took off his cap of darkness, and
became visible, he was no figure for a ball. Once he would not have
cared, but now he cared very much indeed.

But the prince was not clever for nothing. He thought for a moment, then
went out of the room, and, in three steps of the seven-league boots, was
at his empty, dark, cold palace again. He struck a light with a flint
and steel, lit a torch, and ran upstairs to the garret. The flaring
light of the torch fell on the pile of "rubbish," as the queen would
have called it, which he turned over with eager hands. Was there--yes,
there _was_ another cap! There it lay, a handsome green one with a red
feather.

The prince pulled off the cap of darkness, put on the other, and said:

"_I wish I were dressed in my best suit of white and gold, with the
royal Pantouflia diamonds!_"

In one moment there he was in white and gold, the greatest and most
magnificent dandy in the whole world, and the handsomest man!

"How about my boots, I wonder," said the prince; for his seven-league
boots were stout riding-boots, not good to dance in, whereas _now_ he
was in elegant shoes of silk and gold.

He threw down the wishing cap, put on the other--the cap of
darkness--and