ating his dinner too, that he never observed anything unusual. He
had _never_ been at such a pleasant dinner!

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CHAPTER XII.--_A Terrible Misfortune_

WHEN the ladies left, and the prince and the other gentlemen were alone,
the ambassador appeared more gloomy than ever. At last he took the
prince into a corner, on pretence of showing him a rare statue. "Does
your royal highness not know," he asked, "that you are in considerable
danger?" "Still?" said the prince, thinking of the Firedrake.

The ambassador did not know what he meant, for _he_ had never heard
of the fight, but he answered gravely: "Never more than now." Then he
showed the prince two proclamations, which had been posted all about
the town. Here is the first:

TO ALL LOYAL SUBJECTS.

Whereas,

Our eldest son, Prince Prigio, hath of late been guilty of
several high crimes and misdemeanours.

First: By abandoning the post of danger against the
Firedrake, whereby our beloved sons, Prince Alphonso and
Prince Enrico, have perished, and been overdone by that
monster.

Secondly: By attending an unseemly revel in the town of
Gluckstein, where he brawled in the streets.

Thirdly: By trying to seduce away the hearts of our loyal
subjects in that city, and to blow up a party against our
crown and our peace.

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This is to give warning,

That whoever consorts with, comforts, aids, or abets the
said Prince Prigio, is thereby a partner in his treason; and
That a reward of Five Thousand Purses will be given to
whomsoever brings the said prince, alive, to our Castle of
Falkenstein.

Grognio R.

And here is the second proclamation:

Reward. The firedrake. _Whereas_,

Our dominions have lately been devastated by a Firedrake
(the _Salamander Furiosus_ of Buffon);

_This is to advise all_,

That whosoever brings the horns and tail of the said
Firedrake to our Castle of Falkenstein, shall receive Five
Thousand Purses, the position of Crown Prince, with the
usual perquisites, and the hand of the king's niece, the
Lady Molinda.

Grognio R.

"H'm," said the prince; "I did not think his majesty wrote so well;"
and he would have _liked_ to say, "Don't you think we might join the
ladies?"

"But, sir," said the ambassador, "the streets