air seemed
fresher than it had been in the sheltered gardens of the palace, and
the Prince said to himself: "What a delightful country this is, just
on the verge of the land of Prosperity."

Just then he saw a countryman gathering grapes in a vineyard, and
every now and then putting some into his mouth, and the Prince asked
him whose fine estate it was that he was passing through.

"It belongs to a gentleman and lady equally, sir," replied the good
man; "they are called Activity and Ease. They are the happiest couple
ever seen. When Activity is tired, Ease takes his head upon her lap;
and soon as she is weary of her burden, Activity jumps up and relieves
her from it."

"But to whom 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 Labor 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 Labor,
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