ting rich fruits, with a somewhat hard-favored
dame, whom they called Labor, scattering sugar on the different
dishes.

When the Prince heard her name, he asked one of the people near if
that was really Labor, saying, "I passed through her land not long
ago, and it seemed so poor and hard a country that I should have
thought it produced nothing good."

"That is a mistake," said the other. "That is the land where grows the
sugar-cane, and Labor always sweetens the food of Industry."

As soon as his breakfast was over, the Prince was taken to another
door, and shown a road which was very narrow at first, but seemed to
grow wider and wider as it went on.

"You have nothing to do but to walk straight forward," said Industry,
"neither to turn to the right nor to the left. Keep yourself upright,
so that you may have that distant mountain peak before your eyes, and
don't suffer yourself to grow faint or get tired. If you should have
any doubt or difficulty, you will find some one on the road who will
show you the way. But only remember always to keep straight forward,
and don't be tempted to turn aside."

"What is the name of this road?" asked the Prince.

"It is called the 'Right Path'" was the reply; and on he set upon his
way with a stout heart. Nevertheless, he began to get somewhat tired
before an hour was over, although the road was pleasant enough to walk
in. There were beautiful green meadows on every side, and richly
colored flowers, and what seemed very delicious fruit; and here and
there, at a little distance, were pleasant groves, with a number of
gay birds, singing very sweetly.

At the end of an hour and a half the Prince became hungry and thirsty
again, as well as tired, and he said to himself, "There could be no
great harm surely in going across that meadow and gathering some of
that fruit, to eat under the shade of the trees, while the birds sing
over my head. I do not know how far I have to go. I see no end to this
long, straight road. I think I will try and rest for a little under
those trees. I can easily find my way back again."

But just at that moment, luckily for himself, the Prince spied a man
trudging on before him, and he hurried after, saying to himself, "I
will ask him how far I have to go, and whether I have time to stop."

VI

The man did not walk very fast, but he kept steadily on, with a great
pikestaff in his hand; and though the Prince called after him as soon
as he was w