ered the king. "The welfare of a whole country and people is at
stake. Let it be so, I will grant your request, if you will only take me
home." He had hardly uttered the words when he found himself at once on
the borders of the wood, and could see his palace in the distance. He
hurried thither, and the first thing which met him at the gate was the
nurse with the royal infant, who stretched out his arms to his father.
The king was horrified, and scolded the nurse, telling her to take the
child away as quickly as possible. Directly afterwards came his faithful
dog, and fawned upon his master, who repulsed his advances with a kick.
Innocent dependants often suffer thus for the folly and ill-humour of
their superiors.

As soon as the king's anger had cooled a little, he exchanged his child,
a promising boy, for the daughter of a peasant, and thus the prince was
reared up in the house of poor people, while the peasant's daughter
slept in silken robes in the royal cradle. In a year's time, the Old Boy
made his appearance to demand his due, and took the little girl with
him, supposing her to be the king's child, for he knew nothing of the
artifice by which the children had been changed. The king exulted at the
success of his stratagem, and ordered a great feast. He loaded the
parents of the stolen child with rich presents, that the prince might
want for nothing in the cottage, but did not yet venture to reclaim his
son, fearing lest the deception might be discovered. The peasant family
were well satisfied with the arrangement, for they had one mouth less to
feed, and plenty of food and money.

Meantime the prince grew up to boyhood, and spent a very pleasant life
in the house of his foster-parents. But still he was not quite happy,
for as soon as he learned how the stratagem had succeeded, he was much
grieved that a poor innocent girl should have to suffer the consequences
of his father's thoughtlessness in his place. He formed a fixed resolve
either to release the poor girl, if this was possible, or to perish with
her. He could not endure the thought of becoming king by the sacrifice
of a maiden.[108] One day he secretly disguised himself as a peasant
lad, took a bag of peas on his shoulder, and went to the wood where his
father had lost his way eighteen years before.

Soon after entering the wood he began to cry out, "O what an unfortunate
boy I am! how far I must have wandered from the path! Who will show me
the way out o