s, indeed," said the man. "How would you like to buy him yourself?"

"I!" said Hans. "Oh! I would rather have him than anything else in the
world; but I haven't any money. I haven't anything of my own but this
silver chain."

"Is that yours?" asked the man. "It is a very fine chain."

"Oh yes," cried Hans. "But I would a thousand times rather have a
dog."

"Well, then," said the man, "if you are sure that the chain is yours,
and if you want the dog so much, I'll let you have him for it,
although he's worth a fortune."

And so, in less time than I take to tell it, the chain was off Hans's
neck and the dog was in his arms.

Then he ran to find his aunt. "Oh, aunt!" he called, even before he
reached her, "look at this beautiful dog. He is my very own. The man
let me have him for my silver chain."

"Your silver chain!" cried his aunt angrily, coming to meet him in
haste. "Your silver chain! What do you mean, you stupid child? Not the
silver chain that was bought for your birthday? Not the silver chain
that the Prince gave you? A nice bargain, indeed! Where is the man?"
And, catching the child by the hand, she hurried back through the
crowd so fast that he almost had to run to keep up with her. The great
tears ran down Hans's cheeks and on to the dog's back, but his aunt
did not notice them. She scolded and scolded as she made her way back
to the doorstep.

When they got there the man was nowhere to be seen, and nobody could
tell them which way he had gone. So, although they looked for him
until almost dark, they had to go home without finding him.

Hans still carried the dog in his arms, and all the neighbours they
met stopped to ask if silly Hans had really given his silver chain
for a dog, as they had heard.

His aunt had a great deal to say to them, but Hans said nothing at
all. He only hugged the dog the closer, and wondered how long it would
be before he would have to give him up.

But Hans's aunt let him keep the dog in spite of her scolding. "A dog
is better than nothing," she said.

Hans named him Prince, for, after all, the dog was the Prince's
birthday present.

At first Prince did nothing but sleep and eat. Then he began to grow,
oh! so fast.

By the time he had lived two years in the house he was a great, fine
dog, with long, thick hair and soft, loving eyes. He was very
beautiful. All the travellers who came in the summer to see the
mountains said so, and even Hans's aunt thought so, although