THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE HEMPSEED. 49

and wandered back to the same point whence they went
astray :—and sometimes they were pensive and sorrowful ;
but children as they were, they soon became happy again!

One day they were rendered very miserable indeed.
Auriol, the beautiful pigeon, with the many-coloured neck,
made use of his freedom so fully, that he flew so high, and
flew so far, as to be out of sight. The bird was lost in infinite
space. Turnspit barked to no purpose: Auriol was hidden
behind the blue curtain of heaven. The two children
stopped and waited a long time for it. But half an hour
passed—then an hour ;—and still Auriol returned not!
Sadly and mournfully the children continued their way
without him. But, O joy! at the place where they
stopped for supper, they beheld Auriol re-appear from a
great distance: he came up rapidly towards them, cooing
and flapping his wings. The children fondled and scolded
him, and all was forgiven. But on the following day he flew
off again: fortunately, however, he returned. In a word,
Auriol now left his companions every day in the same man-
ner, and returned to them at night.

It was now the end of autumn—a beautiful season in
that part of Italy which the little exiles were about to leave
behind them; but amidst the Alps, which they were now
about to enter upon, it was as cold as in the depth of win-
ter. They had reached the picturesque base of those
fearful mountains, whose eternal snows, seen in the distance,
filled the children with terror and misgivings.

Before they began their Alpine journey, Prince Hemp-
seed stopped at a place between Biella and Ivry, and bought
two cloaks—one for himself, and the other for his sister
Olympia, who was ever saying to him, “ Dear brother,
those ugly mountains frighten me; do not let us go amongst
them! Let us take another road.”

** Which road can we take?” asked Prince Hempseed.

“T do not know. But those mountains—”

“Come, Olympia! God has brought us safe and sound as
far asthis; and, if He will, he can place us beyond danger.