60 THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE HEMPSEED.

Having reached the foot of the Alps, and gained the
frontier of the valley of Piedmont, their fears increased. The
Alps were now before them—those dreadful Alps! In spite
of his bravery, Prince Hempseed would not attempt the pas-
sage until he had inquired the best road to take amongst so
many defiles, ravines, bogs, and precipices. How many
travellers had perished in those mountains, which exist as
poe of the convulsions of the globe! The prince left

is sister in charge of the animals, and resolved to set
out alone to Ivry, to ask concerning the roads.

Ivry is nearer to the Alps than Biella.

«You promise to come back in two hours?” said Olym-
pia, when she saw that her brother had made up his mind
to go’to Ivry.

 

“I promise,” answered the prince. “ And you must
promise me, dear sister, not to move away from the trunk
of this tree where I have concealed you.”

“JT will stay here until you come back.”

Prince Hempseed had concealed his sister within the
trunk of an immense old elm tree, which had a hollow
opening at its base, in the shape of a deep oval. The three