THE INVISIBLE PRINCE. 317

© Madain,” said he, “since I have had the honour to serve you,
1 know not any other happiness that I can wish for."”— I
should be sorry,” replied she, “ not to be of service to you in
something ; consider, it is in my power to make you a great
king, prolong your life, make you more amiable, give you
mines of diamonds, and houses fuil of gold ; { can make you an
excellent orator, poct, musician, and painter; I can make you
beloved by the ladies, and increase your wit ; I.can make you a
spirit of the air, the water, or the earth.” Here Leander
interrupted her: “ Permit me, madam,” said he, “ to ask you
what benefit it would be to me to be invisible, or a spirit ?"—
© A thousand useful and delightful things might be done by it,”
replied the fairy ; “you would be invisible when you pleased,
and might in an instant traverse the whole earth; you would
be able to fly without wings, and descend into the abysses of
the earth without dying, and walk at the bottom of the sea
without being drowned ; nor doors, nor windows, though fast
shut and locked, could hinder you from entering any of the
most secret retirements: and whenever you had a mind, you
might resume your natural form.
“Oh, madam !" cried Leander, “then
let me be rit ; | am going to travel,
and prefer it ahove all those other ad-
vantages you have so generously offered
me.” Gentilla thereupon stroking his
visage three times, © Be a spirit,” said
she ; and then embracing him, she gave
him a little red cap with a plume of
feathers: “ When you put on this cap,
you shall be invisible; but when you
take it off, you shall again become visible.” Leander, overjoyed,
put his little red cap upon his head, and wished himself in the