THE WHITE CAT. 387

Each took a different road ; but it is intended to relate the
adventures of only the youngest, who was the handsomest, most
amiable, and accomplished prince that had ever been seen. No
day passed, os he travelled from town to town, that he did not
buy all the handsome dogs that fell in his way ; and as soon as
he saw one that was handsomer than those he had before, he
made a present of the last; for twenty servants would have
heen scarcely sufficient to take care of all the dogs he was con-
tinually buying. At length, wandering he knew not whither,
he found himself in a forest ; night suddenly came on, and with
it a violent storm of thunder, lightning, and rain : to add to this
perplexity, he lost his path, and could find no way out of the
forest. After he had groped about for a long time, he perceived
alight, which made him suppose that he was not far from some
house : he accordingly pursued his way towards it, and in a
short time found himself at the gates of the most magnificent
palace he had ever beheld. ‘he door that entered into it was
made of gold, covered with sapphire stones, which cast so re-
splendent a brightness over everything around, that scarcely
could the strongest eye-sight bear to look at it: this was the
light the prince had seen from the forest. The walls of the
building were of transparent porcelain, variously coloured, and
represented the history of all the fairies that had existed from
the heginning of the world. ‘The prince coming back to the
golden door, observed a deer’s foot fastened to a chain of dia-
monds; he could not help wondering at the magnificence he
beheld, and the security in which the inhabitants seemed to
live ; “for,” said he to himself, “nothing can be easier than for
thieves to steal this chain, and as many of the sapphire stones as
would make their fortunes.” He pulled the chain, and heard a
bell, the sound of which was exquisite. In a few moments the
door was upened ; but he perceived nothing but twelve hands in

coz