FURTHER ADVENTURES 117

he had never seen birds of such surpassing
whiteness and magnificent plumage.

The behaviour of these lovely creatures
was very different from that of the snakes
whom they had succeeded. Not aqnly did
they regard the Prince without the slightest
appearance of anger, but they came swim-
ming towards the bank with intentions of
an. evidently friendly character, and he
presently perceived that, among the crowd
of birds, there were twelve who were har-
nessed by silver threads to a boat, which they
brought up close to the spot upon which he
stood.

Without the smallest hesitation, the
Prince boldly stepped into the boat, smiling
and bowing to the swans as he did so, in
order that they might understand the grati-
tude which, not being able to speak the
swan’s language, he could not express in
words.. As soon as he had taken his seat,
the twelve swans conveyed the boat safely
across the river, whilst their companions
swam gravely around them as if desirous to
act as a royal guard upon the occasion.

As soon as they had reached the other
side, Prince Filderkin sprang lightly upon