118 PRINCE FILDERKIN

the shore, and immediately the whole body
of swans raised themselves from the water
and flapped their wings with great ardour,
which is well known to be the way in which
the great swan nation expresses its pleasure
and gives its applause.

Our Prince once more bowed and smiled
his thanks, and if he had felt justified in
doing so, I daresay he would willingly have
stayed a little longer, and tried to improve
his acquaintance with the friendly birds.

But as he had important business before
him, and no time for idling, he turned his
face towards the Golden Mountains and
stepped onward with good heart. The
mountain, though high, was not steep at first,
and the only difficulty which presented itself
in the ascent was the zigzag manner in
which the boulders of rock were cast about,
so that a person who wished to ascend had
to lengthen his journey by continually going
round them. Prince Filderkin, however,
being young and vigorous, pressed boldly
forward, and, as the direction to go straight
forward had plainly only applied to his first
three days’ journey, and to the obstacles
which could be removed by the timely use