THE WHITE CAT.

KING had three sons and he could not make up his
mind which one should be king after him. So he

said the one that brings me the prettiest dog at the end of
a year shall be king; and the three princes started off to
hunt for dogs. The eldest went to the right, the second
to the left, and the third one, Felix, went straight ahead
till he came toa castle where lived a white cat. He told
her about the dog, and she said she would give him one if
he would stay with her till the end of the year. So he did,
and when the time came to part they both shed tears.
The white cat gave Felix a walnut, saying, “The dog is
in that.” The other brothers had lovely dogs, but when
Felix cracked the walnut out dropped a filbert. He
thought it was a trick; but when he cracked the filbert
there was the loveliest dog in the world. “You have
won!” said the king, but now try which one can bring me
the finest piece of linen. The elder princes brought pieces
that would go through a wedding-ring and ear-ring, but
Felix cracked a filbert inside of which was a cherry-stone,
and inside the cherry-stone forty yards of stuff that could
be drawn through the eye of a needle. ‘You have won
again!” said the king; but now see who can find the most
beautiful lady for a wife. When the time came round the
white cat said to Felix, “Cut off my head!” ‘No, no!”
said the prince, ‘I love you too well!” “Do as I tell
you!” said the white cat, and the prince cut off her head,
and there stood before him the loveliest princess in the
world. The old king said, ‘You have won, Felix; and
you shall be king!” “But he did not care to be king, but
left the crown to his brothers and went to live with his
dear princess in the Castle of the White Cat.

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