PRINCE PRIGIO. Ig

 

lance, and buckler! A Molinda! A Molinda!”
which was his war-cry.

The page ran to get the armour; but it
was so uncommonly hot that he
dropped it, and put his fingers
in his mouth, crying!

“You had better put on flan-
nels, Alphonso, for this kind of
work,” said Prigio. “And if I
were you, I’d take a light
garden-engine, full of water, to
squirt at the enemy.” $

“Happy thought!” said Sh
Alphonso. ‘I will!” And off
he went, kissed his dear Molinda,
bade her keep a lot of dances for him (there
was to be a dance when he had killed the
Firedrake), and then he rushed to the field!

But he never came back any more!

Everyone wept bitterly—everyone but Prince
Prigio ; for he thought it was a practical joke,
and said that Alphonso had taken the oppor-
tunity to start off on his travels and see the
world.

“There is some dreadful mistake, sir,’ said
Prigio to the king. ‘‘You know as well as
I do that the youngest son has always suc-
ceeded, up to now. But I entertain great
hopes of Enrico!”

And he grinned; for he fancied it was all
nonsense, and that there were no Firedrakes.

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