34 PRINCE PRIGIO.

 

his money in the tavern, pulled out his purse.
‘Then he remembered what he had done, and
expected to find it empty; but, lo, there were
three pieces of gold in it! Overcome with
surprise, he thrust the money into the woman’s
hand, and put on his cap again. In a moment
the crowd, which had been staring at him,
rushed away in every direction, with cries of
terror, declaring that there was a magician in
the town, and a fellow who could appear and
disappear at pleasure !

By this time, you or I, or anyone who was
not so extremely clever as Prince Prigio, would
have understood what was. the matter. He
had put on, without knowing it, not only the
seven-league boots, but the cap of darkness,
and had taken Fortunatus’s purse, which could
never be empty, however often you took all the
money out. All those and many other delightful
wares the fairies had given him at his christen-
ing, and the prince had found them in the dark
garret. But the prince was so extremely wise,
and learned, and scientific, that he did not
believe in fairies, nor in fairy gifts.

‘*It is indigestion,” he said to himself: ‘those
sausages were not of the best; and that Bur-
gundy was Say strong. Things are not
as they appear.’

Here, as he was arguing with himself, he was
nearly run over by a splendid carriage and six,
the driver of which never took the slightest