PRINCE PRIGIOQ. 49

 

‘‘Tt’s me,” answered the prince. | It was-the
first time he had forgotten his sie but‘he
was terribly excited:

“What do you pene grunted ine ae

“‘T wish I could see you’’; and, horrible, ‘to
relate, he rose on a pair of wide, flaming wings,
and came’ right at the prince, guided by the
sound of his voice.

Now, the prince had never heard that Fire:
drakes could fly ; indeed, he had never believed
in them at all, till the night before. For a
moment he was numb with terror; then he flew
down like a stone to the very bottom of the hill
and shouted:

66 Hi ! 29

“Well,” grunted the Firedrake, ‘‘ what’s the
matter? Why can’t you give a civil answer to
a civil question ?”

** Will you go back to your hole and swear,
on your honour asa Firedrake, to listen quietly?”

“On my sacred word of honour,” said the
beast, casually scorching an eagle that flew by
into ashes. The cinders fell, jingling and crack-
ling, round the prince in a little shower.

Then the Firedrake dived back, with an awful
splash of flame, and the mountain roared round
him.

The. prince now flew high above him, and
cried:

““A message from the Remora. He says
you are afraid to fight him.”