208 PRINCE RICARDO.

 

place. Finally he perched on a chandelier
that hung from the roof. Here he was safe;
and so weary was he, that he put his head
under his wing and fell fast asleep. He was
awakened by the return of the king, who threw
himself on a sofa and exclaimed:

‘Oh, that Prime Minister! his dulness is as
_heavy as lead; much heavier, in fact!”

Then his Majesty lit a cigar and took upa
volume; he certainly was a sad bookworm.

Dick now began to fly about the room, brush-
ing the king’s face and trying to attract his notice.

** Poor little thing !’’ said his Majesty.

And Dick alighted, and nestled in his breast.

On seeing this, Semiramis began to growl,
as cats do when they are angry, and slowly
approached his Majesty.

“Get out, Semiramis!” said the king; and
lifting her by the neck, he put her out of the
room and shut the door, at which she remained
scratching and mewing.

Dick now crept out of the royal waistcoat,
flew to the king’s ear, twittered, pointed out of
the window with one claw, and, lying down on
his back, pretended to be dead. Then he got
up again, twittered afresh, pointed to the
Wishing Cap, and, finally, convinced the king
that this was no common fowl.

‘““An enchanted prince or princess,’ said
Prigio, “‘such as I have often read of. Who
can it be? Not Jaqueline; she could change