214 PRINCE RICARDO.

 

came down into the courtyard to see him
mount.

“‘He’s very fresh,” said the groom who held
the bridle; ‘“‘has not been out of the stable for
three hundred years!”

Prigio sprang into the saddle among the
salaams of the dusky multitude, and all the
ladies of the seraglio waved their scented
handkerchiefs out of the windows.

The king, as he had been instructed, turned
a knob of gold in the saddle of the Flying
Horse, then kissed his hand to the ladies, and,
giving the steed his head, cried, in excellent
Persian :

“To the moon!”

Up flew the horse with an easy action, and
the king’s head nearly swam with the swiftness
of the flight. Soon the earth below him was
no bigger than a top, spinning on its own axis
(see Geography books for this), and, as night
fell, earth was only a great red moon.

Through the dark rode King Prigio, into the
silver dawn of the moon. All now became
clear and silvery; the coasts of the moon came
into sight, with white seas breaking on them;
and at last the king reached the silver walls,
and the gate of opal. Before the gate stood
two beautiful ladies. . One was fair, with yellow
locks, the colour of the harvest moon. She
had a crown of a golden snake and white
water-lilies, and her dress now shone white,