Isaac Asimov's Worlds of Fantasy. Book 6: Mythical Beasties

It was Frank as he had been in the vigour of his youth; and he knew the Prince at once, and rubbed himself against him and purred.

The Prince lifted up Frank and kissed his nose for joy; and a bright tear rolled down on Frank's face, and made him rub his nose with his paw in the most comical ma

Then the Prince set him down, and he ran round and round after his tail; and, lastly, cocked his tail up, and marched proudly after the Prince into the castle.

"Oh, Frank!" said Prince Pngio, "no cat since the time of Puss in Boots was ever so well taken care of as you shall be.

For if the fairy water from the Fountain of Lions can bring you back to life-why, there is a chance for Aiphonso and Enrico!"

Then Prigio bustled about, got ready a cold luncheon from the storeroom, took all his fairy things thai he was likely to need, sat down with them on the flying carpet, and wished himself at the mountain of the Firedrake.

Off he flew; and there he was in a second, just beside poor Alphonso's garden engine. Then Prigio, seeing a little heap of grey ashes beside the engine, watered them with the fairy water; and up jumped Aiphonso, as jolly as ever, his sword in his hand. •Water from the Fountain of Lions "Hallo, Prigio!" cried he. "Are you come after the monster too? I've been asleep, and I had a kind of dream that he beat me. But me pair of us will tackle him. How is Molinda?"

"Prettier than ever." said Prigio, "but very anxious about you. However, the Firedrake's dead and done for; so never mind him. But! left Enrico somewhere about. Just you sit down and wait a minute, till I fetch him." The Prince said this because he did not wish Alphonso to know mat he and Enrico had not had quite the best of it in the affair with the monster.

"All right, old fellow," says Alphonso, "but have you any luncheon with you? Never was 1 so hungry in my life!"

Prince Prigio had thought of this, and he brought out some coid sausage (to which Alphonso was partial) and some bread, with which the younger prince expressed himself satisfied.

Then Prigio went up the hill some way, first warning Alphonso not to sit on his carpet for fear of accidents like that which happened to Benson. In a hollow of the hill, sure enough there was the sword of Enrico, the diamonds of the hilt gleaming in the sun. And there was a little heap of grey ashes.

The Prince poured a few drops of the water from the Fountain of Lions on them and up of course jumped Enrico, just as Alphonso had done.

"Sleepy old chap you are, Enrico," said me Prince; "but come on, Alphonso will have finished the grub unless we look smart."

So back they came in time to get their share of what was going; and they drank to the Remora's very good health, when Prigio told them about the fight. But neither of them ever knew that they had been dead and done for; because Prigio invented a story that the mountain was enchanted, and that, as long as the Firedrake lived, everyone who came there fell asleep. He did tell them about the flying carpet, however, which of course did not much surprise them. because they had read all about it in the Arabian Nights and other historical works.

"And now I'll show you fun'" said Prigio; and he asked mem both to take their seats on the carpet, and wished to be in the valley of the Remora.

There they were in a moment, among the old knights whom, if you remember, the Remora had frozen into stone.

There were quite a troop of them, in all sorts of armour- Greek and Roman, and Knights Templar like Front de Boeuf and Brian du Bois Gilbert-all the brave warriors that had tried to fight the Remora since the world began.

Then Prigio gave each of his brothers some of the water in their caps, and told them to go round pouring a drop or two on each frozen knight. And as they did it. lo and behold! each knight came alive, with his horse, and lifted his sword and shouted:

in Greek, Latin, Egyptian, German, and Spanish-all of which the Prince perfectly understood, and spoke like a native.

So he marshalled them in order, and sent them off to nde to Falkenstein and cry: "Prince Prigio is coming!"

Off they went, the horses' hooves clattering, ba

Chapter XVIII

The Very Last The Princes returned to Gluckstein on the carpet, and went to the best i

But Prigio, very quietly asking for the head of the Firedrake, said he'd pour the magic water on that, and bring the Firedrake back to life again, unless His Majesty behaved rightly. This threat properly frightened King Grognio, and he apologized. Then me King shook hands with Prigio in public, and thanked him, and said he was proud of him. As to Lady Rosalind, the old gentleman quite fell in love with her, and he sent at once to the Chaplain Royal to get into his surplice, and marry all the young people off at once, without waiting for wedding cakes and milliners and all the rest of it.

Now, just as they were forming a procession to march into church, who should appear but the Queen* Her Majesty had been travelling by post all the time, and, luckily, had heard of none of the doings since Prigio, Benson, and the King left Gluckstein. I say luckily because if she had heard of them, she would not have believed a word of them. But when she saw Alphonso and Enrico, she was much pleased, and said:

"Naughty boys! Where have you been hiding? The King had some absurd story about your having been killed by a fabulous monster. Bah! don't tell me. I always said you would come back after a little trip-didn't I, Prigio?"

"Certainly, madam," said Prigio, "and I said so too.

Didn't I say so?" And all the courtiers cried: "Yes, you did"; but some added, to themselves, "He always says, 'Didn't 1 say so?' "

Then the Queen was introduced to Lady Rosalind, and she said it was "rather a short engagement, but she supposed young people understood their own affairs best." And they do! So the three pairs were married, with the utmost rejoicings; and Her Majesty never, her whole life long, could be got to believe that anything unusual had occurred.

The honeymoon of Prince Prigio and the Crown Princess Rosalind was passed at me castle, where the Prince had been deserted by the Court. But now it was delightfully fitted up; and Master Frank marched about the house with his tail in the air, as if the place belonged to him.

Now, on the second day of their honeymoon, the Prince and Princess were sitting in the garden together, and the Prince said: "Are you quite happy, my dear?" and Rosalind said: "Yes; quite."

But the Prince did not tike the tone of her voice, and he said: "No, there's something; do tell me what it is."

"Well," said Rosalind, putting her head on his shoulder, and speaking very low, "1 want everybody to love you as much as I do. No, not quite so very much-but I want them to like you. Now they can't, because they are afraid of you; for you are so awfully clever. Now, couldn't you take the wishing cap, and wish to be no cleverer than other people? Then everybody would like you!"

The Prince thought a minute, then he said: "Your will is law, my dear; anything to please you. Just wait a minute!"

Then he ran upstairs, for the last time, to the fairy garret, and he put on the wishing cap.

"No," thought he to himself, "I won't wish that. Every man has one secret from his wife, and this shall be mine."

Then he said aloud: "I WISH TO SEEM NO CLEVERER THAN OTHER PEOPLE."

Then he ran downstairs again, and the Princess noticed a great difference in him (though of course there was really none at alt), and so did everyone. For the Prince remained as clever as ever he had been; but, as nobody observed it, he became the most popular prince, and finally the best beloved king who had ever sat on the throne of Pantouflia.

But occasionally Rosalind would say: "I do believe, my dear, that you are really as clever as^-ever!"

And he was!