So she was delighted when she heard this, almost as much delighted as she was afraid that he might fail in the most difficult adventure. For it was one thing to egg on a Remora to kill a Firedrake, and quite another to find the princes if they were alive, and restore them if they were dead!
But the Prince said he had his plan, and he stayed that night at the ambassador's. Next morning he rose very early, before anyone else was up, that he might not have to say "Goodbye" to Lady Rosalind. Then he flew in a moment to the old lonely castle, where nobody went for fear of ghosts, ever since the Court retired to Falkenstein.
How still it was, how deserted; not a sign of life, and yet the Prince was looking everywhere/or some living thing. He hunted through the castle in vain, and then went out to the stable yard; but all the dogs of course had been taken away, and the neighbouring fanners had offered homes to the poultry. At last, stretched at full length in a sunny place, the Prince found a very old, half-blind, miserable cat. The poor creature was lean, and its fur had fallen off in patches; it could no longer catch birds, nor even mice, and there was nobody to give milk to it. But cats do not look far into the future; and this old black cat-Frank was his name-had got a breakfast somehow, and was happy in the sun. The Prince stood and looked at him pityingly, and he thought that even a sick old cat was, in some ways, happier than most men.
"Well," said the Prince at last, "he could not live long anyway, and it must be done. He will feel nothing."
Then he drew the sword of sharpness, and with one turn of his wrist cut the cat's head clean off.
It did not at once change into a beautiful young lady, as perhaps you expect; no, that was improbable and, as the Prince was in love already, would have been vastly inconvenient. The dead cat lay there, like any common cat.
Then the Prince built up a heap of straw, with wood on it; and mere he laid poor puss, and set fire to the pile. Very soon there was nothing of old black Frank left but ashes!
Then the Prince ran upstairs to the fairy cupboard, his heart beating loudly with excitement. The sun was shining through the arrow-shot window; all the yellow motes were dancing in its rays. The light fell on the strange heaps of fairy things- talismans and spells. The Prince hunted about here and there, and at last he discovered six ancient water vessels of black leather, each with a silver plate on it, and on the plate letters engraved. This was what was written on the plates:
"Thank Heaven!" said the Prince. "I thought they were sure to have brought it!"
Then he look one of the old black leather bottles, and ran downstairs again to the place where he had burned the body of the poor old sick cat.
He opened the bottle and poured a few drops of the water on the ashes and the dying embersUp there sprang a tall, white flame of fire, waving like a tongue of light; and forth from the heap jumped the most beautiful, strong, furry black cat that ever was seen!
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 manner.
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, banners flying, sunshine glittering on the spear points. Off they rode to Falkenstein; and when the King saw them come galloping in, I can tell you he had no more notion of hanging Prigio.
Chapter XVIII
The Very Last The Princes returned to Gluckstein on the carpet, and went to the best inn, where thei' dined together and slept. Next morning they, and the ambassador, who had been told all the story, and Lady Rosalind, floated comfortably on the carpet, back to Falkenstein, where the King wept like anything on the shoulders of Alphonso and Enrico. They could not make out why he cried so, nor why Lady Molinda and Lady Kathleena cried; but soon they were all laughing and happy again. But then-would you believe he could be so mean?-he refused to keep his royal promise, and restore Prigio to his crown princeship! Kings are like that.