"Amiable White Cat," said he to her, "I protest to you that I am so penetrated by your bounties, that, if you would consent, I should prefer passing my life here with you to all the grandeur which I have reason to expect elsewhere." "Son of a King," replied she, "I am convinced of the kindness of thy heart. It is a rare article amongst princes. They would be loved by everybody, yet not love any one themselves. But thou art a proof that the rule has its exception. I give thee credit for the affection thou displayest for a little White Cat that after all is good for nothing but to catch mice." The Prince kissed her paw and departed. We should have some difficulty in believing the speed with which he travelled if we were not already aware of the way in which the wooden horse had carried him in less than two days a distance of five hundred leagues from the castle; so that, impelled by the same power, these other steeds travelled so swiftly that they were only four and twenty hours on the road, stopping nowhere till they reached the King's palace, to which the two elder brothers had already repaired, and, not seeing their youngest, congratulated themselves on his negligence, and whispered to each other, "Here's a piece of good luck! He is either dead or very ill. He will not be our rival in the important business which is about to be decided." They immediately displayed their cloths, which were, in truth, so fine, that they could pass them through the eye of a large needle, but not through that of a small one; and the King, very glad of this pretext for refusal, produced the needle he had previously selected, and which the magistrates, by his order, had brought out of the City Treasury, wherein it had been carefully kept in the meanwhile.
There was much murmuring at this objection. The friends of the Princes, and particularly those of the eldest, for his cloth was of the finest texture, protested that it was a downright piece of chicanery, in which there was equal ingenuity and Normanism.[1] The King's parasites contended that he was only bound by the conditions he had proposed. At length, to settle the matter, a fine flourish was heard of trumpets, kettle-drums, and hautbois: it announced the arrival of our Prince in all his pomp and paraphernalia. The King and his two other sons were all equally astonished at such great magnificence.
- ↑ See Note to p. 79.
