from morning to night that he would one day be a king, and that kings were very happy, because everyone was bound to obey and respect them, and no one could prevent them from doing just as they liked.
When the Prince grew old enough to understand, he soon learnt that there could be nothing worse than to be proud, obstinate, and conceited, and he had really tried to cure himself of these defects, but by that time his faults had become habits; and a bad habit is very hard to get rid of. Not that he was naturally of a bad disposition; he was truly sorry when he had been naughty, and said:
‘I am very unhappy to have to struggle against my anger and pride every day; if I had been punished for them when I was little they would not be such a trouble to me now.’
His ring pricked him very often, and sometimes he left off what he was doing at once; but at other times he would not attend to it. Strangely enough, it gave him only a slight prick for a trifling fault, but when he was really naughty it made his finger actually bleed. At last he got tired of being constantly reminded, and wanted to be able to do as he liked, so he threw his ring aside, and thought himself the happiest of men to have got rid of its teasing pricks. He gave himself up to doing every foolish thing that occurred to him, until he became quite wicked and nobody could like him any longer.
One day, when the Prince was walking about, he saw a young girl, who was so very pretty that he made up his mind at once that he would marry her. Her name was Celia, and she was as good as she was beautiful.
Prince Darling fancied that Celia would think herself only too happy if he offered to make her a great queen, but she said fearlessly:
‘Sire, I am only a shepherdess, and a poor girl, but, nevertheless, I will not marry you.’
‘Do you dislike me?’ asked the Prince, who was very much vexed at this answer.
‘No, my Prince,’ replied Celia; ‘I cannot help thinking you very handsome; but what good would riches be to me, and all the grand dresses and splendid carriages that you would give me, if the bad deeds which I should see you do every day made me hate and despise you?’
The Prince was very angry at this speech, and commanded his
