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204 closed, and the blinds drawn darkly down. The servants ran about the courtyard as if distracted, throwing up their arms in despair.

"What does this mean?" exclaimed the eldest prince. "Some one is dangerously ill—perhaps dead!"

"We shall soon see," said the second prince; and he desired to behold his parents and Libena. They looked in the glass; they saw the king, the queen, and their beloved one—alas! they were all upon the point of death!

"Let us fly to them!" exclaimed the youngest brother.

The princes sprang into the wonderful carriage, and in an instant they found themselves before the palace. The youngest of them immediately ran to his father, his mother, and to Libena; gave to each of them an apple, and begged them to eat it. They did as he desired, and, oh, wonder of wonders! before you could count one hundred they were so far recovered as to be able to rise. Every one praised the youngest prince to the utmost; more especially the doctors, who had used all their skill in vain, and were driven to despair. The king embraced his youngest son, and cried, with tears of joy in his eyes,—

"Now is Libena yours! Without your help, we should all have died."

"Not so, father," said the second prince. "Had it not