Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/115

Rh stand before him, in all her great beauty and grace, but the lovely Princess Vera the Wise!

"Ah! my beloved prince, if you had been a little later I might have forgotten you, and married some one else, for in this country one's memory fails one sometimes!"

So saying, Princess Vera embraced the happy prince, and they left the hut together. After walking a short distance, Princess Vera waved her right hand, and immediately a beautiful flying carpet of gold, worked with silver and diamonds, appeared, and on this carpet the happy pair seated themselves, and flew to the kingdom of Prince Akem's father.

The king was delighted at the sight of his beloved son and his charming daughter-in-law. Princess Vera's father came to stay at the palace for a few days, to make the acquaintance of his son-in-law and all his relations. Before he left a grand ball was given, to which everybody was invited. After that, Princess Vera, her father, and Prince Akem returned to the tenth kingdom at the World's End.

Princess Vera's father made Prince Akem his heir, for the good king had no son of his own.