Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/179

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a certain kingdom there lived a king and queen, who had two children, a boy and a girl, Prince Demitrius and Princess Marie.

When the princess was quite a little child none of her nurses could ever make her sleep. She would always lie in bed awake all the night long and stare in front of her. At last the young prince thought he might be able to sing his little sister to sleep, so sat down beside her as she was lying in bed, and sang,—

"Go to sleep, little sister dear; when you grow up I shall give you in marriage to my best of friends, Prince Ignatius, of the kingdom near the World's End."

And the little princess went to sleep immediately. When the prince saw that he was successful in sending her into the land of dreams, he continued the prescription, and always with success.

Years passed; the prince and princess became tall and handsome, nay, beautiful. Prince Demitrius went to stay three or four months with his great friend, Prince Ignatius, the handsome son and heir of the king of a kingdom near the World's End. The two princes were passionately fond of each other, and were never happier than when together. They went