Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/180

164 about riding, rowing, hunting, and, in fact, did everything they possibly could to enjoy themselves. Though Prince Demitrius had often visited and stayed with his friend, Prince Ignatius had never once been able to return the visits.

On one occasion, however, when Prince Demitrius was leaving the glorious kingdom at the World's End, he made his friend promise to come and stay at his father's court some day, and have some fun.

"All right, old fellow," said Prince Ignatius. "I will try my best to come this time."

And so the two friends parted.

Now Prince Demitrius had, at the foot of his sofa in his own particular room, a large and handsome portrait of his wonderfully beautiful sister, he would often lie on this sofa and gaze with admiration at the sweet face before him, and think that there was no girl like her in the whole world,—and he was right, a more perfect creature was never seen.

One day, the prince, tired out with hunting, threw himself down on his sofa to rest, and allowed his eyes to feast as usual on his sister's portrait until he fell into a peaceful slumber.

Suddenly, who should walk into the room but Prince Ignatius; he had arrived quite unexpectedly at court to stay with his friend for a few days, and after asking the footmen where the prince was, had walked into the chamber in order to astonish his friend, and was rather surprised to find that noble personage asleep! However, not wishing to wake him, he began to amuse himself by looking at the various little things in the room, when all at once his eyes fell on