Page:The Princess of Cozytown.pdf/46

 brave Prince. Again the bad-tempered, bald-headed King fell a-thinking and this time his thoughts were blacker than ever, for he was really horribly jealous of his handsome son. At last he whispered to the chiefest of the Ministers and the poor fellow, with tears in his eyes, rose up to deliver the royal mandate. "Unless Prince Sambrun within the next thirty days discovers some means to restore the hair of his Royal Majesty, he shall upon the thirty-first day forfeit his head."

"Oh, oh," sobbed the Courtiers dismally, and pulling their silk handkerchiefs from their heads they all wept violently and the Queen outwept them all. But the most charming Prince merely bowed coldly to the King, kissed his royal mother and mounting his horse rode away.

He traveled far. In the countries to the east and west, in the countries to the north and south he sought, but vainly.

 

N THE evening of the twenty-fifth day, he came to a dim, dark forest, and sitting upon an old stump in a little patch of moonlight began to weep bitterly. You see, dears, he felt that death had already overtaken him, but all at once a sharp little voice cried, "What does this mean?" and up out of the ground popped a tiny brown dwarf. "What does this mean?" he shouted crossly. "I've not had a wink of sleep this night." Sambrun jumped up hastily and bowing in his most charming fashion, said how very sorry he was to have kept the little fellow from his sleep. Somewhat appeased, the dwarf raised his lantern and peered up curiously at Sambrun with his little red eyes. "Oh, ha—ha—ha," he roared, catching sight of Sambrun's bald head, "Oh, ho—ho—ho. This is worth a night's rest."

"Well, what's it all about, bald pate?" Sambrun knew enough about the fairy folk not to vex the dwarf; so with many sighs he told him of the wicked doings of his father, the bald-headed, bad-tempered King. The comical, crooked dwarf listened intently, his little red eyes snapping and