Prince Ricardo of Pantouflia by Andrew Lang Read Free Book Online

King James on his royal nose. The king wakened, nearly crushed the princess (so dangerous is the practice of magic to the artist), and then leaped up, and saw Dick's blade flying through the air, glittering in the sun. The prince had disarmed him.
    "Hullo! what's all this?
A moi
,
mes gardes
!" cried the old king, in French and English; and then he ran up, just in time to hear Prince Charles say:
    "Sir, take your life! I cannot strike an unarmed man. A prince you may be, but you have not learned the exercises of gentlemen."
    "What is all this, Carluccio?" asked the old king. "Swords out! brawling in my very presence! blood drawn!" for Dick's hand was bleeding a good deal.
    Prince Charles, as briefly as possible, explained the unusual nature of the circumstances.
    "A king must hear both sides," said King James. "What reply have you, sir, to make to his Royal Highness's statements?"
    "The carpet would not work, sir," said Dick. "It never happened before. Had I used my own sword," and he explained its properties, "the Prince of Wales would not be alive to tell his story. I can say no more, beyond offering my apology for a disappointment which I could not have foreseen. A gentleman can only say that he is sorry. But wait!" he added; "I can at least prove that my confidence in some of my resources is not misplaced. Bid me bring you something--anything--from the ends of the earth, and it shall be in your hands. I can't say fairer."
    King James reflected, while Prince Ricardo was pulling on the Seven-league Boots, which he had kicked off to fight more freely, and while the Duke of York bandaged Dick's hand with a kerchief.
    "Bring me," said his Majesty, "Lord Lovat's snuff-mull."
    "Where does he live?" said Dick.
    "At Gortuleg, in Scotland," answered King James.
    Dick was out of sight before the words were fairly spoken, and in ten minutes was back, bearing a large ram's-horn snuff-box, with a big cairngorm set in the top, and the Frazer arms.
    "Most astonishing!" said King James.
    "A miracle!" said the Duke of York.
    "You have entirely cleared your character," said the king. "Your honour is without a stain, though it is a pity about the carpet. Your nobility in not using your magical sword, under the greatest provocation, reconciles me to this fresh blighting of my hopes. All my allies fail me," said the poor king with a sigh; "you alone have failed with honour. Carluccio, embrace the prince!"
    They fell into each other's arms.
    "Prince," said Dick, "you have taught me a lesson for which I shall not be ungrateful. With any blade a gentleman should be able to hold his own in fair fight. I shall no longer neglect my fencing lessons."
    "With any blade," said Prince Charles, "I shall be happy to find Prince Ricardo by my side in a stricken field. We shall not part till I have induced you to accept a sword which I can never hope to draw against another adversary so noble. In war, my weapon is the claymore."
    Here the prince offered to Ricardo the ruby-studded hilt of his rapier, which had a beautiful white shark-skin sheath.
    "You must accept it, sir," said King James; "the hilt holds the rubies of John Sobieski."
    "Thank you, prince," said Ricardo, "for the weapon, which I shall learn to wield; and I entreat you to honour me by receiving this fairy gift--which
you
do not need--a ring which makes all men faithful to the wearer."
    The Prince of Wales bowed, and placed the talisman on his finger.
    Ricardo then, after a few words of courtesy on both parts, picked up his useless carpet, took his farewell of the royal party, and, with Jaqueline still hidden under his collar, returned at full speed, but with a heavy heart, to Pantouflia, where the palace gong was just sounding for luncheon.
    Ricardo never interfered in foreign affairs again, but his ring proved very useful to Prince Charles, as you may have read in history.
CHAPTER VI.
    Ricardo's Repentance.
    {Bottle of weapon salve: p109.jpg}
    The queen, as it happened fortunately, was