Ting-a-ling | Page 2

to be). When this high-born personage
saw them coming with drawn blades, his countenance flushed, and his
eyes sparkled with rage. Drawing his flashing sword, he shouted,
"Crouch, varlets! Lie with the dust, ye dogs!" and sprang furiously
upon them.
[Illustration]
The impetuosity of the onslaught caused the two men to pause, and in a
few minutes they fell back some yards, so fast and heavy did the long
sword clash upon their upraised cimeters. This contest was soon over,
for, unaccustomed to such a vigorous method of attack, the slaves
turned and fled, and the Prince pursued them down a long street, and up
an alley, and over a wall, and through a garden, and under an arch, and
over a court-yard, and through a gate, and down another street, and up
another alley, and through a house, and up a long staircase, and out
upon a roof, and over several abutments, and down a trap-door, and
down another pair of stairs, and through another house, into another
garden, and over another wall, and down a long road, and over a field,
clear out of sight.
When the Prince had performed this feat, he sat down to rest, but,
suddenly bethinking himself of the maiden, he rose and went to look

for her.
"I have chased away her servants," said he; "how will she ever find her
way anywhere?"
If this was difficult for her, the Prince found that it was no less so for
himself; and he spent much time in endeavoring to reach again the
northern suburbs of the city. At last, after considerable walking, he
reached the long street into which he had first chased the slaves, and,
finding a line of children eagerly devouring a line of sugared
cream-beans, he remembered seeing these confections dropping from
the pockets of the slaves as he pursued them, and, following up the
clew, soon reached the shop, and found the Princess sitting under a tree
before the door. The shop-keeper, knowing her to be the Princess, had
been afraid to speak to her, and was working away inside, making
believe that he had not seen her, and that he knew nothing of the
conflict which had taken place before his door.
[Illustration]
Up jumped Aufalia. "O! I am so glad to see you again! I have been
waiting here ever so long. But what have you done with my slaves?"
"I am your slave," said the Prince, bowing to the ground.
"But you don't know the way home," said she, "and I am dreadfully
hungry."
Having ascertained from her that she was the King's daughter, and lived
at the palace, the Prince reflected for a moment, and then, entering the
shop, dragged forth the maker of sugared cream-beans, and ordered
him to lead the way to the presence of the King. The confectioner,
crouching to the earth, immediately started off, and the Prince and
Princess, side by side, followed over what seemed to them a very short
road to the palace. The Princess talked a great deal, but the Prince was
rather quiet. He had a good many things to think about. He was the
younger son of a king who lived far away to the north, and had been
obliged to flee the kingdom on account of the custom of allowing only

one full-grown heir to the throne to live in the country.
"Now," thought he, "this is an excellent commencement of my
adventures. Here is a truly lovely Princess whom I am conducting to
her anxious parent. He will be overwhelmed with gratitude, and will
doubtless bestow upon me the government of a province--or--perhaps
he will make me his Vizier--no, I will not accept that,--the province
will suit me better." Having settled this little matter to his mind, he
gladdened the heart of the Princess with the dulcet tones of his gentle
voice.
On reaching the palace, they went directly to the grand hall, where the
King was giving audience. Justly astounded at perceiving his daughter
(now veiled) approaching under the guidance of a crouching sugar-bean
maker and a strange young man, he sat in silent amazement, until the
Prince, who was used to court life, had made his manners, and related
his story. When the King had heard it, he clapped his hands three times,
and in rushed twenty-four eunuchs.
"Take," said the monarch, "this bird to her bower." And they
surrounded the Princess, and hurried her off to the women's apartments.
Then he clapped his hands twice, and in rushed twenty-four armed
guards from another door.
"Bind me this dog!" quoth the King, pointing to the Prince. And they
bound him in a twinkling.
"Is this the way you treat a stranger?" cried the Prince.
"Aye," said the King, merrily. "We will treat you royally. You