Thiswasaverydishearteningrevelationtotheking—notthathewasunwillingtosacrificeasubject,butthathewashopelessoffindingamanwillingtosacrificehimself. Notimewastobelosthowever,fortheprincesswaslyingmotionlessonherbed,andtakingnonourishmentbutlake-water,whichwasnownoneofthebest. Thereforethekingcausedthecontentsofthewonderfulplateofgoldtobepublishedthroughoutthecountry. Noone,however,cameforward. Theprince,havinggoneseveraldays’journeyintotheforest,toconsultahermitwhomhehadmetthereonhiswaytoLagobel,knewnothingoftheoracletillhisreturn. Whenhehadacquaintedhimselfwithalltheparticulars,hesatdownandthought: “ShewilldieifIdon’tdoit,andlifewouldbenothingtomewithouther;soIshalllosenothingbydoingit. Andlifewillbeaspleasanttoherasever,forshewillsoonforgetme. Andtherewillbesomuchmorebeautyandhappinessintheworld!Tobesure,Ishallnotseeit.”(Herethepoorprincegaveasigh.) “Howlovelythelakewillbeinthemoonlight,withthatgloriouscreaturesportinginitlikeawildgoddess! Itisratherhardtobedrownedbyinches,though. Letmesee—thatwillbeseventyinchesofmetodrown.” (Herehetriedtolaugh,butcouldnot.) “Thelongerthebetter,however,”heresumed,“forcanInotbargainthattheprincessshallbebesidemeallthetime? SoIshallseeheroncemore,kissherperhaps—whoknows?anddielookinginhereyes.Itwillbenodeath.Atleast,Ishallnotfeelit. Andtoseethelakefillingforthebeautyagain!Allright!Iamready.” Hekissedtheprincess’sboot,laiditdown,andhurriedtotheking’sapartment. Butfeeling,ashewent,thatanythingsentimentalwouldbedisagreeable,heresolvedtocarryoffthewholeaffairwithnonchalance. Soheknockedatthedooroftheking’scounting-house,whereitwasallbutacapitalcrimetodisturbhim. Whenthekingheardtheknock,hestartedup,andopenedthedoorinarage. Seeingonlytheshoeblack,hedrewhissword. This,Iamsorrytosay,washisusualmodeofassertinghisregalitywhenhethoughthisdignitywasindanger. Buttheprincewasnotintheleastalarmed. “Pleaseyourmajesty,I’myourbutler,”saidhe. “Mybutler!Youlyingrascal!Whatdoyoumean?” “Imean,Iwillcorkyourbigbottle.” “Isthefellowmad?”bawledtheking,raisingthepointofhissword. “Iwillputthestopper—plug—whatyoucallit,inyourleakylake,grandmonarch,”saidtheprince. Thekingwasinsucharagethatbeforehecouldspeakhehadtimetocool,andtoreflectthatitwouldbegreatwastetokilltheonlymanwhowaswillingtobeusefulinthepresentemergency,seeingthatintheendtheinsolentfellowwouldbeasdeadasifhehaddiedbyhismajesty’sownhand. “Oh!”saidheatlast,puttinguphisswordwithdifficulty,itwassolong;“Iamobligedtoyou,youyoungfool!Takeaglassofwine?” “No,thankyou,”repliedtheprince. “Verywell,”saidtheking.“Wouldyouliketorunandseeyourparentsbeforeyoumakeyourexperiment?” “No,thankyou,”saidtheprince. “Thenwewillgoandlookfortheholeatonce,”saidhismajesty,andproceededtocallsomeattendants. “Stop,pleaseyourmajesty,Ihaveaconditiontomake,”interposedtheprince. “What!”exclaimedtheking,“Acondition?Andwithme!Howdareyou?” “Asyouplease,”returnedtheprince,coolly.“Iwishyourmajestyagoodmorning,” “Youwretch!Iwillhaveyouputinasack,andstuckinthehole.” “Verywell,yourmajesty,”repliedtheprince,becomingalittlemorerespectful,lestthewrathofthekingshoulddeprivehimofthepleasureofdyingfortheprincess. “Butwhatgoodwillthatdoyourmajesty? Pleasetorememberthattheoraclesaysthevictimmustofferhimself.” “Well,youhaveofferedyourself,”retortedtheking. “Conditionagain!”roaredtheking,oncemoredrawinghissword.“Begone!Somebodyelsewillbegladenoughtotakethehonouroffyourshoulders.” “Yourmajestyknowsitwillnotbeeasytogetanothertotakemyplace.” “Well,whatisyourcondition?”growledtheking,feelingthattheprincewasright. “Onlythis,”repliedtheprince;“that,asImustonnoaccountdiebeforeIamfairlydrowned,andthewaitingwillberatherwearisome,theprincess,yourdaughter,shallgowithme,feedmewithherownhands,andlookatmenowandthentocomfortme;foryoumustconfessitisratherhard. Assoonasthewaterisuptomyeyes,shemaygoandbehappy,andforgetherpoorshoeblack.” Heretheprince’svoicefaltered,andheverynearlygrewsentimental,inspiteofhisresolution. “Whydidn’tyoutellmebeforewhatyourconditionwas?Suchafussaboutnothing!”exclaimedtheking. “Doyougrantit?”persistedtheprince. “OfcourseIdo,”repliedtheking. “Goandhavesomedinner,then,whileIsetmypeopletofindtheplace.” Thekingorderedouthisguards,andgavedirectionstotheofficerstofindtheholeinthelakeatonce. Sothebedofthelakewasmarkedoutindivisionsandthoroughlyexamined,andinanhourorsotheholewasdiscovered. Itwasinthemiddleofastone,nearthecentreofthelake,intheverypoolwherethegoldenplatehadbeenfound. Itwasathree-corneredholeofnogreatsize. Therewaswaterallroundthestone,butverylittlewasflowingthroughthehole. 
