In one moment the little soldier found himself standing before a
splendid palace. He rubbed his eyes and pinched himself, and when he was
quite sure he was not dreaming he said to a man who was smoking his pipe
before the door, 'Where am I?'
'Where are you? Can't you see? Before the King's palace, of course.'
'What King?'
'Why the King of the Low Countries!' replied the man, laughing and
supposing that he was mad.
Was there ever anything so strange? But as John was an honest fellow, he
was troubled at the thought that the Seagull would think he had stolen
her mantle and purse. And he began to wonder how he could restore them
to her the soonest. Then he remembered that the mantle had some hidden
charm that enabled the bearer to transport himself at will from place to
place, and in order to make sure of this he wished himself in the best
inn of the town. In an instant he was there.
Enchanted with this discovery, he ordered supper, and as it was too late
to visit the King that night he went to bed.
The next day, when he got up, he saw that all the houses were wreathed
with flowers and covered with flags, and all the church bells were
ringing. The little soldier inquired the meaning of all this noise, and
was told that the Princess Ludovine, the King's beautiful daughter, had
been found, and was about to make her triumphal entry. 'That will just
suit me,' thought the Kinglet; 'I will stand at the door and see if she
knows me.'
He had scarcely time to dress himself when the golden coach of Ludovine
went by. She had a crown of gold upon her head, and the King and Queen
sat by her side. By accident her eyes fell upon the little soldier, and
she grew pale and turned away her head.
'Didn't she know me?' the little soldier asked himself, 'or was she
angry because I missed our meetings?' and he followed the crowd till he
got to the palace. When the royal party entered he told the guards that
it was he who had delivered the Princess, and wished to speak to the
King. But the more he talked the more they believed him mad and refused
to let him pass.
The little soldier was furious. He felt that he needed his pipe to calm
him, and he entered a tavern and ordered a pint of beer. 'It is this
miserable soldier's helmet,' said he to himself. 'If I had only money
enough I could look as splendid as the lords of the Court; but what is
the good of thinking of that when I have only the remains of the
Seagull's fifty crowns?'
He took out his purse to see what was left, and he found that there were
still fifty crowns.
'The Seagull must have miscounted,' thought he, and he paid for his
beer. Then he counted his money again, and there were still fifty
crowns. He took away five and counted a third time, but there were still
fifty. He emptied the purse altogether and then shut it; when he opened
it the fifty crowns were still there!
Then a plan came into his head, and he determined to go at once to the
Court tailor and coachbuilder.
He ordered the tailor to make him a mantle and vest of blue velvet
embroidered with pearls, and the coachbuilder to make him a golden coach
like the coach of the Princess Ludovine. If the tailor and the
coachbuilder were quick he promised to pay them double.
A few days later the little soldier was driven through the city in his
coach drawn by six white horses, and with four lacqueys richly dressed
standing behind. Inside sat John, clad in blue velvet, with a bouquet of
immortelles in his hand and a scarf bound round his arm. He drove twice
round the city, throwing money to the right and left, and the third
time, as he passed under the palace windows, he saw Ludovine lift a
corner of the curtain and peep out.
V
The next day no one talked of anything but the rich lord who had
distributed money as he drove along. The talk even reached the Court,
and the Queen, who was very curious, had a great desire to see the
wonderful Prince.
'Very well,' said the King; 'let him be asked to come and play cards
with me.'
This time the Kinglet was not late for his appointment.
The King sent for the cards and they sat down to play. They had six
games, and John always lost. The stake was fifty crowns, and each time
he emptied his purse, which was full the next instant.
[Illustration]