DOROTHY climbed on the Talking Chair and sat with her back to the quaintly¹ carved face. She turned her head and whispered:  
“Please tell me another story, like a good chair.”
 
“Which shall it be to-day?” asked the chair.
 
“O, tell me about ‘The Three Boxes’!” exclaimed Dorothy, “I have been thinking about them.”
 
“Listen, I’ll begin,” said the chair:—
 
Once upon a time in a beautiful castle lived a prince. He was honest, brave and as wise as he was handsome. His name was Prince Charming, and everybody loved him. There was only one thing that his people desired him to do, and that was to give them a queen. But although beautiful maidens³ lived in his country and many a lovely princess had visited his castle, he had never seen one that he cared to make queen.
 
One day at a grand fête his greatest captain said to him:
 
“Ah! Prince Charming, your people love you, but they are disappointed because there is no queen to welcome them.”
 
“I must have a queen,” replied the prince, “and to-morrow I shall start on a long journey. I will visit all the kingdoms on the earth to find a queen that I can truly love.”
 
The next morning he started out alone on his long journey. Taking the path that led to the woods he walked quickly. He had gone but a short distance when he was surprised by loud voices, and through an opening in the trees he beheld⁴ two men about to rush on each other with drawn⁵ swords. Prince Charming stepped out and stood before the angry men.
 
“Halt! I command you,” he said, and the men seeing their Prince dropped back and put up their swords.
 
 
“Tell me why you quarrel?” asked the Prince.
 
“We were walking through the woods,” said one of the men, “and I spied a purse of gold in the mud of yonder thicket⁶. I told my companion and we started to run for the purse. On the way my foot got caught in a trap and I could not move. My friend here got the purse and then came back and helped me out of the trap, but he will not give up the purse to me.”
 
“Nor should he do so,” said the Prince. “It is true that you saw the purse, but it was your friend who dug it out of the mud. You must both go to my captain and tell him about the purse. He will try to find the owner, but if no one appears to claim the purse, you shall divide the gold between you, and each have an equal share.”
 
The men promised to obey their Prince and162 they went on their way in friendship, well satisfied.
 
A little farther on in the woods Prince Charming came suddenly on two old women who were quarreling about a young goat. They stopped when they saw the Prince approach and one of them said, “O Prince, the kid is mine, and I must have it.”
 
“Nay, good Prince,” said the other, “the kid is mine and I need it much.”
 
The Prince turned to the old woman who had spoken first and said:
 
“Prove to me that the kid is thine.”
 
“I live in yonder cottage,” said the old woman, “with a pig and a cow and a brood of little chicks. This kid gives me milk and it is mine.”
 
“Now,” said the Prince to the other old woman, “how canst thou prove the kid is thine?”
 
“Alas!” said the poor old woman, “I can163 only say that it is mine. I live in the cottage beside this dame⁷. I have neither pig nor cow, but a little garden and this good kid. It feeds from my hand and comes to me when I call its name.”
 
“I shall buy the kid and carry it far away with me,” said the Prince. “How much will you ask for it?”
 
“O,” said the first old woman, rubbing her hands, “I will sell it to thee for a piece of gold.”
 
“How much do you ask for it?” said Prince Charming to the second old woman.
 
She took the corner of her apron⁸ and wiped the tears from her kind eyes. “I will not sell my kid,” she said. “It is all I have. I love the gentle creature and rather than have it go far away I will let this dame keep it.”
 
“I see that the kid is yours and you shall have it,” said the Prince. “Take it and go thy way.”
 
“As for you, wicked old woman, tell me the truth at once.”
 
Whereupon the greedy old woman began to mumble⁹ excuses, but the Prince was very angry and said:
 
“You have a pig and a cow and yet are so grasping that you would take the kid of your neighbor; now if you are not more honest I will put thee in my great prison.”
 
The Prince continued his way and deep in the woods he met a boy gathering¹⁰ fagots. He was working very hard and would not stop a second.
 
“Why do you work so fast?” said the Prince.
 
“Because my master is waiting,” answered the boy, “and if I am not back at a certain time he will be angry and beat me.”
 
The Prince helped the boy gather the fagots and when the basket was filled he carried it through the woods. As they approached the cruel master’s house the Prince said to the boy:
 
“Go thou and hide behind that woodpile and I will see thy master.”
 
Prince Charming knocked on the door and the cruel master appeared.
 
“I want a boy,” said the Prince. “Dost thou know of one to travel with me?”
 
“No, Prince,” was the answer. “I have one, but he is lazy and does not earn his bread and butter.”
 
“Then I will take him,” said the Prince. “If he were a help I would not rob thee of his good service, but as he is lazy I will take him off thy hands.”
 
The cruel master began to stammer¹¹ and stutter.
 
“Alas! Prince, I beg you to forgive me. He is a most worthy¹² boy and helps me very much. You would not take him away from me?”
 
“Thou art a cruel master,” said the Prince, “and thou hast spoken an untruth of the boy.”
 
The master trembled when he saw the Prince angry and he begged for mercy.
 
“This much mercy I will have for thee,” said the Prince, “from this day thou shalt treat the boy with all kindness. I will leave him here and he will help thee fairly, but on my return I will come and if thou hast been cruel or neglectful I will put thee in my great prison.”
 
The Prince then continued his journey and was soon in the heart of the forest. When night came he spread his cloak on the ground and slept under a great oak, and the fairies watched over him because he was good and they loved him. The next morning he was awakened¹³ by the joyous¹⁴ singing of the birds. He took some bread and cheese from his wallet, and when he had eaten, he arose to go on his way. Suddenly there appeared before him a beautiful fairy. The Prince made a low courtesy to the fairy, who smiled at him and held three small boxes in her hand.
 
“Prince Charming,” said the fairy, “these boxes are a gift from the ............