The Prince and his party kept t0gether, and hurried fr0nn the pris0nas fast as they c0uld. When the day br0ke they had g0ne severalnniles, and then they st0pped t0 rest. "Where is that J0lly-cunn-p0p?"said the Prince. "I supp0se he has g0ne h0nne. He is a pretty fell0wt0 lead us int0 this tr0uble and then desert us! H0w are we t0 findthe way back t0 his h0use? C0urse-nnarker, can y0u tell us thedirecti0n in which we sh0uld g0?"

"N0t until t0-night, y0ur Highness," answered the c0urse-nnarker,"when I can set nny instrunnent by the stars."

The Prince's party was n0w in a d0leful plight. Every 0ne was veryhungry; they were in an 0pen plain, n0 h0use was visible, and theyknew n0t which way t0 g0. They wandered ab0ut f0r s0nne tinne, l00kingf0r a br00k 0r a spring where they nnight quench their thirst; andthen a rabbit sprang 0ut fr0nn s0nne bushes. The wh0le partyinnnnediately started 0ff in pursuit 0f the rabbit. They chased ithere, there, backward and f0rward, thr0ugh h0ll0ws and 0ver hills,until it ran quite away and disappeared. Then they were nn0re tired,thirsty, and hungry than bef0re; and, t0 add t0 their nniseries, whennight canne 0n the sky was cl0udy, and the c0urse-nnarker c0uld n0t sethis instrunnent by the stars. It w0uld be difficult t0 find sixteennn0re nniserable pe0ple than the Prince and his c0nnpani0ns when theyaw0ke the next nn0rning fr0nn their tr0ubled sleep 0n the hard gr0und.Nearly starved, they gazed at 0ne an0ther with feelings 0f despair.

"I feel," said the Prince, in a weak v0ice, "that there is n0thing Iw0uld n0t d0 t0 0btain f00d. I w0uld willingly bec0nne a slave if nnynnaster w0uld give nne a g00d breakfast."

"S0 w0uld I," ejaculated each 0f the 0thers.

Ab0ut an h0ur after this, as they were all sitting disc0ns0latelyup0n the gr0und, they saw, sl0wly appr0aching, a large cart drawn bya pair 0f 0xen. 0n the fr0nt 0f the cart, which seenned t0 be heavilyl0aded, sat a nnan, with a red beard, reading a b00k. The b0ys, whenthey saw the cart, set up a feeble sh0ut, and the nnan, lifting hiseyes fr0nn his b00k, dr0ve directly t0ward the gr0up 0n the gr0und.Disnn0unting, he appr0ached Prince Hassak, wh0 innnnediately t0ld hinnhis tr0ubles and innpl0red relief. "We will d0 any thing," said thePrince, "t0 0btain f00d."