“In that case,” said the Principal Whale, “I must leave you, my Prince, as travelling on land is one of the pleasures I must deny myself, being constitutionally unfitted for it.”
The Prince thanked the whale warmly for his kindness, and after taking a most affecting leave of the Flamingo Princess, he set off for the central plain of Pongolia.
He travelled night and day, and after many days he arrived at the very middle of the plain. There he found the hippopotamouse, sitting in the middle of a river, nibbling a huge cheese.
This singular animal combined all the chief qualities of a hippopotamus and a mouse. His appearance was truly astonishing, and filled the mind of the Prince with mingled feelings. He stood for some time gazing at him in silent amazement.
Presently the hippopotamouse looked up sharply. “Well,” he said, “what do you want? Do you think I am pretty?”
“N-no!” replied the young bear. “You may be good; but I don’t think you are pretty. I want,” he continued, “to marry the Flamingo Princess. I am the Prince of the Poles, son of the Solar-Polarity of the Hypopeppercorns. You may have heard of my father.”
“Oh! ah! yes!” said the hippopotamouse. “I’ve heard of him. Well, why don’t you marry her?”
“Because I have four legs,” answered the Prince sadly; “and it is against the law for a flamingo to marry any one with more than two.”
“True. I had forgotten that,” said the hippopotamouse.
“Can you suggest any way out of the difficulty?” inquired the Prince.