Walter’s principality was in the moon—no, much farther away.
In the following the reader shall learn how he had attained to this new dignity.
Long before the beginning of this story—yes, a long time before this—there was a queen of spirits, just like in “Hans Heiling.” Her name was A——o.
She did not live in a cave, but held her court far up in the clouds; and this was airier and more suitable for a queen.
She wore a necklace of stars, and a sun was set in her signet-ring.
Whenever she went forth, the clouds flew about like dust, and with a motion of her hand she drove away the firmaments.
Her children played with planets as with marbles, and she complained that it was so difficult for her to find them again when they had rolled away under the furniture.
The little son of the queen, Prince Upsilon, was peevish over this and was continually calling for more playthings.
The queen then gave him a sack of siriuses; but in a short time these, too, were all lost. It was Upsilon’s own fault: He ought to have paid more attention to his playthings.
They tried to satisfy him as best they could, but no matter what they gave him, he always wanted something else, something larger. This was a defect in the character of the little prince.