“That is fine!” said the prince; “come, show me this same nest. I long to see it.”
“That I can easily believe,” said the boy, “but I cannot show you the nest.”
“I do not wish you to do it for nothing,” said the prince, “I will reward you well for it.”
“That may be,” said the boy. “But I cannot show it to you.”
The prince’s tutor now stepped up to them. He was a dignified, kind-looking man, in a plain dark suit of clothes. The little shepherd had not before observed him.
“Be not disobliging, my lad,” said he. “The young gentleman here has never seen a bird’s nest, although he has often read of them, and he wishes very much to see one. Pray, do him the kindness to lead him to the one you have mentioned, and let him see it. He will not take it away from you. He only wishes to look at it. He will not even touch it.”
The shepherd-boy stood up respectfully, but said, “I must stick to what I have said. I cannot show the nest.”
“That is very unfriendly,” said the tutor. “It should give you great pleasure to be able to do anything to oblige our beloved prince Frederick.”
“Is this young gentleman the prince?” cried the young shepherd, and again took off his hat; but this time he did not put it on again. “I am very much pleased to see the prince, but that bird’s nest I cannot show any one, no not even the king himself.”
“Such a stiff-necked, obstinate boy I never saw in my life,” said the prince, pettishly. “But we can easily find means to compel him to do what we wish.”