“No, dear, he was hunting everywhere for some trace of his lost boy, and the wood chopper’s wife was hunting too, and she had followed the Prince almost to this city. Then one day the King met her, and he knew from what she told him that his Arthur was alive; so he came riding with his soldiers as fast as ever he could and saw the little Prince just as he entered the Black Lion Inn. Now dear, it is time for my little girl to go to sleep!”
But Helen wasn’t one bit sleepy. “Why was the Prince stolen away, mamma?” she asked.
“I do not know,” answered her mamma. “Some people say that the King’s brother, Duke Robert, who is called Robert the Red, had him stolen so his own son would be heir to the throne, but no one knows this for certain. If Robert the Red did have him taken away, he never can steal him again, because the King has made the wood chopper the Prince’s own special guard, and he and his good wife will now live in the Castle.”
“Robert the Red was a wicked man to steal away the Prince, wasn’t he, mamma!” said Helen. “Will the Prince be a King some day, mamma, and will he come for me and make me a Queen, like he said?”
“Listen,” said Helen’s mamma, “there is Grandpapa calling me. Good night, little Wideawake.” Then she gave Helen a hug, and turning the light low, left the room.
“Mamma didn’t answer my question,” thought Helen. “But never mind, I know he will, because Tommy said he would,—Prince Arthur, I mean.” Then she closed her eyes and soon was fast asleep.
The Conclusion
VER the front door of Peter Poodle’s shop there now hangs a big and comical sign on which is painted a chubby little soldier with a red coat and a black hat. Right over the soldier, in black letters with curly red capitals, appears the name