Now , of course , all dogs had been kept from him for fear that the fairies ' prophecy should come true , and he had never even beheld one before . So he turned to the page who was walking behind him , and said : ` What is that funny little thing which is running so fast over there ? ' ` That is a dog , prince , ' answered the page . ` Well , bring me one like it , and we will see which can run the faster . ' And he watched the dog till it had disappeared round the corner . The page was much puzzled to know what to do . He had strict orders to refuse the prince nothing ; yet he remembered the prophecy , and felt that this was a serious matter . At last he thought he had better tell the king the whole story , and let him decide the question . ` Oh , get him a dog if he wants one , ' said the king , ` he will only cry his heart out if he does not have it . ' So a puppy was found , exactly like the other ; they might have been twins , and perhaps they were . Years went by , and the boy and the dog played together till the boy grew tall and strong . The time came at last when he sent a message to his father , saying : ` Why do you keep me shut up here , doing nothing ? I know all about the prophecy that was made at my birth , but I would far rather be killed at once than live an idle , useless life here . So give me arms , and let me go , I pray you ; me and my dog too . ' And again the king listened to his wishes , and he and his dog were carried in a ship to the other side of the river , which was so broad here it might almost have been the sea . A black horse was waiting for him , tied to a tree , and he mounted and rode away wherever his fancy took him , the dog always at his heels . Never was any prince so happy as he , and he rode and rode till at length he came to a king 's palace . The king who lived in it did not care about looking after his country , and seeing that his people lived cheerful and contented lives . He spent his whole time in making riddles , and inventing plans which he had much better have let alone . At the period when the young prince reached the kingdom he had just completed a wonderful house for his only child , a daughter .
It had seventy windows , each seventy feet from the ground , and he had XXXXX the royal herald round the borders of the neighbouring kingdoms to proclaim that whoever could climb up the walls to the window of the princess should win her for his wife .
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