So he started on again, but the bag was heavier now.
He had not gone much farther, when he came to a beautiful park, set in
the midst of a green forest. There were rustic seats, placed beneath
trees whose branches hung low with ripe fruit of all kinds. Some one
must have known that the Prince was coming, for a table was set for
him with sweets and other fruits and all manner of dainty things to
eat. The Prince was very hungry, for it was long past noon and he had
eaten nothing. He was about to sit down at the table when he
remembered the bag of dust upon his back. He knew that he must not set
it down.
So he started on again, but the bag was even heavier now.
He went on, farther and farther, and the way was strange to him now,
for he had come a long way. The bag seemed to grow larger with every
step that he took; it covered his back, and bent his shoulders, and
bowed his head. Although he had come so far, he seemed no nearer the
boundary of the Kingdom than he had been when he started out. Suddenly
he saw, like a white cloud in front of him, a great lovely castle.
There was no one in the pretty rose garden in front save soft-eyed
deer. There was no one looking out of the bright windows, or at the
door which stood wide open. It seemed as if the castle was waiting for
the Prince and, because he was very tired from carrying his load of
dust so far, he went through the garden and up to the door.
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