The prince was much pleased with the doves and was coaxing them to come to him , when one fluttered on to the top of the window and said , ` If you could only hear us speak , you would admire us still more . ' And another perched on a table and added , ` Talk away , it might help him to remember ! ' And the third flew on his shoulder and whispered to him , ` Put on this ring , prince , and see if it fits you . ' And it did . Then they hung a collar round his neck , and held a feather on which was written the name of the dove . And at last his memory came back to him , and he declared he would marry the princess and nobody else . So the next day the wedding took place , and they lived happy till they died . -LRB- From the Portuguese . -RRB- VIRGILIUS THE SORCERER Long , long ago there was born to a Roman knight and his wife Maja a little boy called Virgilius . While he was still quite little , his father died , and the kinsmen , instead of being a help and protection to the child and his mother , robbed them of their lands and money , and the widow , fearing that they might take the boy 's life also , sent him away to Spain , that he might study in the great University of Toledo . Virgilius was fond of books , and pored over them all day long . But one afternoon , when the boys were given a holiday , he took a long walk , and found himself in a place where he had never been before . In front of him was a cave , and , as no boy ever sees a cave without entering it , he went in . The cave was so deep that it seemed to Virgilius as if it must run far into the heart of the mountain , and he thought he would like to see if it came out anywhere on the other side . For some time he walked on in pitch darkness , but he went steadily on , and by-and-by a glimmer of light shot across the floor , and he heard a voice calling , ` Virgilius ! Virgilius ! ' ` Who calls ? ' he asked , stopping and looking round . ` Virgilius ! ' answered the voice , ` do you mark upon the ground where you are standing a slide or bolt ? ' '
I do , ' replied XXXXX .
Long Portuguese Roman Spain Toledo Virgilius afternoon day kinsmen third