In an instant he had fitted an arrow to his bow , and was taking aim at the bird , thinking what a good meal he would make off him , when his weapon fell to the ground at the sound of the pigeon 's voice : ` Do not shoot , I implore you , noble prince ! I have two little sons at home , and they will die of hunger if I am not there to bring them food . ' And the young prince had pity , and unstrung his bow . ` Oh , prince , I will repay your deed of mercy , said the grateful wood-pigeon . ` Poor thing ! how can you repay me ? ' asked the prince . ` You have forgotten , ' answered the wood-pigeon , ` the proverb that runs , `` mountain and mountain can never meet , but one living creature can always come across another . '' ' The boy laughed at this speech and went his way . By-and-by he reached the edge of a lake , and flying towards some rushes which grew near the shore he beheld a wild duck . Now , in the days that the king , his father , was alive , and he had everything to eat he could possibly wish for , the prince always had wild duck for his birthday dinner , so he quickly fitted an arrow to his bow and took a careful aim . ` Do not shoot , I pray you , noble prince ! ' cried the wild duck ; ' I have two little sons at home ; they will die of hunger if I am not there to bring them food . ' And the prince had pity , and let fall his arrow and unstrung his bow . ` Oh , prince ! I will repay your deed of mercy , ' exclaimed the grateful wild duck . ` You poor thing ! how can you repay me ? ' asked the prince . ` You have forgotten , ' answered the wild duck , ` the proverb that runs , `` mountain and mountain can never meet , but one living creature can always come across another . '' '
The boy laughed XXXXX this speech and went his way .
In across at days fall near of to towards wood-pigeon