` It is written in the books of fate that he must die , either by a crocodile , or a serpent , or by a dog . If we could save him we would ; but that is beyond our power . ' And so saying they vanished . For a time the king stood where he was , horror-stricken at what he had heard ; but , being of a hopeful nature , he began at once to invent plans to save the prince from the dreadful doom that awaited him . He instantly sent for his master builder , and bade him construct a strong castle on the top of a mountain , which should be fitted with the most precious things from the king 's own palace , and every kind of toy a child could wish to play with . And , besides , he gave the strictest orders that a guard should walk round the castle night and day . For four or five years the baby lived in the castle alone with his nurses , taking his airings on the broad terraces , which were surrounded by walls , with a moat beneath them , and only a drawbridge to connect them with the outer world . One day , when the prince was old enough to run quite fast by himself , he looked from the terrace across the moat , and saw a little soft fluffy ball of a dog jumping and playing on the other side . 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 XXXXX my birth , but I would far rather be killed at once than live an idle , useless life here .
So across at behind by if of that till to