First of all , you were out of temper because you could not have what you wanted , and you thought all men and animals were only made to do your pleasure ; then you were really angry , which is very naughty indeed ; and lastly , you were cruel to a poor little animal who did not in the least deserve to be ill-treated . `` I know you are far above a little dog , but if it were right and allowable that great people should ill-treat all who are beneath them , I might at this moment beat you , or kill you , for a fairy is greater than a man . The advantage of possessing a great empire is not to be able to do the evil that one desires , but to do all the good that one possibly can . '' The Prince saw how naughty he had been , and promised to try and do better in future , but he did not keep his word . The fact was he had been brought up by a foolish nurse , who had spoiled him when he was little . If he wanted anything he only had to cry and fret and stamp his feet and she would give him whatever he asked for , which had made him self-willed ; also she had told him from morning to night that he would one day be a king , and that kings were very happy , because everyone was bound to obey and respect them , and no one could prevent them from doing just as they liked . When the Prince grew old enough to understand , he soon learned that there could be nothing worse than to be proud , obstinate , and conceited , and he had really tried to cure himself of these defects , but by that time all his faults had become habits ; and a bad habit is very hard to get rid of . Not that he was naturally of a bad disposition ; he was truly sorry when he had been naughty , and said : `` I am very unhappy to have to struggle against my anger and pride every day ; if I had been punished for them when I was little they would not be such a trouble to me now . '' His ring pricked him very often , and sometimes he left off what he was doing at once ; but at other times he would not attend to it . Strangely enough , it gave him only a slight prick for a trifling fault , but when he was really naughty it made his finger actually bleed . At last he got tired of being constantly reminded , and wanted to be able to do as he liked , so he threw his ring aside , and thought himself the happiest of men to have got rid of its teasing pricks . He gave himself up to doing every foolish thing that occurred to him , until he became quite wicked and nobody could like him any longer . One day , when the Prince was walking about , he saw a young girl who was so very pretty that he made up his mind at once that he would marry her . Her name was Celia , and she was as good as she was beautiful . Prince Darling fancied that Celia would think herself only too happy if he offered to make her a great queen , but she said fearlessly : `` Sire , I am only a shepherdess , and a poor girl , but , nevertheless , I will not marry you . '' `` Do you dislike me ? '' asked the Prince , who was very much vexed at this answer . `` No , my Prince , '' replied Celia ; `` I can not help thinking you very handsome ; but what good would riches be to me , and all the grand dresses and splendid carriages that you would give me , if the bad deeds which I should see you do every day made me hate and despise you ? '' The Prince was very angry at this speech , and commanded his officers to make Celia a prisoner and carry her off to his palace . All day long the remembrance of what she had said annoyed him , but as he loved her he could not make up his mind to have her punished .
One of the Prince 's favorite companions was his foster-brother , whom he trusted entirely ; but he was not at all a good man , and gave Prince Darling very bad advice , and encouraged him XXXXX all his evil ways .
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