Presently Suliman made a sign with his hand that the people should be silent , and said : `` I have accepted the crown you have offered me , but only that I may keep it for Prince Darling , who is not dead as you suppose ; the Fairy has assured me that there is still hope that you may some day see him again , good and virtuous as he was when he first came to the throne . Alas ! '' he continued , `` he was led away by flatterers . I knew his heart , and am certain that if it had not been for the bad influence of those who surrounded him he would have been a good king and a father to his people . We may hate his faults , but let us pity him and hope for his restoration . As for me , I would die gladly if that could bring back our Prince to reign justly and worthily once more . '' These words went to Prince Darling 's heart ; he realized the true affection and faithfulness of his old tutor , and for the first time reproached himself for all his evil deeds ; at the same instant he felt all his anger melting away , and he began quickly to think over his past life , and to admit that his punishment was not more than he had deserved . He left off tearing at the iron bars of the cage in which he was shut up , and became as gentle as a lamb . The hunters who had caught him took him to a great menagerie , where he was chained up among all the other wild beasts , and he determined to show his sorrow for his past bad behavior by being gentle and obedient to the man who had to take care of him . Unfortunately , this man was very rough and unkind , and though the poor monster was quite quiet , he often beat him without rhyme or reason when he happened to be in a bad temper . One day when this keeper was asleep a tiger broke its chain , and flew at him to eat him up . Prince Darling , who saw what was going on , at first felt quite pleased to think that he should be delivered from his persecutor , but soon thought better of it and wished that he were free . `` I would return good for evil , '' he said to himself , `` and save the unhappy man 's life . '' He had hardly wished this when his iron cage flew open , and he rushed to the side of the keeper , who was awake and was defending himself against the tiger . When he saw the monster had got out he gave himself up for lost , but his fear was soon changed into joy , for the kind monster threw itself upon the tiger and very soon killed it , and then came and crouched at the feet of the man it had saved . Overcome with gratitude , the keeper stooped to caress the strange creature which had done him such a great service ; but suddenly a voice said in his ear : `` A good action should never go unrewarded , '' and at the same instant the monster disappeared , and he saw at his feet only a pretty little dog ! Prince Darling , delighted by the change , frisked about the keeper , showing his joy in every way he could , and the man , taking him up in his arms , carried him to the King , to whom he told the whole story . The Queen said she would like to have this wonderful little dog , and the Prince would have been very happy in his new home if he could have forgotten that he was a man and a king . The Queen petted and took care of him , but she was so afraid that he would get too fat that she consulted the court physician , who said that he was to be fed only upon bread , and was not to have much even of that . So poor Prince Darling was terribly hungry all day long , but he was very patient about it .
One day , when they gave him his little loaf for breakfast , he thought he would like to eat it out in the garden ; so he took it up in his mouth and trotted away toward a brook that he knew XXXXX a long way from the palace .
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