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 at my birth , but I would far rather be killed at once than live an idle , useless life here . So give me arms , and let me go , I pray you ; me and my dog too . ' And again the king listened to his wishes , and he and his dog were carried in a ship to the other side of the river , which was so broad here it might almost have been the sea . A black horse was waiting for him , tied to a tree , and he mounted and rode away wherever his fancy took him , the dog always at his heels . Never was any prince so happy as he , and he rode and rode till at length he came to a king 's palace .
The king who lived XXXXX it did not care about looking after his country , and seeing that his people lived cheerful and contented lives .
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