And he began to be very vexed . But the White Cat said to him : `` King 's son , do not trouble yourself ; I am your friend , and will make everything easy for you . You can still stay here for a day , as the good wooden horse can take you to your country in twelve hours . '' `` I thank you , beautiful Cat , '' said the Prince ; `` but what good will it do me to get back if I have not a dog to take to my father ? '' `` See here , '' answered the White Cat , holding up an acorn ; `` there is a prettier one in this than in the Dogstar ! '' `` Oh ! White Cat dear , '' said the Prince , `` how unkind you are to laugh at me now ! '' `` Only listen , '' she said , holding the acorn to his ear . And inside it he distinctly heard a tiny voice say : `` Bow-wow ! '' The Prince was delighted , for a dog that can be shut up in an acorn must be very small indeed . He wanted to take it out and look at it , but the White Cat said it would be better not to open the acorn till he was before the King , in case the tiny dog should be cold on the journey . He thanked her a thousand times , and said good-by quite sadly when the time came for him to set out . `` The days have passed so quickly with you , '' he said , `` I only wish I could take you with me now . '' But the White Cat shook her head and sighed deeply in answer . After all the Prince was the first to arrive at the castle where he had agreed to meet his brothers , but they came soon after , and stared in amazement when they saw the wooden horse in the courtyard jumping like a hunter . The Prince met them joyfully , and they began to tell him all their adventures ; but he managed to hide from them what he had been doing , and even led them to think that a turnspit dog which he had with him was the one he was bringing for the King . Fond as they all were of one another , the two eldest could not help being glad to think that their dogs certainly had a better chance . The next morning they started in the same chariot . The elder brothers carried in baskets two such tiny , fragile dogs that they hardly dared to touch them . As for the turnspit , he ran after the chariot , and got so covered with mud that one could hardly see what he was like at all .
When they reached the palace everyone crowded round to welcome them XXXXX they went into the King 's great hall ; and when the two brothers presented their little dogs nobody could decide which was the prettier .
After as at if in inside of on till to