I am flying from the mermaid , ' the prince answered , in a quaking voice . ` Give me some food then , ' said the lion , ` it is past my supper time , and I am very hungry . ' The boy was so thankful that the lion did not want to eat him , that he gladly picked up his knapsack which lay on the ground , and held out some bread and a flask of wine . ' I feel better now , ' said the lion when he had done , ` so now I shall go to sleep on this nice soft moss , and if you like you can lie down beside me . ' So the boy and the lion slept soundly side by side , till the sun rose . ' I must be off now , ' remarked the lion , shaking the boy as he spoke ; ` but cut off the tip of my ear , and keep it carefully , and if you are in any danger just wish yourself a lion and you will become one on the spot . One good turn deserves another , you know . ' The prince thanked him for his kindness , and did as he was bid , and the two then bade each other farewell . ' I wonder how it feels to be a lion , ' thought the boy , after he had gone a little way ; and he took out the tip of the ear from the breast of his jacket and wished with all his might . In an instant his head had swollen to several times its usual size , and his neck seemed very hot and heavy ; and , somehow , his hands became paws , and his skin grew hairy and yellow . But what pleased him most was his long tail with a tuft at the end , which he lashed and switched proudly . ' I like being a lion very much , ' he said to himself , and trotted gaily along the road . After a while , however , he got tired of walking in this unaccustomed way -- it made his back ache and his front paws felt sore . So he wished himself a boy again , and in the twinkling of an eye his tail disappeared and his head shrank , and the long thick mane became short and curly . Then he looked out for a sleeping place , and found some dry ferns , which he gathered and heaped up . But before he had time to close his eyes there was a great noise in the trees near by , as if a big heavy body was crashing through them . The boy rose and turned his head , and saw a huge black bear coming towards him . ` What are you doing here ? ' cried the bear . ' I am running away from the mermaid , ' answered the boy ; but the bear took no interest in the mermaid , and only said : ' I am hungry ; give me something to eat . '
The knapsack was lying on the ground among the fern , but the prince picked it up , and , unfastening the strap , took out his second flask XXXXX wine and another loaf of bread .
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