-- What Happened to Prince Prigio in Town BY this time the prince was very hungry . The town was just three miles off ; but he had such a royal appetite , that he did not like to waste it on bad cookery , and the people of the royal town were bad cooks . `` I wish I were in ` The Bear , ' at Gluck-stein , '' said he to himself ; for he remembered that there was a very good cook there . But , then , the town was twenty-one leagues away -- sixty-three long miles ! No sooner had the prince said this , and taken just three steps , than he found himself at the door of the `` Bear Inn '' at Gluckstein ! `` This is the most extraordinary dream , '' said he to himself ; for he was far too clever , of course , to believe in seven-league boots . Yet he had a pair on at that very moment , and it was they which had carried him in three strides from the palace to Gluckstein ! The truth is , that the prince , in looking about the palace for clothes , had found his way into that very old lumber-room where the magical gifts of the fairies had been thrown by his clever mother , who did not believe in them . But this , of course , the prince did not know . Now you should be told that seven-league boots only take those prodigious steps when you say you want to go a long distance . Otherwise they would be very inconvenient -- when you only want to cross the room , for example . Perhaps this has not been explained to you by your governess ? Well , the prince walked into `` The Bear , '' and it seemed odd to him that nobody took any notice of him . And yet his face was as well known as that of any man in Pantouflia ; for everybody had seen it , at least in pictures . He was so puzzled by not being attended to as usual , that he quite forgot to take off his cap . -LSB- Illustration : Page 31 -RSB- He sat down at a table , however , and shouted '' Kellner ! '' at which all the waiters jumped , and looked round in every direction , but nobody came to him . At first he thought they were too busy , but presently another explanation occurred to him . `` The king , '' said he to himself , `` has threatened to execute anybody who speaks to me , or helps me in any way . Well , I do n't mean to starve in the midst of plenty , anyhow ; here goes ! ''
The prince rose , and went XXXXX the table in the midst of the room , where a huge roast turkey had just been placed .
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