When the Prince grew old enough to understand , he soon learned that there could be nothing worse than to be proud , obstinate , and conceited , and he had really tried to cure himself of these defects , but by that time all his faults had become habits ; and a bad habit is very hard to get rid of . Not that he was naturally of a bad disposition ; he was truly sorry when he had been naughty , and said : `` I am very unhappy to have to struggle against my anger and pride every day ; if I had been punished for them when I was little they would not be such a trouble to me now . '' His ring pricked him very often , and sometimes he left off what he was doing at once ; but at other times he would not attend to it . Strangely enough , it gave him only a slight prick for a trifling fault , but when he was really naughty it made his finger actually bleed . At last he got tired of being constantly reminded , and wanted to be able to do as he liked , so he threw his ring aside , and thought himself the happiest of men to have got rid of its teasing pricks . He gave himself up to doing every foolish thing that occurred to him , until he became quite wicked and nobody could like him any longer . One day , when the Prince was walking about , he saw a young girl who was so very pretty that he made up his mind at once that he would marry her . Her name was Celia , and she was as good as she was beautiful . Prince Darling fancied that Celia would think herself only too happy if he offered to make her a great queen , but she said fearlessly : `` Sire , I am only a shepherdess , and a poor girl , but , nevertheless , I will not marry you . '' `` Do you dislike me ? '' asked the Prince , who was very much vexed at this answer . `` No , my Prince , '' replied Celia ; `` I can not help thinking you very handsome ; but what good would riches be to me , and all the grand dresses and splendid carriages that you would give me , if the bad deeds which I should see you do every day made me hate and despise you ? '' The Prince was very angry at this speech , and commanded his officers to make Celia a prisoner and carry her off to his palace . All day long the remembrance of what she had said annoyed him , but as he loved her he could not make up his mind to have her punished . One of the Prince 's favorite companions was his foster-brother , whom he trusted entirely ; but he was not at all a good man , and gave Prince Darling very bad advice , and encouraged him in all his evil ways . When he saw the Prince so downcast he asked what was the matter , and when he explained that he could not bear Celia 's bad opinion of him , and was resolved to be a better man in order to please her , this evil adviser said to him : `` You are very kind to trouble yourself about this little girl ; if I were you I would soon make her obey me . Remember that you are a king , and that it would be laughable to see you trying to please a shepherdess , who ought to be only too glad to be one of your slaves . Keep her in prison , and feed her on bread and water for a little while , and then , if she still says she will not marry you , have her head cut off , to teach other people that you mean to be obeyed . Why , if you can not make a girl like that do as you wish , your subjects will soon forget that they are only put into this world for our pleasure . '' `` But , '' said Prince Darling , `` would it not be a shame if I had an innocent girl put to death ?
For Celia has done nothing XXXXX deserve punishment . ''
At as for if in into on that to until