You see he was so clever ! Now , at this very moment -- when the prince , all of a sudden , was as deep in love as if he had been the stupidest officer in the room -- an extraordinary thing happened ! Something seemed to give a whirr ! in his brain , and in one instant he knew all about it ! He believed in fairies and fairy gifts , and understood that his cap was the cap of darkness , and his shoes the seven-league boots , and his purse the purse of Fortunatus ! He had read about those things in historical books : but now he believed in them . CHAPTER VII . The Prince Falls in Love . He understood all this , and burst out laughing , which nearly frightened an old lady near him out of her wits . Ah ! how he wished he was only in evening dress , that he might dance with the charming young lady . But there he was , dressed just as if he were going out to hunt , if anyone could have seen him . So , even if he took off his cap of darkness , and became visible , he was no figure for a ball . Once he would not have cared , but now he cared very much indeed . But the prince was not clever for nothing . He thought for a moment , then went out of the room , and , in three steps of the seven-league boots , was at his empty , dark , cold palace again . He struck a light with a flint and steel , lit a torch , and ran upstairs to the garret . The flaring light of the torch fell on the pile of `` rubbish , '' as the queen would have called it , which he turned over with eager hands . Was there -- yes , there was another cap ! There it lay , a handsome green one with a red feather .
The prince pulled off the cap of darkness , put on the other , and said : '' I wish I were dressed XXXXX my best suit of white and gold , with the royal Pantouflia diamonds ! ''
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