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THE PRINCESS WHO SAID:—


ONCE on a time there was a king who advertised in the papers that if any one proved able to make his daughter say, "That is a lie!" he would be at liberty to marry her.

Although this sounds strange, it is as true as all the other stories I have told. It might be objected that kings do not advertise in the papers, but I who know so many of them say that such is, indeed, often the case, and there is no reason to doubt my words. Newspapers receive advertisements from any one who can pay for them, from the king and downward, or from the beggar and upward; and the king of whom we are now speaking paid a great sum, moreover, for having his law—kings' words are always law—inserted in the papers.

It might also be objected that a princess would not use such language as I mentioned.

They might! They do, indeed, sometimes! I have heard many princesses say words much worse than these, and yet they were fine girls, whom all

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