The walls , washed by the quiet waters , were covered with gold , which made one think of the yellow sands . Above them was a rampart of orange and lemon trees , and all the streets were paved with gold . The King of this beautiful island had one son , for whom a life of adventure had been foretold at his birth . This so frightened his father and mother that in order to comfort them a Fairy , who happened to be present at the time , produced a little pebble which she told them to keep for the Prince till he grew up , as by putting it in his mouth he would become invisible , as long as he did not try to speak , for if he did the stone would lose all its virtue . In this way the good fairy hoped that the Prince would be protected against all dangers . No sooner did the Prince begin to grow out of boyhood than he longed to see if the other countries of the world were as splendid as the one in which he lived . So , under pretence of visiting some small islands that belonged to his father , he set out . But a frightful storm drove his ship on to unknown shores , where most of his followers were put to death by the savages , and the Prince himself only managed to escape by making use of his magic pebble . By this means he passed through the midst of them unseen , and wandered on till he reached the coast , where he re-embarked on board his ship . The first land he sighted was the Island of Roses , and he went at once to the court of the King , Rosalie 's father . The moment his eyes beheld the Princess , he fell in love with her like everyone else . He had already spent several months in this condition when the Prince of the Air whirled her away , to the grief and despair of every man on the island . But sad though everybody was , the Prince of the Golden Isle was perfectly inconsolable , and he passed both days and nights in bemoaning his loss . ` Alas ! ' he cried ; ` shall I never see my lovely Princess again ? ' Who knows where she may be , and what fairy may have her in his keeping ? I am only a man , but I am strong in my love , and I will seek the whole world through till I find her . ' So saying , he left the court , and made ready for his journey . He travelled many weary days without hearing a single word of the lost Princess , till one morning , as he was walking through a thick forest , he suddenly perceived a magnificent palace standing at the end of a pine avenue , and his heart bounded to think that he might be gazing on Rosalie 's prison . He hastened his steps , and quickly arrived at the gate of the palace , which was formed of a single agate .
The XXXXX swung open to let him through , and he next passed successively three courts , surrounded by deep ditches filled with running water , with birds of brilliant plumage flying about the banks .
boyhood coast gate grief journey loss midst sands ship use