'
So he took the jewel, sold it for four pounds, and taking the money
with him, set off to make his fortune in the world.
As he went on his way he met a man with a cat
'How much for your cat?' asked the spendthrift
Prince.
'Nothing less than a golden pound/ replied the man.
'A bargain indeed!' cried the spendthrift, and immediately bought the
cat for a golden sovereign.
By and by he met a man with a dog, and called out as before, 'How much
for your dog?' And when the man said not less than a golden pound,
the Prince again declared it was a bargain indeed, and bought it
cheerfully.
Then he met a man carrying a parrot, and called out as before, 'How
much for the parrot?' And when he heard it was only a golden
sovereign he was delighted, saying once more that was a bargain
indeed.
He had only one pound left. Yet even then, when he met a J??gi
carrying a serpent, he cried out at once, 'O J??gi, how much for the
snake?'
'Not a farthing less than a golden sovereign,' quoth the J??gi.
'And very little, too!' cried the spendthrift, handing over his last
coin.
So there he was, possessed of a cat, a dog, a parrot, and a snake, but
not a single penny in his pocket. However, he set to work bravely to
earn his living; but the hard labour wearied him dreadfully, for being
a Prince he was not used to it.
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