The White CatOnce upon a time there was a king who had three sons, who were
all so clever and brave that he began to be afraid that they would
want to reign over the kingdom before he was dead. Now the
King, though he felt that he was growing old, did not at all wish
to give up the government of his kingdom while he could still
manage it very well, so he thought the best way to live in peace
would be to divert the minds of his sons by promises which he could
always get out of when the time came for keeping them.
So he sent for them all, and, after speaking to them kindly, he
added:
“You will quite agree with me, my dear children, that my great
age makes it impossible for me to look after my affairs of state as
carefully as I once did. I begin to fear that this may affect
the
