But you are under your father's spell, so you cannot see them.' In your father's kingdom there are many islands and many princesses. Now I know that those are not real islands and real princesses, because you are a magician.' 'You deceived me last time, but not again. My father the king has told me who you are,' said the young prince indignantly. You have been deceived.'Īt this, the prince returned to the next land, and went to the same shore, where once again he came upon the man in full evening dress. The prince remembered that they had been. Were the sleeves of his coat rolled back?' Neither real islands, nor real princesses, nor a real God exist.' Neither real islands, nor real princesses, I have seen God,' said the prince reproachfully. I have seen islands, I have seen princesses, I have seen God,' said the prince reproachfully. So you are back,' said the father, the king. The young prince returned home as quickly as he could. I am God,' replied the man in full evening dress, with a bow. They are all genuine and authentic princesses.' Of course they are real islands,' said the man in evening dress.Īnd those strange and troubling creatures?' As he was searching for a boat, a man in full evening dress approached him along the shore.Īre those real islands?' asked the young prince. There, to his astonishment, from every coast he saw islands, and on these islands, strange and troubling creatures whom he dared not name. As there were no princesses or islands in his father's domains, and no sign of God, the young prince believed his father.īut then, one day, the prince ran away from his palace. His father, the king, told him that such things did not exist. He did not believe in princesses, he did not believe in islands, he did not believe in God. “Once upon a time there was a young prince who believed in all things but three.

The magician fowles