In the morning, Reuben was summoned to the king’s presence. He walked proudly into the great hall where the king sat in state, his courtiers clustered around the throne. Behind Reuben tiptoed the princesses, and he wondered if their stony hearts felt joy or compassion as they anticipated what would befall him. In his pocket sat Corin, once more in the guise of a mouse, and Reuben’s heart sighed with love and tenderness as he felt his little companion tremble. He knew that Corin, though he would not confess it, worried Reuben might yet be tempted by the thought of marrying a princess, living in the castle, and being king hereafter.
The king leaned forward with an eager gaze. “Well, man? What can you tell me?”
The eyes of his advisors were hungry as they waited for him to confess his failu
