MANY years ago, in a beautiful kingdom bordering on the ocean, there dwelt a handsome young Prince who devoted all of his time to study. He cared nothing for the amusements and pleasures of the court, and found his recreation in watching the waters and the skies. It distressed his father greatly that his only son never joined the youths and maidens at their sports, and he despaired of ever getting him interested in the affairs at court. Every one called him a dreamer, because he spent his time in day-dreams.

But one night the Prince did have a wonderful dream. It seemed to him he was transported to a mighty empire which ruled over a great continent. Rich and magnificent palaces filled the cities, and beautiful women came to greet him. The city he entered was a city of wonders, and its streets were paved with gold and silver. He had never seen anything more gorgeous. Suddenly, in the midst of its magnificence, a terrible catastrophe befell it, and under some awful spell it sank, with all its wealth and splendor, into the depths of the sea. It seemed that the spell would never be removed until a Prince of the earth should seek to discover the Lost City and consent to reign over it as King, when the city might rise again, with all its treasures, and take its place upon the earth.

Night after night Prince Nizir dreamed this strange dream, and each time a beautiful young Queen appeared, dressed in shining robes, with long, golden hair, and eyes as blue as forget-me-nots, and begged him to find the city and marry her, and thus become its King and re- store her and her subjects to a happy life again upon the earth.

He was much impressed with the dream and sought his father, begging permission to search for the Lost City and release the charming Queen and her people from the spell. His father at first refused, for he did not believe in dreams; and anyway, if a city had really been swallowed up by the sea, it was certainly foolish to look for it. However, being an indulgent father, he said:

"If you can show me any proof of any kind that such a city ever existed, I will consent to your undertaking to find it."

That night, therefore, when the golden-haired Queen appeared again the Prince told her what his father had said, and begged her for some sign.

"Very well," replied the Queen, "go to the water's edge to-morrow near mid-day, and in the sky you shall have a sign."

The next day at the appointed hour the whole court gathered and waited, in amusement, the promised sign in the skies, for none of them had any faith in the Prince's dream. But the young Prince never doubted the beautiful Queen's promise, and presently his faith was rewarded, for suddenly, like a perfect picture cast upon the heavens, they saw a marvellous sight. Far away over the level of the sea beautiful clouds were taking shape, and soon the reflection of the Lost City was thrown upon the sky. The streets were all of gold and silver, the palaces and domes were shining with jewels and gorgeous colors. Nothing was ever seen more beautiful, and the court remained watching it in surprise and delight until it gradually melted and faded away, and vanished like a dream.

The Prince was greatly rejoiced, for after this wonderful sign his father must keep his promise to let him go in search of the Lost City. The King made one condition, however, and that was that if he did not succeed in finding the city he must return to his home and forget the dream, and take more interest in the affairs at court. The Prince promised faithful obedience to his father's wishes, and shortly afterwards departed on his travels.

He first sought a learned man in the East, famous for his wise advice, and asked him what he should do to find the buried city. The wizard, who had known the story for many years, advised him to give up the adventure, saying the city had been buried so long he believed it could never be found. But the young man was not to be discouraged and was even more determined than before to undertake the journey, and he started on his search without further words. He sailed out on the first big ship he could get, spending months upon the waters, crossing and re-crossing all the large seas in the world. In his own heart he felt sure that some day he would find the buried city with the charming Queen Cleito and all the rich treasures it contained, and he knew that until he succeeded he could never be happy.

The waters of the ocean were so deeply blue he could not see down into them to any great depth, but he kept his eyes fastened on the water, and constantly hoped to catch a glimpse of the tops of the jewelled towers he had once seen in the sky.

After a long time, when he had journeyed across nearly every ocean in the world, he was caught in a terrible storm and shipwrecked. News reached his father that the vessel on which his son had sailed was lost, and with it every one on board. The old King mourned bitterly, for he blamed himself for letting his son go on such a foolish trip; and shortly after he died of grief.

Prince Nizir, however, was not drowned, but had managed to climb into a life-boat with several of his companions, and found himself adrift on the wide ocean. Days of suffering from thirst and starvation followed, but through it all the young Prince never once forgot his mission, and kept his eyes always fixed on the stormy depths of the waters, hoping and praying for a glimpse of the Lost City beneath.

One day, exhausted and faint with hunger and thirst, he was bending over the side of the boat, when he felt it suddenly drawn down into the water by unseen hands. Slowly it sank into the cool, green depths; lower and lower it went, and after the burning, parching thirst he had endured, the water was more deliciously refreshing than anything he had ever experienced before. Presently he opened his eyes and looked about him. Exquisite blue starfish floated near him, and white ones with rosy-tinted veins; sea-urchins and sea-cucumbers floated by, and strange and wonderful creatures of all kinds. Far off, hanging from the slippery rocks, he saw what looked like white leaves, but when he came nearer he found they were delicate little sponges. A group of larger ones, soft and beautiful, clung to the reefs.

Suddenly the boat stopped before a great gate of red coral. The Prince stepped out and fastened the boat, and walking up to the gate tried to unlock it. It swung slowly open before him, and he found himself in the streets of a beautiful city. His heart beat madly and his blood rushed through his veins, for this at last must be the city of his dreams.

He looked about him and saw that high mountains surrounded the place and seemed to shut out and hold back the water, for behind the mountains he could hear the waves rushing with a thundering noise against the sides, and see them dashing 'over the rocks in sparkling clouds of beautiful spray. The city had streets of pure gold and silver, and in marble basins along their sides was water flowing in crystal streams. These streams threw out a wonderful glow like phosphorus, and running as they did in all directions, they lit up the city magnificently day and night. They were spanned by bridges of pure gold.

Down the wide streets he saw palaces shining green and clear, with their tall towers rising high and pointed. One palace was of polished green marble, with doors cut out of solid crystal, and another was of pure amber, yellow and clear, with windows of rock crystal. But the handsomest of all the buildings was one with a great round dome. It was of the purest mother-of-pearl, and its delicate tints blended and melted together into constantly changing shades. In some lights it glistened white as snow, in others it took on a soft rosy pink. The doors of this palace were cut out of the rarest opals.

Surrounding the mother-of-pearl palace was a garden filled with wonderful shrubberies, and in the courtyard leading up to it were living whales spouting out water. Magnificent shells half as tall as himself bordered the path on either side, and these beautiful sea-shells were all lined with the daintiest pink you ever saw. He advanced towards the palace and finally entered one of the opal doors, which swung back before him as silently as the coral gates had done.

The Prince found himself in a vaulted room brilliantly lighted and handsomely furnished. Several doors led out of it, and he approached one and knocked. In a moment it was opened by an old man with a long white beard and flowing white garments, who held in his hands a bunch of keys. As he unlocked and opened the door the young Prince heard joyous strains of music. Two beautiful dancing-girls, richly dressed, came gliding into the room, and knelt and kissed his feet, crying, —

"We are your slaves, — command us, O mighty Prince, and we will obey you."

Prince Nizir, though very much startled at their appearance, said, "Lead me to Queen Cleito," for he felt sure that the Queen must be in the palace.

The dancing-girls, bidding him follow, led the way in graceful steps across a large hall into the throne room. This room was in the centre of the palace, and was under the dome he had noticed before. All of the ceiling and walls were of frosted silver inlaid with sparkling gems, and ornamented with the largest pearls he had ever seen. In the centre of the room, which shone all white and silver, on a magnificent throne of massive gold sat the Lady of his dreams. She was dressed in a pale blue gown embroidered in exquisite sea flowers of delicate tints. A long trail of soft blue velvet fell from her shoulders, and in her hand she held a golden sceptre. A necklace of diamonds encircled her throat, and on her head was a crown with twelve points, and upon each point glittered a sparkling diamond. The stones were so large and bright that their rays lit up the entire room, and made it as bright as day.

Queen Cleito rose to meet the Prince and give him welcome, and in soft tones she bade him sit beside her on her throne.

"I have long expected you," she said in a tender voice, "and I almost despaired of your coming, but you are brave and courageous and have found me at last."

Then the Prince, who had never seen anything so beautiful as the young Queen, fell madly in love with her on the spot, and sinking on his knees begged her to marry him at once. But she only smiled in response to his eagerness, for, she said, a queen could not marry in such unseemly haste. Proper dignity was the rule of royalty, and a week's festivity at least must announce their marriage.

Nizir was obliged to be content with this answer, and preparations began at once for the wedding, and the town crier went through the city announcing the great event. Early the next morning, when the Prince awakened, he found by his bed a brilliant red velvet suit; his attendants all came into the room dressed in scarlet, and even the light filtering through the windows was of the same gay color. The Queen met him clad in some soft silken dress of this shade, and wearing pigeon-blood rubies in her hair. He could not understand the reason for this until she told him that this was an old custom in her family, to wear certain shades of color each day before the marriage ceremony.

The Queen took him to the top of a tower and showed him her vast possessions. The glittering city in its crimson dress stretched out before them. Broad fields and meadows rolled beneath, and great giant forests lifted their waving branches. Across the meadows they caught glimpses of flowers standing in bright clusters of blues, ^and reds, and yellows, and hosts of tiny white ones, star-shaped, were bursting up through the brilliant masses. Now and then the phosphorescent water, with its rosy color, peeped between the spaces of the mountains, or a pretty mermaid floated by in one of the marble basins in the street, holding her lute in her hand and singing entrancing melodies, or raising a beautiful arm and beckoning to some one in the Lost City to join her. But woe to him if he consented, for he never returned.

Beneath them, Prince Nizir saw enormous factories, filled with busy people, and presently he saw a building that glittered and sparkled like freshly fallen snow. He asked in wonderment what it could be.

"That contains one of our greatest industries," the Queen replied. "That building is of pure salt, and from it we supply all the salt used in the upper world. I had not long been under the sea," she continued, "when I determined to give employment to my people by this industry. It was an easy thing to take the salt from the water, but how to supply the people on the earth was not so easy to determine. We had not the right to go upon the earth, but I soon learned we might work under it, so we tunnelled the whole world. After doing this it was an easy thing to plant salt mines everywhere, and this we have done, so that to-day every portion of the globe is supplied with salt made in the building you now see."

Nizir, looking closely, saw hundreds of sparkling forms flitting through the factory, their clothes powdered with the beautiful diamond dust they called salt, and whenever they moved they flashed forth brilliant light. These people were kept busy night and day supplying the world's demand for salt, and keeping the salt mines filled.

On the second morning, when the Prince awoke, every body was clothed in a bright green, and the lovely Queen appeared wearing a green silk dress with an emerald necklace. The third day her dress was pale blue, with flashing diamonds and turquoises for ornaments. On the fourth day she wore a dress of deep yellow, made of spun gold, and her ornaments were topazes. The palace shone like a sunflower. The yellow light flooded the city and gilded the palaces until they seemed of pure gold.

Each day Prince Nizir saw more wonders in this marvellous city. Such jewels and wealth he had never imagined. The rarest pearls were brought to the palace every day, for the oysters selected their finest and best to offer, and the Queen had thousands upon thousands stored in huge chests. All the treasures of the sea were brought to the Queen that she might choose from them. The whales and dolphins and the big fish scoured the ocean each day for its wonders, and at the weekly audiences Queen Cleito held, they offered their gifts. It was impossible to estimate her wealth, and whole palaces were filled with her gems.

On the fifth morning the city was colored in a deep blue light, for the strange custom of colors lasted seven days, and the Queen wore with her blue gown handsome sapphires. The light on the sixth day was a delicate pink, just the shade the clouds take on at sunrise before they burst into the glory of the day. The city was all bathed in a rosy color, and the Queen's dress was of satin of the same rich shade. With it she wore pink coral ornaments and a fine pink pearl in a ring.

On the seventh day, which was the wedding morning, everything was white and silver. Flashing crystal lights bathed the palace, and the ladies wore soft white dresses with silver ornaments and pearls. The bride herself was in shimmering white silk and lace, and wore moonstones and diamonds. Her long train was carried by two little pages in velvet suits and her bridesmaids were twelve beautiful maidens. They carried enormous fans of white ostrich feathers, with handles of amber inlaid with rare and precious jewels.

The wedding was celebrated with great pomp, and the festivities continued through many days. Then followed months of happiness for the bridal pair, for the Prince loved the beautiful Cleito, and he felt as though he would be perfectly satisfied to spend the rest of his life under the waves. But several times his conscience smote him that he had so long forgotten his poor old father, who must be grieving for him as dead.

After awhile he begged his Queen to leave her people a short time and accompany him on a visit to his own home. They need not stay long, he argued, and could soon return to the Sea City. Now his wife loved him very dearly, so he had not much difficulty in persuading her to do as he wished. She told him, however, that during her stay upon the earth she must keep absolute silence. She would not be allowed to speak a single word, but must remain dumb. Only upon this condition could she accompany him before the time allotted for his reign should expire.

Prince Nizir agreed to the condition and said it would be an easy matter to explain her silence to his father. Their subjects consented reluctantly to their departure, and very soon afterwards they started on their journey. They found the Prince's boat where he had left it fastened to the. coral reef, and soon after getting into it they rose on the top of a wave and floated on the broad blue waters of the ocean, and not many hours later Prince Nizir pointed out to Cleito the tall towers of his father's palaces.

His subjects, who had mourned him as dead, came running out to meet him, and soon the shore was lined with wondering people. He greeted them joyfully, but they were terrified and frightened at his appearance. He looked as white as the foam dashing over his boat, and he talked wildly of a buried city lost in the sea which he had found. He spoke of its treasures and magnificent wealth, and of being its King. By his side sat a beautiful creature, but she was as colorless as he, and her long golden hair floated about her in tangled masses entwined with coral and sea-weed. The Prince proudly presented her as his Queen, and made them kneel and kiss her hand, but she did not speak a word, and looked about her sadly and anxiously. Nizir called her Cleito, and said she was the Queen of the Lost City. Then the people whispered he must be mad, and that the Sun had turned his brain.

Now that his father was dead Nizir was proclaimed King at once, and then he was publicly married to his beautiful Queen so that they might be crowned together in becoming pomp and splendor. But the lovely Queen seemed unhappy. Her maids often surprised her in tears, and she watched the gay life about her with a sad face. She grew whiter each day and sat by the open window, always watching the sea. She never spoke a word and rarely smiled, and then only for the King.

Now King Nizir was madly in love with his Queen and spent as much time with her as he could take from the cares of state, but all of his tenderness did not make her happy, for her listless and indifferent manner never changed. Only when he would sit beside her talking of her beautiful home, and telling her how he was arranging to return to that wonderful kingdom beneath the sparkling waters, would she show any interest.

The gossips at court whispered that the Queen was one of the shipwrecked people and the daughter of a great sultan; that she had disobeyed her father's command in running away with her lover, and that when her lover was drowned she did not care to live without him. It was said that she and the King alone were saved from the sinking vessel in that awful storm, and that the King went mad from hunger and thirst, and imagined everything about the Lost City and his life there with the beautiful Cleito, and that he had mistaken the daughter of the sultan for his bride of the ocean. Thus the court gossips talked, but the Queen never broke her silence.

One day, radiant and smiling, the King came to his wife and asked her if she would like to return that day to her beautiful home in the sea. She was startled at his question and a little frightened, but she nodded an eager assent, and when the ship came entered it with a smile. She had dressed herself as a bride for a wedding, all in white, with a veil upon her head and lilies in her hair. Then she and the King sailed merrily away in the early morning mists to find their beloved city.

They never returned to their earthly kingdom. Their subjects offered large rewards for finding the boat with the mad King and his beautiful Queen, and the seas were searched for many months, but without success. Sometimes a white-sailed vessel was sighted and chased, but when caught it was never the King's ship. With the passing of the days people noticed strange and mysterious things. Often the wind swept by groaning and shrieking in agony, and often the mariners Bailing in their stanch little crafts were startled by seeing close to their boat a phantom ship. As soon as they turned their lights upon it and gave chase it would disappear.

And sometimes to this day, in a big storm, or again on a quiet night, sailors see a white sail slip close by them, with two figures on the deck, a man and a woman, and the woman is dressed in bridal robes and is very beautiful. But when they hail the boat no answer comes, and if they try to approach it, it darts away and in a second vanishes. It is the phantom ship of Queen Cleito and Prince Nizir, skimming the ocean looking for their Lost City of the Sea.