hase - hime listened in an attitude of respect while her mother spoke , and promised to do all that she was told . there is a proverb which says " as the soul is at three so it is at one hundred , " and so hase - hime grew up as her mother had wished , a good and obedient little princess , though she was now too young to understand how great was the loss of her mother . not long after the death of his first wife , prince toyonari married again , a lady of noble birth named princess terute . very different in character , alas ! to the good and wise princess murasaki , this woman had a cruel , bad heart . she did not love her step - daughter at all , and was often very unkind to the little motherless girl , saving to herself : " this is not my child ! this is not my child ! "
a lady of noble birth .
who was princess terute ?
who was princess terute ?