Already the king and
queen and all the Court had joined her, and everybody spoke at once, and
nobody listened to anybody, while nearly as many tears were shed for joy
as a little time ago had been shed for grief. And finally, to set the
crown on their rejoicing, the good Frog was espied flying through the
air on her hawk. The latter had little golden bells upon its feet, and
when the faint tinkling of these caused every one to look up, there was
the Frog, beautiful as the dawn, with her cap of roses shining like the
sun. The queen ran to her and took her by one of her little paws. At that
instant the wise Frog was transformed into a majestic royal lady of
gracious mien. 'I come,' she cried, 'to crown the faithful Moufette, who
preferred to face death rather than break her word to Prince Moufy.' With these words she placed two myrtle wreaths upon the lovers' heads;
and at a signal of three taps from her wand the dragon's bones rose up
and formed a triumphal arch to commemorate the auspicious occasion. Back to the city went all the company, singing wedding songs as gladly
as they had previously with sorrow bewailed the sacrifice of the
princess. On the morrow the marriage took place, and with what
festivities it was solemnised may be left to the imagination. PRINCESS ROSETTE


Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who had two handsome boys,
and so well looked after were the latter that they grew apace, like the
daylight. The queen never had a child without summoning the fairies to be present
at the birth, and she always begged them to tell what its future was to
be. When in due course she had a beautiful little daughter--so pretty
that one could not set eyes on her without loving her--all the fairies
came to visit her, and were hospitably entertained. As they were making
ready to go, the queen said to them:

'Do not forget your friendly custom, but tell me what fortune awaits
Rosette.' Such was the name which had been given to the little princess. The fairies replied that they had left their magic books at home, but
would come and see her some other time. 'Ah,' said the queen, 'that bodes ill. You are anxious not to distress
me by an unhappy prophecy. But tell me all, I implore you, and hide
nothing from me.' The fairies did their utmost to excuse themselves. But the queen became
more and more eager to learn everything, and at last the chief of them
made a declaration. 'We fear, Madam,' she said, 'that Rosette will bring disaster on her
brothers, and that in some fashion she will be the cause of their death. This much and no more can we foretell of the pretty child, and we are
grieved that we should have no better news to give you.' Then the fairies went away, and the queen was left grieving. So deep was her grief that the king saw it in her face, and asked what
ailed her. She had gone too near the fire, she told him, and had burnt
all the flax that was on her distaff. 'Is that all?' said the king, and going up to his storeroom he brought
her more flax than she could have spun in a hundred years. But the queen continued sad, and again the king asked what ailed her. She declared that in walking by the river she had let her green satin
slipper fall into the water. 'Is that all?' said the king, and summoning all the shoemakers in the
kingdom he brought her ten thousand green satin slippers. Still she grieved, and once more he asked what ailed her. She told him
that in eating with rather too vigorous an appetite she had swallowed
her wedding-ring, which had been on her finger. The king knew at once
that she was not telling the truth, for he had put away this ring
himself. 'My dear wife,' he said, 'you lie; I put away your ring in my
purse--here it is!' She was not a little confused at being caught telling a lie (for there
is nothing in the world so ugly), and she saw that the king was
displeased. She told him, therefore, what the fairies had prophesied of
little Rosette, and implored him to say if he could think of any good
remedy. The king was plunged in the deepest melancholy, so much so that he
remarked on one occasion to the queen: 'I see no other means of saving
our two sons but to bring about the death of our little child while she
is still in long clothes.' But the queen exclaimed that she would rather
suffer death herself. She would never consent, she declared, to such a
cruel course, and he must think of something else. The royal pair were at their wits' end when the queen was told that in a
forest near the city there lived an aged hermit. His habitation was a
hollow tree, and folks were wont to seek his advice upon all manner of
things. 'I too must go there,' said the queen; 'the fairies have warned
me of the evil, but they have forgotten to tell me of the remedy.' She rose betimes and mounted a dainty little white mule that was shod
with gold, and took with her two of her ladies, each riding a bonny
horse. When they had entered the wood they dismounted, as a sign of
deference, and presented themselves at the tree where the hermit lived. The latter had an aversion from the sight of women, but on recognising
the queen he addressed her. 'You are welcome,' he said; 'what do you want of me?' She told him what the fairies had said of Rosette, and begged for
advice. His reply was that the princess must be placed in a tower and
never be allowed to leave it. The queen tendered her thanks, and having
bestowed liberal alms upon him, returned to tell everything to the king. When the king had heard her news he gave orders at once for a great
tower to be built. In this the princess was shut up, and to keep her
amused the king and queen and her two brothers went every day to see
her. The elder boy was known as the Big Prince, and the younger as the
Little Prince. Both were passionately attached to their sister, for she
had such beauty and charm as had never been seen before. For the
lightest of looks from her many would have paid a hundred gold pieces
and more. When the princess was fifteen years old the Big Prince spoke of her to
his father. 'My sister is old enough now to marry, Sire,' he said;
'shall we not soon be celebrating her wedding?' The Little Prince said
the same thing to his mother. But their royal parents turned the
conversation and made no answer on the subject of the marriage. One day the king and queen were stricken by a grievous malady, and died
almost within twenty-four hours. Throughout the realm there was
mourning; every one wore black, and on all sides the tolling of bells
was heard. Rosette was grieved beyond consolation by the death of her
dear mother. But when the royal dead had been interred, the noblemen of the realm set
the Big Prince upon a throne of gold and diamonds, robed him in purple
velvet embroidered with suns and moons, and placed a splendid crown upon
his head. Then all the Court cried aloud three times: 'Long live the
King!' and there followed universal festivities and rejoicings.