n to him, he rejoiced with all his heart,
and was going at once to his dear wife's bedside to see how she did.
Then the old woman cried hastily,

"For your life, do not draw back the curtains, to let in the light upon
her; she must be kept quiet." So the King went away, and never knew that
a false Queen was lying in the bed.

Now, when it was midnight, and every one was asleep, the nurse, who was
sitting by the cradle in the nursery and watching there alone, saw the
door open, and the true Queen come in. She took the child out of the
cradle, laid it in her bosom, and fed it. Then she shook out its little
pillow, put the child back again, and covered it with the coverlet. She
did not forget the fawn either: she went to him where he lay in the
corner, and stroked his back tenderly. Then she went in perfect silence
out at the door, and the nurse next morning asked the watchmen if any
one had entered the castle during the night, but they said they had seen
no one. And the Queen came many nights, and never said a word; the nurse
saw her always, but she did not dare speak of it to any one.

After some time had gone by in this manner, the Queen seemed to find
voice, and said one night,

"My child my fawn twice more I come to see,
Twice more I come, and then the end must be."

The nurse said nothing, but as soon as the Queen had disappeared she
went to the King and told him all. The King said,

"Ah, heaven! what do I hear! I will myself watch by the child to-morrow
night."

So at evening he went into the nursery, and at midnight the Queen
appeared, and said,

"My child my fawn once more I come to see,
Once more I come, and then the end must be."

And she tended the child, as she was accustomed to do, before she
vanished. The King dared not speak to her, but he watched again the
following night, and heard her say,

"My child my fawn this once I come to see,
This once I come, and now the end must be."

Then the King could contain himself no longer, but rushed towards her,
saying,

"You are no other than my dear wife!" Then she answered,

"Yes, I am your dear wife," and in that moment, by the grace of heaven,
her life returned to her, and she was once more well and strong. Then
she told the King the snare that the wicked witch and her daughter had
laid for her. The King had them both brought to judgment, and sentence
was passed upon them. The daughter was sent away into the wood, where
she