edge. The hedge was all white hawthorn and very sweet. The portmanteau
had lain well under it. All Dorothy could see was a tiny leather wallet,
that a cat could carry in her mouth. But the princess blew upon it three
times, and suddenly a great leather trunk stood on the grass. The
princess opened it, and Dorothy gave a little cry, her eyes were so
dazzled. It was like a blaze of gold and silver and jewels. "Look at
this," said the princess. And she took out of the trunk the splendid
robe that was laid uppermost.

Dorothy looked; she could not say anything. The robe was woven of silk,
with gold and silver threads, and embroidered with jewels.

"If you will give this to Dame Betsy for her eldest daughter's bridal
dress, she will let you go," said the princess. She took a pair of
silver shears out of the trunk and cut off a bit of the robe under a
flounce. "Show that to Dame Betsy," said the princess, "and tell her you
will give her the dress made of the same material, and she will let you
go. Now you had better run home. I shall stay here and sleep under the
hedge. I do not like Dame Betsy's house. Come here in the morning, when
you have told her about the dress."

The princess sat down on the trunk, and it immediately shrunk into the
little wallet; then she curled herself up on the grass under the flowery
hedge. Dorothy ran home and crept noiselessly up to her bed in the
garret.

In the morning, when the daughters came down to breakfast, they missed
the cat. "Where is the cat?" they inquired indignantly of their mother.
They suspected her of driving the cat away with the broom. They had
quite a wrangle over it. Finally, the daughters all put on finery and
went out shopping for some needles and pins; then Dorothy showed Dame
Betsy the scrap of the splendid robe, and said to her what the princess
had directed she should say.

Dame Betsy was very much surprised and disturbed. She did not wish to
lose Dorothy, who was a great help to her; still, she had no doubt that
a suitor would soon appear for her eldest daughter, if arrayed in so
beautiful a bridal gown as that. She reflected how she might have a
tea-party and invite all the neighbors, and display the robe, and how
all the sons would come flocking to the door. Finally she consented,
and Dorothy, as soon as her mistress's back was turned, ran out and away
to the hedge, under which she knew the Persian princess to be concealed.

The princess looked up and rubbed he