auty of her unfortunate step-sister. The two then
continued their journey, arriving at the royal chapel at the appointed
hour. The king received them with all honours, while the deceitful
woman gave away her own daughter, whom the bridegroom believed to be
the original of the beautiful picture. After the ceremony the mother
went away loaded with presents. The king, as he looked at his young
wife, could not understand why he did not feel for her the sympathy
and admiration he had felt for the portrait she so much resembled. But
it could not be altered now; what is done is done. So he admired her
beauty and looked forward to the pleasure of seeing pearls fall from
her eyes, roses from her lips, and gold-fish at the touch of her
fingers.

During the wedding feast the newly-made bride forgot herself and
smiled at her husband; immediately a number of hideous toads escaped
from her lips. The king, overcome with horror and disgust, rushed away
from her, upon which she began to cry, but instead of pearls, lizards
fell from her eyes. The majordomo ordered water to be brought for her
to wash her hands, but no sooner had she dipped the tips of her
fingers in the bowl than it was filled with serpents that hissed and
twisted and threw themselves among the wedding guests. The panic was
general, and a scene of great confusion followed. The guard was called
in, and had the greatest trouble to clear the hall of the disgusting
reptiles.

The bridegroom had taken refuge in the garden, and when he saw the
young man coming towards him, whom he thought had deceived him, his
anger overcame him, and he struck the poor lad with so much force that
he fell down dead.

The queen ran forward sobbing, and taking the king by the hand, said:
"What have you done? You have killed my innocent brother. It is
neither my fault, nor was it his, that since the wedding I have by
some enchantment lost the marvellous power I possessed before. This
evil will pass away in time, but time can never restore to me my dear
brother, my own mother's son."

"Forgive me, dear wife; in a moment of irritation I thought he had
deceived me, and I wanted to punish him, but did not mean to kill. I
regret it deeply, but it cannot be helped now. Forgive me my fault as
I forgive yours, with all my heart."

"You have my forgiveness, but I beg you to see that your wife's
brother has an honourable burial."

Her wishes were carried out, and the orphan lad, who had passed as her