ed by porcupines, and all over beset with
jewels, which served to render her more detestable. She was just
stepping into bed to the prince, forgetting her promise, when he
insisted on seeing her in the shape of a mouse. She had promised, and
no fairy can break her word; wherefore, assuming the figure of the most
beautiful mouse in the world, she skipped and played about with an
infinity of amusement. The prince, in an agony of rapture, was desirous
of seeing his pretty play-fellow move a slow dance about the floor to
his own singing; he began to sing, and the mouse immediately to perform
with the most perfect knowledge of time, and the finest grace, and
greatest gravity imaginable; it only began, for Nanhoa, who had long
waited for the opportunity, in the shape of a cat, flew upon it
instantly without remorse, and eating it up in the hundredth part of
a moment, broke the charm, and then resumed her natural figure.

[Illustration: Page 12.
{Husband in bed, wife with two porcupines holding her train}]

[Illustration: Page 13.
{Man and woman on arcaded terrace}]

The prince now found that he had all along been under the power of
enchantment; that his passion for the white mouse was entirely
fictitious, and not the genuine complexion of his soul; he now saw, that
his earnestness after mice was an illiberal amusement, and much more
becoming a rat-catcher than a prince. All his meannesses now stared
him in the face; he begged the princess's pardon an hundred times. The
princess very readily forgave him; and both returning to their palace at
Bonbobbin, lived very happily together, and reigned many years, with all
that wisdom, which, by the story, they appear to have been possessed of;
perfectly convinced by their former adventures, that they who place
their affections on trifles at first for amusement, will find these
trifles at last become their most serious concern.

The
STORY
of the
ENVIOUS MAN,
and
HIM THAT HE ENVIED.

In a considerable town, two persons dwelt next door to one another; one
of them conceived such a violent hatred against the other, that he who
was hated resolved to remove his dwelling farther off, being persuaded
that their being neighbours was the only cause from whence his animosity
did arise; for though he had done him several pieces of service, he
found, nevertheless, that his hatred was nothing diminished; therefore
he sold his house, with what goods he had left, a