ed to his
Court, where his prolonged absence was causing much anxiety.

The Prince and all the courtiers were delighted to see their beloved
King again, but they had to submit themselves to more frequent absences
than ever on his part. He made business a pretext for shutting himself
up in his study, but it was really in order to spend the time with the
Princess, who remained inflexible.

Not being able to imagine what could be the cause of so much obstinacy
the King began to fear, lest, in spite of all his precautions, she might
have heard of the charms of the Prince his son, whose goodness, youth
and beauty, made him adored at Court. This idea made him horribly
uneasy, and he resolved to remove the cause of his fears by sending the
Prince on his travels escorted by a magnificent retinue.

The Prince, after visiting several Courts, arrived at the one where the
lost Princess was still deeply mourned. The King and Queen received him
most graciously, and some festivities were revived to do him honour.

One day when the Prince was visiting the Queen in her own apartments he
was much struck by a most beautiful portrait. He eagerly inquired whose
it was, and the Queen, with many tears, told him it was all that was
left her of her beloved daughter, who had suddenly been carried off, she
knew neither where nor how.

The Prince was deeply moved, and vowed that he would search the world
for the Princess, and take no rest till he had found and restored her to
her mother's arms. The Queen assured him of her eternal gratitude,
and promised, should he succeed, to give him her daughter in marriage,
together with all the estates she herself owned.

The Prince, far more attracted by the thoughts of possessing the
Princess than her promised dower, set forth in his quest after taking
leave of the King and Queen, the latter giving him a miniature of her
daughter which she was in the habit of wearing. His first act was
to seek the Fairy under whose protection he had been placed, and he
implored her to give him all the assistance of her art and counsel in
this important matter.

After listening attentively to the whole adventure, the Fairy asked
for time to consult her books. After due consideration she informed the
Prince that the object of his search was not far distant, but that it
was too difficult for him to attempt to enter the enchanted palace where
she was, as the King his father had surrounded it with a thick cloud,
and that