on the princess had left all her women asleep, and,
after trying in vain to amuse herself indoors, she had slipped out
into the great garden, and rambled about in all her favourite nooks
and corners, feeling quite safe as there was not a creature to be seen.
Suddenly, on turning a corner, she stopped in surprise, for before her
lay a man fast asleep! In her hurry she had almost tripped over him. But
there he was, a young man, tanned and dusty with travel, in the uniform
of an officer of the king's guard. One of the few faults of this lovely
princess was a devouring curiosity, and she lived such an idle life that
she had plenty of time to be curious. Out of one of the folds of this
young man's turban there peeped the corner of a letter! She wondered
what the letter was--whom it was for! She drew her veil a little closer,
and stole across on tip-toe and caught hold of the corner of the letter.
Then she pulled it a little, and just a little more! A great big seal
came into view, which she saw to be her father's, and at the sight of
it she paused for a minute half ashamed of what she was doing. But the
pleasure of taking a letter which was not meant for her was more than
she could resist, and in another moment it was in her hand. All at once
she remembered that it would be death to this poor officer if he lost
the letter, and that at all hazards she must put it back again. But this
was not so easy; and, moreover, the letter in her hand burnt her with
longing to read it, and see what was inside. She examined the seal. It
was sticky with being exposed to the hot sun, and with a very little
effort it parted from the paper. The letter was open and she read it!
And this was what was written:

'Behead the messenger who brings this letter secretly and at once. Ask
no questions.'

The girl grew pale. What a shame! she thought. SHE would not let a
handsome young fellow like that be beheaded; but how to prevent it
was not quite clear at the moment. Some plan must be invented, and she
wished to lock herself in where no one could interrupt her, as might
easily happen in the garden. So she crept softly to her room, and took
a piece of paper and wrote upon it: 'Marry the messenger who brings
this letter to the princess openly at once. Ask no questions.' And even
contrived to work the seals off the original letter and to fix them to
this, so that no one could tell, unless they examined it closely, that
it had ever been opened. Then she s