r
the more. When the pilot heard and saw all this, he whispered to the
nurse: "We are in the wrong box, mistress;" but she bid him hold his
peace.

[Illustration]

When the king came forth to meet her, accompanied by all his nobles, his
peacocks, and the foreign ambassadors staying at his court, preceded by
Rosetta's portrait at the end of a long pole, he was ready to die with
rage and vexation on seeing such a fright; and, without more ado, he
ordered her to be shut up, together with the nurse and the pilot, in the
tower prison. His rage next fell upon the two princes, whom he accused
of making game of him; and they were much surprised when, instead of
being released on their sister's arrival, they were transferred to a
horrible dungeon, where they remained up to their necks in water for
three days. At the end of that time, the king of the peacocks came and
insulted them through a loop-hole, and told them they were a couple of
adventurers, whom he would have hung; upon which, the elder prisoner
replied indignantly, that he was as good a king as himself, and that he
might some day repent his insolent behaviour. Seeing him so firm, the
king of the peacocks had almost a mind to release them at once, and send
them away with their sister, but one of his courtiers persuaded him that
his dignity required he should punish the strangers; so he had them
tried, and they were condemned to be executed for having told a
falsehood, and promising the king a beautiful bride, who had turned out
a horrible fright. When they heard this sentence, they protested so
vehemently that there must be some misunderstanding, which time would
clear up, that they obtained a week's respite. Meanwhile, the poor
princess, who was greatly surprised on waking to find herself in the
middle of the sea, began to weep bitterly, and fancied she had been cast
into the waves by order of the king of the peacocks. After being tossed
about for a couple of days, during which she would have died of hunger
had she not chanced to pass near a bed of oysters, Fretillon's incessant
barking attracted the notice of a good old man, who lived in a solitary
hut on the shore. Thinking some travellers had lost their way, he came
out to help them, when he was much surprised on beholding the princess
in her water bed, calling out to him to save her life. The old man ran
back to fetch a grapple, and towed the bed ashore with some difficulty,
and the princess having wrapt herself