the tyrant king was, he was too afraid of the people to kill
the children. He sent the boy adrift on the sea in an open boat, hoping
the waves would swallow it; and he got an old witch to cast the spell of
deformity over Rosaleen, and under the spell her beauty faded, until at
last she became so ugly and wasted that scarcely anyone would speak to
her. And, shunned by everyone, she spent her days in the out-houses with
the cattle, and every night she cried herself to sleep.

One day, when she was very lonely, a little robin came to pick the
crumbs that had fallen about her feet. He appeared so tame that she
offered him the bread from her hand, and when he took it she cried with
joy at finding that there was one living thing that did not shun her.
After this the robin came every day, and he sang so sweetly for her that
she almost forgot her loneliness and misery. But once while the robin
was with her the tyrant king's daughter, who was very beautiful, passed
with her maids of honor, and, seeing Rosaleen, the princess said:

"Oh, there is that horrid ugly thing."

The maids laughed and giggled, and said they had never seen such a
fright.

Poor Rosaleen felt as if her heart would break, and when the princess
and her maids were out of sight she almost cried her eyes out. When the
robin saw her crying he perched on her shoulder and rubbed his little
head against her neck and chirruped softly in her ear, and Rosaleen
was comforted, for she felt she had at least one friend in the world,
although it was only a little robin. But the robin could do more for
her than she could dream of. He heard the remark made by the princess,
and he saw Rosaleen's tears, and he knew now why she was shunned by
everybody, and why she was so unhappy. And that very evening he flew off
to Dooros Wood, and called on a cousin of his and told him all about
Rosaleen.

"And you want some of the fairy berries, I suppose," said his cousin,
Robin of the Wood.

"I do," said Rosaleen's little friend.

"Ah," said Robin of the Wood, "times have changed since you were here
last. The tree is guarded now all the day long by a surly giant. He
sleeps in the branches during the night, and he breathes upon them and
around them every morning, and his breath is poison to bird and bee.
There is only one chance open, and if you try that it may cost you
your life."

"Then tell me what it is, for I would give a hundred lives for
Rosaleen," said her own little robin.