y daughter is married.'

'And for what reason,' said the Prince, 'should this beautiful girl be
made a prisoner?'

'I ignore all that,' said the Queen.

So the Prince left the Queen's company because it was not congenial to
him. When he entered his own room, he said to a young Prince who had
accompanied him, and whom he loved very much, that he would give all the
world to be able to speak to one of the women of the beautiful Princess
for a moment. His young friend found one at once whom it would be
possible to question with confidence. She told him that the same evening
Florine would be at a little window that looked out on to the garden and
that he could then speak to her, but that he must take every precaution,
lest the Queen and King should overhear.

The Prince was delighted, and made ready to see the Princess. But the
wicked maid went at once and told the Queen all that had passed. It was
then arranged that Truitonne should take her place; and so, with great
precautions, Truitonne placed herself at the little window.

The night was very dark; so much so that it was impossible for Prince
Charming to suspect the change passed upon him. He expressed himself
exactly the same to Truitonne as he had to Florine and plainly showed
his love for her. Truitonne, profiting by her mother's instructions,
said that she was the most unhappy person in the world to have such a
wicked and cruel stepmother, and that she would have to suffer until her
stepsister was married. The Prince assured her that he would marry her
if she would have him, and that he would give her his heart and his
crown; and he removed a ring from his finger and put it on the finger
of Truitonne, as a token of his faith, and told her that she would only
have to wait an hour, when a carriage would come to take her away.
Truitonne begged of him to go to the Queen and ask her to give her her
liberty, and assured him that, if he would come back to-morrow at the
same hour, she would be ready.

The Queen was very happy at the success of her scheme. The Prince took a
carriage drawn by three great frogs with great big wings, which made the
carriage simply fly. Truitonne came out mysteriously by a little door,
and the Prince, who was awaiting her appearance, at once put his arms
around her and swore eternal faith, but, as he was not in any humour to
take a long journey in the flying carriage without marrying the Princess
whom he loved, he demanded of her where they