subtle plan, with a
separate compartment for the Princess, and mouse-trap blinds through
which food and drink could be inserted without admitting the light of
day. In this she, with her two ladies-in-waiting, Long-Epine and
Giroflee, set forth, and all the court wept together with the King and
Queen at the going away of their little Princess.

Now Long-Epine did not care for Desiree very much, and, what is more,
she loved the Warrior Prince, having seen his photograph and heard him
speak.

The Queen's last words at parting were:

'Take care of my little daughter, and do not on any account let her see
the light of day. I have made all arrangements with the Prince that she
is to be shut up in a room where she will not be able to see the light,
and every care will be taken.' And, with these words in their ears, they
set off, having promised the Queen that all would be done as she
wished.

Long-Epine told herself she would never let the Princess win the Warrior
Prince, not if she could prevent it; so, at dinner time that day, when
the sun was at its highest, she went as usual to the carriage with the
Princess's food, and, with a big knife, slit the blind so that the light
streamed in. No sooner had she done so than a strange thing happened.
The Princess had been quite alone in the darkened compartment; then how
was it that a white hind leapt out through the window and sped away into
the forest? Long-Epine watched it, wondering. Then she looked in at the
window, but the compartment was empty. The Princess had gone!

Immediately the Princess, in the form of a white hind, had disappeared
into the forest, her good friend Giroflee began to chase after her. As
soon as she had gone, Long-Epine took the clothes of her mistress and
dressed herself up in them, and resolved to impersonate the Princess
before the young Prince. Then the carriage drove on, and in it sat
Long-Epine disguised as the Princess.

When they arrived she presented herself as Desiree; but the Prince
looked at her with horror, for she was not at all like a real Princess.
Desiree's dress, which she wore, came to her knees, and she had not
noticed that her ugly legs showed below the dress.

'This is not the Princess of the portrait,' said the Prince and his
father together. 'You took us for fools, no doubt!'

The false Princess said that it was a terrible thing to bring her away
from her kingdom to be treated in this way, and to break the word that
they h