r attention, and she displayed
such charming manners, kissing hands and curtseying so graciously when
any gift was offered to her, that not a gentleman or lady of the Court
but left her presence loud in her praise.

While the princess was being thus entertained, the king and the prince
were taking counsel as to how they could find the King of the Peacocks,
supposing such a person did really exist. In pursuit of the plan which
they formed a portrait was painted of the Princess Rosette, and so
cunningly wrought was this picture that only speech seemed wanting to
make it live. Then they said to their sister:

'Since you will marry none but the King of the Peacocks, we are setting
forth together in quest of him through the wide world. If we find him we
shall be well rewarded. Wait for our return, and take care of our
kingdom while we are away.'

Rosette thanked them for the trouble they were taking, and promised to
govern the kingdom well. She declared that while they were away her only
pleasures would be to admire the beautiful peacock and make Frillikin
dance. Their adieux were said with many tears.

Behold, then, the royal pair upon their travels, asking of all whom they
met: 'Do you know the King of the Peacocks?' The reply from all was 'No,
we do not.' Then the travellers would pass on and go further, journeying
in this way so far, far away that no one had ever been so far before.

At last they reached the kingdom of the Cockchafers, and the latter in
their myriads made so loud a buzzing that the king thought he would go
deaf. He asked one who seemed more intelligent than the rest if he knew
whereabouts the King of the Peacocks was to be found.

'Sire,' said the cockchafer, 'his kingdom is thirty thousand leagues
away; you have taken the longest road to get there.'

'How do you know that?' asked the king.

'Because we know you well,' replied the cockchafer; 'every year we spend
two or three months in your garden!'

The king and his brother embraced the cockchafer warmly, and struck up
a great friendship. Arm in arm they all went off to dinner, over which
the visitors expressed their astonishment at the remarkable features of
this country, where the smallest leaf from a tree was worth a gold
piece. Presently they set off for their destination, and as they now
knew the road they were not long in reaching it. They observed that all
the trees were full of peacocks; indeed the place held so many of them
that their