st at that time the ogre came out to look at
his garden, and having caught cold from the dampness of the ground, he
gave such a tremendous sneeze, with such a noise and explosion, that
Violet screamed out with terror, "Oh, mother, help me!" Thereupon the
ogre looked round and seeing the beautiful maiden behind him, he
received her with the greatest care and affection; and treating her as
his own daughter, he gave her in charge of three fairies, bidding them
take care of her, and rear her up on cherries.

The Prince no longer seeing Violet, and hearing no news of her, good or
bad, fell into such grief that his eyes became swollen, his face became
pale as ashes, his lips livid; and he neither ate a morsel to get flesh
on his body, nor slept a wink to get any rest to his mind. But trying
all possible means and offering large rewards, he went about spying and
inquiring everywhere until, at last, he discovered where Violet was.
Then he sent for the ogre and told him that, finding himself ill (as he
might see was the case) he begged of him permission to spend a single
day and night in his garden, adding that a small chamber would suffice
for him to repose in. Now, as the ogre was a subject of the Prince's
father he could not refuse him this trifling pleasure; so he offered
him all the rooms in his house; if one was not enough, and his very
life itself. The Prince thanked him, and chose a room which by good
luck was near to Violet's; and, as soon as Night came out to play games
with the Stars, the Prince, finding that Violet had left her door open,
as it was summertime and the place was safe, stole softly into her
room, and taking Violet's arm he gave her two pinches. Then she awoke
and exclaimed, "Oh, father, father, what a quantity of fleas!" So she
went to another bed and the Prince did the same again and she cried out
as before. Then she changed first the mattress and then the sheet; and
so the sport went on the whole night long, until the Dawn, having
brought the news that the Sun was alive, the mourning that was hung
round the sky was all removed.

As soon as it was day, the Prince, passing by that house, and seeing
the maiden at the door, said, as he was wont to do, "Good-day,
good-day, Violet!" and when Violet replied, "Good-day, King's son! I
know more than you!" the Prince answered, "Oh, father, father, what a
quantity of fleas!"

The instant Violet felt this shot she guessed at once that the Prince
had been the c