, who thus saw herself at the same moment happy and unhappy,
joyful and miserable, rich and poor, tore her hair and bewailed her
fate, reproaching her father and mother; but they excused themselves,
declaring that they had not meant to do harm. But she went on weeping
and wailing until Night came forth to drape the canopy of the sky for
the funeral of the Sun; and when they were all in bed, she took her
jewels, which were in a writing-desk, and went out by the back-door, to
search everywhere for the treasure she had lost.

She went out of the city, guided by the light of the moon; and on her
way she met a fox, who asked her if she wished for company. "Of all
things, my friend," replied Grannonia. "I should be delighted; for I am
not over well acquainted with the country." So they travelled along
together till they came to a wood, where the trees, at play like
children, were making baby-houses for the shadows to lie in. And as
they were now tired and wished to rest, they sheltered under the leaves
where a fountain was playing tricks with the grass, throwing water on
it by the dishful. There they stretched themselves on a mattress of
tender soft grass, and paid the duty of repose which they owed to
Nature for the merchandise of life.

They did not awake till the Sun, with his usual fire, gave the signal
to sailors and travellers to set out on their road; and, after they
awoke, they still stayed for some time listening to the songs of the
birds, in which Grannonia took great delight. The fox, seeing this,
said to her, "You would feel twice as much pleasure if, like me, you
understood what they are saying." At these words Grannonia--for women
are by nature as curious as they are talkative--begged the fox to tell
her what he had heard the birds saying. So, after having let her
entreat him for a long time, to raise her curiosity about what he was
going to relate, he told her that the birds were talking to each other
about what had lately befallen the King's son, who was as beautiful as
a jay. Because he had offended a wicked ogress, she had laid him under
a spell to pass seven years in the form of a serpent; and when he had
nearly ended the seven years, he fell in love with the daughter of a
King, and being one day in a room with the maiden, he had cast his skin
on the ground, when her father and mother rushed in and burned it.
Then, when the Prince was flying away in the shape of a dove, he broke
a pane in the window to esc