re; at those eyes the sun had
lighted two fireworks, to set fire to the rockets of sighs in the
breast of the beholder; to the roses on those lips Venus had given
their colour, to wound a thousand enamoured hearts with their thorns.
In a word, she was so beautiful from head to foot, that a more
exquisite creature was never seen. The Prince knew not what had
happened to him, and stood lost in amazement, gazing on such a
beautiful offspring of a citron; and he said to himself, "Are you
asleep or awake, Ciommetiello? Are your eyes bewitched, or are you
blind? What fair white creature is this come forth from a yellow rind?
What sweet fruit, from the sour juice of a citron? What lovely maiden
sprung from a citron-pip?"

At length, seeing that it was all true and no dream, he embraced the
fairy, giving her a hundred and a hundred kisses; and after a thousand
tender words had passed between them--words which, as a setting, had an
accompaniment of sugared kisses--the Prince said, "My soul, I cannot
take you to my father's kingdom without handsome raiment worthy of so
beautiful a person, and an attendance befitting a Queen; therefore
climb up into this oak-tree, where Nature seems purposely to have made
for us a hiding-place in the form of a little room, and here await my
return; for I will come back on wings, before a tear can be dry, with
dresses and servants, and carry you off to my kingdom." So saying,
after the usual ceremonies, he departed.

Now a black slave, who was sent by her mistress with a pitcher to fetch
water, came to the well, and seeing by chance the reflection of the
fairy in the water, she thought it was herself, and exclaimed in
amazement, "Poor Lucia, what do I see? Me so pretty and fair, and
mistress send me here. No, me will no longer bear." So saying she broke
the pitcher and returned home; and when her mistress asked her, "Why
have you done this mischief?" she replied, "Me go to the well alone,
pitcher break upon a stone." Her mistress swallowed this idle story,
and the next day she gave her a pretty little cask, telling her to go
and fill it with water. So the slave returned to the fountain, and
seeing again the beautiful image reflected in the water, she said with
a deep sigh, "Me no ugly slave, me no broad-foot goose, but pretty and
fine as mistress mine, and me not go to the fountain!" So saying, smash
again! she broke the cask into seventy pieces, and returned grumbling
home, and said to her mistr