o
its full size.

Now it happened that the King, going by chance to a window that looked
upon the garden, saw the tree, which he had never observed before; and
calling the cook, he asked him when and by whom it had been planted. No
sooner had he heard all the particulars from Master Pot-ladle, than he
began to suspect how matters stood. So he gave orders, under pain of
death, that the tree should not be touched, but that it should be
tended with the greatest care.

At the end of a few days three most beautiful citrons appeared, similar
to those which the ogress had given Ciommetiello. And when they were
grown larger, he plucked them; and shutting himself up in a chamber,
with a large basin of water and the knife, which he always carried at
his side, he began to cut the citrons. Then it all fell out with the
first and second fairy just as it had done before; but when at last he
cut the third citron, and gave the fairy who came forth from it to
drink, behold, there stood before him the self-same maiden whom he had
left up in the tree, and who told him all the mischief that the slave
had done.

Who now can tell the least part of the delight the King felt at this
good turn of fortune? Who can describe the shouting and leaping for joy
that there was? For the King was swimming in a sea of delight, and was
wafted to Heaven on a tide of rapture. Then he embraced the fairy, and
ordered her to be handsomely dressed from head to foot; and taking her
by the hand he led her into the middle of the hall, where all the
courtiers and great folks of the city were met to celebrate the feast.
Then the King called on them one by one, and said, "Tell me, what
punishment would that person deserve who should do any harm to this
beautiful lady!" And one replied that such a person would deserve a
hempen collar; another, a breakfast of stones; a third, a good beating;
a fourth, a draught of poison; a fifth, a millstone for a brooch--in
short, one said this thing and another that. At last he called on the
black Queen, and putting the same question, she replied, "Such a person
would deserve to be burned, and that her ashes should be thrown from
the roof of the castle."

When the King heard this, he said to her, "You have struck your own
foot with the axe, you have made your own fetters, you have sharpened
the knife and mixed the poison; for no one has done this lady so much
harm as yourself, you good-for-nothing creature! Know you that this is