plans were defeated, and the good fairies took their way to
the kingdom of Graziella's parents.

They found that Queen Mutinosa had died some years ago, but her kind
husband lived on peaceably, ruling his country well and happily. He
received his daughter with great delight, and there were universal
rejoicings at the return of the lovely princess.

The wedding took place the very next day, and, for many days after,
balls, dinners, tournaments, concerts and all sorts of amusements went
on all day and all night.

All the fairies were carefully invited, and they came in great state,
and promised the young couple their protection and all sorts of good
gifts. Prince Blondel and Princess Graziella lived to a good old age,
beloved by every one, and loving each other more and more as time went
on.

_THE STORY OF DSCHEMIL AND DSCHEMILA_

There was once a man whose name was Dschemil, and he had a cousin who
was called Dschemila. They had been betrothed by their parents when they
were children, and now Dschemil thought that the time had come for them
to be married, and he went two or three days' journey, to the nearest
big town, to buy furniture for the new house.

While he was away, Dschemila and her friends set off to the neighbouring
woods to pick up sticks, and as she gathered them she found an iron
mortar lying on the ground. She placed it on her bundle of sticks, but
the mortar would not stay still, and whenever she raised the bundle to
put it on her shoulders it slipped off sideways. At length she saw the
only way to carry the mortar was to tie it in the very middle of her
bundle, and had just unfastened her sticks, when she heard her
companions' voices.

'Dschemila, what are you doing? it is almost dark, and if you mean to
come with us you must be quick!'

But Dschemila only replied, 'You had better go back without me, for I am
not going to leave my mortar behind, if I stay here till midnight.'

'Do as you like,' said the girls, and started on their walk home.

The night soon fell, and at the last ray of light the mortar suddenly
became an ogre, who threw Dschemila on his back, and carried her off
into a desert place, distant a whole month's journey from her native
town. Here he shut her into a castle, and told her not to fear, as her
life was safe. Then he went back to his wife, leaving Dschemila weeping
over the fate that she had brought upon herself.

Meanwhile the other girls had reached home, and