n Fourbette saw all this clearly and hated intensely
the innocent and gentle Blondine. If she had not feared the rage of the
king she would have made Blondine the most wretched child in the world.

Benin had commanded that Blondine should never be left alone with the
queen. He was known to be just and good but he punished disobedience
severely and the queen herself dared not defy his commands.

BLONDINE LOST

Blondine grew to be seven years old and Brunette three.

The king had given Blondine a charming little carriage drawn by
ostriches, and a little coachman ten years of age, who was the nephew of
her nurse.

The little page, who was called Gourmandinet, loved Blondine tenderly.
He had been her playmate from her birth and she had shown him a thousand
acts of kindness.

But Gourmandinet had one terrible fault; he was a gourmand--was so fond
of dainties and sweet things, that for a paper of bonbons he would
commit almost any wicked action. Blondine often said to him:

"I love you dearly, Gourmandinet, but I do not love to see you so
greedy. I entreat you to correct this villainous fault which will make
you despised by all the world."

Gourmandinet kissed her hand and promised to reform. But, alas! he
continued to steal cakes from the kitchen and bonbons from the
store-room. Often, indeed, he was whipped for his disobedience and
gluttony.

The queen Fourbette heard on every hand the reproaches lavished upon the
page and she was cunning enough to think that she might make use of this
weakness of Gourmandinet and thus get rid of poor Blondine.

The garden in which Blondine drove in her little carriage, drawn by
ostriches and guided by her little coachman, Gourmandinet, was separated
by a grating from an immense and magnificent forest, called the Forest
of Lilacs because during the whole year these lilacs were always covered
with superb flowers.

No one, however, entered these woods. It was well known that it was
enchanted ground and that if you once entered there you could never hope
to escape.

Gourmandinet knew the terrible secret of this forest. He had been
severely forbidden ever to drive the carriage of Blondine in that
direction lest by some chance Blondine might pass the grating and place
her little feet on the enchanted ground.

Many times the king Benin had sought to build a wall the entire length
of the grating or to secure it in some way so as to make an entrance
there impossible. But th