er from the heat and to feel great fatigue. She found the branches
of lilacs heavy to carry and thought it was time to return to the
palace. She looked around and saw herself surrounded with lilacs. She
called Gourmandinet but no one replied.

"I have wandered further than I intended," said Blondine. "I will return
at once, though I am very weary. Gourmandinet will hear me and will
surely come to meet me."

Blondine walked on rapidly for some time but she could not find the
boundaries of the forest.

Many times she called anxiously upon Gourmandinet but he did not respond
and at last she became terribly frightened.

"What will become of me, all alone in this vast forest? What will my
poor papa think when I do not return? And Gourmandinet, how will he dare
go back to the palace without me? He will be scolded, perhaps beaten and
all this is my fault because I would leave my carriage to gather lilacs?
Unfortunate girl that I am! I shall die of hunger and thirst in this
forest if the wolves do not eat me up this night."

Weeping bitterly, Blondine fell on the ground at the foot of a large
tree. She wept a long time. At last her great fatigue mastered her
grief. She placed her little head upon her bundle of lilacs, and slept
peacefully.

BLONDINE'S AWAKENING--BEAU-MINON

Blondine slept calmly all night; no ferocious beast came to trouble her
slumbers. She did not suffer from the cold and awakened at a late hour
in the morning. She rubbed her eyes, much surprised to see herself
surrounded by trees, in place of being in her own room in the palace,
and upon her own bed.

She called her nurse and a soft mewing was the only response. Astonished
and almost frightened, she looked around and saw at her feet a superb
white cat, looking gently upon her and continuing to mew plaintively.

"Ah! pretty puss! how beautiful you are!" cried Blondine, placing her
little hand caressingly upon the soft fur, white as snow. "I am so happy
to see you, pretty puss, for you will conduct me to your home. I am
indeed very hungry and I have not the strength to walk much further
without food."

Blondine had scarcely uttered these words, when the white pussy mewed
again and pointed with her little paw to a small package lying near her,
wrapped neatly in fine white linen. She opened the parcel and found it
contained bread and butter which she found delicious. She gave the
crumbs to pussy, who munched them with seeming delight.

When