s bride. What was his
amazement to see, instead of the beauty he left in the tree, the ugly
face of the servant wench smiling down at him from among the leaves.

"What are you doing there?" he cried. "And what have you done with the
Princess?"

"Alas," said the servant maid, pretending to weep, "I am the Princess.
After you left me a wicked enchantress came by this way and changed me
into this shape."

The Prince was filled with grief and horror at these words. However,
he believed her and could not find it in his heart to punish her for a
misfortune she could not help. He showed her the robes and jewels he
had brought, and the servant wench made haste to come down and dress
herself in them. When she had done this she looked more hideous than
ever. The Prince could hardly bear to look at her, his grief and shame
were so great. Nevertheless he took her by the hand and led her back
to the castle.

There the King was waiting full of impatience to see the bride of his
youngest son, this most beautiful Princess in all of twelve kingdoms.
But when the Prince brought the ugly servant wench before him he could
hardly believe his eyes.

"This a beauty!" he cried. "Are you a fool or do you take me for one?
It is an insult to bring me such a creature for a daughter-in-law."

The older Princes and their brides did not try to hide their scorn or
laughter, but the servant sank on her knees, weeping, and repeated to
the king the same story she had told the Prince. She assured him that
she had been as beautiful as the day when she had climbed up into the
tree and would be so still if the wicked enchantress had not passed by
and bewitched her.

The King frowned and stroked his beard. "Yours is a sad case," said
he, "and since the Prince has given his word to marry you, marry you
he must. Perchance sometime your beauty may return."

He then gave orders that Lucy should be shown to the apartments
prepared for the Princess and that she should be waited on and served
just as though she were the beauty his son had promised him.

But the heart of the Prince was like a stone in his bosom, and he
could not bear to look upon the ugly one who was to be his bride.

Now when the Princess had been pushed into the water she had not been
drowned, as Lucy thought. Instead she changed into a beautiful silver
fish that swam about in the stream or hid under a grassy bank.

Now there was another servant who came down to the stream for water
i