being
surprised by the Queen was making her awkward and unnatural. He would
not leave her until she had promised to see him again the next night,
which Turritella did willingly enough. The Queen was overjoyed at the
success of her stratagem, and promised herself that all would now be as
she wished; and sure enough, as soon as it was dark the following night
the King came, bringing with him a chariot which had been given him by
an Enchanter who was his friend. This chariot was drawn by flying frogs,
and the King easily persuaded Turritella to come out and let him put her
into it, then mounting beside her he cried triumphantly--

'Now, my Princess, you are free; where will it please you that we shall
hold our wedding?'

And Turritella, with her head muffled in her mantle, answered that the
Fairy Mazilla was her godmother, and that she would like it to be at her
castle. So the King told the Frogs, who had the map of the whole world
in their heads, and very soon he and Turritella were set down at the
castle of the Fairy Mazilla. The King would certainly have found out his
mistake the moment they stepped into the brilliantly lighted castle, but
Turritella held her mantle more closely round her, and asked to see the
Fairy by herself, and quickly told her all that had happened, and how
she had succeeded in deceiving King Charming.

'Oho! my daughter,' said the Fairy, 'I see we have no easy task before
us. He loves Fiordelisa so much that he will not be easily pacified. I
feel sure he will defy us!' Meanwhile the King was waiting in a splendid
room with diamond walls, so clear that he could see the Fairy and
Turritella as they stood whispering together, and he was very much
puzzled.

'Who can have betrayed us?' he said to himself. 'How comes our enemy
here? She must be plotting to prevent our marriage. Why doesn't my
lovely Fiordelisa make haste and come back to me?'

But it was worse than anything he had imagined when the Fairy Mazilla
entered, leading Turritella by the hand, and said to him--

'King Charming, here is the Princess Turritella to whom you have
plighted your faith. Let us have the wedding at once.'

'I!' cried the King. 'I marry that little creature! What do you take me
for? I have promised her nothing!'

'Say no more. Have you no respect for a Fairy?' cried she angrily.

'Yes, madam,' answered the King, 'I am prepared to respect you as much
as a Fairy can be respected, if you will give me back my Prin