g Prince.

The King commanded her to be brought before him at once, and was much
astonished when he saw that it was a girl who undertook to do what all
the cleverest doctors of his kingdom had failed in. As an attempt hurts
no one, he willingly consented that she should do what she could.

'All I ask,' said Grannonia, 'is that, should I succeed in what you
desire, you will give me your son in marriage.'

The King, who had given up all hopes of his son's recovery, replied:
'Only restore him to life and health and he shall be yours. It is only
fair to give her a husband who gives me a son.'

And so they went into the Prince's room. The moment Grannonia had rubbed
the blood on his wounds the illness left him, and he was as sound and
well as ever. When the King saw his son thus marvellously restored to
life and health, he turned to him and said: 'My dear son, I thought of
you as dead, and now, to my great joy and amazement, you are alive
again. I promised this young woman that if she should cure you, to
bestow your hand and heart on her, and seeing that Heaven has been
gracious, you must fulfil the promise I made her; for gratitude alone
forces me to pay this debt.'

But the Prince answered: 'My lord and father, I would that my will were
as free as my love for you is great. But as I have plighted my word to
another maiden, you will see yourself, and so will this young woman,
that I cannot go back from my word, and be faithless to her whom I
love.'

When Grannonia heard these words, and saw how deeply rooted the Prince's
love for her was, she felt very happy, and blushing rosy red, she said:
'But should I get the other lady to give up her rights, would you then
consent to marry me?'

'Far be it from me,' replied the Prince, 'to banish the beautiful
picture of my love from my heart. Whatever she may say, my heart and
desire will remain the same, and though I were to lose my life for it,
I couldn't consent to this exchange.'

Grannonia could keep silence no longer, and throwing off her peasant's
disguise, she discovered herself to the Prince, who was nearly beside
himself with joy when he recognised his fair lady-love. He then told his
father at once who she was, and what she had done and suffered for his
sake.

Then they invited the King and Queen of Starza-Longa to their Court, and
had a great wedding feast, and proved once more that there is no better
seasoning for the joys of true love than a few pangs of grief.