a pot, and
watered and tended the little plant carefully. And now the most
extraordinary thing happened, for from this moment everything in the old
man's house was changed. When he awoke in the morning he always found
his room tidied and put into such beautiful order that not a speck of
dust was to be found anywhere. When he came home at midday, he found a
table laid out with the most dainty food, and he had only to sit down
and enjoy himself to his heart's content. At first he was so surprised
he didn't know what to think, but after a time he grew a little
uncomfortable, and went to an old witch to ask for advice.

The witch said, 'Get up before the cock crows, and watch carefully till
you see something move, and then throw this cloth quickly over it, and
you'll see what will happen.'

All night the old man never closed an eye. When the first ray of light
entered the room, he noticed that the little blue flower began to
tremble, and at last it rose out of the pot and flew about the room, put
everything in order, swept away the dust, and lit the fire. In great
haste the old man sprang from his bed, and covered the flower with the
cloth the old witch had given him, and in a moment the beautiful
Princess Hyacinthia stood before him.

'What have you done?' she cried. 'Why have you called me back to life?
For I have no desire to live since my bridegroom, the beautiful Prince
Milan, has deserted me.'

'Prince Milan is just going to be married,' replied the old man.
'Everything is being got ready for the feast, and all the invited guests
are flocking to the palace from all sides.'

The beautiful Hyacinthia cried bitterly when she heard this; then she
dried her tears, and went into the town dressed as a peasant woman. She
went straight to the King's kitchen, where the white-aproned cooks were
running about in great confusion. The Princess went up to the head cook,
and said, 'Dear cook, please listen to my request, and let me make a
wedding-cake for Prince Milan.'

The busy cook was just going to refuse her demand and order her out of
the kitchen, but the words died on his lips when he turned and beheld
the beautiful Hyacinthia, and he answered politely, 'You have just come
in the nick of time, fair maiden. Bake your cake, and I myself will lay
it before Prince Milan.'

The cake was soon made. The invited guests were already thronging round
the table, when the head cook entered the room, bearing a beautiful
wedding ca