e a beech wood in the spring, and by the
murmuring of bees and the tinkle of falling water. But alas! Lolotte was
forced to go away to a general assembly of the Fairies, and she came
back in great dismay, telling me that her indulgence to me had cost her
dear, for she had been severely reprimanded and ordered to hand me over
to the Fairy Mirlifiche, who was already taking charge of you, and who
had been much commended for her management of you.'

'Fine management, indeed,' interrupted the Prince, 'if it is to her I
owe all the adventures I have met with! But go on with your story, my
cousin. I can tell you all about my doings afterwards, and then you can
judge for yourself.'

'At first I was grieved to see Lolotte cry,' resumed the Princess, 'but
I soon found that grieving was very troublesome, so I thought it better
to be calm, and very soon afterwards I saw the Fairy Mirlifiche arrive,
mounted upon her great unicorn. She stopped before the grotto and bade
Lolotte bring me out to her, at which she cried worse than ever, and
kissed me a dozen times, but she dared not refuse. I was lifted up on to
the unicorn, behind Mirlifiche, who said to me--

'"Hold on tight, little girl, if you don't want to break your neck."

'And, indeed, I had to hold on with all my might, for her horrible steed
trotted so violently that it positively took my breath away. However, at
last we stopped at a large farm, and the farmer and his wife ran out as
soon as they saw the Fairy, and helped us to dismount.

'I knew that they were really a King and Queen, whom the Fairies were
punishing for their ignorance and idleness. You may imagine that I was
by this time half dead with fatigue, but Mirlifiche insisted upon my
feeding her unicorn before I did anything else. To accomplish this I had
to climb up a long ladder into the hayloft, and bring down, one after
another, twenty-four handfuls of hay. Never, never before, did I have
such a wearisome task! It makes me shudder to think of it now, and that
was not all. In the same way I had to carry the twenty-four handfuls of
hay to the stable, and then it was supper time, and I had to wait upon
all the others. After that I really thought I should be allowed to go
peaceably to my little bed, but, oh dear no! First of all I had to make
it, for it was all in confusion, and then I had to make one for the
Fairy, and tuck her in, and draw the curtains round her, beside
rendering her a dozen little services w