her. Wearied at length with long search, the Princess
Clothilde, one of the twins, gave out to her followers that she had
found the body of her elder sister, but that it was so far decayed that
she could not permit anyone to see it; so, making believe to wrap up the
body of the princess with a handkerchief, she carried it under her cloak
and returned to the city, shedding false tears as she went.

Having arrived at the palace, she ordered a coffin to be made just large
enough to contain the corpse she was supposed to have found, and when it
was ready she filled it with rubbish and ordered it to be interred with
due honours.

Now, at that time there were two factions, one voting for the Princess
Clothilde and another for her sister Carlotta. It was decided,
therefore, that each should choose a champion, and she whose champion
should prove victorious should rule the land.

Great were the preparations for this grand spectacle. Two stalwart
knights, the stoutest and the ablest that the land could produce, each
of whom had gained great reputation for feats of arms, faced each other
to decide their cause. The day had arrived for the combat, and the
jousts were crowded with all the great people of the land. The
combatants appeared, and charged at each other furiously, but the good
fairies who had already prophesied that the Princess Bertha should
reign, willed not that either of the champions should win, and they
caused a thick mist to rise between them, by which means they could
neither of them see the other; nor was the sound of their horses' hoofs
audible.

The spectators, finding that nothing could be decided on that day, went
away discontented, and the fight was deferred till the next day. Again
the combatants appeared in the lists, and no obstacle seemed likely to
interfere with the combat; but at the moment they commenced to charge at
one another the good fairies, through their art, rendered their horses
so ungovernable that each knight had enough to do to preserve his seat,
and this continued all day.

A second time the spectators were disappointed, but they insisted upon
the champions making a third trial. The third day arrived, but with no
better success, for this time the fairies struck both knights and both
horses with paralysis, so that neither could move an inch, but stood
looking at each other all day, like two fools.

At first the people laughed at so droll a sight, but at length getting
impatient, they