u; say that you will marry me."

"Ah!" said the Queen, smiling, "I think she will not refuse now."

Just then Bruno, who was going back to his work, came out of the
cottage, and thought he must be dreaming when he saw Felicia; but she
called him very kindly, and begged the Queen to take pity on him.

"What!" she said, "when he was so unkind to you?"

"Ah! madam," said the Princess, "I am so happy that I should like
everybody else to be happy too."

The Queen kissed her, and said: "Well, to please you, let me see what I
can do for this cross Bruno." And with a wave of her wand she turned the
poor little cottage into a splendid palace, full of treasures; only the
two stools and the straw bed remained just as they were, to remind him
of his former poverty. Then the Queen touched Bruno himself, and made
him gentle and polite and grateful, and he thanked her and the Princess
a thousand times. Lastly, the Queen restored the hen and the cabbages
to their natural forms, and left them all very contented. The Prince and
Princess were married as soon as possible with great splendor, and lived
happily ever after.(1)

(1) Fortunee. Par Madame la Comtesse d'Aulnoy.

THE WHITE CAT

Once upon a time there was a king who had three sons, who were all so
clever and brave that he began to be afraid that they would want to
reign over the kingdom before he was dead. Now the King, though he felt
that he was growing old, did not at all wish to give up the government
of his kingdom while he could still manage it very well, so he thought
the best way to live in peace would be to divert the minds of his sons
by promises which he could always get out of when the time came for
keeping them.

So he sent for them all, and, after speaking to them kindly, he added:

"You will quite agree with me, my dear children, that my great age makes
it impossible for me to look after my affairs of state as carefully as
I once did. I begin to fear that this may affect the welfare of my
subjects, therefore I wish that one of you should succeed to my crown;
but in return for such a gift as this it is only right that you should
do something for me. Now, as I think of retiring into the country, it
seems to me that a pretty, lively, faithful little dog would be very
good company for me; so, without any regard for your ages, I promise
that the one who brings me the most beautiful little dog shall succeed
me at once."

The three Princes were greatly