said he, "thanks to your generosity I
have earned one twice over; but the fact is that my father is so loth to
part with it that it would be no pleasure to me to take it."

"Never mind," she answered, "it's just as well to try and deserve it. As
you must take back a lovely princess with you next time I will be on
the look-out for one for you. In the meantime let us enjoy ourselves;
to-night I have ordered a battle between my cats and the river rats on
purpose to amuse you." So this year slipped away even more pleasantly
than the preceding ones. Sometimes the Prince could not help asking the
White Cat how it was she could talk.

"Perhaps you are a fairy," he said. "Or has some enchanter changed you
into a cat?"

But she only gave him answers that told him nothing. Days go by so
quickly when one is very happy that it is certain the Prince would never
have thought of its being time to go back, when one evening as they sat
together the White Cat said to him that if he wanted to take a lovely
princess home with him the next day he must be prepared to do what she
told him.

"Take this sword," she said, "and cut off my head!"

"I!" cried the Prince, "I cut off your head! Blanchette darling, how
could I do it?"

"I entreat you to do as I tell you, King's son," she replied.

The tears came into the Prince's eyes as he begged her to ask him
anything but that--to set him any task she pleased as a proof of his
devotion, but to spare him the grief of killing his dear Pussy. But
nothing he could say altered her determination, and at last he drew his
sword, and desperately, with a trembling hand, cut off the little white
head. But imagine his astonishment and delight when suddenly a lovely
princess stood before him, and, while he was still speechless with
amazement, the door opened and a goodly company of knights and ladies
entered, each carrying a cat's skin! They hastened with every sign of
joy to the Princess, kissing her hand and congratulating her on being
once more restored to her natural shape. She received them graciously,
but after a few minutes begged that they would leave her alone with the
Prince, to whom she said:

"You see, Prince, that you were right in supposing me to be no ordinary
cat. My father reigned over six kingdoms. The Queen, my mother, whom he
loved dearly, had a passion for traveling and exploring, and when I
was only a few weeks old she obtained his permission to visit a certain
mountain of which