time
everyone had heard the story of her adventures, and did not want her to
go back again to the King of the Sheep, so they refused sternly to let
him see her. In vain he begged and prayed them to let him in; though
his entreaties might have melted hearts of stone they did not move the
guards of the palace, and at last, quite broken-hearted, he fell dead at
their feet.

In the meantime the King, who had not the least idea of the sad thing
that was happening outside the gate of his palace, proposed to Miranda
that she should be driven in her chariot all round the town, which was
to be illuminated with thousands and thousands of torches, placed in
windows and balconies, and in all the grand squares. But what a sight
met her eyes at the very entrance of the palace! There lay her dear,
kind sheep, silent and motionless, upon the pavement!

She threw herself out of the chariot and ran to him, crying bitterly,
for she realized that her broken promise had cost him his life, and for
a long, long time she was so unhappy that they thought she would have
died too.

So you see that even a princess is not always happy--especially if she
forgets to keep her word; and the greatest misfortunes often happen to
people just as they think they have obtained their heart's desires!(1)

(1) Madame d'Aulnoy.

LITTLE THUMB

There was, once upon a time, a man and his wife fagot-makers by trade,
who had several children, all boys. The eldest was but ten years old,
and the youngest only seven.

They were very poor, and their seven children incommoded them greatly,
because not one of them was able to earn his bread. That which gave
them yet more uneasiness was that the youngest was of a very puny
constitution, and scarce ever spoke a word, which made them take that
for stupidity which was a sign of good sense. He was very little, and
when born no bigger than one's thumb, which made him be called Little
Thumb.

The poor child bore the blame of whatsoever was done amiss in the house,
and, guilty or not, was always in the wrong; he was, notwithstanding,
more cunning and had a far greater share of wisdom than all his brothers
put together; and, if he spake little, he heard and thought the more.

There happened now to come a very bad year, and the famine was so great
that these poor people resolved to rid themselves of their children. One
evening, when they were all in bed and the fagot-maker was sitting with
his wife at the fire