ght I shall cast a spell of sleep on Marianna, steal the crystal
flask, empty it of the water of healing, and refill it with a liquid
which will cause death within a night and a day. I shall then replace
the flask before Marianna wakes. You will allow Marianna to visit the
Prince; she will touch him with the deadly water, and the Prince will
die. You can then try Marianna for having killed the Prince, and condemn
her to be thrown from the precipice."

So pleased was Garabin with this horrid plot, that he could have danced
for joy. That very night, the magician filled Marianna's flask with the
poisonous water, and departed, thinking that nobody had noticed him. The
yellow bird, however, had seen everything, and followed the magician to
note where he hid the real water of healing.

The next morning Marianna was once more led before the King.

"Welcome, thrice welcome, lovely maiden," said Garabin with the most
dreadful hypocrisy. "I have long hoped that you would turn your
footsteps hither, for my poor dear nephew, Prince Desire, only son of
the late King, has been ill for some months of a malady no physician can
cure. Perhaps you can cure him with the water of healing."

Marianna replied that she would do her best to help the Prince; so the
Court Chamberlain gave her his arm, and escorted her to the Prince's
sick room. The King and many courtiers followed after him.

Desire lay in a great old-fashioned bed, his face flushed with fever. So
weak was the poor Prince, that he could scarcely lift his head to look
at his visitors. A great pity swept over Marianna's heart the instant
she saw him; as for Desire, he fell madly in love with Marianna at first
sight.

Now just as Marianna bent over the Prince to touch his forehead with the
water of healing, the yellow bird screamed and cried as madly as if he
were caught in a net. Marianna looked at the crystal flask. Nothing
seemed changed; the water within seemed as pure and diamond-like as
ever. She touched the Prince with the liquid. Alas, in a moment, so
terrible was the magician's poison that the Prince turned white as the
driven snow, and fell back on the pillows insensible. The lookers-on,
who had expected to see him spring up entirely cured, began to murmur,
and Marianna herself, terrified at what had happened, let fall the
flask, which broke into a thousand sparkling pieces.

Suddenly, Garabin cried at the top of his voice, "Seize the witch; she
has killed the Princ