l took their departure, excepting the Fairy Genesta, who
then went to see the Queen, and said to her:

'A nice mass you seem to have made of this business, madam. Why did you
not condescend to consult me? But foolish people like you always think
they can do without help or advice, and I observe that, in spite of all
my goodness to you, you had not even the civility to invite me!'

'Ah! dear madam,' cried the King, throwing himself at her feet; 'did I
ever have time to get as far as your name? See where I put in this mark
when I abandoned the hopeless undertaking which I had but just begun!'

'There! there!' said the Fairy, 'I am not offended. I don't allow myself
to be put out by trifles like that with people I really am fond of.
But now about your son: I have saved him from a great many disagreeable
things, but you must let me take him away and take care of him, and you
will not see him again until he is all covered with fur!'

At these mysterious words the King and Queen burst into tears, for they
lived in such a hot climate themselves that how or why the Prince should
come to be covered with fur they could not imagine, and thought it must
portend some great misfortune to him.

However, Genesta told them not to disquiet themselves.

'If I left him to you to bring up,' said she, 'you would be certain to
make him as foolish as yourselves. I do not even intend to let him
know that he is your son. As for you, you had better give your minds to
governing your kingdom properly.' So saying, she opened the window, and
catching up the little Prince, cradle and all, she glided away in the
air as if she were skating upon ice, leaving the King and Queen in the
greatest affliction. They consulted everyone who came near them as to
what the Fairy could possibly have meant by saying that when they saw
their son again he would be covered with fur. But nobody could offer any
solution of the mystery, only they all seemed to agree that it must
be something frightful, and the King and Queen made themselves more
miserable than ever, and wandered about their palace in a way to make
anyone pity them. Meantime the Fairy had carried off the little Prince
to her own castle, and placed him under the care of a young peasant
woman, whom she bewitched so as to make her think that this new baby
was one of her own children. So the Prince grew up healthy and strong,
leading the simple life of a young peasant, for the Fairy thought that
he could ha