me Fiordelisa, quite in despair, sat at her window day and
night calling her dear Blue Bird in vain, and imagining over and over
again all the terrible things that could have happened to him, until
she grew quite pale and thin. As for the Queen and Turritella, they
were triumphant; but their triumph was short, for the King, Fiordelisa's
father, fell ill and died, and all the people rebelled against the Queen
and Turritella, and came in a body to the palace demanding Fiordelisa.

The Queen came out upon the balcony with threats and haughty words, so
that at last they lost their patience, and broke open the doors of the
palace, one of which fell back upon the Queen and killed her. Turritella
fled to the Fairy Mazilla, and all the nobles of the kingdom fetched the
Princess Fiordelisa from her prison in the tower, and made her Queen.
Very soon, with all the care and attention they bestowed upon her,
she recovered from the effects of her long captivity and looked more
beautiful than ever, and was able to take counsel with her courtiers,
and arrange for the governing of her kingdom during her absence. And
then, taking a bagful of jewels, she set out all alone to look for the
Blue Bird, without telling anyone where she was going.

Meanwhile, the Enchanter was taking care of King Charming, but as his
power was not great enough to counteract the Fairy Mazilla's, he at last
resolved to go and see if he could make any kind of terms with her for
his friend; for you see, Fairies and Enchanters are cousins in a sort
of way, after all; and after knowing one another for five or six
hundred years and falling out, and making it up again pretty often, they
understand one another well enough. So the Fairy Mazilla received him
graciously. 'And what may you be wanting, Gossip?' said she.

'You can do a good turn for me if you will;' he answered. 'A King, who
is a friend of mine, was unlucky enough to offend you--'

'Aha! I know who you mean,' interrupted the Fairy. 'I am sorry not to
oblige you, Gossip, but he need expect no mercy from me unless he
will marry my goddaughter, whom you see yonder looking so pretty and
charming. Let him think over what I say.'

The Enchanter hadn't a word to say, for he thought Turritella really
frightful, but he could not go away without making one more effort for
his friend the King, who was really in great danger as long as he lived
in a cage. Indeed, already he had met with several alarming accidents.
O