won't refuse your request, poor creature,' said Turritella
condescendingly.

And then she turned to her ladies and whispered

'The silly creature does not know how to profit by her chances; so much
the better for me.'

When night came Fiordelisa said all the loving words she could think of,
but alas! with no better success than before, for the King slept heavily
after his draught. One of the pages said:

'This peasant girl must be crazy;' but another answered:

'Yet what she says sounds very sad and touching.'

As for Fiordelisa, she thought the King must have a very hard heart if
he could hear how she grieved and yet pay her no attention. She had but
one more chance, and on breaking the last egg she found to her great
delight that it contained a more marvellous thing than ever. It was
a pie made of six birds, cooked to perfection, and yet they were all
alive, and singing and talking, and they answered questions and told
fortunes in the most amusing way. Taking this treasure Fiordelisa once
more set herself to wait in the great hall through which Turritella was
sure to pass, and as she sat there one of the King's pages came by, and
said to her:

'Well, little kitchen-maid, it is a good thing that the King always
takes a sleeping draught, for if not he would be kept awake all night by
your sighing and lamenting.'

Then Fiordelisa knew why the King had not heeded her, and taking a
handful of pearls and diamonds out of her sack, she said, 'If you can
promise me that to-night the King shall not have his sleeping draught, I
will give you all these jewels.'

'Oh! I promise that willingly,' said the page.

At this moment Turritella appeared, and at the first sight of the
savoury pie, with the pretty little birds all singing and chattering,
she cried:--

'That is an admirable pie, little kitchen-maid. Pray what will you take
for it?'

'The usual price,' she answered. 'To sleep once more in the Chamber of
Echoes.'

'By all means, only give me the pie,' said the greedy Turritella. And
when night was come, Queen Fiordelisa waited until she thought everybody
in the palace would be asleep, and then began to lament as before.

'Ah, Charming!' she said, 'what have I ever done that you should forsake
me and marry Turritella? If you could only know all I have suffered, and
what a weary way I have come to seek you.'

Now the page had faithfully kept his word, and given King Charming a
glass of water instead of his usu