him as Grognon was to her, and mounted with her in his
chariot, drawn by four white stags. As they quitted the courtyard,
they heard a great noise, and Graciosa saw the palace all falling to
pieces with a great crash.

"What is this?" she cried, terrified.

"Princess, my palace, which you forsake, is among the things which are
dead and gone. You will enter it no more till after your burial."

"Prince, you are angry with me," said Graciosa sorrowfully; only she
knew well that she suffered quite as much as he did in thus departing
and quitting him.

Arrived in her father's presence, she had great difficulty in
persuading him that she was not a ghost, until the coffin with the
faggot inside it was taken up, and Grognon's malice discovered But
even then, the king was so weak a man, that the queen soon made him
believe he had been cheated, that the princess was really dead, and
that this was a false Graciosa. Without more ado, he abandoned his
daughter to her stepmother's will.

Grognon, transported with joy, dragged her to a dark prison, took away
her clothes, made her dress in rags, feed on bread and water, and
sleep upon straw. Forlorn and hopeless, Graciosa dared not now call
upon Percinet; she doubted if he still loved her enough to come to her
aid.

Meantime, Grognon had sent for a fairy, who was scarcely less
malicious than herself. "I have here," said she, "a little wretch of a
girl for whom I wish to find all sorts of difficult tasks; pray assist
me in giving her a new one every day."

The fairy promised to think of it, and soon brought a skein as thick
as four persons, yet composed of thread so fine, that it broke if you
only blew upon it, and so tangled that it had neither beginning nor
end. Grognon, delighted, sent for her poor prisoner.

"There, miss, teach your clumsy fingers to unwind this skein, and if
you break a single thread I will flay you alive. Begin when you like,
but you must finish at sunset, or it will be the worse for you." Then
she sent her to her miserable cell, and treble-locked the door.

Graciosa stood dismayed, turning the skein over and over, and breaking
hundreds of threads each time. "Ah! Percinet," she cried in despair,
"come and help me, or at least receive my last farewell."

Immediately Percinet stood beside her, having entered the cell as
easily as if he carried the key in his pocket. "Behold me, princess,
ready to serve you, even though you forsook me." He touched the ske