FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156  
157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   >>   >|  
ate well supplied with partridge, quails, and pheasants, he made so free with them, that whatever was set before master puss disappeared in a trice. The whole court said no cat ever ate with a better appetite. There were excellent ragouts, and the prince made use of the cat's paw to taste them; but he sometimes pulled his paw too roughly, and Bluet, not understanding raillery, began to mew and be quite out of patience. The princess observing it, "Bring that fricassee and that tart to poor Bluet," said she; "see how he cries to have them." Leander laughed to himself at the pleasantness of this adventure; but he was very thirsty, not being accustomed to make such large meals without drinking. By the help of the cat's paw, he got a melon, with which he somewhat quenched his thirst; and when supper was quite over, he went to the beaufet, and took two bottles of delicious wine. The princess now retired into her boudoir, ordering Abricotina to follow her and make fast the door; but they could not keep out Leander, who was there as soon as they. However, the princess, believing herself alone with her confidante-- "Abricotina," said she, "tell me truly, did you exaggerate in your description of the unknown prince, for methinks it is impossible he should be as amiable as you say?" "Madam," replied the damsel, "if I have failed in anything, it was in coming short of what was due to him." The princess sighed, and was silent for a time; then resuming her speech: "I am glad," said she, "thou didst not bring him with thee." "But, madam," answered Abricotina, who was a cunning girl, and already penetrated her mistress's thoughts, "suppose he had come to admire the wonders of these beautiful mansions, what harm could he have done us? Will you live eternally unknown in a corner of the world, concealed from the rest of human kind? Of what use is all your grandeur, pomp, magnificence, if nobody sees it?" "Hold thy peace, prattler," replied the princess, "and do not disturb that happy repose which I have enjoyed so long." Abricotina durst make no reply; and the princess, having waited her answer for some time, asked her whether she had anything to say. Abricotina then said she thought it was to very little purpose her mistress having sent her picture to the courts of several princes, where it only served to make those who saw it miserable; that every one would be desirous to marry her, and as she could not marry them all,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156  
157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
princess
 

Abricotina

 

mistress

 
unknown
 

replied

 

Leander

 

prince

 

cunning

 

mansions

 

suppose


beautiful

 
wonders
 

thoughts

 
admire
 
penetrated
 

resuming

 

sighed

 

silent

 

damsel

 

failed


coming

 

speech

 

answered

 

magnificence

 

thought

 
purpose
 

picture

 

waited

 

answer

 

courts


miserable

 

desirous

 
princes
 

served

 

enjoyed

 

concealed

 

eternally

 

corner

 

grandeur

 

prattler


disturb
 
repose
 

patience

 

observing

 

fricassee

 
raillery
 

pulled

 
roughly
 
understanding
 

pleasantness