indeed none of them, it would make them desperate.

"Yet, for all that," said the princess, "I could wish my picture were
in the hands of this same stranger."

"Oh, madam," answered Abricotina, "is not his desire to see you
violent enough already; would you augment it?"

"Yes," cried the princess; "a certain impulse of vanity, which I was
never sensible of till now, has bred this foolish fancy in me."

Leander heard all this discourse, and lost not a tittle of what she
said; some of her expressions gave him hope, others absolutely
destroyed it. The princess presently asked Abricotina whether she had
seen anything extraordinary during her short travels?

"Madam," said she, "I passed through one forest where I saw certain
creatures that resembled little children: they skip and dance upon the
trees like squirrels; they are very ugly, but have wonderful agility
and address."

"I wish I had one of them," said the princess; "but if they are so
nimble as you say they are, it is impossible to catch one."

Leander, who passed through the same forest, knew what Abricotina
meant, and presently wished himself in the place. He caught a dozen of
little monkeys, some bigger, some less, and all of different colours,
and with much ado put them into a large sack; then, wishing himself at
Paris, where, he had heard, a man might have everything for money, he
went and bought a little gold chariot. He taught six green monkeys to
draw it; they were harnessed with fine traces of flame-coloured
morocco leather. He went to another place, where he met with two
monkeys of merit, the most pleasant of which was called Briscambril,
the other Pierceforest--both very spruce and well educated. He dressed
Briscambril like a king, and placed him in the coach; Pierceforest he
made the coachman; the others were dressed like pages; all which he
put into his sack, coach and all.

The princess not being gone to bed, heard a rumbling of a little coach
in the long gallery; at the same time, her ladies came to tell her
that the king of the dwarfs was arrived, and the chariot immediately
entered her chamber with all the monkey train. The country monkeys
began to show a thousand tricks, which far surpassed those of
Briscambril and Pierceforest. To say the truth, Leander conducted the
whole machine. He drew the chariot where Briscambril sat arrayed as a
king, and making him hold a box of diamonds in his hand, he presented
it with a becoming grace to the pr