hall never be able sufficiently to repay."

The prince's eyes filled with tears as she spoke, yet he considered
himself obliged to undertake the dreadful task; and the cat
continuing to press him with the greatest eagerness, with a trembling
hand he drew his sword, cut off her head and tail, and threw them into
the fire. No sooner was this done, than the most beautiful lady his
eyes had ever seen stood before him: and ere he had sufficiently
recovered from his surprise to speak to her, a long train of
attendants, who, at the same moment as their mistress, were changed to
their natural shapes, came to offer their congratulations to the
queen, and inquire her commands. She received them with the greatest
kindness, and ordering them to withdraw, thus addressed the astonished
prince:

"Do not imagine, dear prince, that I have always been a cat, or that I
am of obscure birth. My father was the monarch of six kingdoms; he
tenderly loved my mother, and left her always at liberty to follow her
own inclinations. Her prevailing passion was to travel; and a short
time before my birth, having heard of some fairies who were in
possession of the largest gardens filled with the most delicious
fruits, she had so strong a desire to eat some of them, that she set
out for the country where they lived. She arrived at their abode,
which she found to be a magnificent palace, on all sides glittering
with gold and precious stones. She knocked a long time at the gates;
but no one came, nor could she perceive the least sign that it had any
inhabitant. The difficulty, however, did but increase the violence of
my mother's longing; for she saw the tops of the trees above the
garden-walls, loaded with the most luscious fruits. The queen, in
despair, ordered her attendants to place tents close to the door of
the palace; but, having waited six weeks without seeing any one pass
the gates, she fell sick of vexation, and her life was despaired of.

"One night, as she lay half asleep, she turned herself about, and,
opening her eyes, perceived a little old woman, very ugly and
deformed, seated in the easy-chair by her bedside. 'I and my sister
fairies,' said she, 'take it very ill that your majesty should so
obstinately persist in getting some of our fruit; but since so
precious a life is at stake, we consent to give you as much as you can
carry away, provided you will give us in return what we shall ask.'
'Ah! kind fairy,' cried the queen, 'I will give