is joy and gratitude. He assured her
that he loved her better than himself. His words were rather confused,
but she was all the more pleased with them; there was little eloquence,
but a great deal of love. He was much more embarrassed than she was,
which is not to be wondered at. She had had time to think over what she
should say to him, for there is reason to believe, although history does
not mention it, that during her long, long sleep, the good fairy had let
her enjoy very pleasant dreams. In short, they talked for four hours
without having said half what they had to say to each other.

In the meanwhile, all the palace had been roused at the same time as the
Princess. Everybody remembered his or her duty, and, as they were not
all in love, they were dying with hunger. The lady-in-waiting, as hungry
as any of them, became impatient, and announced loudly to the Princess
that the meat was on the table. The Prince assisted the Princess to
rise; she was fully dressed, and most magnificently, but he was careful
not to tell her that she was dressed like his grandmother, and wore a
stand-up collar, for, in spite of this, she was not a whit less
beautiful.

They passed into a hall of mirrors, where they supped, waited upon by
the officers of the Princess. The violins and hautboys played old but
charming pieces of music, notwithstanding that it was a hundred years
since they had been performed by anybody, and after supper, without loss
of time, the grand almoner married the royal lovers in the chapel of the
castle.

Early next morning the Prince returned to the city, where he knew his
father would be in anxiety about him. The Prince told him that he had
lost his way in the forest whilst hunting, and that he had slept in the
hut of a woodcutter, who had given him black bread and cheese to eat.

The King, his father, who was a simple-minded man, believed him, but his
mother was not so easily satisfied. She noticed that he went hunting
nearly every day, and had always some story ready as an excuse, when he
had slept two or three nights away from home, and so she felt quite sure
that he had a lady-love. More than two years went by and the Princess
had two children, the first, which was a girl, was named Aurora, and the
second, a son, was called Day, because he was still more beautiful than
his sister.

The Queen, hoping to find out the truth from her son, often said to him
that he ought to form some attachment, but he never