manage to bring back some food."
The old man gave her a basket, which she fastened to Fretillon's neck,
and then said, "Go to the best kitchen in the town, and bring me back
what you find in the saucepan." Fretillon ran off to the town, and as
there was no better kitchen than that of the King, he went in, uncovered
the saucepan, and cleverly carried off all that was in it; then he
returned to the hut. Rosette said to him, "Go back and take whatever you
can find of the best in the larder." Fretillon went back to the King's
larder, and took white bread, wine, and all sorts of fruits and
sweetmeats; he was so laden that he could only just manage to carry the
things home.
When the King of the Peacocks' dinner hour arrived, there was nothing
for him either in the saucepan or in the larder; his attendants looked
askance at one another, and the King was in a terrible rage. "It seems,
then, that I am to have no dinner; but see that the spit is put before
the fire, and let me have some good roast meat this evening." The
evening came, and the Princess said to Fretillon, "Go to the best
kitchen in the town and bring me a joint of good roast meat." Fretillon
obeyed, and knowing no better kitchen than that of the King, he went
softly in, while the cooks' backs were turned, took the meat, which was
of the best kind, from the spit, and carried it back in his basket to
the Princess. She sent him back without delay to the larder, and he
carried off all the preserves and sweetmeats that had been prepared for
the King.
The King, having had no dinner, was very hungry, and ordered supper to
be served early, but no supper was forthcoming; enraged beyond words, he
was forced to go supperless to bed.
The same thing happened the following day, both as to dinner and supper;
so that the King, for three days, was without meat or drink, for every
time he sat down to table, it was found that the meal that had been
prepared had been stolen. His chief adviser, fearing for the life of the
King, hid himself in the corner of the kitchen to watch; he kept his
eyes on the saucepan, that was boiling over the fire, and what was his
surprise to see enter a little green dog, with one ear, that uncovered
the pot, and put the meat in its basket. He followed it to see where it
would go; he saw it leave the town, and still following, came to the old
man's hut. Then he went and told the King that it was to a poor
peasant's home that the food was carried mo
|