ounsel how best the princess might be kept safe during
her childhood.

At the end of half an hour they had made up their minds what to do, and
at the command of the fairies, a beautiful palace sprang up, close to
that of the king and queen, but different from every palace in the world
in having no windows, and only a door right under the earth. However,
once within, daylight was hardly missed, so brilliant were the
multitudes of tapers that were burning on the walls.

Now up to this time the princess's history has been like the history of
many a princess that you have read about; but, when the period of her
imprisonment was nearly over, her fortunes took another turn. For almost
fifteen years the fairies had taken care of her, and amused her and
taught her, so that when she came into the world she might be no
whit behind the daughters of other kings in all that makes a princess
charming and accomplished. They all loved her dearly, but the fairy
Tulip loved her most of all; and as the princess's fifteenth birthday
drew near, the fairy began to tremble lest something terrible should
happen--some accident which had not been foreseen. 'Do not let her
out of your sight,' said Tulip to the queen, 'and meanwhile, let her
portrait be painted and carried to the neighbouring Courts, as is the
custom in order that the kings may see how far her beauty exceeds that
of every other princess, and that they may demand her in marriage for
their sons.'

And so it was done; and as the fairy had prophesied, all the young
princes fell in love with the picture; but the last one to whom it was
shown could think of nothing else, and refused to let it be removed from
his chamber, where he spent whole days gazing at it.

The king his father was much surprised at the change which had come over
his son, who generally passed all his time in hunting or hawking, and
his anxiety was increased by a conversation he overheard between two of
his courtiers that they feared the prince must be going out of his mind,
so moody had he become. Without losing a moment the king went to visit
his son, and no sooner had he entered the room than the young man flung
himself at his father's feet.

'You have betrothed me already to a bride I can never love!' cried he;
'but if you will not consent to break off the match, and ask for the
hand of the princess Desiree, I shall die of misery, thankful to be
alive no longer.'

These words much displeased the king, who f