him!' said she; 'but ask for a
dress of sunshine, and I shall be surprised indeed if he manages that!'

The goddaughter did not feel much faith in the fairy after her two
previous failures; but not knowing what else to do, she told her father
what she was bid.

The king made no difficulties about it, and even gave his finest
rubies and diamonds to ornament the dress, which was so dazzling, when
finished, that it could not be looked at save through smoked glasses!

When the princess saw it, she pretended that the sight hurt her eyes,
and retired to her room, where she found the fairy awaiting her, very
much ashamed of herself.

'There is only one thing to be done now,' cried she; 'you must demand
the skin of the ass he sets such store by. It is from that donkey he
obtains all his vast riches, and I am sure he will never give it to
you.'

The princess was not so certain; however, she went to the king, and told
him she could never marry him till he had given her the ass's skin.

The king was both astonished and grieved at this new request, but did
not hesitate an instant. The ass was sacrificed, and the skin laid at
the feet of the princess.

The poor girl, seeing no escape from the fate she dreaded, wept afresh,
and tore her hair; when, suddenly, the fairy stood before her.

'Take heart,' she said, 'all will now go well! Wrap yourself in this
skin, and leave the palace and go as far as you can. I will look after
you. Your dresses and your jewels shall follow you underground, and if
you strike the earth whenever you need anything, you will have it at
once. But go quickly: you have no time to lose.'

So the princess clothed herself in the ass's skin, and slipped from the
palace without being seen by anyone.

Directly she was missed there was a great hue and cry, and every corner,
possible and impossible, was searched. Then the king sent out parties
along all the roads, but the fairy threw her invisible mantle over the
girl when they approached, and none of them could see her.

The princess walked on a long, long way, trying to find some one who
would take her in, and let her work for them; but though the cottagers,
whose houses she passed, gave her food from charity, the ass's skin was
so dirty they would not allow her to enter their houses. For her flight
had been so hurried she had had no time to clean it.

Tired and disheartened at her ill-fortune, she was wandering, one day,
past the gate of a farmyard, s