o perform. She gave orders at once for the
necessary preparations for the journey, and in a few days she and
Charming and little Frisk set out for home, with a great retinue of
servants, of course.

The King greeted them with the greatest enthusiasm. He proclaimed a
holiday throughout his kingdom, and every one feasted and danced.

But, strange to say, the Princess Goldenlocks found herself daily
thinking more and more, not of the King, but of Charming.

One day Charming found himself once more in prison, bound hand and
foot. The King thought this would be a good way to rid himself of his
rival.

Goldenlocks used to beg the King to set Charming free, but that only
made things worse. Little Frisk was Charming's only comfort; he used
to take him all the court news.

"Maybe," said the King to himself one day, "the reason Goldenlocks
prefers Charming to me is that I am not beautiful enough to suit her. I
believe I will try some of that water of eternal beauty and health that
she is always talking about."

Without a word to anyone the King stole into the Queen's room and
hunted about until he found the flask of water. He bathed his face in
the water and stood in front of a mirror to watch the change. A few
hours later the Queen found him sound asleep. She could not awaken him,
and they sent for the court physician; he could not rouse the King.
"The King," the physician told the Queen, "is dead."

Now this is what had happened. One day when the Princess's maid Honora
was cleaning her room she knocked over the flask which contained the
precious water, and broke it in a thousand pieces. Honora was terribly
frightened. She would not have let the Princess know what had occurred
for anything. She remembered seeing a flask in the King's room just
like the one she had broken, and she put it in the very spot from which
she had knocked the other.

Unluckily for the King, the maid took a flask which contained a deadly
water which was used to "do away" with criminals.

"Woof, woof!" said Frisk in the Queen's ear. "Please have pity on my
poor master, good Queen! Remember all he did for you, and how he is
suffering for your sake now!"

Goldenlocks at once left the room where the King's body lay in state
and went to the tower where Charming was confined. She opened his cell
and set him free. She put a golden crown on his head, and removed the
chains from his wrists and ankles.

"King Charming!" said the Queen, "now you and I