s to the witch of the tower."

"Do not do that," responded the owl; "but when you have filled the jar
with the clear, pure water that flows from a spring at the foot of the
fountain of Water of Many Colours, go in quickly to the aviary, which
you will find in front of the doorway; do not take any notice of the
various coloured birds that will come to meet you and deafen you by
all shouting out together that they are the Bird of Truth; then seize
a little white bird which the others thrust on one side and persecute
ceaselessly, but cannot kill, because it cannot die. But go quickly,
for at this moment the giant is just going to sleep, and his sleep
only lasts for a quarter of an hour!"

The boy began to run; he entered into the courtyard, where he found
that the fountain had many spouts whence poured waters of different
colours, but he did not look at them; he filled his jar at the spring
of pure, clear water which flowed from the spring at the foot of the
fountain, and then made his way to the aviary. Scarcely had he
entered it, when he was surrounded by a troop of birds, some plovers,
some black ravens, and others gorgeous peacocks, each one declaring
itself to be the Bird of Truth. The boy did not linger with them, but
went right forward, and finding the white bird he was in search of
huddled in the corner, he took it, placed it in his bosom, and went
forth, not however, without distributing a few good blows among the
enemies of the Bird of Truth.

The boy did not cease running until he reached the witch's tower. When
he arrived, the old wretch seized the jar and flung all the contents
at him, thinking that it was the water of many colours, and that he
would be changed by it into a parrot; but as it was pure and clear
water, the boy only became handsomer than he was before.

At the same time she had drenched all the insects, who were really
people that had arrived there with the same intention as the little
prince, and who were immediately changed back into their original
forms--the beetles into knights errant, the lizards into princesses,
grasshoppers into dancers, crickets into musicians, flies into
journalists, spiders into young ladies, _curianas_ (black flies) into
students, the weevils into boys, and so forth. When the old witch saw
this, she seized a broom and flew away. Then the disenchanted people,
the ladies, gentlemen, girls and boys thanked their liberator and
accompanied him on his way back to the cit