ing the most delightful sounds to
fill the air, and mingle with the songs of the birds and the perfume of
the flowers. Around the great basin were silken cushions on which the
Prince reclined, and the goldfish that were swimming in the basin came
up to him to be fed. There also came the ruby fish, that shines as red
as blood, and the zimphare, or transparent fish, which is as colorless
as the water, and can only be discovered by a green knot on its head and
another on its tail.

There were also many other fish, as the balance-fish, which comes up to
the top of the water equally balanced, having at each end of its body
expansions like the pans of scales. These are its mouths, and if one
puts a crumb into one of them without having put one into the other, it
turns right over, and sinks to the bottom. So, when this fish is
properly fed, it always gets two crumbs at a time. Then there was the
gelatine fish, that has no mouth at all, but is very soft and pulpy, and
all that is necessary is to drop some crumbs upon his back, and they
immediately soak in. Also the great flob was there, who came clattering
and clanking up from the bottom of the basin, with his hard shells and
heavy claws, as if he was the greatest fish alive. But for all that he
opened his mouth so wide, and shut it upon a little crumb with a snap
loud enough for a loaf of bread, his throat was so small that that
little crumb nearly choked him. All these fishes the Prince fed from
golden baskets filled with crumbs, and placed around the basin for the
convenience of those who wished to amuse themselves by feeding the fish.
When he was tired of this sport, he rose and entered the palace again by
another door. He had not walked far along an alabaster corridor, before
he saw a door open, and an old woman come out. She had in her hand a
silver waiter, on which was the remains of a delicious little supper,
the scent of which seemed so charming to the Prince that it made him
feel as hungry as a bear in the springtime. The old woman, who was busy
munching some of the pieces of cake, and sucking the bones of the little
birds that were left, did not notice him; and, hoping to find some more
good things where these came from, he slipped in at the door, before the
old woman shut it, and entered a large and beautiful room, lighted by a
single lamp that hung from the ceiling. At the upper end of this
apartment, he was surprised to see a beautiful young Princess, who was
sitt