ing the owl most heartily, Avenant lost no time in
going back to the palace, where he presented the bottle to the princess,
who now agreed to set out with him for his master's kingdom.

[Illustration]

On reaching the capital, the king came forth to meet the Fair One with
Golden Locks, and made her the most sumptuous presents. They were then
married, amid great festivities and rejoicings; but the queen, who loved
Avenant in her heart, could not forbear incessantly reminding the king,
that had it not been for Avenant she would never have come, and that it
was he alone who had procured her the water of beauty that was to
preserve her ever youthful and beautiful. So it happened that some
meddling bodies went and told the king that she preferred Avenant to
himself, when he became so jealous that he ordered his faithful subject
to be thrown into prison, and fed upon nothing but bread and water. When
the Fair One with Golden Locks heard of his disgrace, she implored the
king to release him, but the more she entreated, the more obstinately
his majesty refused. The king now imagined that his wife perhaps did not
think him handsome enough, so he had a mind to try the effects of
washing his face with the water of beauty. Accordingly, one night he
took the phial from off the mantel-piece in the queen's bed-chamber,
and rubbed his face well before he went to bed. But, unfortunately, a
short time previous the phial had been broken by one of the maids, as
she was dusting, and, to avoid a scolding, she had replaced it by a
phial which she found in the king's cabinet, containing a wash similar
in appearance, but deadly in its effects. The king went to sleep, and
died. Cabriole ran to his master to tell him the news, when Avenant bid
him go and remind the queen of the poor prisoner. So Cabriole slipped in
amongst the crowd of courtiers who had assembled on the king's death,
and whispered to her majesty: "Do not forget poor Avenant." The queen
then called to mind all he had suffered on her account, and hastening to
the tower, she took off his chains with her own white hands, and
throwing the royal mantle over his shoulders, and placing a gold crown
on his head, she said: "I choose you for my husband, Avenant, and you
shall be king." Everybody was delighted at her choice, the wedding was
the grandest ever seen, and the Fair One with Golden Locks, and her
faithful Avenant, lived happily to a good old age.

BO-PEEP
STORY BOOK