long.' And with these
words she burst into tears.

The king embraced her and told her not to weep, for he had come to take
her from the tower and establish her in a beautiful castle. The prince,
who had brought a pocketful of sweets to give to Rosette, added his
word. 'Come,' he said, 'let us leave this hateful tower, and do not be
unhappy any longer. Very soon the king will find a husband for you.'

When Rosette saw the beautiful garden, with all its flowers and fruit
and its many fountains, she was overcome with amazement and could not
speak a word. She had never before seen anything of the kind. She looked
about her on all sides, and then ran hither and thither, picking the
fruit from the trees and the flowers from the beds, while her little dog
Frillikin (who was as green as a parrot, had only one ear, and could
dance deliciously) capered in front of her, yapping his loudest, and
amusing everybody present by his absurd gambols.

[Illustration: _Princess Rosette_]

Presently Frillikin dashed into a little copse, and the princess
followed. Never was any one so struck with wonder as she, to behold
there a great peacock with tail outspread. So beautiful, so exquisitely
and perfectly beautiful did it seem to her that she could not take away
her eyes. When the king and the prince joined her they asked what it
was that had so taken her fancy. She pointed to the peacock and asked
what it was, to which they replied that it was a bird that was sometimes
served at table.

'What?' she cried; 'a bird so beautiful as that to be killed and eaten?
I tell you, I will marry no one but the King of the Peacocks, and when I
am queen no one shall ever eat such a dish again!'

No words can express the astonishment of the king. 'My dear sister,' he
said, 'where do you suppose that we are to find the King of the
Peacocks?'

'Wherever you please, Sire,' was the answer; 'but I will marry none but
him!'

After having announced this decision she allowed her brothers to escort
her to their castle. But so great was the fancy she had taken to the
peacock that she insisted on its being brought and placed in her
apartment.

All the ladies of the Court, by whom Rosette had never yet been seen,
now hastened to pay their dutiful respects. Gifts of every kind were
proffered to her--sweetmeats and sugar, gay ribbons, and dresses of
cloth-of-gold, dolls, slippers richly embroidered, with many pearls and
diamonds. All did their best to show he