funny little dog drinking our very
good health with his mistress! Let us make haste and get ashore.' By
this time, you must understand, they were lying off the capital of the
King of the Peacocks.

A hundred carriages had been sent to the water's edge by the king. These
were drawn by animals of every kind--lions, bears, stags, wolves,
horses, oxen, asses, eagles, and peacocks. The carriage in which
Princess Rosette was to be borne was drawn by six blue monkeys which
could leap and dance upon the tight-rope and perform endless amusing
antics; these had trappings of crimson velvet, studded with gold plates.

Sixty young girls awaited the coming of the princess. They had been
selected by the king to be her maids of honour, and their attire, of
every colour of the rainbow, shone with ornaments of which gold and
silver were the least precious.

The nurse had taken great pains over the toilette of her daughter. She
had decked her out in Rosette's most beautiful gown, and placed her
diamonds on her head. But nothing could disguise the fact that she was
an ugly little fright. Her hair was black and greasy, she was cross-eyed
and bow-legged, and in the middle of her back she had a big hump.
Moreover she was ill-tempered and sulky, and was for ever grumbling.

[Illustration: '_She was an ugly little fright_']

When the people of Peacock Land saw her disembark they were so
completely taken aback that none could say a word.

'What's the matter with you all?' she demanded; 'have you all gone to
sleep? Bring me something to eat at once, do you hear? I'll have the
lot of you hanged, precious riff-raff that you are!'

'What a horrible creature!' murmured the citizens amongst themselves,
when they heard these threats; 'as ill-tempered as she is ugly! A nice
bride for our king, or I am much mistaken! It was hardly worth the
trouble to bring her all the way across the world.' The girl meantime
continued to behave in most domineering fashion, giving slaps and blows
to every one without the slightest provocation.

The procession, being very large, was obliged to move slowly, and as the
carriage bore her along she comported herself as though she were a
queen. But all the peacocks, who had perched upon the trees to greet her
as she passed, and had arranged to call out 'Long live the beautiful
Queen Rosette!' cried out when they saw how horrible she was: 'Fie! fie!
how ugly she is!' This enraged her, and she called out to her escort: