e house if she would sell it, for he would give even one
of his eyes for it. The woman at last, after a thousand difficulties
and refusals, allured by his offers, dazzled by his promises,
frightened by his threats, overcome by his prayers, gave him the pot,
beseeching him to hold it dear, for she loved it more than a daughter,
and valued it as much as if it were her own offspring. Then the Prince
had the flower-pot carried with the greatest care in the world into his
own chamber, and placed it in a balcony, and tended and watered it with
his own hand.

It happened one evening, when the Prince had gone to bed, and put out
the candles, and all were at rest and in their first sleep, that he
heard the sound of some one stealing through the house, and coming
cautiously towards his bed; whereat he thought it must be some
chamber-boy coming to lighten his purse for him, or some mischievous
imp to pull the bed-clothes off him. But as he was a bold fellow, whom
none could frighten, he acted the dead cat, waiting to see the upshot
of the affair. When he perceived the object approach nearer, and
stretching out his hand felt something smooth, and instead of laying
hold, as he expected, on the prickles of a hedgehog, he touched a
little creature more soft and fine than Barbary wool, more pliant and
tender than a marten's tail, more delicate than thistle-down, he flew
from one thought to another, and taking her to be a fairy (as indeed
she was), he conceived at once a great affection for her. The next
morning, before the Sun, like a chief physician, went out to visit the
flowers that are sick and languid, the unknown fair one rose and
disappeared, leaving the Prince filled with curiosity and wonder.

But when this had gone on for seven days, he was burning and melting
with desire to know what good fortune this was that the stars had
showered down on him, and what ship freighted with the graces of Love
it was that had come to its moorings in his chamber. So one night, when
the fair maiden was fast asleep, he tied one of her tresses to his arm,
that she might not escape; then he called a chamberlain, and bidding
him light the candles, he saw the flower of beauty, the miracle of
women, the looking-glass and painted egg of Venus, the fair bait of
Love--he saw a little doll, a beautiful dove, a Fata Morgana, a
banner--he saw a golden trinket, a hunter, a falcon's eye, a moon in
her fifteenth day, a pigeon's bill, a morsel for a king, a j