ost beautiful woman in the world, and insisted on all rivals bowing
before her charms.

In order the better to gratify her vanity she had urged the king, her
husband, to make war on all the surrounding islands, and as his greatest
wish was to please her, the only conditions he imposed on any
newly-conquered country was that each princess of every royal house
should attend his court as soon as she was fifteen years old, and do
homage to the transcendent beauty of his queen.

The Queen of the Flowery Isles, well aware of this law, was fully
determined to present her daughter to the proud queen as soon as her
fifteenth birthday was past.

The queen herself had heard a rumour of the young princess's great
beauty, and awaited her visit with some anxiety, which soon developed
into jealousy, for when the interview took place it was impossible not
to be dazzled by such radiant charms, and she was obliged to admit that
she had never beheld anyone so exquisitely lovely.

Of course she thought in her own mind 'excepting myself!' for nothing
could have made her believe it possible that anyone could eclipse her.

But the outspoken admiration of the entire court soon undeceived her,
and made her so angry that she pretended illness and retired to her own
rooms, so as to avoid witnessing the princess's triumph. She also sent
word to the Queen of the Flowery Isles that she was sorry not to be well
enough to see her again, and advised her to return to her own states
with the princess, her daughter.

This message was entrusted to one of the great ladies of the court, who
was an old friend of the Queen of the Flowery Isles, and who advised her
not to wait to take a formal leave but to go home as fast as she could.

The Queen was not slow to take the hint, and lost no time in obeying it.
Being well aware of the magic powers of the incensed queen, she warned
her daughter that she was threatened by some great danger if she left
the palace for any reason whatever during the next six months.

The princess promised obedience, and no pains were spared to make the
time pass pleasantly for her.

The six months were nearly at an end, and on the very last day a
splendid fete was to take place in a lovely meadow quite near the
palace. The princess, who had been able to watch all the preparations
from her window, implored her mother to let her go as far as the meadow;
and the queen, thinking all risks must be over, consented, and promised
to