e servants'
rooms. The little page placed Rosette's modest trunk in a corner and
said, with an air of embarrassment,

"Pardon me, princess, for having led you into this chamber, so unworthy
of you. The queen has disposed of all the other apartments for her
guests, the kings, queens, princes and princesses. There was no other
room vacant and----"

"Well, well," said Rosette, smiling, "I shall not blame you. Besides, I
shall be very comfortable."

"I will come for you, princess, to lead you to the king and queen at the
proper hour."

"I will be ready," said Rosette, "adieu, pretty page."

Rosette now unpacked her trunk. Her heart was beating and swelling
tumultuously. Sighing heavily, she drew out her robe of coarse cloth and
the other articles of her toilette. Rosette was very adroit. She
arranged her exquisite blonde hair most beautifully, with a pullet's
feather and a band made of burrs. Her head-dress was indeed so charming
that it made her a hundred times more lovely. When she had put on her
shoes and stockings and her robe, what was her amazement to see that it
was made of gold brocade, embroidered with rubies of marvellous beauty;
her coarse heavy shoes were now white satin, adorned with buckles of one
single ruby of wonderful splendour; her stockings were of silk and as
fine as a spider's web; her necklace was of rubies surrounded with
large diamonds; her bracelets of diamonds, the most splendid that had
ever been seen.

Rosette now ran to the glass and saw that the pullet's wing had become a
magnificent locket and that the pendant was a carbuncle of such beauty
and brilliancy that a fairy alone could possess it.

Rosette, happy, delighted, exultant, danced around the little room and
thanked her good godmother aloud for having tested her obedience and
thus magnificently rewarded it.

The page now knocked at the door, entered and started back, dazzled by
the beauty of Rosette and the magnificence of her toilette. Rosette
followed him. They descended the stairs, passed through many apartments
and at last entered a suite of superb salons, filled with kings, queens
and nobles. Every one who saw Rosette paused and turned to admire her.
The modest princess, however, was ashamed to be thus gazed at and did
not dare raise her eyes. At last the page paused and said to Rosette:

"Princess, behold the queen your mother and the king!"

Rosette raised her eyes and saw just before her the king and queen who
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