t have these fairies said to you, my queen, to make you weep so
piteously? Has not the good fairy interfered to prevent the misfortunes
which the wicked fairy wished to bring about?"

"No, my dear friend. She has somewhat lightened them but it was not in
her power to set them aside altogether."

[Illustration: _Agnella and Passerose were dashed from cloud to cloud_]

Agnella then recounted all that had taken place and that she would have
a son with a skin like a bear. At this narrative Passerose wept as
bitterly as her mistress.

"What a misfortune!" she exclaimed. "What degradation and shame, that
the heir of a great kingdom should be a bear! What will King Ferocious,
your husband, say if he should ever discover us?"

"And how will he ever find us, Passerose? You know that after our flight
we were swept away by a whirlwind and dashed from cloud to cloud for
twelve hours with such astonishing rapidity that we found ourselves more
than three thousand leagues from the kingdom of Ferocious. Besides, you
know his wickedness. You know how bitterly he hates me since I prevented
him from killing his brother Indolent and his sister Nonchalante. You
know that I fled because he wished to kill me also. I have no reason to
fear that he will pursue me for I am sure that he will wish never to see
me again."

Passerose, after having wept and sobbed some time with the Queen Aimee,
for that was her true name, now entreated her mistress to be seated at
the table.

"If we wept all night, dear queen, we could not prevent your son from
being shaggy but we will endeavor to educate him so well, to make him so
good, that he will not be a long time in finding some good and grateful
soul who will exchange a white skin for this hairy one which the evil
fairy Furious has put upon him. A beautiful present indeed! She would
have done well to reserve it for herself."

The poor queen, whom we will continue to call Agnella for fear of giving
information to King Ferocious, rose slowly, dried her eyes and succeeded
in somewhat overcoming her sadness. Little by little the gay and
cheering conversation of Passerose dissipated her forebodings. Before
the close of the evening, Passerose had convinced her that Ourson would
not remain a long time a bear; that he would soon resume a form worthy
of a noble prince. That she would herself indeed be most happy to
exchange with him, if the fairy would permit it.

Agnella and Passerose now retired to their