truth.

Ourson now felt himself restored to health, rose up, proceeded to his
mother softly and awakened her by a kiss. Agnella thought he was
delirious and called Passerose who was astonished when Violette told
them that Ourson had been restored by the good fairy Drolette.

After all this, Ourson and Violette loved each other more tenderly than
ever and they never left each other unless their occupations forced them
to be apart.

THE WILD BOAR

Two years passed. One day Ourson had been cutting wood in the forest.
Violette was to bring him his dinner and return with him in the evening.
At midday Passerose hung on Violette's arm a basket containing wine,
bread, a little pot of butter, some ham and some cherries. Violette set
off eagerly. The morning had appeared to her very long and she was
impatient to be again with Ourson. To shorten the way she went through
the forest which was composed of large trees under which she could
easily walk. There were neither briars nor thorns in her way and a soft,
thick moss covered the earth.

Violette stepped lightly for she was happy to have found a shorter path
to her dear Ourson. When she had passed over about half the distance she
heard the noise of a heavy and precipitate step but too far off for her
to imagine what it could be. After some moments of expectation she saw
an enormous wild boar coming towards her. He seemed greatly enraged,
ploughed the ground with his tusks and rubbed the bark from the trees as
he passed along. His heavy snorting and breathing were as distinctly
heard as his step. Violette did not know where to fly or to hide
herself. While she was hesitating the wild boar came in sight, saw her,
and paused. His eyes were flaming, his whole body bristling, his tusks
clashing together. He uttered a ferocious grunt, and sprang towards
Violette. Happily she was near a tree whose branches were within her
reach. She seized one, sprang up with it, and climbed from branch to
branch, until she knew she was beyond his reach. Scarcely was she in
safety when the savage animal precipitated himself with all his weight
against the tree in which she had taken refuge. Furious at this
obstacle, he commenced tearing the bark from the tree and gave it such
furious blows with his snout that Violette was terribly frightened. The
concussion caused by these violent and repeated blows might at last
cause the fall of the tree. She clung tightly and trembling to the tree.
The