genii were invited to the marriage. They all received the most
magnificent presents, and were so satisfied with the welcome given them
by King Marvellous and Queen Violette that they graciously promised to
return whenever they were invited.

Two years afterwards they received an invitation to be present at the
birth of the first child of King Marvellous. There came to Queen
Violette a daughter, who, like her mother, was a marvel of goodness and
beauty.

The king and queen could not fulfil the promise they had made to Queen
Aimee. One of the genii who had been invited to the wedding of
Marvellous and Violette, found in Queen Aimee so much of goodness,
sweetness, and beauty, that he loved her, and, visiting her several
times in her new kingdom and being affectionately and graciously
received by her, he carried her off one day in a whirlwind. Queen Aimee
wept for a while but as she loved the genius she was not inconsolable;
indeed, she promptly consented to wed him. The king of the genii granted
to her as a wedding present the power of participating in all the
privileges of her husband: never to die, never to grow old and the
ability to transport herself in the twinkling of an eye wherever she
wished to go. Aimee used this power very often to visit her son and his
children.

King Marvellous and Queen Violette had eight sons and four daughters and
they were all charming. They were happy, without doubt, for they loved
each other tenderly and their grandmother, who, it was said spoiled them
a little induced their grandfather, the genius Bienveillant, to
contribute all in his power to their happiness. Consequently, they
received many rich gifts.

Passerose, who was warmly attached to Queen Aimee, had followed her into
her new kingdom but when the genius carried her off in a whirlwind,
Passerose, seeing herself forgotten and not being able to follow her
mistress was so sad in the loneliness caused by the departure of Aimee,
that she prayed the fairy Drolette to transport her to the kingdom of
King Marvellous and Queen Violette. She remained with them and took care
of their children to whom she often recounted the adventures of Ourson
and Violette. She still remains, it is said, though the genius and his
queen have made her many excuses for not having carried her off in the
whirlwind.

"No, no," Passerose replied to all these explanations; "let us remain as
we are. You forgot me once--you might forget me another time. Here