about what she had done. Maria denied
nothing, and when she had finished, the king said again, 'Follow me to
the house, and there you shall pay the penalty.' As he spoke, he started
for the house, looking back from time to time to make sure that Maria
had not run away. All of a sudden, when he glanced round, he found she
had vanished completely, without leaving a trace of where she had gone.
Search was made all through the town, and there was not a hole or corner
which was not ransacked, but there was no sign of her anywhere. This so
enraged the king that he became quite ill, and for many months his life
was despaired of.

Meanwhile the two elder sisters had married the two friends of the
king, and were the mothers of little daughters. Now one day Maria stole
secretly to the house where her elder sister lived, and snatching up the
children put them into a beautiful basket she had with her, covered
with flowers inside and out, so that no one would ever guess it held two
babies. Then she dressed herself as a boy, and placing the basket on her
head, she walked slowly past the palace, crying as she went:

'Who will carry these flowers to the king, who lies sick of love?'

And the king in his bed heard what she said, and ordered one of his
attendants to go out and buy the basket. It was brought to his bedside,
and as he raised the lid cries were heard, and peeping in he saw two
little children. He was furious at this new trick which he felt had been
played on him by Maria, and was still looking at them, wondering how he
should pay her out, when he was told that the merchant, Maria's father,
had finished the business on which he had been sent and returned home.
Then the king remembered how Maria had refused to receive his visit, and
how she had stolen his fruit, and he determined to be revenged on her.
So he sent a message by one of his pages that the merchant was to come
to see him the next day, and bring with him a coat made of stone, or
else he would be punished. Now the poor man had been very sad since he
got home the evening before, for though his daughters had promised that
nothing should happen while he was away, he had found the two elder
ones married without asking his leave. And now there was this fresh
misfortune, for how was he to make a coat of stone? He wrung his hands
and declared that the king would be the ruin of him, when Maria suddenly
entered. 'Do not grieve about the coat of stone, dear father; but take