and his one thought was to attend her, always invisible, and help her in
everything she did, and provide her with everything that could possibly
amuse or please her. And the Princess, who had learnt to find diversion
in very small things in her quiet life, was in a continual state of
delight over the treasures which the Prince constantly laid where she
must find them. Then Narcissus implored his faithful friend Melinette to
send the Princess such dreams of him as should make her recognise him as
a friend when he actually appeared before her eyes; and this device was
so successful that the Princess quite dreaded the cessation of these
amusing dreams, in which a certain Prince Narcissus was such a
delightful lover and companion. After that he went a step further and
began to have long talks with the Princess--still, however, keeping
himself invisible, until she begged him so earnestly to appear to her
that he could no longer resist, and after making her promise that, no
matter what he was like, she would still love him, he drew the ring from
his finger, and the Princess saw with delight that he was as handsome as
he was agreeable. Now, indeed, they were perfectly happy, and they
passed the whole long summer day in Potentilla's favourite place by the
brook, and when at last Prince Narcissus had to leave her it seemed to
them both that the hours had gone by with the most amazing swiftness.
The Princess stayed where she was, dreaming of her delightful Prince,
and nothing could have been further from her thoughts than any trouble
or misfortune, when suddenly, in a cloud of dust and shavings, by came
the enchanter Grumedan, and unluckily he chanced to catch sight of
Potentilla. Down he came straightway and alighted at her feet, and one
look at her charming blue eyes and smiling lips quite decided him that
he must appear to her at once, though he was rather annoyed to remember
that he had on only his second-best cloak. The Princess sprang to her
feet with a cry of terror at this sudden apparition, for really the
Enchanter was no beauty. To begin with, he was very big and clumsy, then
he had but one eye, and his teeth were long, and he stammered badly;
nevertheless, he had an excellent opinion of himself, and mistook the
Princess's cry of terror for an exclamation of delighted surprise. After
pausing a moment to give her time to admire him, the Enchanter made her
the most complimentary speech he could invent, which, however, did n