s hardly possible to look steadily at it. The
Enchanter ate like six ogres, but the Princess could not touch a morsel.
Presently Grumedan remarked with a grin:

'I have provided neither musicians nor singers; but as you seem fond of
music I will sing to you myself.'

Whereupon he began, with a voice like a screech-owl's, to chant the
words of his 'opera,' only this time happily not at such a length, and
without the frog accompaniment. After this the Prince again asked the
aid of his friends the birds, and when they had assembled from all the
country round he tied about the neck of each one a tiny lamp of some
brilliant colour, and when darkness fell he made them go through a
hundred pretty tricks before the delighted Potentilla, who clapped her
little hands with delight when she saw her own name traced in points of
light against the dark trees, or when the whole flock of sparks grouped
themselves into bouquets of different colours, like living flowers.
Grumedan leaning back in his arm-chair, with one knee crossed over the
other and his nose in the air, looked on disdainfully.

'Oh! if you like fireworks, Princess,' said he; and the next night all
the will-o'-the-wisps in the country came and danced on the plain, which
could be seen from the Princess's windows, and as she was looking out,
and rather enjoying the sight, up sprang a frightful volcano, pouring
out smoke and flames which terrified her greatly, to the intense
amusement of the Enchanter, who laughed like a pack of wolves
quarrelling. After this, as many of the will-o'-the-wisps as could get
in crowded into Potentilla's garden, and by their light the tall
yew-trees danced minuets until the Princess was weary and begged to be
excused from looking at anything more that night. But, in spite of
Potentilla's efforts to behave politely to the tiresome old Enchanter,
whom she detested, he could not help seeing that he failed to please
her, and then he began to suspect very strongly that she must love
someone else, and that somebody besides Melinette was responsible for
all the festivities he had witnessed. So after much consideration he
devised a plan for finding out the truth. He went to the Princess
suddenly, and announced that he was most unwillingly forced to leave
her, and had come to bid her farewell. Potentilla could scarcely hide
her delight when she heard this, and his back was hardly turned before
she was entreating Prince Narcissus to make himself visible