close to the Princess's charming little
nose, whereupon she woke up and shrieked with terror at finding herself
in a strange place with the detested Grumedan. Frivola, who had stood
by, stiff with displeasure at the sight of the lovely Princess, now
stepped forward, and with much pretended concern proposed to carry off
Potentilla to her own apartments that she might enjoy the quiet she
seemed to need. Really her one idea was to let the Princess be seen by
as few people as possible; so, throwing a veil over her head, she led
her away and locked her up securely. All this time Prince Narcissus,
gloomy and despairing, was kept a prisoner by Melinette in her castle
in the air, and in spite of all the splendour by which he was
surrounded, and all the pleasures which he might have enjoyed, his one
thought was to get back to Potentilla. The Fairy, however, left him
there, promising to do her very best for him, and commanding all her
swallows and butterflies to wait upon him and do his bidding. One day,
as he paced sadly to and fro, he thought he heard a voice he knew
calling to him, and sure enough there was the faithful Philomel,
Potentilla's favourite, who told him all that had passed, and how the
sleeping Princess had been carried off by the Lion to the great grief of
all her four-footed and feathered subjects, and how, not knowing what to
do, he had wandered about until he heard the swallows telling one
another of the Prince who was in their airy castle and had come to see
if it could be Narcissus. The Prince was more distracted than ever, and
tried vainly to escape from the castle, by leaping from the roof into
the clouds; but every time they caught him, and rolling softly up,
brought him back to the place from which he started, so at last he gave
up the attempt and waited with desperate patience for the return of
Melinette. Meanwhile matters were advancing rapidly in the court of King
Cloverleaf, for the Queen quite made up her mind that such a beauty as
Potentilla must be got out of the way as quickly as possible. So she
sent for the Enchanter secretly, and after making him promise that he
would never turn herself and King Cloverleaf out of their kingdom, and
that he would take Potentilla far away, so that never again might she
set eyes upon her, she arranged the wedding for the next day but one.

You may imagine how Potentilla lamented her sad fate, and entreated to
be spared. All the comfort she could get out of Frivol