e if he could make any kind of terms with her for
his friend; for you see, Fairies and Enchanters are cousins in a sort of
way, after all; and after knowing one another for five or six hundred
years and falling out, and making it up again pretty often, they
understand one another well enough. So the Fairy Mazilla received him
graciously. 'And what may you be wanting, Gossip?' said she.

'You can do a good turn for me if you will,' he answered. 'A King, who
is a friend of mine, was unlucky enough to offend you----'

'Aha! I know who you mean,' interrupted the Fairy. 'I am sorry not to
oblige you, Gossip, but he need expect no mercy from me unless he will
marry my goddaughter, whom you see yonder looking so pretty and
charming. Let him think over what I say.'

The Enchanter hadn't a word to say, for he thought Turritella really
frightful, but he could not go away without making one more effort for
his friend the King, who was really in great danger as long as he lived
in a cage. Indeed, already he had met with several alarming accidents.
Once the nail on which his cage was hung had given way, and his
feathered Majesty had suffered much from the fall, while Madam Puss, who
happened to be in the room at the time, had given him a scratch in the
eye which came very near blinding him. Another time they had forgotten
to give him any water to drink, so that he was nearly dead with thirst;
and the worst thing of all was that he was in danger of losing his
kingdom, for he had been absent so long that all his subjects believed
him to be dead. So considering all these things the Enchanter agreed
with the Fairy Mazilla that she should restore the King to his natural
form, and should take Turritella to stay in his palace for several
months, and if, after the time was over, he still could not make up his
mind to marry her, he should once more be changed into a Blue Bird.

Then the Fairy dressed Turritella in a magnificent gold and silver robe,
and they mounted together upon a flying Dragon, and very soon reached
King Charming's palace, where he, too, had just been brought by his
faithful friend the Enchanter.

Three strokes of the Fairy's wand restored his natural form, and he was
as handsome and delightful as ever, but he considered that he paid
dearly for his restoration when he caught sight of Turritella, and the
mere idea of marrying her made him shudder.

Meanwhile, Queen Fiordelisa, disguised as a poor peasant girl, wearing