'If he did hear me,' she said, 'could he remain so cruelly indifferent?
But if he did not hear me, what can I do to get another chance? I have
plenty of jewels, it is true, but nothing remarkable enough to catch
Turritella's fancy.'

Just then she thought of the eggs, and broke one, out of which came a
little carriage of polished steel ornamented with gold, drawn by six
green mice. The coachman was a rose-coloured rat, the postilion a grey
one, and the carriage was occupied by the tiniest and most charming
figures, who could dance and do wonderful tricks. Fiordelisa clapped her
hands and danced for joy when she saw this triumph of magic art, and as
soon as it was evening, went to a shady garden-path down which she knew
Turritella would pass, and then she made the mice galop, and the tiny
people show off their tricks, and sure enough Turritella came, and the
moment she saw it all cried:

'Little kitchen-maid, little kitchen-maid, what will you take for your
mouse-carriage?'

And the Queen answered:

'Let me sleep once more in the Chamber of Echoes.'

[Illustration]

'I won't refuse your request, poor creature,' said Turritella
condescendingly.

And then she turned to her ladies and whispered:

'The silly creature does not know how to profit by her chances; so much
the better for me.'

When night came Fiordelisa said all the loving words she could think of,
but alas! with no better success than before, for the King slept heavily
after his draught. One of the pages said:

'This peasant girl must be crazy;' but another answered:

'Yet what she says sounds very sad and touching.'

As for Fiordelisa, she thought the King must have a very hard heart if
he could hear how she grieved and yet pay her no attention. She had but
one more chance, and on breaking the last egg she found to her great
delight that it contained a more marvellous thing than ever. It was a
pie made of six birds, cooked to perfection, and yet they were all
alive, and singing and talking, and they answered questions and told
fortunes in the most amusing way. Taking this treasure Fiordelisa once
more set herself to wait in the great hall through which Turritella was
sure to pass, and as she sat there one of the King's pages came by, and
said to her:

'Well, little kitchen-maid, it is a good thing that the King always
takes a sleeping draught, for if not he would be kept awake all night by
your sighing and lamenting.'

Then Fiordelisa knew wh