wicked
order, she was so struck by their beauty, and the appearance of the
sparkling stars on their foreheads, that she shrank from the deed.

[Illustration]

So she had a boat brought round to the beach, and put the four babes,
with some strings of jewels, into a cradle, which she placed in the
boat, and then set it adrift. The boat was soon far out at sea. The
waves rose, the rain poured in torrents, and the thunder roared.
Feintise could not doubt that the boat would be swamped, and felt
relieved by the thought that the poor little innocents would perish, for
she would otherwise always be haunted by the fear that something would
occur to betray the share she had had in their preservation.

But the good Fairy protected them, and after floating at sea for seven
days they were picked up by a Corsair. He was so struck by their beauty
that he altered his course, and took them home to his wife, who had no
children. She was transported with joy when he placed them in her hands.
They admired together the wonderful stars, the chains of gold that could
not be taken off their necks, and their long ringlets. Much greater was
the woman's astonishment when she combed them, for at every instant
there rolled out of their hair pearls, rubies, diamonds, and emeralds.
She told her husband of it, who was not less surprised than herself.

"I am very tired," said he, "of a Corsair's life, and if the locks of
those little children continue to supply us with such treasures, I will
give up roaming the seas." The Corsair's wife, whose name was Corsine,
was enchanted at this, and loved the four infants so much the more for
it. She named the Princess, Belle-Etoile, her eldest brother,
Petit-Soleil, the second, Heureux, and the son of Brunette, Cheri.

As they grew older, the Corsair applied himself seriously to their
education, as he felt convinced there was some great mystery attached to
their birth.

The Corsair and his wife had never told the story of the four children,
who passed for their own. They were exceedingly united, but Prince Cheri
entertained for Princess Belle-Etoile a greater affection than the other
two. The moment she expressed a wish for anything, he would attempt even
impossibilities to gratify her.

One day Belle-Etoile overheard the Corsair and his wife talking. "When I
fell in with them," said the Corsair, "I saw nothing that could give me
any idea of their birth." "I suspect," said Corsine, "that Cheri is not
th