ing of the Peacocks was waiting to
marry her; but they did not say that they were in prison, for fear of
making her uneasy.

When Rosette received the letter she was so delighted that she ran about
telling everyone that the King of the Peacocks was found, and she was
going to marry him.

Guns were fired, and fireworks let off. Everyone had as many cakes and
sweetmeats as he wanted. And for three days everybody who came to
see the Princess was presented with a slice of bread-and-jam, a
nightingale's egg, and some hippocras. After having thus entertained her
friends, she distributed her dolls among them, and left her brother's
kingdom to the care of the wisest old men of the city, telling them to
take charge of everything, not to spend any money, but save it all up
until the King should return, and above all, not to forget to feed
her peacock. Then she set out, only taking with her her nurse, and the
nurse's daughter, and the little green dog Frisk.

They took a boat and put out to sea, carrying with them the bushel of
gold pieces, and enough dresses to last the Princess ten years if she
wore two every day, and they did nothing but laugh and sing. The nurse
asked the boatman:

'Can you take us, can you take us to the kingdom of the peacocks?'

But he answered:

'Oh no! oh no!'

Then she said:

'You must take us, you must take us.'

And he answered:

'Very soon, very soon.'

Then the nurse said:

'Will you take us? will you take us?'

And the boatman answered:

'Yes, yes.'

Then she whispered in his ear:

'Do you want to make your fortune?'

And he said:

'Certainly I do.'

'I can tell you how to get a bag of gold,' said she.

'I ask nothing better,' said the boatman.

'Well,' said the nurse, 'to-night, when the Princess is asleep, you must
help me to throw her into the sea, and when she is drowned I will put
her beautiful clothes upon my daughter, and we will take her to the King
of the Peacocks, who will be only too glad to marry her, and as your
reward you shall have your boat full of diamonds.'

The boatman was very much surprised at this proposal, and said:

'But what a pity to drown such a pretty Princess!'

However, at last the nurse persuaded him to help her, and when the night
came and the Princess was fast asleep as usual, with Frisk curled up
on his own cushion at the foot of her bed, the wicked nurse fetched the
boatman and her daughter, and between them they picked up the Prin