om.

[Illustration: THE PRINCESS ON THE SEASHORE]

'It is late,' remarked one of the women at last; 'I must go to my
mistress.' And, turning to one of the lackeys, she bade him find a bed
for the youth.

'It is not necessary,' answered the prince, 'this bench is good enough
for me. I am used to nothing better.' And when the hall was empty he
lay down for a few minutes. But as soon as everything was quiet in the
palace he took out the hair and wished himself a bee, and in this
shape he flew upstairs, past the guards, and through the keyhole into
the princess's chamber. Then he turned himself into a man again.

At this dreadful sight the princess, who was broad awake, began to
scream loudly. 'A man! a man!' cried she; but when the guards rushed
in there was only a bumble-bee buzzing about the room. They looked
under the bed, and behind the curtains, and into the cupboards, then
came to the conclusion that the princess had had a bad dream, and
bowed themselves out. The door had scarcely closed on them than the
bee disappeared, and a handsome youth stood in his place.

'I _knew_ a man was hidden somewhere,' cried the princess, and
screamed more loudly than before. Her shrieks brought back the guards,
but though they looked in all kinds of impossible places no man was to
be seen, and so they told the princess.

'He was here a moment ago--I saw him with my own eyes,' and the guards
dared not contradict her, though they shook their heads and whispered
to each other that the princess had gone mad on this subject, and saw
a man in every table and chair. And they made up their minds that--let
her scream as loudly as she might--they would take no notice.

Now the princess saw clearly what they were thinking, and that in
future her guards would give her no help, and would perhaps, besides,
tell some stories about her to the king, who would shut her up in a
lonely tower and prevent her walking in the gardens among her birds
and flowers. So when, for the third time, she beheld the prince
standing before her, she did not scream but sat up in bed gazing at
him in silent terror.

'Do not be afraid,' he said, 'I shall not hurt you'; and he began to
praise her gardens, of which he had heard the servants speak, and the
birds and flowers which she loved, till the princess's anger softened,
and she answered him with gentle words. Indeed, they soon became so
friendly that she vowed she would marry no one else, and confided to
him