, and
that I can't hear of. Oh dear no! Why, at your age one is always ready
to eat; and now you have been walking, and I suppose you are ravenous?'

'Indeed no, madam,' answered the poor Princess, 'I am too sad to be
hungry.'

'Oh, well! if you will promise to go on being sad, you may stay for the
night,' said the old woman mockingly.

Thereupon she made the Princess sit down beside her, and began fingering
her silken robe, while she muttered 'Lace on top, lace underneath! This
must have cost you a pretty penny! It would have been better to save
enough to feed yourself, and not come begging to those who want all
they have for themselves. Pray, what may you have paid for these fine
clothes?'

'Alas! madam,' answered the Princess, 'I did not buy them, and I know
nothing about money.'

'What do you know, if I may ask?' said the old dame.

'Not much; but indeed I am very unhappy,' cried Celandine, bursting into
tears, 'and if my services are any good to you--'

'Services!' interrupted the hag crossly. 'One has to pay for services,
and I am not above doing my own work.'

'Madam, I will serve you for nothing,' said the poor Princess, whose
spirits were sinking lower and lower. 'I will do anything you please;
all I wish is to live quietly in this lonely spot.'

'Oh! I know you are only trying to take me in,' answered she; 'and if
I do let you serve me, is it fitting that you should be so much better
dressed I am? If I keep you, will you give me your clothes and wear some
that I will provide you with? It is true that I am getting old and may
want someone to take care of me some day.'

'Oh! for pity's sake, do what you please with my clothes,' cried poor
Celandine miserably.

And the old woman hobbled off with great alacrity, and fetched a little
bundle containing a wretched dress, such as the Princess had never even
seen before, and nimbly skipped round, helping her to put it on instead
of her own rich robe, with many exclamations of:

'Saints!--what a magnificent lining! And the width of it! It will make
me four dresses at least. Why, child, I wonder you could walk under such
a weight, and certainly in my house you would not have had room to turn
round.'

So saying, she folded up the robe, and put it by with great care, while
she remarked to Celandine:

'That dress of mine certainly suits you to a marvel; be sure you take
great care of it.'

When supper-time came she went into the house, declining all the