owever, at last the spy, who had never taken her eyes off the Princess
day or night, was so overcome with weariness that she fell into a deep
sleep, and as son as the Princess saw that, she flew to open her window
and cried softly:

'Blue Bird, blue as the sky,
Fly to me now, there's nobody by.'

And the Blue Bird, who had never ceased to flutter round within sight
and hearing of her prison, came in an instant. They had so much to say,
and were so overjoyed to meet once more, that it scarcely seemed to them
five minutes before the sun rose, and the Blue Bird had to fly away.

But the next night the spy slept as soundly as before, so that the Blue
Bird came, and he and the Princess began to think they were perfectly
safe, and to make all sorts of plans for being happy as they were before
the Queen's visit. But, alas! the third night the spy was not quite so
sleepy, and when the Princess opened her window and cried as usual:

'Blue Bird, blue as the sky,
Fly to me now, there's nobody nigh,'

she was wide awake in a moment, though she was sly enough to keep
her eyes shut at first. But presently she heard voices, and peeping
cautiously, she saw by the moonlight the most lovely blue bird in the
world, who was talking to the Princess, while she stroked and caressed
it fondly.

The spy did not lose a single word of the conversation, and as soon as
the day dawned, and the Blue Bird had reluctantly said good-bye to the
Princess, she rushed off to the Queen, and told her all she had seen and
heard.

Then the Queen sent for Turritella, and they talked it over, and very
soon came to the conclusion than this Blue Bird was no other than King
Charming himself.

'Ah! that insolent Princess!' cried the Queen. 'To think that when
we supposed her to be so miserable, she was all the while as happy as
possible with that false King. But I know how we can avenge ourselves!'

So the spy was ordered to go back and pretend to sleep as soundly as
ever, and indeed she went to bed earlier than usual, and snored as
naturally as possible, and the poor Princess ran to the window and
cried:

'Blue Bird, blue as the sky,
Fly to me now, there's nobody by!'

But no bird came. All night long she called, and waited, and listened,
but still there was no answer, for the cruel Queen had caused the
fir tree to be hung all over with knives, swords, razors, shears,
bill-hooks, and sickles, so that when the Blue Bird he