round
the table, when the head cook entered the room, bearing a beautiful
wedding cake on a silver dish, and laid it before Prince Milan. The
guests were all lost in admiration, for the cake was quite a work of
art. Prince Milan at once proceeded to cut it open, when to his surprise
two white doves sprang out of it, and one of them said to the other: 'My
dear mate, do not fly away and leave me, and forget me as Prince Milan
forgot his beloved Hyacinthia.'

Milan sighed deeply when he heard what the little dove said. Then he
jumped up suddenly from the table and ran to the door, where he found
the beautiful Hyacinthia waiting for him. Outside stood his faithful
charger, pawing the ground. Without pausing for a moment, Milan and
Hyacinthia mounted him and galloped as fast as they could into the
country of King Kojata. The King and Queen received them with such
joy and gladness as had never been heard of before, and they all lived
happily for the rest of their lives.

PRINCE FICKLE AND FAIR HELENA (From the German)

There was once upon a time a beautiful girl called Helena. Her own
mother had died when she was quite a child, and her stepmother was as
cruel and unkind to her as she could be. Helena did all she could to
gain her love, and performed the heavy work given her to do cheerfully
and well; but her stepmother's heart wasn't in the least touched, and
the more the poor girl did the more she asked her to do.

One day she gave Helena twelve pounds of mixed feathers and bade her
separate them all before evening, threatening her with heavy punishment
if she failed to do so.

The poor child sat down to her task with her eyes so full of tears that
she could hardly see to begin. And when she had made one little heap of
feathers, she sighed so deeply that they all blew apart again. And so it
went on, and the poor girl grew more and more miserable. She bowed her
head in her hands and cried, 'Is there no one under heaven who will take
pity on me?'

Suddenly a soft voice replied, 'Be comforted, my child: I have come to
help you.'

Terrified to death, Helena looked up and saw a Fairy standing in front
of her, who asked in the kindest way possible, 'Why are you crying, my
dear?'

Helena, who for long had heard no friendly voice, confided her sad tale
of woe to the Fairy, and told her what the new task she had been given
to do was, and how she despaired of ever accomplishing it.

'Don't worry yourself about