les, also materials for
painting and for embroidery, in which she was very clever. Altogether it
was impossible to complain, and the next day passed pleasantly enough,
though it must be confessed the young Princess often found herself
counting the hours till it should be that of sunset.

"Punctual to the moment the Prince made his appearance, but to his
guest's distress he seemed careworn and anxious.

"'Has some new misfortune threatened you?' she asked.

"'No,' replied the Prince, 'but I have to-day scarcely been able to
endure my anxiety to learn your decision. Never in all these terrible
years has my suffering been greater, never have I so loathed the hideous
disguise in which I am compelled to live.'

"Tears filled the Princess's eyes. Had anything been wanting to decide
her, the deep pity which she now felt for the unfortunate Prince would
have done so.

"'I _have_ decided!' she exclaimed. 'Three years will soon pass, and I
shall be well able to amuse myself with all the charming things with
which I am surrounded. Besides, I shall see you every day, and the
looking forward to that will help to cheer me.'

"It would be impossible to tell the Prince's delight. He became at once
as gay and lively as the day before. The Princess and he had supper
together, and amused themselves afterwards with the enchanted balls, and
the evening passed so quickly that the princess could hardly believe
more than one hour instead of three had gone, when he started up, saying
his time was over. It was sad to see him go, forced, through no fault of
his own, to return to his hated disguise; but still it was with a
lightened heart that the poor brown bull went tramping about during the
next one-and-twenty hours.

"And on her side the Princess's lonely hours were cheered by the thought
that she was to be the means of freeing him from the power of the
terrible spell, for all that she saw of him only served to increase her
sympathy and respect.

"So time went on. The Princess got more and more accustomed to her
strange life, and every day more attached to the Prince, who on his side
could not do enough to prove to her his gratitude. For many weeks he
never failed to enter her presence the instant the sun had sunk below
the horizon, and the three hours they spent together made amends to both
for the loneliness of the rest of the day. And whenever the Princess
felt inclined to murmur, she renewed her patience and courage by the
though