appearance of a gauze veil. The fairy
then, seeing the queen willing to overcome difficulties, would not try
her further, but with one stroke of a wand reduced the mountain two or
three hundred feet; the remaining height was very dry and easy of
ascent.

The queen was thus conducted to a delicious grove: a coral fountain
rose in the midst; its waters, of the purest rose-colour, wound along
the meadow, murmuring plaintive airs, whose words were perfectly
distinguishable. The fairy there welcomed her majesty, who prepared to
explain the occasion of her journey; but that was quite unnecessary.
The fairy, exacting profound secrecy, presented her with a phial of
water drawn from the fountain, strictly ordering that it should be
broken when she had drank it all. The queen, charmed by this
reception, made presents of inestimable value, and rejoined her
maids-of-honour, who had been thrown into an enchanted sleep. They
then returned to the palace in such high spirits, that all the court
danced and sung for a month afterwards.

In due course her majesty became, for the twentieth time, a joyful
mother.

The magnificence and liberality displayed on this occasion exceed
belief. The royal palace was surrounded by three hundred large spouts
which poured forth alternately, night and day the choicest sweetmeats,
confectionery, and money; the streets, in fact, were filled--the
passengers had only to stoop down and be satisfied.

But in the midst of these festivities the Fairy of the Fountain,
uncovering the little princess's cradle, which was of mother-o'-pearl
studded with diamonds, perceived a beautiful butterfly, placed
immediately under the infant's left eye.

The chief cradle-rocker, who dreaded being taxed with negligence, took
a humming-bird's wing, and endeavoured to chase it away, but all in
vain: it remained quite unconcerned in the same spot, extending its
large wings of rose-colour and azure-blue on the face of the princess,
appearing rather to caress than to wish to do her any injury. "Ah!"
said the fairy, "this butterfly is not what you imagine. It is a
powerful fairy, who presides at the birth of the most distinguished
princesses, and endows them with a degree of levity which generally
leads to misfortune. I can lessen the evil, without doubt, but I
cannot entirely avert it." The queen wept bitterly at this sad news,
and the king saw no person during eight days. He then ceased to think
on the subject.

Misfortune