foot. "Now, my
pretty pigeons," said she, "will you convey me to the palace of King
Charming?" The obedient pigeons did so, flying day and night till they
reached the city gates; when the queen dismissed them with a sweet
kiss, which was worth more than her crown.

How her heart beat as she entered, and begged to see the king! "You!"
cried the servants mocking. "Little peasant-girl, your eyes are not
half good enough to see the king. Besides, he is going to-morrow to
the temple with the Princess Troutina, whom he has at last agreed to
marry."

Florina sat down on a door-step, and hid her face under her straw hat
and her drooping hair. "Alas!" she cried, "my Blue Bird has forsaken
me."

She neither ate nor slept, but rose with the dawn, and pushed her way
through the guards to the temple, where she saw two thrones, one for
King Charming, and the other for Troutina. They arrived shortly; he
more charming and she more repulsive than ever. Knitting her brows,
Troutina exclaimed, "What creature is that who dares approach so near
my golden throne?"

"I am a poor peasant-girl," said Florina. "I come from afar to sell
you curiosities." And she took out of her sack the emerald bracelets
which the Blue Bird had given her.

"These are pretty trinkets," said Troutina; and going up to the king
she asked him what he thought of them. At sight of the ornaments he
turned pale, remembering those he had given to Florina.

"These bracelets are worth half my kingdom; I did not think there had
been more than one pair in the world."

"Then I will buy these," said Troutina; but Florina refused to sell
them for money: the price she asked was permission to sleep a night in
the Chamber of Echoes.

"As you will; your bargains are cheap enough," replied Troutina,
laughing: and when she laughed she showed teeth like the tusks of a
wild boar.

Now the king, when he was a Blue Bird, had informed Florina about this
Chamber of Echoes, where every word spoken could be heard in his own
chamber; she could not have chosen a better way of reproaching him for
his infidelity. But vain were her sobs and complainings; the king had
taken opium to lull his grief; he slept soundly all night long. Next
day, Florina was in great disquietude. Could he have really heard her,
and been indifferent to her sorrow; or had he not heard her at all?
She determined to buy another night in the Chamber of Echoes; but she
had no more jewels to tempt Troutina; so she