as he wished him
to marry a neighbouring princess; but as from his birth the prince had
always done exactly as he like, nothing was said and a splendid wedding
feast was got ready.

The day after her marriage the bride sent a messenger, bearing handsome
presents to her father, and telling him of the good fortune which had
befallen her. As may be imagined, the stepmother and her daughter were
so filled with envy that they grew quite ill, and had to take to their
beds, and nobody would have been sorry it they had never got up again;
but that did not happen. At length, however, they began to feel better,
for the mother invented a plan by which she could be revenged on the
girl who had never done her any harm.

Her plan was this. In the town where she had lived before she was
married there was an old witch, who had more skill in magic that any
other witch she knew. To this witch she would go and beg her to make her
a mask with the face of her stepdaughter, and when she had the mask
the rest would be easy. She told her daughter what she meant to do, and
although the daughter could only say 'dirty creatures,' in answer, she
nodded and smiled and looked well pleased.

Everything fell out exactly as the woman had hoped. By the aid of her
magic mirror the witch beheld the new princess walking in her gardens in
a dress of green silk, and in a few minutes had produced a mask so like
her, that very few people could have told the difference. However, she
counselled the woman that when her daughter first wore it--for that, of
course, was what she intended her to do--she had better pretend that she
had a toothache, and cover her head with a lace veil. The woman thanked
her and paid her well, and returned to her hut, carrying the mask under
her cloak.

In a few days she heard that a great hunt was planned, and the prince
would leave the palace very early in the morning, so that his wife would
be alone all day. This was a chance not to be missed, and taking her
daughter with her she went up to the palace, where she had never been
before. The princess was too happy in her new home to remember all that
she had suffered in the old one, and she welcomed them both gladly, and
gave them quantities of beautiful things to take back with them. At last
she took them down to the shore to see a pleasure boat which her husband
had had made for her; and here, the woman seizing her opportunity, stole
softly behind the girl and pushed her off the r