e sill; the birds floated in front of her, and
letting herself sink upon their soft downy backs, and throwing her arms
round Rosedrop's neck, off they flew, swifter than the rushing wind.

The Prince awakened by the kiss and the rustling opened his eyes only to
see his Queen rising like a white cloud to the sky.

"Ah! she is gone! my Morning-Star has returned again to the sky!" he
wailed, and stretching his supplicating hands he cried, "Come back to
me! My Love! My Morning-Star!" And Isal heard him as she was swiftly
borne, and her hot tears fell on Rosedrop's neck.

Just when the morning-star disappeared from the sky before the dawn, the
Tufters laid Isal upon her cot in the woodman's hut, and fluttering
around her for a moment, they flew away to the Phoenix, leaving
Rosedrop only to keep watch. In the hut upon his pallet lay stretched
the lonely woodman, who was dying. Day and night did Isal sit by his
side and hold his hand while he gazed in her face, too weak to speak.
Slowly the pain and the sorrow left his face, and instead came a smile
of holy joy which never left him. For seven days and seven nights did
Isal sit beside him. Then he died, and she, just able to reach her old
cot, lay down upon it, weak and suffering. For seven days and seven
nights did she lie there, racked with pain. This was a sad exchange for
her happy life in the Palace; but she never repented; she could not when
she saw the dead face with its heavenly smile still upon it.

"Isal is fast dying," said little Rosedrop sadly, as she flew back from
the hut to the Phoenix and her brothers. "Oh! she suffers dreadfully."

"That must be so," said the Phoenix wisely. "It could not be
otherwise." The Phoenix now was so old that in an hour he would die.
He had gathered his spice and built his nest; already had he taken his
seat upon it, and was awaiting the last moment of the five hundredth
year, while the Tufters stood around sorrowfully, each upon one leg,
manifesting their respect to the old bird by making their manners
constantly; it pleased the Phoenix so much. And the grand bird as he
neared his end grew more and more wise and prophetic.

"Rosedrop!" said he to his favorite Tufter. "Go quickly to Isal's cot.
She will die; but when she dies, watch for her spirit and bear it hither
ere I die." Swiftly sped Rosedrop to the hut by the river. There she
watched by Isal's bedside; saw her go through terrible suffering, but at
last the struggle was ov