GREEN KNIGHT_

There lived once a king and queen who had an only daughter, a charming
and beautiful girl, dearer to them than anything else in the world.
When the princess was twelve years old the queen fell sick, and
nothing that could be done for her was of any use. All the doctors in
the kingdom did their best to cure her, but in spite of their efforts
she grew worse and worse. As she was about to die, she sent for the
king and said to him:

'Promise me that whatever our daughter asks, you will do, no matter
whether you wish to or not.'

The king at first hesitated, but as she added:

'Unless you promise this I cannot die in peace,' he at length did as
she desired, and gave the promise, after which she became quite happy
and died.

It happened that near the king's palace lived a noble lady, whose
little girl was of about the same age as the princess, and the two
children were always together. After the queen's death the princess
begged that this lady should come to live with her in the palace. The
king was not quite pleased with this arrangement, for he distrusted
the lady; but the princess wished so much for it that he did not like
to refuse.

'I am lonely, father,' she said, 'and all the beautiful presents you
give me cannot make up to me for the loss of my mother. If this lady
comes to live here I shall almost feel as if the queen had come back
to me.'

So a magnificent suite of rooms was prepared and set aside for the
new-comers, and the little princess was wild with joy at the thought
of having her friends so near her. The lady and her daughter arrived,
and for a long time all went well. They were very kind to the
motherless princess, and she almost began to forget how dull she had
been before they came. Then, one day, as she and the other girl were
playing together in the gardens of the palace, the lady came to them,
dressed for a journey, and kissed the princess tenderly, saying:

'Farewell, my child; my daughter and I must leave you and go far
away.'

The poor princess began to cry bitterly. 'Oh! you must not leave me!'
she sobbed. 'What shall I do without you? Please, oh! please stay.'

The lady shook her head.

'It almost breaks my heart to go, dear child,' she said, 'but, alas!
it must be.'

'Is there nothing that can keep you here?' asked the princess.

'Only one thing,' answered the lady, 'and as that is impossible, we
will not speak of it.'

'Nothing is impossible,' persisted the p