Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 03 Read Online Free PDF Page B

never ceased
until daybreak.
    The King's pages told Turritella, when she asked them, what a
sobbing and sighing they had heard, and she asked Fiordelisa what
it was all about. The Queen answered that she often dreamed and
talked aloud.
    But by an unlucky chance the King heard nothing of all this, for
he took a sleeping draught every night before he lay down, and
did not wake up until the sun was high.
    The Queen passed the day in great disquietude.
    'If he did hear me,' she said, 'could he remain so cruelly
indifferent? But if he did not hear me, what can I do to get
another chance? I have plenty of jewels, it is true, but nothing
remarkable enough to catch Turritella's fancy.'
    Just then she thought of the eggs, and broke one, out of which
came a little carriage of polished steel ornamented with gold,
drawn by six green mice. The coachman was a rose-coloured rat,
the postilion a grey one, and the carriage was occupied by the
tiniest and most charming figures, who could dance and do
wonderful tricks. Fiordelisa clapped her hands and danced for joy
when she saw this triumph of magic art, and as soon as it was
evening, went to a shady garden-path down which she knew
Turritella would pass, and then she made the mice galop, and the
tiny people show off their tricks, and sure enough Turritella
came, and the moment she saw it all cried:
    'Little kitchen-maid, little kitchen-maid, what will you take for
your mouse-carriage?'
    And the Queen answered:
    'Let me sleep once more in the Chamber of Echoes.'
    'I won't refuse your request, poor creature,' said Turritella
condescendingly.
    And then she turned to her ladies and whispered
    'The silly creature does not know how to profit by her chances;
so much the better for me.'
    When night came Fiordelisa said all the loving words she could
think of, but alas! with no better success than before, for the
King slept heavily after his draught. One of the pages said:
    'This peasant girl must he crazy;' but another answered:
    'Yet what she says sounds very sad and touching.'
    As for Fiordelisa, she thought the King must have a very hard
heart if he could hear how she grieved and yet pay her no
attention. She had but one more chance, and on breaking the last
egg she found to her great delight that it contained a more
marvellous thing than ever. It was a pie made of six birds,
cooked to perfection, and yet they were all alive, and singing
and talking, and they answered questions and told fortunes in the
most amusing way. Taking this treasure Fiordelisa once more set
herself to wait in the great hall through which Turritella was
sure to pass, and as she sat there one of the King's pages came
by, and said to her:
    'Well, little kitchen-maid, it is a good thing that the King
always takes a sleeping draught, for if not he would be kept
awake all night by your sighing and lamenting.'
    Then Fiordelisa knew why the King had not heeded her, and taking
a handful of pearls and diamonds out of her sack, she said, 'If
you can promise me that to-night the King shall not have his
sleeping draught, I will give you all these jewels.'
    'Oh! I promise that willingly,' said the page.
    At this moment Turritella appeared, and at the first sight of the
savoury pie, with the pretty little birds all singing and
chattering, she cried:—
    'That is an admirable pie, little kitchen-maid. Pray what will
you take for it?'
    'The usual price,' she answered. 'To sleep once more in the
Chamber of Echoes.'
    'By all means, only give me the pie,' said the greedy Turritella.
And when night was come, Queen Fiordelisa waited until she
thought everybody in the palace would be asleep, and then began
to lament as before.
    'Ah, Charming!' she said, 'what have I ever done that you should
forsake me and marry Turritella? If you could only know all I
have suffered, and what a weary way I have come to seek you.'
    Now the page had faithfully kept his word, and given King
Charming a glass of water instead of his usual sleeping draught,
so there he