before　him。　He　lost　no　time　in　opening　it；　but　what　was　his　horror
  when　he　found　that　it　contained　a　man's　hand；　which　was　holding
  a　portrait。　His　first　thought　was　to　put　back　the　terrible　box　and
  fly　from　the　turret；　but　a　voice　in　his　ear　said；　‘This　hand　belonged
  to　one　whom　you　can　help　and　restore。　Look　at　this　beautiful
  portrait；　the　original　of　which　was　the　cause　of　all　my　misfortunes；
  and　if　you　wish　to　help　me；　go　without　a　moment's　delay　to　the
  great　gallery；　notice　where　the　sun's　rays　fall　most　brightly；　and　if
  you　seek　there　you　will　find　my　treasure。'
  The　voice　ceased；　and　though　the　Prince　in　his　bewilderment
  asked　various　questions；　he　received　no　answer。　So　he　put　back　the
  box　and　locked　the　cabinet　up　again；　and；　having　replaced　the　key
  in　the　crack　in　the　wall；　hastened　down　to　the　gallery。
  When　he　entered　it　all　the　windows　shook　and　clattered　in　the
  strangest　way；　but　the　Prince　did　not　heed　them；　he　was　looking
  so　carefully　for　the　place　where　the　sun　shone　most　brightly；　and　it
  seemed　to　him　that　it　was　upon　the　portrait　of　a　most　splendidly
  handsome　young　man。
  He　went　up　and　examined　it；　and　found　that　it　rested　against　the
  ebony　and　gold　panelling；　just　like　any　of　the　other　pictures　in　the
  gallery。　He　was　puzzled；　not　knowing　what　to　do　next；　until　it
  occurred　to　him　to　see　if　the　windows　would　help　him；　and；　looking
  at　the　nearest；　he　saw　a　picture　of　himself　lifting　the　picture　from
  the　wall。
  The　Prince　took　the　hint；　and　lifting　aside　the　picture　without
  difficulty；　found　himself　in　a　marble　hall　adorned　with　statues；　from
  this　he　passed　on　through　numbers　of　splendid　rooms；　until　at　last
  he　reached　one　all　hung　with　blue　gauze。　The　walls　were　of
  turquoises；　and　upon　a　low　couch　lay　a　lovely　lady；　who　seemed　to　be
  asleep。　Her　hair；　black　as　ebony；　was　spread　across　the　pillows；
  making　her　face　look　ivory　white；　and　the　Prince　noticed　that　she
  was　unquiet；　and　when　he　softly　advanced；　fearing　to　wake　her；　he
  could　hear　her　sigh；　and　murmur　to　herself：
  ‘Ah！　how　dared　you　think　to　win　my　love　by　separating　me
  from　my　beloved　Florimond；　and　in　my　presence　cutting　off　that
  dear　hand　that　even　you　should　have　feared　and　honoured？'
  And　then　the　tears　rolled　slowly　down　the　lovely　lady's　cheeks；
  and　Prince　Curlicue　began　to　comprehend　that　she　was　under　an
  enchantment；　and　that　it　was　the　hand　of　her　lover　that　he　had
  found。
  At　this　moment　a　huge　Eagle　flew　into　the　room；　holding　in　its
  talons　a　Golden　Branch；　upon　which　were　growing　what　looked　like
  clusters　of　cherries；　only　every　cherry　was　a　single　glowing　ruby。
  This　he　presented　to　the　Prince；　who　guessed　by　this　time　that
  he　was　in　some　way　to　break　the　enchantment　that　surrounded　the
  sleeping　lady。　Taking　the　branch　he　touched　her　lightly　with　it；
  saying：
  ‘Fair　one；　I　know　not　by　what　enchantment　thou　art　bound；　but
  in　the　name　of　thy　beloved　Florimond　I　conjure　thee　to　come　back
  to　the　life　which　thou　hast　lost；　but　not　forgotten。'
  Instantly　the　lady　opened　her　lustrous　eyes；　and　saw　the　Eagle
  hovering　near。
  ‘Ah！　stay；　dear　love；　stay；'　she　cried。　But　the　Eagle；　uttering　a
  dolorous　cry；　fluttered　his　broad　wings　and　disappeared。　Then　the
  lady　turned　to　Prince　Curlicue；　and　said：
  ‘I　know　that　it　is　to　you　I　owe　my　deliverance　from　an　enchantment
  which　has　held　me　for　two　hundred　years。　If　there　is　anything
  that　I　can　do　for　you　in　return；　you　have　only　to　tell　me；　and
  all　my　fairy　power　shall　be　used　to　make　you　happy。'
  ‘Madam；'　said　Prince　Curlicue；　‘I　wish　to　be　allowed　to　restore
  your　beloved　Florimond　to　his　natural　form；　since　I　cannot　forget
  the　tears　you　shed　for　him。'
  ‘That　is　very　amiable　of　you；　dear　Prince；'　said　the　Fairy；　‘but
  it　is　reserved　for　another　person　to　do　that。　I　cannot　explain　more
  at　present。　But　is　there　nothing　you　wish　for　yourself？'
  ‘Madam；'　cried　the　Prince；　flinging　himself　down　at　her　feet；
  ‘only　look　at　my　ugliness。　I　am　called　Curlicue；　and　am　an
  object　of　derision；　I　entreat　you　to　make　me　less　ridiculous。'
  ‘Rise；　Prince；'　said　the　Fairy；　touching　him　with　the　Golden
  Branch。　‘Be　as　accomplished　as　you　are　handsome；　and　take　the
  name　of　Prince　Peerless；　since　that　is　the　only　title　which　will
  suit　you　now。'
  Silent　from　joy；　the　Prince　kissed　her　hand　to　express　his　thanks；
  and　when　he　rose　and　saw　his　new　reflection　in　the　mirrors　which
  surrounded　him；　he　understood　that　Curlicue　was　indeed　gone　for
  ever。
  ‘How　I　wish；'　said　the　Fairy；　‘that　I　dared　to　tell　you　what　is
  in　store　for　you；　and　warn　you　of　the　traps　which　lie　in　your　path；
  but　I　must　not。　Fly　from　the　tower；　Prince；　and　remember　that
  the　Fairy　Douceline　will　be　your　friend　always。'
  When　she　had　finished　speaking；　the　Prince；　to　his　great
  astonishment；　found　himself　no　longer　in　the　tower；　but　set　down　in　a
  thick　forest　at　least　a　hundred　leagues　away　from　it。　And　there
  we　must　leave　him　for　the　present；　and　see　what　was　happening
  elsewhere。
  When　the　guards　found　that　the　Prince　did　not　ask　for　his　supper
  as　usual；　they　went　into　his　room；　and　not　finding　him　there；　were
  very　much　alarmed；　and　searched　the　tower　from　turret　to　dungeon；
  but　without　success。　Knowing　that　the　King　would　certainly　have
  their　heads　cut　off　for　allowing　the　Prince　to　escape；　they　then
  agreed　to　say　that　he　was　ill；　and　after　making　the　smallest　among
  them　look　as　much　like　Prince　Curlicue　as　possible；　they　put　him
  into　his　bed　and　sent　to　inform　the　King。
  King　Grumpy　was　quite　delighted　to　hear　that　his　son　was　ill；
  for　he　thought　that　he　would　all　the　sooner　be　brought　to　do　as　he
  wished；　and　marry　the　Princess。　So　he　sent　back　to　the　guards　to
  say　that　the　Prince　was　to　be　treated　as　severely　as　before；　which
  was　just　what　they　had　hoped　he　would　say。　In　the　meantime　the
  Princess　Cabbage…Stalk　had　reached　the　palace；　travelling　in　a　litter。
  King　Grumpy　went　out　to　meet　her；　but　when　he　saw　her；　with
  a　skin　like　a　tortoise's；　her　thick　eyebrows　meeting　above　her　large
  nose；　and　her　mouth　from　ear　to　ear；　he　could　not　help　crying　out：
  ‘Well；　I　must　say　Curlicue　is　ugly　enough；　but　I　don't　think
  YOU　need　have　thought　twice　before　consenting　to　marry　him。'
  ‘Sire；'　she　replied；　‘I　know　too　well　what　I　am　like　to　be　hurt
  by　what　you　say；　but　I　assure　you　that　I　have　no　wish　to　marry
  your　son　I　had　rather　be　called　Princess　Cabbage…Stalk　than　Queen
  Curlicue。'
  This　made　King　Grumpy　very　angry。
  ‘Your　father　has　sent　you　here　to　marry　my　son；'　he　said；　‘and
  you　may　be　sure　that　I　am　not　going　to　offend　him　by　altering　his
  arrangements。'　So　the　poor　Princess　was　sent　away　in　disgrace　to
  her　own　apartments；　and　the　ladies　who　attended　upon　her　were
  charged　to　bring　her　to　a　better　mind。
  At　this　juncture　the　guards；　who　were　in　great　fear　that　they
  would　be　found　out；　sent　to　tell　the　King　that　his　son　was　dead；
  which　annoyed　him　very　much。　He　at　once　made　up　his　mind
  that　it　was　entirely　the　Princess's　fault；　and　gave　orders　that　she
  should　be　imprisoned　in　the　tower　in　Prince　Curlicue's　place。　The
  Princess　Cabbage…Stalk　was　immensely　astonished　at　this　unjust
  proceeding；　and　sent　many　messages　of　remonstrance　to　King
  Grumpy；　but　he　was　in　such　a　temper　that　no　one　dared　to　deliver
  them；　or　to　send　the　letters　which　the　Princess　wrote　to　her　father。
  However；　as　she　did　not　know　this；　she　lived　in　hope　of　soon　going
  back　to　her　own　country；　and　tried　to　amuse　herself　as　well　as
  she　could　until　the　time　should　come。　Every　day　she　walked　up
  and　down　the　long　gallery；　until　she　too　was　attracted　and　fascinated
  by　the　ever…changing　pictures　in　the　windows；　and　recognised　herself
  in　one　of　the　figures。　‘They　seem　to　have　taken　a　great　delight　in
  painting　me　since　I　came　to　this　country；'　she　said　to　herself。　‘One
  would　think　that　I　and　my　crutch　were　put　in　on　purpose　to　make
  that　slim；　charming　young　shepherdess　in　the　next　picture　look
  prettier　by　contrast。　Ah！　how　nice　it　would　be　to　be　as　pretty　as
  that。'　And　then　she　looked　at　herself　in　a　mirror；　and　turned　away
  quickly　with　tears　in　her　eyes　from　the　doleful　sight。　All　at　once
  she　became　aware　that　she　was　not　alone；　for　behind　her　stood　a
  tiny　old　woman　in　a　cap；　who　was　as　ugly　again　as　herself　and
  quite　as　lame。
  ‘Princess；'　she　said；　‘your　regrets　are　so　piteous　that　I　have
  come　to　offer　you　the　choice　of　goodness　or　beauty。　If　you　wish　to
  be　pretty　you　shall　have　your　way；　but　you　will　also　be　vain；
  capricious；　and　frivolous。　If　you　remain　as　you　are　now；　you　shall
  be　wise　and　amiable　and　modest。'
  ‘Alas　I　madam；'　cried　the　Princess；　‘is　it　impossible　to　be　at　once
  wise　and　beautiful？'
  ‘No；　child；'　answered　the　old　woman；　‘only　to　you　it　is　decreed
  that　you　must　choose　between　the　two。　See；　I　have　brought　with
  me　my　white　and　yellow　muff。　Breathe　upon　the　yellow　side　and
  you　will　become