Page 20 - the-tales-of-mother-goose-by-charles-perrault

a sleep, had given her very pleasant dreams. In short, they
talked together for four hours, and then they said not half
they had to say.
In the meanwhile all the palace had woke up with the
Princess; every one thought upon his own business, and as
they were not in love, they were ready to die of hunger. The
lady of honor, being as sharp set as the other folks, grew
very impatient, and told the Princess aloud that the meal
was served. The Prince helped the Princess to rise. She was
entirely and very magnificently dressed; but his royal High-
ness took care not to tell her that she was dressed like his
great-grandmother, and had a high collar. She looked not a
bit the less charming and beautiful for all that.
They went into the great mirrored hall, where they
supped, and were served by the officers of the Princess’s
household. The violins and hautboys played old tunes, but
they were excellent, though they had not been played for a
hundred years; and after supper, without losing any time,
the lord almoner married them in the chapel of the castle.
They had but very little sleep—the Princess scarcely needed
any; and the Prince left her next morning to return into the
city, where his father was greatly troubled about him.
The Prince told him that he lost his way in the forest as he
was hunting, and that he had slept in the cottage of a char-
coal-burner, who gave him cheese and brown bread.
The King, his father, who was a good man, believed him;
but his mother could not be persuaded that it was true; and
seeing that he went almost every day a-hunting, and that
he always had some excuse ready for so doing, though he

20 The Tales of Mother Goose