Page 239 - Child's own book

One evening, they informed him, that the eldest sister of the
princess Miranda was going to marry a great prince, and that
great preparations were making for the nuptials. Miranda was
so vexed at the thought of not being present at so splendid an
event, that she could not forbear dropping some expressions of
regret, which so affected the royal Ram, that he cried out in
great anxiety, “ Madam, why do you complain? You shall
have my consent to go to your sisteis wedding, if you will but
promise me to come back again; yet I cannot endure to live
without you,” The princess faithfully gave her word that
nothing should pievent her return; and accordingly she setoff
in a chariot of mother-of-pearl, drawn by six: creatures that
were half griffins, and attended by a very numerous train of
officers. With this equipage Miranda arrived at her father's
court ju$t as the marriage ceremony was beginning, when the
lustre of her beauty and jewels surprised the whole assembly.
She observed the king to look at her with particular attention,
which made her fearful of his knowing and ordering her to he
stopped * and, therefore, remembering her promise to the llam7
who bad so kindly treated her, she suddenly stole away before
the ceremony was over, in Order to repair to him. The king*
being Yery desirous to know who she was, appeared quite
disappointed when he found she was gone, and ordered his
officers, the next time she came to court, to shut the doors and
detain her. The royal Ham waited with the utmost impatience
for the return of his beloved Miranda; and as soon as he saw
her, he ran towards her, skipping and bounding, casting himself
at her feet, and licking hex hands; in short, he gave so maoy
tokens of the most passionate fondness for her, that the princess
was completely charmed with him.
It happened, some time afterwards, that the king married his
second daughter and Miranda begged leave to go again* This