to her very shoes, which were made of them. Her gown of silver brocade was striped with a dozen rays of the sun, which had been bought at an enormous price; but which also could not be surpassed in brilliancy except by the beauty of the Princess. A magnificent crown adorned her head, her hair falling in wavy curls to her feet, and her majestic form distinguished her amongst the crowd of ladies who accompanied her.
The King of the Gold Mines was not less perfect or less magnificent in his appearance. His happiness was visible in all his looks and actions. No one accosted him who did not return laden with his liberalities; for round his banqueting-hall were arranged by his orders a thousand barrels full of gold, and large sacks of velvet embroidered with pearls, crammed with pistoles. Each held an hundred thousand. They were given indiscriminately to all who held their hands for them; so that this ceremony, which was not one of the most useless or least agreeable on this occasion drew many persons to the wedding, who had little taste for other entertainments.
The Queen and Princess were advancing to meet the King, and proceed with him to the altar, when they saw entering a long gallery through which they were passing, two large turkey-cocks, drawing a very clumsily-made box. Behind them came a tall old woman, whose great age and decrepitude were no less remarkable than her extreme ugliness. She leaned on a crutch. She wore a black taffety ruff, a red velvet hood, and a farthingale all in tatters. She took three turns round the gallery with her turkey-cocks before she spoke a word; then, stopping in the centre of it, and brandishing her crutch in a threatening manner, she cried, "Ho! ho! Queen!—Ho! ho! Princess! Do you fancy you can break with impunity your promises to my friend the Yellow Dwarf! I am the Fairy of the Desert! But for him and his orange-tree know you not that my great lions would have devoured ye? We do not put up with such insults in Fairy Land. Consider quickly what you are about to do; for I swear by my coif, that you shall marry him, or I will burn my crutch."
"Ah! Princess," exclaimed the Queen, bursting into tears, "what do I hear!—what promise have you made?" "Ah! Mother," cried Toute-belle, sorrowfully, "What promise have
