with me." The Cat replied to this invitation only by a deep sigh.
They parted: the Prince was the first to reach the castle where he had appointed to meet his brothers. They arrived shortly after him, and were surprised to see a wooden horse in the court-yard which curvetted with more grace than any one sees in the riding schools.
The Prince came forward to receive them, they embraced several times, and recounted their travels to each other; but our Prince kept his principal adventures a secret from his brothers, and showed them an ugly turnspit, observing, that he thought it so beautiful that he had selected it for presentation to the King. Notwithstanding the friendship that existed between the brothers, the two eldest felt a secret joy at the bad taste of their younger brother. Being seated at table, they trod on each other's toes, by way of signifying that they had not much to fear on that account.
The next morning they set out together in the same coach. The King's two eldest sons carried in baskets some little dogs, so beautiful and delicate that one could scarcely venture to touch them. The youngest son carried the poor turnspit, which was so filthy that nobody could bear the sight of it. As soon as they set foot in the palace, everybody surrounded them to welcome them back to court. They entered the King's apartment. He was puzzled in whose favour to decide, for the little dogs which were presented to him by the two eldest were so nearly equal to each other in beauty; and they had already begun to dispute the right of succession, when their younger brother reconciled them by taking out of his pocket the acorn which the White Cat had given him. He opened it immediately, and then everybody beheld a little dog lying upon cotton. It passed through a ring without touching any part of it. The Prince placed it on the floor, and it began directly to dance a saraband with the castagnettes, as lightly as the most celebrated Spanish dancer. It was of a thousand different colours; its hair and its ears swept the ground. The King was dumbfounded, for it was impossible to find a word to say against the beauty of Toutou. Nevertheless, he was by no means inclined to resign his crown. The smallest fleur-de-lis in its circle was dearer to him than all the dogs in the universe. He told his children, therefore, that he
