As soon as the water touched him he became so handsome, no one recognised him, and his eye was restored. The King, who loved him dearly, was as much delighted at this occurrence as the Queen-Mother was displeased to hear the applause that was bestowed upon the Princes. After silence was restored, Belle-Etoile placed the singing apple upon the water; it was made out of a single ruby, surrounded by diamonds, with a branch of amber; it commenced so harmonious a concert, that a hundred musicians would have been less effective. This enchanted the King and all his Court, whose admiration increased when Belle-Etoile drew from her muff a little golden cage, of beautiful workmanship, in which was the green bird that told everything; it was fed upon diamond dust, and drank only the water from distilled pearls. She took it very gently and placed it on the apple, which was silent out of respect, and to give the bird the opportunity of talking; its feathers were so beautifully delicate, that they were ruffled by people even shutting and opening their eyes near it. They were of all the shades of green that could be imagined. The bird addressed itself to the King, and asked him what he would like to know? "We should like to learn," said the King, "who this beautiful girl and these three cavaliers are?" "Oh, King," answered the green bird, with a loud and intelligible voice; "she is thy daughter, and two of these princes are thy sons, the third, called Cheri, is thy nephew;" and it then related with wonderful eloquence the whole history, without omitting the least circumstance. The King wept, and the afflicted Queen, who had quitted the cauldron, the bones, and the dogs, approached gently, weeping for joy and love for her husband and her children; for could she doubt the truth of this statement, when she perceived all the tokens by which they could be recognised. The three Princes and Belle-Etoile rose up at the end of their history, they threw themselves at the King's feet—they embraced his knees, they kissed his hands; he stretched out his arms to them, he pressed them to his heart; there was nothing heard but sighs and exclamations of joy. The King arose, and seeing the Queen, his wife, standing timidly close to the wall, in a most humble posture, ran to her, and bestowing on her a thousand caresses, placed a chair for her himself close to his, and made her sit down in it.
