Chapter 46

The king and queen wished for nothing better than that their daughter marry into such a great and powerful family, and received the ambassador with every sign Of welcome. They even wished him to see the princess Desiree, but this was prevented by the fairy Tulip, who feared some ill might come Of it,

'And be sure you tell him,' added she, 'that the marriage cannot be celebrated till she is fifteen years Old, or else some terrible misfortune will happen to the child.'

So when Becasigue, surround by his train, made a formal request that the princess Desiree might be given in marriage to his master's son, the king replied that he was much honoured, and would gladly give his consent; but that no one could even see the princess till her fifteenth birthday, as the spell laid upon her in her cradle by a spiteful fairy, would not cease to work till that was past, The ambassador was greatly surprised and disappointed, but he knew too much about fairies to venture to