The twelvemonth in this manner again passed insensibly away; but the cat took care to remind the prince of his duty in proper time.  “For once, my prince,” said she, “I will have the pleasure of equipping you as suits your high rank;” when looking into the court-yard, he saw a superb car, ornamented all over with gold, silver, pearls and diamonds, drawn by twelve horses as white as snow, and harnessed in the most sumptuous trappings; and behind the car a thousand guards richly apparelled were in waiting to attend on the prince’s person.  She then presented him with a nut:  “You will find in it,” said she, “the piece of cambric I promised you.  Do not break the shell till you are in the presence of the king your father.”  Then, to prevent the acknowledgments which the prince was about to offer, she hastily bade him adieu.  Nothing could exceed the speed with which the snow-white horses conveyed this fortunate prince to his father’s palace, where his brothers had just arrived before him.  They embraced each other, and demanded an immediate audience of the king, who received them with the greatest kindness.  The princes hastened to place at the feet of his majesty the curious present he had required them to procure.  The eldest produced a piece of cambric that was so extremely fine, that his friends had no doubt of its passing the eye of the needle, which was now delivered to the king, having been kept locked up in the custody of his majesty’s treasurer all the time, Every one supposed he would certainly obtain the crown.  But when the king tried to draw it through the eye of the needle, it would not pass, though it failed but very little.  Then came the second prince, who made as sure of obtaining the crown as his brother had done; but, alas! with no better success:  for though his piece of cambric was exquisitely fine, yet it could not be drawn through the eye of the needle.  It was now the youngest prince’s turn, who accordingly advanced, and opening an elegant little box inlaid with jewels, he took out a walnut, and cracked the shell, imagining he should immediately perceive his piece of cambric; but what was his astonishment to see nothing but a filbert!  He did not however lose his hopes; he cracked the filbert, and it presented him with a cherry-stone.  The lords of the court, who had assembled to witness this extraordinary trial, could not, any more than the princes his brothers, refrain from laughing, to think he should be so silly as to claim with them the crown on no better pretensions.  The prince however cracked the cherry-stone, which was filled with a kernel:  he divided it, and found in the middle a grain of wheat, and in that grain a millet seed.  He was now absolutely confounded, and could not help muttering between his teeth:  “O white cat, white cat, thou hast deceived me!” At this instant he felt his hand scratched by the claw of a cat:  upon which he again took courage, and opening the grain of millet seed, to the astonishment