Great was their joy thus at last meeting, and while they were talking to each other the night passed, and the day dawned, and daylight came, and the morning sun shone brightly before Desiree had time to notice that she had not again taken the shape of a Fawn, but was her own beautiful self.

Then it was found that it was the Fairy Tulip in disguise of the old woman who had provided that sheltering cottage in the forest.

The joy of the King upon once more seeing his son can well be imagined, and the marriage of the Prince and Desiree, and Becafigue and Giroflee took place on the same day, the Fairies giving their diamond palace as their wedding present to Princess Desiree, and Fairy Tulip presenting four gold mines in the Indies to Giroflee.

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And, in accordance with the wish of Princess Desiree, Longue Epine and her mother, the false Lady in Waiting, were set at liberty.

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HANSEL AND GRETHEL

Once upon a time there dwelt near a large wood a poor wood cutter, with his wife, and two children by his former marriage, a little boy called Hansel, and a girl named Grethel.  He had little enough to break or bite; and once, when there was a great famine in the land, he could hardly procure even his daily bread; and as he lay thinking in his bed one night, he sighed, and said to his wife, “What will become of us?  How can we feed our children, when we have no more than we can eat ourselves?”

“Know then, my husband,” answered she, “we will lead them away, quite early in the morning, into the thickest part of the wood, and there make them a fire, and give them each a little piece of bread, then we will go to our work, and leave them alone, so they will not find the way home again, and we shall be freed from them.”

“No, wife,” replied he, “that I can never do; how can you bring your heart to leave my children all alone in the wood; for the wild beasts will soon come and tear them to pieces?”

“Oh, you simpleton!” said she, “then we must all four die of hunger; you had better plane the coffins for us.”  But she left him no peace till he consented, saying, “Ah, but I shall miss the poor children.”

The two children, however, had not gone to sleep, for very hunger, and so they overheard what the stepmother said to their father.  Grethel wept bitterly, and said to Hansel, “What will become of us?”

“Be quiet, Grethel,” said he; “do not cry—­I will help you.”  And as soon as their parents had gone to sleep, he got up, put on his coat, and, unbarring the back door, went out.  The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay before the door seemed like silver pieces, they glittered so brightly.  Hansel stooped down, and put as many into his pocket as it would hold; and then going back he said to Grethel, “Be of good cheer, dear sister, and sleep in peace; God will not forsake us.”  And so saying, he went to bed again.