But the old king begged so hard that she had no peace till she had told him all, word for word:  and it was very lucky for her that she did so, for the king ordered royal clothes to be put upon her, and gazed on her with wonder, she was so beautiful.

Then he called his son, and told him that he had only the false bride, for that she was merely a waiting-maid, while the true one stood by.

And the young king rejoiced when he saw her beauty, and heard how meek and patient she had been; and without saying anything, ordered a great feast to be got ready for all his court.

The bridegroom sat at the top, with the false princess on one side, and the true one on the other; but nobody knew her, for she was quite dazzling to their eyes, and was not at all like the little goose-girl, now that she had her brilliant dress.

When they had eaten and drunk, and were very merry, the old king told all the story, as one that he had once heard of, and asked the true waiting-maid what she thought ought to be done to anyone who would behave thus.

“Nothing better,” said this false bride, “than that she should be thrown into a cask stuck round with sharp nails, and that two white horses should be put to it, and should drag it from street to street till she is dead.”

“Thou art she!” said the old king; “and since thou hast judged thyself, it shall be so done to thee.”

And the young king was married to his true wife, and they reigned over the kingdom in peace and happiness all their lives.

[Illustration]

LITTLE SNOW-WHITE

It was in the middle of winter, when the broad flakes of snow were falling around, that a certain queen sat working at the window, the frame of which was made of fine black ebony; and as she was looking out upon the snow, she pricked her finger, and three drops of blood fell upon it.  Then she gazed thoughtfully upon the red drops which sprinkled the white snow, and said, “Would that my little daughter may be as white as that snow, as red as the blood, and as black as the ebony window-frame!” And so the little girl grew up:  her skin was as white as snow, her cheeks as rosy as blood, and her hair as black as ebony; and she was called Snow-White.

But this queen died; and the king soon married another wife, who was very beautiful, but so proud that she could not bear to think that any one could surpass her.  She had a magical looking-glass, to which she used to go and gaze upon herself in it, and say,

      “Tell me, glass, tell me true! 
      Of all the ladies in the land. 
      Who is fairest?  Tell me who?”

And the glass answered, “Thou, Queen, art fairest in the land.”

But Snow-White grew more and more beautiful; and when she was seven years old, she was as bright as the day, and fairer than the queen herself.  Then the glass one day answered the queen, when she went to consult it as usual: