Page 75 - The Green Beaubird
P. 75

grew cold with terror; but before he could
            speak the talking bird began and said: 'O
            sacred majesty! these are the three children
            you longed for, your children who bear the
            star on their fore heads; and their innocent
            mother, is she not to this day kept a prisoner
            under the filthy scullery?' Then the king saw
            clearly how he had been tricked, and gave

            order that the unhappy Chiaretta should be
            taken out of her noisome prison and. robed
            once more in her royal garments. As soon as
            this had been done, she was brought into the
            presence of the king and of his court; and
            though she had for so long time suffered such
            cruel usage, she retained all her former

            loveliness. Then the talking bird related the
            strange history from beginning to end, and the
            king, when he knew it all, embraced tenderly
            Chiaretta and their three children; but the
            dancing water and the singing apple and the
            talking bird, having been set at liberty,
            disappeared straightway.
            The next day the king commanded to be
            lighted in the centre of the market a huge fire,

            into which he caused to be thrown, without
            pity, his mother and the two sisters of Chia-
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