Page 16 - Princess Belle-Etoile and Prince Cherie

whole dining-room was filled with hornets,
bees, wasps, gnats, and other insects of that
description, which waited on the King with
supernatural ability. Three or four thousand
flies helped him to wine, without one of them
daring to drown itself in it, which evinced a
moderation and a discipline perfectly
astonishing. The Princess and her daughters

saw clearly enough that all this could only be
attributed to the little old woman, and they
blessed the hour they had known her.
"After the banquet, which lasted so long that
night surprised the company at table, (of
which his majesty was rather ashamed, for it
appeared as if Bacchus had taken the place of

Cupid at this marriage,) the King rose and
said, "Let us finish this ceremony as we ought
to have begun it." He drew his ring from his
finger, and placed it on that of Blondine: the
Prince and the Admiral imitated their
sovereign. The bees sang with redoubled
vigour as the company danced, and made very
merry, and all those who came in the King's
train advanced, and saluted the Queen and the

Princess her sister. As to the wife of the
Admiral they treated her with less ceremony,
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