Page 7 - Princess Belle-Etoile and Prince Cherie

would have been no less talked of than the
Princess's sauces, if she had not kept them in
their chamber, out of which they were rarely
allowed to go.
On one of the finest days in the year, there
came in a little old woman, who seemed very
weary. She leaned upon her stick, her body
was almost bent double, and her face full of

wrinkles. "I come," said she, "to eat one of
your good dinners, for I wish, before I go to
another world, to be able to boast of
something I have enjoyed in this." She took a
straw chair, seated herself near the fire, and
told the Princess to make haste. As she could
not do everything herself, she called her three

daughters; the first was named Roussette, the
second, Brunette, and the third, Blondine. She
had named each after the colour of her hair.
They were dressed like country girls, in
boddices and petticoats of different colours.
The youngest was the handsomest, and the
most gentle. Their mother ordered one to
fetch some young pigeons out of the dove-cot,
another to kill some chickens, and the third to

make the pastry. In short, they quickly set
before the old woman a nice clean table-cloth,
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