Then he looked down and saw that the blood streamed so from the shoe that her white stockings were quite red.  So he turned his horse and brought her back again also.  “This is not the true bride,” said he to the father; “have you no other daughters?” “No,” said he; “there is only a little dirty Cinderella here, the child of my first wife; I am sure she cannot be the bride.”  However, the prince told him to send her.  But the mother said, “No, no, she is much too dirty, she will not dare to show herself;” still the prince would have her come.  And she first washed her face and hands, and then went in and curtsied to him, and he handed to her the golden slipper.

Then she took her clumsy shoe off her left foot and put on the golden slipper; and it fitted her as if it had been made for her.  And when the Prince drew near and looked at her face he knew her, and said, “This is the right bride.”

But the mother and both the sisters were frightened and turned pale with anger as he took Cinderella on his horse, and rode away with her.  And when they came to the hazel tree, the white dove sang—­

      “Home! home! look at the shoe! 
      Princess! the shoe was made for you! 
      Prince! prince! take home thy bride. 
      For she is the true one that sits by thy side!”

And when the dove had done its song, it came flying and perched upon her shoulder, and so went home with her.

PRINCESS GOLDENHAIR

There was once a King’s daughter who was the most beautiful thing in the world, and as her hair was fair and reached to her feet she was called the Princess Goldenhair.

A handsome young King in the neighbourhood, although he had never seen this Princess, fell so deeply in love with her from what he had heard, that he could neither eat nor sleep.

So an ambassador was sent with a magnificent chariot, more than a hundred horses, and fifty pages, to bring the Princess to the King, and great preparations were made for her reception.

[Illustration:  “An ambassador was sent with more than A hundred horses, and fifty pages to bring the princess to the king.”]

But whether the Princess Goldenhair was in an ill humour when the ambassador arrived at her Court, or whatever was the reason, certain it is that she sent a message to the young King thanking him but saying that she did not wish to marry.

When the King heard of her refusal he wept like a child.

Now at his Court there was a young man called Avenant.  He was as beautiful as the sun, and a more finely made fellow than any in the kingdom; everybody loved him except a few envious people, who were angry because the King favoured and confided in him, and in the presence of these, one day, Avenant incautiously remarked,