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dog Frisk。
They took a boat and put out to sea； carrying with them the
bushel of gold pieces； and enough dresses to last the Princess ten
years if she wore two every day； and they did nothing but laugh and
sing。 The nurse asked the boatman：
‘Can you take us； can you take us to the kingdom of the peacocks？'
But he answered：
‘Oh no！ oh no！'
Then she said：
‘You must take us； you must take us。'
And he answered：
‘Very soon； very soon。'
Then the nurse said：
‘Will you take us？ will you take us？'
And the boatman answered：
‘Yes； yes。'
Then she whispered in his ear：
‘Do you want to make your fortune？'
And he said：
‘Certainly I do。'
‘I can tell you how to get a bag of gold；' said she。
‘I ask nothing better；' said the boatman。
‘Well；' said the nurse； ‘to…night； when the Princess is asleep； you
must help me to throw her into the sea； and when she is drowned
I will put her beautiful clothes upon my daughter； and we will take
her to the King of the Peacocks； who will be only too glad to marry
her； and as your reward you shall have your boat full of diamonds。'
The boatman was very much surprised at this proposal； and
said：
‘But what a pity to drown such a pretty Princess！'
However； at last the nurse persuaded him to help her； and when
the night came and the Princess was fast asleep as usual； with Frisk
curled up on his own cushion at the foot of her bed； the wicked nurse
fetched the boatman and her daughter； and between them they
picked up the Princess； feather bed； mattress； pillows； blankets and
all； and threw her into the sea； without even waking her。 Now；
luckily； the Princess's bed was entirely stuffed with phoenix feathers；
which are very rare； and have the property of always floating upon
water； so Rosette went on swimming about as if she had been in a
boat。 After a little while she began to feel very cold； and turned
round so often that she woke Frisk； who started up； and； having a
very good nose； smelt the soles and herrings so close to him that he
began to bark。 He barked so long and so loud that he woke all the
other fish； who came swimming up round the Princess's bed； and
poking at it with their great heads。 As for her； she said to herself：
‘How our boat does rock upon the water！ I am really glad
that I am not often as uncomfortable as I have been to…night。'
The wicked nurse and the boatman； who were by this time quite
a long way off； heard Frisk barking； and said to each other：
‘That horrid little animal and his mistress are drinking our
health in sea…water now。 Let us make haste to land； for we must
be quite near the city of the King of the Peacocks。'
The King had sent a hundred carriages to meet them； drawn by
every kind of strange animal。 There were lions； bears； wolves； stags；
horses； buffaloes； eagles； and peacocks。 The carriage intended for
the Princess Rosette had six blue monkeys； which could turn summer…
saults； and dance on a tight…rope； and do many other charming
tricks。 Their； harness was all of crimson velvet with gold buckles；
and behind the carriage walked sixty beautiful ladies chosen by the
King to wait upon Rosette and amuse her。
The nurse had taken all the pains imaginable to deck out her
daughter。 She put on her Rosette's prettiest frock； and covered her
with diamonds from head to foot。 But she was so ugly that nothing
could make her look nice； and what was worse； she was sulky and
ill…tempered； and did nothing but grumble all the time。
When she stepped from the boat and the escort sent by the King
of the Peacocks caught sight of her； they were so surprised that they
could not say a single word。
‘Now then； look alive；' cried the false Princess。 ‘If you don't
bring me something to eat I will have all your heads cut off！'
Then they whispered one to another：
‘Here's a pretty state of things！ she is as wicked as she is ugly。
What a bride for our poor King！ She certainly was not worth bringing
from the other end of the world！'
But she went on ordering them all about； and for no fault at all
would give slaps and pinches to everyone she could reach。
As the procession was so long it advanced but slowly； and the
nurse's daughter sat up in her carriage trying to look like a Queen。
But the peacocks； who were sitting upon every tree waiting to salute
her； and who had made up their minds to cry； ‘Long live our beautiful
Queen！' when they caught sight of the false bride could not
help crying instead：
‘Oh！ how ugly she is！'
Which offended her so much that she said to the guards：
‘Make haste and kill all these insolent peacocks who have dared
to insult me。'
But the peacocks only flew away； laughing at her。
The rogue of a boatman； who noticed all this； said softly to the
nurse：
‘This is a bad business for us； gossip； your daughter ought to
have been prettier。'
But she answered：
‘Be quiet； stupid； or you will spoil everything。'
Now they told the King that the Princess was approaching。
‘Well；' said he； ‘did her brothers tell me truly？ Is she prettier
than her portrait？'
‘Sire；' they answered； ‘if she were as pretty that would do very well。'
‘That's true；' said the King； ‘I for one shall be quite satisfied if
she is。 Let us go and meet her。' For they knew by the uproar that
she had arrived； but they could not tell what all the shouting was
about。 The King thought he could hear the words：
‘How ugly she is！ How ugly she is！' and he fancied they must
refer to some dwarf the Princess was bringing with her。 It never
occurred to him that they could apply to the bride herself。
The Princess Rosette's portrait was carried at the head of the
procession； and after it walked the King surrounded by his courtiers。
He was all impatience to see the lovely Princess； but when he
caught sight of the nurse's daughter he was furiously angry； and
would not advance another step。 For she was really ugly enough
to have frightened anybody。
‘What！' he cried； ‘have the two rascals who are my prisoners
dared to play me such a trick as this？ Do they propose that I
shall marry this hideous creature？ Let her be shut up in my great
tower； with her nurse and those who brought her here； and as for
them； I will have their heads cut off。'
Meanwhile the King and the Prince； who knew that their
sister must have arrived； had made themselves smart； and sat
expecting every minute to be summoned to greet her。 So when the
gaoler came with soldiers； and carried them down into a black
dungeon which swarmed with toads and bats； and where they were up
to their necks in water； nobody could have been more surprised and
dismayed than they were。
‘This is a dismal kind of wedding；' they said； ‘what can have
happened that we should be treated like this？ They must mean to
kill us。'
And this idea annoyed them very much