Opening, part 12 · page 21 2101Ah! why did I not think of it before!'102No sooner had the prince entered the palace than he hastened to the princess's apartments, where he found her lying on the sofa apparently in great pain.103'My dearest wife, what is the matter with you?' he cried, kneeling down beside her, and trying to take her hand; but she snatched it away, and pointing to her cheek murmured something he could not catch.104'What is it? tell me!105Is the pain bad?106When did it begin?107Shall I send for your ladies to bath the place?' asked the prince, pouring out these and a dozen other questions, to which the girl only shook her head.108'But I can't leave you like this,' he continued, starting up, 'I must summon all the court physicians to apply soothing balsams to the sore place!109And as he spoke he sprang to his feet to go in search of them.110This so frightened the pretended wife, who knew that if the physicians once came near her the trick would at once be discovered, that she forgot her mother's counsel not to speak, and forgot even the spell that had been laid upon her, and catching hold of the prince's tunic, she cried in tones of entreaty: 'Dirty creatures!'1 2← previousOpening, part 11next →Opening, part 13↑ back to The Orange Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3027/12/page/2/