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promise that he would let her go。
‘You may not regret me； Princess；' he said sadly； ‘for I fear
that you do not love me well enough； but I foresee that you will
more than once regret that you left this fairy palace where we
have been so happy。'
But； in spite of all he could say； she bade farewell to the Queen；
his mother； and prepared to set out； so Percinet； very unwillingly；
brought the little sledge with the stags and she mounted beside him。
But they had hardly gone twenty yards when a tremendous noise
behind her made Graciosa look back； and she saw the palace of crystal
fly into a million splinters； like the spray of a fountain； and vanish。
‘Oh； Percinet！' she cried； ‘what has happened？ The palace is
gone。'
‘Yes；' he answered； ‘my palace is a thing of the past； you will
see it again； but not until after you have been buried。'
‘Now you are angry with me；' said Graciosa in her most coaxing
voice； ‘though after all I am more to be pitied than you are。'
When they got near the palace the Prince made the sledge and
themselves invisible； so the Princess got in unobserved； and ran up
to the great hall where the King was sitting all by himself。 At
first he was very much startled by Graciosa's sudden appearance；
but she told him how the Queen had left her out in the forest； and
how she had caused a log of wood to be buried。 The King； who
did not know what to think； sent quickly and had it dug up； and
sure enough it was as the Princess had said。 Then he caressed
Graciosa； and made her sit down to supper with him； and they were
as happy as possible。 But someone had by this time told the wicked
Queen that Graciosa had come back； and was at supper with the
King； and in she flew in a terrible fury。 The poor old King quite
trembled before her； and when she declared that Graciosa was not
the Princess at all； but a wicked impostor； and that if the King did
not give her up at once she would go back to her own castle and
never see him again； he had not a word to say； and really seemed
to believe that it was not Graciosa after all。 So the Queen in great
triumph sent for her waiting women； who dragged the unhappy
Princess away and shut her up in a garret； they took away all her
jewels and her pretty dress； and gave her a rough cotton frock； wooden
shoes； and a little cloth cap。 There was some straw in a corner；
which was all she had for a bed； and they gave her a very little bit
of black bread to eat。 In this miserable plight Graciosa did indeed
regret the fairy palace； and she would have called Percinet to her
aid； only she felt sure he was still vexed with her for leaving him；
and thought that she could not expect him to come。
Meanwhile the Queen had sent for an old Fairy； as malicious as
herself； and said to her：
‘You must find me some task for this fine Princess which she
cannot possibly do； for I mean to punish her； and if she does not do
what I order； she will not be able to say that I am unjust。' So the
old Fairy said she would think it over； and come again the next
day。 When she returned she brought with her a skein of thread；
three times as big as herself； it was so fine that a breath of air would
break it； and so tangled that it was impossible to see the beginning
or the end of it。
The Queen sent for Graciosa； and said to her：
‘Do you see this skein？ Set your clumsy fingers to work upon
it； for I must have it disentangled by sunset； and if you break a
single thread it will be the worse for you。' So saying she left her；
locking the door behind her with three keys。
The Princess stood dismayed at the sight of the terrible skein。
If she did but turn it over to see where to begin； she broke a
thousand threads； and not one could she disentangle。 At last she
threw it into the middle of the floor； crying：
‘Oh； Percinet！ this fatal skein will be the death of me if you
will not forgive me and help me once more。'
And immediately in came Percinet as easily as if he had all the
keys in his own possession。
‘Here I am； Princess； as much as ever at your service；' said he；
‘though really you are not very kind to me。'
Then he just stroked the skein with his wand； and all the broken
threads joined themselves together； and the whole skein wound
itself smoothly off in the most surprising manner； and the Prince；
turning to Graciosa； asked if there was nothing else that she wished
him to do for her； and if the time would never come when she would
wish for him for his own sake。
‘Don't be vexed with me； Percinet；' she said。 ‘I am unhappy
enough without that。'
‘But why should you be unhappy； my Princess？' cried he。 ‘Only
come with me and we shall be as happy as the day is long together。'
‘But suppose you get tired of me？' said Graciosa。
The Prince was so grieved at this want of confidence that he left
her without another word。
The wicked Queen was in such a hurry to punish Graciosa that
she thought the sun would never set； and indeed it was before the
appointed time that she came with her four Fairies； and as she fitted
the three keys into the locks she said：
‘I'll venture to say that the idle minx has not done anything at
allshe prefers to sit with her hands before her to keep them
white。'
But； as soon as she entered； Graciosa presented her with the
ball of thread in perfect order； so that she had no fault to find； and
could only pretend to discover that it was soiled； for which
imaginary fault she gave Graciosa a blow on each cheek； that made
her white and pink skin turn green and yellow。 And then she
sent her back to be locked into the garret once more。
Then the Queen sent for the Fairy again and scolded her
furiously。 ‘Don't make such a mistake again； find me something
that it will be quite impossible for her to do；' she said。
So the next day the Fairy appeared with a huge barrel full of the
feathers of all sorts of birds。 There were nightingales； canaries；
goldfinches； linnets； tomtits； parrots； owls； sparrows； doves；
ostriches； bustards； peacocks； larks； partridges； and everything else
that you can think of。 These feathers were all mixed up in such
confusion that the birds themselves could not have chosen out their
own。 ‘Here；' said the Fairy； ‘is a little task which it will take all
your prisoner's skill and patience to accomplish。 Tell her to pick
out and lay in a separate heap the feathers of each bird。 She
would need to be a fairy to do it。'
The Queen was more than delighted at the thought of the
despair this task would cause the Princess。 She sent for her； and
with the same threats as before locked her up with the three keys；
ordering that all the feathers should be sorted by sunset。 Graciosa
set to work at once； but before she had taken out a dozen feathers
she found that it was perfectly impossible to know one from another。
‘Ah！ well；' she sighed； ‘the Queen wishes to kill me； and if I
must die I must。 I cannot