with his bundle at the end of his stick.

It was enough to make anyone laugh, certainly.


III


It was well known for full twenty miles round that there lived
in the castle of Beloeil twelve princesses of wonderful beauty, and
as proud as they were beautiful, and who were besides so very
sensitive and of such truly royal blood, that they would have felt
at once the presence of a pea in their beds, even if the mattresses
had been laid over it.

It was whispered about that they led exactly the lives that
princesses ought to lead, sleeping far into the morning, and never
getting up till mid-day. They had twelve beds all in the same
room, but what was very extraordinary was the fact that though
they were locked in by triple bolts, every morning their satin shoes
were found worn into holes.

When they were asked what they had been doing all night,
they always answered that they had been asleep; and, indeed,
no noise was ever heard in the room, yet the shoes could not wear
themselves out alone!

At last the Duke of Beloeil ordered the trumpet to be sounded,
and a proclamation to be made that whoever could discover how
his daughters wore out their shoes should choose one of them for