Then Fiordelisa knew why the King had not heeded her, and taking a
handful of pearls and diamonds out of her sack, she said, ‘If you can
promise me that to-night the King shall not have his sleeping draught, I
will give you all these jewels.’
‘Oh! I promise that willingly,’ said the page.
At this moment Turritella appeared, and at the first sight of the
savoury pie, with the pretty little birds all singing and chattering,
she cried:--
‘That is an admirable pie, little kitchen-maid. Pray what will you take
for it?’
‘The usual price,’ she answered. ‘To sleep once more in the Chamber of
Echoes.’
‘By all means, only give me the pie,’ said the greedy Turritella. And
when night was come, Queen Fiordelisa waited until she thought everybody
in the palace would be asleep, and then began to lament as before.
‘Ah, Charming!’ she said, ‘what have I ever done that you should forsake
me and marry Turritella? If you could only know all I have suffered, and
what a weary way I have come to seek you.’
Now the page had faithfully kept his word, and given King Charming a
glass of water instead of his usual sleeping draught, so there he lay
wide awake, and heard every word Fiordelisa said, and even recognised
her voice, though he could not tell where it came from.
‘Ah, Princess!’ he said, ‘how could you betray me to our cruel enemies
when I loved you so dearly?’
Fiordelisa heard him, and answered quickly:
‘Find out the little kitchen-maid, and she will explain everything.’
Then the King in a great hurry sent for his pages and said:
‘If you can find the little kitchen-maid, bring her to me at once.’
‘Nothing could be easier, Sire,’ they answered, ‘for she is in the
Chamber of Echoes.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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