IN THE ROYAL PALACE
Back at the royal palace, the girl had the chance to visit numerous rooms, beautifully decorated with evergreens, ferns and mosses of all colors. She also saw the library, full of books in which the wise men had written down the entire history of the kingdom. She was still there, leafing through them one by one, when a menseger cricket came to call her for dinner. She went and sat down at the table next to the prince, and admired the good taste with which everything was arranged.
— It's the art of the leaf-cutters, said Scaly. They're the ones who pick the flowers from the field and decorate these vases.
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The plates were beautiful pink shells, and the tureens were brightly enameled sea snails. Green crickets served as servants and brought from the kitchen the plates on which a fat crab in a white apron and cap was putting the finishing touches. A delicious shrimp beard soup came, followed by seafood loin, cicada fillet, mother-of-pearl ribs
