choosest," she continued, "thou shalt gain some good pistoles." "I desire nothing better;" replied he. "Well," said the nurse, "thou must help me then to-night, when the Princess is asleep, to throw her into the sea. As soon as she is drowned I will dress my daughter in the Princess's fine clothes, and we will conduct her to the King of the Peacocks, who will be happy to marry her; and for thy reward, we will load thee with diamonds."
The boatman was very much surprised at the nurse's proposition. He said, it was a pity to drown so handsome a Princess,—that she excited his compassion. But the nurse produced a bottle of wine and made him drink so much that he could no longer refuse her anything.
As soon as it was dark, the Princess lay down as she was wont; little Fretillon was snugly established at the bottom of the bed, moving neither foot nor paw. Rosette was sleeping soundly, when the wicked nurse, who was wide awake, went to fetch the boatman. She led him into the Princess's cabin; then, without disturbing her, they took her up, with her feather-bed, mattress, sheets, and counterpane, the foster-sister helping them with all her might, and flung the whole into the sea, and the Princess was so fast asleep that she never woke.
But, by good fortune, the feather-bed was stuffed with Phœnix feathers, which are very rare, and possess the property of never sinking in the water, so that she floated on her bed just as if she had been in a boat. The water, however, gradually wetted first the feather-bed and then the mattress, and Rosette, being incommoded by it, turned from side to side, and roused Fretillon. He had an excellent nose, and smelt the soles and the codfish so close to him that he began to bark, and bark so much, that he woke all the rest of the fish. They began to swim about, the great fish running their heads against the bed of the Princess, which having nothing to steady it, spun round and round, like a whirligig. She was very much surprised. "Has our boat taken to dance on the water?" said she; "I have never been so uncomfortable as to-night;" and still Fretillon kept barking, and making a desperate pother. The wicked nurse and the boatman heard him a long way off, and said, "There is that little rogue of a dog drinking with his mistress to our good
