The Wonderful Sheep

'

"`Who complains of my coldness in this dismal place?' I cried.

"`An unhappy being who loves you hopelessly,' replied the voice, and at the same moment the flames began to flicker and cease to burn, and I saw a fairy, whom I had known as long as I could remember, and whose ugliness had always horrified me. She was leaning upon the arm of a most beautiful young girl, who wore chains of gold on her wrists and was evidently her slave.

"`Why, Ragotte,' I said, for that was the fairy's name, `what is the meaning of all this? Is it by your orders that I am here?'

"`And whose fault is it,' she answered, `that you have never understood me until now? Must a powerful fairy like myself condescend to explain her doings to you who are no better than an ant by comparison, though you think yourself a great king?'

"`Call me what you like,' I said impatiently; `but what is it that you want--my crown, or my cities, or my treasures?'

"`Treasures!' said the fairy, disdainfully. `If I chose I could make any one of my scullions richer and more powerful than you. I do not want your treasures, but,' she added softly, `if you will give me your heart--if you will marry me--I will add twenty kingdoms to the one you have already; you shall have a hundred castles full of gold and five hundred full of silver, and, in short, anything you like to ask me for.'

"`Madam Ragotte,' said I, `when one is at the bottom of a pit where one has fully expected to be roasted alive, it is impossible to think of asking such a charming per- son as you are to marry one! I beg that you will set me at liberty, and then I shall hope to answer you fittingly.'

"`Ah!' said she, `if you really loved me you would not care where you were--a cave, a wood, a fox-hole, a desert, would please you equally well. Do not think that you can deceive me; you fancy you are going to escape, but I assure you that you are going to stay here and the first thing I shall give you to do will be to keep my sheep--they are very good company and speak quite as well as you do.