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 her three children, and that of the princess deceased. This project was approved by the inhuman queen mother who ordered Fehitifa, one of her maids of honour, to fetch the whelps, and dress them in as fine a linen and laces as the queen's children should be, and put them into the cradles; as for the poor queen, she had like to die with grief, on seeing the whole litter of whelps lie by her, not knowing that the old queen had ordered Feintifa to take the four children and strangle them, but just as she was going to execute that fatal commission, seeing the stars in their foreheads, which she thought might portend something extraordinary, durst not lay criminal hands on them, but put them into their cradles on board a little boat, and with some jewels committed them to the mercy of the seas.

The King, whose thoughts were always on his dear Spouse, having concluded a truce for some time, returned with all speed home, and arrived about twelve hours after her delivery; but when he heard she was delivered of whelps, he ordered both them and her to be put into a litter, and sent home to her mother's, where she arrived almost dead.

But Heaven looked with a more favourable eye over the Princes and Princess; so after floating out to sea, they were taken up by a Corsair, who being touched with the beauty of these children, and having none of his own, turned back, and gave them to his wife, to be educated and brought up as their own; but they were not a little surprised, when they came to comb them, to see jewels and diamonds fall out of their hair. The Princess they called Fair-star, the eldest brother