Page:Ségur Old French Fairy Tales.djvu/161

 days from the setting of the sun this evening I cannot watch over her."

Charmant trembled and repeated the fairy's words to Rosette, who replied that it was a warning they must not neglect as it undoubtedly came from the fairy Puissante.

The princess now advanced to salute the king, the queen and her sisters but they neither looked at her nor spoke to her. She was however immediately surrounded by a crowd of kings and princes, each one of whom had himself proposed to ask her hand in marriage that evening but no one had an opportunity to speak to her as Charmant never left her side a single moment.

After the repast they went down to get into the chariots. The kings and princes were to go on horseback and the ladies to drive the chariots.

The chariot designed for Rosette by the queen was now brought forward. Charmant seized Rosette at the moment she was about to take the reins and lifted her to the ground.

"You shall not enter this chariot, princess. Look at these wild ungovernable horses."

Rosette now saw that it took four men to hold each of the horses and that they were prancing and jumping alarmingly.

At this instant a pretty little jockey, attired in a straw-colored satin vest, with blue ribbon knots, exclaimed in silvery tones:—