Page:The Pentamerone, or The Story of Stories.djvu/167

Rh that the prince had been the cause of her annoyance in the past night; so off she ran and told it to the fairies. "If it be he," said the fairies, "we will soon give him tit for tat and as good in return; and if this dog has bitten you, we will contrive to get a hair from him: he has given you one, and we will give him back one and a half. Only get the ogre to make you a pair of slippers covered with little bells, and leave the rest to us: we will take care to pay him in good coin."

Violet, who was eager to be revenged, instantly got the ogre to make the slippers for her; and waiting until the Sky, like a Genoese woman, had wrapped the black taffety about her face, they went all four together to the house of the prince, where the fairies and Violet hid themselves in the chamber. And as soon as ever the prince had closed his eyes, the fairies made a great noise and racket, and Violet began to stamp with her feet at such a rate that, what with the clatter of her heels and the jingling of the bells, the prince awoke in great terror and cried out, "O mother, mother, help me!" And after repeating this two or three times, they slipped away home.

The next morning the prince, having taken some citron-juice and other cordials to relieve his fear, went to take a walk in the garden; for he could not live a