Page:The Pentamerone, or The Story of Stories.djvu/297

Rh fairy deprived her of sight. Whereupon the fairy, thus seeing night at mid-day, knew that by this closing of the custom-house the merchandise of the kingdom was all lost; and uttering yells of a condemned soul, she abandoned the sceptre and went off to hide herself in a certain cave, where she knocked her head continually against the wall, until at length she ended her days.

When the sorceress was gone, the councillors sent ambassadors to the king, praying him to come back to his castle, since the blinding of the sorceress had caused him to see this happy day. And at the same time that they arrived came also Miuccio, who, by the bird's direction, said to the king, "I have served you to the best of my power: the sorceress is blinded, the kingdom is yours; wherefore, if I deserve recompense for this service, I wish for no other than to be left to my ill-fortune, without being again exposed to these dangers."

But the king embracing him with great affection, bade him put on his cap and sit beside him; and how the queen was enraged at this, Heaven knows! for by the bow of many colours that appeared in her face, might be known the wind of the storm that was brewing in her heart against poor Miuccio.