88 THE DISCREET PRINCESS.

thought of nothing else but stopping the barrel, but their
endeavours were all in vain; he rolled down to the bottom of
the mountain, where they took him out, wounded in a thousand
places. The good king, his father, and Bel-a-voir, his brother,
were very unhappy about him, as they saw he could not live
many days; but Rich-Craft, perfidious to his last moment,
studied how to abuse the tenderness of his brother. ‘You
haye always loved me, prince,” cried he, “and I am dying;
but if ever I have been dear to you, grant this one thing, I beg
of you, which I am going toask of you.” Bel-a-voir promised,
with the most terrible oaths, to grant him whatever he should
desire, As soon as Rich-Craft heard these oaths, he said to his
brother, embracing him, “I die contented, brother, since I am
revenged ; for that which I beg of you to do for me, is to ask
Finetta in marriage immediately on my decease. You will,
undoubtedly, obtain this wicked princess ; and the moment she
shall be in your power, plunge your poniard into her heart.”
Bel-a-voir trembled with horror at these words ; but he had
no mind his repentance should be taken notice of by his brother,
who expired soon after. Finetta, who had returned to her sis-
ters, heard soon after the death of Rich-Craft; and some time
after that, news came to the three princesses that the king, their
father, was come home. This prince came in a hurry to the
tower; and his first care was to see the distaffs. No one could
show hers but Finetia; and the king fell into such a rage
against his two eldest daughters, that he sent them away to the
fairy who had given him the distaffs, desiring her to punish
them according to their deserts. The fairy gavé them plenty
of hard work, and Jong lessons to learn. Pratilia was never
allowed to talk excepting in repeating her lessons. Drona
could not help falling into despair at leading a life which was so
Jittle conformable to her inclinations, and died with fatigue and