10 THE WINTER'S TALE.

to a charming woman. He made friends with the shepherd, not telling
him that he was the Prince, but saying that his name was Doricles,
and that he was a private gentleman; and then, being deeply in
love with the pretty Perdita, he came almost daily to see her.

The King could not understand what it was that took his son
nearly every day from home; so he set people to watch him, and
then found out that the heir of the King of Bohemia was in love
with Perdita, the pretty shepherd girl. Polixenes, wishing to see
whether this was true, disguised himself, and went with the faithful
Camillo, in disguise too, to the old shepherd’s house. They arrived
at the feast of sheep-shearing, and, though strangers, they were mace
very welcome. There was dancing going on, and a pedlar was selling
ribbons and laces and gloves, which the young men bought for their
sweethearts.

Florizel and Perdita, however, were taking no part in this gay scene,
but sat quietly together, talking. The King noticed the charming
manners and great beauty of Perdita, never guessing that she was the
daughter of his old friend, Leontes. He said to Camillo—

“This is the prettiest low-born lass that ever ran on the green
sward. Nothing she does or seems but smacks of something greater
than herself—too noble for this place.”

And Camillo answered, ‘In truth she is the Queen of curds and
cream.”

But when Florizel, who did not recognise his father, called upon
the strangers to witness his betrothal with the pretty shepherdess,
the King made himself known and forbade the marriage, adding,
that if she ever saw Florizel again, he would kill her and her old
father, the shepherd; and with that he left them. But Camillo
remained behind, for he was charmed with Perdita, and wished to
befriend her.

Camillo had long known how sorry Leontes was for that foolish mad-
ness of his, and he longed to go back to Sicily to see his old master. He
now proposed that the young people should go there and claim the
protection of Leontes. So they went, and the shepherd went with them,

taking Perdita’s jewels, her baby clothes, and the paper he had found
pinned to her cloak.