TEARS OF PEARLS 303

liberty. During that time my daughter shall take thy form,
shall marry the king, and shall enjoy the good fortune fate
destined for thee.”

At the conclusion of these words her own child became
endowed with all the graces and beauty of her unfortunate
step-sister. The two then continued their journey, arriving at
the royal chapel at the appointed hour. The king received
them with all honours, while the deceitful woman gave away
her own daughter, whom the bridegroom believed to be the
original of the beautiful picture. After the ceremony the
mother went away loaded with presents. The king, as he
looked at his young wife, could not understand why he did
not feel for her the sympathy and admiration he had felt for
the portrait she so much resembled. But it could not be
altered now ; what is done is done. So he admired her beauty
and looked forward to the pleasure of seeing pearls fall from
her eyes, roses from her lips, and gold-fish at the touch of her
fingers.

During the wedding feast the newly-made bride forgot
herself and smiled at her husband ; immediately a number of
hideous toads escaped from her lips. The king, overcome
with horror and disgust, rushed away from her, upon which
she began to cry, but instead of pearls, lizards fell from her
eyes. The majordomo ordered water to be brought for her
to wash her hands, but no sooner had she dipped the tips of
her fingers in the bowl than it was filled with serpents that
hissed and twisted and threw themselves among the wedding
guests. The panic was general, and a scene of great confusion
followed. The guard was called in, and had the greatest
trouble to clear the hall of the disgusting reptiles.