THE　GOLDEN　BRANCH
  ONCE　upon　a　time　there　was　a　King　who　was　so　morose　and
  disagreeable　that　he　was　feared　by　all　his　subjects；　and　with
  good　reason；　as　for　the　most　trifling　offences　he　would　have　their
  heads　cut　off。　This　King　Grumpy；　as　he　was　called；　had　one
  son；　who　was　as　different　from　his　father　as　he　could　possibly　be。
  No　prince　equalled　him　in　cleverness　and　kindness　of　heart；　but
  unfortunately　he　was　most　terribly　ugly。　He　had　crooked　legs　and
  squinting　eyes；　a　large　mouth　all　on　one　side；　and　a　hunchback。
  Never　was　there　a　beautiful　soul　in　such　a　frightful　little　body；　but
  in　spite　of　his　appearance　everybody　loved　him。　The　Queen；　his
  mother；　called　him　Curlicue；　because　it　was　a　name　she　rather
  liked；　and　it　seemed　to　suit　him。
  King　Grumpy；　who　cared　a　great　deal　more　for　his　own　grandeur
  than　for　his　son's　happiness；　wished　to　betroth　the　Prince　to　the
  daughter　of　a　neighbouring　King；　whose　great　estates　joined　his
  own；　for　he　thought　that　this　alliance　would　make　him　more　powerful
  than　ever；　and　as　for　the　Princess　she　would　do　very　well　for
  Prince　Curlicue；　for　she　was　as　ugly　as　himself。　Indeed；　though　she
  was　the　most　amiable　creature　in　the　world；　there　was　no　concealing
  the　fact　that　she　was　frightful；　and　so　lame　that　she　always　went
  about　with　a　crutch；　and　people　called　her　Princess　Cabbage…Stalk。
  The　King；　having　asked　for　and　received　a　portrait　of　this
  Princess；　had　it　placed　in　his　great　hall　under　a　canopy；　and　sent
  for　Prince　Curlicue；　to　whom　he　said　that　as　this　was　the　portrait
  of　his　future　bride；　he　hoped　the　Prince　found　it　charming。
  The　Prince　after　one　glance　at　it　turned　away　with　a　disdainful
  air；　which　greatly　offended　his　father。
  ‘Am　I　to　understand　that　you　are　not　pleased？'　he　said　very
  sharply。
  ‘No；　sire；'　replied　the　Prince。　‘How　could　I　be　pleased　to
  marry　an　ugly；　lame　Princess？'
  ‘Certainly　it　is　becoming　in　YOU　to　object　to　that；'　said　King
  Grumpy；　‘since　you　are　ugly　enough　to　frighten　anyone　yourself。'
  ‘That　is　the　very　reason；'　said　the　Prince；　‘that　I　wish　to
  marry　someone　who　is　not　ugly。　I　am　quite　tired　enough　of
  seeing　myself。'
  ‘I　tell　you　that　you　shall　marry　her；'　cried　King　Grumpy
  angrily。
  And　the　Prince；　seeing　that　it　was　of　no　use　to　remonstrate；
  bowed　and　retired。
  As　King　Grumpy　was　not　used　to　being　contradicted　in　anything；
  he　was　very　much　displeased　with　his　son；　and　ordered　that　he
  should　be　imprisoned　in　the　tower　that　was　kept　on　purpose　for
  rebellious　Princes；　but　had　not　been　used　for　about　two　hundred
  years；　because　there　had　not　been　any。　The　Prince　thought　all　the
  rooms　looked　strangely　old…fashioned；　with　their　antique　furniture；
  but　as　there　was　a　good　library　he　was　pleased；　for　he　was　very　fond
  of　reading；　and　he　soon　got　permission　to　have　as　many　books　as
  he　liked。　But　when　he　looked　at　them　he　found　that　they　were
  written　in　a　forgotten　language；　and　he　could　not　understand　a　single
  word；　though　he　amused　himself　with　trying。
  King　Grumpy　was　so　convinced　that　Prince　Curlicue　would　soon
  get　tired　of　being　in　prison；　and　so　consent　to　marry　the　Princess
  Cabbage…Stalk；　that　he　sent　ambassadors　to　her　father　proposing
  that　she　should　come　and　be　married　to　his　son；　who　would　make
  her　perfectly　happy。
  The　King　was　delighted　to　receive　so　good　an　offer　for　his
  unlucky　daughter；　though；　to　tell　the　truth；　he　found　it　impossible　to
  admire　the　Prince's　portrait　which　had　been　sent　to　him。　However；
  he　had　it　placed　in　as　favourable　a　light　as　possible；　and　sent
  for　the　Princess；　but　the　moment　she　caught　sight　of　it　she　looked
  the　other　way　and　began　to　cry。　The　King；　who　was　very　much
  annoyed　to　see　how　greatly　she　disliked　it；　took　a　mirror；　and　holding
  it　up　before　the　unhappy　Princess；　said：
  ‘I　see　you　do　not　think　the　Prince　handsome；　but　look　at　yourself；
  and　see　if　you　have　any　right　to　complain　about　that。'
  ‘Sire；'　she　answered；　‘I　do　not　wish　to　complain；　only　I　beg　of　you
  do　not　make　me　marry　at　all。　I　had　rather　be　the　unhappy　Princess
  Cabbage…Stalk　all　my　life　than　inflict　the　sight　of　my　ugliness　on
  anyone　else。'
  But　the　King　would　not　listen　to　her；　and　sent　her　away　with
  the　ambassadors。
  In　the　meantime　the　Prince　was　kept　safely　locked　up　in　his
  tower；　and；　that　he　might　be　as　dull　as　possible；　King　Grumpy
  ordered　that　no　one　should　speak　to　him；　and　that　they　should　give
  him　next　to　nothing　to　eat。　But　all　the　Princess　guards　were　so
  fond　of　him　that　they　did　everything　they　dared；　in　spite　of　the
  King；　to　make　the　time　pass　pleasantly。
  One　day；　as　the　Prince　was　walking　up　and　down　the　great
  gallery；　thinking　how　miserable　it　was　to　be　so　ugly；　and　to　be
  forced　to　marry　an　equally　frightful　Princess；　he　looked　up　suddenly
  and　noticed　that　the　painted　windows　were　particularly　bright　and
  beautiful；　and　for　the　sake　of　doing　something　that　would　change
  his　sad　thoughts　he　began　to　examine　them　attentively。　He　found
  that　the　pictures　seemed　to　be　scenes　from　the　life　of　a　man　who
  appeared　in　every　window；　and　the　Prince；　fancying　that　he　saw　in
  this　man　some　resemblance　to　himself；　began　to　be　deeply　interested。
  In　the　first　window　there　was　a　picture　of　him　in　one　of　the　turrets
  of　the　tower；　farther　on　he　was　seeking　something　in　a　chink　in　the
  wall；　in　the　next　picture　he　was　opening　an　old　cabinet　with　a
  golden　key；　and　so　it　went　on　through　numbers　of　scenes；　and
  presently　the　Prince　noticed　that　another　figure　occupied　the　most
  important　place　in　each　scene；　and　this　time　it　was　a　tall　handsome
  young　man：　poor　Prince　Curlicue　found　it　a　pleasure　to　look　at　him；
  he　was　so　straight　and　strong。　By　this　time　it　had　grown　dark；
  and　the　Prince　had　to　go　back　to　his　own　room；　and　to　amuse　himself
  he　took　up　a　quaint　old　book　and　began　to　look　at　the　pictures。
  But　his　surprise　was　great　to　find　that　they　represented　the　same
  scenes　as　the　windows　of　the　gallery；　and　what　was　more；　that　they
  seemed　to　be　alive。　In　looking　at　pictures　of　musicians　he　saw　their
  hands　move　and　heard　sweet　sounds；　there　was　a　picture　of　a　ball；
  and　the　Prince　could　watch　the　little　dancing　people　come　and　go。
  He　turned　a　page；　and　there　was　an　excellent　smell　of　a　savoury
  dinner；　and　one　of　the　figures　who　sat　at　the　feast　looked　at　him
  and　said：
  ‘We　drink　your　health；　Curlicue。　Try　to　give　us　our　Queen
  again；　for　if　you　do　you　will　be　rewarded；　if　not；　it　will　be　the　worse
  for　you。'
  At　these　words　the　Prince；　who　had　been　growing　more　and　more
  astonished；　was　fairly　terrified；　and　dropping　the　book　with　a　crash
  he　sank　back　insensible。　The　noise　he　made　brought　his　guards　to
  his　aid；　and　as　soon　as　he　revived　they　asked　him　what　was　the
  matter。　He　answered　that　he　was　so　faint　and　giddy　with　hunger
  that　he　had　imagined　he　saw　and　heard　all　sorts　of　strange　things。
  Thereupon；　in　spite　of　the　King's　orders；　the　guards　gave　him　an
  excellent　supper；　and　when　he　had　eaten　it　he　again　opened　his
  book；　but　could　see　none　of　the　wonderful　pictures；　which　convinced
  him　that　he　must　have　been　dreaming　before。
  However；　when　he　went　into　he　gallery　next　day　and　looked　at
  the　painted　windows　again；　he　found　that　they　moved；　and　the　figures
  came　and　went　as　if　they　had　been　alive；　and　after　watching　the　one
  who　was　like　himself　find　the　key　in　the　crack　of　the　turret　wall
  and　open　the　old　cabinet；　he　determined　to　go　and　examine　the
  place　himself；　and　try　to　find　out　what　the　mystery　was。　So　he
  went　up　into　the　turret　and　began　to　search　about　and　tap　upon
  the　walls；　and　all　at　once　he　came　upon　a　place　that　sounded　hollow。
  Taking　a　hammer　he　broke　away　a　bit　of　the　stone；　and　found　behind
  it　a　little　golden　key。　The　next　thing　to　do　was　to　find　the　cabinet；
  and　the　Prince　soon　came　to　it；　hidden　away　in　a　dark　corner；
  though　indeed　it　was　so　old　and　battered…looking　that　he　would
  never　have　noticed　it　of　his　own　accord。　At　first　he　could　not　see
  any　keyhole；　but　after　a　careful　search　he　found　one　hidden　in　the
  carving；　and　the　golden　key　just　fitted　it；　so　the　Prince　gave　it　a
  vigorous　turn　and　the　doors　flew　open。
  Ugly　and　old　as　the　cabinet　was　outside；　nothing　could　have　been
  more　rich　and　beautiful　than　what　met　the　Prince's　astonished　eyes。
  Every　drawer　was　made　of　crystal；　of　amber；　or　of　some　precious
  stone；　and　was　quite　full　of　every　kind　of　treasure。　Prince　Curlicue
  was　delighted；　he　opened　one　after　another；　until　at　last　he　came　to
  one　tiny　drawer　which　contained　only　an　emerald　key。
  ‘I　believe　that　this　must　open　that　little　golden　door　in　the
  middle；'　said　the　Prince　to　himself。　And　he　fitted　in　the　little　key
  and　turned　it。　The　tiny　door　swung　back；　and　a　soft　crimson　light
  gleamed　over　the　whole　cabinet。　The　Prince　found　that　it　proceeded
  from　an　immense　glowing　carbuncle；　made　into　a　box；　which　lay
  before　him。　He　lost　no　time　in　opening　it；　bu