Love Letter - Voltaire to Olympe Dunover

Voltaire (1694-1778), a famous French author, wrote this love letter to his beloved Olympe Dunover while in prison. Why was he in prison? Because Olympe's mother and the French ambassador disapproved of their relationship, so poor Voltaire was thrown into prison to keep him away from the beautiful and beloved girlfriend. Shortly after he wrote this letter, Voltaire managed to escape by climbing out of the window.



The Hague 1713

I am a prisoner here in the name of the King; they can take my life, but not the love that I feel for you. Yes, my adorable mistress, to-night I shall see you, and if I had to put my head on the block to do it.

For heaven's sake, do not speak to me in such disastrous terms as you write; you must live and be cautious; beware of madame your mother as of your worst enemy. What do I say? Beware of everybody; trust no one; keep yourself in readiness, as soon as the moon is visible; I shall leave the hotel incognito, take a carriage or a chaise, we shall drive like the wind to Sheveningen; I shall take paper and ink with me; we shall write our letters.

If you love me, reassure yourself; and call all your strength and presence of mind to your aid; do not let your mother notice anything, try to have your pictures, and be assured that the menace of the greatest tortures will not prevent me to serve you. No, nothing has the power to part me from you; our love is based upon virtue, and will last as long as our lives. Adieu, there is nothing that I will not brave for your sake; you deserve much more than that. Adieu, my dear heart!


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The Love Story of Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is an enduring tragic love story written by William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. Shakespeare borrowed his plot from an original Italian tale.  It is believed Romeo and Juliette were based on actual characters from Verona. 

The Montague and Capulet families are feuding.  The Prince of Verona intervenes and declares that any further fighting will be punishable by death.

When the Count of Paris approaches Lord Capulet about marrying his daughter, Juliet, he is wary of the request because she is only thirteen.  Capulet asks the Count of Paris to wait another two years and invites him to attend a ball.  Lady Capulet and Juliet's nurse urge Juliet to accept Paris' courtship.

In the Montague house, Benvolio talks with his cousin Romeo, Lord Montague's son, about Romeo's recent melancholy.  Benvolio discovers Romeo's unrequited infatuation for a girl named Rosaline, a niece of Lord Capulet's nieces.  Persuaded by Benvolio Romeo attends the ball at the Capulet house in hopes of meeting Rosaline.  But it is not Rosaline who sweeps him off his feet - it is the fair Juliette.

 

 

After the ball, Romeo sneaks into the Capulet courtyard and overhears Juliet on her balcony vowing her love to him in spite of her family's hatred for his family.  Romeo makes himself known to her and they agree to be married.  

 

Juliet's Balcony in Verona

With the help of a friar, who hopes to reconcile the two families through their children's union, they are secretly married the next day.

Juliet's cousin Tybalt, incensed that Romeo had crashed the Capulet ball, challenges him to a duel.  Romeo, now considering Tybalt his kinsman, refuses to fight.  Romeo's friend, Mercutio is offended by Tybalt's insolence, as well as Romeo's "vile submission" and accepts the duel on Romeo's behalf.  Mercutio is fatally wounded when Romeo attempts to break up the fight.  Grief-stricken and wracked with guilt, Romeo confronts and slays Tybalt.

Montague argues that Romeo has justly fought and killed Tybalt for the murder of Mercutio.  The Prince exiles Romeo from Verona and declares that if Romeo returns, he will be executed.  

Romeo secretly spends the night in Juliet's chamber, where they make love for the first and last time, consummating their marriage.  In the morning, he prepares to leave and kisses her one last time. 

  
Lord Capulet, misinterpreting Juliet's grief, agrees to marry her to Count Paris and threatens to disown her when she refuses.  Juliette pleads for the marriage to be delayed, but her mother rejects her.

Juliet visits Friar Laurence for help, and he offers her a drug that will put her into a death-like coma for forty-two hours.  The Friar promises to send a messenger to inform Romeo of the plan, so that he can rejoin her when she awakens.  On the night before her wedding to the Count, Juliet takes the drug and, when discovered apparently dead, she is laid in the family crypt.

The messenger, however, failed to reach Romeo and, instead, he learned of Juliet's apparent demise from his servant.  Heartbroken, Romeo buys poison from an apothecary and goes to the Capulet crypt.  There, he encounters Count Paris who has come to mourn Juliet privately.

Believing Romeo to be a vandal, Paris confronts him and, in the ensuing battle, Romeo kills Paris.  Still believing Juliet to be dead, Romeo drinks the poison.

Juliet then awakens only to find her beloved Romeo dead.  Unwilling to live without him, she stabs herself with his dagger.

The feuding families and the Prince meet at the tomb to find all three dead.  The Friar recounts their story.  The families are reconciled by their children's deaths and agree to end their violent feud. 

Get Me Out Winners

A big thank you to everyone who entered their comments to win a copy of the fabulous book, Get Me Out.  It was a tough decision, but we have two winners.

Congratulations to Victoria Dixon and Theresa Bruno! 

Thanks again to everyone for your continued support and wonderful enthusiasm.  I'm blessed to have such wonderful readers. 

The Queen of Last Hopes by Susan Higginbotham

The Queen of Last Hope is a comprehensive biographical novel about Margaret of Anjou, Queen consort of King Henry VI of England. Marguerite was known for her learnedness and fierceness and was an exact opposite in personality to her weak, mentally unstable husband who was gentle and pliant and easily lead astray. She enjoyed hunting as well as reading and never hesitated to fight for what she believed in or wanted. Ruthlessly, she would make use of anyone who could further her cause.

Susan Higginbotham has written a highly detailed, historically rich novel about this notorious and formidable woman. The complexity of the times and its numerous colorful personages are accurately depicted within the pages of this novel. To fully understand all the characters and their roles, this is a novel to read slowly.

As the main character, the beautiful first person narrative clearly depicts Margaret's power and strength without delving into the darker aspects of her personality and some of her violent acts.

Above all, this is a story of one woman, determined to fight for her love of family and crown against insurmountable odds at a time when women mattered little to the world other than for breeding. A very enjoyable novel about a brawny medieval queen.

Margaret of Anjou

23 March 1430 – 25 August 1482

Margaret, was the daughter of Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine and the Count of Anjou who later became titular King of Naples and Sicily.

King Rene of Naples and Sicily

Margaret was greatly desired as a bride. In 1444, King Henry VI of England, sent the Earl of Suffolk to France with an embassy to ask for her hand in marriage.

King Henry VI

Margaret's uncle, King Charles VII of France, agreed to the marriage of his niece, but only if he did not have to provide the customary dowry and would receive the lands of Maine and Anjou from the English.

King Louis VII

Margaret was initially married to King Henry by proxy. He was eight years her senior. She crossed the Channel in 1445, and then formally married Henry at Titchfield Abbey in Hampshire. She was only fifteen years old at the time.

In the English Court, Elizabeth Woodville, future Queen of England, served as her Maid of Honour.

Elizabeth Woodville

As a young woman, Margaret was known for her beauty, passion, and proud nature. Born from a long line of strong, indomitable royal women, Margaret, also tenacious and strong willed, became a formidable opponent to anyone who threatened her family or the English Crown.

Her husband, Henry, an inefficient king, possessed a more gentle spirit than his wife. He was more interested in religion and books and less interested in the military issues which plagued his kingdom. He had been placed on the throne when only a few months old. Regents controlled the kingdom on his behalf.

By the time he married Margaret, his mental condition was already precarious. At the time their son, Edward of Westminster was born in 1453, he experienced a complete mental breakdown.

Edward of Westminster and Lancaster

Prince of Wales 

To discredit the boy’s claim to the throne of England, many circulated rumours that Edward was illegitimate and the result of an adulterous affair with either Edmund Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset or James Butler, Earl of Wiltshire, both staunch allies of Margaret who supported her against the Duke of Gloucester and his war party.

She retired from London to live in Greenwich and occupied herself with the care of her young son. When the ambitious Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York was appointed regent while Henry was mentally incapacitated, she fought against him with true vitriolic belligerence because he posed a true threat to ursurp her husband’s crown. The Duke of York was influential and prominent, while Henry was gullible, malleable, and mentally unsound. Margaret, insolent and audacious and highly in disfavour, became boldly determined to preserve the English crown for her son. She became a powerful force against the Yorks in the War of the Roses.

Richard Plantagent

Duke of York

After the King’s recovery, Margaret became more involved in politics and persuaded her husband to dissolve Parliament then raise an army to crush those she believed were his opponents.

Margaret won on the battlefield and was merciless to her enemies. Threats on her life were not uncommon. When the Duke of York’s son annihilated her forces, she and Henry escaped to Scotland before embarking for France to seek help from her uncle King Louis XI. He lent Margaret a small force and she returned to Scotland. But it failed and Margaret and Henry were soon reduced to the most abysmal of circumstances.

In 1463, she again became dependent on the charity of her father as she waited for an opportunity to strike at England. That opportunity came in 1471, but her forces were beaten and her son slain. Margaret was taken captive and held in various English castles until 1475 when King Louis XI negotiated her release. She lived in Anjou and lived in extreme poverty until 1482.

Margaret of Anjou in stained glass

Interview with Randi Hutter Epstein, MD - Author of Get Me Out

Randi Hutter Epstein, M.D.

I'm so pleased to share a recent interview with Dr. Randi Hutter Epstein, who is the author of Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank.

I truly enjoyed your book and am so glad you joined us today to tell us more.

What prompted you to explore the history of childbirth?

While I’ve always been fascinated with childbirth stories (I have four children), the real reason I focused on obstetric history is because I’ve always been drawn towards, what I like to call, the gray zone of medicine. That’s the place where there are no definitive answers and doctors and patients make decisions based on a combination of medical information, their own beliefs, and gut feelings. You can say that goes for a lot of medical fields but I believe this so-called gray zone is much larger, or grayer, in obstetrics. First, the patients are healthy which creates an intense doctor-patient dynamic. Secondly, many women have an idea of the kind of birth they have always imagined. Also, as I started to explore I found that the history of childbirth is chock full of wacky advice, eccentric doctors and bizarre experiments.

It seems that today, we are flooded with all kinds of advice books. Was it much easier for our great-great-grandmothers who could give birth without this confusing mass of books?

I was shocked when I discovered that birth-advice manuals are not a thing of modern times. Even before there were books, there were birth-advice papyri. I like to say that every single woman on earth—besides Eve, who had no mothers, friends or sisters telling her what to do—has been bombarded with all kinds of words-of-wisdom about how to conceive, how to stay pregnant, and how to make perfect babies.

Are there any childbirth themes that seem constant throughout history?

Yes. For one, as I’ve mentioned women have always been flooded with advice. But secondly, we have always tried to control this inevitably uncontrollable process. Whether we are drinking red wine, or sniffing spices, or shopping for the perfect sperm, somehow we want to figure out precisely what we can do to make the ideal offspring.

Many people have said that the history of childbirth is a history of men doing things to women. Would you agree?

Absolutely not. The history of childbirth is a history of women and the complicated relationships we have had with our physicians, male and female. Even years ago, when doctors were mostly men and had more power, there were women who were demanding that childbirth be handled in a certain way, for better and for worse. Women at the turn of the 20th century insisted that doctor give them drugs to knock them out because it was their right not to remember childbirth. Later on, in the 1970s, women insisted that doctors withhold drugs because it was their right to experience delivery. We women are not passive victims and we never have been.

So you are saying that women have controlled the history of childbirth?

Not exactly. I am saying that the story is much more complex than the medical establishment dictating everything. Sometimes we have been swayed by our physicians, but our physicians are also swayed by us and by contemporary society. And that’s what made this such a fun story to investigate.

What was your favorite reporting day?

While I love delving into the archives of libraries, my favorite day was in an embryology lab. I had the opportunity to watch a physician retrieve eggs from a woman and then watch as the embryologist mix an egg with sperm. “We’re making a baby!” I cried. To which, the staid embryologist replied, “We are not making a baby. We are just mixing the samples.” (Well, I was watching millions of sperm race to the egg—sperm that we dumped near the egg. I’d say we helped make that baby. It was a thrill.)

Thank you Dr. Epstein!

For anyone who would like to learn more, please visit Dr. Epstein's website at:

Randi Hutter Epstein

Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank, by Randi Hutter

Get Me Out of Here

A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank

By

Randi Hunter Epstein

What can be more relevant to history and women than the miracle of childbirth through the ages? In the book, Get Me Out of Here: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank, author and doctor Randi Hunter Epstein takes the reader on a journey into the history of childbirth from its earliest roots to modern day science. And what a journey it is! What you will find on the book's pages will make you laugh and cry, leave you shocked and surprised, and ultimately proud to be a woman simply because we have endured unspeakable horrors to arrive at today’s standards for childbirth.

Dr. Epstein leaves no stone unturned. For instance, in ancient times, monks wrote the leading book about childbirth, giving vivid instructions from how to get a woman in the mood to how little men thought about women. Yup, you heard it right – monks! From there, the book describes ancient fertility beliefs and practices that will give you nightmares long after the book is finished.

I shed tears when I read the chapter about the brutality of c-sections in medieval times. I laughed at some of the quotes written in the margins, i.e.: “Not a few women of good normal minds have gone to seed, become dumb, patient, brooding animals after the exhaustion of a succession of painful births.” How about following in the footsteps of Catherine de Medici and drinking cow manure soaked in mare’s urine to enhance you fertility?

Catherine de Medici 

Or how about the 19th century treatment of postpartum women being sent to the roof of a New York hospital to lay outside in the cold in order to prevent childbed fever?

One chapter delves deeply into the practices of the notorious Dr. J. Marion Sims who conducted live and prolonged medical experiments on slave women before the Civil War in order to conduct fistula repairs; a difficult chapter to read, but one that shows how his macabre procedures did ultimately produce some advancement in gynaecological treatments.

Another chapter describes how the Chamberlen family invented and kept secret the use of forceps for two hundred years in order to charge exorbitant fees when using the devices, thereby becoming increasing their wealth.

Chamberlen Forceps

Dr. Epstein shows us that even today, with all the medical and scientific advancements the world has made, we still have much to learn about the making babies. What really makes this book stand out is the author’s own voice. It feels as if she is speaking to the reader with ease and in a no-nonsense manner that is easy to understand and honestly portrayed, even when the subject matter is difficult to broach. Dr. Epstein lays out all the ethical and moral questions and lets you, the reader, see both sides in a frank portrayal of the facts. What lends credibility is the fact that the author is a medical doctor and a mother of four. She is knowledgeable when describing ultrasounds, artificial insemination, invitro fertilization, and many other of today’s fertility topics.

I have to say, this is a most enjoyable book; entertaining, engaging, and fresh. One that every woman should read in order to understand how far we have come and how far we have yet to travel. Thank you, Dr. Epstein, for the wonderful history lesson.



Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank

A big reminder to everyone that we are giving away two copies of the book - Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank. 

This is a fascinating book that describes the sometimes laughable, sometimes horrific practices for childbirth methods from earliest times to modern day.  I promise you that you'll learn lots and be surprised or even shocked.  It's a fabulous book written by Dr. Randi Hutter Epstein and well worth having on your bookshelf.

One book will be given away to a Canadian resident and one for a U.S. Resident.

Entering is simple: 

1.  Leave a comment on the 18th or 19th of January about the book or the author.

2.  Include your email address.  This is most  the most important step.  Without it, I can't contact you.

3.  Be a follower of this blog.  And I do check... 

4.  Be sure to state whether you're either Canadian or American

Here's a video presention by Dr. Epstein called "A Romp through Childbirth History."  It is a talk given on the upper west side of New York City, December, 2010. 

Enjoy and I do hope you'll stop by and visit on the 18th and 19th.

  

Signora da Vinci by Robin Maxwell

Leonardo da Vinci was a man of many secrets.  Much is known of his work and his art, but little is known of his private life other than the fact he was born the illegitimate son of a wealthy nobleman and the daughter of an apothecaryin the town of Vinci.  Of his mother, even less is known.  Her name was Caterina and Leonardo was ripped from loving arms as an infant to live with his father's family. After that, nothing else is known. 

Robin Maxwell takes the reader on an incredible journey exploring Leonardo's life through the eyes of his loving mother, a remarkable woman in her own right.  She takes us to Renaissance Italy; to Florence, Rome, Milan, and Pavia.  Along the way, she breathes life into a 15th century world fraught with danger and famous personages. 

Through impeccable research, she introduces the reader to Lorenzo Medici, Sandro Botticelli, Rodrigo Borgio, the evil zealot Savonarola, and the rich Sforza family.  There is little she does not leave unexplored.  In great detail, she explains Leonardo's flying machines and the painting of the Mona Lisa.  She provides readers with a means of understanding how the Lirey Shroud could possibly be a forgery by Leonardo da Vinci himself.

For those who adore the history of Italy in the mysterious and exciting era of the Renaissance, this book will greatly satisfy.  Rich with detail, the novel moves the reader from tears to laughter as this poignant story unfolds.

              

Queens and Empresses: From Cleopatra to Queen Victoria by Mark Hichens

Queens and Empresses: From Cleopatra to Queen Victoria
by Mark Hichens

If you love biographies about famous women throughout history, then this is a fabulous book to have on your bookshelf. The author, Mark Hichens, has put together a collection of biographies gathered from many different eras and numerous countries. Presented in chronological order according to era, the book opens with Cleopatra and ends with Queen Victoria.

Each biography is surprisingly thorough with plenty of detail, well-researched, and written in a pleasing voice and good pace. I found the biographies to be historically accurate and with enough detail so as to keep the reader interested without overwhelming them. All of the women presented, have previously had their lives recreated in popular fiction, and although many readers will be familiar with each woman’s story, it’s a pleasant change to read about their lives, from start to finish, in one succinct chapter.

The eleven women are:

Cleopatra

Catherine de Medici

Mary Queen of Scots

Elizabeth I

Maria Theresa of Austria

Christina of Sweden

Catherine I of Russia

Catherine II of Russia

Marie Antoinette

Empress Josephine Bonaparte

Queen Victoria

The thread of commonality between each woman is their ability to overcome adversity in worlds where women were of lesser importance. Each woman managed to strengthen their seats of power and leadership based on a combination of shrewd wit, wild luck, or profound sacrifice. Some were most beloved, but others were greatly detested. Several, courageously faced execution. Whether they loved their husbands or were forced into marriages of political convenience, each woman’s story is compelling.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I hope the author produces more such books in the future with lesser known royal women. I, for one, found this book fascinating and I look forward to more.

Office Etiquette Years Ago

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Novel Release - The Blighted Troth

 

I wanted to share my good news. My latest novel, The Blighted Troth, is scheduled for release February 2011. It's a tale of New France set in 1702 to 1703 during the small pox epidemic.

At heart, I'm a do-it-yourself person.  One of the most important things to me is to be able to create something I'm passionate about.  A book cover is like art - a very personal choice that one must absolutely love.  So as an author, I've toyed about with my own cover.  It isn't easy learning a new photo program and going about it by trial and error.  But after three days of frustration, I think I've finally produced a cover I rather like. I feel the woman actually looks like how I imagined my heroine would look like. 

It's not sealed in stone yet, but comments are always welcome.  Is it eye-catching enough?  Is it pleasant?  Are the colors too bold?  Do you find it believable?  Would this cover make you want to pick up the book and turn it over to read the back cover blurb? 

These are questions I'm asking myself - likely that all authors ask themselves when they are preparing to launch a new release. 

Only time will tell.  For now, it's been a wonderful journey simply to be the one creating a cover that the author feels depicts the time and the heroine.  I'd love your comments about whether you love it or hate it.

Italian Folk Tale - The Clever Girl

The Clever Girl
(An Italian Folk Tale)

A COUNTRYMAN and his wife at work in the fields left their little daughter in her cradle at home. An old, old woman crept softly, softly in, and kissed the child on her eyes and her forehead. "I bring you two gifts," she said, "Beauty and Wit." When the parents returned they hardly knew the little one again, so beautiful had she become. And when she grew to be a big girl, none in all the countryside was so lovely or so clever.

Now, one day, when he was working in his vineyard, the peasant found a mortar made of solid gold. "It's of little use to me," he said, "but what a fine gift for the King! I'll set off this very minute." And he ran into the house to put on his Sunday coat. But Pina, his daughter, said, "You'd better do no such thing. If you show the mortar to the King, he'll only say, 'What is the use of a mortar without a pestle?'" "Nonsense!" replied her father. And off he went.

He made his way into the Palace, threw himself before the King, and said, "Please, your Majesty, will you accept this gift?"

"Very nice! Very nice!" replied the King, taking the mortar in his hand. "But where is the pestle?" "I found no pestle," said the peasant.

"Found a mortar without a pestle? Impossible! You are keeping it back. If you do not bring me the pestle by to-morrow morning I'll have you thrown into prison for a thief!"

The poor countryman stared, and then as he was turning away, said, "Ah, what a wise girl is my daughter!"

"What's that you're saying?" asked the King.

"Only that my daughter Pina told me your Majesty would be sure to ask for the pestle instead of being pleased with the mortar alone. She said I was a fool to give it you."

"Then your daughter is a great deal cleverer than yourself." Now, the King was not a bad man at heart, but rather greedy, and very capricious, rather like a spoilt child. "Hark ye," he went on, "I'll give that clever daughter of yours something to do. See! Take her this flax and tell her to spin from it linen enough to make shirts for my whole army." And he handed the poor dazed man the flax, and distaffs and spindles made of fish-bones. "If she refuses, or if she is not able to do it, I'll have you both put in prison. Ha! ha! Good-bye!"

There was a fine task to take home to his poor daughter! But Pina only laughed.

"Leave me the flax," she said; "and take the distaffs and spindles back; and tell the King that I am spinning busily; and that I shall make the shirts for his whole army when he has made me a loom out of these fishbones."

You may think that the peasant did not like to take such a message to the King. But he took it, nevertheless. Perhaps the King would be in a more reasonable humour this morning. When he repeated what Pina had said, the King stared in amazement. "Well, it's a bold daughter you've got, my man! She is no common girl. I should like to see her; and perhaps I can find her a husband. Tell her she may stop spinning the yarn; and she must come and see me here. But there is one condition"--the King loved to tease--"she must come neither with clothes on, nor naked, neither walking on her feet, nor riding on horse, ass, or mule. Ha! ha! Good-day to you, my man!"

"What next?" said the poor distracted father. "For all her cleverness this task is beyond her."

He gave her the King's message; and she only laughed. "Oh, that's easy enough!" she said.

Then she went to her room, took off her clothes, let down her long thick hair, which fell to her feet, and drew it close round her by a great net. Then she went out to the field, caught her father's old ram, put one foot over its back, and hopped along the road to the town on the other. Thus she reached the Palace.

When the King saw her he laughed aloud in great good humour; and he said, "One could never be dull with such a wife! Pina, will you marry me?"

So the King married Pina, the peasant's clever daughter, and they lived happily and merrily together. But one day, when he was riding out in the country, the King spied a fine horse grazing in a meadow. "That's a splendid animal!" he said. "I have not its like in my stud." And he ordered his servant to seize it and bring it back to the royal stables. Of course, the farmer who owned the horse was very angry, and came to claim it; but the King sent him away scornfully. Queen Pina, who had been present, begged him to act justly, to restore the horse and beg the farmer's pardon, or else offer to buy it for a fair price. But her husband was very obstinate, and refused.

So the Queen sent secretly for the farmer, and suggested to him a means whereby he might get back his horse. The farmer listened and acted on her advice. With a net thrown about him, he went up and down the town, and round and round the outside of the Palace, crying, "Ho! ho! the fisherman! Who wants to catch fish with me?" Up and down the town he went with this cry, and round and round the Palace, stopping always before the King's own windows. At last the King could stand it no longer, and he bawled out, "Be off with you! Would you have us catching fish in the streets? You're a fine fisher, you country bumpkin! And it's a fine catch you'll get in my gutters."

"And you're a fine fisher of horses!" retorted the farmer. "And a fine haul you made in my meadow!"

And the King, who liked a good answer, laughed heartily, and ordered his servants to give back the horse to its toaster. Nevertheless, he was very angry; and when the man had gone, he called for his wife and said, "I know who put the fellow up to that trick. It was you. You have no care for my interests. You like country bumpkins best. Be off with you! Out of my house!"

Then Queen. Pina answered, "Very well, your Majesty, I'll go back again to my home. They will be glad to see me, all the country bumpkins. But it is hardly fair I should go away empty-handed. When you married me you said, 'Whatever is most precious in this palace belongs to you!'"

"Oh, take whatever you like! Only, be off with you!"

Now, Pina had some fairy gifts; and by means of one of these she threw her husband into a deep sleep. And when he was fast asleep she ordered a great coach to draw up before the palace door, and had him carried into it. Then she got in herself, and they drove away to her father's cottage. When at last he woke he found Pina sitting by him. But where were they? It seemed a very small place, and the light was dim; and his couch uncommonly hard.

"Where am I? Where am I?" he cried out in some alarm. "What has happened?"

"Only what you ordered," replied Pina. You sent me away, you remember. But you told me I might take with me the most precious thing in the palace. So I did. I brought you!"

Then the King laughed, and laughed again, till the cottage rafters rang. And he laughed all the way back in the coach. Of course, Queen Pina sat by him, laughing too. They never parted any more. And their reign was a long and a merry one.