Perhaps you will remember that Longue Epine did not like Princess
Desiree, but she greatly admired Prince Guerrier, for she had seen his
portrait speaking, and she had told her mother, the Lady in Waiting,
that she should die if he married Desiree.
The King and Queen had begged the Lady in Waiting to take the greatest
of care of their dear daughter, and above all to be heedful that she
did not see the light of day until her fifteenth birthday, saying that
the ambassador had promised that until then she should be placed where
there was no other light than that of candles. But now as they drew
near their destination, while it was broad daylight the wicked woman,
urged by her envious daughter, Longue Epine, all at once took a large
knife which she had brought for the purpose, and with it cut the
covering of the carriage.
Then, for the first time, the Princess Desiree saw the light of day!!!
Hardly had she perceived it when, uttering a deep sigh, she threw
herself from the carriage, and in the form of a white fawn fleetly
fled into a forest near by.
The Fairy of the Fountain, who was the cause of this disaster seeing
that all who were accompanying the Princess were about to hasten to
the town to tell the Prince Guerrier what had happened, called up a
great thunderstorm and scattered them in every direction.
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