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264 THE PRINCESS IN DISGUISE.
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fright when he heard the order: " You must certainly have let a hair fall into the soup ; if you have, I shall thrash you," he said.
As soon as he appeared, the king said: " Who cooked this soup ?"
" I cooked it," he replied.
"That is not true," said the king, "this soup is made quite differently and much better than you ever made it."
Then the cook was obliged to confess that Roughskin had made the soup.
" Go and send her to me," said the king.
As soon as she appeared, the king said to her, " Who art thou, maiden ?"
She replied, " I am a poor child without father or mother."
He asked again, " Why are you in my castle?"
" Because I am trying to earn my bread by helping the cook," ehe replied.
" How came this ring in the soup ?" he said again.
" I know nothing about the ring," she replied.
When the king found he could learn nothing from Roughskin he sent her away. A little time after this, there was another festival, and Roughskin had again permission from the cook to go and see the visitors; "but," he added, "come back in half-an-hour and cook for the king the soup that he is so fond of."
She promised to return, and ran quickly into her little stable, washed off the stains, and took out of the nut-shell her dress, silvery as the moon, and put it on. Then she appeared at the castle like a king's daughter, and the king came to receive her with great pleasure, he was so glad to see her again, and while the dancing continued, the king kept her as his partner. When the ball ended, she disappeared so quickly?that the king could not imagine what had become of her. But she had rushed down to her stable, made herself again the rough little creature that was called Roughskin, and went into the kitchen to cook the soup.
While the cook was upstairs she fetched the golden spinning-wheel and dropped it into the soup as soon as it was ready. The king again ate it with great relish \ it was as good as before, and when he sent for the cook and asked who made it he was obliged to own that it was Roughskin. She was also ordered to appear before the kin#, but he could get nothing out of her, excepting |
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