The king, on hearing this kind invitation, instantly betook
himself to the palace, where he was received in the most
hospitable manner. A hundred pages with torches came to meet him,
a hundred more waited on him at table, and another hundred waved
big fans in the air to keep the flies from him. Renzolla herself
poured out the wine for him, and, so gracefully did she do it,
that his Majesty could not take his eyes off her.

When the meal was finished and the table cleared, the king
retired to sleep, and Renzolla drew the shoes from his feet, at
the same time drawing his heart from his breast. So desperately
had he fallen in love with her, that he called the fairy to him,
and asked her for Renzolla's hand in marriage. As the kind fairy
had only the girl's welfare at heart, she willingly gave her
consent, and not her consent only, but a wedding portion of seven
thousand golden guineas.

The king, full of delight over his good fortune, prepared to take
his departure, accompanied by Renzolla, who never so much as
thanked the fairy for all she had done for her. When the fairy
saw such a base want of gratitude she determined to punish the
girl, and, cursing her, she turned her face into a goat's head.
In a moment Renzolla's pretty mouth stretched out into a snout,
with a beard a yard long at the end of it, her cheeks sank in,
and her shining plaits of hair changed into two sharp horns. When
the king turned round and saw her he thought he must have taken
leave of his senses. He burst into tears, and cried out: ‘Where
is the hair that bound me so tightly, where are the eyes that
pierced through my heart, and where are the lips I kissed? Am I