"I can say nothing against that," answered the Princess.
So the Prince remained at Court, and came to please her more and more. But as she too was of a mischievous disposition, she endeavored in every way to mislead him and persuade him to draw his hand out of his girdle and take something from her. She conversed much with him, and made him presents of flowers, bonbons, and smelling-bottles, and at last even of her bracelet. Many times his hands twitched, but he felt the pressure of the belt and recollected himself, nodded to the Marshal who collected the things, and said:
"We think of it."
Now the Princess became impatient, and so one day she began after this fashion:
"My handkerchief has fallen down; could your Highness pick it up for me?"
The Prince took the handkerchief by the ends of his toes and waved it; the Princess bent down, took the handkerchief from his feet, and cried out, angrily:
"I am thinking of it."
A year had passed thus, and the Princess said to herself, "It cannot continue so; an end must be made of the affair, in one way or the other." So she began thus to the Prince:
"I have the loveliest garden in the world, which I will show your Highness to-morrow."
The Prince smelt at his apple again. When they came to the garden the Prince began: