Then she grew impatient; she took the rose, and said:
“Rose, Rose, bring to me
Everything I wish to see.”
Then suddenly the air was filled with soap bubbles; little ones, big ones, floated all over the garden.
“Oh, aren’t they lovely!” cried Lilla, holding out her arms to catch some; and then a bubble larger than the others opened, and closed around the golden rose, and lifted it out of her hand, floated quickly away with it, higher, higher, higher, until Lilla could no longer see it.
She watched and watched until only two soap bubbles were to be seen; then she sank on her knees, and stretched out her hands after them.
But it was too late; her rose was gone, the bubbles were gone, and she was no longer a princess. Her hair was as short as it ever had been, and her crown had disappeared.
It was of no use to return to the castle now, as the people would not know her. Where should she go? What could she do? She was so worried that she cried aloud, and you can imagine how glad she was to hear her own mother’s voice saying:
“Lilla, dear, you must have fallen asleep. Come, wake up! Tell mother about your dream.”
“Why, mother, it was just like a story,” said Lilla, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.