The great day appeared to Diamantina to be long in coming , but , like other days , it came at last . Before the sun was fairly up in the heavens the princess , too full of excitement to stay in the palace , was walking about the streets so covered with precious stones that you had to shade your eyes before you could look at her . By-and-by a trumpet sounded , and she hurried home , only to appear again in a few moments walking by the side of her father down to the river . Here a splendid barge was waiting for them , and from it they watched all sorts of races and feats of swimming and diving . When these were over the barge proceeded up the river to the field where the dancing and concerts were to take place , and after the prizes had been given away to the winners , and the loaves and the dresses had been distributed by the princess , they bade farewell to their guests , and turned to step into the barge which was to carry them back to the palace . Then a dreadful thing happened . As the king stepped on board the boat one of the sandals of the white slipper , which had got loose , caught in a nail that was sticking out , and caused the king to stumble . The pain was great , and unconsciously he turned and shook his foot , so that the sandals gave way , and in a moment the precious shoe was in the river . It had all occurred so quickly that nobody had noticed the loss of the slipper , not even the princess , whom the king 's cries speedily brought to his side . ` What is the matter , dear father ? ' asked she . But the king could not tell her ; and only managed to gasp out : ` My shoe ! my shoe ! ' While the sailors stood round staring , thinking that his majesty had suddenly gone mad . Seeing her father 's eyes fixed on the stream , Diamantina looked hastily in that direction . There , dancing on the current , was the point of something white , which became more and more distant the longer they watched it . The king could bear the sight no more , and , besides , now that the healing ointment in the shoe had been removed the pain in his foot was as bad as ever ; he gave a sudden cry , staggered , and fell over the bulwarks into the water . In an instant the river was covered with bobbing heads all swimming their fastest towards the king , who had been carried far down by the swift current . At length one swimmer , stronger than the rest , seized hold of his tunic , and drew him to the bank , where a thousand eager hands were ready to haul him out . He was carried , unconscious , to the side of his daughter , who had fainted with terror on seeing her father disappear below the surface , and together they were place in a coach and driven to the palace , where the best doctors in the city were awaiting their arrival .
In a few hours the princess was as well as ever ; but the pain , the wetting , and the shock of the accident , all told severely on the king , and for three XXXXX he lay in a high fever .
Diamantina arrival bulwarks days direction palace rest stream streets swimmer