Shall I bring in your bundle of faggots every day ? ' ` It is enough that you should have made the offer , ' replied the old woman ; and she added , holding out a skein of thread , ` Take this ; one day you will be thankful for it , and when it becomes useless your difficulties will be past . ' ` Is it the skein of my life ? ' he asked . ` It is the skein of your love 's ill-luck , ' she said . And he took it and went away . Now the fairy Girouette , who had brought up Souci , had an old friend called Grimace , the protectress of Prince Fluet . Grimace often talked over the young prince 's affairs with Girouette , and , when she decided that he was old enough to govern his own kingdom , consulted Girouette as to a suitable wife . Girouette , who never stopped to think or to make inquiries , drew such a delightful picture of Minon-Minette that Grimace determined to spare no pains to bring about the marriage , and accordingly Fluet was presented at court . But though the young man was pleasant and handsome , the princess thought him rather womanish in some ways , and displayed her opinion so openly as to draw upon herself and Aveline the anger of the fairy , who declared that Minon-Minette should never know happiness till she had found a bridge without an arch and a bird without feathers . So saying , she also went away . Before the king set out afresh on his travels Aveline had restored to him his horse and his sword , and though these were but small consolation for the absence of the princess , they were better than nothing , for he felt that somehow they might be the means of leading him back to her . After crossing several deserts the king arrived at length in a country that seemed inhabited , but the instant he stepped over the border he was seized and flung into chains , and dragged at once to the capital . He asked his guards why he was treated like this , but the only answer he got was that he was in the territory of the Iron King , for in those days countries had no names of their own , but were called after their rulers . The young man was led into the presence of the Iron King , who was seated on a black throne in a hall also hung with black , as a token of mourning for all the relations whom he had put to death . ` What are you doing in my country ? ' he cried fiercely . ' I came here by accident , ' replied Souci , ` and if I ever escape from your clutches I will take warning by you and treat my subjects differently . ' ` Do you dare to insult me in my own court ? ' cried the king .
` Away with him XXXXX Little Ease ! '
After by for in like on over than that to