But she was so ugly that nothing could make her look nice , and what was worse , she was sulky and ill-tempered , and did nothing but grumble all the time . When she stepped from the boat and the escort sent by the King of the Peacocks caught sight of her , they were so surprised that they could not say a single word . ` Now then , look alive , ' cried the false Princess . ` If you do n't bring me something to eat I will have all your heads cut off ! ' Then they whispered one to another : ` Here 's a pretty state of things ! she is as wicked as she is ugly . What a bride for our poor King ! She certainly was not worth bringing from the other end of the world ! ' But she went on ordering them all about , and for no fault at all would give slaps and pinches to everyone she could reach . As the procession was so long it advanced but slowly , and the nurse 's daughter sat up in her carriage trying to look like a Queen . But the peacocks , who were sitting upon every tree waiting to salute her , and who had made up their minds to cry , ` Long live our beautiful Queen ! ' when they caught sight of the false bride could not help crying instead : ` Oh ! how ugly she is ! ' Which offended her so much that she said to the guards : ` Make haste and kill all these insolent peacocks who have dared to insult me . ' But the peacocks only flew away , laughing at her . The rogue of a boatman , who noticed all this , said softly to the nurse : ` This is a bad business for us , gossip ; your daughter ought to have been prettier . ' But she answered : ` Be quiet , stupid , or you will spoil everything . ' Now they told the King that the Princess was approaching . ` Well , ' said he , ` did her brothers tell me truly ? Is she prettier than her portrait ? '
` Sire , ' they answered , ` if she were XXXXX pretty that would do very well . '
If as at by for of on than that to