With these thistles and nettles she can feed a donkey which she can ride whenever she likes ; under this humble roof no weather can hurt her ; she will drink the water of this brook and eat frogs -- which grow very fat about here ; and then she will have me always with her , handsome , agreeable , and gay as you see me now . For if her shadow stays by her more closely than I do I shall be surprised . '' The unhappy Queen , seeing all at once what a miserable life her daughter would have with this Dwarf could not bear the idea , and fell down insensible without saying a word . When she revived she found to her great surprise that she was lying in her own bed at home , and , what was more , that she had on the loveliest lace night cap that she had ever seen in her life . At first she thought that all her adventures , the terrible lions , and her promise to the Yellow Dwarf that he should marry Bellissima , must have been a dream , but there was the new cap with its beautiful ribbon and lace to remind her that it was all true , which made her so unhappy that she could neither eat , drink , nor sleep for thinking of it . The Princess , who , in spite of her wilfulness , really loved her mother with all her heart , was much grieved when she saw her looking so sad , and often asked her what was the matter ; but the Queen , who did n't want her to find out the truth , only said that she was ill , or that one of her neighbors was threatening to make war against her . Bellissima knew quite well that something was being hidden from her -- and that neither of these was the real reason of the Queen 's uneasiness . So she made up her mind that she would go and consult the Fairy of the Desert about it , especially as she had often heard how wise she was , and she thought that at the same time she might ask her advice as to whether it would be as well to be married , or not . So , with great care , she made some of the proper cake to pacify the lions , and one night went up to her room very early , pretending that she was going to bed ; but instead of that , she wrapped herself in a long white veil , and went down a secret staircase , and set off all by herself to find the Witch . But when she got as far as the same fatal orange tree , and saw it covered with flowers and fruit , she stopped and began to gather some of the oranges -- and then , putting down her basket , she sat down to eat them . But when it was time to go on again the basket had disappeared and , though she looked everywhere , not a trace of it could she find . The more she hunted for it , the more frightened she got , and at last she began to cry . Then all at once she saw before her the Yellow Dwarf . `` What 's the matter with you , my pretty one ? '' said he . `` What are you crying about ? '' `` Alas ! '' she answered ; `` no wonder that I am crying , seeing that I have lost the basket of cake that was to help me to get safely to the cave of the Fairy of the Desert . '' `` And what do you want with her , pretty one ? '' said the little monster , `` for I am a friend of hers , and , for the matter of that , I am quite as clever as she is . ''
`` The Queen , my mother , '' replied the Princess , `` has lately fallen into such deep sadness that I fear that she will die ; and I am afraid XXXXX perhaps I am the cause of it , for she very much wishes me to be married , and I must tell you truly that as yet I have not found anyone I consider worthy to be my husband .
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