Just wait a moment , you ungrateful wretch , and I will show you to what a pass your want of gratitude has brought you . ' With these words he hurried away , and returned with a mirror , which he held up before Renzolla . At the sight of her ugly , hairy face , the girl nearly fainted with horror , and she broke into loud sobs at seeing her countenance so changed . -LSB- Illustration : RENZOLLA SEES HER FACE IN THE MIRROR -RSB- Then the old man said : ` You must remember , Renzolla , that you are a peasant 's daughter , and that the fairy turned you into a queen ; but you were ungrateful , and never as much as thanked her for all she had done for you . Therefore she has determined to punish you . But if you wish to lose your long white beard , throw yourself at the fairy 's feet and implore her to forgive you . She has a tender heart , and will , perhaps , take pity on you . ' Renzolla , who was really sorry for her conduct , took the old man 's advice , and the fairy not only gave her back her former face , but she dressed her in a gold embroidered dress , presented her with a beautiful carriage , and brought her back , accompanied by a host of servants , to her husband . When the king saw her looking as beautiful as ever , he fell in love with her once more , and bitterly repented having caused her so much suffering . So Renzolla lived happily ever afterwards , for she loved her husband , honoured the fairy , and was grateful to the old man for having told her the truth . -LSB- From the Italian , Kletke . -RSB- WHAT CAME OF PICKING FLOWERS There was once a woman who had three daughters whom she loved very much . One day the eldest was walking in a water-meadow , when she saw a pink growing in the stream . She stooped to pick the flower , but her hand had scarcely touched it , when she vanished altogether . The next morning the second sister went out into the meadow , to see if she could find any traces of the lost girl , and as a branch of lovely roses lay trailing across her path , she bent down to move it away , and in so doing , could not resist plucking one of the roses . In a moment she too had disappeared . Wondering what could have become of her two sisters , the youngest followed in their footsteps , and fell a victim to a branch of delicious white jessamine . So the old woman was left without any daughters at all . She wept , and wept , and wept , all day and all night , and went on weeping so long , that her son , who had been a little boy when his sisters disappeared , grew up to be a tall youth . Then one night he asked his mother to tell him what was the matter .
When he had heard the whole story , he said , ` Give me your blessing , mother , and I will go and search the world till I XXXXX them . '
broke countenance dressed find held honoured loved seeing wait want