"
Prince Percinet, who was the page, cast one look at his fair Graciosa
and obeyed; but no sooner had the duchess mounted, than the horse ran
away with her and dragged her over briers, stones, and mud, and
finally threw her into a deep ditch. Her head was cut in several
places, and her arm fractured. They picked her up in little pieces,
like a broken wineglass; never was there a poor bride in worse plight.
But in spite of her sufferings her malice remained. She sent for the
king:
"This is all Graciosa's fault; she wished to kill me. I desire that
your majesty will punish her, or leave me to do it--else I will
certainly be revenged upon you both."
The king, afraid of losing his casks full of gold pieces, consented,
and Graciosa was commanded to appear. She came trembling and looking
round vainly for Prince Percinet. The cruel Grognon ordered four
women, ugly as witches, to take her and strip off her fine clothes,
and whip her with rods till her white shoulders were red with blood.
But lo! as soon as the rods touched her, they turned into bundles of
feathers, and the women tired themselves to death with whipping,
without hurting Graciosa the least in the world!
"Ah! kind Percinet, what do I not owe you? What should I do without
you!" sighed the princess, when she was taken back to her own chamber
and her nurse. And then she saw the prince standing before her, in his
green dress and his white plume, the most charming of pages.
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