"
"But," continued the princess, "how shall I be sure my parrot is not a
sorcerer?"
"He is more in love than any sorcerer can be," replied the prince.
At this moment Abricotina entered the room, and falling at her lovely
mistress's feet, gave her a full account of what had befallen her, and
described the prince in the most glowing colours.
"I should have hated all men," added she, "had I not seen him! Oh,
madam, how charming he is! His air and all his behaviour have
something in them so noble; and though whatever he spoke was
infinitely pleasing, yet I think I did well in not bringing him
hither."
To this the princess said nothing, but she asked Abricotina a hundred
other questions concerning the prince; whether she knew his name, his
country, his birth, from whence he came, and whither he was going; and
after this she fell into a profound thoughtfulness.
Leander observed everything, and continued to chatter as he had
begun--
"Abricotina is ungrateful, madam," said he; "that poor stranger will
die for grief if he sees you not."
"Well, parrot, let him die," answered the princess, with a sigh; "and
since thou undertakest to reason like a person of wit, and not like a
little bird, I forbid thee to talk to me any more of this unknown
person."
Leander was overjoyed to find that Abricotina's and the parrot's
discourse had made such an impression on the princess.
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