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While he lay thinking and repenting, he heard a window open and saw Zelia throw out of it a bit of dainty meat. Cherry, who felt hungry enough by this time, was just about to eat it, when the woman to whom he had given his crust snatched him up in her arms. "Poor little beast!" cried she, patting him, "every bit of food in that palace is poisoned: you shall not touch a morsel."
He flew up to the palace-windows, and, finding one of them open, entered and sought everywhere, but he could not find Zelia. Then, in despair, he flew out again, resolved to go over the world until he beheld her once more. He took flight at once, and traversed many countries, swiftly as a bird can, but found no trace of his beloved.
He never doubted that she would be only too glad to be made a queen, for she was very poor. But Zelia that was her name answered, to his great astonishment, that she would rather not marry him. "Do I displease you?" asked the prince, into whose mind it had never entered that he could displease anybody. "Not at all, my prince," said the honest peasant-maiden.
This touched Cherry on his weak point his good impulses faded; he resolved once more to ask Zelia if she would marry him, and, if she again refused, to sell her as a slave. Arrived at the cell in which she was confined, what was his astonishment to find her gone! He knew not who to accuse, for he had kept the key in his pocket the whole time.
Alas! what could a poor little dog do to defend her? But he ran forward and barked at the men, and bit their heels, until at last they chased him away with heavy blows. And then he lay down outside the palace door, determined to watch and see what had become of Zelia. Conscience pricked him now.
She, charmed with the pretty little pigeon, caressed it in her turn, and promised it that, if it would stay with her, she would love it always. "What have you done, Zelia?" said the hermit, smiling; and while he spoke the white pigeon vanished, and there stood Prince Cherry in his own natural form. "Your enchantment ended, prince, when Zelia promised to love you.
Soon she looked quite recovered, and Cherry, delighted, was trotting back again to his kennel, when he heard loud cries, and saw a young girl dragged by four men to the door of the palace, which they were trying to compel her to enter. Oh, how he wished himself a monster again, as when he slew the tiger! for the young girl was no other than his beloved Zelia.
At length in a desert, sitting beside an old hermit in his cave and par-taking with him his frugal repast, Cherry saw a poor peasant girl and recognized Zelia. Transported with joy, he flew in, perched on her shoulder, and expressed his delight and affection by a thousand caresses.
While he lay thinking and repenting, he heard a window open, and saw Zelia throw out of it a bit of dainty meat. Cherry, who felt hungry enough by this time, was just about to eat it, when the woman to whom he had given his crust snatched him up in her arms. "Poor little beast!" cried she, patting him, "every bit of food in that palace is poisoned: you shall not touch a morsel."
And at the same time the voice in the air repeated again, "Good actions never go unrewarded;" and Cherry found himself changed into a beautiful little white pigeon. He remembered with joy that white was the colour of the Fairy Candide, and began to hope that she was taking him into favour again. So he stretched his wings, delighted that he might now have a chance of approaching his fair Zelia.
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