The Green Fairy Book, page 189 by Andrew Lang
<< Return to Title Details & Download190
e astonished at its beauty, and could hardly believe his eyes.
‘Well, you certainly are a splendid workman,' he said to the Prince. ‘I see you are very clever with your hands, now I must see if you are equally accomplished with your head. I have thirty daughters in my house, all beautiful princesses. To-morrow I will place the whole thirty in a row. You must walk past them three times, and the third time you must show me which is my youngest daughter Hyacinthia. If you don't guess rightly, you shall lose your head.'
‘This time you've made a mistake,' thought Prince Milan, and going to his room he sat down at the window. Just fancy my not recognising the beautiful Hyacinthia! Why, that is the easiest thing in the world.'
‘Not so easy as you think,' cried the little bee, who was flying past. ‘If I weren't to help you, you'd never guess. We are thirty sisters so exactly alike that our own father can hardly distinguish us apart.'
‘Then what am I to do?' asked Prince Milan.
‘Listen,' answered Hyacinthia. ‘You will recognise me by a tiny fly I shall have on my left cheek, but be careful for you might easily make a mistake.'
The next day the Magician again commanded Prince Milan to be led before him. His daughters were all arranged in a straight row in front of him, dressed exactly alike, and with their eyes bent on the ground.
‘Now, you genius,' said the Magician, ‘look at these beauties three times, and then tell us which is the Princess Hyacinthia.'
Prince Milan went past them and looked at them closely. But they were all so precisely alike that they looked like one face reflected in thirty mirrors, and the fly was nowhere to be seen; the second time he passed them he still saw nothing; but the third time he perceived a little fly stealing down one cheek, causing it to blush a faint pink. Then the Prince seized the girl's hand and cried out, ‘This is the Princess Hyacinthia!'
‘You're