"Oh! don't, please!" cried Irene. "Won't you hold it to my frock and my
hands and my face? And I'm afraid my feet and my knees want it too!"
"No," answered her grandmother, smiling a little sadly, as she threw
the
rose from her; "it is too hot for you yet. It would set your frock in a
flame. Besides, I don't want to make you clean to-night. I want your
nurse and the rest of the people to see you as you are, for you will
have to tell them how you ran away for fear of the long-legged cat. I
should like to wash you, but they would not believe you then. Do you
see
that bath behind you?"
The princess looked, and saw a large oval tub of silver, shining
brilliantly in the light of the wonderful lamp.
"Go and look into it," said the lady.
Irene went, and came back very silently, with her eyes shining.
"What did you see?" asked her grandmother.
"The sky and the moon and the stars," she answered. "It looked as if
Madhuri Noah
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