Dorothy saw a little mouse scud
before her; then in an instant the princess had him! But the moment the
princess lifted the mouse, he became a gray pigeon, all dressed for
cooking.
The princess sat down on the hearth and put the pigeon on the coals to
broil.
"You had better eat your stew," said she; "I won't offer you any of this
pigeon, because you could not help suspecting it was mouse."
So Dorothy timidly took up the stew, and began to eat it; she was in
reality nearly starved.
"Now," said the Persian princess, when she had finished, "you had better
do that mending, while I finish cooking and eat my own supper."
Dorothy obeyed. By the time the apron was neatly mended, the princess
had finished cooking and eaten the pigeon. "Now, I wish to talk a little
to you," said she. "I feel as if you deserved my confidence since you
have penetrated my disguise. I am a Persian princess, as I said before,
and I am travelling incognita to see the world and improve my mind, and
also to rescue my brother, who is a Maltese prince and enchanted. My
brother, when very young, went on his travels, was shipwrecked on the
coast of Malta, and became a prince of that island. But he had enemies,
and was enchanted. He is now a Maltese cat. I disguise myself as a cat
in order to find him more readily. Now, for what do you most wish?"
Dorothy courtesied; she was really too impressed to speak.
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