THE STORY OF THE QUEEN OF THE FLOWERY ISLES There once lived a queen who ruled over the Flowery Isles , whose husband , to her extreme grief , died a few years after their marriage . On being left a widow she devoted herself almost entirely to the education of the two charming princesses , her only children . The elder of them was so lovely that as she grew up her mother greatly feared she would excite the jealousy of the Queen of all the Isles , who prided herself on being the most beautiful woman in the world , and insisted on all rivals bowing before her charms . In order the better to gratify her vanity she had urged the king , her husband , to make war on all the surrounding islands , and as his greatest wish was to please her , the only conditions he imposed on any newly-conquered country was that each princess of every royal house should attend his court as soon as she was fifteen years old , and do homage to the transcendent beauty of his queen . The Queen of the Flowery Isles , well aware of this law , was fully determined to present her daughter to the proud queen as soon as her fifteenth birthday was past . The queen herself had heard a rumour of the young princess 's great beauty , and awaited her visit with some anxiety , which soon developed into jealousy , for when the interview took place it was impossible not to be dazzled by such radiant charms , and she was obliged to admit that she had never beheld anyone so exquisitely lovely . Of course she thought in her own mind ` excepting myself ! ' for nothing could have made her believe it possible that anyone could eclipse her . But the outspoken admiration of the entire court soon undeceived her , and made her so angry that she pretended illness and retired to her own rooms , so as to avoid witnessing the princess 's triumph . She also sent word to the Queen of the Flowery Isles that she was sorry not to be well enough to see her again , and advised her to return to her own states with the princess , her daughter . This message was entrusted to one of the great ladies of the court , who was an old friend of the Queen of the Flowery Isles , and who advised her not to wait to take a formal leave but to go home as fast as she could . The Queen was not slow to take the hint , and lost no time in obeying it . Being well aware of the magic powers of the incensed queen , she warned her daughter that she was threatened by some great danger if she left the palace for any reason whatever during the next six months . The princess promised obedience , and no pains were spared to make the time pass pleasantly for her . The six months were nearly at an end , and on the very last day a splendid fête was to take place in a lovely meadow quite near the palace . The princess , who had been able to watch all the preparations from her window , implored her mother to let her go as far as the meadow ; and the queen , thinking all risks must be over , consented , and promised to take her there herself . The whole court was delighted to see their much-loved princess at liberty , and everyone set off in high glee to join in the fête . The princess , overjoyed at being once more in the open air , was walking a little in advance of her party when suddenly the earth opened under her feet and closed again after swallowing her up ! -LSB- Illustration : The Princess is swallowed up by the Earth . -RSB- The queen fainted away with terror , and the younger princess burst into floods of tears and could hardly be dragged away from the fatal spot , whilst the court was overwhelmed with horror at so great a calamity .
Orders were given to bore the XXXXX to a great depth , but in vain ; not a trace of the vanished princess was to be found .
QUEEN conditions daughter earth grief husband mind place preparations states