198 The Book of Cats. 



and again the Cat gave him a walnut when the 

 time came for him to return home. The three 

 Princes were summoned before their father, who 

 produced a needle. The first and second Princes 

 brought a piece of cambric which would almost, 

 but not quite, go through the needle's eye. The 

 youngest Prince broke open his walnut-shell : he 

 found inside it a small nut-shell, and then a cherry- 

 stone, and then a grain of wheat, and then a grain 

 of millet, and in this grain of millet a piece of 

 cambric four hundred yards long, which passed 

 easily through the eye of the needle. But the old 

 King said : — 



" He who brings the most beautiful lady shall 

 have the kingdom." 



The Prince went back to the White Cat, and 

 told her what his father had said. She replied — 



" Cut off my head and my tail." 



At last he consented : instantly the Cat was 

 transformed into a beautiful Princess ; for she had 

 been condemned by a wicked fairy to appear as a 

 Cat, till a young Prince should cut off her head and 

 tail. The Prince and Princess went to the old 

 King's court, and she was far more beautiful than 

 the ladies brought by the other two Princes. But 

 she did not want the kingdom, for she had four of 



