Page:The German Novelists (Volume 2).djvu/217

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EBERHARDT.
207

his hypocritical attentions upon the Queen, with affected filial respect, that he felt as if a dagger went to his heart.

And though his indignation was all in vain, he could not refrain from sometimes betraying it by biting at his fingers when he touched him, striking with his little wings, and uttering the most sharp and lamentable notes, at which the Queen and her supposed son appeared much amused.

In addition to her nightingale, however, she had another favorite in her apartments, which had been presented to her when she was only twelve years of age. It was a lap dog, and from that time, it had never been absent from her side; a very faithful little creature, but it was very old, very cross, and very ill. And alas, one morning the princess found it lying dead upon its cushion near her bed, whence it had hitherto always sprang to salute her in the morning.

This was a cruel blow upon the Queen; she could not conceal her grief, and declared her fixed determination to have the little dog stuffed, so as to be enabled to keep him still near her.

All this was communicated to our royal Dervise, who instantly waited upon the Queen in order to console her on her loss. In the mean time, however, the real king had availed himself himself of this occurrence to leave the body of the bird, and take pos-