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Now the Hind with a sudden fright found its heels again, and, just because she wanted so much to stay, she bounded off as fast as she could go, and never stopped till she reached home, where in great excitement she told Giroflee all that had happened.

The Prince, when he returned and found that the Hind had disappeared, went back also to the hut, and told the old woman that the Hind had deserted him just when he had been so very kind to it and had gone in search of food for it. The Warrior Prince then explained to Becafigue that it was only to see the little Hind that he had remained so long, and that on the morrow he would depart and go away. But he did not.

The Princess in the meantime resolved to go a long way into the forest on the morrow, so as to miss the Prince; but he guessed her little trick, and so the next day he did the same as she. Then, suddenly, in the distance he saw the Hind so plainly that he let fly an arrow to attract its attention. What was his dismay to see the arrow pierce the flank of the poor little Hind! She fell down immediately on a mossy bank, and swiftly the Prince ran up. He was so upset at what had happened, that he flew and got leaves and stopped the bleeding. Then he said:

‘Is it not your fault, little flier? You ran away and left me yesterday, and the same would have happened to-day if this had not occurred.’

The Hind did not reply at all; what could she say? And besides, she was in too much pain to do anything but moan.

The Prince caressed her again and again. ‘What have I done to you?’ he said. ‘I love you, and I cannot bear to think I have wounded you.’

But her moaning went on. At last the Prince resolved to go to the hut and get something to carry her on, but before he went he tied her up with little ribbons, and they were tied in such a manner that the Princess could not undo them. As she was trying to free herself she saw Giroflee coming towards her, and made a sign to her to hasten; and, strange to say, Giroflee reached her exactly at the same moment as the Prince with Becafigue.

‘I have wounded this little Hind, madam,’ said the Prince, ‘and she is mine.’

‘Sir,’ replied Giroflee, ‘this little Hind is well known to me–and, if you want to see how she recognises me, you will give her her liberty.’

The Prince then cut the ribbons in compliance with her request.

‘Come along, my little Hind,’ said Giroflee; ‘kiss me!’

At this the little Hind threw herself on Giroflee’s neck. ‘Nestle to my heart! Now give me a sigh!’ The Hind obeyed, and the Prince could not doubt that what Giroflee said was true.

‘I give her to you,’ said the Prince; ‘for I see she loves you.’

Now when Becafigue saw Giroflee, he told the Prince that he had seen her in the castle with the Princess Desiree, and that he knew that Giroflee was staying in a part of their own hut. Why could they not find out if the Princess was staying there also? So the following night, the Prince having agreed, Becafigue listened through a chink in the wall of the hut, and what was his surprise to hear two voices talking! One said:

‘Oh, that I might die at once! It would be better than to remain a Hind all the days of my life! What a fate! Only to be myself to you, and to all others a little White Hind! How terrible never to be able to talk to my Prince!’

Becafigue put his eye to the chink and this is what he saw.

There was the Princess in a beautiful dress all shining with gold. In her lovely hair were diamonds, but the tears in her eyes seemed to sparkle even more brightly. She was beautiful beyond words, and disconsolate beyond sorrow.