Atondido Stories
Time passed and at last there was a great feast day celebrated
in the city. Everybody in the palace went except the little maid
who minded the hens. After everybody had gone away Dionysia
decided that she would go to the festa too. She combed her hair
and put on her gown which was the colour of the fields and all
their flowers. In this wonderful gown she was sure nobody
would ever guess that she was the little maid who had been left
at home to mind the hens. She did want to go to the festa! She
hurried there as fast as she could and arrived just in time for the
dances.
Everybody at the festa noticed the beautiful maiden in her
gown the colour of the fields and all their flowers. The prince fell
madly in love with her. Nobody had ever seen her before and
nobody could find out who the beautiful stranger was or where
she came from. Before the festa was over Dionysia slipped away,
and, when the rest of the royal household returned home there
was the little maid minding the hens just as they had left her.
The second day of the festa everybody went early except the
little maid who looked after the hens. When the others had gone
she put on her dress the colour of the sea and all its fishes and
went to the festa. She attracted even more attention than she had
the day before.
When the festa was over and the royal household had re-
turned to the royal palace, the prince remarked to his mother,
"Don't you think that the beautiful stranger at the festa looks like
the little maid who minds our hens?"
"What nonsense," replied his mother. "How could the little
maid who minds our hens ever get such wonderful gowns to
wear?" Just to make sure, however, the prince told the royal
councillor to find out if the little maid who minds the royal hens
had been to the festa. All the servants told about leaving her at
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