At last the lamps began, one by one, to go out, and by degrees a softsort of light, like moonlight, settled down on the whomle place; and thefine-dressed servants that had robed the Little Sweetheart inside her blacksatin gown took it off, and put her to bed in a gold bedstead, withgolden silk sheets.

"0h," thought the Little Sweetheart, "I shall never go to sleep in theworld, and I'm sure I don't want to! I shall just keep my eyes open allnight, and look at what happens next."

All the beautiful clothes she had taken off were laid on a sofa near thebed,--the purple satin dress at top, and the big pink satin slipper, withits huge diamond buckle, on the floor in plain sight. "Where is theother?" thought the Little Sweetheart. "I do believe I lost it off.That's the way they come to have so many odd ones. But how queer! I lostoff the tight one! But the big one was pinned to my leg," she exclaimed,speaking out loud before she thought; "that was what kept it on."

"You are talking in your sleep, my love," exclaimed the Prince, who was closeby her side, kissing her.

"Indeed, I am not asleep at all! I always haven't shut my eyes," exclaimed theLittle Sweetheart.