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Speaker 1: Hello friends, and welcome to sleep Tight Stories. I have

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Speaker 1: a message today for your parents and guardians. Just before

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Speaker 1: we start our story, we'd like to ask you to

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Speaker 1: please consider becoming a member on our Patreon page. Patreon

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Speaker 1: is a membership app and website that allows you to

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Speaker 1: support our work in providing calming bedtime stories to children

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Speaker 1: of all ages. In return, you will continue to receive

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Speaker 1: ad free stories, extra and exclusive content, and more. Please

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Speaker 1: visit us at Patreon slash sleep Tight Stories. The White Cat.

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Speaker 1: There was once a king who had three sons, all

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Speaker 1: handsome and brave. But he heard that they wished to

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Speaker 1: reign now. Instead of waiting until he passed, he decided

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Speaker 1: to give them something to occupy their minds. So he

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Speaker 1: called them to his room and said, you must agree

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Speaker 1: with me, my dear children, that at my great age,

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Speaker 1: I cannot manage the business of my kingdom as I

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Speaker 1: used to, and as I am intending to retire in

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Speaker 1: the country. It seems to me that a clever, faithful

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Speaker 1: dog would be very good company. And I promise you

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Speaker 1: that whoever brings me the most beautiful little dog at

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Speaker 1: once will become the next king. The princes were surprised

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Speaker 1: to hear their fathers wish for a little dog, but

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Speaker 1: agreed with pleasure to go in search of one. They

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Speaker 1: said goodbye to the king, who gave them money and jewels,

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Speaker 1: announcing that in a year he should expect them to return,

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Speaker 1: all on the same day and at the same hour,

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Speaker 1: bringing to him their little dogs. Then the princes set out,

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Speaker 1: each by a different road, agreeing in a year's time

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Speaker 1: to meet at a certain place a short distance from

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Speaker 1: their home. The two older brothers met with many adventures,

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Speaker 1: but it is only the youngest that we shall follow.

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Speaker 1: This youngest prince was very courteous, merry, clever, and accomplished.

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Speaker 1: He was tall, handsome, and all that a prince should be.

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Speaker 1: Very Seldom a day passed without his buying dogs, little dogs,

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Speaker 1: big dogs, sporting dogs, spaniels, hounds, dogs of all sorts.

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Speaker 1: When he found a beautiful one, and then came across

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Speaker 1: a still better, he let the first one go, for

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Speaker 1: being alone, he could not take care of thirty or

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Speaker 1: forty thousand dogs. He traveled on, keeping to one road,

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Speaker 1: until on a certain night, during a storm of thunder

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Speaker 1: and rain, he lost his way, and after some wandering,

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Speaker 1: arrived at a most superb castle, where nobody was to

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Speaker 1: be seen but about a dozen mice, all holding torches.

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Speaker 1: Other mice pushed him forwards and guided him through one

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Speaker 1: apartment after another, all so rich in precious stones and

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Speaker 1: beautiful paintings. After passing through sixty rooms, the mice stopped him,

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Speaker 1: and here his wet garments were taken away and he

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Speaker 1: was given the most exc whiz it clothes to wear.

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Speaker 1: The mice then took him into a banqueting hall where

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Speaker 1: a little figure not two feet high, covered with a

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Speaker 1: long black veil, entered, followed by a great procession of cats.

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Speaker 1: The prince was much too astonished to move. The little

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Speaker 1: figure approached him, raising the veil, and he saw the

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Speaker 1: most beautiful white cat he had ever beheld. Addressing the prince,

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Speaker 1: she said, King's son, welcome, My feline. Majesty sees you

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Speaker 1: with pleasure. Madam Cat replied the Prince, it is very

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Speaker 1: good of you to welcome me like this, but you

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Speaker 1: are not an ordinary cat, being able to speak and

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Speaker 1: having this superb castle. After they had talked for a

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Speaker 1: little while, supper was served to them, during which the

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Speaker 1: Prince entertained the cat by telling her all sorts of

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Speaker 1: news and he discovered that she was well informed as

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Speaker 1: to what was taking place in the world. When supper

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Speaker 1: was over, various cats came in, dressed in fancy costumes

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Speaker 1: and danced a ballet. Then the white cat said good

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Speaker 1: night to her visitor, and the mice, which had guided

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Speaker 1: him before, led him to a bedchamber. Early the next morning,

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Speaker 1: the mice woke him up, and after he dressed in

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Speaker 1: handsome hunting costume, he was led to the courtyard, where

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Speaker 1: he found the white cat on the back of a

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Speaker 1: splendid monkey, with about five hundred other cats assembled, all

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Speaker 1: ready for the chase. Never had the prince enjoyed anything

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Speaker 1: so much, for although mounted upon only a wooden horse,

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Speaker 1: he rode at a great pace. Day after day passed

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Speaker 1: in such delights the prince almost forgot his own country.

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Speaker 1: A year passes very quickly when one has no care

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Speaker 1: or trouble and is enjoying life. But the White cat

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Speaker 1: knew when the prince should return home and reminded him, saying,

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Speaker 1: don't you know you have only three days to look

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Speaker 1: for the little dog for your father, and that you're

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Speaker 1: brothers will have found the most beautiful Then the prince

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Speaker 1: came to himself and cried, by what charm have you

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Speaker 1: made me? Forget? What is so important? Where shall I

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Speaker 1: find the dog and a horse swift enough for such

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Speaker 1: a journey? And he was in great distress. The white

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Speaker 1: cat comforted him, however, saying that the wooden horse would

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Speaker 1: take him to his journey's end quickly enough, and that

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Speaker 1: she herself would also provide the little doc Then she

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Speaker 1: handed to him a walnut, saying, put your ear to

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Speaker 1: this shell, and you will hear embarking. So the prince

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Speaker 1: met his brothers, and they came into the king's presence.

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Speaker 1: The two elder sons had brought little dogs so delicate

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Speaker 1: and small that one hardly dared to touch them, and

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Speaker 1: none could decide which should have the kingdom. Then the

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Speaker 1: youngest took from his pocket the nut the cat had

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Speaker 1: given to him, and there was seen a little dog

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Speaker 1: so tiny that it could go through a ring without

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Speaker 1: touching it. He was also able to dance and play

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Speaker 1: the castanets while his ears touched the ground. The king

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Speaker 1: was embarrassed, for it was impossible to find a flaw

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Speaker 1: in this lovely little creature. However, as he did not

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Speaker 1: desire to part with his crown just yet, he declared

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Speaker 1: that they had succeeded so well in their first quest

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Speaker 1: that now he should like them to search by land

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Speaker 1: and sea for a piece of linen so fine that

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Speaker 1: it would pass through the eye of a very small needle.

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Speaker 1: Then the three princes set out once more, but the

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Speaker 1: youngest mounted his wooden horse and returned at once to

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Speaker 1: the White Cat, who was rejoiced to see him. And

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Speaker 1: the second year passed by as quickly as the first

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Speaker 1: had done. When the day came round, appointed by the

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Speaker 1: King for the return of his sons, the two elder

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Speaker 1: appeared before him, and, without waiting for the rival of

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Speaker 1: their brother displayed their pieces of linen, which were a

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Speaker 1: fineness quite astonishing. But although they would pass through the

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Speaker 1: eye of a large needle, through the small needle the

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Speaker 1: king had selected, they would not go. There was much

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Speaker 1: murmuring at this, and while the brothers were disputing the

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Speaker 1: king's decision, a charming sound was heard of trumpets and

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Speaker 1: other musical instruments. It was the youngest prince who arrived

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Speaker 1: in a chariot provided for him by the White Cat.

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Speaker 1: After respectfully greeting his father and embracing his brothers, he

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Speaker 1: took out of a jeweled box a nut, which he broke.

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Speaker 1: On breaking the nut, he found a cherry stone. The

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Speaker 1: stone was broken, and there was the kernel. In the

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Speaker 1: kernel was a grain of corn. In the grain of

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Speaker 1: corn a seed, and within that a piece of linen

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Speaker 1: so fine that it passed six times through the smallest

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Speaker 1: needle's eye. And on it were exquisite paintings of people

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Speaker 1: and places. The king heaved a deep sigh, and, turning

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Speaker 1: to his children, set nothing pleases me in my old

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Speaker 1: age so much as you fulfilling my desires, and I

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Speaker 1: wish for you to prove it once more. Travelful your year,

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Speaker 1: and he who at the end of the year brings

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Speaker 1: home the most beautiful girl shall marry her and be

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Speaker 1: crowned king on his marriage. I promise you that I

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Speaker 1: will not defer this reward any longer. Our prince saw

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Speaker 1: the injustice of all this. His little dog and piece

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Speaker 1: of linen were worth ten kingdoms, not only one. But

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Speaker 1: he was too well brought up to go against his

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Speaker 1: father's wishes. And mounting his chariot, he returned to the

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Speaker 1: White Cat's castle. Well, King's son said, the White Cat,

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Speaker 1: you have returned once more without your crown madam answered

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Speaker 1: the Prince. Your gifts should have gained it for me,

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Speaker 1: but I am convinced that the king would have more

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Speaker 1: pain in giving it up than I should have pleasure

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Speaker 1: in possessing it. Never Mind, she replied, you shall not

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Speaker 1: neglect anything that may deserve it, and if you must

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Speaker 1: conduct a beautiful girl to your father's court, I will

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Speaker 1: look for one so that you may gain the prize. Meanwhile,

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Speaker 1: let us be happy. If the cat had not taken

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Speaker 1: pains to remember the time when he must return to

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Speaker 1: the court, the prince would surely have forgotten it. On

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Speaker 1: the evening before she told him that she would bring

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Speaker 1: him to one of the most beautiful princesses in the world.

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Speaker 1: The cat told the prince that if he was truly

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Speaker 1: her friend, he would send her away from from the

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Speaker 1: castle forever, and that the beautiful princess would be sent

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Speaker 1: to him. The prince argued with his friend the cat,

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Speaker 1: until finally he agreed. Tears flowed from the Prince's eyes

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Speaker 1: as he sent her away into the woods. As he

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Speaker 1: turned to go back into the castle, the most marvelous

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Speaker 1: things happened. The body of the white cat grew large

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Speaker 1: and was changed into that of a girl, her whole

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Speaker 1: appearance beautiful beyond words. Then there entered an immense number

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Speaker 1: of lords and ladies, who, carrying their cats, skins, or

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Speaker 1: them thrown across their shoulders, came and cast themselves at

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Speaker 1: the feet of the queen, expressing their joy at seeing

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Speaker 1: her again in her true form. She received them all

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Speaker 1: with a kindness which showed the goodness of her heart,

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Speaker 1: and then, turning to the prince, she told the story

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Speaker 1: of her life and how by a wicked spell she

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Speaker 1: had been changed into a white cat. But it is you,

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Speaker 1: my prince, who has freed me, she concluded. As soon

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Speaker 1: as I saw you, I knew my troubles were at end.

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Speaker 1: They set out in a splendid carriage. As they drew

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Speaker 1: near the castle where the three brothers were to meet,

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Speaker 1: the queen entered into a little crystal rock ornamented with

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Speaker 1: precious stones, and this was carried by richly dressed young men.

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Speaker 1: The Prince, who had remained in the carriage, saw his

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Speaker 1: brothers approaching with wondrously beautiful ladies. On being questioned, he

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Speaker 1: told them that he had brought a little white cat.

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Speaker 1: They began to laugh at him and drove on followed

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Speaker 1: by the young prince, while after him was brought the

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Speaker 1: crystal rock. Arriving at the palace, the two elder princes

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Speaker 1: dismounted with their marvelous princesses. The king received them graciously

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Speaker 1: and did not know who to award the prize to.

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Speaker 1: He looked at his youngest son and said, this time,

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Speaker 1: then you have come alone, Your majesty, will see in

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Speaker 1: this rock a little white cat who yews sweetly and

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Speaker 1: has soft, little velvet paws, answered the prince. The king

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Speaker 1: smiled and himself went to open the rock, but as

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Speaker 1: he came near, the queen, with a touch made it

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Speaker 1: shatter to pieces, and from out of it she appeared

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Speaker 1: like the sun that has been hidden by clouds. Her

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Speaker 1: fair hair was spread over her shoulders and fell in

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Speaker 1: waves to her feet, and she was dressed in a

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Speaker 1: gown of white and rose color. She made a deep

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Speaker 1: curtsey to the King, who struck with admiration, could not

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Speaker 1: help exclaiming, here is one who is matchless, and she

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Speaker 1: deserves my crown. Sire. She answered, I have not come

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Speaker 1: to take away the throne. I have six kingdoms. Allow

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Speaker 1: me to offer you one, and I will give one

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Speaker 1: of them to each of your sons. In return, all

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Speaker 1: I ask of you is that I might marry this

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Speaker 1: young prince. We shall still have three kingdoms. The king

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Speaker 1: and all the court uttered loud cries of joy. The

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Speaker 1: marriage was at once celebrated, also that of the other

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Speaker 1: two princes, and in such a manner that the court

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Speaker 1: spent several months in celebration. Then each one of them

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Speaker 1: departed to rule his kingdom, the White Cat, making herself

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Speaker 1: ever remembered as much by her kindness and generosity as

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Speaker 1: her rare merit and beauty,