When he reached the castle, Michael went straight to the gardener and
offered his services. Now it happened that the garden boy had just been
sent away, and though the Star Gazer did not look very sturdy, the
gardener agreed to take him, as he thought that his pretty face and
golden curls would please the princesses.
The first thing he was told was that when the princesses got up he was
to present each one with a bouquet, and Michael thought that if he had
nothing more unpleasant to do than that he should get on very well.
Accordingly he placed himself behind the door of the princesses’ room,
with the twelve bouquets in a basket. He gave one to each of the
sisters, and they took them without even deigning to look at the lad,
except Lina the youngest, who fixed her large black eyes as soft as
velvet on him, and exclaimed, ‘Oh, how pretty he is—our new flower
boy!’ The rest all burst out laughing, and the eldest pointed out that
a princess ought never to lower herself by looking at a garden boy.
Now Michael knew quite well what had happened to all the princes, but
notwithstanding, the beautiful eyes of the Princess Lina inspired him
with a violent longing to try his fate. Unhappily he did not dare to
come forward, being afraid that he should only be jeered at, or even
turned away from the castle on account of his impudence.
V
Nevertheless, the Star Gazer had another dream. The lady in the golden
dress appeared to him once more, holding in one hand two young laurel
trees, a cherry laurel and a rose laurel, and in the other hand a
little golden rake, a little golden bucket, and a silken towel. She
thus addressed him:
‘Plant these two laurels in two large pots, rake them over with the
rake, water them with the bucket, and wipe them with the towel. When
they have grown as tall as a girl of fifteen, say to each of them, ‘’My
beautiful laurel, with the golden rake I have raked you, with the
golden bucket I have watered you, with the silken towel I have wiped
you.‘’ Then after that ask anything you choose, and the laurels will
give it to you.’
Michael thanked the lady in the golden dress, and when he woke he found
the two laurel bushes beside him. So he carefully obeyed the orders he
had been given by the lady.
The trees grew very fast, and when they were as tall as a girl of
fifteen he said to the cherry laurel, ‘My lovely cherry laurel, with
the golden rake I have raked thee, with the golden bucket I have
watered thee, with the silken towel I have wiped thee. Teach me how to
become invisible.’ Then there instantly appeared on the laurel a pretty
white flower, which Michael gathered and stuck into his button-hole.