asked the king . ` Surely the princess is beautiful enough to please anyone ? ' ` She is certainly very handsome , ' replied the equerry , ` but to be really happy in love something more than beauty is required . To tell the truth , sire , ' he added , ` her expression seems to me hard . ' ` That is pride and dignity , ' said the king , ` and nothing can be more becoming . ' ` Pride or hardness , as you will , ' said the equerry ; ` but to my mind the choice of so many fierce creatures for her amusements seems to tell of a fierce nature , and I also think there is something suspicious in the care taken to prevent her speaking . ' The equerry 's remarks were full of good sense ; but as opposition is only apt to increase love in the hearts of men , and especially of kings who hate being contradicted , this king begged , the very next day , for the hand of the Princess Mutinosa . It was granted him on two conditions . The first was that the wedding should take place the very next day ; and the second , that he should not speak to the princess till she was his wife ; to all of which the king agreed , in spite of his equerry 's objections , so that the first word he heard his bride utter was the ` Yes ' she spoke at their marriage . Once married , however , she no longer placed any check on herself , and her ladies-in-waiting came in for plenty of rude speeches -- even the king did not escape scolding ; but as he was a good-tempered man , and very much in love , he bore it patiently . A few days after the wedding the newly married pair set out for their kingdom without leaving many regrets behind . The good equerry 's fears proved only too true , as the king found out to his cost . The young queen made herself most disagreeable to all her court , her spite and bad temper knew no bounds , and before the end of a month she was known far and wide as a regular vixen . One day , when riding out , she met a poor old woman walking along the road , who made a curtsy and was going on , when the queen had her stopped , and cried : ` You are a very impertinent person ; do n't you know that I am the queen ? And how dare you not make me a deeper curtsy ? ' ` Madam , ' said the old woman , ' I have never learnt how to measure curtsies ; but I had no wish to fail in proper respect . ' ` What ! ' screamed the queen ; ` she dares to answer ! Tie her to my horse 's tail and I 'll just carry her at once to the best dancing-master in the town to learn how to curtsy . ' The old woman shrieked for mercy , but the queen would not listen , and only mocked when she said she was protected by the fairies .
At last the poor old thing submitted XXXXX be tied up , but when the queen urged her horse on he never stirred .
after before behind by for on than that to without