"Then," said Hans, at the dictation of Bertha, "it is false; the body
was never found, but one of her intriguing sisters, anxious to usurp the
crown, gave out to her followers that she had found the body, and
ordered a mock funeral." "Thou liest, thou liest!" shouted the two knights, both at once. "Let it be put to the proof," said Hans. "Let the coffin be
disinterred, and if the body be found therein I will lose my head on the
spot where I stand; but if the body of the princess be not found
therein, then shall ye, the champions of the two usurpers, lose _your_
heads." "It would be sacrilege to disturb the dead," said the knights. "We
cannot agree to the proposition." But the people called out, "It is well said; 'tis a fair trial." The two knights began to remonstrate, but their voices were drowned by
the herd, who wished the matter settled by the disinterment of the body. When the commotion had ceased a little Hans lifted up his voice, and
said to the multitude, being instructed, as usual, by his spouse, "It is
the pleasure of the Princess Bertha, whom you now see before you, that
she be taken instantly to the presence of the arch-priest of this city,
who has known her well from infancy, and who baptised her. He, as you
all know, citizens, is a man of good repute. Should he recognise the
Princess Bertha, let her have her rights; but if he says it is another
like to her, let the coffin of the supposed defunct be opened publicly,
that all may be satisfied." "Sacrilege, sacrilege!" cried the knights. "No, no!" cried the populace; "the stranger knight has well said. It is
most fair. To the arch-priest, to the arch-priest!" The crowd made room for Hans, and conducted him to the palace of the
arch-priest. When the good man saw this great crowd in front of his
palace he came out to demand the reason, and was informed that the
Princess Bertha, whom all believed to be dead, had returned to the city
with a champion who was ready to maintain her right to the crown,
provided that the arch-priest himself, who knew her well, should testify
to her identity. "Show me this champion," said the priest. Hans then rode up, and holding in his hand the diminutive princess,
placed her in the hands of the arch-priest. The crowd pressed hard together while the aged priest took out his
spectacles and examined the tender form minutely. "In good sooth," he exclaimed, "it is the Princess Bertha and none
other. My fair princess, what treachery has been at work to deprive thee
of thy rights?" "You know me then, holy father?" "Know thee, daughter," quoth the old man, tenderly. "Methinks it were
difficult to make a mistake." "You hear then, O people," cried the little princess, straining her
feeble voice to its utmost pitch, till it resembled the squeaking of a
fife; "you hear that the venerable arch-priest has recognised me." "Ay, ay, your royal highness; long life to you, and welcome to the
throne!" cried the populace. Then a great cheering arose. "Long live the Princess Bertha, our rightful queen!" But some of the faction for the Princess Clothilde called out, "It is
false; she is dead and buried, we will not be imposed upon by this man
and his dwarf." "The arch-priest recognises her," cried others. "The arch-priest dotes;
he is mistaken," cried they for the Princess Clothilde. "Let the coffin of the princess be exhumed!" cried the crowd, and they
appealed to the priest, who consented that the coffin should be opened
in the presence of all the people. "Where is the undertaker?" cried one of the crowd. "Here!" cried a voice. "Let him come forward." Then the crowd made room for the undertaker, and one amongst them asked
him if he had placed the late princess in the coffin with his own hands. He replied in the negative. "Who closed the coffin, then?" asked the former questioner. "The Princess Clothilde herself," answered the undertaker. "That seems suspicious," said another; "she also is said to have found
the body, which she concealed in her cloak and allowed nobody to see." "Because," answered one of the faction, for Clothilde, "because the
body, being already in an advanced state of decay, she was unwilling to
make a disgusting exhibition of the remains of her sister, who she so
dearly loved. We are witnesses of her emotion upon finding her sister's
body." "It is false," cried Hans; "the Princess Clothilde is a hypocrite and an
usurper, and has plotted to obtain the crown for herself." "Treason, treason!" cried the faction for Clothilde. But those in favour
of the Princess Bertha applauded the words of Hans, and cried out, "We
shall see if the remains be in the coffin." After waiting some little time longer, the coffin was exhumed and given
into the hands of the arch-priest, who, standing upon the balcony of his
palace, opened the coffin with his penknife in the presence of all the
crowd, and found therein nothing but cinders, which he emptied into the
street below. "I hope now, citizens, you are convinced that foul play is at the bottom
of it all," said the old priest. "Ay," cried the crowd, "most vile treachery--down with the Princess
Clothilde; we will have none to reign over us but the Princess Bertha." "Stay a moment," shouted the champion for the Princess Clothilde. "What
was there in the coffin if not the body of the Princess Bertha?" "Nothing but dust and ashes," answered the arch-priest. "A sign that decomposition has already taken place," responded the
former. "That is no proof that the princess Bertha was not buried in the
coffin." But the crowd laughed him to scorn, saying that it was scarce a
fortnight ago since the princess was missed, and that it was impossible
the body should have decomposed so rapidly. The arch-priest then gave his word of honour to all present that he had
found nothing in the coffin but cinders from the grate. One of the crowd below picked up a cinder which had fallen from the
coffin, and cried out, "The holy father speaks the truth, for the coffin
contained nothing but cinders of burnt wood." Then the champion for the Princess Clothilde, fearing that all were
siding with Bertha, called out in a loud voice, "Long live the Princess
Clothilde!" But the crowd hissed, and showed signs of disapprobation. Then the other champion for her twin sister called out, "Long live the
Princess Carlotta!" but he, too, was hissed. Then spake out Hans. "Whoever objects to the Princess Bertha being queen, let him do battle
with me." Hans then threw down his gauntlet, which was immediately picked up by
Clothilde's champion. Our little princess took refuge once more in her husband's helmet, and
whispered in his ear to keep his lance steadily directed towards the
breast of his foe, and then, touching him with the wand again, she
rendered him proof against all mortal harm.