Publisher's Synopsis
ONCE upon a time there lived in the village of Montignies-sur-Roc a little cow-boy, withouteither father or mother. His real name was Michael, but he was always called the Star Gazer, becausewhen he drove his cows over the commons to seek for pasture, he went along with his head in theair, gaping at nothing.As he had a white skin, blue eyes, and hair that curled all over his head, the village girls used to cryafter him, 'Well, Star Gazer, what are you doing?' and Michael would answer, 'Oh, nothing, ' and goon his way without even turning to look at them.The fact was he thought them very ugly, with their sun-burnt necks, their great red hands, theircoarse petticoats and their wooden shoes. He had heard that somewhere in the world there weregirls whose necks were white and whose hands were small, who were always dressed in the finestsilks and laces, and were called princesses, and while his companions round the fire saw nothing inthe flames but common everyday fancies, he dreamed that he had the happiness to marry a princess.IIOne morning about the middle of August, just at mid-day when the sun was hottest, Michael atehis dinner of a piece of dry bread, and went to sleep under an oak. And while he slept he dreamt thatthere appeared before him a beautiful lady, dressed in a robe of cloth of gold, who said to him: 'Goto the castle of Beloeil, and there you shall marry a princess.'That evening the little cow-boy, who had been thinking a great deal about the advice of the ladyin the golden dress, told his dream to the farm people. But, as was natural, they only laughed at theStar Gazer
