A dream comes true for a poor young cowherd in this enchanting fairy tale of French origin.

Everyone sneers at Michael, because each day when he tends his cows in the pasture, he dreams lovely, impossible daydreams. One day, he has a special dream of marrying a princess from the nearby castle—but this time he surprises his scoffers by boldly setting out to make the dream come true.

In the magnificent castle, Michael finds not one, but twelve lovely princesses—all under a mysterious enchantment. For although they are carefully locked in their rooms every night, each morning their satin dancing slippers are worn through with holes! The Duke has proclaimed that anyone who can discover the answer to this mystery may marry one of the princesses, so Michael takes a job as a gardener's helper, determined to solve the puzzle. He is particularly eager to help Lina, the youngest princess, who has eyes as black as velvet and is the only one of the twelve who is kinds to a poor gardener's boy.

How Michael breaks the spell, and how he passes an unexpected, even more difficult test, provides a satisfying ending to the fanciful tale. Rich, full-color illustrations by Adrienne Adams are a delightful accompaniment. 

From the dust jacket