Everyone turned around to look at the cursed person. It was Corin. Kate was looking at him in a strange way, unsure of whether to feel honoured or not to have a husband under a curse. People sitting next to them began to edge away.

Corin turned green, then white, and then gave a small scream and fainted.

Everyone was silent. The king and queen looked grave, Kate still looked unsure, Corin was still knocked out, and all the other guests were looking terribly frightened. Finally the king whispered an order to one of his servants, and all the guests' horses were brought forth.

The feast ended in silence and fear. All the guests went home in unusual silence, and there was no jesting or laughing. Kate, too, was unusually quiet, and Corin was scared out of his wits. He jumped about a foot high when Kate sneezed, and for the first time in his life he rode like a man. Every time he heard something, he would glance around, then shiver and pull his fur coat around him tighter. Kate felt sorry for her husband, but there was nothing she could think of to cheer him up. When they got home they immediately went to bed. Kate was so worried that for the first time in her life, she did not snore.

The next morning however, everything seemed to be normal. Corin did not topple over, falling into a deep sleep, and the sun still shone, and the grass was still green, though Kate was ready to contradict that fact when she saw the front lawn had turned purple. But she found out what had happened when she caught the servants giggling and pouring a large vat of purple dye onto the grass in the back yard. She put a stop to it immediately, though she did keep the rest of the dye, to dye Corin's lacy white nightgown he had bought from the fair last week. She was sure he would freak out, and couldn't wait to see the look on his face.

But alas, something did happen, something that prevented Kate from carrying out her diabolical plan to dye Corin's white nightgown purple, for a while, at least.

The something happened at high noon of that fateful day. Corin, who had his duties at the castle, had been teaching several young ladies on how to behave if they wanted to become successful in society. Lowering his rear end gently, he sat down on a fluffy pink armchair. "Remember, girls, you must ALWAYS have your ankles crossed properly. Otherwise, how will you find a husband? No one wants to marry a lady who doesn't cross her ankles. And always position your feet so that your feet, in their new shoes, are only just poking out. This will make people ask to see your shoes, which, of course, will be of the latest fashion. When people, most preferably young gentlemen, inquire about your shoes, withdraw your foot gently and hold it out, just so." Corin acted it out perfectly, while fluttering his eyelashes demurely at the invisible gentleman who had asked to see his fashionable shoes. "Do you understand, girls, how to do it?"

"Yes, Madame Corin!" chirped Corin's three pupils.

Next, Corin, after checking that the skirts of his dress were spread, pulled out a tiny piece of embroidery. "And girls, ALWAYS tuck in your elbows. Otherwise, how will you find husbands? No one wants to marry a lady who doesn't tuck in her elbows."

"Yes, Madame Corin!" chirped Corin's three pupils.

"Girls, one of the most important things is to hold your embroidery in such a way that people, ESPECIALLY young gentlemen, are compelled to stand next to you and gaze in awe at your wonderful work. But do NOT hold it in such a way that people feel that you are boasting. And you must also keep your eyes on the person who is talking, all the while embroidering perfectly, with not a stitch out of place."

Suddenly Corin gave a small shriek, for in attempting to act out his own instructions, he had pricked his finger on the needle. Kate, who had been sitting outside the door, listening and looking through the keyhole while holding her sides as she laughed silently, heard the shriek.

Immediately she burst into the room, but alas, the evil curse had done its deed. Having arranged himself elegantly before passing out, Corin now lay still as death.