Dizzy from Fools

A French artist, Tharlet gives an endearing, distinctively individual look to the characters in Miller's ebullient tale. Soft colors grace the paintings of a toylike young princess and the members of her father's court. When the king announces a contest for court jester, his daughter disguises herself and joins the aspirants, even when her mother declares that the idea of a female fool is ""PRE-posterous!'' In her sly fashion, the princess stumps the king with two riddles, an unprecedented feat, making her the winner over so many rivals that the court is ``dizzy from fools.'' But she has to resort to more wiles before she can do the cap-and-bells officially. Hurray for a charming, non-didactic boost to feminism. (5up)