GIFT OF 
 Ella Sterling Mighels 
 

 THE OLD 
 
 OLD FAIRY TALES 
 
 COLLECTED AND EDITED 
 
 
 BY MRS. VALENTINE 
 
 Author of " Sea Fights and Land Battles," " The Knight's 
 
 Ransom," etc. 
 
 FULLY ILLUSTRATED 
 
 A. L. BUKT, PUBLISHES, 
 52-58 DUANE STREET, NEW YORK. 
 
IT or 
 
 A 
 
 (7 
 
 . 
 -, s 
 
 
 
5 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 ? HDB tales contained in this volume have been the de- 
 ligh of many generations of children, and can, in fact, 
 cla^ a a very distant origin, though they were retold in 
 their present form as late as the age of Louis XIV. 
 They are generally supposed to have come from the East, 
 for le are to be found in varied forms in all the coun- 
 trie^ of Europe that sent forth Crusaders. 
 
 The earliest collection of these stories in prose was 
 made by Straparola, a native of Garavaggio, in the Mi- 
 lanese, and published by him at Venice in his "Notti 
 Piacevoli," in 1550. They were translated into French 
 in 1560, and from them the well-known "Contes des 
 Fees" were principally taken. 
 
 As children always like stories to be retold in the same 
 words as far as possible, these tales have not been rewrit- 
 ten (except in two cases); the original translations in 
 their quaint simplicity have been collected, and merely 
 corrected so far as to meet the modern ideas of the kind 
 of tale to be given to children; the old ones being occa- 
 sionally a little coarse. 
 
 90S949 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 HM9 
 Goody Two Shoes I 
 
 Patty and her Pitcher 15 
 
 Blanche and Rosalind ,... 29 
 
 Fairer than a Fairy 84 
 
 The Three Soldiers and the Dwarf 57 
 
 The Giant with the Golden Hair 64 
 
 Blue Beard 70 
 
 Diamonds jmd Toads. 77 
 
 Fortunio 81 
 
 Prince Fatal and Prince Fortune 114 
 
 The Beneficent Frog 124 
 
 The Story of Prince Sincere 148 
 
 Princess Rosetta 171 
 
 Babiola.. .... .. 188 
 
 The Story of Prince Tito 195 
 
 The Three Bears 216 
 
 The Good Little Mouse 225 
 
 Septimus 241 
 
 Prince Desire and Princess Mignonetta 276 
 
 Princess Minikin 284 
 
 Prince Cherry 819 
 
 The Princess Maia... , 833 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 GOODY TWO-SHOES. 
 
 Iff the latter part of the reign of Queen Bess there was 
 an honest, industrious countryman named Meanwell, liv- 
 ing upon a small farm which he held under Sir Peter 
 Gripe, a very hard, covetous landlord, who was per- 
 suaded by one of his richer tenants, Hugh Graspall, as 
 greedy as himself, to take away the lands held by Mean- 
 well and other poor tenants, and let him have them to 
 increase his own large farm. 
 
 When Meanwell was thus cruelly turned out of his 
 little farm, which had enabled him to support a wife and 
 two young children, called Tommy and Margery, he tried 
 in vain to find another cottage with land. Care and mis- 
 fortune soon shortened his days; and his wife, not long 
 after, followed him to the grave. On her deathbed she 
 did not repine at her losses and sufferings, but humbly 
 prayed that Heaven would watch over and protect her 
 helpless orphans when she should be taken from them. 
 At her death these poor children were left in a sad 
 plight; and as there were but few people in the village of 
 Mouldwell, where they lived, able to befriend them, they 
 could get no regular meals, and had to make all sorts of 
 shifts to keep themselves from starving. At times, in- 
 deed, they were obliged to put up with the wild fruits 
 and berries that they picked from the hedges. They 
 were also without proper clothes to keep them warm; 
 and as for shoes, they had not even two pairs between 
 them. Tommy, who had to go about more than his sis- 
 ter, had a pair to himself; but little Margery for a long 
 time wore but one shoe. 
 
 These two children in all their trials never ceased to 
 love each other dearly, nor did they forget the good les- 
 sons which their kind mother had taught them. And 
 
2 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 W-eTl did th&y deserve her anxious love, and the earnest 
 prayers she had offered up to Heaven for their welfare. 
 They never murmured, nor ever thought of taking any- 
 thing from their neighbors, however hungry they might 
 be, but were always looking out for some sort of work, 
 although but little of that did they get. But this hard 
 lot really befell them for their good; for without it how 
 
 could their excellent qualities have been so well brought 
 out, and their praiseworthy conduct have become the talk 
 of the village? 
 
 Heaven, indeed, had heard their dying mother's 
 prayers, and had watched over and protected them 
 through all their troubles. Relief was at hand, and 
 better things were in store for them. It happened that 
 Mr. Gpodall, the worthy clergyman of th^ parish, heard 
 of their sad wandering sort of life for tney were with- 
 
' * ; * ' 
 
 . - 
 
 
 ~ . , 
 
 
 
 . . . : . 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 3 
 
 out a home, and had generally to sleep in some barn or 
 outhouse and so he sent for the two children, and 
 kindly offered to shelter them until they could get regu- 
 lar work to do. Immediately after this unlooked-for 
 blessing had fallen upon them, a gentleman of rank and 
 wealth came from London on a visit at the parsonage; 
 and no sooner did he hear the story qf the orphans than 
 his heart warmed toward them, and he resolved to be 
 
 their friend. The very first thing he did was to order a 
 pair of shoes to be made for Margery, and he also placed 
 money in her hand to buy good and suitable clothes 
 with. But he did much more than this for Tommy. 
 Not only did he get clothes for him, but he offered to. 
 take him to London if he would consent to go, promis- 
 ing to put him in a way to do well by going abroad, 
 after he had acquired sufficient knowledge to fit him for 
 such a step. 
 
 When the time arrived for her brother to start off with 
 his generous friend, Margery was in great trouble, and 
 her eyes filling with tears, they embraced each other over 
 and over again; but Tommy, in order to comfort his 
 weeping sister, promised he would not fail to come over 
 
4 OLD, OLD FAIRT TALES. 
 
 to Mouldwell to see her, when he should return from 
 foreign countries. 
 
 After he was gone Margery began to recover her usual 
 cheerfulness. She knew it was of no use to keep on cry- 
 ing; but what helped greatly to put her into good spirits 
 was the pleasure she took in her new shoes. As soon as 
 the old shoemaker brought them she put them on, and 
 ran at once to the clergyman's wife, crying out with glee, 
 as she pointed to them: 
 
 "Two shoes, ma'am! See, two shoes!" 
 
 These words, "two shoes!" she kept on repeating to 
 everybody she met, and by this means came to be called 
 for a long while after by the name of GOODY TWO-SHOES. 
 
 Now Margery was a thoughtful little girl; and after she 
 had lived at the parsonage some time, she noticed more 
 and more how good and wise the clergyman was, and she 
 could only suppose that this was owing to his great 
 learning. The poor girl then felt ashamed of her own 
 ignorance, and was most anxious to learn how to read 
 and write, although at that time in distant country 
 places very little instruction was given to poor children. 
 Mr. Goodall, however, when he found how desirous she 
 was to improve herself in every way kindly taught her 
 what she most wished to know. As he was a clever man, 
 he took care that she should not learn by rote; so, as she 
 advanced, he made her think well over each lesson, and 
 though this made her progress a little slower, she became 
 in good time a better scholar than any of the children 
 who went to the village school. As soon as she found 
 that this was the case she began to reflect that it was 
 her duty to devote some of her spare time, with Mr. 
 Goodall's permission, to the instruction of such poor 
 children as could not go to school. After much think- 
 ing and contriving, she hit upon a simple but clever plan 
 to get these ignorant children to attend to her teaching. 
 She knew that the different letters of the alphabet were 
 sufficient to spell every word only that those used as 
 capital letters were larger than the others. Now as very 
 few books were then printed, and they were scarcely ever 
 to be seen in the hands of poor people, she thought she 
 could get over the difficulty by cutting, with a good 
 knife, out of several pieces of wood, six sets of capital 
 letters like these: 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 6 
 
 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. 
 
 And ten sets of these common letters: 
 
 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz. 
 
 When, after much pains and trouble, she had finished 
 all these wooden letters, she managed with some diffi- 
 culty to borrow an old spelling-book, and, with the help 
 of this, she made her playmates set up the words she 
 wished them to spell. Her usual way with them when 
 she could get several of them together about her was 
 this: Suppose the word to be spelled was "Pudding" 
 (she always chose words at first that sounded pleasantly 
 to her little pupils' ears), one of the children, who were 
 placed in a circle round her, brought the capital letter 
 "P" from the large set; the next picked up "u" from 
 the small set; the next two a "d" each; the next "i," 
 and so on, until the whole word was spelled. Margery, 
 in her simplicity, fancied that the first steps in knowl- 
 edge ought to be as much like play as possible; and the 
 result proved how right she was, for her little companions 
 were always eager for this "game," as they called it, and 
 were very sorry if they were thrown out by picking up a 
 wrong letter, and had to play no more that morning. 
 Before long not only her poor pupils, but their ignorant 
 parents too, were very thankful for the trouble she took 
 in teaching her playfellow.s; and as it often happened 
 they could not be spared to be with her of a morning, 
 she' would then go found to their different cottages to 
 teach them, carrying her wooden letters in a basket. 
 
 On one of these occasions the worthy clergyman asked 
 a friend of his, a substantial yeoman named Rowland, to 
 accompany Margery in her rounds, that he might judge 
 as an eye-witness of the results of her teaching. This 
 good man was much pleased with all he saw and heard; 
 and, as he gave his opinion in writing to Mr. Goodall, we 
 cannot do better than make use of his own words. 
 
 "After setting out, Margery and I, we first came to 
 Jerry Hodge's; and no sooner had we tapped at the door 
 than the cottager's wife came out, and when she saw 
 Margery, said, 'Oh, if it isn't little Goody Two-Shoes; 
 and I am right glad to see thee, that I be! Pray come 
 in, and this good gentleman too, that ye may both see 
 
6 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 how well our Billy has learned his lessons.' The poor 
 little fellow, I found, could not speak plain; but he had 
 learned all his letters, and was quite able to pick them 
 out and put them together in short words when asked 
 to do so. 
 
 "The next place we visited was Widow Giles', who, to 
 protect herself at night, kept a fierce-looking dog, and 
 the moment Margery opened the gate he began barking 
 at a great rate. This called out his mistress, who 
 scolded him sharply for daring to bark at Goody Two- 
 Shoes. After quieting the noisy cur she asked us in, 
 and seemed very proud to show how clever her littk ' 
 Sally was in learning her lessons; indeed, T found the 
 child was very ready at spelling, and she pronounced the 
 words clearly and correctly also. 
 
 "We then called at Toby Cook's cottage. Here a 
 number of children were met together to play, who all 
 came round Margery very fondly, and begged her to 'set 
 the game' for them. She then took out her wooden let- 
 ters from her basket, an^d asked the girl who was next to 
 her what she was to have for dinner. 'Apple pie,' she 
 .answered, and went to look for a capital 'A;' the next 
 ,two produced a 'p' each, and so they went on until they 
 had spelled 'Apple pie' complete. Other words were 
 given by the children, chiefly the names of things they 
 liked and were used to, such as bread, milk, beef, etc., 
 which were for the most part spelled carefully, very few 
 mistakes having been made, until the game was finished. 
 After this, she set them the following lesson to get by 
 heart: 
 
 ' He that will thrive Tell me with whom you go, 
 
 Must rise by five.' ' And I'll tell what you do/ 
 
 'He that has thriven 'A friend in need 
 
 May lie till seven/ Is a friend indeed/ 
 
 ' Truth may be blamed, Love your friends who are true, 
 
 But cannot be shamed/ And your friends will love you/ 
 
 "Margery next took me to see Kitty Sullen. This 
 little girl used to be very self-willed and vain, because 
 she could dress more finely than the poor cottagers' 
 children. I was glad to see, however, that she paid at- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 7 
 
 tention to Margery's good advice; and I hear it generally 
 reported that Madge has done wonders by setting her an 
 example of humility and kindness, and that she has 
 much softened her stubborn heart. 
 
 "On our way homeward we saw a well-dressed gentle- 
 man sitting under a couple of great trees, at the corner 
 of the rookery. He had a sort of crutch by him, and 
 seemed to be ailing. But perhaps this was partly put on, 
 that he might try Margery's wit; for as soon as he saw 
 us he called out to her to come near him, and then said, 
 
 more in jest than in pain/'Bray little maid, can you tell 
 me what I must do to get well?' 'Yes, good sir,' she 
 replied readily: 'go to bed when the rooks do, and get 
 up with them at morn; earn, as they do, what you eat; 
 and then you will get health and keep it.' The gentle- 
 man seemed quite taken with the good sense of her 
 reply, and with her modest look, too, and begged her to 
 accept a small silver coin as a token of his regard for her 
 merit." 
 
 _ One day, as Margery was coming home from the next 
 village, she met with some wicked, idle boys, who had 
 tied a young raven to a staff and were just about to 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 make a victim of the poor thing by throwing stones at 
 it. She offered at once to buy the raven for a penny, 
 and this they agreed to. She then brought him home to 
 the parsonage, and gave him the name of Ralph, and a 
 fine bird he was. Madge soon taught him to speak sev- 
 eral words, and also to pick up letters and even to spell a 
 word or two. 
 
 Some years before Margaret began to teach the poor 
 cottagers' children Sir Walter Welldon, a wealthy knight 
 living in the neighborhood, had set up an elderly widow 
 lady, who had seen better days, in a small school in the 
 village of MouldweJl, that she might teach the children 
 of those who could afford to pay something toward it. 
 This, gentlewoman, whose name was Gray, was at length 
 taken seriously ill, and was no longer able to attend to 
 her duties. When Sir Walter heard of this he sent for 
 Mr. Goodall and asked him to look out for some one who 
 would be able and willing to take Mrs. Gray's place as 
 mistress of the school. 
 
 The worthy clergyman could not think of one so well 
 qualified for the task as Margery Meanwell, who, though 
 but young, was grave beyond her years, and was growing 
 tip to be a comely maiden; and when he told his mind to 
 the knight, Margery was chosen by the latter at once as 
 the successor of poor Mrs. Gray. Sir Walter continued 
 to be very good to the sick widow until she died, which 
 happened shortly afterward. He likewise built a larger 
 schoolhouse for Margery's use. This she needed, for she 
 would have all her old pupils without payment about her 
 that liked to come to the school, as well as the regular 
 scholars belonging to it. 
 
 From this time no one called her "Goody Two-Sh' ' 
 but generally Mrs. Margery, and she was more and 
 liked and respected by her neighbors. 
 
 Soon after Mrs. Margery had become mistress of 
 school she was lucky enough to save a dove from the 
 hands of some cruel boys, who were tormenting the poor 
 creature, and she called him Tom, in remembrance of 
 her brother now far away, and from whom she had heard 
 no tidings ever since he left her. But in those bygone 
 days writing letters was not much practiced, and there 
 was no such thing as a post office to be seen anywhere. 
 Tom learned to pick up a few letters, but he was not so 
 
OLD. OLD FA1RT TALES. 9 
 
 clever as her old favorite Ealph, and of course could not 
 be taught to utter a single word. 
 
 About this time a lamb had lost its dam, and its owner 
 was about to have it killed. When Mrs. Margery heard 
 of this she bought the gentle creature of him and 
 brought it home, thinking to please and benefit her 
 pupils by putting such an example before them of going- 
 early to bed. Some neighbors, finding how fond of such 
 pets Mrs. Margery was, presented her with a nice playful 
 little dog called Jumper, and also with a skylark. Now, 
 Master Ealph was a shrewd bird, and a bit of a wag too; 
 and when Will the lamb and Carol the lark made their 
 appearance, the knowing fellow picked out the following 
 verse, to the great amusement of everybody: 
 
 "Early to bed, and early to rise, 
 Is the way to be healthy, wealthy, and wise. 
 
 Mrs. Margery was ever on the lookout to be useful to 
 her neighbors. Knowing more than they did, she was 
 often able to give them good advice, and to save them 
 from losses which they were about to incur through their 
 ignorance. Many of these good folks depended much on 
 their hay. Now, a traveler coming from London had 
 presented Mrs. Margery with a new kind of instrument, 
 a rough-looking barometer, very inferior to those now 
 used, by the help of which she could often guess cor- 
 rectly how the weather would be a day or two before- 
 hand. She made herself so useful, indeed, that they all 
 came to her for advice, and profited by it in often get- 
 ting in their hay without damage, while much of that in 
 the neighboring villages was spoiled. This caused a 
 great talk about the country; and so provoked were the 
 people of the distant villages at the better luck of the 
 Mouldwell folks that they accused Mrs. Margery of be- 
 ing a witch, and sent old Nicky Noodle, a numskull and 
 a gossiping busybody, to go and tax her with it, and to 
 scrape together whatever evidence he could against her. 
 When this wiseacre saw her at her school door, with her 
 raven on one shoulder and the dove on the other, the lark 
 on her hand, and the lamb and little dog by her side, the 
 sight took his breath away for a time, and he scampered 
 oif crying out, "A witch! a witch! a witch!" 
 
10 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 She laughed at the simpleton's folly, and called him 
 jocosely a ' 'conjuror" for his pains; but poor Mrs. 
 Margery did not know how much folly and wickedness 
 there was in the world, and she was greatly surprised to 
 find that the half-witted Nicky Noodle had got a warrant 
 against her, 
 
 At the meeting of the justices, before whom she was 
 summoned to appear, many of her neighbors were pres- 
 
 ent, ready to speak up for her character, if needful. 
 But it turned out that the charge made against her was 
 nothing more than Nicky's idle tale that she was a witch. 
 Nowadays, it seems strange that such a thing could be; 
 but in England, at that period, so fondly styled by some 
 "the good old times," many silly and wicked things were 
 constantly being done, especially by the rich and power- 
 ful, against the poor such things as would not now be 
 borne. Among such old blind follies was a common 
 belief in witchcraft, the practice of which was severely 
 punishable by law; and many a poor harmless old 
 woman, against whom her ignorant neighbors had a spite, 
 has been tortured even to death, on the stupid charge of 
 being a witch. 
 
 It happened that among the justices who met to hear 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 11 
 
 this charge against Mrs. Margery, there was but one silly 
 enough to think there was any ground for it. His name 
 was Shallow, and it was he who had granted the warrant. 
 But she soon silenced him when he kept repeating that 
 she must be a witch to foretell the weather, besides 
 harboring many strange creatures about her. After 
 pointing to the friends who had come to speak for her 
 character and her truth, she said very calmly, looking at 
 this weak man full in the face: 
 
 "1 never supposed that any one here could be so weak 
 as to believe that there was any such thing as a witch. 
 But if I am a witch, here is my charm," she added, lay- 
 ing her weather-glass upon the table; "this it is alone 
 that has helped me to know the state of the weather. 
 And as for my animal companions, your worship even 
 might profit as I have done by their good example. My 
 tender dove," she continued" "is a pattern of true love; 
 my watchful raven of forethought; my joyous lark of 
 thankfulness; my gentle lamb of innocence; and my 
 trusty dog of sagacity. If it be witchcraft to have such 
 teachers to remind me of my duties, then, indeed, am I 
 a witch, please your worship at your service." 
 
 Fortunately her patron, Sir Walter Welldon, one of 
 the justices present, was well acquainted with the use of 
 the new instrument. When he had explained its nature 
 to his foolish brother justice he turned the whole 
 charge into ridicule, and finished by giving Mrs. Margery 
 such a high character for knowledge, prudence, and 
 charity that the bench of justices not only released her 
 at once from the trumpery charge, but gave her their 
 public thanks for the good services she had done in their 
 neighborhood. 
 
 One of these gentlemen, Sir Edward Lovell, an inti- 
 mate friend of Sir Walter's, conceived, indeed, so high 
 an opinion of her virtues and abilities that, having been 
 lately left a widower, he offered her very liberal terms if 
 she would consent to come to his house, take the man- 
 agement of it, and educate his daughter also. She re- 
 spectfully declined this handsome offer, for she thought 
 it was her duty to continue teaching the children of the 
 poor, who but for her, she feared, would remain in igno- 
 rance. 
 
 Several months after this Sir Edward fell ill and was 
 
12 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 for some time in a state of danger. He then repeated 
 his request that Mrs. Margery would come to take charge 
 of his house, now that he was quite unable to manage it, 
 and look after his dear children. The thoughtful young 
 woman then took counsel with her kind old friend the 
 
 clergyman, and by his advice she agreed to undertake 
 the proposed employment until Sir Edward's restoration 
 to health. She completely won that gentleman's respect 
 and admiration by her skill and tenderness in nursing 
 him during the remainder of his illness, and by the great 
 care she took of his children. All the members of his 
 household loved her for her goodness. 
 By the time that Sir Edward fully regained his health 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 13 
 
 he had become more and more attached to Mrs. Margery. 
 He thought she could hardly be matched for propriety 
 of conduct;, for good sense, and for sweetness of temper; 
 and with all this he fancied, too, that she had not her 
 equal anywhere for good looks. It was not, then, to be 
 wondered at that when she talked of going back to her 
 school he should feel dull and melancholy, nor that, 
 after due reflection, he should offer her his hand in mar- 
 riage. We know already how modest and free from 
 vanity and false pride Mrs. Margery was. This proposal, 
 therefore, took her quite by surprise, and so undeserving 
 did she think herself of the honor intended her that at 
 first she was inclined not to accept it, but this her rich 
 suitor would not hear of; and as her true friends, Sir 
 Walter and Mr. Goodall, tried hard to persuade her to 
 accept Sir Edward's hand, telling her she would then be 
 enabled to do many more good works than she had ever 
 done before, she at last yielded. She had not at all ob- 
 jected because she did not like Sir Edward, for she really 
 loved and admired him as he deserved, but only because 
 she feared it was not her duty to leave her old humble 
 friends to be a fine lady. 
 
 All things having been settled, and the day fixed, the 
 great folks and others in the neighborhood came in 
 crowds to see the wedding; for glad they were that one 
 who had, ever since she was a child, been so deserving, 
 was to be thus rewarded. Just as the bride and bride- 
 groom were about to enter the church, their friends as- 
 sembled outside were busily engaged in watching the 
 progress of a horseman handsomely dressed and mounted, 
 and as gay in appearance as a courtier, who was gallop- 
 ing up a distant slope leading to the church, as eagerly 
 as if he wanted to get there before the marriage should 
 take place. When all was in readiness for the holy cer- 
 emony to commence, and the clergyman just going to 
 open his book, a strange gentleman, richly dressed, no 
 other, indeed, than the horseman who had been before 
 noticed by the crowd, rushed into the church, calling out 
 that they should stop the marriage. All were astonished 
 at this interruption, particularly the couple about to be 
 united, each of whom the stranger immediately ad- 
 dressed apart. During this parley the bystanders were 
 more aiid more surprised, especially when they saw Sir 
 
14 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Edward standing almost speechless, and his bride crying 
 and fainting away in the stranger's arms. But this 
 seeming grief was soon over and was presently converted 
 into a flood of joy. This gentleman, so elegantly 
 dressed, proved to be no other than Margery's brother, 
 our former acquaintance, little Tommy, now Mr. Mean- 
 
 well, just returned with great honor and profit from a 
 distant foreign country. As soon as the news reached 
 him that his sister was going to be married he resolved 
 to take horse from London, where he then was, and try 
 to reach the spot in time to find out whether it was a 
 suitable match for one so dear to him as Margery was, 
 and to whom he was now able to give a fortune if she 
 needed it. All was soon explained, and the loving couple 
 then returned to the altar and were married, to the sat- 
 isfaction of all present. 
 After her happy marriage Lady Lovell continued to 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 15 
 
 practice all kinds of good. She was not content in giv- 
 ing largely in the way of charity, but she constantly went 
 about visiting the poor, cheering them up and helping 
 them in their troubles, and comforting them in sickness. 
 She took great pains in increasing and improving the 
 school of which she had been the mistress, and placed 
 there a poor but worthy scholar and his wife to preside 
 over it. She lived happily with Sir Edward for many 
 years; and as her life had been regarded as the greatest 
 blessing, so her death was looked upon as the greatest 
 calamity that had befallen the neighborhood for many 
 years. 
 
 PATTY AND HER PITCHER; 
 
 OB, KINDNESS OF HEAKT. 
 
 PATTY was the most charming little girl in her native 
 village, and so all the neighbors said. Such a character 
 as this it is very difficult to obtain; but when childien do 
 get it you may be sure they deserve it. Patty deserved 
 it, for she loved everybody and everything; and in re- 
 turn she was rewarded by the love of all who knew her. 
 The pigeons flew down from their little house to coo 
 round her; the fowls fed from her hand; the cat rolled 
 over her feet and purred out her fondness; and even the 
 steady old dog Bluff amused himself with the strangest 
 antics and gambols whenever he could gain her atten- 
 tion. They all knew very well how kind and good she 
 was, although they could not say so. 
 
 She was also very industrious; for when quite a child 
 she used'to bustle about and do little things in the hand- 
 iest manner; and as for sewing, she was the pattern child 
 at the dame's school, where her sampler was hung up in 
 state, that the other children should see what might be 
 done by industry and care. 
 
 When she went to the spring that was near, to dip her 
 pitcher into its bright bubbling water, she would warble 
 out her sweet little ballads with a voice that took the at- 
 tention of all who heard, for her heart was full of joy 
 and she could not restrain her gladness. On one of her 
 
16 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 journeys to the spring happened the great event of her 
 life, which I now sit down to write. It will show very 
 clearly that we should always be ready to do a kind ac- 
 tion to any one, for love and kindness shown to others 
 always return tenfold to the giver, as it did to her. 
 Well, then, to begin the story, as I have now told you 
 
 all about Patty and her goodness. Patty had filled her 
 pitcher at the spring and was carrying it home (and it 
 was no trifle to carry when full), when, almost in sight 
 of her cottage, she saw a poor old woman sitting upon 
 the trunk of a fallen tree, as if fatigued after a long jour- 
 ney. Her face was as brown as a nut and covered with 
 wrinkles, and her eyes were dull and sunken. On her 
 back was tied a bundle, heavy enough for a strong man 
 to carry. She turned her eyes upon Patty as she ap- 
 proached, and cast eager looks upon the sparkling water 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 17 
 
 in the pitcher, a draught from which she longed to ask 
 for; and trusting in the good-natured rosy face of Patty, 
 she at last ventured to do so. 
 
 "Dear little child/' said she in a feeble voice, "let 
 me cool my parched lips with a drink from your pitcher, 
 for I am very old, and faint, and weary." 
 
 "To be sure, mother, and welcome," said Patty, lifting 
 it up so that the old woman might readily quench her 
 thirst. 
 
 Long and eagerly did the poor creature drink: so long, 
 indeed, that Patty was really quite surprised. 
 
 "Thank you, my darling. Heaven will reward you for 
 your kindness to the poor and aged," said the old 
 woman. 
 
 "Oh! you're quite welcome, mother," replied Patty, 
 and again went on her way; but she had not proceeded 
 far before she met a large dog, who seemed to be bound 
 
18 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 on a long journey, for he was covered with dust, his eyes 
 were red, and his parched tongue was hanging out of his 
 mouth, to catch the cool air. "Poor fellow!" said Patty. 
 
 The dog turned round at her kind voice, and stopped 
 to look at her; she held out her hand, and he came near 
 her; she put down her pitcher to caress him, and then 
 he tried to make his way to what his instinct told him 
 was water; she knew what the poor dog wanted, and 
 held the pitcher so that he could drink. He lapped and 
 lapped until she really began to think that he would 
 never leave off. At last he looked up to her face and 
 licked her hand in gratitude; then, after two or three 
 bounds, to show her how refreshed he was, he trotted on 
 his way. 
 
 Soon after, she met a group of little children who had 
 been gathering flowers and daisies, and making posies 
 with them; They had been scampering about the fields, 
 and were tired and thirsty. So Patty told them to nut 
 their little hands together and make cups of them; then 
 she filled these "handy cups," and made them drink. 
 
 "Will you please take this nosegay?" they said, and 
 offered her the prettiest one they had. 
 
 "Let me put it in your bosom myself," said the small- 
 est one of the group. Patty stooped down while the 
 grateful child fastened it with a pin to her frock. Each 
 of them received a kiss, and then all ran off to pluck 
 more pretty flowers. 
 
 Patty looked into her pitcher, and found that it was 
 more than half-empty, so that she must have all her 
 journey over again, for it was of no use going home with 
 such a drop as that. But then she saw some harebells 
 growing by the dusty roadside, drooping for want of 
 water, so she gave them the benefit of what was left in 
 her pitcher, and the flowers seemed to love her for her 
 kindness. 
 
 Back she went, without one thought about her 
 trouble, and soon gained the margin of the spring. She 
 was just about to stoop and dip her pitcher into its 
 transparent depth, when she thought she saw something 
 glistening beneath, which caused her to withdraw her 
 hand. She watched and watched, until she saw a sweet 
 little face looking up to her; and presently there stood 
 before her one of the most beautiful of fairies. She 
 
Patty held the pitcher so that the clog could drink. Page 18. 
 
 Old, Old Fairy Tales. 
 
- ; 
 
 
 ' , . , ' ' ', 
 
 :; : ;. : -.; 
 
 . - - . . . .- , 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 19 
 
 stood upon the water with the same ease as Patty stood 
 on the land, and she was not really higher than the 
 pitcher. 
 
 "So, Patty," said she you see, she knew Patty "so 
 you have come back again, my dear!" 
 
 "Yes, madam," replied Patty, rather alarmed; "yes, 
 madam, because I " 
 
 "I know all about it," said the fairy, stopping her; 
 "and because I know, is the reason that you see me; for I 
 am a friend only to the good and kind; and I come now 
 to make you a very useful present." 
 
 "A present!" said Patty, surprised and pleased. 
 
 "Yes! and such a one as will be a lasting reward for 
 your goodness of heart toward others, and your little 
 care about yourself. You blush, because you do not re- 
 member the many kind things that you have done, and I 
 am the more pleased to see that you think I am ^giving 
 you too much praise. You forget all those acts of kind- 
 ness which are the ornament of your life, and this assures 
 me of the pureness of your motives; for it is our duty to 
 forget the good we do to others, and to remember only 
 what they do for us. You ha#e always done so, my dear 
 little Patty. To reward you I will place a spell upon 
 your pitcher, which, for the future, shall always be full 
 of water, or of milk, as you may wish it. It shall also 
 .be able to walk and to speak whenever you may require 
 it, and shall always be your firm friend in trouble. Trust 
 to it, and never give way to despair. If, by any mishap, 
 it should be parted from you, it will easily, by its magic 
 power, be able to find you, and be by your side as your ad- 
 viser and protector. Do not be afraid to accept this at 
 my hands, for I am one of the fairies who oppose all that 
 is evil. You, by your goodness, have acquired the 
 power of seeing me and hearing me speak. Whenever 
 mortals are good enough, this power is given to them, 
 and we appear and present them with some reward that 
 only the virtuous deserve on this earth. So put your 
 pitcher down by your side, Patty." Patty did as she 
 was desired. "Now look into it." 
 
 Patty did so, and, to her astonishment, beheld the 
 bright water gradually rising until the pitcher was full to 
 the brim. When she saw it was full she was going to 
 raise it, but found it too heavy for her strength. 
 
20 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "You need not trouble yourself to carry it/' said the 
 fairy, smiling; "it will itself save you all further trouble 
 of that kind." 
 
 With that she touched it with her wand, and the 
 pitcher raised itself upon two very well-shaped legs, 
 made out of the same stone as the brown pitcher itself. 
 As soon as it was firm on its feet it made a very polite 
 bow to Patty as its future mistress. 
 
 "Now, Patty," said the fairy, "follow your pitcher, 
 and you cannot do wrong." 
 
 As she finished speaking she broke into thousands of 
 sparkling drops, and mixed with the bubbling stream, 
 which seemed to bear her away. 
 
 Patty rubbed her eyes, in hopes that she should wake 
 from what really appeared a dream. She coughed 
 aloud, then pinched herself, then ran up and down the 
 lane, and at last she was convinced she was awake. But 
 more than all, there stood the brown pitcher on his natty 
 brown legs, waiting for orders what to do. 
 
 "Quite ready to start, mistress," said a voice from the 
 pitcher. Patty screwed up her courage, and said, 
 "Come on, then, pitcher," and set the example by start- 
 ing off with a run. 
 
 And did not the pitcher follow her in good earnest? 
 
 Indeed, it ran so fast that it soon overtook her, and ran 
 
 before her all the way home. But the most wonderful 
 
 thing was, although it bounded along with long strides 
 
 and high jumps over the roughest places in the lanes, it 
 
 did not spill one single drop of water. This puzzled 
 
 xPatty, who, with her utmost care, could never avoid wet- 
 
 'ting her frock whenever she had tried to run with the 
 
 pitcher even half-full. 
 
 "What will the people think when we get into the vil- 
 lage?" thought Patty, as she looked at her strange com- 
 panion. "I'm sure they will be frightened; and what 
 will my mother and father say when they see wJiat I have 
 brought home?" 
 
 "Do not trouble yourself about that," said the pitcher, 
 who seemed to hear her thoughts; "your parents will 
 soon get accustomed to me, and be rather pleased when 
 they discover my handiness; for you have yet to find 
 out all the good things I can do." 
 
 As he was speaking they came to a very high and 
 difficult stile. 
 
OLD, OLD VAIRY TALES. 21 
 
 "Shall I help you over?" said Patty, thinking of his 
 short legs. 
 
 "Oh, dear, no!" said the pitcher; "see how little I 
 require it." 
 
 So saying, he skipped over the stile in the most grace- 
 ful manner. As he did so a dog that was passing 
 popped his tail between his legs, and after two or three 
 very weak barks, ran away in a dreadful fright. A man, 
 at the same time, was approaching with a slow and 
 pompous walk for he was the squire of the village 
 who, upon perceiving the strange pitcher clear the stile 
 in that miraculous manner, was overcome with wonder; 
 but he soon moved pretty quickly when he saw the little 
 legs speeding along toward him. He uttered one loud 
 cry and fled. His hat flew one way, his gold-headed 
 cane another, and his cloak flew up into the air like 
 wings. He had not proceeded far before his legs failed 
 him, and he lay kicking in a furze-bush, roaring for help. 
 Patty could not help laughing, but the pitcher, trotting 
 on with the greatest unconcern, soon reached the cottage 
 door, where he rather astonished Patty's poor parents. 
 When he entered he sat himself quietly down in the 
 corner where he had been always kept, so that nobody 
 could see his legs. The neighbors, therefore, who had 
 been alarmed by the squire's account of his fright, and 
 only saw a pitcher like every one had at home, of course 
 thought the old squire a little bit out of his mind. 
 
 Patty was awakened next morning by hearing a noise 
 below, as if some one were busy with the furniture. She 
 heard the chairs pushed about, and presently the handle 
 of a pail clinked down as plain as plain could be. So she 
 put on part of her clothes and crept down. The noise 
 still continuing, she peeped through the red curtains 
 that were hung across the room to keep the wind away 
 from their backs when they sat by the fireside; and 
 there she saw, not any thieves, but the pitcher; and 
 what do you think it was doing? Why, mopping the red 
 tiles of the floor, and very well did he handle the mop. 
 And there was the paiFfull of water by his side, as if he 
 had been a servant-of-all-work all his life; and more won- 
 derful still, there was the fire burning! We can fancy a 
 pitcher of water washing the floor, but cannot imagine its 
 doing anything with a fire except putting it out. But 
 
22 OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES. 
 
 no! there had he lighted the fire and put the kettle on, 
 which was just singing a most delightful song about the 
 breakfast being nearly ready. 
 
 ""Good-morning, my good mistress," said the pitcher, 
 in no way put out. "You need not trouble yourself to do 
 
 anything but grow and improve yourself; for from hence- 
 forth you will have very little labor to do, as I am your 
 very humble servant." 
 
 Was not Patty pleased! for she was growing a tall girl, 
 and felt a great desire to improve herself with her books, 
 which she had had very little time to do, as she had been 
 so much occupied with her household duties. 
 
 When Patty was left alone in the evening with the 
 pitcher in the corner, she said how much she was obliged 
 to him, and how much she wished to learn, but wanted 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 23 
 
 to know what she was to do for books, as she had read 
 the few she possessed a hundred times. 
 
 "Oh! that's very soon remedied," said the pitcher, 
 "for you have only to wish, and I will yield as much milk 
 as you please. Then you can make butter and cheese, 
 and go and sell it at the market town, and buy as many 
 
 books as you like, and have plenty of money to spare for 
 other purposes." 
 
 No sooner said than done. Patty set out all the pans 
 she had and could borrow from her kind neighbors; and, 
 as fast as they came, the pitcher ran about and filled 
 them; so that she soon had plenty of cream for her but- 
 ter and cheese. She had only to ask, and a good old 
 neighbor lent her a churn, which the pitcher soon found 
 a pair of arms to turn; and such butter was produced as 
 
24 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 had not been seen in the village for many a day. Was 
 not Patty pleased, and were not her parents delighted? 
 
 The same old farmer lent her a horse and panniers, 
 and early in the morning she started for the market 
 town, the way to which the pitcher pointed out to her. 
 He did not go with her, as he said the people of the 
 town were not used to see brown pitchers, so he should 
 stop at home and look after the cheese. Patty proceeded 
 on her way, looking as happy and as handsome as the 
 best farmer's daughter of them all. So everybody in 
 the market said, where she sold all her butter. 
 
 So went on Patty's success until she grew into a 
 pretty, neat young woman; with her old parents living 
 in comfort in one of the best cottages in the village; 
 everybody saying that she deserved her good fortune, 
 and not one single soul envying her: you may guess she 
 was happy indeed. 
 
 One evening she was standing in the garden, feeding 
 some of her pigeons, when a handsomely dressed stranger 
 approached the gate, who, after admiring her for a short 
 time, took off his plumed hat in the most graceful man- 
 ner, and begged her to inform him the nearest way to 
 the next town. When she spoke the music of her voice 
 and her charming modesty seemed to increase the ad- 
 miration of the stranger. He bowed, and, after a slight 
 hesitation, went on his way. 
 
 But that young stranger came again and again, al- 
 though he knew his way very well to and from the neigh- 
 boring city. At last she found that it was the way to 
 her heart he was seeking; for he told her parents that he 
 was rich, and wished to have a wife whom everybody 
 spoke well of, since his own wealth left him at liberty to 
 choose for himself, without a desire for any more. "The 
 parents smiled as they looked upon the handsome suitor 
 whom they did not think one bit too good for their dear 
 Patty; and so in the course of a short time they were 
 married. 
 
 Great joy was in the village on the day of the wed- 
 ding. If the queen had visited the village there could 
 not have been more gladness of heart. All left off work 
 and made holiday. 
 
 Groups of people here and there talked of the kind 
 actions Patty nad done. The poor women spoke of the 
 
Early in the morning Patty started for the market tovn, tliL p^ich.-i- j 
 out the way. Page 24. Old, Old Fairy Tales. 
 
' 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 25 
 
 clothes she had made for them, and said, "there never 
 was such a good creature as Patty." Some had received 
 nice little dishes of cookery when they were ill. Many 
 of the girls had been taught to sew and make garments; 
 and the little children had been taught to read. The 
 church was filled with people who loved her and wished 
 to take one last fond look at her sweet face. Garlands 
 of flowers were hung across the road with mottoes such 
 as "Patty the Good," "God bless our friend Patty," 
 "Kind actions never die." And when the married pair 
 started from the church scores of old shoes were flung 
 after them for good luck, with such shouts and huzzas 
 that the village never heard before. 
 
 But the stranger who had married Patty took her 
 home to a noble palace, where his forefathers had reigned 
 for many centuries as princes; and the humble little 
 Patty found that her dear husband had made her a 
 princess, and surrounded her with all the luxuries and 
 splendors of her high station. 
 
 Did Patty forget her humble home and her old friend 
 the pitcher? No! she did not: the pitcher was with her, 
 but her parents wished to remain in their peaceful home, 
 which their dear child had made so happy by her vir- 
 tuous industry. 
 
 In the splendid state in which Patty now lived the 
 pitcher was as much her servant and benefactor as when 
 he first assisted her in the humble cottage. When the 
 poor came to the palace gates he stood there and poured 
 into their pitchers nourishing soup to support them and 
 their families; and they did not forget to bless the good 
 princess for her kindly thoughts of those who needed her 
 protection and charity so much; and so the pitcher, al- 
 though now not called upon to work, still continued, in 
 the name of his mistress, to do good to all around. 
 
 But even the very best of us cannot escape from envi- 
 ous hearts and evil tongues; and so it fell out to Princess 
 Patty: for we love to call her Patty, although she became 
 a princess. Many of the wicked courtiers, who envied 
 her being loved by the people, whispered slanders into 
 the ears of the prince her husband, who at last was weak 
 enough to listen to them; for they made him afraid by 
 telling him that she was trying to bribe the people, by 
 her charities, to rebel against the rightful prince, and to 
 
26 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 place herself on the throne alone; and also that evil 
 spirits helped her; and that the friendly pitcher was one 
 of them. 
 
 Alas for human weakness! The prince, at last, was 
 convinced, by their arguments, of her guilt; and, al- 
 though his heart ached, commanded her to be put into a 
 dungeon in the very depths of the palace, and left her 
 there to mourn. She did not mourn long, for as night 
 came on the pitcher opened her prison doors and aided 
 her in her flight. 
 
 "Come," said he, "return to your peaceful home, and 
 show your husband that it is his^heart, and not his king- 
 dom, that you covet. He will be sorry for what he has 
 done when he finds that he has lost you." 
 
 She followed the pitcher; but they had not proceeded 
 far in their flight when Patty saw that they were pursued 
 by a party of soldiers: she screamed with alarm. 
 
 "Be not alarmed, dearest mistress," said the pitcher; 
 "I will stop these pursuers." So saying, he bent over 
 the side of the rock and poured out a cataract of water 
 into the valley through which they were coming. The 
 waters rolled in high waves and swept them from the 
 path, until it became like a large, deep lake. The sol- 
 diers swam to the nearest land, glad to save their lives. 
 
 That night she slept beneath the humble roof of her 
 parents their own dear Patty. Early in the morning 
 she was in her own beloved garden with the beautiful 
 flowers, and she tried to be happy and forget the past, 
 by being always at work and by making others happy; 
 but her thoughts would wander to the home of her hus- 
 band, and she grieved over his unkindness to her, in re- 
 turn for her love to him; and sometimes, in the midst of 
 her tears, she would hope that some fortunate accident 
 might remove the evil thought from his mind, that had 
 caused h^r so much grief. The pitcher was always by 
 her side, and gave her comfort in her silent sorrow. 
 
 The news of Patty's return to her home soon spread 
 through the village, and all came to see once more 
 one whom they had learned to love so much. She told 
 them nothing of her husband's cruel conduct, for she 
 loved him too much to let them think he was unkind. 
 
 "Our friend Patty," they said, "has come to visit her 
 parents; we must make her a present." 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 2? 
 
 Many a talk they had about what the present should 
 be. At last they settled it, and all the girls helped to 
 make a beautiful piece of worsted work, wrought with 
 many bright colors, and spread on a handsome frame. 
 The motto worked in it was "KIND ACTIONS TO OTHERS 
 
 BRING HAPPINESS TO OURSELVES." 
 
 Little did they think how much grief was then in 
 Patty's heart. But still the motto was true, as we shall 
 lee before we finish the story. 
 
 Days and weeks rolled on, but no news reached her 
 from her husband. Had he quite left her? or did he be- 
 lieve that she had been swept away by the torrent which 
 had so nearly drowned his soldiers? She hoped that it 
 was so, for then he might be mourning her as dead; for 
 surely he must have found, long ere this, that the 
 wicked courtiers had spoken falsely. 
 
 One fine morning she had risen earlier than usual, for 
 her mind was restless, and she could not sleep. She 
 walked into the pure air, scented with the perfume of 
 flowers, and her fevered brow was refreshed with the 
 cool breeze. Looking round, she beheld her friend the 
 pitcher trimming the flowers like an old gardener who 
 knew his business. 
 
 "Good-morning, fair mistress mine," said he. "You 
 are up betimes, for the sun has hardly climbed the dis- 
 tant mountains to peep into our valley; but I am glad to 
 see you so early afoot, as you perceive that I am taking 
 extra care with the garden, for I expect visitors to-day." 
 "Visitors?" exclaimed Patty, with an inquiring look. 
 "Yes, visitors," said the pitcher, from whose mouth 
 issued a low chuckling laugh. "lean hear distinctly a 
 footstep in the distance; it comes this way. Listen! it is 
 now near enough for mortal ears to hear." 
 
 And so it was; nearer and nearer it came. Presently 
 the figure of a palmer appeared at the wicket gate. He 
 entered; but when he beheld before him the figure of his 
 long-lost Patty he suddenly stopped, and stood quite 
 still, like a statue of surprise. It was indeed her hus- 
 band the prince! 
 
 "That is the visitor I expected," said the pitcher; "he 
 has believed you dead, and has wandered to many places 
 to assuage his grief. At last he has dared to venture to 
 this humble cottage, that he might again see the spot 
 
28 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 where he first had the good fortune to meet yon. He 
 hoped to console his unhappy mind, and to atone for his 
 crime, by coming where everything would remind him 
 of you and of your virtues and of the fault he has com- 
 mitted in believing that you were trying to get his riches 
 and his kingdom, when he himself was all your world, all 
 your riches, all your enjoyment. Your being alive is 
 the reward for his sincere repentance. He finds you in 
 your first humble sphere, grieving for nothing but the 
 loss of him, hoping for nothing but the return of his 
 love." 
 
 The prince rushed forward with a cry of delight, and 
 knelt at Patty's feet. The pitcher, like a discreet 
 friend, placed her hand in his, and then went on with 
 his gardening, leaving the long-separated couple to 
 themselves, who quickly effected a reconciliation with 
 each other. 
 
 Patty's parents rejoiced in her newly-found happiness, 
 yet felt a pang of regret when, some days after the 
 happy meeting, the prince proposed that they should re- 
 turn to his kingdom, and that he would send forward a 
 message that his wife should make her entry in triumph. 
 
 The pitcher walked out of the cottage and joined the 
 group. 
 
 "Prince," said he, "spare yourself the trouble. I am 
 here to give my last service to my mistress. I have re- 
 warded her for the greatest of virtues, self-denial and 
 love for her fellow-creatures, and the fairy who animated 
 me now recalls me to her water palace: behold!" 
 
 As he ceased speaking jets of sparkling water rose 
 high into the air from his mouth, until a broad lake 
 spread over the valley, upon which was borne a gilded 
 barge, rowed by stout boatmen in the prince's livery. It 
 glided to their feet, and they all stepped in. The serv- 
 ants pulled with a good will into the midst of the 
 stream. Still the fountain plaved from the pitcher's 
 mouth until the stream was swollen into a mighty river, 
 down which they Coated until they came in sight of their 
 own castle, standing high up on the rocks on the border 
 of the current. Flags floated from the turrets and 
 booming cannon sent forth their noisy welcome. Crowds 
 of rejoicing vassals stood to receive their much-loved 
 princess, whose happy tears spoke for her to the hearts 
 
Ihe Prince rushed forward with a cry of delight, and knelt nt PaHy's foH 
 Page 28. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 29 
 
 that knew so well how good she was. The prince and 
 princess lived happily many years over a thriving and 
 contented people, whose love and loyalty were the 
 strongest bulwarks of their throne. The benevolence of 
 the princess, and her charming courtesy and gentleness, 
 gained her the title of "The Gentle Princess/' and she 
 was pointed out as a model for the imitation of all the 
 young princesses of the neighboring countries. 
 
 The happy pair were blessed with a numerous and 
 beautiful family of sons and daughters, to whom their 
 mother would often relate the story of her early life; for 
 she was not ashamed to confess her former lowly station 
 and humble parentage; and much wonder and delight 
 was always expressed by the younger children at her ac- 
 count of the magic pitcher, and many were the wishes 
 that it would again make its appearance; but these 
 wishes were not to be gratified. The magic pitcher was 
 seen no more; but its history teaches all who read it that 
 
 KINDNESS TO OTHEKS BRINGS HAPPINESS TO 
 OUESELVES. 
 
 BLANCHE AND ROSALAND. 
 
 IK a pleasant village some miles from the metropolis, 
 there lived a very good sort of woman, who was much 
 beloved by all her neighbors, because she was always 
 ready to assist every one who was in need. She had re- 
 ceived in her youth a better education than the inhabit- 
 ants of the little village in which she dwelt, and for this 
 reason the poor people looked up to her with a degree of 
 respect. 
 
 She was the widow of a very good man, who, when he 
 died, left her with two children. They were very pretty 
 girls; the eldest, on account of the fairness of her com- 
 plexion, was named Blanche, and the other Rosalind, 
 because her cheeks were like roses, and her lips like coral. 
 
 One day, while Goody Hearty sat spinning at the door, 
 she saw a poor old woman going by, leaning on a stick, 
 who had much ado to hobble along, "You seem, very 
 
30 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRT TALES. 
 
 much tired, dame/' said she to the old woman; "sit 
 down here, and rest yourself a little;" at the same time 
 she bid her daughters fetch a chair; they both went, but 
 Eosalind ran fastest, and brought one. "Will you please 
 to drink?" said Goody Hearty. 
 
 "Thank you," answered the old woman, "I don't care 
 if I do, and methinks if you had anything nice that I 
 liked, I could eat a bit." 
 
 "You are welcome to the best I have in my house," said 
 Goody Hearty, "but as I am poor, it is homely fare." 
 
 She then ordered her daughters to spread a clean cloth 
 on the table, while she went to the cupboard, from 
 whence she took some brown bread and cheese, to which 
 she added a mug of cider. As soon as the old woman 
 was seated at the table, Goody Hearty desired her eldest 
 daughter to go and gather some plums off her own plum- 
 tree, which she had planted herself, and took great de- 
 light in. Blanche, instead of obeying her mother read- 
 ily, grumbled and muttered as she went. "Surely," said 
 she to herself, "I did not take all this care and pains 
 with my plum-tree for that old creature." However, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 31 
 
 she durst not refuse gathering a few plums, but she gave 
 them with a very ill-will, and very ungraciously. 
 
 "As for you, Rosalind," said her mother, "you have no 
 fruit to offer this good dame, for your grapes are not ripe. " 
 
 "That's true," replied Eosalind, "but my hen has 
 
 just laid, for I hear her cackle, and if the lady likes a 
 new-laid egg, 'tis very much at her service;" and with- 
 out staying for an answer she ran to the hen-roost, and 
 brought the egg; but just as she was presenting it to the 
 old woman she turned into a fine beautiful lady! 
 "Good woman/' said 'she to Goody Hearty, "I have 
 
32 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 long seen your industry, perseverance, and pious resigna- 
 tion, and I will reward your daughters according to their 
 merits; the eldest shall be a great queen, the other shall 
 have a country farm;" with this she struck the house 
 with her stick, which immediately disappeared, and in its 
 room up came a pretty little snug farm. "This, Eosa- 
 lind," said she, "is your lot; I know I have given each 
 of you what you like best." 
 
 Having said this, the fairy went away, leaving both 
 mother and daughters greatly astonished. They went 
 into the farmhouse, and were quite charmed with the 
 neatness of the furniture; the chairs were only wood, 
 but so bright you might see your face in them. The 
 beds were of linen cloth, as white as snow. There were 
 forty sheep in the sheep-pen; four oxen, and four cows, 
 in their stalls; and in the yard all sorts of poultry, hens, 
 ducks, pigeons, etc. There was also a pretty garden, 
 well stocked with flowers, fruit and vegetables. Blanche 
 saw the fairy's gift to her sister without being jealous, 
 and was wholly taken up with the thoughts of being a 
 queen; when all of a sudden she heard some hunters 
 riding by, and going to the gate to see them, she ap- 
 peared so charming in the king's eyes, who was there, 
 that he resolved to marry her. 
 
 When Blanche was a queen she said to her sister 
 Eosalind, "I do not care you should be a farmer; come 
 with me, sister, and I will match you to some great 
 lord." 
 
 "ram very much obliged to you, sister," replied 
 Roaslind; "but I am used to a country life, and I pre- 
 fer to stay where I am." 
 
 Queen Blanche arrived at her palace, and was so de- 
 lighted with her new dignity that she could not sleep for 
 several nights. The first three months her thoughts 
 were wholly engrossed by dress, balls, and plays, so that 
 she thought of nothing else. She was soon accustomed 
 to all this, and nothing now diverted her; on the con- 
 trary she found it a great dea'l of trouble. 
 
 The ladies of the court were all very respectful in her 
 presence; but she knew very well that they did not love 
 her, and when out of her sight would often say to one 
 another, "See what airs this little country girl gives her- 
 self. His majesty must have a very mean fancy to 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 33 
 
 choice of such a consort." These discourses soon 
 reached the king's ears, and made him reflect on what he 
 had done; he began to think he was wrong, and repented 
 his marriage. The courtiers saw this, and accordingly 
 paid little or no respect to Blanche. She was very un- 
 happy, for she had not a single friend to whom she could 
 declare her griefs; she saw it was the fashion at court to 
 betray the dearest friend for interest, to caress and smile 
 upon those they most hated, and to lie every instant; she 
 was obliged to be always serious, because they told her a 
 queen ought to look grave and majestic. She had sev- 
 eral children, and all the time there was a physician to 
 inspect whatever she ate or drank, and to order every- 
 thing she liked off the table; not a grain of salt was 
 allowed to be put in her soup, nor was she permitted to 
 take a walk, though she wished ever so much to do so. 
 Governesses were appointed to her children, who brought 
 them up contrary to her wishes; yet she had not the 
 liberty to find fault. Poor Queen Blanche was dying 
 with grief, and grew so thin that it was sad to see her. 
 She had not seen her sister for three years, because she 
 imagined it would disgrace a person of her rank and dig- 
 nity to pay a visit to a farmer's wife. Her extreme mel- 
 ancholy made her very ill, and her physicians ordered 
 change of air." She therefore resolved to spend a few 
 days in the country, to divert her uneasiness and im- 
 prove her health. 
 
 Accordingly, she asked the king for leave to go, and 
 he very readily granted it, because he thought he should 
 be rid of her for some time. She set out, and soon ar- 
 rived at the village. As she drew near Rosalind's house 
 she beheld, at a little distance from the door, a company 
 of shepherds and shepherdesses, who were dancing and 
 making merry. "Alas!" said the queen, sighing, "there 
 once was a time when I used to divert myself like those 
 "poor people, and no one found fault with me." The 
 moment Rosalind perceived her sister she ran to em- 
 brace her. The queen ordered her carriage to stop, 
 and alighting, rushed into her sister's arms; but Rosa- 
 lind was grown so plump, and had such an air of con- 
 tent, that the queen, as she looked on her, could not for- 
 bear bursting into tears. 
 
 Rosalind was married to a farmer's son, who had no 
 
34 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 fortune of his own; but then he ever remembered that he 
 was indebted to his wife for everything he had, and he 
 strove to show his gratitude by his obliging behavior. 
 Rosalind had not many servants, but those she had loved 
 her as though she had been their mother, because she 
 used them kindly; she was beloved by all her neighbors, 
 and they all endeavored to show it. She neither had nor 
 wanted much money; corn, wine, and oil were the 
 growth of her farm; her cows supplied her with milk, 
 butter and cheese. The wool of her sheep was spun to 
 clothe herself, her husband, and her two children. 
 They enjoyed perfect health, and when the work of the 
 day was over they spent the evening in all sorts of pas- 
 times. 
 
 "Alas!" oried the queen, "the fairy made me a sad 
 present in giving me a crown. Content is not found in 
 magnificent palaces, but in an innocent country life." 
 
 Scarce had she done speaking before the fairy ap- 
 peared. 
 
 "In making you a queen," said the fairy, "I did not 
 intend to reward, but punish you for giving me your 
 plums with an ill-will. To be contented and happy, you 
 must, like your sister, possess only what is necessary, and 
 wish for nothing else." 
 
 "Ah, madam!" cried Blanche, "you are sufficiently 
 revenged; pray put an end to my distress." 
 
 "It is at an end," said the fairy; "the king, who loves 
 you no longer, has just married another wife, and to- 
 morrow his officers will come to forbid you returning any 
 more to the palace." 
 
 It happened just as the fairy had foretold, and Blanche 
 passed the remainder of her days with her sister Rosalind 
 in all manner of happiness and content, and never 
 thought again of the court, unless it were to thank the 
 fairy for having brought her back to her native village. 
 
 FAIRER THAN A FAIRY. 
 
 THERE formerly reigned a king who, having already 
 had several. ^children, took it into his head to travel, ac- 
 companied by liis queen, from one end of his dominions 
 
OLD, OLD FAIHY TALES. 
 
 35 
 
 to the other. Accordingly the royal wanderers went by 
 easy journeys from province to province, making a short 
 stay in each, and after a time arrived at a noble castle 
 situated on the frontiers of their kingdom, where the 
 queen gave birth to a daughter. The little princess was 
 
 so miraculously beautiful, even at the moment of her 
 birth, that the courtiers, for once sincere in their admira- 
 tion of her charms, called her Fairer than a Fairy, and it 
 will soon be manifest that she well deserved so illustrious 
 a name. As soon as the queen was able to quit her room 
 she hastened from the castle to join her husband, who 
 had set off in haste some days before to defend a distant 
 province which was threatened by his enemies. 
 
 The queen left the little Fairer (as we shall call her) 
 with her governess, who brought up her joung charge 
 
36 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 with great care; and, as her father had to sustain a long 
 and cruel war, the princess in retirement had leisure to 
 improve both in mind and person. Her beauty became 
 famous in all the neighboring kingdoms; nothing else 
 was spoken of, and when she had completed her twelfth 
 year she looked more like a goddess than a mere mortal. 
 About this time one of her brothers left the army to visit 
 her during a truce, and the prince and princess formed 
 an inviolable attachment. 
 
 Meanwhile the renown of Fairer's beauty, and particu- 
 larly her name, had so irritated the fairies that they con- 
 trived a thousand schemes of vengeance against her, to 
 destroy a beauty that'caused them so much jealousy. 
 
 The queen of the fairies in the neighborhood was not 
 one of those good fairies who are the protectresses of 
 virtue, and who take a pleasure in doing good. She 
 had, at the end of many centuries, at length attained the 
 honor of royalty by her deep skill and knowledge; but 
 she was very small, and on that account was called 
 Dwarfina. 
 
 Accordingly, Dwarfina assembled her council, and 
 made it known that she was resolved to avenge an affront 
 offered to all the handsome persons at her court, and, 
 indeed, to all the world; adding that she intended to 
 leave her palace for a time, in order to visit and carry off 
 this boasted Fairer, who had obtained a reputation so in- 
 jurious to their charms. No sooner had Dwarfina made 
 known this determination than she hastened to put it 
 into execution; and, having dressed herself in a simple 
 gown, transported herself to the castle in which the ob- 
 ject of her journey resided. She soon made herself 
 familiar there, and, by the charms of her conversation, 
 induced the princess' ladies to receive her among them. 
 But Dwarfina was no less astonished than displeased 
 when, having carefully inspected and examined the cas- 
 tle, she became aware, by means of her art, that it was 
 built by a powerful magic^. , and that there was attached 
 to it, and its gardens and terraces, such a virtue as made 
 it impossible to use any kind of spell or enchantment 
 against its inmates. Fairer's governess was not ignorant 
 of this circumstance; and, although conscious of the, in- 
 valuable treasure that had been committed to her 
 charge, she lived, consequently, in perfect security, well 
 
Dwarflna took great pains to insinuate herself into the princess' good grace 
 
 Page 37. Old, Old Fairy Tales, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRT TALtfS. 37 
 
 knowing that no one could injure her precious pupil 
 so long as she should keep within the castle and its 
 gardens. Accordingly, she had expressly forbidden her 
 to quit the palace, and Fairer, who was very prudent and 
 obedient, took care not to disobey this injunction. 
 
 Dwarfina took great pains to insinuate herself into the 
 princess' good graces; she taught her several fine kinds of 
 needlework; she amused her by relating the most amus- 
 ing stories, and neglected nothing that could tend to her 
 delight, until she succeeded so well in her design that 
 the princess soon was never seen without the fairy. 
 
 The disguised queen, amid all these cares, never forgot 
 her revenge, but incessantly sought, by stratagem, to 
 entrap Fairer into stepping beyond the castle gates, 
 which was all that she wanted to enable her to carry the 
 hated princess off. 
 
 One day they were in the castle garden, when 
 Dwarfina opened a little door, and, having passed into 
 the fields beyond, she performed a thousand antic tricks 
 to amuse the princess and her ladies, but all at once, pre- 
 tending to be taken ill, she fell as though she swooned. 
 The princess' attendants ran to her assistance, and 
 Fairer herself, in her anxiety, forgot the cautions she 
 had received, and hastened to the spot; but scarcely had 
 the unfortunate princess passed the walls of the castle 
 when Dwarfina arose, seized her rudely by the arm, and, 
 making a circle round them, a thick black cloud ap- 
 peared, which having cleared away, the earth opened, 
 and from the chasm issued two moles, with wings of 
 rose-leaves, drawing an ebony chariot. Dwarfina seated 
 herself therein, pulling the princess afte" her, when the 
 chariot mounted into the air with incredible swiftness, 
 and soon disappeared to the young ladies, who, by their 
 tears and cries, made known to every one in the castle 
 the loss they had sustained. 
 
 The rapidity with which the chariot rushed through 
 the air made Fairer so giddy that she became for some 
 time almost insensible.; at last, recovering herself, she 
 looked downward. What was her terror when she per- 
 ceived immediately beneath her the vast extent of the 
 fathomless ocean! She uttered a piercing shriek and 
 turned round, when, seeing her dear Dwarfina, she threw 
 her arms round the fairy's neck and embraced her ten- 
 
38 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 derly, feeling somewhat tranquilized to frnd some one 
 near her whom she loved. But, repulsing her rudely, 
 the fairy said: "Away, impertinent! behold in me your 
 mortal enemy. I am the queen of the fairies, and am 
 now about to make you suffer for the arrogance of those 
 who dared to give you your presumptuous name." 
 
 Fairer trembled when she heard these words as though 
 a thunderbolt had fallen at her feet, but was still more 
 frightened at the terrible speed at which they were 
 traveling. After awhile the chariot descended into the 
 midst of the magnificent quadrangle of the most superb 
 palace ever beheld. 
 
 The sight of so charming a place a little reassured the 
 timid princess, especially when, on alighting from the 
 chariot, she beheld a hundred beautiful young ladies, 
 who hastened courteously to welcome the fairy. So 
 charming an abode did not seem to threaten misfortune, 
 and Fairer received consolation which could not fail to 
 soothe any lady in her great distress, when she remarked 
 that all the young beauties were struck with admiration 
 at beholding her, and heard a confused murmur of praise 
 and envy of her charms; all which naturally pleased her. 
 
 Alas! how short are all human pleasures, especially 
 those arising from vanity! Dwarfina imperiously gav-e 
 orders to her attendants to strip Fairer of her fine 
 clothes, expecting thus to deprive her of a portion of her 
 charms. This was quickly effected, but Dwarfina's rage 
 only increased. What new beauties disclosed themselves! 
 what confusion for all the fairies present! They dressed 
 her in rags, but her simple'and natural beauty triumphed 
 over the costly clothes and jewels which surrounded her, 
 and never did she appear more beautiful. Dwarfina, 
 therefore, gave orders for her to be taken away, and 
 ordered the tasks which she had allotted to be given to 
 her at once. 
 
 Thereupon two fairies laid hold of the princess and 
 obliged her to accompany them through the most sump- 
 tuous apartments that, were ever seen. Fairer contem- 
 plated them complacently, and, notwithstanding her 
 present situation, she said to herself: "Whatever tor- 
 ments they may prepare for me, my heart whispers that 
 I shall not always be miserable in this charming abode." 
 
 Presently they came to a broad black marble staircase 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 39 
 
 of upward of a thousand steps, which the fairies made 
 Fairer descend- it was so long that the princess thought 
 she must be going to the abysses under the earth. At 
 last she arrived at a small cell wainscoted with ebony, 
 where her companions informed her she must sleep on a 
 little straw which lay in one corner; while in another 
 stood an ounce of bread and a mug of water for her sup- 
 per. Thence the princess was led into a long gallery, of 
 which the walls, from the ceiling to the floor, were also 
 of black -marble, arid which were lighted by the feeble 
 rays of five jet lamps, which shed a somber and most 
 gloomy light, rather calculated to inspire terror than 
 comfort. These sorrowful walls were thickly covered 
 from top to bottom with a complete network of spiders' 
 webs, which had the singular property of multiplying the 
 more they were swept away. The two fairies then told 
 the princess that if she did not cleanse the walls of that 
 gallery by daybreak next morning, she would undergo 
 the most terrible punishment. They finally placed a 
 ladder against the wall, and, putting a cane-broom into 
 her hands, desired her to work away, and quitted the 
 gallery. Fairer, unacquainted with the fatality of the 
 spiders' webs, although the gallery was very long, hero- 
 ically resolved to do her best; so, taking the broom, she 
 stepped lightly up the ladder. Alas! alas! what was her 
 astonishment when, endeavoring to clear the marble of 
 the webs, she found that the} 7 only augmented! She 
 wearied herself with exertion; but, finding that it was all 
 in vain, she threw down her broom, descended from the 
 ladder, and, seating herself on the lowest step, burst into 
 tears lamenting her cruel fate. Her sobs were so deep 
 and so numerous that they quite exhausted her strength, 
 and she was on the point of falling on the marble pave- 
 ment, when her eyes encountered a strong glare of light. 
 The whole length of the gallery became instantly illumi- 
 nated, and Fairer saw kneeling before her a young man of 
 such handsome features and figure that had it not been 
 for his dress she would have taken him for Cupid him- 
 self. She was doubtful whether all this light did not 
 proceed from the young stranger's eyes, so sparkling and 
 brilliant did they appear to her. The young man con- 
 tinued to regard her attentively without rising; at last 
 Fairer said to him in astonishment: "Who are you, gal- 
 
40 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 lant stranger? Are you a god? are you the god of 
 love?" "I am not a god," answered the youth, "but I 
 have more love in my heart than there is in the whole 
 world besides. I am Pyrrho, son of the queen of fairies; 
 I am in love with you, and am come to your assistance." 
 With that Pyrrho picked up the broom which Fairer had 
 thrown on the floor, and, touching the cobwebs with it, 
 they immediately changed into a piece of gold-tissue of 
 beautiful workmanship, while the flame of the lamps 
 became strong and bright; then, presenting to the 
 princess a golden key: "You will find," said Pyrrho, "a 
 keyhole in the largest panel of the wainscot in your 
 closet, into which this key will fit; unlock it very gently. 
 Adieu, fair princess; I quit you only to avoid being sus- 
 pected of having assisted you. Your task done, you may 
 rest in peace; you will find all that you want in the 
 closet in your prison chamber;" then, kneeling before 
 the princess, Pyrrho kissed her hand and quitted the 
 gallery. 
 
 Fairer, more astonished at this adventure than at any 
 of the previous events of the day, returned to her ebony 
 closet. She was looking for the panel which Pyrrho had 
 specified, when she heard the sweetest voice she had 
 ever listened to, complaining in the most tender and 
 sorrowful accents. The princess fancied that the voice 
 must belong to some unfortunate creature, like herself, 
 placed in confinement, to be tormented; she listened, 
 therefore, attentively. "Alas! what shall I do?" said 
 the voice.; "I am commanded to change this bushel of 
 acorns into an equal quantity of oriental pearls." 
 
 The princess, less surprised than she would have been 
 two hours before, knocked two or three times against the 
 wainscot, and said aloud: "If hard tasks are set within 
 .these walls, miracles likewise are performed: do not de- 
 spair. But tell me, I entreat you, your history, and I 
 will return your confidence by informing you of mine." 
 
 "I am a king's daughter," answered the voice, "and was 
 pronounced beautiful from my birth, at which, however, 
 no fairies were present to assist. You are, I suppose, 
 aware that those capricious beings have an aversion for 
 all who have not been under their protection from the 
 cradle." 
 
 "Alas! I know it but too well," answered Fairer, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 41 
 
 "I am a beauty, like yourself, and the daughter of a king; 
 I am also unfortunate, because I do not owe my beauty 
 to their gifts." 
 
 "We are then true companions in affliction," answered 
 the invisible. "But you are in love?" 
 
 "It matters not," said Fairer to herself; then she 
 added aloud: "Go on with your story, and do not inter- 
 rupt yourself to ask me questions." 
 
 "I was universally acknowledged to be the fairest 
 creature ever seen," pursued the voice, "and I had many 
 friends and csuitors; princes came from far and near, at- 
 tracted by the renown of my beauty, to demand my hand 
 in marriage. I must tell you that I am called Euryanthe. 
 Among the numerous pretenders to my hand and heart, 
 one young prince was particuarly assiduous in his atten- 
 tions. I returned his affection, and gave him every rea- 
 son to hope for the fulfillment of his wishes. Our wed- 
 ding-day was fixed, when the fairies, jealous at seeing me 
 so sought after, and about to be so happy, and unable to 
 endure the thoughts of a mortal's being so, except 
 through themselves, carried me off one day from my 
 father's palace, and conveyed me to my present wretched 
 prison. One of them has visited me to-day to tell me 
 that I shall be strangled to-morrow morning if by that 
 time" I have not executed a ridiculous and impracticable 
 task that they have assigned to me; now inform me who 
 you are." 
 
 "I shall have told you nearly all," answered the prin- 
 cess, "when I shall have told you my name. I am called 
 'Fairer than a Fairy.' ; 
 
 "You are then very, very fair," replied Princess Eu- 
 ryanthe; "I have a great desire to see you." 
 
 "I am equally anxious to see you/' returned Fairer. 
 "Is there not a door somewhere about here? for I have a 
 little key which may, perhaps, assist us to satisfy our 
 mutual curiosity." 
 
 Looking narrowly about, our princess discovered a 
 small keyhole, to which she applied the little golden key, 
 and succeeded in unlocking the door. Having pushed it 
 open, the two princesses' eyes met, and each was much sur- 
 prised by the wonderful beauty of the other. When their 
 embraces and congratulations were over, Fairer could not 
 forbear laughing to observe that Eu/yanthe had been very 
 
42 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 busily employed in rubbing her acorns with a littlo white 
 stone, as she had been commanded. She then informed 
 her new friend of the task that had been given her, and 
 that tne most charming person she had ever seen had 
 wrought a miracle in her favor. 
 
 "But who could it be?" said Euryanthe. 
 
 "I think it was a young man," answered Fairer. 
 
 "A young man!" cried Euryanthe; ."ah! you blush; 
 you are in love with him." 
 
 "No, not yet," answered our princess; "but he told 
 me that he is in love with me; and if he really loves me, 
 as he said he did, he will come to your assistance." 
 
 Scarcely had Fairer pronounced these words when the 
 acorns in the bushel began to move, and continued mov- 
 ing, without any apparent cause, for some time, when 
 they were suddenly changed into large pear-shaped pearls, 
 of the first quality, far superior, indeed, to that of the 
 pearl which Queen Cleopatra dissolved in the cup she pre- 
 sented at the celebrated banquet to Mark Antony. Our 
 two princesses were agreeably surprised by this adventure, 
 and Fairer, who began to grow accustomed to such prod- 
 igies, taking Euryanthe by the hand, they repassed into 
 her ebony closet. Fairer immediately resumed her search 
 for the panel mentioned by Pyrrho, which she soon dis- 
 covered, and applying her little golden key thereto, un- 
 locked it, and, pushing open the panel, entered an apart- 
 ment of which the magnificence surprised and affected her, 
 because she recognized in all she saw marks of her lover's 
 thonghtfulness. The floor was strewn with violets and 
 other sweet-smelling flowers, which exhaled the most fra- 
 grant perfume, and in the center of this delightful room 
 stood a table, on which was laid out a most sumptuous en- 
 tertainment, consisting of rare and delicate viands; while 
 in different parts of the table were little fountains of 
 wine and lemonade, flowing into basins of green por- 
 phyry. The young princesses seated themselves un- 
 hesitatingly in two chairs of ivory, enriched with 
 emeralds, and ate of this noble feast with good appetite. 
 Their repast finished, the table disappeared and was 
 replaced by a most deliciously perfumed bath, in which 
 having indulged for some time, it vanished, and made 
 way for a superb toilette, and large baskets of gold wire, 
 filled with linen so white thai; it was a luxury to look on 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 43 
 
 it. A bed, curiously shaped, but gorgeously furnished, 
 stood at one end of this remarkable apartment, which 
 was bordered by orange-trees in full flower, growing in 
 vases set with emeralds and rubies, vhile columns of 
 cornelian, disposed at regular distances, supported the 
 golden ceiling, and between each pillar was a splendid 
 crystal mirror, which reached from the cornice to the 
 floor. 
 
 Princess Euryanthe, admiring her companion's good 
 fortune, said to her: "Your lover is as powerful as he is 
 deeply enamored, and apparently neglects nothing to 
 gratify your wishes; yours is not a common fate." A 
 musical clock, which stood in the room, now sounded 
 midnight, by repeating twelve times the name of Pyrrho. 
 Fairer blushed, thew herself on her bed and tried to 
 sleep, but her repose was interrupted by the image of her 
 lover. 
 
 When the morrow came the court of the queen of the 
 fairies was thrown into the utmost astonishment at be- 
 holding the gallery perfectly freed from cobwebs, and 
 at sight of the bushel of pearls, while they found each 
 of the princesses quietly seated in her prison chamber. 
 Having assembled in council to determine what tasks 
 should next be given to the objects of their hatred, the 
 fairies commanded Euryanthe to go to the seashore and 
 write on the sand, taking especial care that what she 
 wrote should not be effaced by the waves; while Fairer 
 received orders to go to the foot of the Sugar-Loaf Moun- 
 tain, to ascend to its summit, and to bring thence to 
 them a vase filled with the water of immortality. As 
 there was no means of reaching the top of this mountain 
 without flying, they gave the princess feathers and wax, 
 hoping that, like another Icarus, she would make herself 
 wings, and thereby cause her destruction. Euryanthe 
 and Fairer sighed on hearing these commands, and, hav- 
 ing tenderly embraced, they separated, as sorrowfully as 
 though they were certain they should never see each 
 other again. Euryanthe was then conducted to the sea- 
 shore and Fairer to the foot of the Sugar-Loaf Mountain. 
 
 Arrived at her destination, Fairer took the feathers 
 and wax, and vainly attempted to construct something 
 with them in the shape of wings; but after a dozen un- 
 successful attempts, her thoughts began to wander tQ 
 
44 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Pyrrho. "If he really loved me," she said, "he would 
 come again to my assistance/' The word assistance had 
 scarcely passed her lips, when Pyrrho appeared before 
 her, looking a thousand times more handsome than on 
 the preceding night. Daylight was in truth singularly 
 favorable to him. 
 
 "Do you doubt the strength of my passion?" said 
 he; "is there anything too difficult for me to perform 
 in token of my love?" Pyrrho then requested Fairer to 
 take off her slippers, in which she would not be per- 
 mitted to approach the fountain of immortality, and 
 suddenly transformed himself into an eagle. The prin- 
 cess could not repress a slight feeling of regret at behold- 
 ing Pyrrho's charming person so metamorphosed; but 
 the eagle, crouching at her feet and unfolding his wings, 
 soon made her comprehend his object. She seated herself 
 on his back, twining her fair arms round his majestic 
 neck, and he gently rose into the air. It would be no 
 easy matter to pronounce which was the most delighted, 
 Fairer, at escaping death in executing the cruel order she 
 had received from the fairies, or Pyrrho, at being charged 
 with so precious a burden. 
 
 The eagle carried the princess gently and safely to the 
 summit of the mountain, where she heard the agreeable 
 concert of a thousand winged songsters who came to do 
 homage to the illustrious bird which had borne her 
 thither. On the very top of the Sugar-Loaf Mountain 
 was a flowery plain, surrounded by groves of tall cedar- 
 trees; and from the center of this plain arose a little 
 rivulet, whose silvery waters meandered over a fine sand, 
 composed of gold dust and seed diamonds. Fairer, kneel- 
 ing on the bank, took some of the precious water in her 
 hand and tasted it. She then filled her vase, and, turn- 
 ing to her eagle: "Ah!" said ehe, "how happy should I 
 be could my friend Euryanthe drink of this water." 
 The words had scarcely passed iier lips when the eagle 
 flew to the toot of the mountain, seized one of Fairer's 
 slippers, and, returning with it to the stream, filled it, 
 and flew away to the beach, on whose sands the Princess 
 Euryanthe was vainly endeavoring to write in indelible 
 characters. 
 
 His mission fulfilled, the eagle returned to Fairer, who 
 reseated herself on his back and expressed a*wish to re- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 45 
 
 join her dear friend. Pyrrho, to whom her slightest 
 wish was law, instantly directed his flight toward the 
 beach, where Euryanthe was still occupied with her 
 fruitless labor, the waves effacing whatever she wrote as 
 soon as it was completed. 
 
 "What barbarity/' said the 'princess to Fairer when 
 she saw her, "to command me to achieve an impossibility! 
 But I guess, from your singular mode of traveling, that 
 you have succeeded in obtaining what was required of 
 you." 
 
 Fairer having alighted, and being moved by the sight 
 of her friend's affliction, turned to her lover and said: 
 "Show me yet another and more convincing proof of 
 your power." 
 
 "Or rather of my love," interrupted the prince; and, 
 without giving his mistress time to finish her request, 
 he resumed his natural shape. 
 
 When Euryanthe saw the beauty of his face and per- 
 son, surprise and pleasure sparkled in her eyes, while 
 Fairer blushed, yet, by an involuntary movement, turned 
 her face on her lover to conceal her agitation from her 
 friend: "Do as I bid you," said she, with playful petu- 
 lance. 
 
 Pyrrho saw that he was loved; and, willing to put an 
 end to her anxiety, desired her to read what she would 
 find written on the sand, and disappeared more quickly 
 than a flash of lightning. 
 
 At the moment of Pyrrho's disappearance a wave 
 rolled to Fairer's feet and, then retiring, discovered a 
 brazen tablet as firmly sunk in the sand as though it had 
 been there from the creation of the world, and to all ap- 
 pearance immovable. The princesses regarded it with 
 wonder, and, while still looking at it, an invisible hand 
 engraved thereon, in deep letters, the following stanzas: 
 
 " Vulgar lovers' oaths and vows 
 
 Are like letters traced in sand; 
 The lightest wave that o'er tnem flows 
 Leaves a bare and noteless strand: 
 
 ' But the love your charms inspire, 
 
 Princess, fairer than a fay, 
 Is graven deep, in words of fire, 
 On a heart that woos thy way." 
 
48 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALfiS. 
 
 "And is it really you?" she cried repeatedly, until 
 at last, convinced of her lover's identity, and mindful 
 of her present misery, she said: "But are you the fa- 
 vorite of the malicious fairy? And do I behold you with 
 a claim to that fine title?" 
 
 "Doubt it not," answered her lover; "it is to that 
 favor that i?e shall owe the termination of our misfor- 
 tunes." 
 
 The prince then related to Euryanthe that, in despair 
 at her loss, he had consulted a hermit as to where she 
 then was; that the old man had told him that, when he 
 next saw her, it would be in Fairyland, and had given 
 him the means of finding her. He was, however, 
 stopped in his search by the malicious old fairy, who had 
 conceived a passion for him. "In pursuance of my ad- 
 viser's instructions," continued the prince, "I did not 
 entirely repulse her, and, by my duplicity I gained a 
 complete ascendency over her mind, "became the master 
 of her treasures and the minister of her will. My ancient 
 inamorata has just set out on a journey of eighteen 
 thousand miles, and will not return t for a fortnight; we 
 must make the best use of this opportunity for effecting 
 our escape. I know where the fairy keeps her invisible 
 ring, and will go and fetch it. You shall put it on, and 
 will thus be able to quit your dungeon unperceived; I 
 can leave the arcade openly." 
 
 "Do not forget," said Eu^anthe, "the elixir of per- 
 petual youth and beauty; I would drink of it myself and 
 give some to a dear friend of mine." 
 
 The prince laughed. 
 
 "And where shall we go?" asked Euryanthe. 
 
 "To the Queen of the Fairies," replied her lover. 
 
 "No, not there," said the princess; "we shall be put 
 to death." 
 
 "The sage who protects me," pursued he, "counsels 
 me to conduct you to the place whence you were brought 
 if I would insure my happiness; and he has never yet 
 deceived me." 
 
 "Be it so," said Euryanthe; "let us depart immedi- 
 ately." 
 
 Orontes (so was Euryanthe's lover called) handed to 
 his mistress a china flagon, which contained the elixir of 
 perpetual youth and beauty. Anxious to appear more 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 49 
 
 lovely in the prince's eyes, she drank deeply of it, forget- 
 ting that the ring which she wore on her finger rendered 
 her invisible. Then, taking Orontes' arm and carrying 
 the flagon in her hand, she traversed thus the whole of 
 the arcade, and reached the fairy queen's palace with 
 her lover. 
 
 Arrived there, Euryanthe pulled off the invisible ring 
 and gave it to Orontes. Then the lovely princess became 
 visible to her lover, who, to her great regret, made him- 
 self invisible in his turn by putting on the ring, and they 
 then entered Dwarfina's palace. 
 
 The fairies looked at each other in the utmost astonish- 
 ment when they beheld Euryanthe enter with the flagon 
 of elixir. Dwarfina, lowering her brow, said: "Let the 
 insolent be put into close confinement. I see that, our 
 stratagems produce no effect, and she must be put to 
 death without any further trouble." 
 
 Euryanthe trembled violently when she heard this 
 cruel speech; but Orontes, who was still by her side, 
 bade her be of good cheer. 
 
 We will now turn to Fairer than a Fairy (who was con- 
 ducted to the Forest of Marvels), and state why she was 
 commanded to take the silver-footed hind, and what was 
 her success. 
 
 There had been formerly a queen of the fairies who 
 had attained justly that noble distinction. She was fair, 
 amiable, and learned, and had many lovers, whose at 
 tentions, however, were thrown away upon her. Oc- 
 cupied as she ever was in protecting virtue, she could not 
 find time for listening to the sighs of her admirers. Of 
 her numerous suitors, there was one whom her indiffer- 
 ence rendered particularly miserable; and it will 
 naturally be inferred that he was the one who was most 
 ardent in his passion for the queen. 
 
 One day, his entreaties being still unable to move her, 
 he protested, in his despair, that he would kill himself. 
 To this threat 'she paid no attention, regarding it as the 
 mere bombast so frequently employed by lovers in their 
 threats to their mistresses, and which they are far from 
 ever intending to fulfill. However, she was informed 
 shortly after that he had thrown himself into the sea. 
 An old hermit, under whose care the unfortunate youth 
 had been educated, and who was deeply skilled in magic, 
 
52 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 branches over her, forming a kind of canopy to her bed, 
 which was strewed with its blossoms. Two turtle-doves, 
 cooing in a bush hard by, reminded Fairer of her 
 Pyrrho's affection. Strawberries and various other kinds 
 of excellent fruit were growing in profusion near her 
 couch, of which the princess ate heartily, and felt as re- 
 freshed as if she had partaken of the choicest viands. 
 When she had satisfied her appetite, "Oh! attentive 
 Pyrrho!" she exclaimed, "but for your timely assistance 
 I must have perished; I no longer murmur at my hard 
 fate, and only wish to see you to make me quite con- 
 tented." 
 
 Fairer would have continued her soliloquy, but at the 
 moment she observed the silver-footed hind resting on 
 its haunches and quietly watching her. She made sure 
 of taking it this time, and having gathered a handful of 
 grass, offered it to the hind, holding her silken halter in 
 the other hand; but the hind skipped onward, and when 
 it had run a little distance from the princess resumed its 
 sitting posture and gazed earnestly on its fair pursuer. 
 The princess passed the whole of the second day in fruit- 
 less attempts to catch it, and when night set in passed it 
 as she had passed the preceding. On the third morning 
 she was awakened as before, and that and the following 
 days and nights were spent in the same way. At last, on 
 the fifth morning, when Fairer opened her eyes she 
 fancied it was lighter than usual, and, on looking up, 
 perceived her lover his eyes sparkling with all the love 
 she inspired: he was kneeling near her and kissing her 
 feet. Pleased by his presence and gratified by his re- 
 spectful attention, "You are come, then, at last," said 
 Fairer; "but though I have not seen you latterly, I have, 
 at least, experienced marks of your goodness." 
 
 "Say, rather, of my^love, Fairer than a Fairy," inter- 
 rupted Pyrrho. "My mother suspects' that I assist 
 you, and has placed me in confinement, from which I 
 have only escaped for a few moments by the assistance of 
 a kind fairy, my friend. I have only time to assure you 
 of my eternal fidelity, and to add that you will see me 
 again in the evening. If fortune favors us to-morrow, 
 we shall be happy. Adieu." 
 
 Pyrrho disappeared, and the silver-footed hind appear- 
 ing, the princess went in chase of it. "When the fifth 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 53 
 
 night came she perceived, very near to her, a small bright 
 flame, which sufficed to discover her lover. "Here is my 
 fiery wand," said he; "place it before you, and follow un- 
 hesitatingly wherever it shall lead you." When it stops 
 you will discover, by its light, a heap of dry leaves. Set 
 fire to the leaves, and fearlessly enter the opening you 
 will then perceive; if you there find the skin of an animal 
 which you recognize, burn it; the stars, our friends, 
 will take care of the rest. Adieu." 
 
 Fairer would have been glad to have received more 
 ample instructions, but her lover was gone; so she un- 
 hesitatingly placed the wand before her, and followed 
 where it led. It went on before her for more than two 
 hours, and she began to grow very tired, when it stopped, 
 and, by its light, Fairer perceived the heap of dry leaves, 
 to which she immediately set light. The leaves in- 
 stantly threw up a bright blaze, and discovered a high 
 mountain, with an opening toward its base, nearly con- 
 cealed by brambles; the princess pushed them aside with 
 her wand, and entered the mouth of the opening. She 
 found herself in total darkness; but, walking forward, 
 presently came to a large and noble hall, handsomely 
 furnished and brilliantly lighted with many chandeliers; 
 but what struck her with most astonishment was to per- 
 ceive the skins of several wild beasts suspended from 
 golden hooks, which she took at first for the beasts them- 
 selves. She gazed on them for some time with fear; 
 when, averting her eyes, she perceived in the middle of 
 the hall a fine tall palm-tree, from a branch of which was 
 hanging the skin of the silver-footed hind. 
 
 Fairer was delighted at this sight; she took the skin on 
 the end of her wand, and carried it to the fire she had 
 lighted at the mouth of the grotto. The flames immedi- 
 ately consumed it; and the princess returned joyfully to 
 the hall, and penetrated into a long suit of magnificent 
 apartments. She stopped in one, in which she saw sev- 
 eral little beds arranged on a Persian carpet, one of them 
 being of richer materials than the others, and placed 
 under a pavilion of cloth of gold. But she had no time 
 to reflect on the singularity of what she saw, for she sud- 
 denly heard loud peals, of laughter, and a confused and 
 loud noise of several voices. 
 
 Fairer, turning her steps in the. direction of these 
 
54 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 sounds, entered into a wonderful apartment, in which 
 were seated fifteen young persons of divine beauty. 
 They rose at her entrance, apparently as much surprised 
 at the appearance of the princess as was she at beholding 
 them. The extreme loveliness of her person, too, 
 charmed them all. An attentive silence having suc- 
 ceeded the cries of admiration which burst from them at 
 first, one of the fair fifteen, more beautiful than her com- 
 panions, advanced with a gay and smiling countenance to 
 meet our charming princess. "I cannot doubt," she 
 said, "that you are my deliverer, as no one ever enters 
 here who is not clothed in the skin of an animal such as 
 you saw suspended in the hall; it has been the fate of all 
 the lovely persons you see around me. After ten days 
 unsuccessfully spent in hunting me, they have all been 
 changed into animals like myself, excepting that during 
 the night we all resume our natural shapes. You, fair 
 princess, but that you were destined to effect my deliver- 
 ance, would have been transformed into a white rabbit." 
 
 "A white rabbit!" cried Fairer. "Oh, madam, I am 
 very happy to have preserved my proper form, and to 
 have disenchanted so charming a person as you appear 
 to be." 
 
 "Yes, you have restored us all to liberty," answered 
 the fairy; "let us pass the remainder of this night to- 
 gether, and to-morrow we will repair to my palace to fill 
 all the court with joy and astonishment." 
 
 No pen could do justice to the gayety of which that 
 charming abode was on that night the witness, or to the 
 ecstasies of the fair inmates about to be restored to life, 
 so to speak. They were all of the same age as on the 
 day they commenced their hunting expedition in the 
 Forest of Marvels, and the eldest of them was not yet 
 twenty. When the queen was inclined to repose, she in- 
 vited Fairer to share her bed, and expressed a wish to 
 know her history. The princess related it so aifectingly, 
 yet in such artless and truthful expressions, that the 
 fairy resolved from that moment to take her under her 
 protection, and to crown her and her faithful Pyrrho's 
 affection with lasting happiness. Fairer did not forget 
 her friend Euryauthe, for whom the fairy conceived an 
 almost equal affection. 
 
 After a lengthened conversation, which they frequently 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 55 
 
 Interrupted by assurances of eternal friendship, the fairy 
 and the princess fell into a profound sleep. 
 
 The next day they all set out for the palace, intending 
 agreeably to surprise the fairies. They quitted without 
 regret the Forest of Marvels, and in due time reached 
 their destination. As they approached the outer court 
 their ears were saluted by an agreeable concert, which 
 seemed to proceed from a full and skillful military band. 
 When they entered the quadrangle it was crowded by an 
 immense concourse of people. 
 
 "We come in the very nick of time," said the fairy; 
 "this must be some holiday. Let us see what is doing." 
 
 The fairy cleared a passage through the throng, and 
 passed on with her troop. Directly she was recognized, 
 loud shouts rent the air, and great was the universal joy 
 at her return; but, continuing to move onward, a strange 
 sight met her eyes. A young maiden, more charming 
 than the graces and as beautiful as Venus, was tied to a 
 stake, and was apparently about to be burned. 
 
 Fairer immediately recognized her friend Euryanthe. 
 She uttered a piercing shriek, but her terror and surprise 
 even redoubled when in a moment her friend vanished, 
 and in her place appeared a young man, so handsome 
 that he immediately attracted the looks of all present. 
 Fairer rushed to the spot where the youth was bound, 
 threw herself on his neck, and, bursting into tears, ex- 
 claimed: "It is my brother, it is my brother!" 
 
 It was indeed her brother, who was also the favored 
 lover of Euryanthe, and who, fearing that she would be 
 put to death, had given her the invisible ring to enable 
 her to escape from the fate which the cruel Dwarfina had 
 prepared for her. 
 
 The brother and sister embraced again and again, and 
 their affectionate caresses were shared by the invisible 
 Euryanthe, whose voice was audible while her person 
 could not be seen. In the meanwhile, the fairies 
 present, astonished beyond measure at these extraordi- 
 nary events, manifested the utmost joy at the return of 
 their good queen, and, throwing themselves at her feet, 
 kissed her hands and the border of her robe. Some be- 
 came speechless with astonishment, some wept for joy, 
 while others laughed hysterically. The wicked fairies, or 
 partisans of Dwarfina., also affected to welcome her return 
 
56 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 with eagerness, and their policy gave an air of sincerity 
 to their false demonstrations. 
 
 Dwarfina herself, furious at her virtuous predecessor's 
 return, concealed her real feelings with an art of which 
 she alone was capable. She at once professed her readi- 
 ness to abdicate in favor of her rightful queen, who, with 
 a grave and majestic air, demanded in what way the 
 young lady she had just seen had merited the punish- 
 ment about to have been inflicted, and how long it had 
 become customary to solemnize a cruel death by feasts 
 and rejoicings. Dwarfina made a very clumsy excuse, to 
 which the queen was impatiently listening, when Orontes 
 interrupted her, saying: 
 
 "May it please your majesty, the princess was about to 
 be punished for being too lovely; the princess, my sister, 
 has likewise suffered much for the same cause. Behold 
 both the culprits and judge how guilty they are from 
 their looks." Then Orontes requested Euryanthe to 
 pull off her ring, which done, she immediately became 
 visible, her beauty charming all beholders. "They are, 
 as you see, beautiful," pursued Orontes, "and they are 
 also possessed of a thousand amiable qualities which 
 they do not derive from the fairies; these are their only 
 crimes; for these have they been so cruelly persecuted." 
 Then, turning to Dwarfina, Orontes added: "How unjust 
 have you been, madam, to abuse with a tyrannical power 
 all beauty and virtue which do not emanate from yourself!" 
 
 The prince was silent. The queen turned to the as- 
 sembly with a lively air and said: "I demand the guardian- 
 ship of these three persons, for I feel inclined to make 
 them happy. I am under the deepest obligations to 
 Fairer, and I am sure you will allow that the Queen of 
 the Fairies should never prove ungrateful. 
 
 "You shall still reign, madam," pursued the queen, 
 turning to Dwarfina; "this empire is large enough for 
 both of us. To you belongs the sovereignty of the 
 islands in which you were born, and your right shall 
 never be questioned by me. But leave with me your 
 son, who is a party in my plan of happiness for these mor- 
 tals, and whom I destine to marry Fairer than a Fairy: 
 this union will reconcile us all." 
 
 Dwarfina was provoked by the queen's commands, but 
 what could she do? She was the weaker party, and had 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 57 
 
 only to obey. She was consenting to this proposition 
 with a very bad grace, when the handsome Pyrrho made 
 his appearance, followed by a crowd of noble youths who 
 composed his court. He had come to pay his respects to 
 the queen, and to congratulate her on her return; but, 
 perceiving Fairer as he passed along, he showed by his 
 tender looks that his first homage was paid to her. 
 
 The queen, embracing Pyrrho, presented him to Fairer 
 than a Fairy, entreating her to receive him from her 
 hands. The prince's transports may be more easily 
 imagined than described. Fairer, in her joy, did not for- 
 get her parents or the good governess from whose care 
 she had been snatched by the wiles of the artful Dwar- 
 fina. She expressed a wish, therefore, that they might 
 approve of her -choice, and be present at her wedding. 
 In a moment the queen transported the four lovers, her- 
 self and court, to the castle, where they found the king 
 and queen still in the deepest distress at the supposed 
 loss of their favorite daughter and of Orontes, who had 
 left them in search of his sister. Delighted at beholding 
 their children once more, they were scarcely less so at 
 perceiving them accompanied by persons so worthy of 
 their choice as Euryanthe and Pyrrho, and immediately 
 consented to their union, thanking the Queen of the 
 Fairies for her favor and protection. 
 
 The two marriages were solemnized on one day; and 
 they were go happy in their results that it has been said 
 that Pyrrho and Fairer, Orontes and Euryanthe, are the 
 only two couples who ever really deserved the title of 
 "the happy," and that those who have been since cited 
 as having gained it led the lives of dogs and cats in com- 
 parison. 
 
 THE THEEE SOLDIERS AND THE 
 DWARF. 
 
 THERE were once three poor soldiers, who, after hav- 
 ing fought hard in the wars, set out on their road home, 
 begging their way as they went. 
 
 They had journeyed on a long way, sick at heart with 
 their bad luck at thus being turned loose on the world in 
 
58 OLD. OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 their old days, when one evening they reached a deep 
 gloomy wood, through which they must pass; night came 
 fast upon them, and they found that they must, however 
 unwillingly, sleep in the wood; so to make all as safe as 
 they could, it was agreed that two should lie down and 
 sleep, while a third sat up and watched, lest wild beasts 
 should break in and tear them to pieces; when he was 
 tired he was to wake one of the others and sleep in his 
 turn, and so on with the third, so as to share the work 
 fairly among them. 
 
 The two who were to rest first soon lay down and fell 
 fast asleep, and the other made himself a good fire under 
 the trees and sat down by the side to keep watch. He 
 had not sat long before, ail on a sudden, up came a little 
 man in a red jacket. 
 
 "Who's there?" said he. 
 
 "A friend," said the soldier. 
 
 "What sort of friend?" 
 
 "An old broken soldier," said the other, "with his two 
 comrades, who have hardly anything left to live on; 
 come, sit down and warm yourself, and partake of what 
 we have." 
 
 "Well, my worthy fellow," said the little man, "I will 
 do what I can for you; take this and show it to your 
 comrades in the morning." 
 
 So he took out an old cloak and gave it to the soldier, 
 telling him that, whenever he put it over his shoulders, 
 anything he wished for would be fulfilled; then the little 
 man made a bow, and walked away. 
 
 The second soldier's turn to watch now came, and the 
 first soon laid himself down to sleep; but the second man 
 had not sat by himself long before up came the little man 
 in the red jacket again. The soldier treated him in a 
 friendly way, as his comrade had done, and the little 
 man gave him a purse, which he told him was always full 
 of gold, let him draw as much as he would. 
 
 Then the third soldier's turn to watch came, and he 
 also had the little man for his guest, who gave him a 
 wonderful horn that would draw crowds around it when- 
 ever it was played; and make every one forget his busi- 
 ness to come and dance to its beautiful music. 
 
 In the morning each told his story and showed his 
 treasure; and, as they all liked each other very much and 
 
OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES, 59 
 
 were old friends, they agreed to travel together to see 
 the world and for awhile only to make use of the wonder- 
 ful purse. And thus they spent their time very joyously, 
 till at last they began to be tired of this roving life, and 
 thought they should like to have a home of their own. 
 So the first soldier put his old cloak on and wished for a 
 castle. In a moment it stood before their eyes; fine gar- 
 dens and green lawns spread round it, and flocks of sheep 
 and goats and herds of oxen were grazing about; and out 
 
 of the gate came a fine coach with three aapple-gray 
 horses to meet them and bring them home. 
 
 All this was very well for a time; but being old soldiers, 
 they could not stay at home always, so they got together 
 all their rich clothes and horses, and servants, and 
 ordered their coach with three horses, and set out on a 
 journey to see a neighboring king. Now this king had 
 an only daughter, and as he took the three soldiers for 
 kings' sons, he gave them a kind welcome. One day, as 
 the second soldier was walking with the princess, she saw 
 him with the wonderful purse in his hand; and having 
 asked him what it was, he was foolish enough to tell her: 
 though, indeed, it did not much signify, for she was a 
 witch and knew all the wonderful things that the three 
 soldiers brought. Now this princess was very cunning 
 and artful; so she set to work and made a purse so like 
 the soldier's that no one would know one from the other, 
 and then asked him to come and see her, and made him 
 
60 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 drink some wine that she had got ready for him, till he 
 fell fast asleep. Then she felt in his pocket, and took 
 away the wonderful purse, and left the one she had made 
 in its place. 
 
 The next morning the soldiers set out home, and soon 
 after they reached their castle, happening to want some 
 money, they went to their purse for it, and found some- 
 thing indeed in it; but to their great sorrow, when they 
 had emptied it, none came in the place of what they 
 took. Then the cheat was soon found out; for the sec- 
 ond soldier knew where he had been, and how he had 
 told the story to the princess, and he guessed that she 
 had betrayed him. 
 
 "Alas!" cried he, "poor wretches that we are, what 
 shall we do?" 
 
 "Oh!" said the first soldier, "let no gray hairs grow 
 for this mishap; I will soon get the purse back." 
 
 So he threw his cloak across his shoulders and wished 
 himself in the princess' chamber. There he found her 
 sitting alone, telling the gold that fell around her in a 
 shower from the purse. But the soldier stood looking at 
 her too long, for the moment she saw him she started up 
 and cried with all her force, "Thieves! thieves!" so that 
 the whole court came running in and tried to seize him. 
 The poor soldier now began to be dreadfully frightened 
 in his turn, and thought it was high time to make the 
 best of his way off; so without thinking of the ready way 
 of traveling that his cloak gave him, he ran to the win- 
 dow, opened it, and jumped out; and unluckily in his 
 haste his cloak caught and was left hanging, to the great 
 joy of the princess, who knew its worth. 
 
 The poor soldier made the best of his way home to his 
 comrades, on foot and in a very downcast mood; but the 
 third soldier told him to keep up his heart, and he took 
 his horn and blew a merry tune. At the first blast a 
 countless troop of foot and horse came rushing to their 
 aid, and they set out to make war against their enemy. 
 Then the king's palace was besieged, and he was told 
 that he must give up the purse and the cloak, Or that 
 not one stone should be left upon another. And the 
 king went into his daughter's chamber and talked with 
 her; but she said, "Let me try first if I cannot beat them 
 some way." So she thought of a cunning scheme to 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 61 
 
 overreach them, and dressed herself out as a poor girl 
 with a basket on her arm; she then set out by night with 
 her maid, and went into the enemy's camp as if she 
 wanted to sell trinkets. 
 
 In the morning she began to ramble about, singing 
 ballads so beautifully that all the tents were left empty, 
 and the soldiers ran round in crowds and thought of 
 nothing but hearing her sing. Among the rest came the 
 soldier to whom the horn belonged, and as soon as she 
 saw him she winked to her maid, who slipped slyly 
 through the crowd and went into his tent where it hung, 
 and stole it away. This done, they both got safely back 
 to the palace; the besieging army went away; the three 
 wonderful gifts were all left in the hands of the princess; 
 and the three soldiers were as penniless and forlorn as 
 when the little man found them in the wood. 
 -'_ Poor fellows! they began to think what was now to be 
 done. "Comrades," at last said the second soldier, who 
 had had the purse, "we had better part; we cannot live 
 together; let each seek his bread as well as he can." So 
 he turned to the right, and the other two to the left; for 
 they said they would rather travel together. Then on 
 he strayed till he came to a wood (now this was the same 
 wood where they had met with so much good luck be- 
 fore); and he walked on a long time till evening began to' 
 fall, when he sat down tired beneath a tree, and soon fell 
 asleep. 
 
 Morning dawned, and he was greatly delighted, on 
 
 opening his eyes, to see that the tree was laden with the 
 
 most beautiful apples. He was hungry enough, so he 
 
 soon plucked and ate first one, then a second, then a 
 
 third apple. A strange feeling came over his nose: when 
 
 he put the apple to his mouth something was in the way; 
 
 he felt it: it was his nose, that grew and grew till it hung 
 
 down before him. It did not stop there, but still it grew 
 
 and grew. "Mercy!" thought he, "when will it have 
 
 done growing?" And, indeed, it had by this time 
 
 | reached the ground as he sat on the grass, and thus it 
 
 i kept creeping on till he could not bear its weight, or 
 
 ! _ raise himself up; and it seemed as if it would never end, 
 
 1 for already it stretched its enormous length all through 
 
 i the wood. 
 
 Meantime his comrades were journejing on, till on a 
 
62 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 sudden one of them stumbled against something. "What 
 can that be?" said the other. They looked, and could 
 think of nothing that it was like but a nose. "We will 
 follow it and find its owner, however," said they; so they 
 traced it up, till at last they found their poor comrade 
 lying stretched along under the apple-tree. What was to 
 be done? They tried to carry him, but in vain. They 
 caught an ass that was passing by, and raised him upon 
 its back; but it was soon tired of carrying such a load. 
 So they sat down in despair, when up came the little 
 man in the red jacket. 
 
 "Why, how now, friend?" said he, laughing; "well, I 
 must find a cure for you, I see." So he told them to 
 
 gather a pear from a tree that grew close by, and the 
 nose would come right again. No time was lost, and the 
 nose was soon brought to its proper size, to the poor sol- 
 dier's joy. 
 
 "I will do something more for you yet," said the little 
 man; "take some of those pears and apples with you; 
 whoever eats one of the apples will have his nose grow 
 like yours just now; but if you give him a pear all will 
 come ^<^~t again. Go to the princess and get her .to eat 
 some of your apples; her nose will grow twenty times as 
 long as yours did; then look sharp, and you will get what 
 you want of her." 
 
 Then they thanked their old friend very heartily for 
 all his kindness, and it was agreed that the poor soldier 
 who had already tried the power of the apple should 
 
OLD. OLD FAIRY TALES. 63 
 
 undertake the task. So he dressed himself up as a gar- 
 dener's boy, and went to the king's palace, and said he 
 had apples to sell, such as were never seen ihere before. 
 Every one that saw them was delighted and wanted to 
 taste, but he said they were only for the princess; and 
 she soon sent her maid to buy his stock. They were so 
 ripe and rosy that she soon began eating, and had already 
 eaten three when she too began to wonder what ailed her 
 nose, for it grew and grew, down to the ground, out at 
 the window, and over the garden, nobody knows where. 
 
 Then the king made known to all his kingdom, that 
 whoever would heal her of this dreadful disease should 
 be richly rewarded. Many tried, but the princess got no 
 relief. And now the old soldier dressed himself up very 
 sprucely as a doctor, who said he could cure her; so he 
 chopped up some of the apple, and to punish her a little 
 more gave her a dose, saying he would call to-morrow 
 and see her again. The morrow came, and of course, in- 
 stead of being better, the nose had been growing all 
 night, and the poor princess was in a dreadful fright. So 
 the doctor chopped up a very little of the pear and gave 
 her, and said he was sure that would do good, and he 
 would call again the next day. Next day came, and the 
 nose was to be sure a little smaller, but yet it was bigger 
 than it was when the doctor first began to meddle with it. 
 
 Then he thought to himself, "I must frighten this 
 cunning princess a little more before I shall get what I 
 want of her;" so he gave her another dose of the apple, 
 and said he would call on the morrow. The morrow 
 came, and the nose was ten times as bad as before. "My 
 good lady," said the doctor, "something works against 
 my medicine, and is too strong for it; but I know by the 
 force of my art what it is; you have stolen goods about 
 you, and if you do not give them back, I can do nothing 
 for you." But the princess denied very stoutly that she 
 had anything of the kind. "Very well," said the doctor, 
 "you may do as you please, but I am sure r ^ right, 
 and you will never be cured if you do not own it." Then 
 he went to the king, and told him how the matter stood. 
 
 "Daughter," said he, "send back the cloak, the purse, 
 and the horn, that you stole from the right owners." 
 
 Then she ordered her maid to fetch all three, and gave 
 them to the doctor, and begged him to give them back to 
 
64 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 the soldiers; and the moment he had them safe he gave 
 her a whole pear to eat, and the nose came right. And 
 as for the doctor, he put on the cloak, wished the king 
 and all his court a good-day, and was soon with his two 
 brothers, who lived from that time happily at home in 
 their palace, except when they took airings in their coach 
 with the three dapple-gray horses. 
 
 THE GIANT WITH THE GOLDEN HAIES. 
 
 THERE was once a poor man and his wife, and they had 
 a son, of whom it was foretold that he should prosper in 
 all that he undertook, and that he should one day marry 
 the king's daughter. The king heard of this; and when 
 he found the parents of the boy were so poor, he was 
 very ill-pleased, and determined" that he should never 
 marry his daughter. So he went, disguised as a stranger, 
 to the parents, and asked them whether they would sell 
 him their son. 
 
 "No," said they; but as he begged very hard, and said 
 he would give a great deal of money for the child, and 
 would take great care of him, and as they had scarcely 
 bread to eat, they at last agreed, thinking to themselves, 
 "He is a lucky child; no harm will happen to him." 
 
 The king took the child, put it into a box, and rode 
 away; but when he came to a deep stream he threw it 
 into the water, saying to himself, "My daughter shall 
 never have you for a husband." So the box floated down 
 the stream, but no water reached the child; till at last, 
 about two miles from the king's capital, it stopped at a 
 mill-dam. The miller soon saw it, and took a long pole, 
 and drew it toward the shore, and finding it heavy, 
 thought it was full of money; but when he opened it he 
 found a pretty little boy. Now the miller and his wife 
 had no children, and they rejoiced to see the foundling, 
 saying: "Heaven has sent it to us;" so they treated the 
 boy very kindly, and brought him up carefully in virtu- 
 ous principles. 
 
 About thirteen years afterward the king came by 
 chance to the mill, and asked the miller if that was his 
 son. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 65 
 
 ' said he; "I found him, when a babe, in a box 
 in the mill-dam." 
 
 "How long ago?" asked the king. 
 
 "About thirteen years," said the miller. 
 
 "Indeed!" said the king. "Can you spare him to 
 carry a letter to the queen ? It will give me much pleasure, 
 and I will present him with two gold pieces for his 
 trouble." 
 
 "As your majesty pleases," said the miller. 
 
 Now the king had soon guessed that this was the child 
 
 whom he had tried to drown; and he wrote a letter by 
 him to the queen, saying: "As soon as the bearer of this 
 letter reaches you, give orders to kill and bury him, so 
 that all may be^over before I return." 
 
 The young man set out with this letter, but missed his 
 way, and camo in the evening to a great wood. Though 
 it was quite dark he saw a light afar off, to which he di- 
 rected his steps, and found that it came from a little, 
 cottage. There was no* one within except an old woman, 
 
66 OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES. 
 
 who was alarmed at seeing him and said: ""What brings 
 you here, and where are you going?" 
 
 "I am going to the queen, to whom 1 am taking a let- 
 ter; but I have lost my way, and shall be glad if you will 
 give me a night's rest." 
 
 "You are very unlucky," said she, "for this is a rob- 
 bers' hut; and if the band come back while you are here, 
 they will murder you." 
 
 "I am so tired, however," replied he, "that I can go no 
 further;" so he laid the letter on the table, stretched 
 himself out upon a bench, and fell asleep. 
 
 When the robbers came home and saw him they asked 
 the old woman who the strange lad was. 
 
 "I have given him shelter for charity," said she; "he 
 has a letter to carry to the queen, and has lost his way." 
 
 The robbers took up the letter, broke it open, and read 
 the orders contained in it to murder the bearer. Then 
 their leader tore it, and, thinking to play the king a 
 trick, wrote another letter, desiring the queen, as soon as 
 the young man reached her, to marry him to the king's 
 daughter. Meantime they let him sleep on till morning, 
 and then showed him the right way to the queen's palace; 
 who, as soon as she had read the letter, made all ready 
 for the wedding; and as the young man was very hand- 
 some, the princess took him willingly for her husband, 
 and they lived happily together. 
 
 After awhile the king came back; and when he saw the 
 prediction fulfilled, and that this child of fortune was 
 married to his daughter, he asked eagerly how this had 
 happened, and what his letter had said. 
 
 "Dear husband," said the queen, "here is your letter, 
 read it for yourself." 
 
 The king took it, and seeing that another letter had 
 been sent instead of his, asked his son-in-law what he had 
 done with the letter which he had given into his charge. 
 
 "I know nothing of it," said he; "it must have been 
 taken away in the night while I slept." 
 
 Then the king was in a great rage and said: "No man 
 shall have my daughter who does not go down and bring 
 me three golden hairs from the head of the giant who 
 reigns in the wonderful mountain; do this, and you shall 
 have my daughter." 
 
 "That I will soon do," said the lucky youth: so he 
 took leave of his wife, and set out on his journey. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 6? 
 
 By and by our hero came to a great city, where the 
 guard of the gate stopped him, and asked what trade he 
 followed, and what he knew. 
 
 "I know everything," said he. 
 
 "If that be so," replied they, "be so good as to tell us 
 why our fountain in the market-place, that used to flow 
 with wine, will now not even give water? tell us this, and 
 we will give you two asses laden with gold." 
 
 "With all my heart," said he, "when I come back." 
 
 He then continued his journey and came to another 
 city, and there the guard also asked him what trade he 
 followed, and what he understood. 
 
 "I know everything," answered he. 
 
 "Then pray oblige us by saying how it happens that 
 a tree which used to bear golden apples does not now even 
 bear a leaf?" 
 
 "Most willingly," said he, "when I return." 
 
 His way next led him to the side of a great lake, over 
 which he must pass. The ferryman asked, as the others 
 had done, what was his trade, and what he knew. 
 
 "Everything," said he. 
 
 "Then," said the other, "pray tell me why it is that I 
 am bound forever to ferry people over this water, and 
 cannot get free? I will reward you handsomely." 
 
 "I will tell you all about it," said the young man, "as 
 I come home." 
 
 When he had passed the water he came to the great 
 mountain, which looked very black and gloomy. The 
 giant lived in a cave hollowed out of the solid rock. 
 When the youth knocked at the door he found the giant 
 was not at home, but his grandmother was sitting in her 
 easy-chair. 
 
 "What do you seek?" said she to the prince. 
 
 "Three golden hairs from the giant's head," answered 
 he; "otherwise I shall lose my wife." 
 
 "I am sorry for you, "said she; "when he returns home 
 I am afraid he will kill you; yet I will try what Jean do." 
 
 Then she showed him a hole in the wall, and told him 
 to hide himself there; and if he kept himself quite 
 quiet, he might be safe. 
 
 "Very well," said he; "but I want also to know why a 
 fountain that used to flow with wine is now dry; why the 
 tree that bore golden apples is now Jeafless; and why it 
 is that the ferryman cannot get away." 
 
68 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "You ask three questions that are difficult to answer," 
 said the old lady; "but lie quiet and listen to what the 
 giant says when I pull the golden hairs." 
 
 As soon as night set in the giant himself appeared. 
 When he entered he began to snuff up the air, and cried: 
 "What's the matter here? surely some stranger is in my 
 cave." 
 
 Then he searched all round in vain; and the old dame 
 scolded and said: "Don't be turning everything topsy- 
 turvy that I have just set in order." 
 
 Upon this he took his supper, kid his head in her lap, 
 and soon fell asleep, as he was very tired. As soon as he 
 began to snore she seized one of the golden hairs and 
 pulled it out. 
 
 "Woman!" cried he, starting up, "what are you 
 about?" 
 
 "Oh, I have heard that the fountain in the market- 
 place that used to run with wine has become dry; what 
 can be the reason?" 
 
 "Ah! if they but knew that," said the giant: "under 
 a stone in the fountain sits a toad; when they kill him 
 it will flow again." 
 
 This said, he fell asleep, and snored so loud that the 
 window shook, and then the old lady pulled out another 
 hair. 
 
 "What would you be at?" cried he in a rage. 
 
 "Don't be angry," said she; "I want to ask you another 
 question." 
 
 "What is that?" said he. 
 
 "Oh! in a great kingdom there was a fruit-tree that 
 used to bear golden apples, and now it has not even a 
 leaf upon it; what is the reason of that?" 
 
 "Aha!" said the giant, "they would like very well to' 
 know that secret. At the root of the tree a mouse is 
 gnawing; if they were to kill him the tree would bear 
 golden apples again; if not, it will soon die. Now have 
 done with your questions, and let me sleep in peace; if 
 you wake me again I shall box your ears." 
 
 Then he fell once more asleep; and when she heard him 
 snore she pulled out the third golden hair, and the giant 
 jumped up and was going to make sad work; but she 
 soothed him, and said, "Only this once, and I will never 
 trouble you again. There is a ferryman who is doomed 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 69 
 
 to ply backward and forward over a lake, and can never 
 be set free; what is the charm that binds him?" 
 
 "He is a silly fool!" said the giant. "Let him give 
 the rudder into the hand of the first passenger; he will 
 then be free and the other will take his place. Now let 
 me sleep." 
 
 In the morning the giant arose and went out, and the 
 old woman, having released the young man from his 
 prison, gave him the three golden hairs, asked him if he 
 
 had heard and understood all that the giant had said, 
 and, on his replying that he had, she sent him on his 
 way. 
 
 He now left the mountain and soon came to the ferry- 
 man, who knew him again, and asked for the answer 
 which he had said he would give him. 
 
 "Ferry me over first," "said he, and then I will tell 
 you." 
 
 When the boat reached the other side he told him to 
 give the rudder to the first passenger and then run away. 
 
 He came next to the city where the barren tree stood. 
 "Kill the mouse," said he to the watchman, "that gnaws 
 the root, and you will have golden^apples again." They 
 
70 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 gave him two ass-loads of gold; and he journeyed on to 
 the city where the fountain had dried up, and the guard 
 asked his answer to their question. So he told them to 
 kill the toad; and they thanked him, and gave him also 
 two ases laden with gold. 
 
 And now at last the youth reached home, and his wife 
 rejoiced exceedingly to see him, and to hear of his good 
 fortune. He gave the three golden hairs to the king, 
 who could no longer raise any objection to him; and 
 when he saw the four asses laden with gold, cried out in 
 a transport of joy (for he was very fond of money): "Dear 
 son-in-law, where did you find all this gold?" 
 
 "Beyond a lake," said the youth, "where, no doubt, 
 there is still plenty to be had." 
 
 "Pray tell me," said the king quite anxiously, "may I 
 go and get some too?" 
 
 "As much as you please, "replied the other; "you will 
 see the ferryman on the lake; tell him to carry you 
 across, and you will soon arrive at the cities whence the 
 gold came." 
 
 Away went the greedy old king with all speed; and 
 when he came to the lake he beckoned to the ferryman, 
 who took him into his boat; and when he was about to 
 fjuit, he put the rudder into his hand and ran off, leav- 
 ing the old king to ferry away as a punishment. 
 
 "And is his majesty plying there still?" 
 
 No doubt of it; for who, do you think, would take the 
 rudder out of his hands? 
 
 BLUE BEARD. 
 
 THERE was in former times a very rich gentleman. He 
 had fine town and country houses; his dishes and plates 
 were all of gold or silver; his rooms were hung with em- 
 broidered tapestry; his chairs and sofas were covered 
 with the finest damask, and his carriages were all gilt in 
 a grand style. But, unfortunately, this gentleman had a 
 blue beard, which made him so very ugly and frightful 
 that none of the ladies in the parts where he lived would 
 venture to go into his company. 
 
 Now a certain lady of rank, who lived very near him, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 71 
 
 had two daughters, both eminently beautiful. Blue Beard 
 asked her to bestow one of them upon him for his wife, 
 leaving it to herself to choose which of the two it should 
 be. Both the young ladies said over and over again 
 that they would never marry a man with a blue beard; 
 yet, in order to be as civil as they could, each of them 
 said that she only objected to him because she was loath 
 to hinder her sister from such an honorable match. The 
 truth of the matter was, besides the circumstance of his 
 blue beard, they knew that he had already married sev- 
 eral wives, and nobody could tell what had ever become 
 of any oj them. 
 
 Blue Beard, in order to gain their favor, asked the lady 
 and her daughters, with some of their friends and ac- 
 quaintances, to accompany him to one of his country 
 villas; the invitation was accepted, and a whole week 
 was passed in nothing but parties for hunting and fish- 
 ing, music, dancing, feasts, and picnic excursions; no 
 one ever thought of going to bed, and the nights were 
 spent in merry-makings of all kinds. In short, the time 
 rolled on in so much pleasure that the youngest of the 
 two sisters began to think that the beard was not so very 
 blue, and that the gentleman who owned it was a very 
 civil and obliging person. Shortly after their return 
 home the marriage was celebrated. 
 
 About a month after the wedding BJue Beard told his 
 wife that he was obliged to leave her for six weeks at 
 least, as he had some business of importance to transact 
 in the country. He desired her to be sure to indulge 
 herself in every kind of pleasure during his absence; to 
 invite as many of her friends as she liked, to take them 
 into the' country if she chose, and to treat them with all 
 sorts of dainties. 
 
 "Here," said he, "are the keys of the two large store- 
 rooms; this is the key of the great box that contains the 
 best gold and silver plate, which we use only for com' 
 . pany; this unlocks the strong box in which I keep my 
 money, and this is the key of my diamond and jewel 
 caskets. Here also is the master key to all the rooms in 
 the house; as for this little key, it belongs to the closet 
 at the end of the long gallery oji the ground-floor. I 
 give you free leave," ho continued, "to open and do what 
 you like with all the rest; but this little closet I forbid 
 
72 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 you to enter, or even to put the key into the lock, on 
 any account whatever. If you do not obey me in this 
 particular, but open the closet door, I warn you to expect 
 the most terrible of punishments from my anger/' 
 
 The wife promised to obey his orders in the most 
 punctual manner, and Blue Beard, after tenderly em- 
 bracing her and bidding her adieu, stepped into his car- 
 riage and drove away. 
 
 When Blue Beard was gone the neighbors and friends 
 of his wife did not wait to be invited, so eager was their 
 curiosity to behold all the riches and rarities that she had 
 become mistress of by her marriage; for none of them 
 had dared to go to the wedding, or to visit her since, on 
 account of the bridegroom's blue beard, which inspired 
 them all with terror. As soon as they arrived they ran 
 over Blue Beard's house from room to room, from closet 
 to closet, from storeroom to storeroom, observing with 
 surprise and delight that each one they came to was 
 richer and more splendid than the one they had just 
 quitted. When they came to the suite of drawing- 
 rooms they could not sufficiently admire the costly 
 grandeur of the tapestry, the gorgeous beds, the rich 
 sofas, the rare cabinets, the brilliant chandeliers, the 
 luxurious chairs and tables, and the noble mirrors; the 
 frames of these last were of silver gilt, superbly chased, 
 and the plates, some being of the finest glass and others 
 sheets of burnished silver, reflected the beholder's figure 
 'from head to foot. In a word, nothing could exceed the 
 costly elegance of Blue Beard's furniture, and his wife's 
 acquaintances failed not to admire and envy her good for- 
 tune. The wife, meanwhile, was far from thinking about 
 the fine speeches they made to her, and was intent only 
 upon exploring the secrets of the closet on the ground 
 floor that her husband had so strictly forbidden her to 
 open. 
 
 At last her curiosity became so great that, without 
 thinking how rude it would be to leave her guests, she 
 slipped away down a private staircase that led to the gal- 
 lery, and her haste was so great that she was two or three 
 times in danger of falling and breaking her neck. When 
 she reached the closet door she paused to reflect a min- 
 ute or two on the order her husband had given her, and 
 to consider that her disobedience might perhaps be at- 
 
On beholding this terrible sisrht the young wife dropped 
 the key on the floor.-Page : 3 Old, Old Fairy Tales, 
 
. 
 
 ', - r/ _. 
 
 . 
 y* v J 't * 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 73 
 
 tended by fatal consequences. But curiosity to know 
 what the closet contained assailed her so powerfully that 
 she was unable to resist its impulse, and, resolved to 
 gratify it at all hazards, with a trembling hand she put 
 the little key into the lock and turned it, and the door 
 immediately flew wide open. 
 
 The room being partially darkened by thick blinds be- 
 fore the windows, she could at first see nothing distinctly; 
 but in a short time, her eyes growing accustomed to the 
 twilight, she perceived that the floor was covered with 
 clotted blood, in which were lying the heads of several 
 dead women, parallel with the walls. These were Blue 
 Beard's unfortunate former wives, whom he had killed 
 one after another. 
 
 On beholding this terrible sight the poor young wife 
 was ready to faint with fear, and, in her confusion, the 
 key of the closet, which she had drawn from the lock, 
 fell from her hand on the floor. 
 
 When she had a little recovered from her fright she 
 picked up the key, locked the door, and hastened back to 
 her own room, to prepare to amuse her company; but 
 her agitation was so great that her attempts to quell it 
 were vain. Taking notice that the key of the closet had 
 got stained with blood iri falling on the floor, she en- 
 deavored to cleanse it by wiping it with her handker- 
 chief; but the blood was immovable: in vain she washed 
 it, and even scoured it with sand and brick-dust; the 
 blood still remained on the key, in spite of all her efforts. 
 Well it might, for the key was a fairy key, and there was 
 no means of thoroughly cleansing it; as fast as the blood 
 was rubbed off one side, it made its appearance on the 
 other. 
 
 Early that same evening Blue Beard returned home, 
 saying that, before he had got many miles on his jour- 
 ney, he had received letters advising him that the affair 
 he was about to attend in person was settled to his ad- 
 vantage without his presence. His wife said everything 
 she could think of to make him believe she was trans- 
 ported with joy at his sudden return. The next morning 
 he asked her for the keys; she gave them to him, but her 
 hand trembled so violently that Blue Beard was at no 
 loss to guess all that had taken place. 
 
 "How is it," said he, "that the key of the closet on the 
 ground floor is not here with the others?" 
 
74 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "I must have left it upstairs oil my dressing-table/' 
 said the wife. 
 
 "Do not fail," replied Blue Beard, "to return it to me 
 by and by.' 7 
 
 After \yalking backward and forward several times, to 
 make believe that she was looking for the key, she at last 
 gave it up with reluctance. Blue Beard, having taken it 
 into his hands and examined it, asked his wife, "How 
 came this blood on the key?" 
 
 "I am sure I do not know," answered the poor terri- 
 fied lady, turning as pale as a corpse. 
 
 "You do not know!" returned Blue Beard sternly; 
 "but I know well enough. You have been into the 
 closet on the ground floor. Very well, madam! you shall 
 go there again, for your disobedience, and take your 
 place among 'the ladies you saw." 
 
 The poor young lady threw herself on her knees before 
 her husband, weeping bitterly and displaying all the signs 
 of a true repentance for having disobeyed him, and sup- 
 plicated his pardon for her first fault in the most affect- 
 ing terms. Her beauty and distress would have melted a 
 rock; but Blue Beard's heart was harder than a rock. 
 
 "No, madam," said he, "you must die this very min- 
 ute." 
 
 "Alas! if I must die," answered she, regarding her re- 
 lentless husband with streaming eyes, "at least give me 
 a short time to say my prayers." 
 
 "You shall have half a quarter of an hour," retorted 
 the cruel Blue Beard, "but not a second more." 
 
 When Blue Beard had left her to herself, she called 
 aloud to her sister, and said, "Sister Anne" (that was 
 her sister's name), "prithee run up to the top of the 
 tower and see if my brothers are in sight; they promised 
 to visit me to-day. If you see them, make signs to them 
 to gallop hither as fast as they can." 
 
 The sister immediately ascended to the battlements of 
 the tower, and the poor trembling lady cried out to her 
 every moment: "Anne! Sister Anne! Do you see any 
 one coming?" 
 
 "I see nothing," answered Sister Anne, "but the sun 
 which makes a dust, and the grass which looks green." 
 
 Blue Beard, in the meantime, with a large naked sword 
 in his hand, called out as loud as he could bawl: "Come 
 down at once, or I will fetch jou!" 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 75 
 
 "Grant me one moment, I beseech you," replied his 
 wife, and then called softly to her sister: "Anne! Sister 
 Anne! do you see any one coming?" 
 
 "Alas!" answered Sister Anne, "I see nothing but the 
 sun which makes a dust, and the grass which looks 
 green." 
 
 "Come down, I say, this very moment," vociferated 
 Blue Beard, "or I will come and fetch you." 
 
 "I am coming," sobbed the wretched wife, calling 
 again to her sister in a low voice: "Anne! Sister Anne! 
 do you see any one coming?" 
 
 "I see," answered Sister Anne, "a large cloud of dust 
 a little to the right. " : 
 
 "Do you think it is my brothers?" asked the wife. 
 
 "Alas! no, dear sister," answered Anne; "it is only a 
 flock of sheep." 
 
 "Will you, or will you not, come down, madam?" 
 roared Blue Beard, foaming with rage. 
 
 "Only one short moment more," answered his wife. 
 Then she again called out, for the last time: "Anne! 
 Sister Anne! do you see any one coming?" 
 
 "I see," replied Sister Anne, "two men approaching 
 on horseback; but they are still a great distance off." 
 
 "Thank God!" exclaimed the poor wife, "it is my 
 brothers." 
 
 "I beckon them to make haste," said Sister Anne, "as 
 well as I can." 
 
 Blue Beard now bellowed out so loudly for his wife to 
 come downstairs that his voice shook the whole house. 
 The poor young lady, with disheveled hair and tears 
 streaming from her eyes, now came down, and begged 
 him on her knees to spare her life. "It is all of no 
 avail," said Blue Beard, "you shall die." 
 
 Seizing her by the hair with one hand, and raising his 
 sword over her head with the other, he was now prepar- 
 ing to strike off her head, when the unfortunate young 
 lady, turning her dying looks on her unrelenting hus- 
 band, entreated him to stay his hand a moment while 
 she repeated one short prayer. "No, no," said Blue 
 Beard, "recommend your soul to God, for you have not 
 another moment to live." 
 
 While he was steadying his arm to make sure of his 
 blow, a loud knocking was heard at the gates, which 
 
76 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 made Blue Beard pause a moment to see who it was. The 
 gates flew open, and two officers, in full uniform, rushed 
 into the mansion; they drew their swords and hastened 
 
 up to Blue Beard, who, knowing them at a glance to be 
 his wife's brothers, one a dragoon, and the other a hus- 
 sar, tried to escape from their presence. But the broth- 
 ers pursued him so nimbly that they overtook him before 
 he had gone twenty steps, and, passing their swords 
 
v ( 
 
 ( 
 
 Blue 
 
 Beard seized her by the hair, and raised his sword ***. 
 
" 
 
 ''&' ' 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 77 
 
 through his body, laid him dead-at their feet. The poor 
 wife, almost as dead as her husband, was unable for some 
 time to embrace and thank her brothers for their timely 
 rescue. 
 
 As Blue Beard left no heirs, his wife inherited all his 
 immense wealth. She bestowed part of her vast fortune, 
 as a marriage dowry, on her sister Anne, who was shortly 
 afterward united to a young gentleman who had long 
 loved her. Some of the money she laid out in the pur- 
 chase of captain's commissions in their respective regi- 
 ments for her two brothers; and with the residue she en- 
 dowed a worthy and noble-minded young man, to whom 
 she was shortly afterward married, and whose kind treat- 
 ment soon made her forget the cruel usage she had re- 
 ceived from Blue Beard. 
 
 DIAMONDS AND TOADS. 
 
 THERE was once upon a time a widow who had two 
 daughters. The eldest was so extremely like her, both 
 in temper and person, that whoever saw the one saw the 
 other also; they were both so very proud and disagree- 
 able that nobody could live with them. The youngest, 
 who was the exact picture of her father in good nature 
 and sweetness of manner, was also the most beautiful 
 creature ever seen. As it is natural to love those who 
 resemble us, the mother doted upon the eldest, and no 
 less hated the youngest. She made her eat in the kitchen, 
 and work all the day with the servants. 
 
 Among other things, the poor child was obliged to go 
 twice a day to draw water at a fountain more than a mile 
 and a half distant from the house, and bring home a large 
 pitcher filled with it, as well as she could. One day 
 when she was at the fountain a poor woman came up to 
 her, and asked her to let her drink. "That I will, 
 Goody, most readily," said the sweet-tempered creature: 
 and washing out the pitcher, she filled it at the clearest 
 part of the fountain, and held it to the old woman's 
 mouth that she might drink the mqre easily. 
 
 The old woman having drunk, said to her: "Since you 
 are so pretty, so kind, and so obliging, my dear, I will 
 
78 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 bestow on you a gift" (for it was a fairy in disguise who 
 had asked her to drink, just to see how far the little girl's 
 good-nature would go). "I give you," continued she, 
 
 "that whenever you speak there shall come out of your 
 mouth either a rose or a diamond." 
 
 When the sweet girl got home her mother began to 
 scold her for staying so long at the fountain. "I ask 
 your pardon, mamma," said she, "for not being at home 
 
" Will you give me a drink? 1 ' said the poor woman. " That I will," said the 
 girl. Page 77. Old, Old Fairy Tales. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 79 
 
 sooner," and as she pronounced these words there fell 
 from her lips two roses, two pearls, and two large dia- 
 monds. 
 
 "What do I see!" cried the mother, quite astonished; 
 "as sure as anything she drops diamonds and pearls from 
 
 her mouth in speaking! My child, how happens this?" 
 This was the first time she had ever called her "My 
 child." The poor girl told her mother all that had be- 
 fallen her at the fountain, dropping pearls and diamonds 
 from her mouth all the time she was speaking. 
 
 "Upon my word," said her mother, "this is very lucky, 
 
80 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 truly. I will send my darling thither directly. Fanny, 
 Fanny! Look! Do you see what falls from the mouth 
 of your sister when she speaks? Should not you like to 
 have the same gift bestowed on you? Well, you have 
 only to go to the fountain, and when a poor woman asks 
 you to let her drink, to grant her request in the most 
 civil manner." 
 
 "Vastly pretty, truly, it would be to see me go and 
 draw water at the fountain! Not 1, indeed!" replied the 
 proud creature. 
 
 "But I insist upon your going, and this very moment 
 too," answered her mother. The pert girl accordingly 
 set out, taking with her the best silver tankard in the 
 house, and grumbling all the way she went. 
 
 She had no sooner reached the fountain than a lady 
 most magnificently dressed came out of a wood just by, 
 and asked her to let her drink. This was the very fairy 
 who had bestowed the rich gift on the youngest sister, 
 and had now taken the dress and manners of a princess 
 to see how far the insolent airs of the haughty creature 
 would go. 
 
 "Am I come here," said the ill-bred minx, "to draw 
 water for you? Oh, yes, the best silver tankard in the 
 house was brought on purpose for your ladyship, I sup- 
 pose! However, you may drink out of it if you have a 
 fancy." 
 
 "You are not very obliging," replied the fairy, without 
 putting herself in a passion; "but since you have be- 
 haved with so little civility, I give you for a gift that at 
 every word you speak there shall come out of your mouth 
 either a toad or a viper." 
 
 As soon as her mother perceived her coming home she 
 called out: "Well, daughter!" 
 
 "Well, mother," answered the pert girl. And as she 
 spoke, two toads and two vipers dropped from her mouth 
 upon the ground. 
 
 "Oh!" cried the mother, "what do I see? It is thy 
 sister who is the cause of all this! But she shall pay for 
 it," and instantly she went to look for her that she might 
 beat her. 
 
 The poor innocent ran away as fast as she could, and 
 reached a neighboring forest. The king's son, who had 
 been hunting, happened to meet her, and, observing how 
 
'Am I come here," said the ill-bred minx, " to draw water for yon?' 1 Page 8( 
 
 Old, Old Fairy Talts. 
 
, 
 
 -. " ' " 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 81 
 
 very beautiful she was, asked what she was doing all 
 alone in the forest, and why she cried. 
 
 "Alas!" said she, sobbing as if her heart would break, 
 "my mother, sir, has turned me out of doors." 
 
 The king's son, seeing pearls and diamonds fall from 
 her mouth at every word she .spoke, desired her to tell 
 him the reason of such a wonder. The pretty creature 
 accordingly related to him all that had befallen her at 
 the fountain. 
 
 The prince was so charmed with her beauty and inno- 
 cence that he fell violently in love with her; and, recol- 
 lecting also that the gift she possessed was worth much 
 more than the largest marriage portion, conducted her to 
 the palace of the king his father, and married her imme- 
 diately. 
 
 As for her sister, she grew even perter than before, 
 and behaved in all respects so very ill that her own 
 mother was obliged to turn her out of doors; and the 
 miserable creature, after wandering a great way, and 
 vainly trying to prevail on some one to give her food and 
 shelter, wQUti into a wood, and there died of grief and 
 hunger. 
 
 FOETUNIO. 
 
 THERE was once a king named Alfourite, who was both 
 amiable and powerful; but his neighbor, the Emperor 
 Matapa, was still more powerful, and in the last battle 
 they fought against each other had gained a complete 
 victory, leaving the king despoiled of all his treasures; 
 these the emperor conveyed to his own palace, where he 
 was received on his return by the empress with great re- 
 joicings. 
 
 In the meantime, King Alfourite was in the greatest 
 affliction for the injury he had sustained, and began to 
 think of making some endeavors to regain what he had 
 lost. He accordingly assembled the small remains of his 
 army, and, to increase its numbers, published a decree 
 that every gentleman and nobleman fn his kingdom must 
 come in person to assist him in his enterprise, or, in case 
 of failure, pay a large sum of money. 
 
82 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 On the frontiers of his kingdom there lived a nobleman 
 who was eighty years of age; he had once been extremely 
 rich, but through misfortunes was now reduced to a 
 scanty provision for himself and three daughters, who 
 lived with him in a happy and contented retirement. 
 When this old nobleman heard of the king's decree he 
 called his daughters to him, telling them he knew not 
 what to do; "for/' said he, "I am too old to engage in 
 the king's army, and to pay the tax would ruin us at 
 once." 
 
 "Do not thus afflict yourself, my father," said his 
 daughters; "some remedy may surely be thought of." 
 
 "I,". said the eldest, "am young and robust, and well 
 accustomed to fatigue; why should not I dress myself 
 like a cavalier, and offer my services to King Alfourite?" 
 
 The old lord embraced her tenderly, and, seeing her 
 earnestly bent on the experiment, gave his consent; and 
 as soon as the necessary preparations could be made she 
 set out. 
 
 The princess had not proceeded far before she ob- 
 served an old shepherdess, all in tears, endeavoring to 
 draw one of her sheep out of the ditch, into which it'had 
 fallen. "What are you doing, Goody?" said the cavalier. 
 
 "Alas!" replied she, "I am trying to save my sheep, 
 which is almost drowned; but I am too weak to get it 
 out." 
 
 "You are very unfortunate, truly," answered he, at the 
 same time spurring his horse to ride away. 
 
 "Adieu, disguised lady!" said the old shepherdess. 
 
 No astonishment could exceed that of the earl's daugh- 
 ter on finding herself discovered. "If this is the case," 
 said she, "I had better return at once, since a single 
 glance at me is sufficient to convince every one .that I am 
 not a man." 
 
 She accordingly returned, and related the whole to her 
 father and sisters. The second daughter said: "It would 
 not have been thus if I had gone instead of you, for I am 
 both taller and more robust, and I would lay any wager 
 I should have succeeded." 
 
 The old lord, on her entreaty, was prevailed on to let 
 his second daughter go on the same errand, who imme- 
 diately procured a suit of clothes and another horse, and 
 took the road her sister had taken before. The old shep- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 83 
 
 herdess was on the same spot, and still engaged in the 
 occupation of drawing out a sheep that was drowmng. 
 Our young traveler asked what was the matter. "Un- 
 fortunate that I am/' replied the old woman, "half my 
 flock have I lost in this manner for want of help." 
 
 "Some one will soon come by, no doubt," said the 
 cavalier; and was turning his horse to go, when the old 
 woman cried out: 
 
 "Adieu, disguised lady!" - 
 
 In utter amazement she stopped her horse, saying to 
 herself: "I shall only be laughed at should I proceed, 
 since even a poor old shepherdess, almost blind, discovers 
 me without the smallest difficulty." She therefore fol- 
 lowed her sister's example, and returned to her father 
 full of sorrow and disappointment. 
 
 When she had related her adventure the youngest 
 sister, who, on account of her amiable disposition, was 
 her father's favorite, entreated that she might not be 
 denied the privilege of trying her fortune as well as her 
 sisters; which at last, after much persuasion, the old lord 
 agreed to: but, as he had expended a good deal of money 
 in equipping his two eldest daughters, he could provide 
 the youngest only with a poor old cart-horse, and the 
 meanest apparel imaginable. "When these were ready 
 the old gentleman embraced her tenderly, and she bade 
 both him and her sisters farewell. 
 
 Passing through the same field, the old shepherdess 
 again presented herself, employed as before. "What are 
 you about, my good woman?" said this amiable cava- 
 lier; "can I be of any service to you?" and perceiving, 
 as he advanced, the sheep struggling in the water, im- 
 mediately jumped off his horse and pulled it out. Upon 
 this, the old shepherdess turned to him and said: 
 
 "Charming stranger, you shall find me grateful for the 
 kindness you have done me. I am a fairy, and know 
 well enough who you are, and I will be your friend." 
 
 Accordingly, she touched the ground with her wand, 
 and the most beautiful horse, superbly harnessed, stood 
 before them, and seemed to invite the cavalier to get 
 upon his back. 
 
 "The beauty of this horse," continued the fairy, "is 
 his least perfection; for he possesses the rare quality of 
 eating only once a week; and the still rarer, of knowing 
 
84 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 the past, the present, and the future. If yon wish at 
 any time to know what you ought to do for the best, 
 you have only to consult him; you should therefore re- 
 gard him as your best friend." The fairy added that if 
 he stood in need of clothes, money, or jewels, he must 
 stamp with his foot upon the ground, when a morocco 
 trunk, containing the article he desired, would instantly 
 make its appearance. "We must next," said she, "supply 
 you with a proper name; and none, I think, can be better 
 than that of Fortunio, since you have had the good for- 
 tune to deserve my favor." 
 
 Fortunio assured the fairy of his eternal gratitude; he 
 * stamped with his foot that he- might procure himself a 
 magnificent suit of clothes; he dressed himself, em- 
 braced his bountiful friend, and pursued his way to the 
 -palace of the king. 
 
 At the end of his first day's journey he thought of 
 sending a sum of money to his father, and some jewels to 
 his sisters; he therefore shut himself in his chamber, and 
 stamped loudly with his foot; a trunk immediately ap- 
 peared but it was locked, and without a key. 
 
 Fortunio was at a loss how to remedy this new per- 
 plexity; when suddenly recollecting that Comrade (so 
 the horse was called) could most probably afford him 
 some assistance, he paid him a visit in his stable. "Com- 
 rade," said he, "where can I find the key of the trunk 
 filled with money and jewels?" 
 
 "In my ear," said Comrade. 
 
 Fortunio looked in his ear, and there was the key tied 
 to a piece of green ribbon. He then joyfully opened the 
 trunk, and dispatched the presents. 
 
 The next morning he mounted his faithful Comrade 
 and proceeded on his journey. They had not gone far 
 when, passing through a thick forest, they saw a man 
 cutting down trees. Comrade stopped and told his mas- 
 ter he had better engage this man, whose name was 
 Strongback, in his service, as a fairy had bestowed on 
 him the gift of carrying what weight he chose upon his 
 back at once. Fortunio approached, and found him ex- 
 tremely willing to accept his offer. 
 
 When they had proceeded a little further they saw 
 another man, who was tying his legs together. Com- 
 rade again stopped, saying: "Master, you cannot do bet- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 85 
 
 ter than to hire this man also; for he has the gift of run- 
 ning ten times faster than a deer; for which reason it is 
 that he is now tying his legs, that he may not run so fast 
 as to leave all the game he is going in pursuit of behind 
 him/' Fortunio engaged Lightfoot also, without the 
 least hesitation. 
 
 On the following day they perceived a man who was 
 tying a bandage over his eyes. "He, too," said Com- 
 rade, "is gifted, for he can see at the distance of a thou- 
 sand miles; on which account, as he is going to kill game, 
 he wishes to make his sight less perfect, that he may not 
 kill so many at a time as to leave none for the following 
 day; he cannot fail of being useful to us." Fortunio ac- 
 cordingly engaged him without difficulty, and found his 
 name was Marksman. 
 
 At a short distance further they saw a man lying on his 
 side and putting his ear to the ground. Fortunio asked 
 Comrade if he too was gifted, and if he thought he could 
 be useful to him. 
 
 "Nothing is more certain," answered Comrade. "This 
 man has the gift of hearing in such perfection as none 
 before him ever possessed; his name is Fine-ear, and he 
 is this moment employed in listening to hear if some 
 herbs he stands in need of are now coming up from the 
 earth." 
 
 Fortunio thought the gift of Fine-ear more curious 
 than even the rest, and accordingly made him such pro- 
 posals for entering his serivce as he thought proper to 
 accept. 
 
 When they were on their last day's journey they had 
 the good fortune to meet with another man, who, as well 
 as the rest, was gifted in the most extraordinary manner; 
 for Comrade assured him that he could work windmills 
 with a single breath. "Shall I engage him too?" cried 
 Fortunio. 
 
 "You will have reason to be satisfied if you do so," 
 answered Comrade. So Boisterer was instantly engaged. 
 
 Just as they were in sight of the city in which the 
 palace stood, they observed two men sitting near each 
 other on the ground. "Ah!" cried Comrade, "no one 
 was ever so fortunate as you, my master; both these men 
 are also gifted; if we had been one minute later no 
 doubt we should have missed them. He who sits near- 
 
86 OLD, OLD FA TRY TALES. 
 
 est to us is called Gormand, because he can eat a thou- 
 sand loaves at a mouthful. The other drinks up whole 
 rivers without once stopping to breathe; his name is 
 Tippler; get them both into your service and your good 
 fortune will be complete." 
 
 Fortunio did not hesitate a moment in doing as he was 
 desired; so he proceeded to the palace, attended by 
 Strongback, Lightfoot, Marksman, Fine-ear, Boisterer, 
 Gormand, and Tippler, who all promised to use their ex- 
 traordinary talents as he should be pleased to command. 
 
 Fortunio then stamped with his foot, and a trunk made 
 its appearance, liiled with the richest liveries to fit each 
 of them; which they accordingly put on, and proceeded 
 in great pomp to the king's palace, where Fortunio was 
 most graciously received, and provided with the best 
 apartments it afforded, the king having desired he would 
 rest from his fatigue before he entered into conversation 
 with him. 
 
 The next day his majesty requested to speak with For- 
 tunio, who instantly obeyed the summons. He presented 
 him to the princess, his sister; who, having been married 
 when young to a neighboring prince, was now a widow 3 
 and was living with her brother to console him in his 
 misfortunes. She received Fortunio very kindly, think- 
 ing he was the handsomest prince she had ever beheld. 
 The king asked Fortunio his name and family; and upon 
 hearing he was the son of an earl, who had formerly 
 served in defense of his crown, loaded him with new 
 distinctions, and assured him of his regard. 
 
 While preparations were making for the attack that 
 was meditated against the emperor, our young lady re- 
 mained in the palace; and, being constantly in company 
 with the king, perceived in him so many amiable qual- 
 ities that she would willingly have offered herself to be 
 his page, if she had not feared that such a proposal 
 might look like want of courage to fight in his army. 
 
 But while she was thus thinking she should like to spend 
 her life with the king, the princess, his sister, was think- 
 ing she should like to spend hers with Fortunio; for she 
 had fallen exceedingly in love with his uncommon beauty. 
 She loaded him with presents, always spoke to him in the 
 softest manner imaginable, and was in hopes he would 
 discover how much she wished he should feel for her the 
 same affection. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALE8. 8? 
 
 Fortunio, however, appeared perfectly indifferent; and 
 as the king's company was so very dear to him, he con- 
 stantly left the princess to obtain it; so that at length 
 she said to her favorite companion, Florida: "He is so 
 young and inexperienced that he will never understand 
 how much I love him, if he is not told of it. Go/' con- 
 tinued she, "and ask him if he should not like to marry 
 such a princess as I am." 
 
 Florida left the princess; but being herself no less in 
 love with Fortunio, "whose condition and age," said she, 
 "are surely more suitable to mine than to the princess'," 
 she used the opportunity to tell him how very peevish 
 the princess was, and how disagreeable she found her sit- 
 uation. Then, returning to her mistress, she told her 
 that all she said made no impression on Fortunio, who, 
 she did not doubt, was in love with some lady of his own 
 country. 
 
 The princess sent Florida from time to time upon the 
 same expedition, without the least success. At length 
 she determined to see him herself in private; accord- 
 ingly, she ordered Florida to watch when he should be 
 walking alone near a small arbor in the garden. She did 
 not wait long for the opportunity she desired; seeing 
 Fortunio near the arbor, she waited till he had entered 
 it, and then proceeded thither. Fortunio on seeing her 
 would have retired; but she desired him to stay and assist 
 her with his arm in walking. The princess at first talked 
 of the fineness of the weather, and the beauty of the gar- 
 dens and the fountains. At length she said: "You can- 
 not, Fortunio, but be sensible of the great affection I bear 
 you. I am therefore surprised that you do not take ad- 
 vantage of your good fortune, by asking me in marriage 
 of the king, my brother." 
 
 Fortunio was thrown into the greatest confusion, which 
 the princess interpreted as a proof that he did not dislike 
 -what she had proposed; but what was her surprise and 
 indignation, when, a moment after, he said: "I feel for 
 you, madam, all the respect due to the sister of so amia- 
 ble a king; but I am not free to marry you." She was 
 red and pale by turns; and after telling him he should 
 repent his coldness, she left him suddenly. 
 
 The earl's daughter was now in the greatest perplexity 
 imaginable, and would have found some pretense for ab- 
 
88 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 senting herself from the palace till the army should be 
 ready, if she could have left the king without the great- 
 est pain. Her uneasiness every day increased, and she 
 carefully avoided meeting the princess alone. 
 
 One day, as the king, the princess, and Fortunio were 
 sitting at their dessert, the king looked very melancholy; 
 and his sister asking him the reason. "You know/' said 
 he, "what an affliction has happened in my kingdom. A 
 great dragon has devoured several of my subjects, and 
 many flocks of sheep; his breath poisons the waters of 
 the fountains he approaches, and destroys all the fields 
 of corn through which he passes. Can you, therefore, 
 wonder at my sorrow?" 
 
 The princess thought she could not have a better op- 
 portunity of revenging herself for the indifference of the 
 young cavalier. "Brother," said she, "here is the brave 
 Fortunio, who would esteem it, no doubt, the highest 
 honor to be permitted to kill' this monster, and thus re- 
 ward the kindness your majesty has been pleased to show 
 him." 
 
 Fortunio could not but accept the proffered honor; 
 which the princess was in hopes would be the means of 
 revenging the affront he had offered her, by being the 
 cause of his death. He had no sooner left the room than 
 he went to his faithful Comrade, to know in what man- 
 ner he should set about the enterprise. "You should 
 go," replied Comrade, "in pursuit of the dragon, as the 
 king requires, and take with you the seven gifted attend- 
 ants you lately engaged." 
 
 Fortunio the next morning waited accordingly on the 
 king and princess to take a formal leave. The king gave 
 him the kindest assurances imaginable, and bade him 
 adieu with the sincerest sorrow for the danger to which 
 he would soon be exposed. The princess tried to seem 
 extremely sorry also, and expressed her wishes to see him 
 return in safety. After this Fortunio, mounted on Com- 
 rade and attended by Strongback, Lightfoot, Marksman, 
 Fine-ear, Boisterer, Gormand, and Tippler, set out to 
 find the dragon. They were, indeed, of immediate use 
 to him in this- undertaking; for Tippler drank up all the 
 rivers, so that they could easily cross from field to field, 
 and catch the rarest kinds of fish for their master's din- 
 ner. Lightfoot ran after hares and rabbits; Marksman 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. $9 
 
 shot at partridges and pheasants; Strongback carried 
 them all upon his back; and Fine-ear, by putting his ear 
 to the ground, found out the places where the mush- 
 rooms and kitchen herbs were coming out of the ground. 
 They had not proceeded more than a day's journey 
 when they heard the cries of some peasants that the 
 dragon was eating up as fast as he could. Fortunio im- 
 
 mediately asked Comrade what he should do. "Let 
 Fine-ear find out in what place he is," answered Com- 
 rade. Fine-ear immediately put his ear to the ground, 
 and informed his master the dragon was seven leagues 
 off. "Then," continued Comrade, "let Tippler drink 
 up all the rivers that are between us, and let Strongback 
 carry wine enough to fill them, and next strew some of 
 the hares and partridges alo?ig them." Fortunio then 
 entered a house that stood near to watch the event. In 
 
90 OLD, OLD FAXR7 TALES. 
 
 less than an hour the dragon was in sight, and, smelling 
 the hares and partridges, began to eat voraciously; and 
 finding himself at length thirsty, he drank no less 
 eagerly of the wine; so that in a short time, being quite 
 tipsy, he threw himself on the ground and fell fast- 
 asleep. "Now is your time, my good master," said the 
 faithful Comrade. Fortunio immediately approached 
 the dragon, and with a single blow cut off his head, and 
 then commanded Strongback to take him up and carry 
 him to the palace. 
 
 The king received Fortunio with the liveliest joy and 
 affection, and the princess, too, disguising as well as she 
 could her disappointment, returned him thanks for the 
 service he had done to the whole kingdom. "At the 
 same time," thinks she to herself, "it shall not be long 
 before I find some better means of being revenged." 
 
 Soon after, the king being again extremely sorrowful, 
 the princess inquired the cause as before. "Alas!" said 
 he, "how can I be otherwise, since the emperor has not 
 left me money enough to prepare the army I had in- 
 tended to send out against him?" 
 
 "Brother," answered she, "can you suppose that For- 
 tunio, who was able to do what twenty armies could not 
 have done in killing the dragon, is not also able to oblige 
 the emperor to restore your treasures? I am certain you 
 are most unjust if you believe the contrary." 
 
 Fortunio, though he fully understood the malice of 
 the princess, could not but assure his majesty of his 
 earnest desire to make the experiment; upon which the 
 king, after tenderly embracing him and protesting that 
 should any accident befall him in the undertaking he 
 should never again be happy, gave him the necessary in- 
 structions for his departure. 
 
 Fortunio lost no time in consulting Comrade, saying 
 he feared his destruction was now certain. "Do not, my 
 dear master, thus afflict yourself," said Comrade. "I 
 have long foreseen that this would happen, and I have 
 no doubt you will return from your undertaking as vic- 
 torious as before. You should give to each of your at- 
 tendants," continued he, "a new and splendid livery, let 
 them be mounted on handsome horses, and we will set 
 out without delay." 
 
 They arrived in a few hours in the city of the emperor, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 91 
 
 when, after taking some refreshment, they proceeded to 
 the palace, where Fortunio demanded of him an inter- 
 view, in whch he made a formal claim to all the treasures 
 of King Alfourite. The emperor at this could not re- 
 strain a smile. "Do you really think, " said he, "that I 
 should so easily resign what I took such pains to obtain? 
 If you had brought an army with you, we might, to be 
 sure, have contended for the victory; but as it is, 1 would 
 advise you, young cavalier, not to force me to use harsh 
 means in sending you out of my kingdom." Fortunio 
 replied that he meant no incivility, but, begged the em- 
 peror to consider his request. 
 
 "This is really very extraordinary," said the emperor; 
 "however, as your demand is ridiculous enough, I will 
 offer you a condition no less ridiculous. If you can find 
 a man that will eat all the bread that has been provided 
 for the inhabitants of this city for his breakfast, I will 
 grant your request." 
 
 Fortunio could scarce contain himself for joy. He re- 
 
 Elied that he accepted the condition, and sent instantly 
 Dr Gormand, when, telling him what had passed, he in- 
 quired if he was quite sure he could eat the whole. 
 "Never fear, my good master," answered Gormand; "you 
 will see that they will be sooner sorry than I." 
 
 When the emperor, the empress, the princess his 
 daughter, and the whole court had seated themselves to 
 witness this extraordinary undertaking, Fortunio ad- 
 vanced with Gormand by his side, and, seeing six great 
 mountains of loaves that almost reached the skies, he 
 began to fear; but looking at Gormand, and seeing how 
 eager he was to begin, he again took courage. When the 
 proper signal was given Gormand attacked the first 
 mountain, and in less than a minute had swallowed the 
 whole; he did the same with the second, and so on to the 
 sixth, which having completely devoured, he told the 
 emperor he must take the liberty to say he had had but a 
 scanty breakfast, considering he was in the dominions of 
 so rich a monarch. 
 
 Never was any astonishmment so great as that of the 
 spectators; and the inhabitants of ^he city, who had all 
 assembled to see so singular a sight, now began crying, 
 and said, "We shall have no bread to give our children 
 for many days." 
 
<& OLD, OLT) FAIRY TALES, 
 
 But the emperor's disappointment was still greater; so 
 commanding Fortunio to approach, he said: " Young 
 cavalier, you cannot possibly expect that I should give 
 you the treasures of King Alfourite because you happen 
 to have a servant who is a great eater. However, to show 
 you that I hold you in some consideration, find a man 
 who shall drink up all the rivers, aqueducts, and reser- 
 voirs, together with all the wine that is in the cellars of 
 all my subjects, in the space of a minute, and I promise 
 to grant your request." 
 
 Fortunio thought his majesty acted very dishonorably, 
 yet he did not hesitate to accept his new proposal. Ac- 
 cordingly Tippler was immediately sent for, and per- 
 formed his task with equal ease, to the astonishment of 
 the surrounding multitude. 
 
 The emperor now looked extremely grave, telling For- 
 tunio that what he had seen, though extremely singular, 
 was not enough to deserve the costly recompense he 
 claimed. "Therefore," continued he, "if you would ob- 
 tain it, you must find a person who is as swift in running 
 as my daughter." Fortunio, though extremely dissatis- 
 fied, was obliged to consent; and, sending for Lightfoot, 
 bade him prepare for running a race with a princess 
 whom no one had ever yet been able to overtake. In the 
 meantime the princess retired to put on the dress and 
 shoes which had been made on purpose for her to run in, 
 and on her return, finding Lightfoot ready for the con- 
 test, they prepared to set off at the appointed signal. 
 The princess now called for some of the cordial she was 
 accustomed to drink when she was going to run, upon 
 which Lightfoot observed it would be but just that he 
 should have some too. To this the princess readily con- 
 sented, and, stepping aside, she dexterously threw into 
 his glass a few drops of a liquid that had the power to 
 throw him into a profound sleep. 
 
 The signal being given, the princess set off full speed, 
 while Lightfoot, instead of doing the same, threw him- 
 self on the ground and fell fast asleep. The race was sev- 
 eral miles long, and the princess had proceeded more 
 than halfway, when Fortunio, seeing her approach the 
 goal without Lightfoot, turned as pale as death, and 
 cried out, "Comrade,. I am undone; I see nothing of 
 Lightfoot." 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. OS 
 
 "My lord," answered Comrade, "Fine-ear shall tell 
 you in a moment how far he is off." Fine-ear listened, 
 and informed Fortunio that Lightfoot was snoring in the 
 place from which the princess began her race. Then 
 Comrade directed Marksman to shoot an arrow into his 
 ear, which he did so perfectly that Lightfoot started up 
 and, seeing the princess nearly arrived at the goal, set off 
 with such rapidity that he seemed carried by the winds, 
 and, passing the princess, reached it before her. 
 
 The emperor was now almost frantic with rage; and 
 recollecting that he had some years ago displeased a fairy, 
 he concluded that the miracles he had seen performed 
 were contrived by her to punish him: he therefore 
 thought it would be useless to propose further experi- 
 ments; and calling for Fortunio, he said to him, "It 
 cannot be denied that you have accomplished my condi- 
 tions; take therefore away with you as much of the treas- 
 ures of King Alfourite as one of your attendants can 
 carry on his back." 
 
 Fortunio desired nothing better; and being instantly 
 admitted to the storerooms which contained them, he 
 commanded Strongback to begin to load himself. 
 Strongback accordingly laid hold at first of five hundred 
 statues of gold, taller than giants, next of ten thousand 
 bags of money, and afterward of as many filled with pre- 
 cious stones; he then took the chariots and horses: in 
 short, he left not a single article that had formerly be- 
 longed to King Alfourite. 
 
 They then hastened from the palace, and proceeded to 
 King Alfourite's dominions. No sooner were they on 
 the road than the seven gifted attendants began to ask 
 what recompense they were to have for their services. 
 "The recompense belongs tome," said Lightfoot; "for if 
 I had not outrun the princess, we might have returned 
 as we came." 
 
 "And, pray," says Fine-ear, "what would you have 
 done if I had not heard you snore?" 
 
 "I think you must both acknowledge," says Marks- 
 man, "that our success was owing to my shooting the 
 arrow exactly into Lightfoot's ear.". 
 
 "I cannot help wondering at your arrogance," says 
 Strongback; "pray who brought away the treasures? To 
 whom can you be indebted but to me?" 
 
94 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Thus they were going on, when Fortunio interrupted 
 them with saying: "It is true, my friends, you have all 
 performed miracles; but you should leave to the king the 
 care of rewarding you. He sent us to regain his treas- 
 ures, and not to steal them: but," continued he, "should 
 his majesty fail to reward you, yet you shall have no rea- 
 son to complain, for I will take upon myself to gratify 
 your largest expectations." 
 
 Fortunio arrived in safety with the treasures at the 
 palace of King Alfourite, who beheld him with amaze- 
 ment, and embraced him in the utmost transport; and 
 his bravery so increased the attachment the princess had 
 conceived for him that she that very day desired to speak 
 with him in private, intending once more to question him 
 as to his thoughts concerning her: "For," says she to 
 herself, "when I remind him of the honors I have been 
 the means of his obtaining, how can he do otherwise than 
 return my affection?" 
 
 Fortunio received her .summons, but sent her for an- 
 swer that he could not nave the pleasure of waiting on 
 her. The princess, enraged by his disdain, ran to the 
 king all in tears, in the middle of the night, and declared 
 that Fortunio had sent Strongback to her chamber to 
 carry her away by force, that he might marry her: that 
 previous to his late enterprise he had himself engaged in 
 a similar attempt. "In short, dear brother," said the 
 artful creature, "nothing but the* death of this presump- 
 tuous wretch can satisfy my vengeance, or insure my 
 safety " 
 
 The king's affliction at hearing this was greater than 
 can be described; and having passed the night in lament- 
 ing the cruel necessity to which he was reduced of pun- 
 ishing him, he the next morning ordered him to be taken 
 into custody, and to be tried for the offense. 
 
 When the time of trial came it was in vain that For- 
 tunio pleaded his innocence: no one believed it possible 
 for a great princess to invent so. wicked a falsehood: so 
 the judges declared him guilty, and condemned him to 
 receive three darts shot into his heart on that very day. 
 
 The king left the court shedding many tears; but the 
 cruel princess stayed to see the sentence executed. The 
 officer, approaching Fortunio, unbottoned his waistcoat, 
 and then opened his shirt, that his heart might be bare 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 95 
 
 to receive the darts; but no sooner was this done than 
 the snowy whiteness of the bosom that appeared con- 
 vinced all the beholders that the sufferer was a woman e 
 
 Every eye was immediately turned upon the princess, 
 to reproach her with the baseness of her conduct in bring- 
 ing so false an accusation against an innocent creature, 
 and one, besides, who had shown such an unexampled 
 courage, and done the state such signal services; while 
 she, unable to bear the shame that awaited her, took out 
 of her pocket a sharp knife and plunged it into her 
 heart, saying, "Fortunio is revenged of my injustice." 
 
 Fortunio was led in triumph to the palace; and the 
 king, when he had spent some weeks in bewailing the un- 
 fortunate end of the princess his sister, made an offer of 
 his hand and crown to Fortunio. Their marriage was 
 celebrated with the greatest pomp. The old earl and his 
 two daughters were sent for on the occasion, and ever 
 after remained at court. The first care of the new queen 
 was to provide a magnificent stable for Comrade, whom 
 she visited daily, and consulted upon all affairs of im- 
 portance, so that the king never after lost a battle. She 
 settled a handsome pension on Strongback, Lightfoot, 
 Marksman, Fine-ear, Boisterer, Gormand, and Tippler, 
 who all lived together in a splendid castle a few miles in 
 the country, it being agreed between the queen and them 
 that when her majesty should have occasion for their 
 service she should say so to some one in the palace, so 
 that Fine-ear might catch the sound, and send the per- 
 son she desired. 
 
 The queen sent an express to invite the old shepherdess 
 to court: but she refused, saying that all she wished was 
 the queen's happiness, and that she should now leave the 
 world with satisfaction. 
 
 THE STORY OF PRINCE TITO. 
 
 THERE was once upon a time a king named Guinguet, 
 who was a great miser. When he wished to marry he 
 sought for a wife not a good or clever woman, but a 
 princess who had a great deal of money and liked to save 
 it. He succeeded in finding this treasure a miserly and 
 
96 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 wealthy wife. They had two sons. The elder was called 
 Tito, the younger Mirtillo. Tito was a charming child, 
 pretty and engaging, but the king and queen took a 
 strong dislike to him when they saw him sharing his toys 
 with other little children. Mirtillo would rather let his 
 bonbons spoil than give them away; he put away his play- 
 
 things for fear of spoiling them by playing with them, 
 and when he held anything in his hand he clasped it so 
 closely that even in sleep it could not be taken from him. 
 His parents consequently adored this little reflection of 
 themselves. The princes grew up, and, for fear Tito 
 should spend his money, the king gave him none. One 
 day, as Tito was hunting, one of his attendants, riding 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 97 
 
 swiftly up to him, knocked down an old woman, who fell 
 into the mud and cried out loudly that her leg was 
 broken; but the young squire who had caused the acci- 
 dent only laughed. Tito indignantly reproached his at- 
 tendant for being so unfeeling, sprang off his horse, and 
 went, with his favorite page, Eveille, to the aid of the 
 unfortunate woman. They raised her and, taking each 
 an arm, led her back to her little cottage, which was 
 near the spot. 
 
 The prince was in despair at having no money to give 
 the poor creature to atone for the injury done her. 
 
 "Of what use is it to be a prince, when one has not the 
 power of doing good?" he said bitterly. 
 
 "My prince," replied Eveille, "I have a crown, which 
 is at your disposal." 
 
 "Thank you, Eveille; I will borrow it and pay you 
 when I am king," said Tito. "I accept your crown for 
 this poor woman." 
 
 When Tito returned to the court the queen, who had 
 heard of the accident, reproved him for "debasing him- 
 self by giving personal help to a beggar." 
 
 "Madam," replied Tito, "I think a prince is never 
 greater than when he is doing good." 
 
 "You are a simpleton for thinking so," exclaimed his 
 mother. 
 
 The next day, under pretense of hunting, Tito rode to 
 the cottage to ask how the old woman was. He found 
 her well, and she thanked him for the charity he had 
 bestowed on her. 
 
 "I have a favor to ask of you, my prince," she added; 
 "I have some nuts and medlars which are very good; I 
 beg you to eat some of them." 
 
 The prince did not like to refuse, lest the old dame 
 should think that he despised her humble offering. He 
 tasted the nuts and medlars, and found them excellent. 
 
 "Since you like them," said the dame, "do me the 
 honor of taking the remainder for your dessert." 
 
 At that moment a hen clucked; the woman ran into the 
 yard and brought in a new-laid egg, which she begged 
 the prince also to accept. He received her gifts very 
 kindly, fearing lest he should hurt her feelings if he re- 
 fused, and gave her in return four g'uineas that Eveille 
 had brought him from his father, who was a rich couu- 
 
98 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 try gentleman. The prince on his return home ordered 
 them to give him the egg and nuts for his supper; but 
 on breaking the egg he was astonished to find in it a 
 large diamond; the walnuts and medlars were also full 
 of diamonds. The attendants were very much aston- 
 ished, and some of them ran at once and told the queen 
 of this singular discovery. She hastened at once to her 
 son's room, and was so charmed at seeing the diamonds 
 that she kissed Tito, and called him "her dear son/' for 
 the first time in her life. 
 
 "Will you give me these diamonds?" she asked. 
 
 "All that I have is at your service, my mother," re- 
 plied the generous son. 
 
 "You are a good boy," exclaimed the queen; "I shall 
 reward you for you* kindness." 
 
 She went off with the diamonds, and soon after sent 
 the prince four guineas neatly folded in a piece of paper. 
 
 The prince's attendants exclaimed loudly that they 
 wonderecKthe queen was not ashamed to send only four 
 guineas in return for a gift of the value of five hundred 
 thousand pounds; but the prince checked them with a 
 frown, and ordered them to leave the room for their want 
 of respect to their sovereign. 
 
 The queen meanwhile said to Guinguet: 
 
 "It is plain that the old woman Tito helped is a pow- 
 erful fairy; we must go and see her to-morrow, and we 
 will take Mirtillo with us, for I don't wish her to make a 
 favorite of this stupid boy, who throws away diamonds." 
 
 So she ordered the carriages to be cleaned, and that 
 some horses should be hired for they kept none of their 
 own, to save expense. 
 
 They filled one of the two carriages with physicians, 
 surgeons, and apothecaries; and the royal family went in 
 the other. When they had entered the old woman's 
 cabin the queen told her that she had called to apologize 
 for the thoughtlessness of her son's squire. 
 
 "My son," she added, "has not the sense to choose 
 good attendants, but I shall order him to discharge that 
 brutal young man." 
 
 Then she told the old woman that she had brought the 
 cleverest doctors in the kingdom to cure her injured foot. 
 The old woman answered that her foot was quite well, 
 and that she was much obliged to her majesty for her 
 kindness in coming to see her a poor old woman. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 99 
 
 "Oh!" said the queen, "but we know that you are a 
 great fairy, for you have given Prince Tito a quantity of 
 diamonds." 
 
 "I assure you, madam," replied the woman, "that I 
 only gave the prince an egg, and some walnuts and med- 
 lars. I have a few more at the service of your majesty, 
 if you will deign to accept them." 
 
 "I accept them gratefully," said the queen, who was 
 charmed at the hope of getting more diamonds. She re- 
 ceived the nuts, and embraced the old woman; and the 
 courtiers, following her example, paid great court to the 
 peasant. The queen asked her age. 
 
 "I am sixty," she answered. 
 
 "You don't look forty," said the queen. "You ought 
 to think of marrying, for you are really very amiable." 
 
 Prince Mirtillo, who was very badly brought up, burst 
 into a loud laugh when he heard his mother speak thus, 
 and said that he hoped he should have the pleasure of 
 dancing at her wedding. 
 
 But the good woman did not seem to perceive that he 
 was making fun of her. Then the royal visitors took 
 leave of hei and drove home. The queen instantly sent 
 the egg to be cooked, broke the walnuts, and opened the 
 medlars; but instead of finding diamonds she found a 
 little chick in the egg, and the walnuts and medlars were 
 full of worms. The queen flew into a great passion. 
 
 "That old woman is a witch," she cried, "who has 
 ridiculed and mocked me. I will have her put to death." 
 
 She assembled the judges to try the old woman, but 
 Eveille, who had heard it all, hurried to the cabin to save 
 the poor peasant. 
 
 "Good-morning, Page of Old Women, "she said, laugh- 
 ing (for thus the courtiers had named him since he had 
 pulled her out of the mud). 
 
 "Ah, my good mother!" said Eveille, "hasten to seek 
 safety in my father's house. He is an excellent man he 
 will hide you willingly; but if you remain here you will 
 be seized and put to death." 
 
 "I am much obliged to you for your kindness," said 
 the old woman, '"but I do not fear the wicked queen;" 
 and she suddenly changed from an old* woman to a beau- 
 tifui fairy. Eveille was dazzled by her loveliness, and 
 would have thrown himself at her feet, but she prevented 
 him. 
 
100 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "I forbid yon," she said, "to tell the prince or any 
 one else what you have seen; but I wish to recompense 
 your charity. Ask me, therefore, for a gift." 
 
 "Madam," said the page, "I dearly love my master, 
 Prince Tito; to serve him I will ask of you a great gift. 
 Enable me to become invisible, so that I may know who 
 are his true friends among the courtiers, and protect him 
 from their plots, for he has cruel enemies." 
 
 "I grant you this gift," said the fairy; "but now I 
 must pay Tito's debts. Did he not borrow four guineas 
 from your father?" 
 
 "He has returned them, madam. He thinks that it is 
 shameful for princes not to pay -their debts. He re- 
 turned the four guineas the moment the queen sent them 
 to him." 
 
 "I know that," said the fairy, "but the prince is un- 
 happy because he could not acknowledge the loan by a 
 gift, and it is that debt which I wish to pay. Take this 
 purse, which is full of gold, carry it to your father, and 
 tell him he will always iind the same sum in it, provided 
 that he only takes money from it to do good actions." 
 
 The fairy then disappeared, and Eveille carried the 
 purse to his father, and besought him to keep it secret. 
 
 The judges called by the queen to try the old woman 
 were, meantime, greatly embarrassed, and said to her: 
 "For what can we try this poor woman? She has not 
 deceived your majesty. She told you that she was poor 
 and had no diamonds." 
 
 The queen was furiously angry, and said, "If you will 
 not condemn this wretch, who has mocked me, and put 
 me to the expense of hiring horses and paying doctors, 
 you shall repent it." 
 
 The judges thought to themselves, "The queen is a 
 very wicked woman; if we disobey her she will find 
 means to kill us. It is better that an old woman should 
 perish than that we should." So they condemned the 
 old woman to be burned alive as a witch. 
 
 There was one judge, however, who would not agree 
 to this verdict. He said that he would rather be burned 
 alive himself than condemn an innocent person. 
 
 A few days afterward the queen found false witnesses 
 who declared that this good judge had spoken against 
 her. His office was taken from him, and he, his wife and 
 
OLD, OLD FAIR 7 TATj&S.. , ....-, 101, 
 
 children, were reduced to beggary. But Hveilte took a' 
 large sum from the fairy purse, and, giving it to the 
 judge, advised him to go and live happily in another 
 country, and he took the advice and went to England, 
 where he lived very happily. 
 
 Meantime Eveille made himself very often invisible (he 
 could do so by a wish), and heard many secrets and much 
 that amused him; but he was too honorable ever to re- 
 peat anything he thus overheard. 
 
 He was often invisible in the king's cabinet, and one 
 day he heard the queen say to her husband, "Are we not 
 unfortunate in having Tito for our eldest son! We are 
 amassing great treasure, which he will spend when he be- 
 comes king. Now Mirtillo would save and increase it. 
 Is there no way to* disinherit Tito, and make Mirtillo 
 king?" 
 
 "We must see about it," said the king, "and, if we 
 can't prevent Tito's having the crown, we will bury the 
 treasure so that he shan't spend it." 
 
 Eveille heard the courtiers constantly speaking evil of 
 Tito and praising Mirtillo, in order to please the queen; 
 then they would go to Tito and tell him how they had 
 taken his part to the king; but Tito, to whom Eveille 
 told the truth, only laughed at and despised them. 
 There were, however, four great noblemen at the court 
 who were men of honor; these always took Tito's part, 
 but never told him they had. On the contrary, they ad- 
 vised him to love his parents and be very obedient to the 
 king. 
 
 About this time a neighboring king sent ambassadors 
 to Guinguet on an affair of importance. The queen, ac- 
 cording to her custom, did not mean that Tito should 
 appear before these strangers. She sent him to a beauti- 
 ful country house belorging to the king, because, she 
 told him, the ambassadors might wish to see it, and he 
 must do the honors of it to them. Then she prepared 
 for the interview. She had an old velvet petticoat of her 
 own made up for the backs of the robes of Guinguet and 
 Mirtillo; the fronts were made of new velvet; for the 
 queen thought that as the king and w prince were seated, 
 no one would see the backs of their dresses. To make 
 them magnificent, she used the diamonds found in the 
 medlars as buttons for the king's robe; she looped up his 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 cap with the large diamond out of the egg. The dia- 
 monds taken from the walnuts were employed as buttons 
 on Mirtillo's collar and sleeves. The king and prince 
 were quite dazzling in the light of the diamonds. Guin- 
 guet and his wife sat on their throne, and Mirtillo at 
 their feet. But the ambassadors had hardly entered the 
 room before the large diamond changed to an egg, and t 
 the others to walnuts and medlars. 
 
 The ambassadors, thinking that Guinguet and his queen 
 had dressed themselves so ridiculously as an insult to their 
 master, left the presence in great anger, saying that 
 their sovereign would soon teach King Guinguet that h e 
 was not a king of walnuts. 
 
 It was in vain that the ministers tried to explain mat- 
 ters to them; they would not listen, and returned to 
 their own country ." 
 
 Guinguet and his wife were very much ashamed, and 
 very angry. 
 
 "It is Tito who has played us this trick," said the 
 queen. "We must disinherit him and leave the crown to 
 Mirtillo." 
 
 "I willingly consent to do so/' replied the king. 
 
 The next moment they heard a voice say: "If you are 
 wicked enough to do it, I will break all your bones." 
 
 The king and queen looked at each other with surprise. 
 They could see no one, yet some one spoke close by. It 
 was Eveille, who was watching over the safety of his 
 master. 
 
 Meantime, when King Violent had heard from his am- 
 bassadors that Guinguet had turned him into fun and in- 
 sulted them, he declared war against the miser-king. 
 Guinguet was dreadfully frightened, for he was a great 
 coward; but the queen said: "Don't distress yourself. 
 We will make Tito commander-in-chief. He is rash and 
 brave. He will get killed, and we can then leave the 
 crown to Mirtillo/' 
 
 The king thought this a capital plan. He appointed 
 Tito general of all his forces, and gave him full power to 
 make war or peace. 
 
 Tito, having arrived on the frontiers of the kingdom, 
 resolved to await the enemy there, and employed his 
 troops meanwhile in building a strong fortress in a nar- 
 row pass by which alone the country could be entered. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 103 
 
 One day as he watched the soldiers at work he became 
 thirsty, and, seeing a house on a mountain opposite, he 
 climbed up it to ask for some water. The master of 
 the house, who was named Abor, gave him some. As 
 the prince was coming down the mountain he saw a very 
 pretty peasant girl sitting down by a trickling brook. 
 She had an expression of great innocence and sweetness in 
 
 her dark eyes, and a very modest manner when he spoke 
 to her. She told him that her name was Biby, and that 
 she was Abor's ^daughter. The prince chatted a long 
 time with her, and after that day called frequently at 
 Abor's house, for he was never so happy as when talking 
 to Biby. She had been well educated, and talked well of 
 books which the prince loved, and he found all her senti- 
 ments and opinions good. She appeared also to be a 
 very obedient and loving daughter.^ So at last Prince 
 Tito said to himself, "If I were my own master I would 
 marry Biby; she is not born a princess, but she has so 
 many virtues that she is worthy to become a queen." 
 
104 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Every day he loved Biby better, and one day he wrote 
 a letter to her to tell her so; but Biby, who knew that 
 she ought not to have letters of which her father did not 
 know, took it at once to Abor. When he had read it he 
 told his daughter that she could not marry a prince; and 
 Biby said that she knew it, and that she would be glad to 
 go away and visit her aunt, who lived at some distance; for 
 she. loved the prince, and did not wish to make him do 
 wrong. Abor sent her away the next morning. 
 
 Prince Tito was very sorry when he found that she was 
 gone. He told Abor that if Biby would wait he would 
 marry her and make her queen when he was king, and 
 that he would not ask to see her till he was crowned. 
 
 At that moment the fairy in all her beauty appeared in 
 the room. The prince was very much surprised, for he 
 had seen her only as an old woman. 
 
 "Prince," she said," "I am the old dame yon so kindly 
 helped. You are an honorable and excellent young man, 
 and Biby is as good a girl. You shall marry her in two 
 years; but during that time you will have trouble. I 
 promise you that I will pay you a visit the first day of 
 every month, and I will bring Biby with me." 
 
 The prince was delighted with this promise, and de- 
 termined to gain a great deal of glory to please Biby. 
 
 Kin^ Violent soon afterward offered him battle, and a 
 hard fight ensued. Tito showed great gallantry; he won 
 the day, and took Violent prisoner. His officers advised 
 Tito to seize Violent/s kingdom at once; but Tito said, 
 "I will not; his subjects, who love him, would be unhappy 
 under a foreign yoke, and there would be no peace in the 
 kingdom. There would be continual war. No; I will 
 
 five Violent his liberty, and let him return to his people. 
 [e is generous; he will become our friend, and his 
 friendship will be worth more to us than his kingdom." 
 Tito was right; Violent, set free without paying a ran- 
 som, was charmed with Tito's generosity, and swore eter- 
 nal friendship to his conqueror. Tito returned victori- 
 ous to his home, but was received by his father with 
 violent reproaches. The king had expected that Violent 
 would have been made to pay a large sum of money, and 
 was furious with his son for not making him pay it. 
 Tito, who loved and respected his father, was so grieved 
 at his displeasure that he became ill. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIUY TALES. 105 
 
 One day, as he was alone in bed, forgetful that it was 
 the first day in the month, he saw two pretty canaries 
 fly in at the window, and was much surprised when sud- 
 denly they changed into the fairy and his dearBiby. He 
 was just thanking the fairy for her visit when they heard 
 steps approaching, and both became again canaries. Im- 
 mediately afterward the queen entered, followed by some 
 of her attendants, and carrying a great cat in her arms 
 a pet of hers, because it cost nothing to keep and pre- 
 served the food from mice. As soon as the queen saw 
 the canaries she exclaimed that they ought not to be left 
 loose; they would spoil the furniture. The prince said 
 he was going to put them in a cage. She replied that 
 she meant to have them taken at once, as she intended 
 to eat them at dinner. The prince, in despair, besought 
 her to spare them to him. In vain! The courtiers and 
 servants hastened to take the canaries. A valet knocked 
 poor Biby down with a broom. The prince sprang from 
 his couch to save her, but it seemed that he would be too 
 late, for the great cat, escaping from the queen's arms, 
 was about to kill the canary by a blow of her paw, when 
 the fairy, taking the form of a large dog, sprang on her 
 back and strangled her. Then taking herself and giving 
 Biby the shape of a little mouse, they ran into a small 
 frole in the skirting-board and disappeared. 
 
 <jPhov,prince had fainted in his agony lest Biby should' 
 be Ki.li >d; but the queen took no notice of him, she only 
 loudly miented the fate of her cat. She hurried back 
 to tin'? n.ug and told him that she would kill herself if he 
 did not revenge the death of her pet'; that Tito was the 
 friend of sorcerers, and that she should have no rest un- 
 less he was disinherited and the throne given to Mirfcillo. 
 The king consented, and told her that he would arrest 
 the prince the next day, and have him tried for witch- 
 craft. The faithful Eveille had made himself invisible 
 and followed the queen; he now hastened to warn the 
 prince. The fright he had suffered had quite cured his 
 fever, and Tito was about to mount his horse and escape, 
 when the fairy again stood before him. 
 
 "I am tired/' she said, "of the wickedness of your 
 mother, and the weakness of your farther, I have at your 
 disposal a large army. Go and take the king and queen 
 in their palace, and put them in prison with Mirtillo; 
 then jou will at once v ascend the throne and marrj 
 
106 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "Madam/* replied the prince, "you know that I love 
 Biby more than my life, but even the hope of marrying 
 her cannot make me forget the duty I owe to my parents. 
 I would rather die than turn my arms against them." 
 
 "Let me embrace you/* said the fairy; "I did but 
 make trial of your goodness. If you had accepted my 
 offer I would have given you up; but now I am ever 
 your friend, and will give you proof of it. Take the 
 form of an old man, and in this shape travel through your 
 father's dominions, and see for yourself how many in- 
 justices are committed on your poor subjects, so that you 
 may do them justice when you become king. Eveille 
 shall remain at court to give you warning of all that hap- 
 pens in your absence." 
 
 The prince obeyed the fairy, and in his wanderings saw 
 things that made him shudder. Justice was sold; the 
 governors cruelly oppressed the people; the nobles robbed 
 the peasants, and all was done in the name of the king! 
 
 At the end of two years Eveille wrote to tell him that 
 his father was dead, and that the queen had tried to have 
 his brother crowned, but that the four faithful nobles 
 had opposed it, knowing from Eveille that Tito lived; 
 and the queer., defeated, had fled with her son into a 
 province that she had persuad3d to revolt from its alle- 
 giance. 
 
 Tito retook his own shape and returned to his capital 
 at once, where he was gladly received and acknowledged 
 as king. Then he wrote respectfully to his mother, offer- 
 ing to her and his brother a good income if she would 
 not encourage the revolt. The queen, who had assem- 
 bled a great army, answered that she would take nothing 
 less than the crown, which she would tear from his head. 
 But shortly afterward she heard that King Violent had 
 espoused the cause of his friend Tito, and was advancing 
 against her with a large army, undeterred by any of the 
 considerations that stayed Tito's hand. In despair, she 
 then wrote to her son, accepting his offer of an income. 
 
 Thus Tito remained peaceful possessor of the throne. 
 Shortly afterward he married Biby, to the satisfaction of 
 his subjects, who knew her goodness, and strewed their 
 path with flowers, pleased that he had taken a peasant 
 bride. There were no such king and queen before or 
 after in that land as Tito and his queen, who, taught by 
 
BIBY AND PRINCE TITO'S MARRIAGE. 
 (107) 
 
10$ OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 adversity in their youth, could feel for all, and were ever 
 ready to help and console those who needed help or con- 
 solation. 
 
 Tito, as soon as he had ascended the throne, began to 
 reform abuses, and re-establish order in his dominions. 
 To achieve this result, he gave directions that any who 
 had to complain of injustice were to come before him and 
 state their wrongs, and that not even beggars were to be 
 refused admission to his presence. "For," said this good 
 prince, "I am the father of all my subjects, poor as well 
 as rich." At first the courtiers were not much concerned 
 at hearing this discourse. "The king," they said, "is 
 young; this, whim will not last. He will soon tire. 
 Pleasure will engross him, and he will leave the manage- 
 ment of his affairs to his favorites." 
 
 But they deceived themselves. Tito, by careful man- 
 agement of his time, could do his duty perfectly, and yet 
 find leisure to partake of innocent pleasure, while the 
 punishments inflicted at first on wrongdoers prevented 
 any repetition of such offenses. 
 
 He sent ambassadors to King Violent, to thank him 
 for his ready friendship; and that king returned answer 
 that he should be delighted to see Tito again, and that if 
 he (Tito) would go to the borders of his kingdom, Vio- 
 lent would meet him there. As all was tranquil through- 
 out his dominions, Tito willingly consented, for the pro- 
 ject was favorable to one he had previously formed that 
 was to embellish the small dwelling in which he had seen 
 his beloved Biby for the first time. With this intention 
 he ordered his officers to buy all the land surrounding it, 
 but they were not to compel anyone to sell his property, 
 for every one, Tito said, ought to be master of even the 
 smallest heritage. 
 
 Violent arrived on the frontier, and the two courts 
 were united, and became very brilliant. Violent had 
 brought his only daughter with him. Elise, so she was 
 named, was as beautiful as Biby, and almost as good. 
 Tito had brought with him not only his wife, but also 
 one of his cousins, named Blanche, who was not only fair 
 and gentle, but also very witty. As they were ruralizing 
 the two kings declared that they would cst aside the 
 etiquette of courts, and live on equal terms with their 
 subjects; that the nobles and ladies should sup with the 
 
OLD, OLD FAIh T TALES. 100 
 
 two kings and the princesses, and that no one should 
 address the kings as "your majesty." If they did so, 
 they were to forfeit a guinea. 
 
 It was their first supper in the country, and they had 
 not been seated at table above a quarter of an hour, when 
 a very shabby little old woman appeared in the room. 
 Tito and Eveille, who at once recognized her, rose to 
 greet her, but by a warning glance she told them that 
 she wished to remain unknown. They therefore simply 
 presented her to Violent as one of their best friends, who 
 had come to ask them for some supper, and Violent 
 bowed courteously. 
 
 The old dame without ceremony, however, at once 
 placed herself in an armchair close to Violent's, which 
 no one had dared to take before from respect to the king. 
 As she seated herself she said to the prince, "As our 
 friends' friends are our friends, I am sure you will wish 
 me to be at my ease with you." Violent, who was by 
 nature very haughty, was embarrassed by the familiarity 
 of the old woman ; but he concealed his annoyance. They 
 had told the old lady of the fine for styling the kings 
 "your majesty," but she was hardly seated before she 
 said to Violent, "Your majesty appears surprised at the 
 liberty I take, but it is my habit, and I am too old to be 
 cured of it now; therefore your majesty will pardon me." 
 
 "A forfeit!" cried Violent. "You owe two guineas." 
 
 "Do not distress yourself, your majesty," said the old 
 woman; "I had forgotten that we must not say 'your 
 majesty;' but your majesty forgets that in forbidding 
 people to say 'your majesty,' you impose anotherikind of 
 restraint on them. They must always be thinking of 
 how to avoid using the common form of respect. How- 
 ever, I now owe you six guineas, and here they are." 
 
 And she took out a worn old purse, and threw six 
 guineas on the table. Violent began to get angry, but 
 out of consideration for Tito he restrained himself, and 
 said playfully: 
 
 "Well, my good mother, do as you please; whether 
 you address me as 'majesty' or not, I am not less your 
 friend." 
 
 "I quite believe you," said the old woman. "That is 
 why I took the liberty of speaking my mind to you. I 
 shall do so whenever there is occasion, for one cannot do 
 
110 OLD, OLD FATRT TALES. 
 
 a greater service to one's friends than to tell them when 
 they are in error." 
 
 "But you must not rely on my patience," replied Vio- 
 lent. "There are times when I do not choose to receive 
 correction." 
 
 "Acknowledge, my prince," said the old woman, "that 
 you are not far oif one of those times at present, and 
 that you would give anything to get rid of me. Such 
 are our heroes. They would scorn to show a lack of 
 courage in face of the enemy, or to yield a battle without 
 a brave struggle; but they own calmly that they cannot 
 control their anger, as if it were not more shameful to 
 yield to a passion than to an enemy whom it is sometimes 
 impossible to overcome. But let us change the conversa- 
 tion, since it is not agreeable to you, and allow my pages 
 to enter; they have some gifts to bestow on the com- 
 pany." 
 
 At the same instant the old woman struck the table, 
 and there entered by the four open windows four beauti- 
 ful winged infants. Each of them carried a basketful of 
 jewels of astonishing richness. The king at the same 
 moment casting his eyes on the old woman, was surprised 
 to see that she had changed into a lovely lady, so richly 
 dressed that she dazzled the eyes. 
 
 "Ah, madam," he exclaimed, "I recognize you now as 
 the fairy whose medlars and nuts cost a war. Pardon the 
 little respect I have shown you, for I had not the honor 
 of knowing who it was that sat beside me." 
 
 "That should show you," said the fairy, "that you 
 are bound to be courteous and attentive to all guests at 
 your own table. But, my prince, to show you that I'm 
 not offended, I wish to make you two presents. The first 
 is this goblet it is made of a single diamond; but it is 
 not that alone which renders it precious. Every time 
 that you are tempted to fly in a passion, fill this goblet 
 with water, and drink it three times, and you will find 
 your anger give way to reason, If you profit by this 
 gift you will have rendered yourself worthy of the sec- 
 ond. I know that you love the Princess Blanche; she 
 likes you, but fears your temper, and will only marry you 
 if you will promise to use this goblet." 
 
 Violent, surprised that the fairy should know his faults 
 and inclinations so thoroughly, acknowledged that he 
 
OLD, OLD FATRY TALES. HI 
 
 loved Blanche; but he added: "There is an obstacle 
 which opposes pur union, even if I could obtain Blanche's 
 consent to it; it will always be a pain to me to marry, 
 for fear of depriving my daughter of a crown." 
 
 "That is a generous feeling," said the fairy; "there 
 are few fathers to be found capable of sacrificing their 
 inclinations to the happiness of their children; but that 
 need not prevent your marriage. The King of Mogolan, 
 who was one of my friends., has just died childless, and 
 by my advice he has left his kingdom to Eveille. Eveille 
 is not a prince by birth, but he deserves to become one. 
 He loves the Princess Elise, and she is worthy to become 
 the recompense of his fidelity. If her father consents I 
 feel sure that she will accept him without repugnance." 
 
 Elise blushed at this speech. It is true that she thought 
 Eveille very amiable, and that she had listened with 
 pleasure and admiration to the story of his fidelity to his 
 master. 
 
 "Madam," said Violent, "we have taken to speaking 
 frankly. I esteem Eveille, and if the custom of my 
 country did not tie my hands, I should not require a 
 crown for him to give him my daughter. But men, and, 
 above all, kings, should be bound by that which is due to 
 their rank; and it is not the habit of royal fathers to give 
 their daughters to simple gentlemen: I should act con- 
 trary to all the traditions of my house if I married mine 
 to one. Elise is descended from one of the most ancient 
 families in the world. You know that for three hundred 
 years we have occupied the throne." 
 
 "My prince," said the fairy, : 'you are ignorant of the 
 fact that the family of Eveille is as ancient as your own; 
 for you are relatives, and descend from two brothers. 
 In fact, Eveille has the precedence, for he descends from 
 the elder brother, and your father from the younger." 
 
 "If you can prove that/' said King Violent, "I swear 
 to give my daughter to Eveille, even if the subjects of 
 the late King Mogolan should refuse to recognize him as 
 their sovereign." 
 
 "Nothing is easier," said the fairy, "than to prove the 
 antiquity of Eveille's family. He is descended from the 
 eldest of the sons of Japhet, the soa of Noah, who estab- 
 lished himself in the Peloponnesus. You are descended 
 from the second son of Japhet." 
 
112 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Everybody felt inclined to laugh at this mockery; but 
 Violent flushed with anger, and was about to speak, 
 when the Princess Blanche, who was at his side, pre- 
 sented the diamond goblet to him; he drank of it three 
 times as the fairy directed him, and during the interval 
 he reflected that it was quite true that all had descended 
 from Noah, and that the only difference between those 
 descendants proceeded from their characters. Having 
 emptied his goblet, he said to the fairy: 
 
 "I thank you, madam, for having cured me of two 
 great defects: my pride of birth, and my habit of pas- 
 sionate anger. I admire the virtue of the goblet, for 
 while I drank my anger was calmed, and my reflections 
 between the three draughts have completed the task of 
 recalling me to reason." 
 
 "I will not deceive you," replied the fairy; "there is 
 no magic in the diamond goblet. I will tell you in what 
 the sorcery of the water consists. It gives time for re- 
 flection; and no one who pauses to reflect can become 
 the slave of anger." 
 
 "In truth, madam," said Violent, "I have learned 
 more to-day than in my whole previous life. Happy 
 Tito! You will become the greatest king in the world 
 under such a protectress. I beseech you to use your in- 
 fluence with this lady to induce her to become my friend." 
 
 "Have 1 not given you proofs that I am your friend?" 
 said the fairy. "At present let us think only of your 
 marriage, and of that of the Princess Elise. " 
 
 At this moment a servant informed Tito that the 
 officers he had sent to buy Biby's old home and the ad- 
 joining lands wished to speak to him. He commanded 
 them to be admitted. They entered, bringing with them 
 the design of the estate that Tito had given them. They 
 had added to the cottage a large garden and a great 
 park, which would be perfect if they could remove a 
 little house which was exactly in the middle of the finest 
 avenue, and completely spoiled the effect of it. 
 
 "And why have you not pulled it down?" asked King 
 Violent. 
 
 "Sire," replied the officers, "our king has forbidden us 
 to do violence to any man, and the owner of this small 
 dwelling will not sell it, though we have offered for it 
 four times as much as it is worth." 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 113 
 
 "If that insolent fellow were my subject I would hang 
 him/' said Violent. 
 
 "You would first empty your goblet," said the fairy. 
 
 "I think even the goblet would not save his life," re- 
 plied Violent; "is it not horrible that a king should not 
 be master of his own estates, and that he should be 
 obliged to abandon a work he desires to finish through 
 the obstinacy of a man who ought to be too happy to 
 make his fortune by obliging his master?" 
 
 "But I shall not abandon my design," said Tito, laugh- 
 ing. "I shall make that house the chief ornament of my 
 park." 
 
 "Oh, how can you?" asked Violent; "placed as it is, 
 it will spoil the park." 
 
 "This is what I shall do," replied Tito: "I shall build 
 round the house a wall sufficiently high to prevent this 
 man from entering my park, but not so high as to shut 
 out his view, for it would not be just to shut him up in a 
 prison. This wail will continue on both sides, and there 
 will be read on it these words in letters of gold: 'A king 
 who built this wall prefers leaving it, and the cot it in- 
 closes, to spoil his park, rather than commit an injustice 
 on one of his subjects by taking from him by force the 
 heritage of his fathers.' ' 
 
 "Everything I hear amazes me, "said Violent; "I con- 
 fess I had very little idea of the virtues which form heroic 
 men. Yes, Tito; that wall will be the ornament of your 
 park, and your good action will be the ornament of 
 your life. But, madam," to the fairy, "how is it that 
 Tito possesses naturally such great virtues?" 
 
 "Great king," said the fairy, "Tito was brought up by 
 parents who detested him. He was subject to perpetual 
 contradiction; he had to submit and give up his own will 
 to that of others, even in things indifferent; and as, dur- 
 ing the late king's life, he had neither wealth nor influ- 
 ence, courtiers and flatterers did not deign to spoil him; 
 they would have gained nothing by it. They gave him 
 up to the honest people who loved him for himself alone, 
 and from them he learned that a king is free to do good, 
 but should have his hands tied when he would do harm. 
 You, who became king at twelve ySars old, never under- 
 went this discipline, or any other. Your guardians only 
 looked to your future favor, and never corrected your 
 
114 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 faults. They called your pride proper dignity, your 
 violence vivacity, and thus they spoiled you." 
 
 Violent, convinced of the truth of what the fairy told 
 him, and instructed by her in his duties, endeavored to 
 fulfill them, and to conquer his faults. He was encour- 
 aged in his efforts by his wife Blanche; by Eveilie, who 
 became his son-in-law; and by Tito, who preserved on 
 the throne the virtues he had learned in the days of 
 adversity. 
 
 PKINCE FATAL AND PRINCE FORTUNE. 
 
 THERE was a queen who had two sweet, pretty little 
 boys; and a fairy who was the queen's intimate friend 
 was invited to stand godmother to them, and make them 
 some gift. "I endow the eldest/' said she, "with all 
 manner of misfortunes till he is twenty-five; and I name' 
 him Fatal." At these words the queen gave a loud cry, 
 and entreated the fairy to change her gift. "You do 
 not know what you ask," said she to the queen; "if he 
 does not meet with misfortunes he will be wicked." 
 
 The queen durst say no more, but begged the fairy to 
 let her choose for her second son. "Perhaps you will 
 choose wrong," replied the fairy; "but no matter, I am 
 willing to grant whatever you ask me for him." 
 
 "I wish," said the queen, "that he may succeed in 
 whatever he undertakes 'tis the way for him to be per- 
 fect." 
 
 "Perhaps you may be mistaken," said the fairy, "and 
 for that reason I grant him this gift no longer than till 
 he is twenty-five." 
 
 Nurses were provided for the two young princes; but 
 the very third day the nurse of the eldest prince was 
 taken ill of a fever; he had another, and she fell down 
 and broke his leg; a third became ill, and it being spread 
 abroad that Prince Fatal was unfortunate to his nurses, 
 nobody would nurse him, or so much as come near him. 
 The poor child was hungry, and cried, but met with 
 no pity; at last a mean, homely countrywoman, who was 
 very poor, and had a large family of children, which she 
 could scarcely maintain, came and offered to bring him 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. Hf. 
 
 up, provided they would give her a large sum of mor 
 and as the king and queen did not love Prince Fa 
 they gave her what she asked, and bade her take him 
 home to her village. The youngest prince, who was 
 named Fortune, on the contrary, throve surprisingly: hit 
 father and mother doted upon him, and never thought of 
 the eldest. The wicked woman to whom they had given 
 
 Eoor Fatal no sooner reached home than she took off his 
 ne swaddling-clothes, to bestow them on a son of her 
 own about FataPs age; and having wrapped the poor 
 prince in an old petticoat, she carried him into a wood, 
 and left him to be devoured by the wild beasts; but a 
 lioness, that had three young whelps, brought him into 
 her den, and gave him suck; which made him grow so 
 fast and strong that at six months he could run alone. 
 In the meantime the nurse's son, whom she passed for 
 the prince, died, and the king and queen were glad they 
 had got rid of him. Fatal remained in the woods till he 
 was two years old; when a nobleman, an officer of the 
 court, as he was hunting, was astonished to find a lovely 
 boy in the midst of wild beasts. He was moved to pity, 
 took him home, and hearing that a child was wanted as 
 a companion to play with Prince Fortune, he presented 
 Fatal to the queen. 
 
 Fortune had a master to teach him to read; but this 
 master was charged, above all things, not to make him 
 cry. The young prince heard this, and cried every time 
 he took his book in hand so that at five years of age he 
 could hardly tell his letters; while Fatal, on the contrary, 
 read perfectly well, and had already made some progress 
 in writing. To frighten the prince, his master was 
 ordered to whi]D Fatal whenever Fortune neglected his 
 lesson; so that it was in vain for Fatal to be good, and 
 apply higiself to his book he could not escape punish- 
 ment: besides, Fortune was so ill-nature*d and "willful 
 that he used his brother very ill, though, indeed, he did 
 not know he was his brother. If Fatal had an apple, or 
 plaything, Fortune would snatch it away. He obliged 
 him to be silent when he wanted to speak, and would 
 make him talk when he wished to hold his tongue; in a 
 word, Fatal was a little martyr, and* pitied by no one. 
 And the prince and his small courtiers ridiculed him for 
 his love of study. 
 
116 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 They lived together in this manner till their eleventh 
 year, when the queen was amazed at her son's ignorance. 
 
 ''Certainly/' said she, "the fairy has deceived me. I 
 imagined my son would the most learned that ever was, 
 since I wished him to succeed in whatever he under- 
 
 took." Accordingly she went to consult the fairy about 
 the matter, who said to her: 
 
 "Madam, you should have desired a willing mind and 
 virtuous inclinations for your son, rather than great 
 talents; all his endeavors are to be wicked, and your 
 majesty is a witness of the great progress he has made." 
 After having said this, she turned from her, and the poor 
 queen returned to her palace in the utmost affliction. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES. 
 
 117 
 
 She hastened to reprove Fortune, in order to make him 
 better; but instead of promising amendment, he told her 
 that, if they vexed him, he would starve himself. The 
 
 queen at this, frightened out of her senses, took him 
 upon her knee, kissed him, gave him sweetmeats, and 
 assured him that he should not learn anything for a 
 whole week, if he would eat his dinner as usual. 
 
 All this time Fatal improved so much that he was quite 
 
118 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 a wonder of learning and mildness of temper: he had 
 been so used to be contradicted that, in a manner, he had 
 no will of his own; and he thought himself happy if he 
 could but prevent the ill effects of Fortune's capricious 
 humors; but this sad child, enraged to see that Fatal im- 
 proved more than himself, could not bear the sight of 
 him, and the tutors, to please their young master, beat 
 poor Fatal every moment. At last this wicked boy told 
 
 the queen that he would not have Fatal live with him 
 any longer, and that he would not eat a morsel till he 
 was sent away; so that poor Fatal was turned into the 
 street, no one daring to take him in for fear of displeas- 
 ing the prince. 
 
 He passed the night under a tree, half-dead with cold 
 (as it was winter), with only a morsel of bread for. his 
 supper, which some good person or other had given him 
 out of charity. As soon as it was daylight he said to 
 himself, "I will not stay here doing nothing, but try if I 
 cannot get my living till I am big enough to be a soldier. 
 I remember to have read, in history, of several private 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 soldiers who have afterward been made great generals; 
 and, perhaps, if I behave well, I may have the same 
 good fortune. 'Tis true I have neither father nor 
 mother; but God Himself is the Father of orphans, and 
 He that gave me a lioness for my nurse will surely not 
 forsake me now." Having said this Fatal kneeled down 
 to say his prayers, for he never missed saying them night 
 or morning, and always, when he prayed, he fixed his 
 eyes on the ground, with his hands lifted up and joined 
 together, and neither turned his head this way nor the 
 other. 
 
 While Fatal was on his knees a countryman chanced 
 to be going by; and seeing him pray so earnestly, said to 
 himself, "I am sure this must be a good child; I have a 
 great mind to have him to take care of my sheep, and 
 God will bless me for his sake." So he waited till Fatal 
 had ended his prayer, and then said to him: "Little 
 boy, will you come and live with me, and mind my sheep? 
 I will keep you, and take care of you." 
 
 "With all my heart," said Fatal, "and I will do all in 
 my power to serve you honestly." 
 
 This countryman was a wealthy farmer, and had a 
 great many servants, who wronged their master; and, 
 indeed, so did his wife and children. 
 
 They were mightily pleased when they saw Fatal. 
 "For," said they, "this is but a child, and we can do 
 whatever we will with him." But Fatal kept the sheep 
 faithfully, and proved a good little shepherd. 
 
 One day the farmer's wife said to him: "Child, my 
 husband is a miser, and never gives me any money; let 
 me take a sheep, and you shall tell him the wolf ran away 
 with it." 
 
 "Madam," replied Fatal, "I would with all my heart 
 do anything to serve you, but I had rather die than be a 
 thief and a liar." 
 
 "You are a fool," said she; "who will know it?" 
 
 "Oh, madam," Fatal answered, "God will know it; 
 for He sees whatever we do, and punishes those that lie. 
 and steal." 
 
 At these words his mistress lost all^patience; she flew 
 upon him, beat him, and tore the hair off his head. The 
 farmer, hearing Fatal cry, came and asked his wife what 
 made her beat him in that manner. "Why, truly," said 
 
ISO OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 she, "because he is a glutton: the little greedy fellow has 
 this morning eaten up a pot of cream which I was going 
 to carry to market." 
 
 "Oh, fie," said the farmer, "I cannot bear greedy peo- 
 ple;" and immediately he called one of his servants, and 
 ordered him to whip Fatal: and all that the poor boy 
 could say to justify himself signified nothing; his mis- 
 tress insisted that she saw him eat the cream and she 
 was believed. After this he was sent into the fields to 
 tend the sheep again, and his mistress went to him, and 
 said: "Well! will you give me one of the sheep now?" 
 
 "No, indeed," replied Fatal; "I should be very sorry 
 to do any such thing; you may use me as you please, but 
 you shall never make me be guilty of an untruth.' 7 
 
 So, finding him resolute, this wicked woman, out of 
 revenge, set all the other servants against him; they 
 made him stay out late in the fields, and instead of giv- 
 ing him food like the rest, she only sent him bread and 
 water, and, when he came home, laid to his charge all the 
 mischief that was done in the family. 
 
 He stayed a year at the farmer's; and though he lay 
 on the ground, and was but very indifferently fed, yet he 
 grew so strong and tall that at thirteen years of age any 
 one would have supposed him to be fifteen: besides, he 
 was so patient that he bore all their ill-usage with the ut- 
 most calmness and meekness. One day, while he was at 
 the farm, he heajd that the king of a neighboring coun- 
 try was at war, and wanted soldiers. Fatal went and 
 asked his master to let him go; and having got leave, he 
 traveled on foot to this prince's territories, where he en- 
 listed himself under a captain who, though he was a 
 great nobleman, behaved more like a porter or a drayman 
 than a person of quality; he swore, beat his soldiers, and 
 cheated them of their pay and with this officer Fatal 
 was more miserable than at the farmer's. He had en- 
 gaged for ten years; and though he saw the greatest 
 number of his comrades desert, yet he would never follow 
 their example. "For," said he, "I have received money 
 to serve ten years, and it would be wronging the king to 
 go away before my time is expired." Notwithstanding 
 this the captain, who was a bad man, used Fatal no bet- 
 ter than the rest, yet he could not help esteeming him, 
 because he saw that he always did his duty; and he would 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 121 
 
 send him on his messages, and intrust him with money, 
 and give him the key of his room whenever he dined 
 abroad, or went into the country; and though he did not 
 love reading, he had a large library, to make people be- 
 lieve he was a man of sense and learning; for in that 
 country they despised an ignorant officer, and looked upon 
 ouch as did not know something of books, or at least of 
 history, as u*ifit for any military station of importance. 
 
 When Fatal had done his duty as a soldier, instead of 
 going to gamble and drink with his comrades, he would 
 lock himself up in the captain's room, and there endeavor 
 to learn his profession, by reading the lives of great men, 
 till at last he became capable of commanding an army. 
 
 He had been seven years enlisted, when his regiment 
 was ordered to the field: his captain took him and six 
 others, and went to reconnoiter a wood; and when they 
 were in the midst of it, the soldiers said one to another: 
 "Let us kill this wicked fellow, who is always caning us, 
 and cheats us of our pay." Fatal represented the base- 
 ness of such an action, and dissuaded them from it; but 
 instead of hearkening to him, they said they would kill 
 him and the captain too, and immediately drew their 
 swords. Fatal placed himself before the captain, and 
 fought with so much bravery that he alone slew four of 
 the soldiers. His captain, -seeing he owed his life to 
 Fatal, asked his pardon for all the .wrong he had done 
 him; and having informed the king of what had hap- 
 pened, Fatal was made a captain, and the king gave him 
 a considerable pension. 
 
 Now, none of the soldiers ever wanted to kill Fatal; he 
 loved them as if they were his children, and they had 
 the same affection for him as for a father: instead of de- 
 frauding them of their pay, he gave them money out of 
 his own pocket, to encourage them when they behaved 
 well; was careful and tender of them when they were 
 sick or wounded; and never found fault with them out of 
 caprice or ill-humor. About that time a great battle was 
 fought, and the commander-in-chief being slain, all the 
 officers and soldiers fled; but Fatal cried out that he had 
 rather die fighting than fly meanly like a coward; and 
 his soldiers told him they would not forsake him; and 
 their example had so good an effect with the others that 
 they all came back, ranged themselves round Fatal, and 
 
laa OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 fought with such success that the son of the king of their 
 enemies was taken prisoner. The other king was greatly 
 rejoiced when he heard that he h ,d gained the victory, 
 and told Fatal that he made him general of all his armies. 
 Afterward he presented him to the queen, and to the 
 princess his daughter, who gave him their hands to kiss; 
 but at sight of the princess Fatal was struck motionless 
 like a statue: she was so beautiful that he fell in love 
 with her to distraction; and then he was unhappy in- 
 deed, for he thought that such a one as he could have 
 no hope of marrying a great princess: he resolved, for 
 that reason, to conceal his affection, and daily underwent 
 the utmost torture. But it was much worse when he 
 was informed that Fortune was also in love with the 
 Princess Graciosa (for that was her name), having seen 
 her picture, and that an ambassador had arrived to ask 
 her in marriage. Fatal was ready to die with grief; but 
 the Princess Graciosa, who knew that Fortune was a base 
 and wicked prince, entreated her father with such ear- 
 nestness, not to force her to the match that the ambas- 
 sador was told the princess did not choose to marry yet. 
 Fortune, who had never been used to be contradicted, 
 fell into a most violent passion when they returned with 
 the princess' answer; and his father, who could not deny 
 him anything, declared war against the father of Gra- 
 ciosa. But he was not much concerned about it. "For," 
 said he, "while Fatal is at the head of my army, I am not 
 at all afraid of being overcome." So, having sent for his 
 general, he told him the affair, and bid him prepare for 
 war. Fatal, at this, threw himself at his feet, and said 
 that he was born in the dominions of Prince Fortune's 
 father, and could not take up arms against his sovereign. 
 But the king was very angry, and threatened to put him 
 to death if he refused to obey him; and, on the contrary, 
 promised to give him his daughter in marriage if he de- 
 feated Fortune. This was a sad temptation to poor 
 Fatal. However, at last he resolved to do his duty; and 
 therefore, without saying anything to the king, he quitted 
 the court, and forsook all his riches and great expecta- 
 tions. 
 
 Fortune soon after put himself at the head of the 
 army, and took the field; but before five days were at an 
 end he fell ill with fatigue, for he was very delicate and 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 123 
 
 tender; and having never been used to any hardships, or 
 to take any exercise, he could not bear heat and cold; in 
 short, everything made him ill. 
 
 About this time the ambassador who had been sent to 
 demand Graciosa for Fortune, in order to make his court 
 to the prince, told him that he had seen the little boy 
 who had been turned out of his palace at the court of 
 Graciosa's father, and that it was generally reported he 
 
 had promised him his daughter in marriage. Fortune, 
 at this piece of intelligence, fell into a most terrible fit 
 of passion; and as soon as he was recovered he set out, 
 fully resolved to dethrone the father of Graciosa, and he 
 promised a great reward to whoever should take Fatal, 
 either dead or alive. Fortune gained several great vic- 
 tories, though he did not fight himself for he was afraid 
 of being killed but he had able and experienced com- 
 manders. At last he besieged the capital of the enemy, 
 and was preparing to take it by storm, when, on the eve 
 of the intended assault, Fatal was brought before him 
 (for great numbers of people had been sent in search of 
 him), bound in heavy chains. Forttfne rejoiced at this 
 opportunity of exercising his revenge, and gave orders 
 for him to be beheaded before they storme'd the town, in 
 
124 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 sight of the enemy. That very day he gave a grand en- 
 tertainment to his officers, to celebrate his birthday, the 
 twenty-five years being now complete. The besieged, 
 hearing Fatal was taken, and was to have his head struck 
 off in an hour, resolved to deliver him or perish, for they 
 remembered how.kind he had been to them while he was 
 their general: they asked the king's leave to sally out, 
 and were victorious. Fortune's gift of prosperity was 
 now over, and in his flight from the enemy he was killed. 
 The conquerors ran to unbind Fatal; and at the same mo- 
 ment they saw two glittering chariots appear in the air, 
 from one of which a fairy descended; in the other were 
 Fatal's father and mother, who were both fast asleep. 
 They did not awake till just as the chariots touched the 
 ground. The fairy, however, advanced; Fatal was un- 
 bound, and addressing the queen, and presenting Fatal 
 to her, she said: "Madam, in this hero behold your eld- 
 est son; the misfortunes he has undergone have corrected 
 the defects of his temper, which was naturally violent 
 and unruly; whereas Fortune, who. on the contrary, was 
 born with excellent inclinations, has been utterly spoiled 
 by indulgence and flattery; and God would not permit 
 him to live longer, because he would only have grown 
 more wicked every day he lived. He is just now killed; 
 but to comfort you for his death, know that, impatient 
 of ascending the throne, he was on the point of dethron- 
 ing his father." The king and queen were greatly as- 
 tonished, and embraced Fatal very affectionately, having 
 heard great commendations of him. Princess Graciosa 
 and her father were delighted with the discovery of 
 Prince Fatal's rank. He married Graciosa, and they 
 lived together to a good old age, perfectly happy and 
 perfectly virtuous. 
 
 THE BENEFICENT FKOG. 
 
 THERE was, once upon a time, a king who sustained 
 for many years a constant war against his neighbors; 
 after many battles his capital was besieged; he was fright- 
 ened on account of his queen, and entreated her to retire 
 to a castle that he had fortified, and which he had never 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 125 
 
 visited but once. The queen employed prayers and tears 
 to persuade him to allow her to remain with him; she 
 wished to share his fate, and uttered piercing cries when 
 he gently forced her into her chariot, to hasten her de- 
 parture; however, he ordered his guards to accompany 
 her, and promised to absent himself secretly as often as 
 he could to visit her. He soothed her with this promise, 
 though it was scarcely probable that he would be able to 
 fulfill it, for the castle was situated at an immense dis- 
 tance from the capital, in the middle of a thick forest; 
 and without being well acquainted with the roads, it was 
 impossible to discover it. 
 
 The queen set out, very sorrowful at leaving her hus- 
 band amid the perils of war; she was conducted by short 
 stages, lest the fatigue of so long a journey should make 
 her ill; at last she arrived at her castle, very uneasy and 
 very low-spirited. After a short repose she wished to 
 amuse herself by walking about the environs of the 
 castle, but she found nothing to make her cheerful; she 
 looked all around her, but could see nothing save im- 
 mense deserts, which rather increased than diminished 
 her grief; she looked toward them sorrowfully, and 
 sometimes said: "What a difference between my present 
 abode, and the one that I have always hitherto been used 
 to! If I remain here much longer I shall die. To whom 
 shall I speak in this solitude? With whom can I share 
 my grief, and what have I done to deserve banishment 
 from the king? It seems that he wishes me to feel all 
 the bitterness of his absence by exiling me to this dis- 
 agreeable castle." 
 
 In this way would she complain; and although the 
 king wrote to her every day, and sent her very good news 
 about thte siege, she became more and more afflicted, and 
 determined to return to her husband; but as the officers 
 who were with her had been ordered not to conduct her 
 back except a courier were sent expressly for her, she 
 kept her resolution secret, and had a little chariot made, 
 in which there was only room for herself, saying that she 
 intended occasionally to go hunting. She herself guided 
 the horses, and followed so closely on the dogs' heels 
 that the huntsmen could not keep up with her; by this 
 means she made herself mistress of her chariot, and con- 
 sequently had it in her power to go when she liked. 
 
126 OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES. 
 
 There was but one difficulty, which was, that she did not 
 know the roads of the forest; but she flattered herself 
 that the gods would conduct her safe through; and after 
 having made a few small sacrifices, she said that she in- 
 tended to have a grand chase, and wished everybody to 
 be there; that she should go in her chariot, and that 
 everybody should take different roads so as to leave no 
 retreat for the wild beasts. This was done. The young 
 queen, who thought soon to see her husband, had dressed 
 herself to great advantage: her hat was covered with 
 feathers of various colors, her vest enriched with precious 
 stones; and her beauty, which was by no means of a 
 common kind, thus set off, made her look like a second 
 Diana. 
 
 While the company were all occupied with the pleas- 
 ures of the chase, she slackened her horses' reins, and 
 encouraged them with her voice and two or three lashes 
 with the whip. After going along at a good round pace, 
 they began to gallop, and then ran away; the chariot 
 seemed to be borne along by the winds, and could hardly 
 be followed with the eye; the poor queen, now that it 
 was unavailing, repented her temerity. "What have I 
 undertaken?" said she; "how was it possible for me to 
 guide horses so high-spirited and unmanageable? Alas! 
 what will become of me? Ah! if the king thought that 
 I was in such danger as this, what would become of him 
 he who loves me so tenderly, and who only sent me 
 away from his capital city to place me in greater safety? 
 Behold how I have repaid his tender care of me!" The 
 air resounded with her grievous lamentations; she called 
 on the gods, she invoked the fairies to her assistance, but 
 the gods and the fairies had abandoned her; the chariot 
 overturned, she had not strength to jump quickly on the 
 ground, and her foot became jammed between the wheel 
 and the axletree. It may easily be imagined that it was 
 only by a miracle that she escaped with her life from so 
 shocking an accident. 
 
 She lay stretched on the ground at the foot of a tree; 
 she had neither pulse nor voice, and her face was covered 
 with blood. She had been a good while in that dread- 
 ful condition, when, opening her eyes, she perceived near 
 her a woman of gigantic size, clothed only in a lion's 
 skin, her arms and legs being naked; her hair was con- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 fined with a dry serpent-skin, the head of the serpent 
 hanging over her shoulders; she had a club made of stone 
 in her hand which served for a walking-stick to support 
 her, and a quiver full of arrows by her side. Such an 
 extraordinary figure made the queen think that she was 
 dead, for she could not imagine that after such dreadful 
 accidents it was possible for her to be still alive; and 
 speaking in a very low tone "I am not surprised," said 
 she, "that so much grief is felt at resolving to die, for 
 what -one sees in the other world is very terrible." 
 
 The giantess, who overheard her, could not help laugh- 
 ing at the queen's idea that she was dead. 
 
 "Cheer up," said she to her, "and know that you are 
 among the living; but your destiny will not be the less 
 sorrowful. I am the Fairy Lioness, and my residence is 
 not far from here; you must come and pass your life with 
 me." 
 
 The queen looked at her sorrowfully, and said. "If it 
 please you, Mistress Lioness, to conduct me back to my 
 castle, and inform the king what you will accept for my 
 ransom, he loves me so dearly that he will not refuse 
 even half his kingdom." 
 
 "No," answered the giantess, ''I am rich enough; I 
 have been very dull for some time past at being alone; 
 you have wit, perhaps you may be able to divert me." 
 
 As she said these words she took the form of a lioness, 
 and placing the queen on her back, she carried her to the 
 bottom of her terrible cave; when she arrived there she 
 healed the queen's wounds by means of a liquor with 
 which she rubbed her. 
 
 How surprised and how grieved was the queen when 
 she found herself in that dreadful abode! It was gained 
 by ten thousand stairs, which led to the center of the 
 earth, where was a large lake of quicksilver, covered 
 with monsters whose various figures might have fright- 
 ened one less timid than our queen. A few dry roots 
 and horse-chestnuts were all that the Fairy Lioness ever 
 gave the persons who were so unfortunate as to fall into 
 ker hands. 
 
 When it was almost time for the queen to go to bed 
 the fairy told her that she might make herself a cabin, 
 for that she was going to remain with her all her life. 
 The princess at these words could not restrain her tears. 
 
128 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "Oh! what have I done/' said she, "to deserve being de- 
 tained here? If my death, which I feel approaching, 
 will give yon pleasure, put me to death at once; it is all 
 that I dare hope from your pity; but do not condemn me 
 to a long and miserable existence without my husband.''* 
 The lioness laughed at her grief, and told her that she 
 advised her to dry her tears, and try to please her; that 
 if she did not do so she would be the most wretched 
 person in the world. "What must I do, then/' said the 
 queen, "to move your heart?" 
 
 "I am fond, "said the fairy to her, "of fly-pies; I wish 
 you to find means of catching enough flies to make me 
 a very large and excellent pie." 
 
 "But," answered the queen, "I do not see any at all 
 here; and if there were plenty, it is not light enough to 
 catch them; and if I had caught them, I never made any 
 pastry; so that you have given me a task which I cannot 
 fulfill." 
 
 "No matter," said the unmerciful lioness, "I will have 
 what I wish." 
 
 The queen made no reply; she thought that, in spite 
 of the cruel fairy, she had but one life to lose, and in the 
 state she then was, what had she to fear? Instead, then, 
 of looking for flies, she seated herself under a yew-tree, 
 to weep at her ease. 
 
 She might thus have wept for a long time, if she had 
 not heard over her head the sorrowful croaking of a, 
 crow. She looked up, and, by the assistance of the little 
 moonlight that lighted the bank, she saw a large crow 
 holding in its bill a frog, which apparently she was about 
 to crunch. "Although nothing happen to save me," 
 said the queen, "I will not neglect to save the life of a 
 poor frog, which is as much afflicted in its way as I am 
 in mine." She made use of the first stick that she laid 
 her hand upon, to make the crow let go its hold. The 
 frog fell, lay for some time insensible, and after awhile 
 recovering its frogly spirits: "Beautiful queen," it said, 
 "you are the only kind person whom I have seen in this, 
 place, since curiosity first brought me here." 
 
 "By what miracle are you able to speak, little frog?" 
 answered the queen, "and who are the people whom you 
 see here? For I have seen no one yet." 
 
 "All the monsters with which this lake is covered," 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 129 
 
 replied Grenouilletta (that was the frog's name), "have 
 once been in the world, some kings, and others in the 
 confidence of their sovereigns; their fate sends them here 
 awhile, although none of those who come here ever re- 
 turn any better, or corrected for their stay." 
 
 "I can easily understand," said the queen, "that the 
 union of many wicked persons will not aid in their ref- 
 ormation; but with regard to you, Mistress Frog, what 
 are you doing here?" 
 
 "Curiosity has induced me to come here," replied she; 
 "I am a half-fairy; my power is limited in some things, 
 and very extensive in others; if the Fairy Lioness knew 
 that I were in her dominions she would put me to 
 death." 
 
 "But how is it possible," said the queen, "that, fairy 
 or half-fairy, a crow should have been about to devour 
 you?" 
 
 "Two words will explain that to you," said the frog. 
 "When I wear my little wreath of roses on my head, in 
 which consists my chief power, I fear nothing; but un- 
 fortunately I had left it in the marsh, when that wicked 
 crow pounced upon me. I confess, madam, that but for 
 you I should now have been dead; and since I owe you 
 my life, if anything lies in my power to alleviate yours, 
 you may command me in whatever way you please." 
 
 "Alas, my dear frog!" said the queen, "the wicked 
 fairy who holds me in captivity wants me to make her a 
 fly-pie; there are no flies here; if there were any, it is too 
 dark to catch them, and I am in danger of dying under 
 her blows." 
 
 "Leave it to me," said the frog; "before long I will 
 furnish you with enough." 
 
 She then rubbed her body all over with sugar, then she 
 called out of the pond quite an army of frogs, upward of 
 six thousand of her acquaintance, and they did the same; 
 they then went to a place crowded with flies, for the 
 wicked fairy had thereabout a magazine of them, pur- 
 posely for tormenting unfortunate persons in her power. 
 When they smelled the sugar they settled on the bodies 
 of the officious frogs, who then made haste back to where 
 the queen was. Never was there suCh a capture of flies, 
 nor a better pie than the queen made for the Fairy Lion- 
 ess. When it was presented to her she was not a little 
 
130 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 surprised, not understanding by what means the queen 
 had managed to catch so many files. 
 
 The qpieen, being exposed to all the inclemency of the 
 air, which was poisonous, cut some cypress branches to 
 begin building her little house with, The frog gener- 
 ously came to proffer her assistance, and putting herself 
 at the head of those who had been to fetch the flies, the 
 whole of them assisted the queen to erect a little build- 
 ing, which, when completed, was the prettiest in the 
 world; but the queen had hardly lain down in it when the 
 monsters of the lake, jealous of her repose, came to tor- 
 ment her with the most deafening and horrible din that 
 until then had ever been heard. She arose, dreadfully 
 terrified, and fled, which was just what the monsters 
 wanted. A dragon, who had formerly tyrannized over 
 one of the finest kingdoms in the world, immediately 
 took possession of her little house. 
 
 The poor afflicted queen wished to complain of this, 
 but in truth she was only ridiculed; the monsters 
 whooped at her, and the Fairy Lioness told her that if 
 she kept dinning such lamentations in her ears she would 
 soundly beat her. So she was obliged to hold her peace 
 and apply to the frog, who was the most obliging creature 
 in the world. They wept together; for when she had 
 her wreath of roses on she could laugh and cry, the same 
 as an ordinary person. "I feel so strong a friendship for 
 you," said the frog to the queen, "that I will recom- 
 mence building your little house, though all the monsters 
 of the lake should die with spleen." She immediately 
 set about cutting the wood, and the queen's little rural 
 palace took so short a time to build that she went to bed 
 in it that same night. 
 
 The frog, attentive to all the queen's wants, had made 
 her a bed of wild thyme. When the wicked fairy under- 
 stood that the queen no longer slept upon the ground, 
 she sent for her. "Tell me immediately who are the 
 gods or men who protect you," said she to her. "This 
 land, always watered with rain of 'fire and sulphur, has 
 never yet produced even the value of a leaf of sage; not- 
 withstanding that, I learn that odoriferous herbs grow 
 under your footsteps!" 
 
 "I am ignorant of the cause, madam," answered the 
 queen,. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 131 
 
 "The humor takes me," said the fairy, "to have a 
 nosegay of the rarest flowers; try if your good fortune 
 will supply you with one; if it does not you shall not 
 need a good flogging; for I often administer floggings, 
 and always do so marvelously well." 
 
 The queen began to cry; such threats were not agree- 
 able to her, and the impossibility of finding flowers made 
 her despair. 
 
 She returned to her little house; her friend the frog 
 called to see her. "How sorrowful you are!" said she to 
 the queen. 
 
 "Alas! dear gossip, is it not enough to make me so? 
 The fairy wants a nosegay of the finest flowers; and where 
 shall I be able to find them? You perceive that there 
 are none here; yet her mandate runs that my life de- 
 pends upon satisfying her wish." 
 
 "Amiable princess," said the frog graciously, "I must 
 try to free you from your embarrassment; there is here a 
 bat, who is the only one with whom I have had any deal- 
 ings; she is a good creature, and can go faster than I; I 
 will lend her my wreath of roses, by the assistance of 
 which she will be able to find you some flowers." 
 
 The queen made her a low courtesy, for there was no 
 means of embracing Grenouilletta. 
 
 Grenouilletta immediately went to talk with the bat, 
 who some time afterward returned, concealing under her 
 wings some very beautiful flowers. The queen made 
 haste to take them to the wicked fairy, who was more 
 surprised than ever, not understanding by what miracle 
 the queen was so well befriended upon all occasions. The 
 queen was incessantly devising some means of making 
 her escape. She communicated her wish to the good 
 frog, who said to her: "Permit me, madam, first of all, 
 to consult my little wreath, and we will then act accord- 
 ing to its advice." She accordingly took it, and having 
 placed it on some straw, she burned some slips of juniper 
 wood, some capers, and two little green peas, and croaked 
 five times; then the ceremony being finished, she resumed 
 her wreath of roses, to speak like an oracle. 
 
 "Fate, which orders all things," said she, "forbids 
 your quitting this place; you will here have a princess 
 more beautiful than the mother of Love; for the rest, do 
 not trouble yourself, as time alone will be able to relieve 
 you." 
 
132 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 The queen cast down her eyes, and tears forced their 
 way; but she resolved to trust in her friend. "At least, 
 you will not abandon me/' said she to her. The good 
 frog consoled her as well as she was able. 
 
 But it is high time to say a few words concerning the 
 king. While his enemies had him besieged in his capital 
 city, he could not be continually sending messengers to 
 the queen; however, having made several sallies and 
 obliged them to retire, he felt much less the happiness 
 of this event, on his own account, than on that of his 
 dear queen, whom he could now recall to his court with- 
 out danger. He was ignorant of her disaster, none of 
 her officers having dared to go to the city and inform him 
 of it. They had found in the forest the remains of her 
 chariot, and all the Amazonian decorations with which 
 she had adorned herself to go and seek him in, the horses 
 having escaped. 
 
 As they had no doubt of her being dead, and as they 
 thaught "she had been devoured, they did not debate 
 among themselves about the expediency of persuading 
 the king that she had died suddenly. At this fatal news 
 he thought that he himself should die of sorrow; hair 
 torn, tears shed, mournful cries, sobs, sighs, and other 
 sad privileges of widowhood, were indulged in; nothing 
 was neglected on this occasion. 
 
 After having spent several days in retirement, he re- 
 turned to his capital city, dressed in deep mourning, 
 which he felt more in his heart than his clothes testified. 
 All the ambassadors of the kings his neighbors came to 
 condole with him; and after the ceremonials which are 
 inseparable from such an occurrence he applied himself 
 to giving his subjects an interval of quiet, exempting 
 them from war, and procuring for them an extensive 
 commerce. 
 
 The queen was ignorant of all this, and she was hap- 
 pier when Heaven blessed her with a little princess, as 
 beautiful as Grenouilletta had foretold; she was named 
 Moufette, and with much difficulty the queen obtained 
 leave of the Fairy Lioness to bring her up, for she was GO 
 ferocious that she had a violent longing to eat her. 
 
 Moufette, the wonder of her time, was already six 
 months old; when, looking at her with tenderness mixed 
 with sorrow, the queen said incessantly: "Oh! if the 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 133 
 
 king your father saw you, my poor little baby, how glad 
 he would be! how dear you would be to him! But per- 
 haps at this moment he is beginning to forget me; he be- 
 lieves that we are forever buried in the horrors of death; 
 perhaps, even now, the place in his heart devoted formerly 
 to me is occupied by another." 
 
 These sorrowful reflections cost her many tears; the 
 
 frog, who loved her sincerely, seeing her thus crying, 
 said to her one day: "If you wish it, madam, I will go 
 and find the king your husband; the journey is long, 
 and I travel slowly; but at last, a little sooner or a little 
 later, I hope to accomplish it." 
 
 This proposal could not have been more agreeably 
 received than it was; the queen clasped her hands, and 
 even made Moufette join hers, to sltow Madam Gren- 
 ouilletta how obliged she should be if she would under-, 
 take the journey. She assured her that the king would 
 
134 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 not be ungrateful. "But/' continued she, "of what 
 utility will it be to him to know that I am in this sor- 
 rowful abode? It will be impossible for him to rescue me 
 from it." 
 
 "Madam," replied the frog, "we must for our part do 
 what depends upon us and leave the care of the rest to 
 Heaven." 
 
 They then bade each other adieu; the queen wrote to 
 the king, with her own blood, on a little scrap of linen, 
 for she had neither ink nor paper. She entreated him 
 to trust in all respects to the worthy frog who had 
 brought him news of her. 
 
 She was a year and four days ascending the ten thou- 
 sand steps that lay between the black plain, where she 
 had left the queen, to the world, and she was another 
 year forming her equipage; for she was. too proud to be 
 willing to appear at a royal court like a sorry frog from 
 the marsh. She had made a little car, large enough to 
 hold conveniently two eggs; it was entirely covered out- 
 side with tortoise-shell, and lined with the skins of young 
 lizards. She had fifty maids of honor, who were of those 
 little green frogs which leap about the meadows; each of 
 them was mounted on a snail, on an English saddle, with 
 her leg on the bow, comporting herself to admiration; 
 several water-rats, dressed as pages, to whom she had 
 confided the care of her person, preceded the snails: in a 
 word, nothing was ever so pretty, especially as her wreath 
 of red roses, always fresh and blooming, became her the 
 best in the world. .She was rather vain of her errand, 
 which had made her use rouge and patches: it was even 
 said that she was painted, as are most of the ladies of that 
 country; but on inquiry, it was found that it was her 
 enemies who had spread that report of her. 
 
 She was seven years on her journey, during which time 
 the queen suffered inexpressible pains and hardships; 
 and but for the fair Moufette, who consoled her, she 
 would have died over and over again. That wonderful 
 little creature never opened her mouth or spoke a word 
 without delighting her mother; she even softened a little 
 the heart of the Fairy Lioness; and at last, after the 
 queen had passed six years in that horrible sojourn, she 
 allowed her to take her daughter a-hunting, provided 
 that all she killed should be for her. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 135 
 
 What a pleasure for the poor queen once more to see 
 the sun! She was so unaccustomed to the sight of it 
 that she was fearful of becoming blind. With regard to 
 Moufette, she was so skillful that, though only five or six 
 years old, nothing escaped her aim; by this means the 
 mother and daughter softened a little the fairy's cruelty. 
 
 Grenouilletta traveled day and night over hill and 
 dale, and at last arrived near the capital city where the 
 kirfcg held his court; she was surprised at seeing, wher- 
 eT&er she came, nothing but dancing and feasting; there 
 was laughing, there was singing, and the nearer she ap- 
 proached the town, the greater, she observed, was the joy 
 and festivity. Her majestic equipage surprised every- 
 body; all who saw it followed her, and the crowd became 
 so nume-rous when she entered the city that she had the 
 greatest difficulty to reach the palace: at that palace 
 everything was magnificent. The king, who had been 
 nine years a widower, had at last yielded to the prayers 
 of his subjects; he was on the point of marrying a 
 princess, certainly less beautiful than his wife, but who, 
 nevertheless, was very charming. 
 
 Having quitted the car, the good frog entered the 
 palace, followed by all her cortege. She had no occasion 
 to demand an audience: the monarch, his betrothed, 
 and all the princes, were too impatient to know the object 
 of her coming to interrupt her. "Sir," said she, "1 do 
 not know whether the news I bring you will give you joy 
 or sorrow; the wedding which is about to take place con- 
 vinces me of your infidelity to your queen." 
 
 "Her memory is always dear to me," said the king, 
 shedding tears which he could not restrain; "but you 
 must know, gentle frog, that kings do not always what 
 they wish; my subjects have been pressing me to marry 
 for these last nine years; I owe them heirs, and accord- 
 ingly have turned my eyes toward this young princess, 
 who appears to me to be charming in every respect." 
 
 "I do not advise you to marry her, for polygamy is a 
 hanging matter; your queen is not dead; here is a letter 
 written with her blood, which she intrusted to me; you 
 have also a little princess, Moufette, who is more beauti- 
 ful than all the goddesses." 
 
 The king took the rag on which the queen had 
 scrawled a few words; he kissed it, he watered it with his 
 
136 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES- 
 
 tears, and showed it to all the assembly, saying that he 
 knew very well his wife's handwriting; he asked the frog 
 a thousand questions, which sh*e answered with as much 
 wit as liveliness. The bride-elect and the ambassadors 
 charged with seeing the solemnization of her marriage 
 made very wry faces. "How, sire," said the chief of 
 them, "is it possible that you can, on the assertion of 
 such a reptile as this, break off so solemn a marriage? 
 This scum of the marsh has the insolence to come with a 
 lie in her mouth to your court, and enjoys the pleasure of 
 being listened to!" 
 
 "Mister Ambassador," said the frog, "learn that I am 
 not the scum of the marsh; and since I must here display 
 my science, fairies and frogs appear!" All the frogs, 
 rats, snails, lizards, and herself at their head, did appear; 
 but no longer in the shape of those dirty little animals; 
 their figures were tall and majestic, their countenances 
 agreeable, their eyes brighter than stars; each of them wore 
 a crown of precious stones oh his head and a royal mantle 
 on his shoulders, made of velvet and lined with ermine, 
 with a long train, which was borne by male and female 
 dwarfs. At the same time trumpets, kettle drums, haut- 
 boys, and drums pierced the clouds with their agreeable 
 and warlike sounds; all the fairies and frogs commenced 
 a ballet, so lightly danced that at their least gambade 
 they leaped as high as the ceiling of the saloon. The 
 attentive king and bride-elect were equally surprised 
 when they saw these honorable merry-andrews all at once 
 metamorphosed into flowers,. which danced none the less 
 jasmine, jonquils, violets, pinks and tuberoses than 
 when they had had legs and feet. It was an animated 
 flower-bed, the motions of which were equally grateful to 
 the nose and pleasant to the eye. In a moment the 
 flowers vanished, and were replaced by several fountains; 
 their waters, rapidly ascending and falling, formed them- 
 selves into a large canal, which took its course at the 
 foot of the palace walls; it was covered with little painted 
 and gilded pleasure-boats, so pretty and elegant that the 
 princess invited her ambassadors to enter them with her, 
 and take a little trip in them. They were very willing, 
 thinking it was all a play, which would at last terminate 
 in a happy wedding. 
 
 Directly they had embarked, the pleasure-boats, the 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 137 
 
 river and all the fountains disappeared; the frogs became 
 frogs again. The king asked for his princess. The frog 
 replied: "Sire, you have no right to any princess but the 
 queen your wife; were Hess her friend, I should not have 
 troubled myself about the marriage which you were on 
 the point of contracting; but she has so much merit, and 
 your daughter Moufette is so amiable, that you must not 
 lose a moment in trying to deliver them." 
 
 "I must confess to you, Mistress Frog," said the king, 
 "that if I had not believed my wife was dead there is 
 nothing in the world that I would not have done to see 
 her again." 
 
 "After the marvels that I have performed in your 
 presence," replied she, "it appears to me that you ought 
 to be convinced of the truth of my assertions. Leave 
 your kingdom under strict orders, and do not defer your 
 departure. Here is a ring that will furnish you with the 
 means of seeing the queen and of speaking to the Fairy 
 Lioness, although she is the most terrible creature in the 
 world. " ^ 
 
 The king, no longer seeing the princess whom he was 
 to have married, felt his passion for her growing very 
 weak, and, on the contrary, that which he had enter- 
 tained for the queen gaining new ground. 
 
 He set out, unaccompanied by any one, after having 
 made very considerable presents to the frog. "Do not be 
 disheartened," said the latter to him; you will have for- 
 midable difficulties to overcome, but I hope you will suc- 
 ceed in attaining your wish." The king, comforted by 
 these words, took no other guide than his ring to seek his 
 dear queen. 
 
 As Moufette increased in size, her beauty improved so 
 much that all the monsters of the quicksilver lake fell in 
 love with her; dragons of terrible shape and size humbled 
 themselves at her feet. Although she had constantly 
 seen them, her beautiful eyes could not become accus- 
 tomed to them; she fled and took refuge in her mother's 
 arms. "Shall we be here long?" said she to her; "will 
 our misfortunes never cease?" The queen gave her good 
 hopes to console her, but ?n her heart she entertained 
 none herself. The long absence of the frog, her pro- 
 found silence, so long a period passed without any news 
 from the king all this, I say, afflicted her excessively 
 and gave her no room to hope 
 
138 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 The Fairy Lioness gradually accustomed herself to al- 
 low them to go hunting with her; she was dainty, and 
 fond of the game which they killed for her, but the only 
 recompense she gave them was either the feet or the 
 head. What was more valuable, however, was their being 
 permitted to enjoy once more the precious light of day. 
 The fairy took the shape of a lioness; the queen arid her 
 daughter seated themselves on her back, and in that way 
 they scoured the woods. 
 
 The king, conducted by his ring, happening to stop for 
 a short time in a forest, saw them pass like an arrow from 
 a bow; he was not perceived by them, but though he 
 wished to follow them, they absolutely vanished from his 
 eyes. 
 
 Notwithstanding the incessant, misfortunes of the 
 queen, her beauty was not changed, and she seemed to 
 him more beautiful than ever. All his former passion 
 rekindled, and, not doubting that the young princess 
 with her was his dear Moufette, he determined to perish 
 a thousand times rather than abandon his design of res- 
 cuing them. 
 
 The officious ring conducted him to the gloomy abode 
 which had been tenanted by .the queen for so many years; 
 he was not a little surprised at descending to the center 
 of the earth, but what he there saw astonished him still 
 more. The Fairy Lioness, who was ignorant of nothing, 
 knew the day and hour when he was destined to arrive. 
 What would she not have given if Fate, in conjunction 
 with herself, had ordered it otherwise! But she resolved 
 at least to oppose all her power to that of the king. 
 
 She built in the middle of the quicksilver lake a crystal 
 palace, which floated like a wave; she confined the poor 
 queen and her daughter in it, and then addressed all the 
 monsters who were amorous of Moufette, saying: "You 
 will lose this beautiful princess if you do not interest 
 yourselves with me to defend her against a knight who 
 is coming to carry her off." The monsters promised to 
 neglect nothing that lay in their power; they surrounded 
 the crystal palace, the lightest of them stationing them- 
 selves on the roof and walls, others at the doors, and the 
 remainder in the lake. 
 
 The king, by the advice of his faithful ring, went first 
 to the fairy's cavern; she was waiting for him in the 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TAL3S. 139 
 
 shape of a lioness. Directly he appeared, she sprang upon 
 him, he wielded his sword with bravery that she had not 
 expected, and as she was raising one of her paws to beat 
 him down, he made a cut at one of her joints and exactly 
 hit her knee. She uttered a loud cry and fell; he went 
 up to her, put his knee on her throat, and swore that 
 he would kill her, and, in spite of her invulnerable fury, 
 she could not help being afraid. "What do you wish me 
 to do?" said she to him. "What do you require of me?" 
 
 "I mean to punish you, "replied he proudly, "for hav- 
 ing carried ofE my wife, and if you do not immediately 
 restore her to me I will strangle you on the spot." 
 
 "Lock toward that lake," said she, "and see whether 
 she is in my power." 
 
 The king looked in the direction she pointed out to 
 him, and saw the queen and her daughter in the crystal 
 castle, which was floating like a galley without oars or 
 helm on the surface of the quicksilver. 
 
 His joy and grief were so great that they had nearly 
 cost him his life. He called them at the top of his voice, 
 and made himself heard by them; but how to reach 
 them? was the question. While he was seeking the 
 means of doing so, the Fairy Lioness disappeared. 
 
 He kept running round the shores of the lake; when 
 he arrived on one side, and was very near reaching the 
 transparent palace, it went away from him with incred- 
 ible swiftness, and his hopes were thus constantly disap- 
 pointed. The queen, who was fearful that he would 
 Eresently get tired, called to him not to let his courage 
 lil, that the Fairy Lioness wished to fatigue him, but 
 that true love could not be daunted by any difficulties. 
 Thereupon she and Moufette stretched their hands to- 
 ward him supplicatingly. At that sight the king felt 
 himself strengthened yet again, and, raising his voice, he 
 swore by Styx and Acheron rather to pass the remainder 
 of his life in that sorrowful place than quit it without 
 them. 
 
 He must have possessed great perseverance, for he 
 passed his time very miserably. The earth, covered with 
 brambles and thorns, served him for bed; his only food 
 was wild fruit, more bitter than gaH, and he had inces- 
 sant battles to fight with the monsters of the lake. 
 Husbands who would endure all tnis for the sake of see- 
 
140 OLD. OLD FAIRT TALES. 
 
 ing their T7iyes once more were certainly contemporary 
 with the fairies, and his conduct sufficiently distinguishes 
 the epoch of my tale. 
 
 Three years passed away without the king having any 
 grounds for hoping to attain his end; he was almost in 
 despair; he resolved a hundred times to throw himself. in 
 the lake, and he would have done so if he could have 
 looked upon such conduct as a remedy for the queen and 
 princess' troubles. He was running, according to his 
 usual custom, first to one side then to another, when a 
 frightful dragon called him, and said: "If you are will- 
 ing to swear to me by your crown and scepter, your royal 
 mantle, your wife and daughter, to give me a certain 
 dainty bit to eat that I am fond of, and which I shall ask 
 you for when I feel inclined for it, I will take you on my 
 wings, and in spite of all the monsters which cover the lake 
 and guard the crystal castle, I engage that between us we 
 will liberate the queen and the Princess Moufette." 
 
 "Ah, my dear dragon," cried the king, "I swear to 
 give you, and all } r our dragonish kind, whatever you 
 please to eat, and will always remain your grateful 
 debtor." 
 
 "Do not bind yourself," replied the dragon, "if you 
 do not intend to keep your word; for in that case such 
 terrible misfortunes will happen that you will remember 
 them all the rest of your life." 
 
 The king redoubled his protestations; he was dying 
 with impatience to deliver his dear queen; he mounted 
 on the dragon's back, the same as he would have done on 
 the finest horse in the world. The monsters came to 
 meet them and oppose their passage; they fought, and 
 nothing was heard but the sharp hissing of serpents, and 
 nothing seen but sulphur and saltpeter, falling indiscrim- 
 inately: at last the king reached the castle; the efforts 
 were there renewed; bats, owls, and ravens all opposed 
 .his entrance; but the dragon, with his claws, teeth, and 
 tail, crushed to atoms the most daring among them. 
 The queen, on her side, who witnessed that dreadful 
 conflict, by dint of kicking with her feet broke pieces 
 from the walls, and made of them arms to jissist her dear 
 husband; they were at last victorious, they met, and the 
 enchantment was dissolved by a thunderbolt, which fell 
 into the lake and dried it up. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 141 
 
 The officious dragon disappeared on the instant*, with 
 all the other monsters; &nd the king, without being able 
 to divine by what means, was transported to his capital 
 city: he found himself with the queen and Moufette 
 seated in a magnificent saloon, at a table spread with a de- 
 licious repast. Never was astonishment equal to theirs, 
 or joy greater. All their subjects hastened to see their 
 queen and the young princess, who, as a climax to the 
 prodigy, was so superbly dressed that their sight could 
 hardly endure the dazzling luster of the precious stones. 
 
 It is easy to imagine that pleasure of all kinds was the 
 chief business of the happy court: there were masquer- 
 ades, races for rings, tournaments which attracted the 
 greatest princes in the world; and Moufette's beautiful 
 eyes detained them all. Among those who appeared the 
 handsomest and most skillful of them, the Prince Moufy 
 always bore off the palm; nothing was heard but ap- 
 plause, everybody admired him, and the young Moufette, 
 who had till then been always among the dragons and 
 serpents of the lake, could not avoid doing justice to 
 Moufy's merit; he never let a day pass without showing 
 her fresh gallantries; for he was passionately fond of her; 
 and having determined to establish his pretensions, he 
 informed the king and queen that his principality was of 
 an extent and beauty that merited particular attention. 
 
 The king told him that Moufette was at liberty to 
 choose herself a husband, and that he would contradict 
 her in nothing; that he must strive to please her, as it 
 was the only means of obtaining his wish. The prince 
 was in ecstasies at this answer; he had learned at several 
 meetings that he was not indifferent to her; and having 
 at last declared himself to her, she told him that if he 
 did not become her husband she would have no one else. 
 Moufy, transported with joy, threw himself at her feet, 
 and conjured her in the most tender terms not to forget 
 the declaration she had made. 
 
 He immediately hastened to the king and queen's 
 apartment, and gave them an account of the progress of 
 his passion for Moufette, and begged them not to defer 
 his happiness. They gave their consent with pleasure; 
 for Prince Moufy was so accomplished that he alone 
 seemed worthy of possessing the admirable Moufette. 
 The king wished to betroth them before Moufy returned 
 
142 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 to his kingdom, where he had to go to give orders for his 
 marriage; for he would' rather never have set out than go 
 away without certain assurances that he should be made 
 happy on his return. The Princess Moufette could not 
 bid him adieu without shedding many tears; she had un- 
 definable sensations which afflicted her; and the queen, 
 seeing the prince overwhelmed with grief, gave him her 
 daughter's portrait, entreating him by the love he bore 
 them both that the entry he was going to order should 
 not be so magnificent as to retard in the least his return. 
 He said: "Madam, I never obeyed you with so much 
 pleasure as I shall on this occasion; my heart is too much 
 interested in it to allow me to neglect the means of 
 making myself happy." 
 
 He departed with expedition, and the Princess Mou- 
 fette, while awaiting his return, occupied herself with 
 music; and the instruments she had learned to play only 
 a few months back, she performed on to admiration. 
 One day as she was in the queen's room the king entered, 
 his face covered with tears; and taking his daughter's 
 hand: "Oh! my child," said he; "oh, unfortunate 
 father, unlucky king, that I am!" He could say no 
 more, sighs choked his utterance; the queen and princess, 
 dreadfully frightened, asked him what was the matter; 
 after awhile he told them that a monstrous giant had 
 just arrived, calling himself ambassador from the dragon 
 of the lake, who, pursuant to the promise exacted by him 
 from the king for aiding him to fight and conquer the 
 monsters, was come to demand the Princess Moufette, to 
 the end of eating her in a pie; that he was bound by a 
 terrible oath to give him whatever he should ask for 
 and in those days breaking one's word was unknown. 
 
 On hearing the sorrowful news, the queen uttered 
 dreadful cries, folding the princess in her arms. - "They 
 shall rather take my life," said she, "than persuade me 
 to deliver my daughter to the monster; let him take our 
 kingdom and all that we possess. Unnatural father, 
 could you consent to such a Shocking barbarity? What! 
 make my child into a pie! Ah! I cannot endure the 
 thought; send the cruel ambassador here; perhaps my 
 grief may soften him." 
 
 The king made no reply, but went to speak to the 
 giant, and led him to the queen's presence. She threw 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 143 
 
 herself at his feet, and with her daughter conjured him 
 to have pity on them, and persuade the dragon to take 
 all they had but save Moufette's life; but he answered 
 that that did not at all depend on him, and that the 
 dragon was too obstinate and too dainty; that when he 
 took it into his head to eat any delicate morsel the gods 
 themselves could not remove his longing; that he coun- 
 seled them as a friend to do the thing with a good grace, 
 as otherwise the most dreadful misfortunes might follow. 
 At these words the queen fainted away, and the princess 
 would have done so likewise, only her assistance was nec- 
 essary to her mother. 
 
 This sorrowful news was no sooner spread in the palace 
 than it became known to all the town; nothing was heard 
 but weeping and groans, for Moufette was adored. The 
 king could not decide to give her to the giant; and the 
 giant, who had already been staying several days, began 
 to get tired, and threatened in a 'dreadful manner. How- 
 ever, the king and queen said: "What worse can happen 
 to us? When the dragon of the lake comes to devour 
 us we shall be no longer afflicted; but if our Moufette is 
 made into a pie we shall be undone." Thereupon the 
 giant informed them that he had received news from his 
 master, and that if the princess was willing to marry a 
 certain nephew of his, he consented to allow her to live; 
 for the rest, that the nephew was a very handsome prince, 
 and that she might live very happily with him. 
 
 This proposal soothed a little their majesties' grief; the 
 queen spoke to the princess, but she found her still more 
 averse to this marriage than to death. "I am incapa- 
 ble, madam," said Moufette, "of preserving my life by 
 an act of infidelity; you promised me Prince Moufy, and 
 I will never marry any other. Let me die; the close of 
 my life will secure the peace of your own." The king 
 entered; he said to his daughter all that the fondest ten- 
 derness could dictate; she remained unchanged in her 
 sentiments; and finally it was resolved to conduct her to 
 the summit of a high mountain, whence the dragon of 
 the lake was to come and fetch her. 
 
 Everything was prepared for this sorrowful sacrifice; 
 the sacrifices of Iphigenia and of Psyche could not have 
 been more mournful; nothing was to be seen but black 
 clothes and pale and doleful countenances. Four hun* 
 

 144 OL D> OLI> FAIRY TALES. 
 
 dred young ladies of the highest quality dressed them- 
 selves in long white garments, and put on cypress crowns, 
 to accompany her; she was carried in a black velvet 
 open sedan, so that everybody might behold this master- 
 piece of beauty; her hair was scattered over her shoul- 
 ders, and tied with crape, and the crown on her head 
 was of jasmine and marigold. She only appeared moved 
 by the grief of the king and queen, who were following, 
 overwhelmed with the most profound grief. The giant, 
 armed at all points, marched by the side of the princess' 
 sedan, and looking at her with a greedy eye, seemed as 
 though he felt pretty certain of eating his share of her. 
 The air resounded with sighs and sobs; the road was 
 flooded with the tears that were shed. 
 
 "Ah, frog, frog!" cried the queen, "you have aban- 
 doned me! Alas! Why did you grant me your assist- 
 ance in the gloomy plain, if you refuse it at present? 
 Happy should I have been had I died there! I should 
 not then have seen all my hopes deceived to-day! I 
 should not have seen my dear Moufette on the point of 
 being devoured. 5 * 
 
 While she was making these lamentations they still 
 kept moving forward, walking, however, very slowly, and 
 at last they arrived at the summit of the fatal mountain. 
 There they redoubled their cries and sorrow to such a 
 degree that nothing ever was so mournful, the giant re- 
 quested everybody to bid the princess adieu and return. 
 The} retired immediately, for in those days people were 
 very unsophisticated, and always did what they could not 
 help doing with a good grace. 
 
 The king and queen, when they had reached some dis- 
 tance, ascended another mountain with all their court, 
 that they might thence observe all that happened to the 
 princess; in effect they had not been there long before 
 they saw a dragon nearly a mile and a half long in the air; 
 although he had six large wings, his body was so heavy 
 that he could hardly fly, and it was covered with large 
 blue scales and long fiery darts, his tail being disposed in 
 hfty folds and a half; each of his claws was as large as a 
 windmill, and inside his open jaws was a triple row of 
 teeth as large as those of an elephant. 
 
 But as he was gradually advancing, the dear and faith- 
 ful frog, mounted on a sparrow-hawk, flew rapidly toward 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 145 
 
 Prince Moufy. She wore her wreath of roses, and 
 though he was locked in his closet she entered it without 
 a key. "What are you doing here, unfortunate lover?" 
 said she. "You are dreaming of the charms of Moufette, 
 who is at this moment exposed to the most terrible mis- 
 fortune; here, then, is a rose-leaf; by blowing on it I will 
 transform it into an excellent horse, as you shall see." 
 Immediately a white horse made his appearance. She 
 gave him a sword, six ells in length, and lighter than a 
 feather: she clothed him in a single diamond, which 
 fitted him like a suit of clothes: and although it was 
 harder than a rock, it was so flexible than it did not the 
 least constrain his motions in any respect. 
 
 "Depart," said Grenouilletta to him; "run, fly to the 
 defense of her whom you love; the horse which I give 
 you will take yon where she is; when you have effected 
 her deliverance inform her of the share I have had in it." 
 
 "Generous fairy," cried the prince, "I cannot at pres- 
 ent manifest all my gratitude; but I declare that I will 
 always be your very faithful slave." 
 
 He mounted his horse, which immediately galloped off, 
 and made better speed than three of the best hunters; so 
 that he arrived in a very short time at the summit of the 
 mountain, where he saw his dear princess by herself, and 
 the frightful dragon slowly drawing near. He became 
 furious, and attempted to spring upon the prince; but 
 the six-ells-long sword was of so good a temper that he 
 could handle it just as he liked, sometimes burying it up 
 to the hilt in the monster's body, and at others using it 
 as a whip. The prince would not have failed to feel the 
 strength of his claws, but for the diamond dress, which 
 was impenetrable. 
 
 Moufette had recognized him a long way off; for the 
 diamond which covered him was very bright and clear, 
 so that she was seized with the most mortal apprehension 
 of which woman is susceptible: but the king and queen 
 began to feel in their heart a few rays of hope; for it was 
 very extraordinary to see a horse and a prince in a dia- 
 mond case, armed with a formidable sword, arrive at so 
 opportune a moment, and fight with so much bravery. 
 The king put his hat on his walking-stick, and the queen 
 fastened her handkerchief to the end of a piece of wood, 
 to make signs to the prince and encourage him. All 
 
OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES. 147 
 
 their cortege did the same But, in fact, it was unneces- 
 sary; his courage alone, and the peril to which he saw his 
 mistress exposed, was sufficient to excite him. 
 
 What mighty efforts he made! the earth was strewed 
 with darts, claws, horns, wings and scales of the dragon; 
 his blood flowed from a thousand wounds; it was quite 
 blue, and the horse's was quite green, which made a 
 singular combination of colors on the ground. The 
 prince fell five times, always rising again himself; he 
 watched his opportunity to remount his horse, and then 
 such fighting ensued that nothing was ever like it. At 
 last the dragon's strength was exhausted, he fell, and the 
 prince dealt him a wound which left a fearful gash; and 
 what is almost incredible, but is nevertheless as true as 
 the rest of the tale, is, that the most beautiful and 
 charming prince that was ever seen issued forth from 
 that large wound; his coat was of blue velvet with a gold 
 ground, embroidered all over with pearls; on his head he 
 wore a little Greek morion, shaded with white feathers. 
 He ran with open arms, and, embracing Prince Moufy, 
 "What do I not owe you, my generous liberator," said 
 he to him "you who have just delivered me from the 
 most frightful prison that ever monarch was confined in! 
 I was condemned to that punishment by the Fairy Lion- 
 ess; sixteen years have I languished there: and her power 
 was such that, in spite of my own will, she would have 
 forced me to devour this adorable princess; conduct me 
 to her feet, that I may explain my misfortune." 
 
 Prince Moufy, surprised and delighted with so astound- 
 ing an adventure, was in no respect behind this prince 
 in complaisance; they hastened to join the beautiful 
 Mouf-ette, who for her part thanked the gods a thousand 
 times for so unexpected a happiness. The king, queen, 
 and all the court were already near her; they were all 
 speaking at once, not one of them being able to distin- 
 guish what the others said; there were almost as many 
 tears shed for joy as there had been recently shed for 
 grief. At last, that nothing might be wanting to the 
 happiness of all present, the good frog appeared in the 
 air, mounted on a sparrow-hawk, which had little golden 
 bells attached to its feet. When they heard the tinkle, 
 tinkle, they all looked up; they saw her wreath of roses 
 shine like a little sun, the frog herself being as beautiful 
 
148 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 as Aurora. The queen advanced toward her, and took 
 one of her little paws; then the wise frog metamorphosed 
 herself, and appeared like a noble queen; her face was 
 the most agreeable in the world. "I come," cried she, 
 "to crown the fidelity of the Princess Moufette: she pre- 
 ferred exposing her life to changing her sentiments; this 
 example is rare in the present period, but it will be much 
 more so in the ages to come." 
 
 She then took two myrtle crowns, and with them 
 crowned the happy pair who loved each other so tenderly; 
 and making three strokes with her wand all the bones of 
 the dragon rose and formed a triumphal arch, in com- 
 memoration of the important event which had just taken 
 place. 
 
 Then that fair and numerous troop journeyed toward 
 the city, singing wedding-songs, with as much gayety as 
 they had sorrowfully mourned the sacrifice of the prin- 
 cess. The wedding was only deferred until the next day; 
 it may be easily imagined with what joy it was celebrated. 
 
 THE STORY OF PRINCE SINCERE. 
 
 THERE was once upon a time, in the country of Zinzol- 
 antines, a king who had an extreme passion for silk- 
 worms; he spent whole days in his gardens gathering 
 mulberry leaves for their nourishment; the remainder of 
 his time he spent in his closet, watching those little ani- 
 mals at work, and making skeins of the silk they had 
 spun; for he could find no one to do this to his satisfac- 
 tion: in fact, no one could perform this office so well as 
 his majesty. He frequently made presents of his skeins 
 to the lords of his court, most of them, of course, silk- 
 worm fanciers, as they, like all true courtiers, gloried in 
 imitating their sovereign. Now, what was the conse- 
 quence of all this? Politeness and wit abandoned an 
 abode where they were so slightly esteemed; rudeness 
 and folly seized upon the youth of the court; and weari- 
 ness or ennui fell to the lot of its fairest ladies. Hope- 
 less of having their charms and accomplishments appre- 
 ciated by men who only understood and admired the 
 beauty of silkworms and the fineness of their silk, nearly 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 149 
 
 all the ladies retired into the distant provinces of the 
 kingdom. In one these there was formed a little court, 
 not of princes, not of dukes, nor even of marquises (from 
 all of these ranks the ladies had experienced too much 
 neglect and rudeness), but of persons of a less elevated 
 grade; who, possessing none of the above titles, were 
 not the less worthy men on that account. At this little 
 court were to be found refined tastes and virtuous prin- 
 
 ciples; its inhabitants cultivated the sciences, and en- 
 joyed all reasonable pleasures without ever banishing that 
 delicacy which constitutes their principal charm; in a 
 word, they were in all things the exact reverse of those 
 who composed the court of his silk-winding majesty, 
 from which the queen was one of the first who retired. 
 She had a very fine castle, situated in a forest near the 
 seashore; this castle she chose for her residence: and 
 having bade the king adieu, to whom her departure 
 caused no great uneasiness, she set out, accompanied by 
 the two princesses who were the sole fruits of her mar- 
 riage with the king, and a few of her attendants, of whose 
 zeal and affection she was assured. 
 
 The solitude of the castle did not clisgusther; she em- 
 bellished it by tasteful improvements and made it a 
 charming abode by uniting within and about it some of 
 
150 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 the most beautiful objects of nature, and the most per- 
 fect productions of art. Surrounded by persons whom 
 she loved, she enjoyed in this retirement a tranquil re- 
 pose to which she had before been a stranger. The 
 princesses also were delighted with their abode. They 
 were fond of music, and among their train were several 
 who cultivated that art with the most brilliant success. 
 These two young ladies were equally beautiful in face as 
 in figure; yet were they not equally amiable. The elder, 
 whose name was Katherine, was proud, envious, revenge- 
 ful, and cruel, The younger was gentle and affection- 
 ate; and her greatest pleasure was to oblige. In her 
 heart and in her mind she had a thousand charming qual- 
 ities, which made her beloved by all who had the happi- 
 ness to know her; she consequently deserved the char- 
 acteristic name of Amy. She was affectionately attached 
 to her sister, though she was not ignorant that she was 
 disliked by her. 
 
 One day, after enduring a torrent of reproaches from 
 Katherine, because she would not appear in an unsuitable 
 dress at a masked ball at which a numerous assemblage 
 was expected, Amy took a solitary walk by the seashore 
 to dissipate the sorrow that her sister's ill-humor had 
 engendered. Katherine, filled with anger at her sister's 
 non-compliance with her wishes, went also to walk in a 
 neighboring forest, that she might devise a dress to ap- 
 pear in at the ball which should eclipse in brilliancy that 
 of Amy. Filled with these thoughts, she had walked 
 some distance from the castle" without perceiving that 
 she had gone much further than she had intended. 
 Weariness at length obliged her to seat herself at the 
 foot of an old oak tree, whose foliage formed a shade im- 
 penetrable to the rays of the sun. Accidentally examining 
 the immense size and thickness of the trunk of this oak, 
 Katherine discovered a little key concealed between the 
 bark and the wood; she took it in her hand, unable to 
 divine what could be its use, and why it was there; and 
 then endeavored to replace it. After trying to do so two 
 or three times unsuccessful!}', she pushed the key into a 
 hole that she observed, when immediately the key 
 turned round of itself; a little door flew open which was 
 sunk in the tree with infinite art; and the door being 
 open discovered a staircase. Katherine, curious to know 
 
OLD.. OLD FAinr 1ALES. 151 
 
 where it could lead, determined to descend: the first 
 steps were very obscure; but as she descended she 
 noticed with surprise that the staircase was lighted by 
 numerous waxen tapers placed in rock crystal lusters. 
 The princess continued to descend; and, having gone 
 down more than three hundred steps, she came to a mag- 
 nificently furnished apartment. It will be said that it 
 is astonishing and almost impossible that a young person 
 of her sex should be sufficiently adventurous thus to enter 
 alone into an unknown cavern; but I must inform my 
 readers of a fact of which I possess undoubted evidence, 
 which will cause their wonder to cease, namely, that 
 Katherine wore on her little finger a ring that had been 
 bequeathed to her by her grandfather on his deathbed, 
 which would preserve her, until her twentieth year, from 
 every species of danger. Persuaded, therefore, that she 
 had nothing to fear, she walked onward until she came 
 to a large cabinet, or rather a storeroom, of rare jewels 
 and precious stones. Katherine paused to examine the 
 rarities she saw around her; when her eye, chancing to 
 alight on a bed of cloth of silver standing in a kind of 
 recess or grotto, what was her astonishment to observe, 
 posing thereon, the handsomest young man she had ever 
 beheld; he seemed to "be buried in a profound sleep. 
 Katherine approached to consider the sleeper more at- 
 tentively. This curiosity cost her dearly, for from that 
 moment she was no longer mistress of herself. Convinced 
 (as all pretty women are) that no one could see her with- 
 out loving her, she did not hesitate to awaken the charm- 
 ing unknown, with the hope of inspiring him with that 
 tenderness which she already felt for him. Accordingly, 
 she made a slight noise in passing into the next apart- 
 ment, so that he might not think she had awakened him 
 designedly. On entering this room she found a written 
 paper containing the following words: 
 
 "She, only, who shall be able to inspire the ugliest of 
 mortals with the passion of love, can make an impression 
 on the heart of the prince who reposes here." 
 
 The Princess Katherine perused this paper several 
 times, and flattered herself that her charms were quite 
 powerful enough to affect the sleepar, without her being 
 obliged to seek out the ugliest of men, in order to inspire 
 him with a hopeless passion. Filled with this self-con- 
 
152 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 fideuce, she was about to re-enter the cabinet, not doubt- 
 ing that she should find the unknown awake; when a 
 spider's web, through which it was impossible to see any 
 object distinctly, opposed her ingress directly she ap- 
 proached the door. "So slight an obstacle shall not pre- 
 sent my entrance," said Katherine, and she endeavored 
 to pass; but, notwithstanding all her efforts, she could 
 not succeed in lifting or breaking through the web. 
 Astonished to find such strength in so apparently slight 
 a fabric, she resolved to reascend into the forest, to re- 
 turn to the queen, and have a search made for this ugli- 
 est of all ugly men, whom it was necessary to inspire with 
 love ere she could hope to be beloved by the charming 
 person she had just seen. Accordingly, she retraced her 
 steps through all the apartments, ascended the staircase, 
 passed out by the door in the tree, which was remaining 
 open as she had left it; and no sooner was she in the 
 open air than the door closed of itself so effectually that 
 she could not observe exactly where it was, nor could she 
 find the little key again. She walked several times 
 round the oak with this view, but she could not succeed. 
 Desperate at this last circumstance, she turned toward 
 the castle: and, as she was walking on the seashore, ob- 
 served the Princess Amy, her sister, attentively examin- 
 ing a diamond of surprising size and beauty a bird had 
 just let it fall on her dress, telling her to keep it very 
 carefully, as it would one day preserve her in a moment 
 of great danger. Katherine, enchanted with the beauty 
 of this admirable jewel, wished to have it in her posses- 
 sion; but attempting to snatch it from Amy, she was pre- 
 vented by a little man from behind her, whose frightful 
 appearance made both the princesses take flight, and run 
 for shelter into the forest. 
 
 The little man was three feet high; his very large and 
 flat head was thatched with lank red hair; his eyes were 
 sunk in his head, and of such small dimensions that they 
 would have been indistinguishable but for the bright red 
 with which they were bordered; his nose was red and 
 pointed; his cheeks hung as low as his breast, and his 
 mouth and chin were graced by a long and bushy red 
 beard. His ill-shapen body was supported by a single 
 leg, on which it was balanced as on a pivot; but so nice 
 was its equilibrium that the slightest breath of wind made 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRT TALES. 153 
 
 it turn round continually, for which reason he went out 
 in very calm weather only. He did not walk at all, but 
 hopped with wonderful agility; and, by many little hops, 
 he soon arrived wherever he wished to go. Katherine, 
 recovered from the fear that the little monster had occa- 
 sioned her, soon returned to him; and in an ill-humored 
 tone asked who he was, and what could have made him 
 daring enough to oppose her desires. 
 
 "I am a powerful king," answered the deformed, "and 
 my name is Sincere; reasons, which I cannot disclose to 
 you, have banished me for a time from my dominions; 
 and have obliged me to pass my time in the hollow of a 
 rock, situated not very far from hence. I have seen you 
 several times in this charming neighborhood. I have 
 frequently noticed your unkind proceedings toward the 
 princess, your sister; and I have only just prevented 
 another in jury you would have committed in taking from 
 her a diamond, which is her property. My natural love 
 of justice, joined to an impulse that I dare not declare, 
 induced me to take your sister's part, and to prevent your 
 doing her that wrong.". 
 
 Katherine heard the prince's long answer to her ques- 
 tion with extreme impatience; however, she dissembled 
 her anger, on reflecting that the speaker could not pos- 
 sibly be equaled for ugliness, and that consequently she 
 ought to neglect nothing to please him; since it was 
 written, that on that condition only could she inspire a 
 passion for herself in the person whom she now so dearly 
 loved. 
 
 Accordingly, assuming a more gentle air, she told Sin- 
 cere that the rank of king, and the unfortunate condition 
 to which he appeared to be reduced, compelled her to 
 pardon him; that she even desired the honor of his friend- 
 ship, which she flattered herself he would not refuse. 
 She then invited him to the castle, assuring him that the 
 queen, when she should learn his quality, would doubt- 
 less offer him apartments in which he might tranquilly 
 reside, until fortune should cease to persecute him., The 
 king politely thanked her; and told her that he was too 
 well aware of his excessive ugliness to dare to flatter him- 
 self with the hope of chaining the friendship of so beau- 
 tiful a princess; or of residing at a court where he knew 
 that the deformity of his figure could never be forgiven. 
 
154 0A OLD FAIRY TALEB. 
 
 Having expressed himself to this effect, the king made 
 Katherine a bow and hopped away, sighing, and looking 
 toward the amiable Amy, whom the presence of her sis- 
 ter had kept at a short distance during this conference. 
 Amy had, however, overheard her sister's conversation 
 with Sincere, and had been as much surprised at the 
 affected kindness of the Princess Katherine as at her 
 having invited him to the castle; she therefore reluc- 
 tantly concluded that the princess had only assumed a 
 show of mildness as a cloak to some wicked design. The 
 pity that Amy felt for all who were unforunate made her 
 resolve immediately to warn the king that he should not 
 place too much confidence in her sister's apparent friend- 
 ship; and it was with some impatience she perceived that 
 her engagements would compel her to defer until the 
 morrow the execution of her project. But the next day, 
 accompanied by a female attendant, Amy left the castle 
 and took the road leading toSincere's rock; at which she 
 had nearly arrived when she hear.d some one singing a 
 song, the words of which appeared to be addressed to 
 herself. She stopped to listen. The tone of the voice 
 she heard was so melodious, and so pleased her ear, that 
 she remained riveted to the spot for some time after the 
 song had ceased; until Cicely, her attendant, dispelled 
 her reverie by informing her that Sincere was coming to- 
 ward them. 
 
 Although Amy had made up her mind to regard him 
 without fear, she nevertheless found that she could not 
 look upon him without trembling, and immediately 
 turned away her face. Sincere appeared to observe her 
 emotion with sorrow; but, saluting her very respectfully, 
 he invited her to walk into his rustic palace to repose 
 herself. Amy accepted his courtesy, telling his majesty 
 at the same time that she had come purposely to his 
 grotto that she might inform him of something of great 
 importance. The king offered her his hand as gracefully 
 as he could, and led her toward his groLto, entertaining 
 her with the most lively conversation. The princess 
 could never have imagined a person so ugly as Prince 
 Sincere with a mind so lively and penetrating. Every- 
 thing he said, too, was pronounced in a tone that so 
 charmed the princess that she could not help wishing 
 over and over again that if ever she had a lover he might 
 
OLD t OLD FAIRY TALES. 155 
 
 be possessed of the intelligence and graceful spirit of 
 this unfortunate. At last she came to the rock which 
 contained Sincere's grotto. It was carpeted with soft 
 green moss; within it was a table formed by a slab of 
 white marble, of which nature had been the only artificer; 
 while a bed and a few turf seats were the only furniture 
 that Sincere's residence contained. A cascade of fresh 
 and pure water fell from the height of the rock, and 
 formed a small streamlet, whose gentle murmur, with the 
 melodious songs of the nightingales perched among the 
 branches of an orange-tree laden with blossoms and fruit, 
 sounded more charmingly in the princess' ears than the 
 finest concert she had ever heard. 
 
 After praising his pleasant retreat, Amy unfolded to 
 Sincere her reasons for paying him this visit. The 
 prince, charmed at the interest she took in what con- 
 cerned himself, was very eloquent in the expressions of 
 his gratitude; some words even escaped him which made 
 it sufficiently apparent that his heart was filled with the 
 most tender love. Amy remarked them, but feigned not 
 to understand that they were addressed to herself; and, 
 by way of changing the subject of conversation, she in- 
 formed the king with what satisfaction she had overheard 
 a charming voice shortly before she saw him, and asked 
 him if he were acquainted with the person who sang so 
 well. 
 
 "It is a prince who adores you," answered Sincere, 
 "and who would make you an offer of his heart, his hand, 
 and the crown that he will one day wear; but that his 
 form forbids him to hope." Sincere sighed as he said 
 these words. 
 
 The princess blushed, and not doubting that it was 
 of himself he spoke, questioned him no further, and 
 became very thoughtful; shortly afterward she quitted 
 the grotto, fearful that her absence might be noticed. 
 She walked in the direction of the palace, observing to 
 Cicely that she thought Sincere was a very intelligent 
 man. "I protest, my dear Cicely," said she, "I feel for 
 him, notwithstanding his deformity, what I never felt for 
 any one before." 
 
 "What, madam!" said the astonished attendant, "is it 
 possible that you can regard the little monster with any 
 other feeling than horror; nay, that you should even feel 
 
156 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 anything like affection for such a creature? Surely you 
 could never resolve to live with him? What could you 
 do with so hideous a being? The smallest wind makes 
 him turn round like a weathercock." 
 
 "Ah!" said the young Princess Amy, "but then he 
 thinks with such vivacity, and speaks with so much elo- 
 quence, that I should prefer him to the handsomest man 
 in the world. Handsome men are nearly always wretch- 
 edly stupid and too much in love with themselves; they 
 pay greater devotion to their looking-glasses than to our 
 sex " The princess would have continued, but at that 
 moment she heard a cry that stopped her; and looking 
 on the ground, she sa*v, with much surprise, a white 
 viper, darting fire from its eyes, which spoke to her as 
 follows: "Madam, you were about to crush me beneath 
 your feet; if I were not so forgiving as I am, I should 
 punish you for your thoughtlessness; but I pardon you, 
 on condition that you place me on the trunk of the large 
 chestnut-tree near you, from the branches of which I 
 have just fallen. One of these days I shall acknowledge 
 the service, for I am a fairy; though, in common with all 
 my sisters, lam obliged to quit my natural shape one day 
 in every week, and assume that form which may be or- 
 dained by an old sorcerer, from whom we derive our 
 power; and who punishes us in this way for having, one 
 day while he slept, cut off his beard and mustachios, 
 which were extremely displeasing objects. This evening 
 I shall resume my usual form, and you will hear from 
 me." Amy took the viper tremblingly in her hand when 
 it had ceased to speak, placed it on the tree, and hastily 
 left the spot, unwilling to look again on an animal that 
 had caused her so much fear. She then made the best 
 of her way to the castle, where, on arriving, she learned 
 that Katherine had just dispatched a courier with a mes- 
 sage from the queen, inviting King Sincere to come and 
 spend a few days at the palace. This at first alarmed 
 Amy, who was acquainted with her sister's wickedness; 
 but her uneasiness was soon dissipated, for one of Kath- 
 erme's attendants, to whom that princess had corafided. 
 her adventure, informed her of what had taken place in 
 the forest. 
 
 Sincere was, as you may suppose, surprised at the 
 queen's invitation. His first impulse was courteously to 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 15? 
 
 refuse it; but, on reflecting that by accepting it he would 
 be enabled to see the beautiful princess with whom he 
 was in love every day, he resolved to set out, and hopped 
 into a little calash that had been sent for his accommo- 
 dation. His arrival was awaited at the castle with great 
 impatience, arising, however, from widely different mo- 
 tives: the ladies of the court being curious to see a man 
 who was unlike all other men; Katherine anxious to 
 make a conquest of him, for the sake of gaining the 
 sleeper; and Amy looking for his arrival in the hope of 
 enabling the wretched man to pass at least some days 
 agreeably. 
 
 At last he arrived, and was received with all the honors 
 due to his rank. Katherine, who welcomed him very 
 benignantly, was magnificently dressed, and looked so 
 well that, but for her sister, she might have been pro- 
 nounced the most beautiful woman in the universe. She 
 was therefore much mortified to observe that, in spite of all 
 her blandishments, Sincere was insensible to her charms, 
 and that his regards were constantly directed toward 
 Amy. Her anger was boundless to think that, having 
 done all in her power to please the ugliest man in the 
 world, she was yet unable to succeed. Whatever offends 
 the self-love of the ladies is never forgiven; accordingly, 
 she became infuriated against the prince and her sister. 
 What would she not have given to have prevented their 
 seeing each other! However, that was impossible; for 
 the king, being at liberty to speak to Amy, availed him- 
 self of every opportunity of so doing; while.it was obvi- 
 ous that Amy was no unwilling auditor, and could not 
 deny herself the pleasure of listening to Sincere. 
 
 As the Princess Amy was one evening walking in an 
 avenue in the park, she observed a ball rolling toward 
 her very quickly: it stopped directly it was within a yard 
 or two of her, and opening of itself, there issued from it 
 a little woman, who continued to increase in size until 
 she was ten or twelve feet high. "I am the Fairy 
 Severe," said she, addressing Amy, "whom you were 
 kind enough to assist a few days ago." Amy recognized 
 her, for the fairy darted fire from her eyes, as did the 
 white viper she had placed upon the tree; and, accord- 
 ingly, she saluted her very respectfully. Severe proceeded 
 to inform Amy that the friendship she felt for that prin- 
 
153 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 cess had induced her to demand her hand in marriage of 
 the queen for the King of the Butterflies, her nephew, 
 who was the most amiable man in the world. "I have 
 
 1'ust left the queen's closet," concluded the fairy, "and 
 have obtained your mother's consent. His majesty will 
 arrive here in two or three days, to make you his queen." 
 This information, which would have afforded much 
 pleasure to many princesses, sensibly afflicted the young 
 Amy; she was so much grieved at hearing it that she was 
 unable to utter a word in answer to the fairy. Severe, 
 imagining that joy prevented her speaking, kissed her 
 forehead; then, bidding her adieu, she re-entered her 
 ball, which returned in the direction it had come. 
 
 At this moment Cicely brought the princess word that 
 the queen wished to speak with her: accordingly, she 
 hastened to her mother, who, without giving her time to 
 speak, ordered her to prepare herself to receive the King 
 of the Butterflies as her husband at the end of two days. 
 Amy threw herself at her mother's feet, and conjured 
 her to recall the promise she had made to Severe. The 
 queen, however, was inflexible; she dreaded the power of 
 the fairies; and hopeful that Severe would one day con- 
 fer on her some mark of her friendship, she told her 
 daughter that she would be obeyed. Amy dared not re- 
 ply, and retired in deep affliction. Kathcrine, who at 
 any other time would have been jealous of the fairy's 
 preference for her sister, was delighted at the intended 
 match, flattering herself that when Sincere no longer saw 
 Amy, he must fall in love with herself. This sorrowful 
 news was not long in reaching the ears of that unfortu- 
 nate king, and it affected him to su.ch a degree that he 
 fell dangerously ill. Meanwhile, the day arrived on which 
 the fairy's nephew was to be presented. The queen, the 
 princesses, and all the court went out to receive him; and 
 had no sooner reached the terrace than they perceived 
 afar off a very brilliant-looking kind of cloud, which was 
 rapidly approaching the castle. It immediately struck 
 them that this must be the prince; and the conjecture 
 proved to be well-founded; the King of the Butterflies 
 was coming, seated in a diamond chariot, drawn by up- 
 ward of ten thousand butterflies, all of a delicate rose 
 color. They were harnessed to the chariot by traces of 
 fine gold thread, interwoven with consummate skill; a 
 
OLD, OLD FAIR 7 TALES. 159 
 
 hundred young lords followed their master in calashes of 
 rock-crystal, set with emeralds and rubies, drawn likewise 
 by butterflies; but the latter were quite white. When 
 the king's chariot arrived near the place where the ladies 
 weree standing his majesty alighted in their presence, his 
 suit attending him in admirable order. He was richly 
 dressed, and never was dandy more powdered or better 
 curled than his majesty. He must have passed at least 
 three hours at his toilet; and his dread of disarranging 
 .his curls made him walk very gently.- however, this did 
 not prevent his appearing to great advantage; and every- 
 body admired him, the ladies making observations to 
 each other as to the delicate whiteness of his complexion 
 and hands. Nothing could exceed the symmetry of his 
 shape, with which, indeed, he himself seemed to be not 
 a little enamored. He easily recognized the Princess 
 Amy by a portrait which had been given to him by the 
 fairy; and having approached that young lady, he made 
 her a very formal bow, and presenting his arm, said to 
 her: "This is not a proper place, charming Amy, to com- 
 pliment you on your beauty, the air is too sultry; is it 
 possible to converse at one's ease on a terrace, exposed to 
 the melting rays of the sun? Therefore, let us enter the 
 palace, and not risk our being turned black as Ethio- 
 pians." 
 
 With these words, and almost without saluting the 
 queen and the ladies of her suite, the King of the But- 
 terflies turned toward the castle. Having entered, with 
 the Princesss Amy and those who accompanied her, into 
 a large saloon which had been prepared for his reception, 
 he threw himself on a sofa, observing that he was stifled 
 with heat; and then he lolled at full length in a position 
 anything but graceful. However, he was polite enough 
 to ask the princess' pardon for his apparent disrespect, 
 assuring her that he was in absolute want of repose; and 
 that he must be a little cooler before he could resolve to 
 speak to her on the important subject of his coming. 
 Thereupon he drew sundry diamond smelling and essence 
 bottles from his pocket, and poured some perfume on his 
 hands; then pulling out two or three jeweled gold boxes, 
 he took snuff, and commenced humming a little air, 
 which having concluded, he asked Amy whether she did 
 not think his equipage was very splendid; and whether 
 
160 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 his dress, which he had selected from among two hun- 
 dred, was to her taste; finishing by relating to her the 
 history of the numberless ladies who were dying of love 
 for him. 
 
 It is easy to judge whether such topics were gratifying 
 to the fair Amy she who preferred wit and good sense 
 to every charm of person, and who was quite different 
 from the generality of her sex, on whom a magnificent 
 suit of clothes, a dashing figure, and a few other equally 
 worthless attractions, make more impression than an 
 amiable heart and an enlightened understanding. Ac- 
 cordingly, she conceived so great an aversion for the King 
 of the Butterflies that she was obliged to quit the saloon, 
 stating that she was unwell, and retire to her apartment, 
 there to conceal her sorrow and her tears. 
 
 Although Sincere was unwell, on hearing of Amy's ill- 
 ness he contrived to drag himself to her apartment to 
 inquire after her health. When the Princess Amy saw 
 him she sighed and said: "Ah! prince, why has not the 
 queen destined me to be yours? Are you unable to 
 snatch me from him to whom they would by force unite 
 me?" 
 
 Sincere, enraptured, seized her hand, and kissing it 
 tenderly, said: "What! beautiful Amy, is it possible that 
 you would rather live with me than with a prince whose 
 handsome face, person and manners are universally ad- 
 mired? Deformed as I am, can I be so fortunate as not 
 to be hateful to your sight? In mercy answer me; your 
 reply will decide on the happiness or misery of my life." 
 
 "Yes, sir," said the charming Amy, "know that I love 
 you. This confession " She would have spoken fur- 
 ther; but Sincere, hopping backward, became gradually 
 smaller and smaller, until at last he was quite invisible. 
 A heavy cloud of smoke then appeared where he had 
 lately stood, which slowly clearing away, the princess dis- 
 covered an extremely handsome young man, whose looks, 
 at once majestic, benignant and intelligent, inspired her 
 with a certain indescribable emotion, which engaged her 
 heart in his favor the moment their eyes met. The 
 Princess Amy continued for some time to regard him 
 with equal admiration r and surprise; but her astonish- 
 ment increased tenfold 'when the stranger addressed to 
 her, in the most respectful manner, the following words: 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 161 
 
 "The charming avowal you have just m-ade, madam, 
 has forever ended my enchantment. I am the Prince 
 Sincere who, under my former wretched form, was rash 
 enough to tell you he adored you." 
 
 Amy recognized him by the tone of his voice, and giv- 
 ing vent to her joy at finding him so different from what 
 he had hitherto appeared, she entreated Sincere to in- 
 form her how such a strange metamorphosis had been 
 brought about. 
 
 "I am the sovereign," answered the prince, "of the 
 Island of Sincerity; and when the event I am about to 
 relate to you happened, I was reigning over that island 
 very peaceably, beloved by all my subjects. One day at 
 the chase, as I was very eagerly pursuing a lion which 
 had escaped me several times, I unconsciously lost my 
 way. I found myself in a shady walk; when, on looking 
 around me, I observed a woman shaped exactly, madam, 
 as you have always hitherto seen me. I gazed on her in 
 astonishment; and I could not forbear laughing to see 
 her turn round on her single leg like a weathercock. She 
 perceived my mirth; and, in an angry voice, asked what 
 amused me. Politeness forbade my telling her; but she 
 pressed me so closely that I at last confessed that her 
 singular figure had provoked my laughter. My candor 
 displeased her: she knit her brows; and, after throwing 
 two or three somersaults in the air, said: 
 
 " 'As a punishment for your insolence, I ordain that 
 your form shall become similar to mine; and no power 
 shall restore your proper shape until you meet with a 
 young princess, in whom are united wit, good nature and 
 beauty, for whom you shall feel a violent love; and who, 
 notwithstanding your deformity, shall be inspired with 
 sufficient passion for yourself to make you, unasked, an 
 avowal of her tenderness. You will, however, resume 
 your natural form during the space of one hour every 
 day; but it shall only take place' in a certain cavern situ- 
 ated in a forest in the dominions of the silkworm-fancy- 
 ing king. I ordain, further, that you shall not be per- 
 mitted to apprise any person whatever of your misfor- 
 tune, until your enchantment shall be dispelled.' 
 
 "I listened very patiently to this threatening speech, 
 believing that it would not be followed by any effects; 
 but what was my grief when, after this frightful fairy 
 
162 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 (for fairy she was) had breathed on me, I became as mis- 
 shapen as herself. My transformation completed, she 
 hopped away laughing with all her might. I dared nol 
 return to my palace and state what had occurred, per- 
 suaded that I should neither be recognized nor believed 
 The desire I felt to recover my original form promptec 
 me to travel through many kingdoms and visit man^ 
 courts, in hopes of finding such a princess as the fair] 
 had mentioned; but my travels were attended by no re" 
 suit. I consequently grew tired of searching, am' 
 formed the resolution of leading a solitary life in som< 
 retired nook, far removed from the habitations of nr 
 fellow-men. I made choice of the rock where you visitec 
 me; and I had resided there about a \earwhen I had th 
 happiness of seeing you for the first time. You appeare< 
 to me a divinity; I felt that you were the only persoi 
 who could inspire me with love, though I dared not hop 
 to inspire you with that passion in r^urn;- nor could 
 even think it possible tl 'at you could endure to look upo] 
 me. I went occasional)^ to the cavern in the forest, t> 
 enjoy the satisfaction of seeing myself, ior a few minutes 
 in my natural form, as you now see meJ> One day, I wa 
 surprised at being visited there by the princess your sis 
 ter; for a talisman opposed the entrance of all mortal 
 into the cavern. I feigned to be asleep, that I migh 
 avoid speaking to her, and because I felt that the mo 
 ment of my restoration to my horrible shape wasdrawin; 
 near; and it took place the moment your sister went int 
 the next apartment. I quitted the cavern by an avenu 
 unknown to all save myself; Katherine, however, left i 
 also in the same manner; for it was impossible for her t 
 re-enter the apartment in which she had seen me. 
 
 "She completed her twentieth year while she was i: 
 the cavern, and her ring had virtue against talisman 
 until she had attained that age only. There, deares 
 Amy, is the history of my metamorphosis; it now onl 
 remains for me to declare my lasting passion for you, an 
 to entreat you to allow me to solicit your hand of th 
 queen your mother and her majesty's permission for yo 
 to reign over my dominions, where you will find everj 
 body zealous to obtain your favor." 
 
 As Sincere censt d to ppeak, Katherine and Severe, wh 
 had overheard the whole of his discourse with Amy, er 
 
OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES. 163 
 
 tered the room; both of them were in transports of rage; 
 the fairy, because Amy preferred another to her nephew; 
 and Katherine, because Sincere, in whom she recognized 
 the charming young man she had seen in the cavern, was 
 in love with her sister. She gave vent to her incensed 
 feelings against the two lovers in a torrent of abusive 
 language; but Severe terminated the dispute by seizing 
 the unfortunate Amy by her flowing ringlets and drag- 
 ging her through the open window, while the king, in 
 despair, was unable to offer the slightest opposition. 
 The miserable Sincere immediately rushed out of the 
 palace, in spite of Katherine, who would have detained 
 him; and without knowing whither he went, he hastened 
 onward, resolved to take no repose until he should have 
 recovered his dear princess. 
 
 The King of the Butterflies, on being informed of 
 what had transpi ed, laughed heartily; he thought it a 
 very good joke, ; 3 returned t( his kingdom. Mean- 
 while, his good ant dragged ^my along at immense 
 speed; and, after Dealing many steep rocks and travers- 
 ing many wide ieserts, arrived at the base of an old 
 tower; the door opened at her bidding, and she entered, 
 pulling the princess after her. Severe made Amy follow 
 her into a large hall full of snails; and told her in a shrill 
 voice that if she would not consent to marry the King of 
 the Butterflies, she must in the space of eight days teach 
 all those snails to dance or become herself a snail. Hav- 
 ing made this threat, Severe flew away; and the princess 
 gave way to a violent burst of tears, without feeling the 
 slightest inclination to obey her. Let us leave her to 
 weep over her seemingly hopeless task for the present, 
 and return to King Sincere. 
 
 That prince, having passed through several kingdoms, 
 came at last to a thick forest. On walking a short dis- 
 tance into this forest, he perceived a house built entirely 
 of leaves, the door of which standing open, he saw an old 
 woman seated in an armchair reading aloud to three 
 little children. He passed the house without stopping, 
 or taking any notice of it, and was proceeding on his way, 
 when the old woman called after him, crying in a cracked 
 voice and shaking her head: "Prince^you are searching in 
 vain; you will never meet with the Princess Amy until 
 you shall have first Sound a brilliant frog; an extremely 
 
164 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 ugly woman, who is conscious of her want of beauty, and 
 does not attempt to make conquests; and a witless man, 
 who does not flatter himself that he is clever." 
 
 King Sincere rightly judged from these words that the 
 speaker was a fairy; so he entreated her to grant him 
 some other and less difficult means of recovering his 
 charming Amy; but she only answered him by grimaces, 
 and burst into a loud fit of laughter. 
 
 The disconsolate prince was consequently obliged to 
 proceed onward, though he was extremely fatigued and 
 very much afflicted, and quite unconscious as to the road 
 
 he was taking. Before he had gone a hundred yards he 
 met another old woman, who asked him what occasioned 
 his grief. Sincere informed her of his misfortunes, not 
 omitting what the fairy he had just left had said to him, 
 and adding that he could not flatter himself with the 
 hope of ever seeing his beloved Amy again, if it were in- 
 deed true that that happiness depended on his finding a 
 brilliant frog. "This," said he, ''appears to me to be ut- 
 terly ridiculous even to seek; the two other conditions 
 would cause me less uneasiness." 
 
 "Do not flatter yourself," said the good woman, "they 
 are at least equally difficult to accomplish. However/by 
 diligent searching, you may meet with all three of the 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 165 
 
 required curiosities; but if at the expiration of a year 
 from this time you shall not have discovered them, take 
 my advice and trouble yourself no further, for your case 
 will be hopeless. Go, 1 may not tell you more; but do 
 not let my sister, whom you have just quitted, see you 
 again in this vicinity; she is wicked, and you might ex- 
 perience some treachery at her hands. She has only in- 
 formed you of the conditions on which you are permitted 
 to withdraw your princess from her place of confinement, 
 because she is persuaded that you can never fulfill them." 
 The king, who had some reason to dread enchantments, 
 hastened away as fast as he could, and traveled through 
 every kingdom in the world, on a horse which he most 
 fortunately found on quitting the wood. In every city, 
 town, village, hamlet and castle that he came to, he 
 made an indefatigable search for ugly old women and 
 stupid men. He found abundance of both, but remarked 
 that none of the ladies were offended with their truth- 
 telling mirrors at the reflection of their ugliness, nay, 
 that they all conceived it to be quite easy to render them- 
 selves still attractive by a slight and judicious use of the 
 most renowned cosmetics. Some, whom he saw, painted 
 an inch thick, at least; others wore sundry patches very 
 artfully disposed; and all decorated themselves witn flowers 
 and ribbons enough to stock a milliner's magazin, and 
 flattered themselves that, in spite of time, they were still 
 very amiable, and that they might dispute the palm of 
 beauty with the fairest and the youngest. This common 
 effect of self-love on the sex did not surprise the prince; 
 he knew that all ladies are endowed from their birth with 
 a tolerably good opinion of themselves. But what did 
 indeed astonish him was, that he found among the men 
 the same self-love equally strong and with such an addi- 
 tion of little weaknesses as would even make the fair sex 
 itself contemptible. He had always heard that man was 
 the most perfect of Nature's works, and he, being a man, 
 had given faith to the aphorism without examining it too 
 closely; but his opinion on this subject was strangely al- 
 tered by the opportunities which his travels afforded him 
 'to study this creature of perfection more attentively. 
 He now observed that the minds. of most men were 
 occupied by trifles; that many spent their time wholly 
 at the toilet, at table, at play, or, what is worse, in 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Hardly had the fairy .pronounced these words, when 1 
 was transformed into the creature you see. I applied 
 immediately to a fairy who protected me, but she was not 
 permitted to disenchant me; she described to me, how- 
 ever, the person who alone had power to do so, and told 
 me that he had a white hair in his left eyebrow, bestowed 
 on him by a skillful magician at the moment of his birth, 
 and which enabled him to dispel all enchantments. This 
 fairy has conducted you hither, and it was she who, under 
 the form of a bird, made the Princess Amy a present of 
 the superb diamond; and lastly, she it was who took care 
 to place this brilliant mark on my forehead, and who will 
 enable you to find a witless man who is aware of his stu- 
 pidity, and a woman who is conscious that her ugliness is 
 insupportable. These two extraordinary persons she has 
 brought hither, fearful that the self-love which reigns in 
 the world should corrupt them, as it has corrupted every 
 one else, and thus destroy your hopes. You will find 
 them in a little cabin at a short distance from this spot; 
 but, prince, before you visit them, pray have the kind- 
 ness to restore to us our natural shapes, and allow us to 
 pull from your eyebrow the famous hair to whose virtue 
 we shall owe our restoration, as it will be equally neces- 
 sary to enable you to effect the deliverance of your prin- 
 cess." 
 
 Sincere wanted no more entreating, but suffered the 
 hair to be pulled from his eyebrow. He took it from the 
 frog, and touching her and all those around her there- 
 with, they were immediately changed into princes and 
 princesses, very gpodrlooking and very amiable. The 
 queen and her subjects were sufficiently eloquent in their 
 thanks to King Sincere for his kindness. At the moment 
 the transformation took place, the second old woman that 
 the prince had seen in the wood appeared and told Sin- 
 cere that, as a recompense for the service he had just 
 done her friend, she would, after he had visited the fool- 
 ish man and the ugly woman (who would give him a herb 
 that he would presently have occasion for), transport him 
 to the place where his beautiful Amy was confined. Ac- 
 cordingly, Severe paid a hasty visit to this singular pair, 
 found them to be such as he was in search of, and re- 
 ceived from them the mysterious herb. The kind fairy 
 then took an apple which she changed into a very pretty 
 
OLD, OLD .FAIRY TALES. 169 
 
 carriage; it traveled without horses, at the rate of three 
 hundred miles a minute, and is supposed to have been 
 the first swift carriage invented. She seated herself 
 therein, and placed the prince by her side. Sincere was 
 charmed with this wonderful vehicle, but never will car- 
 riage be made to travel fast enough for a lover impatient 
 to rejoin his mistress. Nevertheless, they arrived in an 
 incredibly short space of time at the base of the tower 
 in which the beautiful Amy was confined, weeping over 
 tasks impossible to perform, and which the Fairy Severe 
 had assigned her, to afford herself a pretext for torment- 
 ing the lovely princess. 
 
 We left Amy in her prison weeping over the apparently 
 hopeless task of teaching a quantity of snails to dance; 
 and we are now going to inform those who feel any curi- 
 osity to learn how the princess performed that difficult 
 exploit. For the first seven days she wept unceasingly, 
 and gave herself no trouble about the instruction of the 
 scholars that had been placed under her charge; but on 
 the eighth day, which was that on which the fairy was 
 .expected to return for the purpose of changing her into 
 a snail, should she not have succeeded, her grief was 
 redoubled, to think of the time she had thrown away. 
 However, she determined immediately to give the awk- 
 ward animals some lessons, but soon saw that all her 
 instructions were useless. Persuaded that her fate was 
 inevitable, she thought seriously of putting an end to 
 her existence, for she preferred death to becoming a 
 snail, or marrying the King of the Butterflies. With 
 these thoughts in her mind, the miserable Amy threw 
 open the window with the intention of precipitating her- 
 self from it; but, fortunately recalling to her recollection 
 at that moment the ring she had received from a bird, 
 and the words that accompanied the gift, she drew it 
 from her pocket, and regarding it attentively: "Beauti- 
 ful brilliant," said she, "if you have the power to rescue 
 me from the danger I am in, I entreat you to put a period 
 to my misfortunes." Directly the Princess Amy had 
 pronounced these words, the ring opened, and there is- 
 sued from it a string of little dancing-masters and violin 
 players; the latter immediately commenced playing, 
 while the dancing masters arranged the snails in sets, 
 and taught them in an instant every kind of dance: then 
 
170 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 all the musicians and the masters disappeared. This 
 marvelous occurrence greatly comforted the princess; 
 she wiped away her tears, kissed her ring in a transport 
 of joyful gratitude, and concealed it more carefully than 
 she had previously done, fearful that Severe should learn 
 its value and take it from her. 
 
 Hardly had the princess placed her ring securely in her 
 bosom when the wicked fairy arrived, and asked her, 
 with a malignant smile, if her scholars were proficient in 
 the art of dancing. 
 
 "You shall see, madam," said Amy, in a mild and 
 timid voice; then opening the door of the hall that con- 
 tained them, the princess began to sing. On hearing her 
 voice, all the little animals began to dance, and that so 
 prettily, especially the waltz, gallopade, and saraband, 
 that Severe became at once surprised and furious. The 
 poor princess having succeeded so well in this, the 
 merciless fairy gave her other and still more difficult 
 tasks; but Amy performed them all with the assistance 
 of her ring, ller repeated successes so enraged the fairy 
 against her that she shut Amy in a large iron cage, 
 placed her in a yard full of wild and ravenous beasts, and 
 stationed two terrible dragons to guard the door, who 
 made frightful efforts to break open the cage and devour 
 the princess. 
 
 The unfortunate princess had been thus confined about 
 a month, when she saw Sincere enter the yard: he had 
 easily obtained admission by touching the door with his 
 herb. Amy shuddered at the danger to which her lover 
 was exposed. Directly Sincere saw his mistress in that 
 cruel situation, he put his hand on his sword with the 
 intention of slaying the two dragons; I say put his hand, 
 because, ere he had time to draw it, the good fairy who 
 had conducted him thither desired him to hold, and to 
 touch them only with the herb which he held in his left 
 hand. Sincere did so, when the dragons immediately 
 fell dead at his feet; and touching the door of the cage 
 with the charmed hair of his eyebrow, he instantaneously 
 felt himself; the princess, and the kind fairy ascend into 
 the air surrounded by a fleecy cloud, which speedily con- 
 veyed the trio to the Island of Sincerity. 
 
 The king was immediately recognized by his subjects, 
 who testified such joy at their sovereign's return as 
 
OLD. OLD FAIRY TALES. 171 
 
 showed how severely they must have felt his loss, and 
 how dear he was to them. For his part, in ecstasy at 
 finding himself again with his beloved, he said to her the 
 most passionate things, to which Amy replied with a ten- 
 derness quite equal to his own. Sincere instantly dis- 
 patched ambassadors to the court of the silkworm- 
 fancying king, to demand the princess in marriage. The 
 ambassadors were not long in executing their commis- 
 sion. On their return they brought intelligence that his 
 silkworm-fancying majesty had blown his brains out 
 with a pistol, about twelve months before, in consequence 
 of being unable to wind an exceedingly entangled skein 
 of silk; that the queen had died six months afterward of 
 the smallpox and that Katherine had poisoned herself 
 on the day of Sincere's departure in search of his nits- 
 tress. The Princess Amy was very much afflicted on 
 hearing this sorrowful news, and immediately went into 
 mourning for her parents and sister, which she wore for 
 six months. At the expiration of that time she married 
 King Sincere, and they lived together for a long series of 
 years, without experiencing the slightest misfortune, or 
 ceasing to love each other as tenderly as on the day of 
 their wedding. 
 
 The beneficent fairy then set out from their court to 
 rejoin Queen Brilliant, her friend; and the hair of the 
 king's eyebrow, which had been to them of such assist- 
 .ance, was set in a golden ring, which Sincere wore ever 
 "afterward on the third finger of his left hand, to preserve 
 him from the malice of fairies. 
 
 PRINCESS ROSETTA. 
 
 THERE was once upon a time a king and queen who 
 had two fine boys. As they grew to boyhood they be- 
 came beautiful as the day; so well were they nurtured 
 that they looked older than they were. The queen never 
 failed to invite the fairies at the birth of her children, 
 and she always begged her visitors to tell her what would 
 happen to them. 
 
 After awhile she had a beautiful liltlegirl, who was so 
 pretty that it was impossible to see her without loving 
 
17$ OLD, OLD FAIRT TALES. 
 
 her. Again she invited the fairies, and they came in 
 great state; the chief fairy in a sledge drawn by rein- 
 deer, for her home was in the far North. The queen, 
 having regaled all the fairies who came to see her on the 
 occasion, said to them as they were about to leave: "Do 
 not forget your usual custom, but tell me what will hap- 
 pen to Rosetta," which was the little princess' name. 
 
 The fairies told her that they had left their conjuring 
 book at home, and that they would come to see her again 
 another time. 
 
 "Ah!" said the queen, "that forebodes no good; you do 
 not wish to afflict me by an unhappy prediction; I pray 
 you however, to conceal nothing from me, but tell me 
 all." 
 
 They tried hard to excuse themselves, but this only 
 made the queen more anxious to know her daughter's 
 destiny. At last the chief fairy said to her: "We fear, 
 madam, that Rosetta will bring a severe misfortune upon 
 her brothers; that they will even be put to death on her 
 account. This is all we can foretell of this beautiful 
 little girl, and we are very sorry that we have not better 
 news to give you." They then left her; and the queen 
 remained so sorrowful that the king noticed it. He 
 asked her what was the matter. She replied that she 
 had gone too near the fire, and had burned all the flax off 
 her distaff. "Is that all?" said the king. He went to 
 his stores, and brought her more flax than she could have 
 spun in a hundred years. 
 
 The queen was still sad, and the king asked her again 
 what was the matter. She told him that as she was walk- 
 ing by the river he had let one of her green satin slip- 
 pers fall therein. "Is that all?" said the king. He im- 
 mediately summoned all the shoemakers in his kingdom; 
 and gave the queen ten thousand slippers made of the 
 same material. 
 
 Still the queen was not consoled, and the king asked 
 her a third time what was the matter. She said that eat- 
 ing too fast she had swallow 3d her wedding-ring. The 
 king knew that she was not telling him the truth, for-he 
 had the ring about him, so he said to her: "My dear, you 
 are telling a falsehood; here is your ring, which I had in 
 my purse." The lady as may be supposed was vexed to 
 be caught telling an untruth (for it is the most wicked 
 
OLD, OLD fAIRT TALES. 
 
 thing in the world), and she saw that the king was angry; 
 so she told him what the fairies had predicted of the 
 little Rosetta; adding, that if he knew any means of pre- 
 venting it, he must tell her. The king, much grieved at 
 this, replied: "My dear, I know of no other means of sav- 
 ing our two sons' lives than putting Rosetta to death 
 while she is yet in her cradle." The queen, however, 
 said that she would rather suffer death herself than con- 
 sent to so cruel an action, and begged her husband to 
 think of some other remedy. 
 
 While the king and queen were still thinking on this 
 subject, the queen was told that there was, in a large 
 wood near the town, an old hermit, who lived in a lonely 
 cell; and that he was consulted by people far and near. 
 She said: "I must go then and consult him also, as the 
 fairies have told me the evil, but they have forgotten to 
 tell me the remed}." So the next morning she rose 
 early, mounted a pretty little white mule, whose shoes 
 were of gold, and left the palace accompanied by two of 
 her young ladies, who each rode on a nice horse also. 
 When they were near the wood the queen and her young 
 ladies alighted, and sought the cell where the hermit 
 lived. 
 
 He did not like to see women; but when he perceived 
 that it was the queen he said to her: "You are wel- 
 come; what do you want with me?" She told him 
 what the fairies had said of Eosetta, and asked his ad- 
 vice. He directed her to shut the princess in a tower, 
 and never allow her to leave it. The queen thanked him, 
 rewarded him liberally, and went back to tell the king. 
 
 The king having heard this caused a large tower to be 
 erected, and when it was finished confined his daughter 
 therein; but that she might not be lonely, he, the queen 
 and the two young princes visited her every day." The 
 eldest was called the Prince Royal and the youngest 
 Prince Orlando. They both loved their sister passion- 
 ately, for she was the fairest and the sweetest-tempered 
 girl that was ever seen; her slightest glance was worth 
 more than a hundred crowns. When she was fifteen 
 years old the Prince Royal said to the king: "Surely, 
 father, my sister is old enough to w be married; shall we 
 not soon celebrate her wedding?" Prince Orlando put 
 the same question to the queen, but their majesties 
 
174 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 amused them without replying directly on the subject of 
 the marriage. 
 
 At last the king and queen were taken very ill, and 
 died nearly the same day. Everybody was very sorrow- 
 ful, and went into mourning; the bells were also tolled 
 throughout the kingdom. Rosetta was inconsolable at 
 the death of her kind mother. 
 
 When the king and queen were buried the noblemen 
 of the kingdom placed the Prince Royal on a golden 
 throne set with diamonds, put a handsome crown on his 
 head, dressed him in violet-colored velvet clothes spangled 
 with suns and moons, and then all the court cried three 
 times: "Long live the king!" Nothing was thought of 
 but rejoicing. 
 
 The king and the prince said to one another: "Now 
 that we are the masters, we may surely liberate our sister 
 from the tower where she has been so long and is so mel- 
 oncholy." To reach the tower they had only to cross 
 the garden, in a corner of which it was built, very high 
 indeed, for the deceased king and queen had intended 
 her to reside there all her life. 
 
 Rosetta was embroidering a fine gown on a frame which 
 stood before her, but when she saw her brothers she rose, 
 and, taking the king's hand, said: "Good-morrow, sire; 
 now that you are king, and I am your little servant, I 
 entreat you to remove me from this tower, where I am 
 very, very solitary." She then began to cry. The king 
 embraced her, and told her to dry her tears, for he had 
 come to take her to a fine castle. The prince, who had 
 his pockets full of sweetmeats, gave them to Rosetta and 
 said to her: 
 
 "Come, let us quit this ugly tower; the king will soon 
 find a husband for you, so do not afflict yourself." 
 
 When Rosetta saw the nice garden full of flowers, 
 l. lits and fountains she was so surprised that she could 
 not say a word; for she had, till then, never seen any- 
 thing of the kind. She looked all round, walked a little 
 way, stopped, and then gathered fruit from the trees and 
 flowers from the parterre. Her little dog, Fretillon, who 
 was green like a parrot, had only one ear, and who 
 danced to admiration, ran before her barking "bow, 
 wow, wow," with a thousand leaps and capers. 
 
 Fretillon very much amused the company; but all at 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 175 
 
 once he ran into a little wood. The princess followed 
 him, and never was any one more surprised than she was 
 at seeing in this wood a large peacock, which, with its tail 
 
 spread out, appeared to her so beautiful that she could 
 not take her eyes off it. The king find the prince, who 
 soon came up with her, asked her at what she was so 
 much amazed. She showed them the peacock and asked 
 
176 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 them what it was. They told her that it was a bird of a 
 kind that was sometimes eaten. 
 
 "What!" said she, "do they ever kill and eat so beau- 
 tiful a bird? I declare to you that I will marry no one 
 but the King of the Peacocks; I shall then be queen, and 
 I will take care that no peacocks are eaten." 
 
 It would be impossible to express the king's astonish- 
 ment. "But, sister," said he to her, "where shall we 
 find the King of the Peacocks?" 
 
 "Wherever you please, sire," said she; "but I will 
 marry no one but him." 
 
 After she had taken this resolution the two princes 
 
 led her to their castle, where they were obliged to take 
 the peacock also, and put it in her room, for she was 
 very fond of it. 
 
 All the ladies who had not seen Rosetta hastened to 
 seek an introduction, to pay their court to her; some 
 brought her sweetmeats, some sugar plums, others rich 
 gowns, fine ribbons, dolls, embroidered shoes, pearls and 
 diamonds; she was feasted everywhere, and she was so 
 well behaved and civil, kissing her hand and courtesying 
 whenever anything was given her, that every one was 
 pleased with her. 
 
 While she was discoursing with her company the king 
 and the prince were considering how they should find 
 the King of the Peacocks if there were one in the world. 
 They came to the determination of having a portrait 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 177 
 
 taken of the Princess Rosetta; and they had it done so 
 beautifully that it only wanted speech. They then said 
 to the princess: "Since you will only marry the King of 
 the Peacocks, we are about to seek him for you, all over 
 the earth. We shall be very glad to find him, and you 
 must take care of our kingdom during our absence." 
 
 Eosetta thanked them for the pains they were taking, 
 told them that she would govern the kingdom well, and 
 that while they were gone her only pleasures would be 
 looking at the beautiful peacock and seeing Fretillon 
 dance. They could not help crying when they bade one 
 another adieu. 
 
 Behold the two young princes on their journey, asking 
 every one they met: "Pray, do you know the King of 
 the Peacocks?" 
 
 They were always answered: "No, gentlemen, no!" 
 They still kept going forward, till at last they got so far 
 that no one had ever been so far before. 
 
 They presently arrived at the kingdom of the May-flies 
 (there is no longer such a place to be seen): the May-flies 
 made such a loud humming that the king was afraid he 
 should lose his hearing. He asked the one who appeared 
 to him to be the most intelligent-looking among them 
 whether he knew where the King of the Peacocks was to 
 be found. 
 
 "Sire," said the May-fly, "his kingdom is ninety thou- 
 sand miles from here; you have taken the longest road 
 to reach it." 
 
 "How do you know that?" said the king. 
 
 "Because," said the May-fly, "we go every year to pass 
 two or three months in their gardens." 
 
 Then the king and his brother embraced the May-fly 
 again and again; they became very friendly and dined 
 together; the princes examined with admiration all the 
 curiosities of their country, where the smallest leaf was 
 worth a dollar. They afterward departed to finish their 
 journey, and, as they now knew the road, were not long 
 before they completed it. They observed that all the 
 trees were loaded with peacocks; the place was so full of 
 them that their voices might be heard six miles off. 
 
 The king said to his brother: "If the King of the Pea- 
 cocks is a peacock himself, how will our sister be able to 
 marry him? We should be foolish., too, to consent to the 
 
178 OLD, OLD PAIR7 TALES. 
 
 match. What a splendid alliance would she form for UP 
 little peacocks for nephews and nieces!" 
 
 The prince was equally grieved. "It is an unfortunate 
 fancy that occupies her mind," said he; "I cannot think 
 where she learned that there was a King of the Pea- 
 cocks." 
 
 When they arrived at the chief town they observed 
 that it was full of men and women, whose clothes were 
 made of peacocks' feathers; and that peacocks' feathers 
 were displayed everywhere as very fine things. They met 
 the king, who was taking an airing in a beautiful little 
 carriage made of gold and set with diamonds, drawn by 
 twelve peacocks, which were harnessed to it. The King 
 of the Peacocks was so very handsome that our king and 
 the prince were charmed with him; he was fair complex- 
 ioned, had long light-colored curling hair, and a crown 
 of large peacocks' feathers. When he came up he con- 
 jectured that the two princes, as they were dressed dif- 
 ferently from the people of the country, were foreigners; 
 and, in order to ascertain, he stopped his carriage and 
 called to them. 
 
 The king and the prince went up to him, and, having 
 made an obeisance, said: "Sire, we have come from afar 
 to show you a portrait." They then took from the r 
 portmanteau the large picture of Rosetta. 
 
 When the King of the Peacocks had loo 1 >d at it: "I 
 cannot imagine," said he, "that there is ii the world so 
 beautiful a girl." 
 
 "The original- is a hundred times more 'tiful than 
 the picture," said the king. 
 
 "Ah! you are joking," said the King of the Peacocks. 
 
 "Sire," said the prince, "here is my brother wi.o is a 
 king like you: he is a king and lam a p ' sister, 
 
 whose portrait this is, is the Princess i. . I we 
 
 are c^ine to ask you whether you are williij^ w mar". 7 
 her; she is beautiful and very good, and we will give with 
 K ?,r a bushel measure full of golden crowns." 
 
 "Yes, indeed," said the king, "I will marry her with 
 all my heart; she will want nothing with me, and I will 
 be very fond of her; but I assure you that I expect her to 
 be as fair as her portrait, and if she be in the smallest 
 degree less so I will put you to death." 
 
 "Well, we consent," answered Eosetta's two brothers. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 179 
 
 "You consent?" said the king. "Go then to prison, 
 and remain there until the princess arrives.' 7 
 
 The princes left him without a murmur, for they were 
 juite certain that Rosetta was more handsome than her 
 oortrait. 
 
 When they were in prison the king had them well at- 
 L ended to; he went often to see them, and kept in his 
 oom Rosetta's portrait, with which he was so infatuated 
 hat he slept neither day nor night. As the king and his 
 orother were in prison, they wrote to the princess, desir- 
 ing her to make herself ready and come with all speed to 
 them, for at last the King of the Peacocks was found, 
 and was awaiting her arrival. They did not inform her 
 that they were prisoners for fear of making her uneasy. 
 
 When the princess received the letter she was so trans- 
 ported with joy as to be quite overcome; she told every- 
 body that the King of the Peacocks was found and 
 Dished to marry her. Bonfires were lighted, cannons 
 ,vere discharged, and sugar-plums and sweetmeats were 
 iniversally eaten; and all who came to see the princess 
 luring three days were presented with a service of cake 
 ,nd wine. After this liberality, she left her fine dolls 
 ,o her best friends, and placed the government of her 
 brother's kingdom in the hands of the wisest old men of 
 *he capital. She recommended them to take care of all, 
 o spend notL \g, and to collect money against the king's 
 3turn; she -e>:ged them to keep her peacock, and took 
 'ith her o er nurse and her foster-sister with her 
 
 ttle green , Fretillon. 
 
 They all embarked in a boat on the sea, taking with 
 _hem the bushel of golden crowns and a sufficient quan- 
 tity of clothe^ last them ten years, changing them 
 twice a ^ Jid nothing but laugh and sing* x The 
 
 nurse a ..uked the boatman: "Are we nearingV'are 
 
 we 4 3aring the kingdom of the peacocks?" 
 
 "Not yet," said he. 
 
 Once more she asked him: "Are we nearing, are we 
 nearing?" 
 
 He said: "Presently, presently." 
 
 Yet again she asked him: "Are we nearing, are we 
 Hearing r* 
 
 This time he answered: "Yes." 
 
 And when ho had said so, the nurse came forward ancl 
 
180 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 seated herself by him, and said to him: "If you wish it, 
 you shall be rich forever." 
 
 He answered: "I desire nothing better." 
 
 She then continued: "If you wish it, then, you shall 
 gain lots of dollars." 
 
 He answered: "I desire nothing better." 
 
 "Very well," said she, "to-night, while the princess is 
 asleep, you must assist me to throw her overboard. 
 When she is drowned I will dress my daughter in her 
 fine clothes, and we will take hsr to the King of the Pea- 
 cocks, who will be very glad to marry her; and for a re- 
 ward your neck shall be loaded with diamonds." 
 
 The boatman was very much surprised at what the 
 nurse proposed to him. He told her that it would be a 
 pity to drown so beautiful a princess, and that he was 
 very sorry for her. However, she took a bottle of wine, 
 and made him drink so much that he did not know how 
 to refuse her. 
 
 Night being come, the princess went to bed as usual; 
 her little Fretillon lay prettily at her feet, without mov- 
 ing a paw. Rosetta was sleeping very soundly, when 
 the wicked nurse, who was watchful enough, left her to 
 fetch the boatman. She brought him where the princess 
 was sleeping; and then, without awakening her, they 
 took her with her feather bed, mattress, sheets and coun- 
 terpane, while the foster-sister also helped them all she 
 could. They then threw her, bed and all, into the sea, 
 and the princess was sleeping so soundly that she did not 
 awaken. 
 
 But most fortunately her couch was made of phoenix 
 feathers, which are very scarce and have this property, 
 that they cannot sink, which caused her to float in her 
 bed as though she had been in a boat. The water, how- 
 ever, gradually wetted her feather bed, then the mat- 
 tress; and Rosetta, feeling the water, could not tell what 
 it meant. 
 
 As she turned she awakened Fretillon. He had an ex- 
 cellent nose and smelled the cod and soles so near that he 
 began barking at them, which awakened all the osher 
 fish. They began swimming about; and the large fishes 
 ran their heads against the princess' bed, which, being 
 held by nothing, turned round and round like a whip- 
 top. Oh! was she not surprised! "Is our boat dancing 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 181 
 
 on the water?" said she. "I am not generally so ill at 
 ease as I have been to-night." As Fretillon still kept 
 barking, for he was in despair, the wicked nurse and the 
 boatman heard it from a distance, and said: "That is the 
 princess' comical little dog drinking with his mistress to 
 our good health; let us make haste to arrive;" for they 
 were now close to the kingdom of the peacocks. 
 
 The king had sent to the seashore a hundred car- 
 riages, drawn by all manner of scarce animals; there 
 were lions, bears, stags, wolves, horses, oxen, asses, eagles 
 and peacocks; and the carriage intended for the Princess 
 Eosetta was drawn by six blue apes, who could leap and 
 dance on the tight -rope and play a thousand pretty 
 tricks; their harness was very superb, and was made of 
 crimson velvet, with plates of gold. There were also 
 sixty young ladies, whom the king had chosen to wait on 
 her; their clothes were of various colors, and gold and 
 silver were the least valuable of their ornaments. 
 
 The nurse had been at great trouble to decorate her 
 daughter; she had dressed her in Rosetta's finest gown, 
 with a diamond headdress and lots of jewels. But in 
 spite of her pains, her daughter was as ugly as a monkey: 
 her hair was back and greasy; she squinted shockingly; 
 her limbs were crooked; she had a large hump between 
 her shoulders, was bad-tempered, slovenly, and always 
 grumbling. 
 
 When the King of the Peacocks' people saw her com- 
 ing out of the boat, they were so surprised that they 
 could not speak. "Heyday, what is the matter?" said 
 she. "Are you all asleep? Make haste and bring me 
 something to eat, You are low wretches, and I will have 
 you all hanged." 
 
 On hearing this, they said among themselves: "What 
 an ugly creature! and she appears to be as wicked as she 
 is ugly. Truly our king will be well married; but I am 
 not surprised when one seeks a wife from the end of the 
 world." 
 
 She gave as much trouble as she could, and for no 
 offense she struck and boxed the ears of everybody about 
 her. 
 
 As her equipage was very large, she went along very 
 slowly, and carried her head as high as a queen, in her 
 coach. But all the peacocks, who were perched on the 
 
182 OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES. 
 
 trees to salute her as she passed along, and who had re- 
 solved to cry: "Long live beautiful Queen Rosetta,'* 
 when they saw her so ugly, cried: "Fy, fy, how ugly 
 she is!" 
 
 She flew into a violent passion upon this, and said to 
 her guards: "Kill these rascals of peacocks who are 
 abusing me." 
 
 The peacocks, however, quickly flew away, and laughed 
 at her. 
 
 The roguish boatman, who saw all that passed, said to 
 the nurse: "Gossip, we are not quite right; your daugh- 
 ter ought to be prettier." 
 
 She answered: "Silence, blockhead; you will bring 
 some ill-luck on us, with your prattle/"' 
 
 They told the king that the princess was drawing near. 
 "Very well," said he, "did her brothers tell the truth? 
 is she more beautiful than her portrait?" 
 
 "Sire," said a courtier, "it is enough if she is as 
 good-looking." 
 
 "Yes, indeed," said the king, "I shall be satisfied; let 
 us go and see her;" for he guessed by the noise in the 
 courtyard that she was now very near, though he could 
 not make out exactly what was said, excepting that he 
 thought he heard: "Fy, fy, how ugly she is!" He 
 thought, however, that these cries were applied to some 
 dwarf or beast that she had brought with her; for it 
 never entered his mind that they were speaking of the 
 princess herself. 
 
 The portrait of Rosetta was carried at the end of a 
 long pole, without any covering; and the king walked 
 slowly after it, with all his barons, his peacocks, and the 
 ambassadors from the neighboring kingdoms. The King 
 of the Peacocks was very impatient to see his dear Ro- 
 setta; but in truth, when he did see her, the sight nearly 
 killed him on the spot; he tore his clothes, put himself 
 into the most violent passion, and would not go near her: 
 she quite frightened him. 
 
 "What," said he, "have these two scoundrels that I 
 have in prison had the boldness to make sport of me. and 
 to propose to marry me to such a baboon as that! They 
 shall die. Come! away with this silly woman, her nurse 
 and all who brought them; let them be confined in the 
 round towej;." 
 
OLD. OLD PAIR? TALES. 183 
 
 Meanwhile, the king and his brother, who were pris- 
 oners, and knew that it was about the time for their sis- 
 ter to arrive, had put on their finest clothes to receive 
 her. Instead, however, of seeing their prison door 
 opened and themselves set at liberty, as they expected, 
 the jailer came with soldiers, and made them descend 
 into a dark dungeon, full of noxious reptiles, where they 
 were up to their necks in water No one could be more 
 surprised or sorrowful than they were. "Alas!*' said 
 they to each other, "this is a sorrowful wedding for us! 
 what can have been the cause of such a sad misfortune?" 
 They did not know what to think, excepting that they 
 were doomed to death. 
 
 They passed three days in this miserable plight. At 
 the end of that time , the King of the Peacocks came to 
 an opening that was in the wall, to reproach them. You 
 have called yourselves king and prince/' said he, "to en- 
 trap me into a marriage with your sister; but you are 
 wretches who are not worth the water you drink. I am 
 about to give you judges who will soon decide your fate; 
 and the rope is twisting with which I will have you 
 hanged." 
 
 "King of the Peacocks," said our king, filled with in- 
 dignation, "do not proceed so rashly in this affair, for 
 you may yet repent it. I am, like you, a king, and have 
 a fine kingdom, robes and crowns, and plenty of money; 
 you seem to think very lightly of hanging us; have we 
 stolen anything?" 
 
 When the king heard him speak so resolutely he knew 
 not what to make of it, and had some tnoughts of spar- 
 ing their lives, and of letting them go with their sister; 
 but his trusty friend, who was a real parasite, encouraged 
 him; saying that if he did not revenge himself all the 
 world would laugh at him, and think him a weak prince 
 indeed. So he swore that he would not forgive them, 
 and ordered their trial to proceed. It did not last long, 
 as to condemn them it was merely necessary to compare 
 the portrait of the real Princess Kosetta with the person 
 assuming the name. They were, therefore, sentenced to 
 be beheaded, for having told the king a lie, in promising 
 to him in marriage a beautiful princess, and only giving 
 him an ugly country girl. 
 
 This decree was read very formally to them in prison, 
 
!84 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 when they protested that they had not told a lie, for that 
 their sister was a princess more beautiful than the day; 
 but that there was something passing which they could 
 not comprehend. They demanded a respite of seven 
 days, stating that in that time something might occur by 
 which their innocence would be established. The King 
 of the Peacocks, who was very angry, would hardly grant 
 them this favor; but at last he did so. 
 
 While all this was passing at the court, we must relate 
 what happened to the poor Princess Rosetta. We have 
 stated that when it was daylight she was very much sur- 
 prised, as was Fretillon also, to find herself out at sea 
 without a boat or any assistance. She cried so pitifully 
 that all the fishes were sorry for her: she knew not what 
 to do or what would become of her. "Certainly," said 
 she, "the King of the Peacocks has ordered me to be 
 thrown into the sea; he has repented his design of marry- 
 ing me, and to get rid of me decently, he would have me 
 drowned. What a silly man!" continued she; "I should 
 have loved him so well! we should have managed so 
 nicely!" Then she cried still more, for she could not 
 help loving him. 
 
 She remained two days floating in this manner from 
 one part of the sea to another, denched to her skin, ready 
 to die with cold, and nearly frozen; indeed, had it not 
 been for little Fretillon, who kept up a little warmth 
 near her heart, she would have died a hundred times. 
 She was dreadfully hungry. She saw oysters in their 
 shells, and took as many as she liked and ate them. 
 Fretillon was not fond* of oysters; however, he was 
 obliged to eat some in order to keep himself alive. When 
 night came on Rosetta was very much alarmed, and she 
 said to her dog. 1 "Fretillon, pray keep barking, for fear 
 the soles should eat us up." 
 
 He barked all night long, and toward the morning the 
 princess' bed was not very far from the shore. There 
 happened to be thereabout a good old man, who lived 
 by himself in a little cottage, into which no one but him- 
 self ever entered; he was very poor, but very careless of 
 the things of this world. When he heard Fretillon bark 
 he was quite surprised, for there were no dogs about 
 there; it struck him therefore that some travelers had 
 lost their way, and he went out kindly to direct them 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALE& 185 
 
 aright. Suddenly he perceived the princess and Fretil- 
 lon, who were floating on the sea; the princess, seeing 
 him, stretched her arms toward him and cried: "Good 
 old man, save me, or I shall perish here, where I have 
 been two days languishing." 
 
 When he heard her speak so sadly his heart filled with 
 pity for her misfortunes. He immediately fetched from 
 his house a long boathook, with which he walked into the 
 water till it was up to his neck, and was once or twice 
 nearly drowned. At last he succeeded in dragging the 
 bed to the land. 
 
 Eosetta and Fretillon were, as ma^ be supposed, very 
 glad to be once more on dry ground. The princess was 
 very thankful to the good old man, and graciously ac- 
 cepted a blanket, which she wrapped around her; then, 
 barefooted, she entered his cottage, where he lighted a 
 little fire of dry straw, and took ouv of his chest a wom- 
 an's gown, with shoes and stockings, in which Rosetta 
 dressed herself; and clad even thus as a poor peasant 
 girl, she was as beautiful as the day. Fretillon, enrap- 
 tured, danced round her for her amusement. 
 
 The old man saw very plainly that Rosetta was some 
 grand lady, for her bedclothes were embroidered with 
 gold and silver, and her mattress was covered with satin. 
 He begged her to tell him her story, promising that he 
 would not reveal a word of it without her permission. 
 She told him all from beginning to end, crying bitterly 
 the while; for she still thought that the King of the 
 Peacocks had ordered her to bo drowned. "How shall 
 we act, my child?" said the old man to her. "You are 
 a noble princess, used to good living, while I have only 
 back bread and radishes; you will fare but poorly with 
 me, and, if you will take my advice, will permit me to 
 go and tell the King of the Peacocks that you are here; 
 for were he to see you, he would certainly be but too 
 happy to marry you." 
 
 "Ah! he is a wicked man," said Rosetta, "and would 
 put me to death. But if you have a little basket, do but 
 tie it round my dog's neck, and it will be very unfor- 
 tunate if he do not bring us back something to eat." 
 
 The old man gave the princess a basket; she tied it to 
 Fretillon's neck, and said to him: "Go to the best sauce- 
 pan in the city, and bring back whatever is therein." 
 
Ig6 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Fretillon ran to the city; and, as the king's kitchen was 
 the best, he went into it, sought out the best saucepan, 
 cleverly took out the contents, and returned to his mis- 
 tress. Rosetta then said to him: "Beturn to the pantry 
 and fetch me the best thing thence." Fretillon went to 
 the king's pantry, and soon returned with some white 
 bread, muscadine wine, fruits and sweetmeats. He was 
 so laden that he could not carry more. 
 
 When it was the King of the Peacocks' dinner-time 
 there was nothing in his saucepan or in his pantry; the 
 servants looked at one another and the king went into a 
 violent passion. "What!" said he, "so I am to have no 
 dinner! Let the spit be put to the fire, and let me have 
 some nice roast meat this evening." 
 
 The evening being come, the princess said to Fretil- 
 lon: "Go to the best kitchen in the city and fetch me a 
 nice piece of roast meat." Fretillon did as he was told, 
 and, thinking that the king's was the best kitchen, he 
 very softly entered it while the cooks' backs were turned, 
 and managed slyly to take away all that was on the spit; 
 it looked so delicious that the very sight of it would have 
 given an appetite to a sick man. He returned with his 
 basket full to the princess, who then sent him back again 
 to the pantry, whence he brought all the king's stewed 
 fruit and sugarplums. 
 
 The king having had BO dinner, was very hungry in 
 the evening and wanted his supper early; but as there as 
 nothing for him, he put himself into a terrible rage and 
 went to bed supperless. The next day at dinner and 
 supper time it was just the same; so that the king was 
 three whole days without eating or drinking anything, 
 because whenever he sat down to eat, his food had all 
 been taken away. His confidant, who was afraid that the 
 king would die, hid himself in a corner of the kitchen, 
 keeping his eyes fixed on the saucepan, which was on the 
 fire boiling. He was soon extremely surprised to see 
 enter the kitchen a little green dog, having only one ear, 
 who went to the pot, took the meat out of it and put it 
 into his basket. Desirous to know where he went to, he 
 followed him out of the town right up to the old man's 
 door. He then returned and revealed all to the king, 
 telling him that it was to a poor peasant that his dinner 
 and supper had gone every day. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES. 
 
 The king was very much astonished, and ordered the 
 dog to be sent for. The confidant, in order to make his 
 court to the king, was very willing to show the archers 
 the way. They went accordingly, and found the old man 
 and the princess dining on the king's boiled meat. They 
 were taken and bound with large ropes, and Fretillon the 
 same. 
 
 When they had arrived, and the king was informed of 
 it, he said: "To-morrow is the last day I granted to those 
 insulting pretenders, and they shall die with the thieves 
 who have stolen my dinner." He then went into his 
 justice-hall. The old man threw himself upon his knees 
 and said that he would tell him the whole truth. While 
 he was speaking, the king looked at the beautiful prin- 
 cess, and was moved at seeing her tears. But when the 
 good old man declared that she was the Princess Ro- 
 setta, and had been thrown into the sea by her wicked at- 
 tendants, in spite of his weakness from having been so 
 long without food, the king rushed to embrace her, and, 
 untying the ropes with which she was bound, told her 
 that he loved her with all his heart. 
 
 The princes, who were immediately sent for, thought 
 that they were about to be put to death, and came very 
 sorrowfully, hanging down their heads; at the same time 
 the nurse and her daughter were sent for. When they 
 met, they all recognized each other; Rosetta threw her- 
 self into her brothers' arms: the nurse, her daughter and 
 the boatman, knelt and asked for pardon. The joy was 
 so great that they were forgiven by the king and the 
 princess, and the good old man was handsomely rewarded, 
 always afterward residing in the palace. 
 
 Finally, the King of the Peacocks made every satisfac- 
 tion to our king and his brother, testifying his grief that 
 they had been so long ill-treated. The nurse restored to 
 Rosetta her fine clothes, and the bushel of golden crowns, 
 and the wedding feast lasted a fortnight. Everybody re- 
 joiced, even little Fretillon, who ate nothing on the occa- 
 sjion but partridge wings. 
 
188 OLD, OLD FAISf TALES. 
 
 BABIOLA. 
 
 THERE was formerly a queen who would have been en- 
 tirely happy but lor an ungratified desire for children. 
 She spoke of nothing else, and was continually saying 
 that the fairy Fanferluche having attended at her birth, 
 and not having been satisfied with the queen her mother, 
 had gone irto a violent passion with her, and had en- 
 dowed herself, the daughter, with nothing but misfor- 
 tunes. 
 
 One day as she was sitting alone by her fireside, very 
 much afflicted, she saw a little old woman, a span high, 
 come down the chimney. She was riding on a loose 
 bundle of rushes, and wearing in her cap a sprig of haw- 
 thorn; her dress was made of the wings of flies, and two 
 walnut shells served her for boots; she sailed in the air, 
 and after going thrice round the chamber stopped before 
 the queen. "You have," said she to her, "for a long 
 time murmured against me, and have accused me as the 
 author of your misfortunes, laying to my charge all that 
 has happened to you; you think, madam, that I am the 
 cause of your having no children: now I am come on 
 'purpose to announce to you that you will soon have a 
 daughter, but I fear that she will cost you many tears." 
 
 "Ah! noble Fanferluche," cried the queen, "do not 
 refuse me your pity and assistance; I promise you all the 
 services that lie in my power, provided that the princess 
 you announce to me be my comfort, and not my afflic- 
 tion." 
 
 "Destiny is more powerful than I am," answered the 
 fairy; "all that I can do to show my affection for you is 
 to give you this sprig of while hawthorn; secure it to 
 your daughter's head the instant she is bt>rn, and it will 
 guard her from many dangers." She gave her the sprig 
 of white hawthorn, and vanished like a flash of lightning. 
 
 The queen remained sad and thoughtful. "What have 
 I desired," said she "a daughter who will cost me many 
 tears and sighs? should I not be more happy to have 
 none at all?" The presence of the king, whom she dearly 
 loved, partly dissipated her grief, but she presently took 
 great care to enjoin her most confidential friends to tie 
 on the young princess' head, as soon as she should be 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 18Q 
 
 born, the sprig of hawthorn blossom., which she kept in a 
 golden box covered with diamonds, as the thing that she 
 valued more than everything else in the world. 
 
 At last the queen gave birth to the most beautiful 
 creature that was ever seen: they used the utmost dili- 
 gence in tying the hawthorn flower on her head; but no 
 sooner was it done than, wonderful to relate, in an instant 
 she became a little monkey, and began to jump, skip, 
 and leap about the chamber like an ordinary monkey. 
 At this metamorphosis all the ladies uttered dreadful 
 screams, and the queen, still more alarmed, was nearly 
 dying of despair; she desired the ladies to remove the sprig 
 of hawthorn from its head. After a great deal of diffi- 
 culty they laid hold of the little creature, and removed 
 the fatal flower from her head; but vainly: she .was already 
 a monkey, a confirmed monkey, and required neither suck- 
 ling nor nursing; all that she wanted was filberts, walnuts, 
 or chestnuts. 
 
 "Barbarous Fanferluche," cried the queen sorrow- 
 fully, "what have I done to be so cruelly treated by you? 
 What will become of me? What a disgrace will it be to 
 me for all my subjects to think I have given birth unto a 
 monster! What detestation the king will have for such 
 a child!" She burst into tears, and begged her ladies to 
 advise her what she should do in so urgent an affair. 
 
 "Madam," said the senior of her attendants, "the king 
 must be persuaded that the princess is dead, and this 
 monkey must be shut up in a box and thrown into the 
 sea, for it would be a dreadful thing if you were to keep 
 any longer a brute of this kind." 
 
 The queen would hardly consent to this; but on being 
 told that the king was coming to her room, she was so 
 confused and troubled that, without more deliberation, 
 she told her maids of honor to do what they liked with 
 the little monkey. 
 
 They then took it into another apartment, inclosed it 
 in a box, and ordered one of the queen's footmen to 
 throw it into the sea. He immediately set out on his 
 errand. Behold our young princess, then, exposed to 
 extreme danger. The man, seeing that the box was a 
 very nice one, was sorry to part with it, so he seated him- 
 self on the seashore, and took the little monkey out with 
 the resolution of killing it, for he did not know that it 
 
190 OLD t OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 was his sovereign's child; but while he held it in his 
 arms he heard a loud noise, which made him turn his 
 head, when he saw an open chariot, resplendent with gold 
 and precious stones, drawn by six unicorns and preceded 
 by a band of military music. On the cushions of the 
 chariot sat a queen, bearing her crown and royal mantle, 
 and holding on her lap her little son, who was four years 
 old. 
 
 The footman recognized in this queen his mistress' sis- 
 ter, who had been to congratulate her on the birth of a 
 child; but learning that the young princess was dead, 
 she had very sorrowfully taken her departure on her re- 
 turn to her own kingdom. She was in a profound reverie 
 on the miseries of queens, when her son cried out: "I 
 should like, how I should like, to have that little mon- 
 Key!'' The queen, looking up, saw the prettiest little 
 monkey that was ever beheld. The footman was for 
 hastily making his retreat, but was prevented: the queen 
 gave him a large sum of money for the monkey, which, 
 being gentle and playful, she called Babiola. Thus, not- 
 withstanding our princess' hard fate, she fortunately fell 
 into the hands of the queen her aunt. 
 
 When the latter arrived at her court the little prince 
 begged that he might have Babiola as a playmate. He 
 had her dressed like a princess; new clothes were made 
 for her every day, and she was taught to walk on her 
 feet; it was impossible to Fnd a prettier or more agree- 
 able looking little monkey. Her little face was as black 
 as jet with a white frill round her neck, and tufts of red 
 hair round her ears; her little hands were not larger than 
 the wings of a butterfly, and the vivacity of her eyes 
 gave indications of so much talent that there was no oc- 
 casion for surprise at any of her wonderful actions. 
 
 The prince, who was very fond of her, won her heart 
 with his unceasing attentions; she was very careful not 
 to bite him, and whenever she saw him crying she cried 
 too. She had already been four years with the queen 
 when she began to stammer like a child trying to speak; 
 everybody was mightily surprised at this circumstance, 
 but that surprise was changed to utter amazement when 
 she began to talk in a clear and sweet voice, and so dis- 
 tinctly that not a word of what she said was lost. "Won- 
 derful!" cried all the world; "Babiola speaking! Babiola 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 101 
 
 thinking'/' The queen soon wished to have her again for 
 her own amusement, and she was taken to her apart- 
 ment, to the great sorrow of the prince; he cried a great 
 deal at her loss, and to console him, dogs and cats, birds, 
 squirrels, and even a little horse called Criquetin, which 
 danced the saraband, were given to him; but he would 
 have preferred Babiola to them all fifty times over. 
 
 On ner side also the change was not agreeable: she was 
 more constrained with the queen than with the prince; 
 she was required to answer like a sibyl to a hundred in- 
 genious and learned questions, which sometimes she 
 could not easily resolve. When a foreign ambassador ar- 
 rived she was always shown dressed in a velvet or brocade 
 gown with a frill round her neck; when the court was in 
 mourning she wore a long black crape mantle which 
 incommoded her very much; she was not allowed to ea,t 
 anything for which she felt inclined, a physician always 
 prescribing her food, at which she was not at all pleased, 
 for she was as wayward as might be expected of a little 
 monkey born a princess. 
 
 The queen appointed her masters, who well exercised 
 the vivacity of her mind; she excelled in playing on the 
 harpsichord, a marvelously good one having been made 
 for her in an oyster shell: painters came from all the 
 four quarters of the world, and especially from Italy, to 
 take her likeness; her renown spread from pole to pole, 
 for until that time a monkey with the gift of speech 
 had never been heard of. 
 
 The prince, graceful and witty, and as handsome as 
 painters represent Cupid, was a prodigy no less extraor- 
 dinary; he visited Babiola, and sometimes amused him- 
 self in her company: their conversations, generally witty 
 and lively, sometimes took a serious and moral turn. 
 Babiola had a heart, and that heart was not metamor- 
 phosed like the rest of her little person; she became, 
 then, very fond of the prince in fact, too fond. The 
 unfortunate Babiola did not know what to do; she passed 
 her nights on the top of a window shutter, or in the 
 chimney corner, and would not go into the basket lined 
 with wadding and feathers, very soft and clean, which 
 had been prepared for her. Her governess (for she had 
 one) often heard her sigh, and sometimes complain and 
 weep; her melancholy increased as her mind expanded. 
 
192 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 and she never saw herself in a looking-glass without 
 striving, out of vexation, to break it; so that it was 
 commonly said: "A monkey will always be a monkoy; 
 Babiola, with all her talents, cannot rid herself of the 
 malicious temper of her species." 
 
 As the prince grew up he became fond of hunting, 
 balls, plays, arms, books; but with regard to the little 
 monkey, he hardly ever mentioned her name. Things 
 progressed very differently on her side; she loved him 
 better at twelve years old than she had loved him at six, 
 and sometimes reproached him for his forgetfulness: he 
 thought that he quite made up for his neglect by giving 
 her a rosy-cheeked apple or some roasted chestnuts. 
 But he very often had her with him when feeling idle 
 and wanting amusement, and the young attendants who 
 came to receive his orders could scarcely help laughing 
 at the grave face that Babiola turned on them. 
 
 At last the fame of Babiola's reputation reached the 
 kingdom of the monkeys itself, and King Magotin con- 
 ceived a violent desire to marry her. With this view he 
 dispatched a famous embassy to ask her of the queen; he 
 had no difficulty in making his prime minister under- 
 stand his intentions, but the latter would have had in- 
 finite trouble to express them, but for the assistance of 
 the parrots and magpies, vulgarly called mags; these 
 chattered a great deal, and the jackdaws who followed 
 the equipage would have been very sorry to prattle a bit 
 less than they. 
 
 A large ape, called Mirlifiche, was the head of the em- 
 bassy: he had a fine carriage built of cards, on which 
 were painted the amors of King Magotin and the monkey 
 Monette, famous in themonkeyian empire; poor Monette 
 died most cruelly under the claw of a wild cat, little ac- 
 customed to her frolicsome tricks. The happiness of 
 Magotin and Monette during their marriage was repre- 
 sented, and the sensible grief in which the king had in- 
 dulged on her decease. Six white rabbits, of an excellent 
 breed, drew this carriage, which was called by way of dis- 
 tinction, the state carriage; it was followed by a chariot 
 constructed of straw, painted with various colors, and 
 which contained the monkeys destined to attend Babiola: 
 you should have seen how they were adorned; they 
 seemed indeed to be going to a wedding, The remainder 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 193 
 
 of the retinue was composed of little spaniels, small 
 greyhounds, Spanish cats, Muscovy rats, a few hedge- 
 
 hogs, cunning weasels, and dainty fo^es; some drove the 
 .chariots, others carried the baggage. At the head of the 
 whole went Mirlitiche, graver than a Roman dictator, 
 
194 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 wiser than Cato, and mounted on a young leveret which 
 ambled better than the nicest English nag. 
 
 The queen knew nothing of this magnificent embassy 
 until it arrived at her palace. The bursts of laughter 
 from the people and her guards causing her to look out 
 at the window, she beheld the most extraordinary caval- 
 cade she had ever seen in her life. On its arrival, Mirli- 
 fiche, followed by a considerable number of apes, ad- 
 vanced toward the chariot containing the monkeys, and 
 giving his paw to the large monkey call Gigogna, he as- 
 sisted her to descend; then loosing the little parrot which 
 was to serve as his interpreter, he awaited that splendid 
 bird's presenting itself to the queen, and asking an audi- 
 ence for himself. 
 
 The parrot, gently rising in the air, went to the win- 
 dow at which the queen was standing, and said to her, in 
 the prettiest voice in the world: "Madam, his excellency, 
 Count Mirlifiche, ambassador from the most renowned 
 Magotin, king of all the monkeys, demands an audience 
 of your majesty, to treat on business of the utmost im- 
 portance." 
 
 "My pretty parrot," said the queen, caressing him, 
 "you had better first take something to eat, and a glass 
 of wine, after which I consent to your telling Count Mir- 
 lifiche that he is very welcome to my kingdom, with all 
 who accompany him. If his journey hither from Mago- 
 tia has not too much fatigued him, he may immediately 
 enter my audience chamber, where I shall await him on 
 my throne, with all my court." 
 
 At these words the parrot kissed his foot twice, flapped 
 his wings, sang a little air in token of his joy, and re- 
 suming his flight, he soon perched on Mirlifiche's shoul- 
 der, and whispered in his ear the favorable answer he had 
 just received. Mirlifiche was not insensible to the kind- 
 ness with which he was received, and immediately desired 
 Margot, a magpie who set himself up for sub-interpreter, 
 to ask one of the queen's officers for a room in which he 
 might repose for a short time, previous to his expected 
 audience. He was immediately shown into an apartment 
 paved with marble, painted and gilded, and altogether 
 one of the neatest in the palace. He had no sooner en- 
 tered it with part of his suit than, as apes are all very 
 inquisitive searchers, they ferreted out a certain corner 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 195 
 
 in which divers pots of sweetmeats were arranged; be- 
 hold our gluttons then, one with a glass jar of apricots, 
 another with a bottle of syrup; one with pastry, another 
 with alicampane. The chattering gentry who composed 
 part of the cortege were vexed at seeing a repast in which 
 there was neither hemp-seed nor millet-seed; and a mag- 
 ie, a mighty great talker flew into the audience cham- 
 er, and respectfully approaching the queen: "Madam," 
 said he to her, "I am too devoted a servant of your maj- 
 esty to be a willing accomplice in the havoc which is 
 making in your nice sweetmeats: Count Mirlifiche has 
 already eaten three boxes himself: he was busily engaged 
 discussing the fourth, without any respect to your majesty, 
 when my heart being moved at so shocking an abuse of 
 your majesty's hospitality, I left to inform you of the 
 fact." 
 
 "I thank you kindly, my pretty little magpie," said 
 the queen, smiling; "but I dispense with your anxious 
 zeal for my jars of sweetmeats; I abandon them in honor 
 of Babiola, whom I love with all my heart." 
 
 The magpie, rather ashamed of the much ado about 
 nothing which he had made, retired without saying a 
 word. 
 
 The ambassador, followed by his suite, shortly after 
 entered the apartment. He was not dressed quite in the 
 fashion of the day: indeed, since the loss of the famous 
 Pagotin, ambassador, from the court of the Tuileries to 
 that of King Magoti'n, and who had cut such a figure in 
 the monkey Vorld, they had had no good model. His 
 hat was pointed at the top, and he wore in it a green 
 feather; he wore a blue paper shoulder-belt covered with 
 gold spangles, large bows of ribbons at his knees, and iie 
 'carried a walking-stick. Immediately on his entering the 
 room, the parrot, who had the reputation of being a tol- 
 erably good poet, having composed a very grave ha- 
 rangue, advanced to the foot of the throne on which the 
 queen was seated, and, Iddressing himself to Babiola, 
 spoke as follows: 
 
 "Know the great power, oh, royal dame, 
 Of those all-bright and star-lifce eyes; 
 Magotin feels the tender flame, 
 And apes and cats, a loving train, 
 Tell in sweet music hia young sighs. 
 
196 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 The fair Monette, his former love, 
 With a wild cat in combat strove; 
 And when the gentle monkey fell, 
 Magotin loved his queen so well, 
 He vowed eternal truth for then, 
 He felt he ne'er could love again; 
 But you have made the king forget 
 The fainter charms of Queen Monette. 
 
 Sweet long-tail, once Magotin sat 
 Enthroned a very king in fat; 
 But vacant now is half his throne, 
 And naught is left but skin and bone; 
 For (once believe a Poet true) 
 He's dying, monkey dear! for you. 
 Olives and nuts he used to eat, 
 
 Such pleasant fruits his realms abound In, 
 He cracked the nuts (his favorite meat), 
 
 And threw the shells at all around him. 
 These were his freaks. Alas, such sport 
 Has ever fled Magotin's court! 
 Unless you deign, most noble queen, 
 To cure his kingship of the spleen. 
 Oh, half the riches who can tell, 
 Of the rich realms you'll then reign over? 
 Figs, raisins, nuts will please you well, 
 You'll be the greatest monkey belle, 
 
 And the first monkey be your lover." 
 
 During this discourse the queen turned her eyes to- 
 ward Babiola, who for her part was more disconcerted than 
 she had ever been before in the whole course of her life. 
 The queen was anxious to ascertain the sentiments of 
 Babiola before she made any answer. She, however, told 
 the parrot to give his excellency the ambassador to un- 
 derstand that she favored his king's pretensions, and 
 would further the marriage in all that depended on her. 
 The audience being over, she retired, and was followed 
 into her closet by Babiola. "My little monkey," said 
 the queen to her, "I must confess that I shall be very 
 sorry to part with you, but there would be great danger 
 in denying Magotin, who asks you in marriage, for I have 
 not yet forgotten that his father sent two hundred thou- 
 sand apes into the field to wage a fierce war against our 
 kingdom, and they devoured so many of our subjects' that 
 we were obliged to conclude a shameful peace. 
 
 "Then I am to understand, madam/' replied Babiola 
 impatiently, "that you have resolved to sacrifice me to 
 this vile monster in order to avoid his anger. I entreat 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 19?- 
 
 your majesty, however, to grant me at least a delay of a 
 few days, when I will acquaint you with my final resolu- 
 tion." 
 
 "That is but right," said the queen; "but if you take 
 my advice you will determine promptly; consider the 
 honors that await you, the magnificence of the embassy, 
 and the maids of honor who are sent for yo'j." 
 
 "I do not know what he may have done for Monette," 
 replied little Babiola disdainfully; "but I know very well 
 that I am but little moved by the sentiments with which 
 he affects to honor me." 
 
 Thereupon she arose, and after courtesying gracefully, 
 quitted the closet in search of the prince, to relate her 
 sorrows to him. Directly he saw her he called out: 
 "Well, Babiola, when shall we have the pleasure of 
 dancing at your wedding?" 
 
 "I do not know, sir," said she sorrowfully; "but I find 
 myself in so deplorable a condition that it is no longer in 
 my power to withhold my secret from you, and although 
 it puts my delicacy to the blush, I must confess to you 
 that you are the only person whom I could have wished 
 to have for my husband." 
 
 "Husband!" said the prince, bursting into a loud 
 laugh "husband indeed! My little monkey, I am 
 charmed at what you tell me; I hope, however, that you 
 will excuse me if I do take advantage of your confession; 
 for in truth, neither in height, looks, or manners are we 
 quite suited to each other." 
 
 "I agree with you," said she; "and most especially our 
 hearts are not alike. You are an ingrate; I have long 
 perceived it, and I am very foolish to feel an affection 
 for a prince who is so little worthy of it." 
 
 "But, Babiola," said he, "think now, were we mar- 
 ried, what anxiety I should feel to see you at the top of 
 a sycamore tree, hanging from a branch by your tail. 
 Take my advice; let us laugh at this affair for the sake 
 of your honor and my own; marry King Magotin, and in 
 token of the good friendship that subsists between us, 
 send me your first baby." 
 
 "It is fortunate for you, sir," added Babiola, "that I 
 am not quite a monkey in my min*d; any other than 
 I would have already scratched out your eyes, bitten off 
 your nose, and torn off your ears; but I abandon you 
 
298 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 to the reflections that you will one day make on your 
 unworthy conduct." She could say no more, for her 
 governess came in to inform her that the Ambassador 
 Mirlifiche had gone to her apartment with magnificent 
 presents. 
 
 They consisted of a toilet of spider's web, embroid- 
 ered with little glowworms, an egg-shell serving to hold 
 the combs, and a white-heart cherry for a pincushion, all 
 the linen being ornamented with paper lace; there were 
 besides, in a basket, several shells properly arranged, 
 some serving as drops to earrings, others for bodkins, 
 etc., and all as brilliant as diamonds; but better than all 
 these were a dozen boxes of sweetmeats, and a little glass 
 box which contained a nut and an olive; the key of the 
 box, however, was lost, at which Babiola was rather 
 vexed. 
 
 The ambassador informed her in grumbling, which is 
 the language made use of in the kingdom of Magotia, 
 that his monarch was more moved with her charms than 
 he had ever been by those of any other monkey; that he 
 was building a palace for her in the topmost branches of 
 a fir tree; that he had sent her these presents, and par- 
 ticularly the nice sweetmeats, to show his attachment. 
 "But," added he, "the strongest proof of his kindness, 
 and the one of which you ought to be most sensible, is, 
 madam, the care he has taken to have his portrait 
 painted, that you may anticipate in some measure the 
 pleasure you will feel on seeing himself." He thereupon 
 displayed the portrait of the King of the Apes seated on 
 a large block of wood eating an apple. 
 
 Babiola turned her face on one side so as to look no 
 longer on so disagreeable a figure, and, grumbling two or 
 three times, she gave Mirlifiche to understand that she 
 was obliged to his master for his esteem, but that she had 
 not yet made up her mind whether she would marry or 
 remain single. 
 
 Meantime the queen had determined not to incur the 
 monkey's anger; and by no means thinking that any great 
 ceremony was requisite in sending Babiola where 'she in- 
 tended she should go, she had everything prepared for 
 her departure. On hearing of this, despair took entire 
 possession of Babiola's mind. The prince's contempt on 
 one band, the queen's indifference on another, and still 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 199 
 
 more the idea of such a husband, determined her to 
 make her escape. This was not a very difficult thing, 
 for since she had been able to speak she had not been 
 tied up; she went and came at pleasure, and as often 
 entered her room by the window as by the door. 
 
 She made haste therefore to set out, and leaping from 
 tree to tree, and from branch to branch, she reached the 
 bank of a river; the excess of her despair prevented her 
 
 fully comprehending the danger she ran in trying to 
 swim across it, so without a moment's consideration she 
 plunged in, and immediately sank to the bottom. As 
 she did not lose her senses, she looked about her, and 
 perceived a magnificent grotto, adorned all over with 
 shells. She entered, and was received by a venerable old 
 man whose long white beard reached below his waist: he 
 was seated on a couch of reeds and flags, he wore on his 
 head a crown of wild poppies, and was reclining against 
 a rock, whence sprang several fountains which augmented 
 the river. 
 
200 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "Ah! what has brought you here, little Babiola?" said 
 he, offering her his hand. 
 
 "Sir," answered she, "I am an unfortunate little mon- 
 key, and am flying from a frightful ape whom they wish 
 to make my husband." 
 
 "I know more of your story than you imagine," added 
 the wise old man; "it is true that you abhor Magotin, 
 but it is no less true that you are in love with a young 
 prince, who returns your love with indifference." 
 
 "Ah! sir," cried Babiola, sighing, "let us not speak of 
 him; his remembrance augments my grief." 
 
 "He will not always be insensible to love," continued 
 the companion of the fishes. "I know that he is destined 
 for the fairest princess in the world." 
 
 "Unfortunate that I am!" said Babiola, "then he will 
 never be mine." 
 
 The good man smiled, and said to her: "Do not afflict 
 yourself, my good Babiola, time is a powerful master; 
 only be careful not to lose the little glass box that King 
 Magotin sent you, and as you have got it, by good luck, 
 in your pocket, I need say no more about it to you; here 
 is a crocodile who travels very steadily; seat yourself on 
 its back, and it will conduct you where you ought to go." 
 
 "After the obligations that you have imposed on me," 
 said she to him, "I cannot depart without knowing your 
 name." 
 
 "I am called Biroqua," said he, "father of the river of 
 that name, which is, as you may perceive, rather large 
 and famous." 
 
 Babiola then seated herself on the crocodile's back very 
 confidently, and they traveled for some time on the 
 water: after passing rather a long winding, the crocodile 
 reached the bank. It would have been difficult to find 
 anything more tasteful than its English saddle and the 
 rest of its harness; there were even little pistols in the 
 saddle bow, the holsters for which were made of the shells 
 of crabs. 
 
 Babiola was proceeding on her journey with entire con- 
 fidence in the sage Biroqua's promises, when she sud- 
 denly heard a loud noise. Alas! alas! it was the Ambas- 
 sador Mirlifiche and his retinue, who were returning to 
 Magotia, sorrowful and desolate at Babiola's flight. An 
 ape of this troop had mounted a walnut-tree, and was 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 201 
 
 knocking down walnuts for the amusement of the reti- 
 nue, when just as he had reached the highest branches 
 he perceived Babiola, seated on a crocodile which was 
 slowly traveling up the open country. At this sight he 
 uttered such a loud shout that the assembled apes asked 
 him anxiously in their language what was the matter. 
 No sooner had he told them than the parrots, magpies 
 and jackdaws were immediately let loose, and flew to 
 where she was; and on their report the ambassador, the 
 monkeys and the remainder of the equipage hastened to 
 arrest her. 
 
 What a misfortune for Babiola! a greater, or more ter- 
 rible, it would have been difficult to bring upon her; she 
 was obliged to get into the state carriage, which was 
 thereupon surrounded by vigilant monkeys, some foxes, 
 and a cock who perched on the roof and kept watch day 
 and night. An ape leading the crocodile, as a very rare 
 animal, brought up the rear of the cavalcade, which con- 
 tinued its journey to the great grief of Babiola, whose only 
 companion was Madam Gigona, a peevish, ill-tempered 
 monkey. 
 
 At the end of three days, which passed without any ad- 
 venture, the guides lost their way, and they all arrived 
 at a large town of which they did not know the name; 
 but seeing a fine garden, the door of which was open, 
 they halted therein and fell upon everything it contained 
 as though they had been in a conquered country. One 
 cracked walnuts, another gobbled cherries, while a third 
 robbed a plum-tree; in a word, there was not a little 
 monkey-brat among them who did not both eat and lay 
 in a good store. 
 
 You must know that this town was the capital of the 
 kingdom in which Babiola had been born; that the queen, 
 her mother, resided there, and that since the misfortune 
 she had experienced in seeing her daughter metamor- 
 phosed into a monkey by the sprig of hawthorn, she 
 would not allow either monkey, marmoset or baboon to 
 remain in the kingdom, or anything which might recall 
 the fatal and deplorable adventure to her remembrance. 
 An ape was then looked upon as a disturber of the public 
 peace. Judge, then, of the universal astonishment of 
 the people at seeing a carriage of card arrive, with a 
 chariot of painted straw, and the rest of this most sur- 
 
202 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 prising monkey equipage, perhaps the most extrordi- 
 uary that was ever seen since tales were tales and fairies 
 were fairies. 
 
 The news flew like lightning to the palace, and the 
 queen was astounded, fearing that the long-tailed gentry 
 were about to attack her authority. She promptly as- 
 sembled her council, issued a proclamation condemning 
 them all as guilty of high treason; and not wishing to 
 lose an opportunity of making so famous an example for 
 the future, she sent her guards into the garden, with 
 orders to seize upon all the monkeys. They threw large 
 nets over the trees, and soon brought their chase to a 
 conclusion; and notwithstanding the high respect due to 
 the quality of ambassador, that character suffered so 
 much in the person of Mirlifiche that he was unmerci- 
 fully thrown to the bottom of a cave and put under a 
 large empty tub, where he and his comrades were im- 
 prisoned with the lady-monkeys who had accompanied 
 Babiola. 
 
 For her part she felt a secret joy at this turn in her 
 affairs. "When misfortunes reach a certain point they 
 cease to afflict, and even death is met without a murmur: 
 this was precisely her situation, her heart being occupied 
 by the image of a prince who despised her, and her mind 
 filled with the frightful idea of King Magotin, whose 
 wife she was about to become. 
 
 For the rest, I must not forget to state that her 
 clothes were so pretty, and her manners so uncommon, 
 that those who had taken her stayed to regard her aa 
 something marvelous; and when she epoke to them their* 
 astonishment was riot a little augmented, although they 
 had already heard of the admirable Babiola. The queen 
 who had found her, being unacquainted with her niece's 
 metamorphosis, had frequently written to her sister that 
 she had a very wonderful little monkey, and had re- 
 quested her to come and see it; but the afflicted queen 
 had always hastily passed over that part of the letter with- 
 out reading it. The guards, transported with admira- 
 tion, carried Babiola to a large gallery, and having 
 erected a little throne, she ascended it more like a 
 sovereign than a captive monkey; and the queen acci- 
 dentally paasing, was so forcibly struck with her pretty 
 appearance and the gracious compliments she paid her, 
 that in spite of herself nature spoke in the child's favor. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 203 
 
 She took her up in her arms. The little creature, ani- 
 mated on her side with feelings that she had never before 
 experienced, threw herself on the queen's neck and said 
 such tender and engaging things that she struck every- 
 body who heard her with admiration. 
 
 "No, great queen," cried she, "it is not the fear of 
 approaching death, with-which I learn you have threat- 
 ened the unfortunate race of monkeys, that terrifies me, 
 or induces me to take the means of pleasing and soften- 
 ing you; the close of my life is not the greatest misfor- 
 tune' that could befall me, and I possess feelings so much 
 above my condition that I should regret even the least 
 step taken to preserve that life; no, madam, it is for 
 yourself alone that I love you. Your crown moves me 
 much less toward you than your merit." 
 
 What answer could the queen make to so courteous 
 and complimentary a speech? More dumb than a carp, 
 she stared with surprise, thinking that she was in a 
 dream, and feeling her heart very much affected. 
 
 She carried the monkey to her closet. When they were 
 alone she said to her: "Do not delay a moment the rela- 
 tion of your adventures to me; for I feel that of all the 
 animals which people my menageries and which I keep 
 in my palace, you will be the one that I shall love the 
 most: I assure you that on your account I will even 
 pardon the apes who accompany you." 
 
 "Ah! madam," cried Babiola; "I ask you nothing for 
 them: my misfortune was to be born a monkey, and the 
 same misfortune has gifted me with a discernment which 
 will make me suffer until my death; for, in a word, what 
 do I not feel when I see myself in a looking-glass, little, 
 ugly, and black, having paws covered with hair, with a 
 long tail and teeth always ready to bite, being conscious 
 at the same time that I have taste, delicacy, and feelings, 
 and do not want intelligence?" 
 
 "Are you capable," said the queen, "of feeling an 
 attachment?" 
 
 Babiola sighed, but made no answer. 
 
 "Oh!" continued the queen, "you must tell me 
 whether you love an ape, a rabbit, or a squirrel; for if 
 you are disengaged I have a dwarf who will be an excel- 
 lent match for you." At this proposition Babiola put on 
 a disdainful air, at which the queen laughed heartily. 
 
204 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "Do not afflict yourself," said she to her, "and inform 
 me by what miracle you speak." 
 
 "All that I know of my adventures/' replied Babiola, 
 "is that the queen your sister had no sooner quitted you 
 after the birth and death of the princess your daughter, 
 than she ;aw, as she was passing the seashore, one of 
 your valets who was on the point of drowning me. I was 
 forcibly taken from him by her order; and by the most 
 unheard-of prodigy in the world, speech and reason came 
 to me. Many masters were appointed to teach me various 
 languages and to play on musical instruments; at last, 
 madam, I became sensible of my misfortunes, and but 
 what ails you, madam?" cried she, seeing the queen's 
 countenance pale and covered with a cold perspiration; 
 "whence this extraordinary change which I remark in 
 your person?" 
 
 "I am dying," said the queen, in a feeble and inartic- 
 ulate voice; "I am dying, my dear and too unfortunate 
 daughter; to-day, then, I have at last recovered you." 
 At these words she fainted away. The terrified Babiola 
 ran for assistance; the queen's ladies hastened to give 
 her water, to unlace her stays, and to put her in bed, and 
 Babiola crept into bed with her without observation, be- 
 ing extremely small. 
 
 When the queen returned to herself, after the long 
 swoon into which the princess' discourse had thrown her, 
 she desired to be left alone with the ladies who were ac- 
 quainted with the secret of her daughter's fatal birth; 
 and informed them of what had befallen her, at which 
 they were so dismayed that they knew not how to advise 
 her. 
 
 She commanded them, however, to tell her what they 
 thought she had better do in so grievous a juncture. 
 Some advised her to have the monkey stifled; others to 
 shut her up in a hole, and a third party to have her sent 
 back again to the sea. The queen cried and sobbed : "She 
 is so clever," said she, "what a pity to see her reduced to 
 this miserable condition by an enchanted sprig of haw- 
 thorn! But," continued she, "she is my daughter and 
 my blood: it is I who have drawn upon her the wicked 
 Fanferluche's wrath, and is it just that she should suffer 
 for the hatred that that fairy bears to me?" 
 
 "But, madam," cried her old lady of honor, "we must 
 
'OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 205 
 
 save your reputation; what would the world think if you 
 were to declare that a monkey were your child? It is 
 unnatural for so beautiful a person as you to have such 
 children." 
 
 The queen lost all patience at hearing her argue in this 
 way, but soon consented, with no less warmth, that it 
 was necessary to exterminate the little monster. At last, 
 however, her majesty resolved to shut up Babiola in a 
 castle, where she would be well nursed and kindly treated 
 during the remainder of her life. 
 
 When Babiola heard that the queen intended to put 
 her in prison, she quietly slipped out of the bed, and 
 jumping from the window on to a tree in the garden, she 
 made her escape into a large forest, and left everybody in 
 alarm at not finding her. 
 
 She passed the night in the hollow of an oak-tree, in 
 which she had time to reflect on the cruelty of her fate: 
 but what most pained her was the necessity she was under 
 of quitting the queen; however, she preferred being her 
 own mistress in voluntary exile to losing her liberty 
 forever. 
 
 On the appearance of daylight she continued her jour- 
 ney without knowing whither she was to go, and consid- 
 ering and reconsidering a thousand times the singularity 
 of so extraordinary an adventure. "What a difference," 
 cried she, "between what I am and what I ought to 
 be!" Tears fell in abundance from the little eyes of poor 
 Babiola. 
 
 She, however, journeyed on, sometimes fearful that 
 the queen might pursue her, and sometimes alarmed lest 
 some of the monkeys who had escaped from the cave 
 might seize on and take her against her will to the King 
 Magotin; but still proceeding, without following either 
 road or footpath, she at last arrived at a large desert, in 
 which there was neither house nor tree, fruit, grass nor 
 spring: she entered on it without reflection, and it was 
 not until she began to feel hungry that she discovered, 
 too late, the extent of her imprudence in attempting to 
 travel through such a country. 
 
 Two days and two nights she passed without being able 
 to catch even a gnat or a little worm, and fear of death 
 seized her. She became so weak that she swooned and 
 fell on the earth; when remembering the olive and the 
 
206 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 nut that were still in the little glass box, she thought 
 that she might make a light repast of them. Joyful at 
 this ray of hope, she picked up a stone, broke the box in 
 pieces and began to eat the olive. 
 
 Hardly had she put her teeth therein when an abun- 
 dance of perfumed oil flowed from it, which falling on her 
 paws, they immediately became the most delicate hands 
 in the world; her surprise, as may be imagined, was ex- 
 treme. She instantly took some of this oil and rubbed 
 herself all over with it, when, marvelous to relate! she 
 made herself so beautiful that nothing in the world could 
 equal her charms. She felt that she had large eyes, a 
 small mouth, and a handsome nose; she was dying for 
 want of a looking-glass. At last she bethought herself of 
 making one of the largest piece of glass of her broken 
 box. Oh, what joy! oh, what delight! when she saw her 
 own loveliness. Her clothes had changed with herself; 
 her hair fell in a thousand flowing ringlets, and her com- 
 plexion was as fresh as the flowers in spring. 
 
 The first moments of her surprise being passed, her 
 hunger became still more violent, and her sorrow aug- 
 mented proportionately. "What!" said she, "so beau- 
 tiful and so young, born princess as I am, must I perish 
 in this desolate spot? Oh, cruel fortune! that hast con- 
 ducted me here, to what hast thou destined me? Is it to 
 add to afflictions alone, that thou hast wrought so happy 
 and so unhoped-for a change in my person? And thou, 
 venerable Biroqua! who didst so generously save my 
 life, wilt thou too leave me to perish in this frightful 
 solitude?" 
 
 In vain did the poor princess invoke assistance in this 
 solitary desert; not even echo answered to her voice. 
 The want of food tormented her to such a degree that 
 she at last took the nut and cracked it; when, as she 
 threw the shell from her, she was amazed to see issue 
 therefrom architects, painters, masons, upholsterers, 
 sculptors, and all kinds of different workmen. They 
 immediately commenced operations; some designed a 
 palace, others built it, and others furnished it; one party 
 painted the rooms, another cultivated the gardens; all 
 was resplendent with gold and azure. No sooner was this 
 done than a sumptuous repast was served, and sixty 
 princesses, more handsomely dressed than queens, led by 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 207 
 
 squires, and followed by pages, came and paid Babiola 
 the highest compliments, inviting her to the feast that 
 was awaiting her. It may be supposed that she did not 
 require much persuasion; she immediately advanced to- 
 ward the saloon, and there, seating herself at the table 
 with a queenly air, she ate like one famished. 
 
 No sooner had she risen from table than her treasurers 
 brought into her presence fifteen thousand large coffers, 
 as large as hogsheads, full of gold and diamonds. They 
 asked her if she would allow them to pay the workmen 
 who built her palace. She said that that was but right, 
 but made it a condition that they should also build near 
 it a town, marry and settle therein. To this they all con- 
 sented, and the town was finished in three-quarters of 
 an hour, although it was fifty times larger than Rome. 
 Behold the numerous prodigies which issued from a little 
 nut! 
 
 The princess resolved to send a splendid embassy to the 
 queen her mother, and to take this opportunity of de- 
 servedly reproaching the young prince her cousin for his 
 former treatment of her. While taking the necessary 
 measures for this purpose, she amused herself by witness- 
 ing ring-races, she always giving the prize; she also went 
 to the theater, hunted and fished; for a river had also 
 been conducted thither. The fame of her beauty soon 
 spread itself over all the earth, and kings from its four 
 quarters came to pay her court; as also giants taller than 
 mountains, and figures smaller than rats. 
 
 It happened one day, during a grand festival and tour- 
 nament, that as several knights were breaking lances, a 
 quarrel arose, and, disregardful of her presence, they 
 fought in earnest. The princess in anger descended from 
 her balcony to ascertain and punish the originators of 
 the strife, and to assist the wounded, when, as the visor 
 of one of these was raised, what were her feelings at see- 
 ing the prince her cousin! Though not quite dead, he 
 was so severely injured that she was herself nearly dying 
 with surprise and grief. She had him instantly borne to 
 the finest apartment in the palace, where nothing requi- 
 site to effect his cure was wanting; the best medicine, 
 eminent surgeons, nice broth and syrups, all were there. 
 Babiola herself made the bandages and lint, watering 
 them with her tears tears wHch might have served as a 
 
208 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 balsam for her wounded cousin. Wounded indeed he 
 was in more than one sense of the word; for without 
 reckoning half a dozen sword and as many lance wounds 
 which had pierced him through and through, he had been 
 at that court for some time incognito, and had felt the 
 power of Babiola's eyes to an incurable extent. It is then 
 easy to judge what were his feelings when he rea^ in that 
 amiable princess' countenance that she was in the utmost 
 grief at witnessing the condition to which he was reduced. 
 
 I will not not stop to repeat to you the terms in which 
 his heart prompted him to thank her for the kindness 
 she had manifested toward him; those who heard him 
 were surprised that so sick a man should be able to show 
 so much passion and gratitude. The Princess Babiola, 
 who blushed more than once at it, begged him to be silent, 
 but his emotion and the ardor of his protestations were 
 so extreme that she saw him suddenly sink in dreadful 
 anguish. Until then she had borne all with tirmness; 
 but on seeing him in so terrible a condition she uttered 
 loud cries, tore her hair, and gave everybody reason to 
 think that her heart must be of easy access, since in so 
 short a time it could feel so great a passion for a stranger; 
 for it was not known in Babiola's kingdom that the 
 prince was her cousin, and that she had loved him from 
 her earliest youth. 
 
 It appears that, while traveling, the prince was at- 
 tracted by Babiola's reputation to her court, and being 
 unacquainted with any one there who could introduce him 
 to the princess, he thought that nothing could so well serve 
 his turn as the performance in her presence of five or six 
 heroic feats, such as cutting off the legs, arms or heads 
 of a few knights in a tournament. He found, however, 
 no one complaisant enough to allow him so to do. A 
 rude scuffle then ensued; the strongest party as usual 
 beat the weaker, and to that weaker party unfortunately 
 belonged as I have already stated our prince. 
 
 Babiola, in despair, ran along the highway without 
 either carriage or guards; she entered a wood, and fainted 
 away at the foot of a tree, whence the Fairy Fanferluche, 
 who never slept, but was always seeking opportunities 
 for evil actions, carried her on a cloud blacker than ink, 
 and which sailed along more swiftly than the wind. The 
 princess remained for some time insensible; when she re- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 209 
 
 covered nothing could equal her surprise at finding her- 
 self so far from the earth, and so near to the pole. The 
 footing on clouds is not very solid, so that as she ran to 
 and fro she seemed to be treading on feathers, and the 
 cloud separating at times, she had much difficulty to pre- 
 vent herself from falling; she found no one with whom 
 to share her grief, for the wicked Fanferluche had ren- 
 dered herself invisible; she had time to think of her dear 
 prince and the condition in which she had left him, and 
 gave way to the most mournful thoughts that can take 
 possession of the mind. "What," cried she, "am I capa- 
 ble of surviving him I love, and of allowing the fear of 
 approaching death to find a place in my heart? Ah! if 
 the sun would scorch me to death with his beams what a 
 good office would he render me; if I could drown myself 
 in the rainbow how happy should I be! But alas! all the 
 zodiac is deaf to my voice; Sagittarius for me has no 
 arrows; for me the Bull no horns, and the Lion no teeth. 
 Perhaps the earth will be more obliging, and will offer to 
 me at least the point of a rock on which I may slay my- 
 self. Oh, prince! dear, dear cousin, why art thou not 
 here to witness for thy sake the most tragical leap on 
 which desperate lover ever resolved?" As she finished 
 these words she ran to the end of the cloud and precipi- 
 tated herself from it, like an arrow shot from an English 
 bow. 
 
 All who saw her thought that the moon was falling; 
 and as Cynthia was just then on the wane, several people 
 who adored her, and who remained some time without 
 seeing her again, put on deep mourning for her loss, per- 
 suading themselves that the sun, in a fit of jealousy,had 
 done the moon this evil turn. 
 
 However great the princess' wish for death, die she did 
 not; she fell into a glass bottle in which the fairies gen- 
 erally keep their ratafia in the sun; but what a bottle! 
 there is not a tower in the world so large. Fortunately 
 it was empty, or she must have been drowned therein 
 like a fly. 
 
 The six giants who guarded it immediately recognized 
 Babiola! They were the same who had resided in her 
 court and who loved her, as did aH the world but the 
 malignant Fanferluche. She, who did nothing by 
 chance, had transported each of these giants hither on a 
 
210 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 flying dragon, and the six dragons guarded the bottle 
 while the giants slept. While Babiola was there she fre- 
 quently regretted her monkey-skin; she lived like the 
 chameleon on air and dew. 
 
 The prison in which she was thus confined was un- 
 known to any one; of course, therefore, the young prince 
 her cousin was ignorant of it, for he was not dead, but 
 unceasingly asked for Babiola. He easily perceived, 
 from the melancholy looks of all who attended on him, 
 that there was some subject of general grief at court; his 
 natural discretion prevented his seeking to learn what it 
 might be, but when convalescent he pressed so ear- 
 nestly that he was apprised of the princess' loss, for they 
 had not the courage to conceal it longer from him. 
 Those who had seen her enter the wood maintained that 
 she had been devoured by lions; a second party thought 
 she had destroyed herself in despair; and others opined 
 that she had lost her wits, and was wandering over the 
 world. 
 
 As this latter opinion was the least terrible, and as it 
 gave the prince a slight ground for hope, he seized upon 
 it; and set out on his horse Criquetin, of whom I have 
 already spoken, but of whom I. forgot to say that he was 
 descended from Bucephalus, and one of the best horses 
 of the age in which he flourished. The prince was at- 
 tended by two of his most faithful followers. Putting 
 the bridle on his horse's neck, the prince allowed him 
 to choose his own road: sometimes he called upon the 
 princess, but in vain. Echo alone replied. 
 
 At last he arrived at the bank of a large river. Cri- 
 quetin was thirsty, and went into it to drink, and the 
 prince continuing to shout at the top of his lungs: 
 "Babiola! beautiful Babiola, where are you?" he heard 
 a voice whose sweetness seemed to charm the waves: 
 
 " Advance!" it replied, "and you shall learn where she 
 is." 
 
 At these words the prince, as daring as he was affec- 
 tionate, gave Criquetin two or three thrusts with his 
 spurs, which made him swim onward until he came to a 
 gulf into which the water precipitated itself more rap- 
 idly, when the prince sank with his horse to the bottom, 
 thoroughly persuaded that he was on the point of being 
 drowned. 
 
THE PRINCE SEARCHING FOR BABIOLA, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES, 
 
 He luckily, however, had arrived at the residence of 
 the good man Biroqua, who was then celebrating the wed- 
 ding of his daughter with one of the richest and deepest 
 rivers in the country; all the aquatic deities were in his 
 grotto, where the tritons and the sirens were making a 
 charming melody, and the river Biroqua, lightly dressed, 
 was dancing gayly with the Thames, the Seine, the Eu- 
 phrates, and the Ganges, who had certainly come a long 
 distance to amuse themselves together. Criquetin, who 
 was very polite, stayed very respectfully at the entrance 
 of the grotto, and the prince, still more polite than his 
 horse, made a low bow and asked if it were permitted for 
 a mortal like him to make his appearance in the midst of 
 so distinguished an assembly. 
 
 Biroqua spoke with an affable air, and replied that 
 they would feel both honored and gratified by his pres- 
 ence. "I have been waiting for you some days/'' con- 
 tinued he; "I am in your interests, sir, and those of the 
 princess are likewise dear to me: you must rescue her 
 from the fatal place in which the vindictive Fanferluche 
 has imprisoned her; she is in a bottle." 
 
 "Ah; what do you tell me," cried the prince, inter- 
 rupting him, "my princess in a bottle?" 
 
 "Yes," answered the wise old man; "and she is greatly 
 distressed; but I warn you, sir, that it is by no means an 
 easy task to conquer the giants and dragons who guard 
 her, at least if you do not follow my advice. You must 
 leave your good horse here, and mount a winged dolphin 
 which I have been training for you a long time;" he then 
 had the dolphin brought, saddled and bridled, and it 
 pranced and curveted so well that Criquetin was quite 
 jealous of him. 
 
 Biroqua and his companions immediately set about 
 arming the prince. They equipped him in a brilliant 
 cuirass of gilded carp-scales; his headpiece consisted of 
 a large periwinkle shell, shaded by a large cod's tail 
 which hung in the form of a handsome plume of heron's 
 feathers; a naiad girded him with an eel, from which 
 hung a formidable sword made of the backbone of a 
 large fish; and he was then presented with a magnificent 
 tortoise-shell as a shield. Thus equipped, not the small- 
 est gudgeon who saw him but conceived that he beheld 
 the god of soles; and verily, the young prince had a cer- 
 tain air that is rarely met with among mortals. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 213 
 
 "Hope springs eternal in the human breast;" and that 
 of soon finding the charming princess with whom he was 
 in love inspired our prince with a joy that he had been 
 incapable of feeling since her loss. The chronicle 
 whence this authentic tale is extracted relates that he 
 ate with a very good appetite at Biroqua's table, and that 
 he thanked all the company for their kindness in no 
 common terms; after which he rose from table, bade 
 adieu to Criquetin, then, mounting the winged fish, he 
 immediately set out. 
 
 At the close of the day the prince found himself al- 
 ready so high that he entered for the sake of a little rest 
 into the kingdom of the moon. The rarities that he ob- 
 served there, and which have been so well described by 
 later travelers, would have arrested his serious attention, 
 if he had not had a more pressing object in view; to 
 wit, that of liberating Babiola from the bottle, in which 
 she had then been residing several months. 
 
 Day no sooner broke than away he rode on his dolphin 
 again, and long ere noon he had discovered the princess 
 surrounded by the giants and dragons that the fairy, by 
 virtue of her little wand, had retained near her; and so 
 little idea had Fanferluche that any one was powerful 
 enough to free Babiola from captivity that she confi- 
 dently reposed on the vigilance of her terrible guards, 
 with the certainty of its prolongation. 
 
 The lovely Babiola was pitifully looking toward heaven, 
 and addressing there her sorrowful lamentations, when 
 she saw the flying dolphin and the prince who was com- 
 ing to her deliverance. She could hardly believe her eyes 
 when she saw an armed knight near her bottle, although 
 she knew, from her own experience, that to some persons 
 the most extraordinary things are of easy accomplish- 
 ment. "May it not be through the malice of some 
 wicked fairies," said she, "that this knight is thus trans- 
 ported through the air? Alas! how much I pity him, if 
 a bottle or caraffe is destined for his prison as it serves 
 for mine." 
 
 While these reflections occupied her mind, the giants, 
 who perceived the prince over their head and took 
 him for a kite which some little boy in.the moon was fly- 
 ing, cried out to each other: "Lay hold of the string! lay 
 hold of the string! it will serve to divert us;" but while, 
 
214 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 under this impression, they stooped to pick him up, he 
 fell on them, cut and thrust, and knocked them into as 
 many pieces as a pack of cards cut and thrown to the 
 wind. On hearing the first noise of this encounter, the 
 princess turned her head and recognized her own dear 
 prince. Oh! what joy, to be certain that he was yet 
 alive; but oh! what anxiety, to see him exposed to such 
 perils, fighting in the midst of the terrible giants and 
 dragons which were then attacking him. She uttered 
 fearful cries, and his danger nearly cost her her life. 
 
 However, the enchanted fishbone sword, with which 
 Biroqua had armed the prince, struck no useless blows; 
 and the nimble dolphin, rising and stooping just at the 
 proper times, was a marvelous help to the prince; so that 
 in a short time the field was covered with these monsters. 
 
 The impatient prince, who -saw his princess through 
 the glass, would have broken it in pieces if he had not 
 been fearful of wounding her; so he determined on de- 
 scending through the neck of the bottle. When he 
 reached the bottom he threw himself at Babiola's feet 
 and respectfully kissed her hand. "Sir," said she to 
 him, "it is well, in order that you may restrain your emo- 
 tions, that I inform you of the motives which have inter- 
 ested me so tenderly In your preservation. Learn, then, 
 that we are nearly related; that I am the daughter of the 
 cjueen your aunt; and that same Babiola, whom you found 
 in the form of a little monkey on the seashore; who was 
 weak enough to express for you an attachment; and 
 whom you despised." 
 
 "Ah, madam!" cried the prince, "can I believe so un- 
 heard-of a prodigy? What! you have been a monkey; 
 you have loved me, and I have known your love and my 
 neart has been capable of refusing the greatest of earthly 
 blessings!" 
 
 "Well," replied the princess, smiling at his surprise, 
 "I should now, perhaps, have but a very poor opinion of 
 your taste had you then conceived any attachment for 
 me; but let us depart; I am tired of my prison, and I 
 fear my enemy; let us go to the queen my mother, and 
 inform her of all these extraordinary events, which can- 
 not fail to interest her." 
 
 "With all my heart, madam," said the amorous prince; 
 and getting on the winged dolphin's back and taking her 
 
OLD, OLD FAlUr TALES. 215 
 
 in his arms, "let us go," said he, "and restore to her, in* 
 you, the most amiable princess in the world." 
 
 The dolphin gently rose in the air, winging his course 
 toward the capital in which the queen was spending her 
 sorrowful existence. The flight of Babiola did not leave 
 her a moment's repose: she could not help thinking of 
 her favorite, and thus continually calling to her remem- 
 brance the pretty things that Babiola had said to her; 
 monkey as she was, the queen would have given half her 
 kingdom for another sight of her. 
 
 When the prince arrived he disguised himself as an 
 old man, and demanded a private audience of the queen. 
 "Madam," said he, "I have studied from my most 
 tender youth the necromantic art: you may judge of my 
 skill by the fact that I am not ignorant of the hatred 
 that Fanferluche bears toward you, or of its disastrous 
 effects; but dry your tears, madam; for that same Babi- 
 ola whom you have seen so ugly is now about to be re- 
 stored to you, the most beautiful princess in the world; 
 provided, however, that you will pardon the queen your 
 sister for the cruel war that she has waged against you, 
 and conclude the peace by marrying the Princess Babiola 
 with the prince your nephew." 
 
 "I cannot flatter myself that what you affirm is true,'" 
 replied the queen, weeping; "wise old man, you wish to 
 soothe my affliction: I have lost my dear daughter^ I 
 have no longer a husband, my sister pretends that my 
 kingdom belongs to her; her son is as unjust as his 
 mother, they both persecute me, and I will enter into no 
 alliance with them." 
 
 "Fate wills it otherwise," continued he, "and I am 
 commissioned to tell you so." 
 
 "Ah! but of what use would it be," added the queen, 
 "to consent to this marriage? The wicked Fanferluche 
 has too much power and is too malicious not to oppose it 
 always." 
 
 "Do not alarm yourself on that score, madam, "replied 
 the good man; "promise me only that you will not oppose 
 the marriage in question." 
 
 "I promise everything," cried the queen, "provided I 
 see my dear daughter once again." 
 
 The prince went out and ran to where the princess was 
 awaiting him. She was surprised to see him disguised, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 which made it necessary for him to relate to her that for 
 some time past the two queens had had violent alterca- 
 tions, and that there had been much animosity between 
 them; but that at last he had made his aunt consent to 
 his wishes. The princess was in ecstasies: she went to 
 the palace, and all who met her observed so perfect a re- 
 semblance in her to the queen her mother that curiosity 
 induced them to follow her to learn who she was. 
 
 When the queen perceived her, her heart was so vio- 
 lently agitated that it required no other testimony to 
 prove the truth of v/hat had been told her. The princess 
 threw herself at her mother's feet, and was received by 
 the queen with open arms. After a silence of some mo- 
 ments, drying each other's tears with a thousand kisses, 
 they gave vent to their feelings in all those tender ex- 
 pressions which may be easily imagined on such an occa- 
 sion: then, turning to her nephew, the queen received 
 him very favorably, and reiterated to him all the promises 
 she had made to the necromancer. She would have said 
 more, but a noise in the courtyard drawing her attention 
 to the window, she had the agreeable surprise of seeing 
 *the queen her sister arrive. The prince and princess 
 looking also, recognized near her the venerable Biroqua, 
 and even the good Criquetin, who was also of the party. 
 They, one and all, gave utterance to loud cries of joy; 
 they hastened to embrace each other with inexpressible 
 transport. The nuptials of the prince and the fair Babi- 
 ola were celebrated immediately, in spite of the wicked 
 Fanferluche, whose power and malice were thus equally 
 confounded. 
 
 THE THREE BEARS. 
 
 IK a certain German forest near the Hartz mountains 
 there lived three exceedingly domestic bears. 
 
 There was the Father-bear, the Mother-bear, and a 
 little son. They had a nice little house; a chair each to 
 sit on, a bed to sleep in, and a basin each for milk and 
 honey, which was their favorite food. 
 
 The father's were the largest, the mother's were'a little 
 smaller, the little bear's were the smallest of all. 
 

 
 >-,. * ' - v ,.'> * '' * 
 
 ..,.-.. 
 
 ' r 
 
 .... 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 One day they boiled their milk and honey for break- 
 fast, poured it into their basins, and went out for a walk 
 while it cooled. 
 
 Now it happened that very near the bears' dwelling 
 lived a woodman's little daughter, all by herself. 
 
 She was called Golden Hair. Her father and mother 
 were both dead, so she was quite alone. She kept her 
 small house very neat, made herself a bed of moss and 
 beech leaves, and used to pick berries for her food. ^ Of 
 course the poor little thing had no cme to teach her right 
 from wrong, and she lived quite like a little savage in her 
 forest home; only she was a gentle creature, and used to 
 sing like the birds in the trees under which she played. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 On the very morning that the three bears went for a 
 walk, Golden Hair also was rambling about the wood. 
 
 By and by she came to the bears' house, and as the 
 window was open, she peeped in. 
 
 Seeing no one there she lifted the latch and walked 
 into the house. This was very rude of Golden Hair; but 
 then she knew no better. 
 
 She saw the three basins, and looked into them, and 
 then, taking up the tiny bear's, she tasted his milk and 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 219 
 
 honey. She thought it very nice indeed; so she sat down 
 in the little bear's chair to eat it; but the chair was much 
 too small for her, and she broke the seat and fell through, 
 basin and all. 
 
 Now this was certainly stealing, but Golden Hair did 
 not know that she ought not to take that which was not 
 her own. A tiny bear may be only a tiny bear, but still 
 he has a right to his own things. 
 
 Then Golden Hair went upstairs, and there she saw 
 three beds all in a row. The first was the Father-bear's, 
 the second was the Mother-bear's, the last was the Tiny 
 bear's. 
 
 Golden Hair thought that they looked very comfort- 
 able, and as she was a little tired, she got into the tiny 
 bear's, and fell asleep. 
 
 By and by the bears came home. 
 
 Tiny-bear looked at his chair and basin, and said; 
 
 "Somebody has been here." 
 
 And Father-bear said gruffly: 
 
 "Somebody has been here." 
 
 And Mother-bear said, not quite so gruffly: 
 
 "Somebody has been here." 
 
 Then they went to the tablfc and looked at their basins. 
 
 And the Father-bear said gruffly: 
 
 "Somebody has touched my basin." 
 
 And the Mother-bear said less gruffly: 
 
 "Somebody has touched my basin." 
 
 And Tiny-bear said in a high, shrill voice: 
 
 "And somebody has broken mine." 
 
 Then they all went upstairs and looked in their beds. 
 
 "There is no one in my bed," said Father-bear gruffly. 
 
 "There is nobody in my bed," said the Mother-bear 
 less gruffly. 
 
 "There is a little girl in my bed," squeaked Tiny-bear, 
 "and she has eaten up my breakfast, and broken my 
 chair, and cracked my basin." 
 
 The shrill voice of Tiny-bear woke up Golden Hair, 
 and she started out of bed. 
 
 The window was open, and she was so frightened that 
 she jumped right out of it at once, and ran away; and 
 the bears went to the window and'watched her, and saw 
 her disappear in the forest. 
 
 And the Father-bear said gruffly: 
 
2-20 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "The wolves will eat her." 
 
 And the Mother-bear said less gruffly: 
 
 "The wolves will eat her." 
 
 And Tiny-bear squeaked in his shrill voice: 
 
 "The wolves will eat her." 
 But they did not. 
 
 Now if you wish very much to know what became of 
 Golden Hair, I will tell you. 
 As she ran, terrified, through the wood, she fell over 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 221 
 
 the trunk of a tree, and while she lay on the ground, 
 weeping, a bee buzzed up to her and said: 
 
 "Little Golden Hair, what has happened?" 
 
 And Golden Hair said: 
 
 "I went into the bears' house, beautiful bee, and ate 
 up some milk and honey; and then I got into Tiny-bear's 
 bed and fell asleep, and the bears came home and found 
 me; and I was so frightened that I jumped out of the 
 window, and I have just fallen down. If I had not 
 jumped out, I dare say they would have killed me." 
 
 "Very likely," buzzed the bee; "I dislike bears very 
 much myself, and never cross their threshold. They eat 
 our honey, and have no manners; and then their figures 
 are so very awkward, and their movements so uncouth! 
 But you had no right to eat Tiny-bear's breakfast that 
 was stealing, and it was wrong. 1 never take a drop of 
 honey from a flower without asking its leave first." 
 
 Golden Hair sobbed out, "that she did not know it was 
 wrong." 
 
 "Well," said the bee, "I don't see how you should, as 
 you have not been taught. We bees have often pitied 
 you. Now I am not rich; I am only an upholsterer bee, 
 and I don't live in a hive, and I have no queen; but if 
 you like to live with me and be my little girl, I will do 
 all I can for you." 
 
 Golden Hair was very glad to accept this kind offer, for 
 she thought that honey was very nice; and she had no 
 doubt that it would be her food if she lived with the 
 upholsterer bee. 
 
 Then the bee showed the child where she lived, in a 
 hollow tree. And Golden Hair thought it was a very 
 fine dwelling, for the bee had hung it all round with cur- 
 tains cut from red poppy leaves; and it was so clean that 
 you would have been delighted with it. 
 
 "Now, Golden Hair," said the bee, "we cannot endure 
 dirty children. Go and wash yourself in the stream; 
 and wash your frock, and hang it out to dry." 
 
 And Golden Hair did as she was told; and when she 
 was nicely dressed again in a clean white frock, and all 
 her golden hair lay on her shoulders glistening in the 
 sun, she looked very pretty indeed. 
 
 And she played all day with the butterflies and birds, 
 and when the sun set she fell asleep. 
 
222 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 The next day the bee buzzed in her ear as soon as it 
 was light, and woke her up. 
 
 "Golden Hair," she said, as the child sat up and 
 rubbed her sleepy blue eyes, "we can't have idle people 
 here. I hate a drone: get up and work." 
 
 "I have nothing to do," said Golden Hair; "I can't 
 make honey." 
 
 "But you can do a great many other things! I only 
 wish I had your wonderful hands," said the bee. 
 
 "What can I do?" asked Golden Hair. 
 
 "I will tell you. Get up and take a wooden spade, 
 and dig up the sweetest flowers in the wood, and plant 
 them here close to my cell; and when no rain comes, 
 water them, and don't let the greedy worms eat them all 
 up, but pick them off the leaves." 
 
 Golden Hair did as she was told, but not for very long. 
 
 For a silly butterfly came and coaxed her to run a race 
 with him, and laughed at her for grubbing in the ground, 
 and making her hands dirty. 
 
 So she ran races, and did not work. 
 
 By and by she was hungry, and she said to the butter- 
 fly: 
 
 "Will you give me some honey for dinner?" 
 
 "I have not any honey," he answered; "you could not 
 expect a gentleman like me to provide food. It is quite 
 beneath me. I eat a little bit of leaf here and there." 
 
 "Oh! I am so hungry!" sobbed Golden Hair. 
 
 "Absurd! How vulgar you are!" sang the butterfly, 
 and he flew away; for, as he told the nearest rose, he 
 hated to see tears; and the rose smiled at his wit, and 
 admired his fine feelings. 
 
 Golden Hair went home and found her dinner ready 
 the purest honey, scented with lilac, and wild thyme, and 
 honeysuckles, and she ate a great deal of it, and thanked 
 the bee. 
 
 And the bee said: 
 
 "You have not done much work. If I had been as idle 
 as you are, I should have had no dinner to give you." 
 
 "It was all the butterfly's fault!" said Golden Hair. 
 
 "Nonsense," said the bee, "he could not make you 
 idle unless you cfyose to be so. Don't tell me! One 
 would get very little done if one could be persuaded to 
 play by every idle insect one saw." 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 223 
 
 "I will do better to-morrow," said Golden Hair. 
 
 "Better begin to-day," answered the bee. "Who can 
 tell" if the. sun will shine to-morrow?" 
 
 So Golden Hair worked all the afternoon, and when 
 night came she ftelt happy and satisfied, as everybody does 
 when they have done right. 
 
 And a kind nightingale, who had been pleased to see 
 her so industrious, came and sat on a bough close by, and 
 sang her to sleep. The next day a robin woke her. 
 
 "Get up," he said, "Golden Hair. The lark is sing- 
 ing hymns, and it is a pity you should not join in them; 
 besides, if you don't get up early you will find no worms." 
 
 "Thank you," said Golaen Hair, "but I don't eat 
 worms; I breakfast on honey." 
 
 "That's very well for dessert," said Eobin; "but for 
 food I prefer something more substantial/' 
 
 "I should like a few cherries," sighed Golden Hair. 
 
 ''There are plenty of strawberries in the wood," said 
 Eobin, "If you will come with me, I will show you where 
 they grow." 
 
 And he showed Golden Hair a bed of ripe red straw- 
 berries growing on a sunny bank. They were quite 
 delicious. 
 
 "What a clever bird you are!" said the child, as she 
 ate her breakfast with the robin; "and yet I should not 
 have thought so, judging by your very plain suit, though, 
 to be sure, your breast is a pretty color." 
 
 "We must not judge by outside show," said Eobin. 
 "Neither I nor the bee are as gay as the butterfly, but I 
 think I may say, without boasting, that we are worth a 
 dozen of him." 
 
 And Golden Hair thought so too. 
 
 By and by the winter came; the snow fell fast and" the 
 bitter wind blew through the trees. 
 
 Golden Hair crouched down inside the old tree on the 
 moss, and wept with the cold. 
 
 "What a pity it is you have no feathers!" said the 
 robin. 
 
 "Go to sleep," said the bee drowsily; "this is the sort 
 of weather for a good nap." 
 
 But Golden Hair could not sleep for the cold, and 
 wishing would not give her feathers. 
 
 By and by the robin said to the bee; 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "Golden Hair ought to go home to her own kind. I 
 have had some crumbs to-day from such good people; I 
 am sure if they knew the child was here, they would help 
 her." 
 
 "But how can we let them know?" said the bee. 
 "You see, their education is so bad that they know noth- 
 ing of our languages." 
 
 "I will tell the dog," said Robin; "he is a great phi- 
 losopher, and can settle ways and means. I often think 
 he is much wiser than his master. A pheasant told me 
 last autumn that the gentlemen can do nothing without 
 him." 
 
 "Do speak to the dog," said the bee. "I don't like to 
 see Golden Hair suffer, and do nothing for her." So the 
 robin told the dog. The dog said: 
 
 "Show me where the child is." 
 
 And Robin did so. 
 
 And the dog barked and fawned on the little child; 
 and Golden Hair was pleased, and stroked him, and 
 nestled up to him and warmed herself. And the dog lay 
 close beside her, and warmed her with his breath. 
 
 And by and by he took some meat from his master's 
 plate, and brought it to the hungry child. 
 
 And the dog's master said to his wife: 
 
 "I wonder where Tray goes every day with a piece of 
 meat?" 
 
 And his wife said: 
 
 "Why do you not follow him?" 
 
 So the next day the gentleman went after his dog, and 
 followed him through the wood till he came to a hollow 
 tree. 
 
 And there, inside it, very pale, and cold, and miser- 
 able, lay a little child with golden hair. And the dog 
 gave her the meat, while a solitary bee buzzed faintly 
 near, and a robin twittered gratefully from a twig, 
 
 The dog's master went in and took the poor babe in 
 his arms, and spoke to her. But Golden Hair had quite 
 forgotten her own language, and knew only the dialects 
 of the wood. But she wept, and clasped the gentleman's 
 arm with beseeching hands. 
 
 "Poor deserted babe!" he said, embracing her; "Twill 
 take you home, and you shall be to me as a daughter." 
 
 Aiicl the bee buzzed her contentment; and the robin. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 225 
 
 sang a lay of rejoicing, and the dog barked and frisked 
 as if he were wild with delight. 
 
 So Golden Hair was taken home by the dog's kind 
 master. And he gave her to his wife, and said: 
 
 "I have found a wild child in the forest; let her be our 
 own." 
 
 And the lady clasped the babe in her arms, and loved 
 her from that day; and they had her christened "Mary." 
 And thus it happened that no one ever knew what had 
 become of Golden Hair. 
 
 THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 
 
 ONCE upon a time there lived a king and a queen 
 whose mutual affection was so extreme that they formed 
 each other's sole joy. Their sentiments and wishes were 
 always in perfect unison; sometimes they went hunting 
 the hare or the stag, sometimes fishing for sole or carp, 
 but always together; at balls they were always partners; 
 at feasts they ate of the same dish, roast lamb with sugar- 
 plums; they frequently went to the theater or the opera 
 together; they sang duets and played a score of merry 
 tricks for their mutual diversion at home; in a word, 
 they were the happiest king and queen, and theirs was 
 the happiest court on record. The subjects followed 
 their sovereigns' example, and vied with each other in 
 light-heartedness and good-humor. For all these reasons 
 the kingdom was called Happy Land. 
 
 At the same time there happened to be in a neighbor- 
 ing state a king of quite an opposite character. He was 
 the declared enemy of pleasure, and thought the more 
 grief the better sport; his looks were sullen, his eyes 
 were hollow, his beard was long and grizzly, his body was 
 thin, his complexion sallow, and his hair black, thick, 
 and as rough as a bear's. This ferocious monarch would 
 amuse himself by shooting at his subjects; he was him- 
 self, the executioner of criminals, and delighted only in 
 cruel and wicked deeds. When he heard of a kind 
 mother who was very fond of a good little boy or girl, 
 he summoned them to his presence, Snd either strangled 
 the child, or broke its arms, before its mother's face. 
 His kingom was called Tearland. 
 
226 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 This wicked king, having heard of the happiness of 
 the good King Felix, became so jealous of his neighbor's 
 joy that he resolved to raise a large army and lay waste 
 his dominions. 
 
 When everything was ready the bad king, Constantino, 
 advanced toward Happy Land. The news of his coming 
 was not long in reaching the ears of King Felix; he 
 therefore promptly put his kingdom in a state of defense. 
 Queen Felicia was in an agony of fear, and said to her 
 husband, with tears in her eyes: 
 
 "Sire, let us take as much money as we can carry, and 
 fly to any place on earth from the threatened danger." 
 
 "For shame, madam!" answered Felix; "my duty is to 
 protect my people, and it bids me prefer a glorious death 
 to a life of shame." 
 
 He then tenderly kissed his queen, and having assem- 
 bled and inspected his army, mounted a noble charger 
 and set out to meet the enemy. 
 
 Felicia, left alone, gave way to the most heartrending 
 tears and lamentations; and, wringing her hands: "Alas, 
 alas!" said she, "what will become of me should Felix be 
 slain in battle? a widow and a captive; the wicked king 
 will never spare me in his wrath." These sorrowful 
 thoughts prevented her eating and sleeping. The king- 
 wrote to her daily from the camp; and one morning, as 
 she was anxiously watching the arrival of the courier, 
 from the city walls, she saw him approaching the city at 
 full gallop. She hastened to meet him, fearful of some 
 great misfortune, crying out: 
 
 "Ho! courier, ho! courier, what news do you bring?" 
 
 "The battle is lost," said the messenger, "the king is 
 killed, and the wicked Constantine is on the road hither." 
 
 The poor queen fainted away and was carried to bed 
 insensible, where all her ladies in tears surrounded her, 
 some mourning for the loss of a father, others for sons or 
 brothers; there was weeping and wailing and tearing of 
 hair. 
 
 Soon the bad king was heard approaching. Heading 
 his unprincipled subjects, he entered the city, sword in 
 hand, and slew without mercy all whom he encountered. 
 The inhabitants fled before him with loud cries, and all 
 who escaped took refuge in the country. With his sword 
 still reeking, the king entered the palace and ascended 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 227 
 
 to the queen's apartment. When she beheld him in the 
 room she buried herself under the bedclothes, terrified 
 to the last degree. He strode up to the bed, pulled off 
 the clothes, tore the queen's cap from her head, and 
 scattered her long ringlets over her shoulders; then, 
 gathering them in his hand, he dragged her three times 
 round the room, and threw her over his shoulders as if 
 she had been a sack of corn, and in this manner carried 
 her off. Felicia entreated him for mercy, but in vain: 
 he only laughed at her supplications. 
 
 The king carried Felicia to his own country, swearing 
 all the way that he was determined to hang her; but, on 
 second thoughts, he determined to spare her life for the 
 
 S resent, and if she had a daughter to marry the latter to 
 is son. Anxious to know if she would have a daughter, 
 he sent for a fairy who lived at no great distance from 
 his palace. When she arrived he entertained the fairy 
 better than was his usual custom, and conducted her to 
 the tower, in the upper part of which, in a small and mis- 
 erably furnished garret, the poor queen was confined. 
 There was no bed, but a wretched, worn-out old mattress 
 only, not worth twopence, on which the desolate Felicia 
 sat and wept day and night. 
 
 When the fairy saw her her heart melted with pity; 
 she courtesied to the queen and whispered in her ear as 
 she embraced her: "Do not despair, madam, your mis- 
 fortunes will not last forever, and I hope to contribute 
 to their speedy termination." 
 
 Queen Felicia, somewhat comforted by these words, 
 returned the fairy's embrace, and begged her to take pity 
 on a poor princess who had never disgnedly injured any 
 one, but had always endeavored to do all the good in her 
 power. They were conversing together when the wicked 
 king interrupted them with: 
 
 "Come, not so many compliments; I brought you 
 hither to tell me whether this slave will have a son or a 
 daughter." 
 
 The fairy answered: "She will have a daughter, who 
 will be the fairest and most charming princess ever 
 seen." With that the fairy endowed the princess yet to 
 be born with innumerable virtues and accomplishments. 
 
 "If she prove not fair and amiable," said the wicked 
 king, "I will tie her to her mother's neck and hang them 
 
228 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 to the branch of a tree, nor shall tears or entreaties 
 induce me to relent." 
 
 He then quitted the garret, accompanied by the fairy, 
 without bestowing a look upon the good queen, who was 
 weeping bitterly and saying to herself: "Alas! what will 
 become of me? Should I have a pretty little daughter, 
 he will give her to his monster son; should she be ugly, 
 he will hang us both. To what a miserable extremity 
 am I reduced!" 
 
 She had no friend to whom she could confide her 
 trouble, or who might console her. Her jailer gave her 
 daily three parched peas only, with a small allowance of 
 water, and sometimes a very small piece of black bread. 
 She soon therefore became thinner than a herring, and 
 reduced to mere skin and bone. 
 
 As she was spinning one evening (for the wicked king, 
 who was very covetous, made her work day and night), 
 she saw a very pretty little mouse creep through a hole 
 into her room. "Alas! m^ darling," said the wretched 
 Felicia, "there is nothing here for you! three peas a day 
 are my allowance; so if you would not fast, go elsewhere 
 for food." The little mouse ran to and fro, dancing and 
 skipping so gayly that the queen took much pleasure in 
 watching its antics, and was induced to give it the only 
 pea she had left for her supper. "Here, pretty one," 
 she said, "eat this, it is all I have to offer you, but I give 
 it willingly." The words had scarcely passed her lips 
 when c*ie saw on her table a fine plump partridge, admi- 
 rably dressed with bread sauce, and two boxes of bonbons. 
 "In truth," said Felicia, "a kind action always brings its 
 reward." 
 
 With that she ate a little, but having fasted so long she 
 was almost past eating. She threw a sweetmeat to the 
 mouse, who soon began to nibble it, and, when he had 
 done his supper, danced still more prettily than before. 
 
 The next morning, when the jailer brought the queen's 
 three peas, which he carried iii on a large dish with a 
 cover, by way of ridicule, the little mouse crept softly, to 
 the dish and munched them all three, together with 
 the morsel of bread. When it was dinner-time, and the 
 queen found the dish empty, she was somewhat angry 
 with the mouse. "The greedy little creatrue!" said the 
 hungry Felicia; "if it serve me so to-inorrow I shall pine 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 229 
 
 to death." She was about to put the cover over the empty 
 dish when she found all kinds of nice things in it, and, 
 
 rejoicing at this unexpected discovery, quickly began to 
 eat; but while she was eating it came into her mind that 
 
230 OLD, OLD FAIttT TALES. 
 
 the wicked king would perhaps in a few days put her and 
 her child to death, and she ceased eating to indulge her 
 tears; then, raising her eyes to heaven, she exclaimed: 
 "What! and is there no means of escape?'' As she 
 spoke she observed her little friend playing with two or 
 three long straws: Felicia took them from the mouse and 
 began to plait them. "If I had but enough," said she, 
 "I would make a covered basket large enough to hold my 
 little daughter, and give her through the window to the 
 first charitable person who would take charge of her." 
 
 She set to work with a good heart, while the good 
 little mouse took care that she did not want for straw, 
 continuing to drag it into the garret as fast as Felicia 
 could use it, and dancing and skipping for her amuse- 
 ment. At meal-times the queen gave her three peas to 
 the mouse, and received in exchange a good supply of 
 delicious food. Felicia was extremely puzzled to imagine 
 who it could be that sent her so many nice things. As 
 she was one day looking out of the window to try the 
 length of her straw plait, she observed at the foot of the 
 tower a good little woman leaning on a staff, who, 
 directly she saw the queen's face, said to her: 
 
 "I am acquainted with your grief, madam, and am will- 
 ing to assist you." 
 
 "Alas! my dear friend," answered the queen, "you 
 will do me a great favor: come every evening under my 
 window, and when my child is born I will lower the dear 
 baby to you; nurse it, and bring it up for me, and when 
 I am able I will amply reward you." 
 
 "I am not covetous," answered the old woman, "but 
 am somewhat dainty, and there is nothing pleases my 
 palate better than a nice, fat, plump mouse. If you can 
 catch any such in your garret kill them and throw them 
 to me; 1 am not ungrateful, and your infant will fare all 
 the better for your kindness." 
 
 When Queen Felicia heard this speech she began to 
 cry, and the old woman, after waiting her answer for a 
 few minutes, asked her the cause of her tears. "I grieve," 
 said the poor queen, "because there is only one mouse 
 which comes into my chamber, and it is so pretty and so 
 good that I cannot put it to death." 
 
 "What!" answered the old woman in a passion, "could 
 you sacrifice your child for love of a little rogue of a 
 
OLD, OLD FAIHY TALES. 231 
 
 mouse, who nibbles all that falls in his way? Very well* 
 madam, please yourself, and I wish you much joy with 
 your companion; I shall not want for mice without your 
 assistance/' With that the old woman went her way, 
 grumbling and muttering between her teeth. 
 
 Although the queen had a nice meal on her table, and 
 although the good little mouse came as usual to skip and 
 dance for her amusement, she kept her eyes riveted on 
 the floor, her heart beating violently, while tears coursed 
 each other down her cheeks. . * 
 
 That very night she became the mother of a little girl, 
 a miracle of beauty, which, instead of crying, like other 
 children, smiled in her face, holding on t^ her tiny hands 
 as if she had been very rational. The queen caressed 
 and kissed the little stranger very tenderly, saying to 
 herself: "Alas! my poor little darling, if you fall into 
 the wicked king's clutches, it will be all up with you." 
 She then placed her gently in the basket, and pinned to 
 her clothes a scrap of paper, on which was written: "This 
 unfortunate little girl's name is Amietta." In a minute 
 or two she opened the basket again, and thought her in- 
 fant looked prettier than ever; she kissed her again and 
 burst into tears. 
 
 At this moment the good little mouse skipped into the 
 room, and crept into the basket with Amietta. "Ah! 
 little creature," said Felicia, "how dearly have I pur- 
 chased your life! Perhaps I shall lose my dear Amietta! 
 Who but I would have scrupled to kill you for the dainty 
 old woman's dinner? Well! I could not find it in my 
 heart to do so cruel a deed." 
 
 The good little mouse answered the queen in these 
 words: "Do not regret your kindness, madam; I am not 
 quite so unworthy of it as you may imagine." 
 
 Fear and astonishment struggled in the queen's breast 
 when she heard the little mouse speak; and her fear not 
 a little increased when she observed its little snout take 
 the form of a face, its little paws become hands and feet, 
 and all at once its whole body increase in size. At last 
 the queen recognized in the now entirely metamorphosed 
 mouse, the fairy who had visited her in company with 
 the wicked king, and who had manifested so much affec- 
 tion for her. 
 
 The fairy spoke: "I have tried your heart, and I find 
 
232 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 that it is good and generous. We fairies, although pos- 
 sessed of wealth and power, seek, as the greatest treasure 
 upon earth, true friendship, and rarely do we find it." 
 
 "Is it possible, fair lady/' said the queen, embracing 
 her, "that you, rich and powerful as you are, have any 
 difficulty to find friends?" 
 
 "Yes," answered the fairy; "we are loved but for in- 
 terest, and that is not the kind of love we care for, but 
 when loved as you loved me, as a little mouse, no service 
 is too great to show our affection. Anxious to put your 
 goodness to the test, I assumed the figure of an old 
 woman, and accosted you from the foot of the tower: you 
 know that your heart was proof against the trial." 
 Thereupon the fairy embraced the queen, and having 
 tenderly kissed the little princess three times, she said: 
 "I endow you, sweet child, to be the comfort of your 
 mother, and richer than your father; to reach the age of 
 one hundred years, with undiminished beauty, free from 
 illness, wrinkles, or other apprearance of age." 
 
 The queen in raptures thanked the beneficent fairy, 
 and entreated her to remove Amietta from the prison, 
 and take care of her; adding that she gave her child 
 freely to be the fairy's daughter. 
 
 The fairy accepted the present and thanked Queen 
 Felicia; she placed the baby gently in the basket, and 
 lowered it through the window; but, having waited a 
 few moments to resume the shape of the little mouse, 
 when she descended by the straw plait, the baby was no 
 longer there. She returned hastily to the queen: "All 
 is lost," she said, "my enemy Caucaline has just carried 
 off the princess! you must know she is a cruel fairy who 
 mortally hates me, and, being unfortunately my senior, 
 is more powerful than myself. I know not how I can 
 contrive to withdraw Amietta from her vile clutches." 
 
 When the queen heard this sad intelligence her grief 
 was excessive: weeping very bitterly, she conjured her 
 kind friend to endeavor to recover her darling Amietta 
 at all hazards. 
 
 Meanwhile the jailer, coming to pay his daily visit to 
 the queen, knew that she had become a mother, and 
 hastened to inform the wicked king, who went straight- 
 way to demand the child. Felicia said that a fairy, 
 whoso name she did not know, had taken it from her by 
 
The king stamped his foot in a rage. " I promised to hang you," said he, " nor 
 will I delay to keep my word. 11 Page 5233. Old, Old Fairy Tales. 
 
v 
 
 ! : '; .-' 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 233 
 
 force. On hearing this, the wicked king stamped his 
 feet and gnawed his very finger-nails with rage. "I 
 promised," said he, "to hang yon, nor will I delay to 
 keep my word." With that he seized the poor queen by 
 the hair of her head, dragged her into a wood, climbed a 
 tall tree, and was on the point of hanging her, when the 
 fairy, having rendered herself invisible, came close beside 
 him, and pushed him down to the ground, dislocating 
 his nose, and breaking four teeth in the fall. The fairy 
 then hastened away with the queen in her flying chariot, 
 and conducted her to a noble castle, where Felicia was 
 carefully nursed, and, but for the loss of her little Ami- 
 etta, would have been completely happy. 
 
 Time slipped away, and the queen's excessive affliction 
 gradually diminished. Fifteen years had passed since the 
 birth of her daughter, when she heard that the wicked 
 king's son had offered his hand to a young girl who kept 
 his father's turkeys, but that she had refused him. It 
 was not a little surprising that a turkey-keeper should 
 refuse to become a princess, with a reasonable prospect 
 of being one day queen. The nuptial dresses too were 
 prepared, and it was to have been so gay a wedding that 
 guests had come to witness it from three hundred miles 
 round. The good little mouse was among these guests; 
 and wishing to see the turkey-keeper at her ease, paid her 
 a visit in the poultry-yard. She found the turkey -keeper 
 seated on a large stone dressed in a coarse stuff petticoat, 
 with neither shoe nor stocking on her feet. Dresses of 
 gold and silver brocade, trimmed with diamonds, pearls, 
 ribbons and the finest lace, were lying near her, trodden 
 under the turkeys' feet, covered with dirt and completely 
 spoiled. Presently the wicked king's son, who was lame, 
 humpbacked, and blind of one eye, approached her, and 
 said rudely: "If you still refuse to have me, I will be the 
 death of you." 
 
 The turkey-keeper answered haughtily: "I can never 
 love, nor consent to marry you; you are too ugly, and 
 too much like your cruel father. Leave me in peace 
 with my turkeys; I love them better than all your finery. " 
 
 The good little mouse gazed on her with admiration, 
 for she was as beautiful as the moon.. When the wicked 
 king's son was out of sight the fairy assumed the figure 
 of an old shepherdess, and, accosting the rustic beauty, 
 said: 
 
234 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "Good-morrow, daughter; you have a fine flock of fat 
 turkeys here." 
 
 The young turkey-keeper smiled sweetly on the old 
 dame, and said: "They are trying to persuade me to 
 abandon them for a weary crown; pray assist me with your 
 advice." 
 
 "Daughter," said the fairy, "a crown is not to be 
 despised; you neither know its value nor importance." 
 
 "So well do I know both the one and the other," an- 
 swered the turkey-keeper promptly, "that I am resolved 
 never to share one with an unworthy person; yet I do 
 not know who I am, nor who are my father and mother: 
 I have neither relations nor friends." 
 
 "You have beauty and virtue, my child, "said the wise 
 fairy, "which are more valuable than ten kingdoms: tell 
 me, I entreat you, who placed you here, since you have 
 neither father, mother, relations, nor friends." 
 
 "A fairy," answered the fair turkey -feeder, "named 
 Caucaline, is the cause of my being in this place: she 
 brought me up from infancy, but treated me so cruelly 
 that one day I resolved to escape from her house, and, 
 after wandering for some time, was resting in a wood, 
 when the wicked king's son happened to pass that way. 
 He saw me, and asked if I would take care of his 
 poultry: I accepted his offer, and his turkeys were im- 
 mediately placed under my charge. He came from time 
 to time to see how they thrived, and of course saw me 
 also; when, alas! without the slightest desire on my part 
 for the honor, he fell so desperately in love that I am 
 teased out of my life by his importunities." 
 
 "JVhen the fairy had heard this artless tale she began 
 to think that the turkey-keeper must be the Princess 
 Amietta. "What is your name, my dear?" said she. 
 
 "I am called Amietta," answered the rustic. 
 
 On hearing this, the fairy could no longer doubt the 
 truth of her surmises; so, throwing her arm round the 
 princess' neck, she almost devoured her with caresses, 
 and said: "Amietta, 1 have known you from your birth, 
 and am very glad to find you so pretty and so prudent; 
 but I should like to see you better dressed, as your pres- 
 ent appearance is anything but favorable; let me see how 
 you look in these fine clothes." 
 
 Amietta, who was very obedient, immediately com- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 235 
 
 pliad with the fairy's request: she uncovered her head, 
 when immediately her long hair, which was finer than 
 gossamer, and of the most delicate auburn, fell to the 
 ground in graceful curls; then, taking in the palms of 
 her delicate hands some water from a clear stream that ran 
 near the hen-house, she bathed her face, when her com- 
 plexion became clear as oriental pearl. Eoses seemed to 
 blow upon her cheeks and carnations on her lips; her 
 mild breath was as sweet as the honeysuckle or wild 
 thyme, her form was graceful as the fawn's, while the 
 whiteness of her bosom surpassed that of drifted snow, 
 or the lily of the valley. 
 
 When she was dressed the fairy declared her a miracle 
 of beauty, and said: "Who now do you think you are, 
 my dear Amietta?" 
 
 "In truth," answered the princess, "I cannot help 
 fancying myself the daughter of some great king." 
 
 "Should you be very glad if it were so?" asked the 
 fairy. 
 
 "Yes, my dear madam," answered Amietta, courtesy- 
 ing, "I should be very, very glad." 
 
 "Very well," said the fairy, "be happy then; I will 
 tell you more to-morrow." 
 
 Thereupon the fairy departed, and returned in all dili- 
 gence to her fine castle, where Queen Felicia was em- 
 ployed spinning silk. "Will it please your majesty," 
 cried the good little mouse, "to wager your spindle and 
 your distaff, that I do not bring you the best news you 
 ever heard?" 
 
 "Alas!" answered the queen, "since the death of King 
 Felix, and the loss of my darling Amietta, all the news in 
 this world is nothing to me." 
 
 "A truce to your sorrow," said the fairy; "the prin- 
 cess, whom I have just seen, is quite well, arid so exceed- 
 ingly beautiful that it will be her own fault if she do not 
 become a queen." 
 
 The good fairy then related all she had learned, and 
 the queen shed tears of joy to hear that her daughter 
 was still alive and so beautiful, but was overwhelmed with 
 sorrow to learn that she was a turkey-keeper. 
 
 "When my dear husband and myself were a powerful 
 king and queen, and in the height of onr prosperity, we 
 little thought a child of ours would ever be a turkey- 
 keeper!*" 
 
236 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "Never mind," said the fairy, "it is a trick of the 
 wicked Caucaline, who, aware of my affection for you, 
 has reduced Amietta to this condition; but I will be equal 
 with my rival yet, and will either restore the princess to 
 her proper rank, or burn my books." 
 
 "I have no ambition to see my child married to the 
 wicked king's son, '"said the queen; "so do not delay to 
 bring her hither." 
 
 In the meantime the wicked king's son, repulsed by 
 Amietta in the presence of the good little mouse, was 
 very much enraged against her; and seating himself 
 under the palace wall, he began to cry so loudly that the 
 wicked king overheard him. Throwing up the window, 
 and putting out his head: "What is the matter? What 
 are you making all this noise about?" said he. 
 
 "Our turkey-keeper loves me not," answered the son. 
 
 "How! loves you not?" said the wicked king; "but I 
 say she shall love you." With that he called his guards, 
 and gave orders for them to bring the turkey-keeper to 
 his presence, adding that he would make her bitterly 
 repent her obstinacy in refusing to love his handsome 
 son. 
 
 The guards, in obedience to the orders they had re- 
 ceived, went immediately to the turkey-yard, when they 
 found Amietta attired in a superb robe of white satin, 
 embroidered with diamonds and rubies, and tastefully 
 trimmed with ribbon. Never in their lives had they seea 
 so noble looking and beautiful a lady;, and believing her 
 to be a princess, they were afraid to speak. "Pray tell 
 me whom you seek?" said Amietta, in a very sweet and 
 amiable voice. 
 
 "Madam," they answered, "we come, by the king's 
 orders, in search of a wretched young woman named 
 Amietta." 
 
 "Alas!" answered the princess, "that is my name; 
 what would you with me?" 
 
 They dared not hesitate to seize her; so, binding her 
 hands and feet with strong cords, they dragged her be- 
 fore the wicked king- and his son. When the king Baw 
 how very beautiful she was, in spite of himself he was a 
 little moved; indeed, she must have excited the kindest 
 feelings in his bosom if he had not been the most wicked 
 person in the world. When he had surveyed her from 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 23? 
 
 head to foot he said: "So, madam! I hear that you will 
 not consent to marry my son. He is a hundred times too 
 good for you; and, fine as you think yourself, one of his 
 looks is worth more than all your charms. Come, marry 
 him immediately, or I will have you flayed alive." 
 
 The princess, trembling like a dove in the net of the 
 fowler, threw herself at his feet, and embracing his knees, 
 said: "Sire, I conjure you to have pity on me; to in jure an 
 unprotected girl would be unworthy of your royal dig- 
 nity. Give me a day or two to reflect, and I will then no 
 longer oppose your wishes." 
 
 The son, furious at her not consenting on the spot, 
 would have had her flayed at once; but the king finally 
 resolved to placed her in confinement, and she was con- 
 ducted to a high tower, where she was deprived of the 
 light of the sun. 
 
 At this crisis the good fairy and the queen arrived in 
 the flying chariot, and soon learned all that had taken 
 place. The queen began to weep bitterly, saying that 
 her misfortunes were interminable, but that she would 
 rather see her daughter dead than married to the wicked 
 king's son. "Be of good cheer," said the fairy, "I am 
 about so to annoy them that you shall be amply avenged. " 
 
 When the wicked king went to bed the beneficent 
 fairy, having assumed the shape of a mouse, concealed 
 herself under the bolster of his bed, and just as he was 
 falling asleep crept out and gnawed his ear. Muttering 
 an oath, he turned round in bed, when the little mouse 
 gnawed his other ear. The king flew into a passion, and 
 called aloud for help. The attendants entered the room, 
 and found the king with both his ears so severely bitten, 
 and bleeding so fast that all their efforts to stanch the 
 wounds were unavailing. While a diligent search was 
 making for the mouse she paid the wicked king's son a 
 visit, and served him in the same manner. He was soon 
 heard bawling for assistance, and when the servants came 
 into his apartment they beheld him with his ears nearly 
 skinned. The surgeon was sent for, and the good little 
 mouse returned to the wicked king's bedchamber, when 
 she found the king again dozing off to sleep. She now 
 crept up to his nose, and began to nibble with all her 
 might, and when the king covered that with his hands, 
 she applied herself industriously to bite and scratch them 
 
38 OLD, OLD FAIRT TALES. 
 
 also. "Help, help," cried the king, "I am suffering 
 martyrdom!" And while he was shouting the little 
 mouse crept into his mouth, and nibbled his tongue, lips, 
 and cheeks. The attendants rushed into the room, and 
 found the king looking ghastly, and almost speechless, 
 from the effects of the mouse's little teeth on his tongue. 
 All he could do was to make signs that a mouse was the 
 author of this new mischief, when the mattress, the 
 bolster, and every hole and corner of the room were 
 again searched in vain, for the mouse was off, a second 
 time, to the son, whom she completely blinded, for she 
 gnawed his remaining eye (he was already blind of one). 
 In a transport of fury, with his drawn sword in his hand, 
 he blundered into his father's room, whom he found storm- 
 ing and swearing that he would destroy everything an 
 inch high, and an hour old, if the mouse were not found. 
 
 When the king saw his son he stormed also at him; and 
 the latter, whose ears were bound up, not recognizing his 
 father's voice, immediately attacked him. The wicked 
 king, amazed, thrust his sword through the body of his 
 son, and stumbled in his eagerness on his adversary's 
 weapon, which impaled him, and thus father and son 
 rolled on the floor dead at each other's hands. Their 
 subjects, who hated them mortally, and only obeyed them 
 out of fear, no longer dreading their anger, tied cords to 
 their feet and dragged them into the river, saying that 
 they were very glad to be rid of them so easily. 
 
 Thus died the wicked King of Tearland, and his 
 equally wicked son. The beneficent fairy hastened to 
 inform the queen of the event, and .they went together to 
 the black tower, in which Amietta was confined under 
 more than forty locks. The fairy struck the outer door 
 three times with her little nut-tree wand, when it im- 
 mediately flew open, as did all the others, and they found 
 the poor princess in the deepest affliction. Throwing 
 herself on her daughter's neck: "My long-lost darling," 
 said the queen, "I am your unfortunate mother, Queen 
 Felicia." Thereupon she communicated to the princess 
 every particular of her history, at which Amietta was so 
 transported with joy that it almost cost her her life. 
 She threw herself at the queen's feet, embraced them, 
 bathed them with her tears, and kissed them again and 
 again. She then tenderly embraced the fairy, who had 
 
\Vf\ 
 
 * . '* 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 239 
 
 brought her baskets full of jewels of enormous value, with 
 gold, diamonds, bracelets, pearls, and the portrait of 
 King Felix, set in jewels, which she held up for her in- 
 spection. "But we have no time to lose," said she; 
 "now is the time for a master-stroke; let us go to the 
 large hall of the palace, and harangue the people. " 
 
 The fairy led the way, with a very sedate and serious 
 countenance, wearing a robe with a train more than six 
 ells long; the queen's dress was of blue velvet, covered 
 with gold embroidery, and had a still longer train. In 
 order to make this display, they had brought their rich- 
 est suits with them; they wore, likewise, crowns on their 
 heads, which sparkled like so many suns. The Princess 
 Amietta followed her mother, looking as modest as Diana, 
 and as beautiful as Venus. They courtesied to all whom 
 they met, gentle or simple. A crowd soon collected 
 about them, anxious to learn who these fair and noble- 
 looking ladies could be. They entered the large hall in 
 which the court was usually held, and when it was as full 
 as it could hold the beneficent fairy told the people that 
 she proposed to give them for their queen the daughter 
 of King Felix of Happy Land, whom she then introduced 
 to their notice; adding, that they would certainly be con- 
 tented with her government, and that if they accepted 
 her for their sovereign, she, the fairy, would find Ami- 
 etta a husband as perfect as herself, and would restore 
 cheerfulness to the kingdom, and forever banish melan- 
 choly from their hearts. When these words were heard 
 loud shouts of "Long live Amietta, Queen of Tearland, 
 now Happy Land!" resounded from the multitude, and 
 almost split the roof. At the same moment a hundred 
 different musical instruments struck up a lively waltz, 
 and the people joined hands and began to dance round 
 the queen, her daughter, and the benignant fairy, sing- 
 ing with one voice: 
 
 All hail to our queen, who brings brightness and joy 
 To the hearts of a people by care long oppressed! 
 
 Iiong, long may she live; while each thought we employ, 
 To render her happy by whom we are blessed. 
 
 A wiser or better earth never has seen; 
 
 Then, live Amietta; long, long live the queen. 
 
 Thus kindly were they welcomed; and never until the 
 time in which we live was there a queen more beloved. 
 
240 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 At her coronation, which, as may be expected, was 
 magnificent in the extreme, tables were spread in the 
 
 r ^_- " r -'-- V ':--- -'-- --- ----'-; -^^^-^r*=^r ~=~ 
 
 park, collations were served, all present ate, drank, and 
 were merry, and then retired to rest, blessing their 
 youthful queen. Shortly afterward the fairy presented 
 to the gentle Amietta the most handsome prince that 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 241 
 
 eyes ever looked upon, and what is more, as good as he 
 was handsome. The fairy, who had to seek such a paragon 
 of a husband in a very remote kingdom, brought him in 
 her flying chariot; and so well were they matched that, 
 directly they met, they conceived the most tender and 
 lasting attachment for each other. Magnificent prepara- 
 tions were made for the wedding, and the ceremony was 
 performed with the utmost splendor, and followed by 
 rejoicings, which lasted six months, throughout the king- 
 dom. 
 
 SEPTIMUS. 
 
 THERE was once upon a time a king and queen, who 
 had a very small kingdom to govern. The king was 
 named Petard; he was a very good man, rather blunt, of 
 a weak and limited. mind; but otherwise the best king in 
 the world. His subjects were nearly as much masters 
 of his kingdom as himself, for on the most unimportant 
 occasions they gave their advice rather loudly and with- 
 out its being asked for; and each of them wished his 
 notions on government to be noticed and followed. 
 
 The queen was called Gilletta; she had no larger share 
 of talents than her husband, but still her character was 
 mild, timid and inoffensive, which caused her to speak 
 little, and often by .sentences only; she paid that sub- 
 missive deference to the king which a wife usually pays 
 to the husband to whom she owes her fortune. 
 
 As Petard was the only child of the king and queen, 
 his father and mother resolved from his birth to marry 
 him to a little princess, the niece of an old fairy, named 
 Gangan, who was at that time the intimate friend of 
 Petard's father and mother. It is true that the princess 
 was not yet come into the world; but, on Gangan's assur- 
 ing them that she should one day be an accomplished 
 person, all that she required was promised, and an oath 
 was even taken to insure it. 
 
 Petard having arrived at twenty-five years of age, 
 thought it would be proper to marry to his own mind; 
 he troubled himself but little ah^ut his father and 
 mother's promises, and married, without their consent, 
 an extremely pretty young lady, of whom he was very 
 
THE KING AND HIS MINISTER. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 243 
 
 fond. She was only a rich farmer's daughter; but al- 
 though she was married to a king's son, her natural good 
 sense prevented her becoming vain, that is to say, silly. 
 
 The king, Petard's father, angry at that prince's mar- 
 riage, could not refuse to Gangan the right of avenging 
 the affront which he had put on them both; he accord- 
 ingly disinherited his son, forbade him ever to appear at 
 his court, and gave him his portion, which it was settled 
 should be a pretty considerable estate, on which his 
 father-in-law was farmer. All the favor that was granted 
 him was leave to erect this little estate into a sovereignty, 
 himself having the title of king and majesty. Shortly 
 after his disgrace his father died; and his mother, hav- 
 ing obtained the regency, was not sorry to be unincum- 
 bered with a son, who, notwithstanding his want of wit, 
 might have been able to thwart her projects, and to 
 oppose her desire of reigning. 
 
 Petard was neither ambitious nor a conqueror; conse- 
 quently he was not long in accustoming himself to his 
 small estate, and even in becoming very well pleased 
 with it. Small as it was, he reigned therein, as though 
 it were larger; in fact, it was quite as large as was neces- 
 sary for him, and the titles of king and majesty served 
 him instead of a large kingdom. But as the most 
 bounded minds have always at least their share of vanity, 
 he soon prided himself in imitating the king his father, 
 and created a seneschal, a solicitor-general, and a cham- 
 berlain (for in those days chancellors and parliaments 
 were unlike unknown; the kings administered justice 
 themselves, and received in person their revenues). He 
 also coined money, instituted with his seneschal regula- 
 tions for the police of his little kingdom; his father-in- 
 law Carbuncle being the person whom he honored with 
 the title of seneschal. He was a frank, sincere, and up- 
 right man, and was endowed by nature with good com- 
 mon sense and some imagination: accordingly he decided 
 slowly, but nearly always justly; he knew by heart the 
 verses of the poets of his time, and was fond of reciting 
 them. This little appointment did not make him vain; 
 for he continued to make the farm as valuable as before, 
 which so gained him his son-in-law's, confidence that his 
 majesty soon was unable to do without him. 
 
 Carbuncle visited the king every morning, and took 
 
244 OLD, OLD PAIHT TALES. 
 
 his breakfast with him; they talked on business, bnt the 
 minister would very often say to the king: "Sire, with 
 your permission, you do not understand it; allow me to 
 manage and all will go well; 'let everybody mind his own 
 affairs/ says the poet." 
 
 "But," replied the king, "what shall I do, then?" 
 
 "Whatever you like," answered Carbuncle; "you can 
 govern your wife and your kitchen-garden; that is all 
 that is required of you." 
 
 "In truth, I think that you are right,"- said the king; 
 "so do as you think fit." 
 
 However, to lose nothing on the score of reputation, 
 he always displayed himself on feast-days in a royal cloak 
 of red cloth, printed with flowers -of gold, a cap of the 
 same material, with a gilded wooden scepter, which he 
 had bought of an old strolling player, who had retired 
 from the stage. In accordance with the advice of his 
 seneschal he purchased almanacs, which were for- 
 warded to him very year in the month of July, and 
 which he had regularly bound in fine marble paper with 
 the edges gilt. In the one he learned the proper sowing 
 time, also the season for planting, cutting, grafting, 
 draining and clearing, and he trusted in it so implicitly 
 that he often physicked himself and his queen when they 
 did not want it. In the other he studied political proph- 
 ecies, with which he was so bewildered that he under- 
 stood nothing about them. At the end of a few years all 
 these almanacs formed for him quite a little library, of 
 which he was as fond as though it had been equal to the 
 Bodleian, and he and the seneschal alone had keys to it. 
 In the afternoon he employed himself in his royal little 
 kitchen-garden, and in putting in practice what his 
 almanac had taught him in the morning. In the evening 
 he sent for Carbuncle, with whom he played until sup- 
 per-time, at "beat my neighbor out of doors" or piquet; 
 he then supped in public with the queen, and at ten 
 o'clock everybody was in bed. 
 
 Gilletta, on her part, employed herself with the house- 
 hold affairs; she spun with her women, and made with 
 her cows' and goats' milk excellent cheese, and delight- 
 ful jam tarts for her husband's supper; but, above all, 
 every morning she never failed to knead a little cake of 
 barley flour, which she baked on the hearth, and carried, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 245 
 
 with a cream cheese, to her little garden, where she 
 placed it at the foot of a rose-tree, as she had been 
 directed in a dream to do the day after her wedding. 
 
 The tranquillity which they both enjoyed in their little 
 kingdom was only disturbed by thenvish of having chil- 
 dren. They had been married two years, and Petard had 
 begun to despair, when one day as he was in his fruit 
 
$46 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 garden with his seneschal, the first lady of honor to the 
 queen came and announced to him that he had become a 
 father. 
 
 Transported with joy at this intelligence, he embraced 
 the lady with all his heart, and, taking from his finger a 
 fine ring formed of a cat's eye, he presented it to her. 
 He did not stop there, for he gave that evening a grand 
 supper to all the chief men of his kingdom; after which 
 he fired off himself all his artillery, which consisted of 
 twelve arquebuses with locks and six carbines with rods. 
 It is said that at supper his immediate joy made him say 
 things incompatible with his dignity, and that when his 
 seneschal remonstrated with him upon the subject he 
 replied by throwing a large glass of wine in that minis- 
 ter's face, saying: "Many thanks, father-in-law. You 
 are, perhaps, right; but one is not a father every day. 
 However, let us say no more about it, and let us rejoice, 
 for in my place you would, perhaps, act quite as wisely." 
 Carbuncle made no reply, and everybody withdrew from 
 their majesties very well pleased. 
 
 As the king was loved by his subjects, rejoicings were 
 duly made the same day and hour all over the kingdom 
 to celebrate this event. 
 
 "Everything comes in time to him who can wait," said 
 the queen quietly. For, instead of one child at one 
 birth, she brought Petard seven: three boys, three girls, 
 and then another boy. The last child had the most 
 beautiful eyes that were ever seen, a white skin, and eye- 
 brows, like his hair, black as jet; as he was born with 
 curly hair the king and queen liked him better than the 
 others, and the queen absolutely wished herself to nurse 
 her little Septimus, which was his name. 
 
 At the end of eighteen months the three princes be- 
 came so lively and playful that the nurses could not do 
 anything with them. When they complained to the 
 king he answered them: "Let them alone; when they 
 shall be as old as I am they will not be so lively; I was 
 the same, I who am now speaking to you. All in good 
 time." The three princesses, on the contrarv, were 
 gentle; but so dull, so quiet, that they would remain in 
 any places they were put; which caused the king to like 
 his sons best, and the queen to prefer her daughters, ex- 
 cept in regard to Septimus, who had none of his broth- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 24? 
 
 ers' and sisters' defects, and was the prettiest child in 
 the world. He would soon have been spoiled if a kind 
 fairy, unknown to Gangan and even to Gilletta, had not 
 endowed him with an equable and unchangeable char- 
 acter. 
 
 When it was necessary to wean the children of their 
 majesties a cabinet council was called, composed of the 
 seneschal, the solicitor-general, the chamberlain, and the 
 nurses, who were also summoned. After a long discussion 
 it was resolved, by the advice of Carbuncle, to use cows' 
 milk for the three boys, and goats' milk for the three 
 girls: this appeared to be a very good and simple means 
 of correcting the vivacity of the princes, and the dullness 
 of the princesses. But when they were older, and it be- 
 came necessary to give them more substantial food, they 
 consumed such an enormous quantity that the king's 
 revenues were considerably diminished thereby; besides, 
 as the princes had only lost part of their vivacity by their 
 early nourishment, and the princesses had acquired an 
 additional quantity, there was an uproar and frightful 
 quarreling all day long. The} 7 fought and pulled each 
 other about, and wore out so many, many clothes that 
 there could hardly be enough found for them. The little 
 Septimus alone was mild and- obedient, and his brothers 
 and sisters were always playing him some roguish trick. 
 The king would frequently say to the queen; "Your 
 three daughters grow excessively tall, and by my scepter, 
 I hardly know what I shall do with them; as for my boys, 
 I will give them the care of my farm; but for your 
 daughters, it is different." 
 
 To which the queen would answer: 
 
 "Sire, let us have patience; for everything comes in 
 time to him who can wait." 
 
 While King Petard made himself uneasy, and Queen 
 Gilletta kept herself quiet, their children attained seven 
 years of age. Every one of those who composed their 
 court had already given his advice, or rather his deci- 
 sion, as to the establishment of the princesses and princes, 
 when one morning the queen, who had just kneaded her 
 little cake, perceived on the table a pretty little blue 
 mouse nibbling the dough; her first. impulse was to drive 
 it away, but an involuntary feeling withheld her; she 
 watched it attentively, and was much surprised to see it 
 
248 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 seize the little cake and carry it up the chimney. Her 
 quietness now gave way to her impatience, and running 
 after the mouse with the intention of taking its booty 
 from it, she saw both disappear, and beheld in their 
 place a little shriveled old woman a foot high at most. 
 
 After making several grimaces, and uttering some half- 
 intelligible words, this little hop o ? my thumb put the 
 shovel and tongs across each other, described over them 
 with the broom three circles and three triangles, uttered 
 seven short sharp cries, and finished by throwing the 
 'oom over her head. The queen, notwithstanding her 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 249 
 
 fear, did not fail to remark that the old woman, while 
 tracing the circles and triangles,, had distinctly pro- 
 nounced these three words, "confidence, discretion, 
 happiness;" and was trying to discover their meaning, 
 when a voice which she heard in the next room attracted 
 her attention. As she thought it was Septimus' voice, 
 she ran there immediately; but had hardly opened the 
 door when she perceived three large may-flies, each of 
 which held in its paws one of her daughters; and three 
 tall young ladies who had on their backs her three sons. 
 They all immediately passed through the window, sing- 
 ing in chorus and very melodiously: 
 
 " Fly away, fly of May; 
 Fly away, fly away." 
 
 What moved Gilletta most was, to see in the midst of 
 them, Septimus between the blue mouse's paws; they 
 were both in a little car made of a large rose-colored 
 snail-shell, and drawn by two goldfinches, with beauti- 
 fully streaked feathers. The mouse, who now appeared 
 to be larger than mice generally are, was dressed in a 
 beautiful gown of Persian silk, and a mantle of black vel- 
 vet, a hood tied under its chin, and had -two little blue 
 horns over its forehead. The car, the may-flies and the 
 young ladies went away so quickly that the queen soon 
 lost sight of them. Then, more concerned at the loss of 
 Septimus and her children than at the fairies and their 
 power, she began to call out and to weep with all her 
 might. The king, hearing her grief, ran to the cham- 
 ber, followed by his seneschal, and was anxious to know 
 what had occurred; but Gilletta's grief was so over- 
 whelming that she could only answer him in these words: 
 
 "The may-flies! the young ladies! ah! Sire, my 
 children are torn from me!" 
 
 The king, who only paid attention to these last words, 
 abruptly quitted Gilletta, and ordered Carbuncle to take 
 two muskets from his antechamber, for he always had 
 half a dozen by him in expectation that he should one 
 day have as many guards. Then, crossing his royal 
 kitchen-garden, he reached the country with the design 
 of pursuing and killing the robbers.. 
 
 About an hour after he was gone the queen, who had 
 exhausted her tears, and was in the garden sighing for 
 
250 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 the loss of her children, heard something humming 
 round her, and saw fall at her feet a piece of paper 
 folded square; she picked it up, opened it precipitately, 
 and read as follows: 
 
 "Calm your uneasiness, my dear Gilletta, and remem- 
 ber that your happiness depends on confidence and dis- 
 cretion; you have begun well by your exactitude in giv- 
 
 ing me your cakes and cheeses, and my gratitude will do 
 the rest; but always be convinced that 'everything comes 
 in time to him who can wait,' and that you may hope 
 everything from your friend, 
 
 "THE FAIRY OF THE FIELDS." 
 
 This note, together with her confidence in the power 
 of the fairies, sufficed to calm her inquietude, and, ad- 
 dressing a little linnet which she perceived on a thistle 
 near her: "Linnet, pretty linnet," said she, "I will do 
 all that you wish, but tell me, I beg of you, as soon as 
 you hear of him, some news of my little Septimus." At 
 these words the linnet fluttered its wings, sang a few 
 notes, and flew away; and the queen, persuaded that this 
 was as much as to say, "I consent," thanked it, and made 
 the bird a low courtesy. In the meantime the king and 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 251 
 
 his seneschal, tired of their useless pursuit, had returned 
 to the house, and finding the queen very tranquil, the 
 king was somewhat offended at her apparent indiffer- 
 ence. He asked her several questions to ascertain the 
 cause, to which Gilletta gave no other answer than: 
 "Everything comes in time to him who can wait." This 
 coolness so vexed him that he would have gone into a 
 passion, if his seneschal had not urged on him that Gil- 
 letta was right, and that the poet Pibrac had said so 
 before her in one of his couplets, which he forthwith re- 
 cited. The king, to whom Carbuncle was an oracle, was 
 silent, and listened with attention to a nice little sermon 
 which he then preached to him on the evil of having chil- 
 dren, and the vexation and expense that they almost 
 always entail on their parents. "By my scepter," said the 
 king, "my father-in-law is right; and those seven brats 
 would have ruined me, had they remained with me much 
 longer; therefore, many thanks to him or her who has 
 taken them; as they came so are they gone; it is only so 
 much lost time; so let us rejoice and begin again." The 
 queen, who was afraid of saying too much, very pru- 
 dently said nothing; and the king, having no more to 
 say, returned to his closet and played a game at piquet 
 with his seneschal. 
 
 While all this was passing with King Petard, the 
 queen his mother, tiring of her widowhood, which had 
 now lasted an unusually long time, resolved to remarry. 
 With this intention she cast her eyes on a young prince 
 of a neighboring kingdom, sovereign of the Green Isles. 
 He was handsome, well made, and his mind was as pleas- 
 ing as his person; his pleasures were his only employ- 
 ments; nothing was to be heard of but his extrava- 
 gances; and it was averred that every pretty woman in his 
 kingdom was deeply in love with him. 
 
 His advantageous reputation, together with a portrait 
 of the prince, so turned the head of the queen that she 
 flattered herself with the idea of making him love her 
 and fixing his inconstancy. There was only one difficulty, 
 which was, that she was neither young nor lovely; she 
 was tall and thin, had small eyes, a long and crooked 
 nose, and a large mouth, not entirely without a beard on 
 the upper lip. Such a figure might not be without its 
 advantages to a queen, as it would command respect; 
 
252 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 but it was little calculated to inspire love. It is difficult 
 to blind one's self to one's defects, when they reach a 
 certain point; she felt, therefore, in moments of reflec- 
 tion, that, with her person, it would be imposible for her 
 to please the young King of the Green Isles, and that 
 to succeed in so doing she must possess beauty, or, at 
 least, youth; but how to come by it? How to change 
 gray hairs and masculine features for an amiable figure, 
 infantine graces, and an enticing mien? It is true that 
 Gangan, her friend, might have been of great assistance 
 to her in this affair, but as that fairy had several times 
 vainly urged the queen to adopt her niece, and to pro- 
 claim her heiress to the crown, she had everything to 
 fear from exciting her choler by such a proposal. The 
 old queen felt all this, hesitated, and struggled, but 
 looked so frequently at the portrait .of the handsome 
 Prince of the Green Isles that love at last conquered her 
 fear of the fairy, to whom she communicated her senti- 
 ments, conjuring her in the most pressing terms to assist 
 her with her art, and not to refuse her this essential 
 proof of her friendship. She even went so far as to show 
 her the portrait of the young prince, begging her ap- 
 proval of her design. Gangan could not conceal her sur- 
 prise, but she dissimulated her resentment; she foresaw 
 the bad consequences of protesting openly against this 
 marriage, since the King of the Green Isles, who had 
 nearly ruined his estates in supporting his extravagance, 
 might find it convenient to conclude the union from in- 
 terested motives, and might oppose her designs by the 
 assistance of a powerful protecting genius of his king- 
 dom; so, pretending to give her hand to this affair, she 
 promised the queen to set to work at making her young 
 again; but she promised herself, at the same time, to 
 deceive the queen, and to put the execution of her will 
 out of her majesty's power. 
 
 On the day that the fairy had appointed for the fulfill- 
 ment of her promises, she appeared dressed in a long 
 flesh-colored and silver satin robe; her headdress was 
 composed entirely of artificial flowers and tinsel trinkets; 
 a little dwarf held the end of her robe, and carried 
 under his left arm a black box. The queen received her 
 with the greatest marks of respect and gratitude, and 
 begged her, after the usual compliments, not to delay 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES.- 253 
 
 her happiness. The fairy consented, made everybody 
 retire, and ordered her dwarf to shut the doors and win- 
 dows; then, having taken from her box a vellum book, 
 ornamented with large silver clasps, a wand made of three 
 metals, and a vial which contained a very clear but 
 greenish liquid, she seated the queen on a cushion in the 
 middle of the room, and desired the dwarf to place him- 
 self opposite her majesty; then, having traced round 
 them three spiral circles, she read in her book, touched 
 the queen and the dwarf three times with her wand, and 
 sprinkled them with the liquid just spoken of. Then 
 the queen's features began to grow gradually less, and 
 the size of the little dwarf to increase in proportion; so 
 that in less than three minutes they changed figures 
 without feeling the slightest inconvenience. Although 
 the queen was armed with courage, still she could not 
 witness the dwarf's increasing size without some fear; 
 which was so augmented by a bluish flame which rose all 
 at once from the three circles, that she suddenly fainted 
 away; when the fairy, having finished the enchantment, 
 opened a window and disappeared with her page, who, 
 notwithstanding his increased height, still held his mis- 
 tress' robe and carried the china box. 
 
 The first thing that the queen did, after she had re- 
 gained her senses, was to consult her looking-glass; she 
 there saw, with the utmost pleasure, that her features 
 were charming in the extreme; but did not remark that 
 these same features were those of a little girl of eight or 
 nine years old; that her dress hat had taken the shape 
 of a girl's cap, furnished with ringlets of fair hah, and 
 that her gown was changed to a frock with short sleeves 
 and a lace apron; all this, added to her slender figure, 
 which the charm had not in the least degree diminished, 
 made her a very droll object; however, she observed it 
 not, for, of all the ideas that she had possessed before 
 the enchantment, those only remained which referred 
 to the Prince of the Green Isles, and to the love which 
 she felt for him. She was, therefore, quite as contented 
 with herself as her courtiers were astonished at her ap- 
 pearance; they knew not what to do* even, or what part 
 to take, when the prime-minister, on .whom all the great 
 depended, extricated them from their embarrassment, 
 and decided that, so far from contradicting the queen, it 
 
254 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 was necessary to flatter her majesty's tastes and humors; 
 and he began by ordering his wife and daughters to con- 
 form themselves to her will. Soon, to please the minis- 
 ter, the example was followed, and, in a short time, all 
 the court dressed like the queen, and imitated her in all 
 she did. Every one, even the men, spoke childishly; no 
 one played at any game but puss in the corner, at for- 
 feits, or birds, beasts and fishes. The cooks had to dress 
 nothing but custards, tartlets and little puffs. Nothing 
 was done but dressing and undressing dolls, and at all 
 the games and feasts the only subject of conversation 
 was the King of the Green Isles. The queen spoke of 
 him a hundred times a day, and always called him her 
 little husband. She asked for him continually, and was 
 satisfied for some time with each subterfuge which was 
 used to flatter or deceive her; but at last gayety gave 
 way to caprice, and she felt all the humors of a child 
 who has not obtained what it wants and whose nurse 
 dares not oppose its will. After being amused for some 
 time with so singular an event (for the indolence of a 
 court causes it to amuse itself with anything), people 
 grew tired of the puerilities of this great child; and 
 weary of the constraint, as well as of the complaisance 
 which it was necessary to display, they forsook her 
 court, and it was on the point of being quite abandoned, 
 when it was positively stated in the Court Circular that 
 the King of the Green Isles, who was traveling over the 
 neighboring kingdoms, would soon arrive there. At this 
 news their courage revived. The queen became so gay 
 and cheerful that she did nothing but sing and dance 
 while awaiting the prince's arrival. The happy moment 
 at length arrived; she ran to meet him, and although she 
 was told that it was contrary to etiquette, she actually 
 determined to receive him at the foot of her staircase! 
 but as she was hastily descending she became entangled 
 in her train, which had been recently lengthened in ac- 
 cordance with the fashion, and fell with considerable vio- 
 lence. Although her hands had saved her head, and her 
 nose was only slightly grazed, she was so frightened that 
 she uttered loud crfes, and was carried to her chamber, 
 when her face was bathed with Hungary water, and she 
 was only quieted on being informed that her little hus- 
 band was come to see her, and in truth the prince ap- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 255 
 
 peared, but the sight of the queen-child made him burst 
 into such violent tits of laughter that he was obliged to 
 quit the room and even the palace. The queen, who 
 witnessed his departure, began to cry with all her might 
 that she wanted her little husband; he was followed and 
 entreated to return, but ineffectually, for he would not 
 consent; but made the best of his way from a court where 
 everybody appeared to him to be insane. The queen, as 
 may be supposed, was inconsolable; in vain every means 
 was tried to calm her: her ill-humor only became the 
 more insupportable in consequence, and the yoke appeared 
 to press too heavily on those even who liked her best. The 
 majority, ashamed to be the subjects of such a queen, 
 were of opinion that it would be the best to dethrone 
 her, which was about to be done, when Gangan, who only 
 wished to disgust her with marriage, disenchanted her, 
 and restored her original appearance. At the sight of 
 her natural figure she thought of stabbing herself in de- 
 spair; she had found herself charming under that she 
 had just quitted, and now saw in its place but a face of 
 upward of sixty, and an ugliness which she detested. 
 She never conceived that she had been in the least ridicu- 
 lous under her late metamorphosis, and had certainly lost 
 none of her love, so that the loss of her youth, and of the 
 Prince of the Green Isles, threw her into a languor which 
 threatened her life, and inspired her at the same time 
 with an implacable hatred for the fairy Gangan. With 
 regard to her subjects, they began to pity her, and to 
 look on these events as a just punishment for the sacri- 
 fice she had made of her maternal tenderness and grati- 
 tude, at the shrine of ambition and to her insensate 
 desires. 
 
 It was about this time that the Fairy of the Fields had 
 taken away the children of Petard and Gilletta. The 
 generous fairy was the protectress of those who were 
 obliged to live in the country, and occupied herself in- 
 cessantly in preventing or diminishing the misfortunes 
 to which they were destined. She was the better able to 
 protect them, inasmuch as she possessed the friendship 
 and favor of Titania, the queen of the fairies. 
 
 The Isle Bambine, which that queen had placed under 
 her government, was the place to which she had trans- 
 ported the four boys and three girls of King Petard and 
 
256 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Queen Gilletta. This isle was inhabited by children only, 
 who, under the protection of the fairies, were well looked 
 after by nurses and their attendants. A perpetual spring 
 reigned there; the trees and meadows were always cov- 
 ered with fruit and flowers, and the ground produced 
 spontaneously all that could please the eye or gratify the 
 palate. The walks were charming, the gardens varied 
 and filled with pretty little carriages of all kinds, drawn 
 by spaniels with long ears. But, nicest and best of all, 
 tne walls of the children's rooms were made of sugar- 
 candy, the floors of preserved citron, and the furniture 
 of excellent gingerbread. When they were very good 
 the children might eat of these nice things as much as 
 they pleased, without its diminishing or injuring them 
 in the slightest degree, and besides this, in the streets 
 and walks were to be seen all sorts of pretty little dolls, 
 magnificently dressed, who walked and danced of them- 
 selves. The little girls, who were neither proud, nor 
 greedy, nor disobedient, had only to form a wish and im- 
 mediately sweetmeats and fruits came of themselves to 
 seek them; the dolls threw themselves into their arms 
 and allowed themselves to be dressed and undressed, 
 caressed and punished with unparalleled docility and 
 discretion; but when, on the other hand, these little girls 
 committed any fault, the dolls ran away from them, mak- 
 ing faces at those who had called them; the sweetmeats 
 changed into gall, and the dolls' dresses became dirty 
 and slovenly. With regard to the little boys, when they 
 were neither obstinate, story-telling, nor idle, they had 
 little punchinellos, kites, rackets, and playthings for 
 every sport that can be thought of; but when the nurses 
 were discontented, the punchinellos laughed at the 
 naughty boys, bouncing against their noses, and upbraid- 
 ing them with the faults they had committed; the kites 
 had no wind, the rackets were pierced in a word, noth- 
 ing succeeded with them, and the more obstinate they 
 were the worse this was. There were punishments and 
 rewards of some kind or other for all ages; as, for ex- 
 ample, one found himself on a donkey, who had expected 
 to be mounted on a little horse nicely caparisoned; or 
 another heard it said of herself: "Ah! how ugly she is; 
 how slovenly she is; how did she come here?" while the 
 good young girls were well dressed, caressed, and re- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES. 
 
 J 
 
 ip 
 
 *-?, 
 
 warded; in a word, nothing 
 was neglected to correct in the 
 children faults both of heart 
 and head, and to instruct and 
 arouse them they were allowed 
 to read the annals of fairyism, 
 which contain the most re- 
 markable histories of that em- 
 pire, as "Blue Beard," the 
 "Beneficent Frog," the "Good 
 Little Mouse," the "Blue 
 Bird," and many others; for 
 the Fairy of the Fields made a 
 great matter of it, and col- 
 lected them with great care 
 from all the kingdoms of the 
 world, and it is from her copy 
 that most of these tales are 
 printed. 
 
 While the children of Pe- 
 tard and Gilletta were resid- 
 ing in the Isle of Bambine, every means imaginable was 
 put in practice to overcome the obstinacy of the three 
 boys and the pride of the three girls; but these faults, far 
 from diminishing, only augmented with their years. For 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRt TALES. 
 
 four years, the particular interest which the fairy gov- 
 erness herself took in these children, joined to the cares, 
 the attention and patience of the nurses, had scarcely 
 wrought the slightest perceptible change in their dispo- 
 sitions; when feeling but too strongly that their natural 
 tendencies were too powerful for a simple education, the 
 fairy no longer sought to overcome them by the usual 
 means, but was obliged to have recourse to the violent 
 remedy of a metamorphosis; and in truth, although this 
 extreme measure appears somewhat hard, it was yet in- 
 dispensable under the circumstances, with a view to the 
 formation of their future characters. The children, not- 
 withstanding their changes, preserved the ideas and senti- 
 ments of what they were, and of what they had been; 
 still yielding to the laws of their new state. When the 
 fairy, who had the power of penetrating their thoughts, 
 believed them reclaimed, she restored to them their 
 proper forms and her friendship; and even procured 
 them advantageous establishments. She changed, then, 
 although with considerable pain to her own feelings, the 
 three sons of Petard into punchinellos, and the three 
 girls into dancing dolls, and condemned them to remain 
 as puppets for the space of three years. As she was, how- 
 ever, as satisfied with Prince Septimus as she had been 
 displeased with his brothers and sisters, she did not wish 
 him to be a witness of their disgrace, and resolved to re- 
 move him from them. The only difficulty was to find an 
 asylum where he would be safe from the machinations of 
 Gangan: so, to neglect nothing on his account, she 
 thought it would be well to consult with her friend, the 
 queen of the fairies, and take her mature advice on 
 what she was about to dp. With this intention she put 
 on her green velvet farthingale, her jonquil-colored satin 
 mantle, and her little blue riding-hood; and with nine 
 white may-flies attached to her gilded wicker post-chaise, 
 their harness being of rose-colored ribbon, she set out 
 with all diligence, and arrived in a short time at the For- 
 tunate Island, where the queen of the fairies ordinarily 
 resided. 
 
 Having alighted at the end of a magnificent avenue of 
 orange and citron trees, she entered the courtyard of the 
 castle, where she found, in a row, twenty-four black 
 genii, six feet high, wearing long gowns with trains, and 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 259 
 
 carrying on the left shoulder a polished steel club; they 
 had behind them seventy-four black ostriches spotted 
 with red and blue, which they held in leashes, keeping a 
 profound silence. These black genii were wicked fairies, 
 condemned to hold these posts as slaves for several ages, 
 according to the nature of their crimes. When they 
 perceived the fairy they saluted her, grounding their 
 clubs on the pavement; and as that was of steel also, it 
 made a clashing sound, and emitted sparks of fire. This 
 honor was rendered to all who, like the Fairy of the 
 Fields, had a government. Having ascended the stair- 
 case, which was made of porphyry, jasper, agate and 
 lapis-lazuli, she saw in the first apartment twelve young 
 ladies simply dressed, without hoods; they had only a 
 key chain round their waist, and the half- wand, with which 
 they saluted her as had done the slaves; the fairy re- 
 turned their salutation, for their employment was such as 
 is generally given to those who are about to be initiated 
 in the art of fairyism. She passed through a long suite 
 of apartments magnificently furnished, and at last 
 reached the queen's ^antechamber, which she found full 
 of fairies, who were met there from all parts of the 
 world, some on business, others to pay their court to her 
 majesty. 
 
 The queen's closet was nearly empty, when she saw 
 the old fairy Gangan come from it. The respect which 
 fairies and all good people ever pay to their sovereign 
 could scarcely prevent her from laughing at the sight of 
 so grotesque a figure as that of Gangan. Over a skirt of 
 green satin, bedizened with blue and gold lace, she wore 
 a large farthingale of the same material, embroidered 
 with rose-colored caterpillars and a half-girdle enriched 
 with emeralds. Hanging to a silver chain, she had a 
 small looking-glass and patch-box, a large watch, and a 
 casket of rare coins; her ears were loaded with two large 
 pearl and ruby drops, and she had on her head a light 
 yellow velvet hood, with an aigrette of amethysts and 
 topazes; a large bouquet of jasmine ornamented the front 
 of her person, and ten or twelve patches, scattered over 
 a faded rouge, covered a wrinkled and dry -rose-leaf- 
 colored skin. 
 
 If the Fairy of the Fields was surprised at the ridicu- 
 lous equipage of Gangan, the latter was not less so at 
 
260 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 meeting with her rival, at a moment when she least 
 expected it. She was not ignorant of the protection 
 afforded by the fairy to the children of Petard and Gil- 
 letta; but as the place they were then in prevented her 
 giving vent to her resentment, she concealed it as well as 
 she could; and affecting an air of politeness mingled with 
 dignity, said to her: 
 
 "What, madam, have you resolved to leave the quiet 
 of the country, to revel in the tumult of a court? you 
 must have had weighty reasons to induce you to make 
 such a sacrifice." 
 
 "The reasons which bring you and myself here are cer- 
 tainly widely different," interrupted the Fairy of the 
 Fields; "as neither interest nor ambition have ever been 
 motives for the grant of my protection, and as I only 
 yield it to the worthy and grateful." 
 
 "I believe so," replied Gangan, "turkeys and geese 
 are a very good sort of people." 
 
 "True," answered the Fairy of the Fields warmly, 
 "much more so than Gaugans, for they are not unjust 
 what say you to that?" 
 
 The dispute would not have ended here, if the Fairy 
 of the Fields had not been warned that the queen was 
 alone and wished to speak with her. So the two fairies 
 saluted and parted, as women who perfectly hate each 
 other always do. 
 
 Titania, who perceived the emotion that this dispute 
 had raised in her friend, feigned ignorance of its cause, 
 but requested to be informed on the subject. The Fairy 
 of the Fields, pleased to gratify her mistress* curiosity, 
 did not hesitate in revealing the unjust motives of Gan- 
 gan for persecuting King Petard and Queen Gilletta, and 
 informed her that pity had made her endeavor to thwart 
 the perfidious designs of that fairy. "Your intentions 
 are praiseworthy," said the queen to her, "and I am glad 
 to see in you this generous zeal in protecting the un- 
 fortunate; but I am afraid, notwithstanding, that Gangan 
 will still manage to avenge herself for the kindness you 
 have shown to the good Gilletta and her children. She 
 is wicked, and I often receive complaints in respect to 
 her; but be assured that if she again abuse her power to 
 your injury, I will punish her in a terrible and exemplary 
 manner; I can say no more: the council hour has arrived, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 261 
 
 but at my return we will confer together on the means of 
 thwarting your enemy's wicked designs." The queen 
 then left the apartment. 
 
 When the Fairy of the Fields was alone she could not 
 resist an inclination to consult her sovereign's books. 
 All the mysteries of fairyism are therein revealed, and by 
 them may be discovered, from day to day, what is pass- 
 ing all over the universe. The queen only had the power 
 of suspending or turning the course of events; holding 
 over fairies the same dominion as the fairies hold over 
 mankind. The protectress of our hero had no sooner 
 opened these books than she read in them distinctly that 
 by the power of Grand Fairyism the perfidious Gangan 
 was at that moment carrying off the young Prince Septi- 
 mus, and was then transporting him to the inaccessible 
 island in which she had kept her own niece since the 
 hour of her birth. At this sight she at first trembled for 
 the life of her protege, ^and then for his heart and his 
 sentiments, for she knew that this wicked fairy was more 
 capable of corrupting than of forming the mind. The 
 uneasiness that this event caused her gave way to reflec- 
 tion, and she was considering the means of preventing 
 the consequences of this occurrence, when the queen 
 came from council and rejoined her. From the sorrow 
 which she perceived on her friend's countenance, Titania 
 guessed what had taken place during her absence; and 
 speaking to her said: "You have, I see, satisfied your 
 curiosity; and have learned that which I would have 
 kept from your knowledge. I was unable, it is true, to 
 refuse Gangan the power of Grand Fairyism, since, ac- 
 cording to our laws, it is due to her long standing; but 
 the knowledge which I possess of her character has made 
 me limit this power to a certain space of time; be- as- 
 sured, generous fairy, that when that period has elapsed 
 your enemy shall be severely punished if she shall have 
 abused the power which she holds only from our laws and 
 my kindness. However, to give you to-day a proof of 
 my friendship for you, and to place Gilletta's other chil- 
 dren, in whom you are interested, out of Gangan's reach, 
 take this vial, and rub them with the liquid it contains. 
 It is invisible-water, and conceals objects from the sight 
 of fairies alone; its charm is such that Gangan, with all 
 her power, cannot overcome it. Go, my dear friend, re- 
 
2 62 6L&, OLD PA 1R Y 
 
 member always that your queen loves generosity and 
 protects virtue: and ever rely on her protection and ten- 
 derness." At these words the fairy respectfully took the 
 queen's hand, kissed it, and departed. 
 
 No sooner was she in her island than she made use of 
 the invisible-water. With it she rubbed the three pun- 
 chinellos and the three dancing-dolls, with the exception 
 of the tips of their noses, which she left visible in order 
 to recognize them herself; then, having given her orders 
 and consulted her books, she set out for Petard's king- 
 dom, where she learned that her presence was necessary. 
 
 In truth, when she arrived there, Petard's little state 
 was in sad disorder, and the cause was this: It was now a 
 long time past since the house in which his majesty had 
 resided, and in which his father-in-law, the seneschal, 
 had lived before him, had fallen in on all sides, in spite 
 of the repairs which it had undergone. Petard had re- 
 solved, in a consultation with a master mason, whom he 
 had made his chief architect, to rebuild. This crown- 
 officer, not having for some time done anything for their 
 majesties, had completely razed the old building, with 
 the design of commencing a new one, which, according 
 to his account, was to be miujh more magnificent. The 
 king's savings since the abduction of his children and his 
 annual revenues not, how/ever, being sufficient for the 
 erection of this new edifice, he resolved, a^t the recom- 
 mendation of his chanyberlain and solicitor-general, o 
 levy a tax, in order to ifaise the funds necessary to meet 
 the expense of his new palace. His subjects, who had 
 not hitherto paid taxes, murmured loudly, and swore not 
 to do so then; they even threatened to complain of him 
 to the queen-mother. To their discontent, which as usual 
 was 1 not very civilly expressed, were joined the remon- 
 strances of Carbuncle, who insisted that it was ridiculous 
 to make others pay for a thing which could be neither 
 useful nor profitable to them; that his majesty was, in 
 truth, but a man like other men; that having his own 
 property and revenues, he ought not to take those of 
 others for the sake of having more to spend; that, conse- 
 quently, while he had only the means of building a house, 
 he ought not to have a castle; and that he, who had only 
 a crown, ought to spend a crown only. PAH these rea- 
 sons appeared very good to the king; but, at the same 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 263 
 
 time, the solicitor-general and the chamberlain told him 
 that he was master; that it was not worth while having 
 subjects if they were not made to pay for the trouble 
 that was taken in their government; that they were made 
 to work and kings to spend; and that there was but one 
 seneschal capable of thinking or advising otherwise. 
 The king thought that they also reasoned very justly, 
 and determined, consequently, to levy the tax. However, 
 each of the councilors took his own side of the question, 
 and loudly proclaimed his decision. "They shall not 
 pay," said one party; "They shall be made to pay," said 
 the other. "It shall not be so," said Carbuncle, "I am 
 determined." "It shall, "said the solicitor-general, "or I 
 will lose my Latin." At last they made such a hubbub 
 that it would have been impossible to hear one's self 
 speak. The king, who no longer understood what they 
 said and' knew not what part to take, left them, and when 
 he was with the queen, said to her: 
 
 "Oh! by my scepter, if this continues I will give up 
 
 foverning, and then whoever wishes to be king may; and 
 will go so far, so far, that I will not hear speak of the 
 kingdom, the people, nor the palace." 
 
 "Do not irritate yourself, sire," said the queen to him 
 quietly; "I have already had the honor of telling your 
 riiajesty bhajb, everything comes in time to him who can 
 Wait." ( 
 
 9 "But," said the king, "what do you wisn^me to wait 
 for? If they who have taken away our childreiihad left 
 us a house instead of them, we should not have been so 
 badly off; but doubtless Gangan has done it all; and, if 
 this continue, we shall have no more houses than we have 
 children." Then he commenced repeating so many tire- 
 some invectives against the fairies that the good Gilletta 
 was much vexed with him. 
 
 The fairy, who had witnessed for some time what was 
 passing, and was very anxious for the queen's peace of 
 mind, at last appeared to her in the shape of a linnet, 
 as she ha^done before; and quieted her with the assur- 
 ance that stie would soon give her convincing proofs of 
 her friendship and protection. Gilletta, transported with 
 joy, kissed her a thousand times, having first asked her 
 permission, entreated her to stop, and promised her, as 
 an inducement, that every day while she resided with her 
 
264 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 she should have a little cake made of millet flour, hemp- 
 seed and milk: the fairy agreed, and Gilletta's promises 
 were duly fulfilled. A fortnight after her arrival the 
 king, who generally rose early, was very much surprised 
 to find himself in quite a new house, very convenient and 
 strongly built: I say a house; for it was but a house, and 
 not at all a palace; there was about it neither architec- 
 ture, painting, sculpture, nor gilding. On the ground 
 floor was a kitchen, a pantry, a dining-room, and an audi- 
 ence-chamber; on the first floor an antechamber, a bed- 
 room, a closet, the queen's wardrobe, and a large closet 
 in a wing for the king, in which his library, of which 
 mention has been made, was already arran'ged. Above 
 were nice galleries, well ceiled, from which was visible the 
 most beautiful prospect in the world. A dairy had not 
 been forgotten, with all the utensils thereunto appertain-, 
 ing; but the most admirable part of the whole affair was, k 
 that the house was well furnished and stored with every- 
 thing necessary; the furniture was exactly like, both in 
 materials and shape, to that of their majesties, and they 
 could hardly have told it apart, if the one had not been 
 newer than the other. Petard's astonishment may be 
 easily imagined at finding himself in a strange house; 
 but it was considerably increased when, on looking 
 through one of his bedroom windows, he saw, where had 
 been his little royal kitchen-garden, a large grass-plot 
 and bowling-green, at the end of which was a very pretty 
 pond, and a forest of lofty trees. To the right of the 
 bowling-green was a kitchen-garden, stocked with differ- 
 ent vegetables, and to the left an orchard planted with 
 all kinds of fruit-trees. He considered all this for some 
 time: but, his surprise giving way to joy, he ran to the 
 queen, who was in bed and still asleep, and waking her, 
 cried: "My dear, my dear, pray get up, and look at our 
 new house and fine gardens. Do you know the meaning 
 of it all? I have not the least idea." The queen hardly 
 gave herself time to put on her petticoat, morning-gown 
 and slippers before she ran to the window with the king, 
 who immediately conducted her all round the* apartments 
 and thence to the ground floor, where they found the 
 kitchen and pantry furnished with everything that was 
 necessary. All these marvels only made good King 
 Petard afraid; but the queen, who guessed whence it had 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 365 
 
 all come, had not the same feeling, but dared not say 
 anything about it. They were in this state when the 
 seneschal, who had been looking for them for an hour in 
 the king's house, entered this, more in the way of the 
 duty of his situation than in the hope of finding their 
 majesties there; he too knew not what to think of a 
 house built in a single night; and although he was less 
 fearful than his son-in-law, he only began to take cour- 
 age when he found himself in company with them. The 
 king, for his part, was glad enough to see him come in; 
 and, each taking an arm of the queen, they went over 
 the house a second time from top to bottom, and all over 
 the gardens.)) 
 
 Everybody argued a good deal on the singularity of 
 this occurrence; some were of opinion that their majes- 
 ties were very bold to reside in a house built by fairies, 
 and so run the risk of being tormented by them; others, 
 on the contrary, held that they did quite right, and that 
 it was to be wished that all the old houses in the king- 
 dom were rebuilt in a similar manner. As one is easily 
 reconciled to comfort and to novelties, after having 
 talked a good deal no more was said about it; and the 
 king gradually grew as accustomed to his new house as 
 though he had lived in it all his life. Thus the question 
 of the tax was no longer discussed; quietness returned 
 to the kingdom of Petard, and union once more existed 
 between the high crown officers. The poor architect 
 alone had half a mind to hang himself, but was at Jast 
 contented with wishing all genii and fairies at the bottom 
 of the sea, for interfering with his employment, calling 
 them a hundred times magicians and sorcerers. 
 
 'While the Fairy of the Fields was bringing about all 
 these wonders, she observed in Gilletta so much respect 
 for the fairies, and so much gratitude to her, that, feel- 
 ing herself more and more interested in that queen's wel- 
 fare, she could not refuse to make a longer stay at hor 
 court than she had originally intended. She reassured 
 the queen also of her children's fate, and explained to 
 her their punishment, and her reasons for proceeding to 
 this extremity; but as true and tender friendship knows 
 how to disguise the most interesting things when a 
 knowledge of them would afflict th*e person loved, she 
 carefully concealed from her the abduction of her dear 
 
266 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Septimus, and the anxiety she felt for him herself; then, 
 having recommended to her confidence, patience, and 
 discretion, if she wished to attain happiness, she quitted 
 her with regret, to return to her government of the Isle 
 of Bambine. 
 
 On her arrival there she was immediately informed of 
 an event of a nature unheard-of since the establishment 
 of the island. The senior nurse, who, during the fairy's 
 absence, had performed the duties of governess, stated to 
 her that some obstinate and unruly children, who had 
 been forgiven upon several occasions, assisted by their 
 friends the dolls, had revolted, and had expressed their 
 determination of no longer obeying their nurses; and 
 that the spirit of rebellion had grown to such an extent 
 in a short time, that its course had been with much diffi- 
 culty arrested; that she had, therefore, been compelled 
 to exert all her authority, and had begun by imprisoning 
 the dolls in boxes; and that as to the children, she had 
 condemned some to have nothing but dry bread to eat 
 for a fortnight; others to wear their nightcaps in the 
 daytime for a month, and some even to be imprisoned 
 between four chairs, for two hours on each day, until 
 they had publicly asked for pardon. The fairy highly 
 approved of the senior nurse's conduct, and praised her 
 very much for her zeal; but, as an example was necessary, 
 for the maintenance of order, she condemned the most 
 mutinous of the rebels to a transformation of a hundred 
 years, as punches, judies, and dancing dolls; sending 
 them into different parts of the world to work for their 
 livelihood as puppets, and thus to minister to the amuse- 
 ment of all good little girls and boys, and to serve as 
 sights for the people. She proceeded to this extremity 
 with the less regret, as she was informed that her six 
 favorites had taken but a small part in the rebellion. 
 Charmed with the alteration which thus began to appear 
 in them, she made them come before her, and, speaking 
 to the tips of their noses (for she could see no more of 
 them), she reprimanded them, in terms rather mild than 
 severe, and dismissed them with a promise of her friend- 
 ship and rewards, if she should, in the sequel, have 
 reason to be satisfied with their conduct. 
 
 Though this event, and her duty, did not allow her 
 absence from a place where, indeed, her presence seemed 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 267 
 
 so necessary, 
 yet she could 
 not long con- 
 tain her feel- 
 ings on behalf 
 of little Sep- 
 timus, and her 
 impatience to 
 ,hear news of 
 him. So soon, 
 therefore, as 
 she thought 
 her little peo- 
 ple could go 
 on tolerably 
 
 well without her, she depart- 
 ed, with the hope of satisfy- 
 ing her curiosity, and of grat- 
 ifying her fondness for the 
 young prince. That 
 she might not be per- 
 ceived by the genii and 
 fairies, who are contin- 
 ually traversing the 
 middle region of the 
 air, she took to her lit- 
 tle post-chaise, which 
 she carefully closed on 
 all sides, providing 
 herself with her wand 
 and other articles of 
 fairyism, above all not 
 forgetting the invisible 
 water; then, having 
 ordered her six fly- 
 ing lizards to use 
 great speed, she ar- 
 rived in a few minutes 
 at a short distance 
 from the inaccessible 
 island. She alighted, 
 
 
268 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 dismissed her chaise, and rubbing herself over with the 
 water just named, she overcame, without being seen, ob- 
 stacles which, but for this liquid, would'have successfully 
 opposed her entrance. Gangan had, in order to prevent 
 genii and fairies from entering her island, surrounded it 
 with a treble inclosure, formed by a rapid torrent, the 
 waters of which rolled over rocks which they had split 
 with their violence, tearing up trunks of trees and dash- 
 ing the fragments in the waves. The shores of this isle 
 were defended by twenty-four dragons of enormous size; 
 and the flames which they vomited at the sight of fairies 
 or genii reached to the clouds, and uniting, formed an 
 impenetrable wall of fire. ^ 
 
 The Fairy of the Fields had hardly been seeking^)r 
 intelligence as to the fate of Septimus above an hour, 
 when chance afforded her the most favorable opportunity 
 in the world; she saw coming toward her Gangan, ac- 
 companied by a Dive, for she was only served by evil 
 genii, and her countenance appeared inflamed with pas- 
 sion, and she spoke very vehemently. Profiting by her 
 invisibility, the Fairy of the Fields resolved to listen, 
 when she heard Gangan speak to her companion nearly 
 as follows: "Yes, my dear Barbarec, you see me in de- 
 spair; I am about to lose forever the largest kingdom of 
 the universe. The ungrateful mother of Petard has died 
 without even a desire to be reconciled with me; nor is 
 that all, she has bound her subjects by an oath, not only 
 never to receive at my hands a successor to her crown, 
 but even to restore the throne to her son, or to one of 
 her grandsons. I tried to win the people by my kind- 
 ness, but found everywhere an inveterate hatred against 
 me; they refused my gifts, which they looked on as 
 equally perfidious and treasonable, and they have decided 
 by a unanimous and formal resolution on following the 
 queen's direction, by depriving me of a throne on which 
 J had reckoned to place my niece. It shall not, however, 
 be long ere these ungrateful people feel the effects of my 
 just anger; and, to begin with the principal causes of my 
 disgrace, take from my stables one of my largest griffins, 
 fly to the Isle of Bambine, seize the brothers and sisters 
 of Septimus, and bring them here. Myself will under- 
 take to carry off Petard and Gilletta, and when they are 
 brought together I will transform the king and his queen 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 269 
 
 into rabbits, and their children into terriers. If a spark 
 of pity which I yet feel for Septimus should abandon me, 
 I will not answer that he also do not feel the effects of 
 my vengeance. Hasten, however, to prepare everything 
 for the execution of my plans, and let us remember, my 
 dear Barbarec, that, having abandoned the laws of the 
 Peris for those of the Dives, we are become the enemies 
 of fairies and of mankind, and that we must neglect 
 nothing to overwhelm them all with the weight of our 
 hatred/' The Fairy of the Fields could not hear this 
 discourse without shuddering; she remained for some 
 time motionless; but recalling her senses, and feeling of 
 whn^ consequence it was not to stay any longer in this 
 teriible abode, she hastened "to implore the powerful as- 
 sistance of the queen of the fairies. She immediately 
 left the island, which she had scarcely done when the 
 sky became obscured, the earth trembled, and dreadful 
 groanings, accompanied with thunder and lightning, 
 seemed to announce the speedy destruction of the uni- 
 verse. Shortly afterward the air was restored to calm- 
 ness; but the day growing still darker and darker, a new 
 spectacle, as terrible as the preceding, succeeded. The 
 twenty-four dragons who guarded the approaches to the 
 isle, making frightful bowlings, lanced against each 
 other streams of flame, and strove in fiery combat, which 
 concluded by consuming them all. Day again reap- 
 peared, and where the torrent and island had been, noth- 
 ing was to be seen but a dry and arid rock, while from its 
 summit there flew a black ostrich, carrying on its back 
 Prince Septimus and the little princess, Gangan's niece. 
 These prodigies had nob so much overcome the Fairy of 
 the Fields, but that, moved with the situation of these 
 amiable children and her kindness inclining her to follow 
 them, she immediately set out with so much diligence 
 that, in a short time, she overtook the black ostrich. 
 Her first impulse was to take from it the prince and 
 princess; but observing that the bird was directing its 
 flight toward the Fortunate Island, she contented herself 
 with following and watching it at a short distance. 
 
 Indeed, in a short time the ostrich alighted on that 
 island, and directed its steps towarc^ the queen of the 
 fairies herself. This sovereign was seated at the en- 
 trance of her palace on a golden throne enriched witli 
 
270 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 jewels, surrounded by her twelve fairies, the twenty-four 
 black genii who have been before mentioned, and by a 
 numerous court. The moment the ostrich approached 
 the throne the Fairy of the Fields seized the prince and 
 princess and placed them at the queen's feet; when 
 Gangan resumed her original shape and proper character, 
 confusion, malice, and despair were depicted by turns on 
 her countenance, and she was in the most cruel suspense 
 
 as to what was about to happen, when the queen spoke 
 to her in these words: "The malignity of your mind and 
 the perversity of your heart have, I see, prevented your 
 making a good use of that power which I bestowed upon 
 you. Very far from repairing your first faults by the 
 gift of Grand Fairyism, which the laws and my kindness 
 vouchsafed to you, you have-, on the contrary, abused 
 that, and as this abuse now calls for my justice upon 
 you, receive at once the punishment due to your mis- 
 deeds. You will lose for two years all power as a fairy, 
 and assuming during that period the shape of a stork, 
 you shall be the slave of my humblest genii." With 
 these words the queen touched her with her scepter, and 
 aH the fairies, having held over her their wands in to'cen 
 
OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES. 271 
 
 of approbation, they pronounced certain words, during 
 which the unfortunate Gangan became a stork, and im- 
 mediately went to join the other animals of the species. 
 
 The queen then summoned the Fairy Judicious, and 
 confided the young prince and princess to her care while 
 they should remain at her court, particularly advising 
 her to form their hearts by cultivating their minds; she 
 embraced Septimus and Feliciana (which was the prin- 
 cess' name), and these amiable children, penetrated with 
 joy and gratitude, quitted her arms with sorrow for those 
 of their guardian Judicious. 
 
 They profited so well by their education during the 
 two years they resided with the queen of the fairies, 
 that they obtained the love and admiration of all her 
 court. When the one had reached the age of fourteen, 
 and the other of twelve years, the queen of the fairies 
 resolved to unite them in marriage, and to restore them 
 with the brothers and sisters of Septimus to King Petard 
 and his Qv.een Gilletta; but at the same time she in- 
 formed the Fairy of the Fields that, as an example to 
 Septimus and Feliciana, she had resolved that the rebel- 
 lious children, although now perfectly cured of their 
 faults, should only resume their proper shapes in the 
 presence of the newly married couple, and when they 
 should have arrived at the king their father's palace. 
 Then having determined the time of their departure, 
 she confided to the Fairy of the Fields the six children 
 of whom she had been so careful, and having ordered her 
 to choose for them husbands and wives, she summoned 
 the Fairy Judicious, and charged her to accompany the 
 Prince Septimus and his princess. These amiable chil- 
 dren shed tears on quitting her to whom they owed all 
 their happiness, and the generous queen, embracing them 
 tenderly, promised them her friendship, and saw them 
 depart with much sorrow. 
 
 They lost no time in repairing to the court of Petard, 
 where that king had been for some days extremely em- 
 barrassed. His motber the queen, after languishing for 
 many years, had at last vacated the throne, and deputies 
 had been dispatched from her kingdom inviting her son 
 to accept the crown. They had already asked for an 
 audience, and Petard was greatly puzzled as t-o the man- 
 ner in which it should be granted. He was uncertain 
 
272 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 whether he ought to receive them standing or seated, 
 on horseback or on foot, and to debate this point the 
 council was assembled, where everybody decided as usual; 
 the seneschal, Carbuncle, maintained that the king ought 
 to be standing, asserting that he had heard that the Em- 
 peror Charlemagne and the twelve peers of France were 
 always standing, and that they never seated themselves 
 except to eat and to sleep. The solicitor-general opined 
 that his majesty should be seated, because kings and 
 judges ought always to be at their ease, and that, except 
 a bed, there was nothing so convenient as an armchair. 
 The chamberlain, on the contrary, was of opinion that 
 the king should appear on horseback, alleging that that 
 was the most noble attitude for kings, inasmuch as their 
 statues always thus represented them; each of the coun- 
 cilors maintained as usual his own opinions; they 
 shouted, they quarreled, and would perhaps even have 
 gone further, if the king, raising his voice above theirs, 
 had not said: ''Do you intend to leave off? There is 
 surely noise enough about a chair more or less! As I 
 shall meet them, so they shall see me; and as they find 
 me, so they must take me, that is all I know about the 
 matter; but as to becoming their king, many thanks to 
 them, I should go mad with all the cares of royalty 
 which they tell me I should have on my mind. So long 
 flourish my little kindgom; since I am well off with that 
 I will hold fast to it; and they must accommodate them- 
 selves as well as they can; however, as they wish to have 
 an audience, an audience they must have, so let them be 
 summoned/' The councilors then retired, each mur- 
 muring that the king had not taken his advice, and 
 blaming him for always doing as he thought proper for 
 himself. 
 
 While they went to fetch the deputies to the presence, 
 his majesty, thinking himself wiser than his council, put 
 on his royal clothes, and seated himself at the foot of his 
 bed, of which he had had the curtains arranged in fes- 
 toons around the posts; he held in one hand his scepter, 
 in the other his cap and fringed gloves; the queen was at 
 his right hand, on a chair covered with blue serge and 
 ornamented with large gilt nails, with her women behind 
 her. On the left of the king were his high officers, who 
 were nearly all laughing in their sleeves at the singular 
 figure of their kin,g. 
 
OLD, OLD PA1RY TALKS. 273 
 
 When all was arranged the door was opened, and the 
 deputies entered, followed by all the people of King 
 Petard's little state; they made him three deep salaams, 
 which the king and queen acknowledged by three others 
 as profound, and were about to commence their harangue, 
 when a woman of majestic figure entered, leading a 
 young man about fourteen or fifteen years of age, and 
 addressing herself to Gilletta. thus spoke: "Queen, 
 everything comes in time to him who can wait. Your 
 misfortunes are over, and your destiny has changed its 
 course. Behold the prince your son, whom a superior 
 power has protected from the effects of Gangan's wicked- 
 ness; the perfidious fairy can no longer annoy him, her 
 malice has just been confounded. Receive, at last, your 
 dear son Septimus; and you, deputies, render homage to 
 the lawful successor to the throne of your kindgom." 
 The king, acknowledging his son, took him in his arms 
 and kissed him a thousand times; then hastening to the 
 fairy, he embraced her without paying any regard to her 
 age or character; he did the same with Carbuncle, the 
 solicitor-general, the chamberlain and all who were 
 around him; then, taking off his royal mantle, he put it 
 upon Septimus, gave him his scepter, seated him at the 
 foot of the bed, and began to shout with all his might: 
 "Long live the king!" which was immediately repeated 
 by the nobles, and taken up by all the people, to whom 
 the king kept crying out: "Shout away, you there, shout 
 away!" Meanwhile, the queen, penetrated with joy and 
 gratitude, had fallen at the fairy's feet, embracing her 
 and weeping; when the fairy, having raised her, signified 
 that she wished to speak. Everybody was immediately 
 silent, excepting the king, whose joy was so great that he 
 neither saw nor heard anything, until at last, finding him- 
 self out of breath, he also was quieted, and the fairy 
 spoke: 
 
 "What you see," said she, "is only a portion of the 
 favors which your friend, the Fairy of the Fields, be- 
 stows upon you: she gives you, with the prince, a 
 young and amiable princess, whom the queen of the 
 fairies has destined to be the wife of your king. If the 
 qualities of her mind, and the beauty of her person, are 
 some slight guarantee for the happiness of this favored 
 couple, the mildness of her character and the goodness 
 
274 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 of her heart, which I have taken pains to form, may 
 assure to you its duration. Confirm, then, this happy 
 union, and thus deserve the Fairy of the Fields' power- 
 ful protection, as well as that of " 
 
 The king would hear no more, but taking the hands of 
 the prince and princess: "Done!" cried he, "I marry 
 them with all my heart, and give to them all my king- 
 doms and my revenues; as to my other children, I shall 
 trouble myself no more about them; our friend, this good 
 lady of the fields, will not allow them to want for any- 
 thing; so let us have the wedding and rejoice; you shall 
 all dine with me, though, by the b^e, I do not know that 
 I shall have too much to give you; but, as my wife says, 
 'everything comes to him who can wait/ Now, father- 
 in-law," he continued, turning to Carbuncle, "go to the 
 kitchen, have all killed that is in my poultry-yard, and, 
 above all, let us have good cheer, for I would have this 
 affair well spoken of." 
 
 The seneschal obeyed; but as he was crossing the din- 
 ing-room he perceived a table laid with twenty-four 
 dishes of the best meats. He went no further, but 
 quickly returned to relate to the king and queen what 
 he had just seen. Everybody, anxious to behold this 
 fairy festival, went immediately to the dining-room, not, 
 however, without some fear, and, consequently, without 
 much ceremony. The sight surprised them greatly at 
 first; they hesitated at tasting the food, but after awhile, 
 taking heart, began to think it looked very nice, and the 
 king, to whom all this cost nothing, set them the exam- 
 ple, by eating with all his heart, and drinking bumpers 
 every time the bottle came round to him. It is said that 
 he was not sparing of his old stories and bons-mots, but 
 that although the good man often repeated them, and al- 
 ways in the same terms, they were always followed by 
 shouts of laughter. 
 
 When they had been at table about two hours violins 
 were heard in the audience-chamber; and as they had all 
 eaten and drank enough, they willingly rose from table* 
 The king, in high good humor, wished for nothing better 
 than a dance, and insisted on opening the ball with the 
 young queen, calling for his favorite dance, which re- 
 sembled "Sir Roger de Paris." The violins struck up, 
 e began; but after putting them out and telling 
 
Olt), OLD FAIRT TALE& 275 
 
 them they did not know the figure, he gave up in despair, 
 and asked the young prince and princess to dance a min- 
 uet, which they did with admirable grace. They were 
 just performing the last obeisance, when six puppets 
 entered the room finely dressed, three as Koman knights, 
 and three as Roman ladies; each of these six puppets had 
 by its side the visible tip of a nose, and the whole entree was 
 conducted by a lady, who was, however, taken little 
 notice of, so much attention did the spectacle of the 
 puppets attract. They all made room to receive them, 
 and the puppets immediately performed a pas de douze, 
 in which the six tips of the noses figured admirably. 
 The ballet over, they arranged themselves in a ring, in 
 the same order they had observed on entering. Their 
 conductress placed herself in the center, touched the six 
 tips of the noses with the end of her wand, and imme- 
 diately there appeared in their places three punchinellos 
 and three dancing dolls. 
 
 "Very good, very good," said the king, "all that will 
 do for my grandchildren, and provided they cost me 
 nothing to keep and clothe, I will take care of them with 
 pleasure till the grandchildren come." 
 
 "Not so fast, sire," replied the lady; "have patience; 
 *everything comes in time to him who can wait.' ; 
 
 Immediately the twelve puppets began to dance again, 
 and the spectators were in the highest degree astonished 
 to see them change perceptibly, and gradually take 
 another face and new dress. 
 
 "Mercy on us!" cried the king, "why, there are 
 Harry, Dick and George, my dear! why, surely there are 
 Josephine, Clementina and Arabella, love! no, really I 
 cannot believe it. Oh! by my scepter, but this is ad- 
 mirable!" Then speaking to the conductress: "Hold," 
 said he to her, "I will bet my cap and royal mantle 
 that you are our friend, the lady of the fields; i' faith, 
 you are worth your weight in gold, and here are our 
 children, all ready shod and clad, and as big as their 
 father and mother; but how are we to get them married?" 
 
 "I will manage that," replied the Fairy of the Fields, 
 for it was herself, "and it shall be done immediately." 
 
 At these words the king, beside himself with joy, took 
 her hand, paid her I know not how many compliments 
 after his fashion, and seated her near Gilletta, to whom 
 
276 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 he cried: "This is the lady of the fields, and our very 
 good friend." 
 
 The queen, overcome by her feelings, gave herself up 
 completely to all her gratitude to the fairy, and all her 
 tenderness to her children. The fairy then introduced 
 to Gilletta the unknown princes and princesses, who were 
 with her, and proposed them in marriage with her six 
 children. The king and queen consented immediately; 
 all who were present applauded the fairy's choice, and 
 the deputies proclaimed Septimus and Feliciana king and 
 queen. The seven marriages were celebrated in a man- 
 ner worthy of the wisdom of the Fairy Judicious, and 
 the noble simplicity of the Fairy of the Fields. Septi- 
 mus gave to each of his brothers and brothers-in-law the 
 government of the largest and most wealthy provinces of 
 his kingdom; and the seven princes set out with their 
 wives, and accompanied by the fairies, who only quitted 
 each on his arrival at their several capitals. They there 
 gave them instructions for the government of their fam- 
 ilies and provinces: and, after loading them with marks 
 of kindness and generosity, returned each to her own 
 duties. 
 
 As for Petard and Gilletta, their children's fortune 
 made them neither ambitious nor jealous, nor did it 
 change their ways of thinking. The pomp and majesty 
 of a grand queen did not agree with Gilletta's simplicity; 
 while Petard's character and genius were not suited to 
 the cares of a large kingdom; and they would not have 
 exchanged, the one his seneschal, his game at piquet, 
 and his kitchen-garden; the other, her spinning-wheel, 
 her dairy, and the friendship of the Fairy of the Fields, 
 for all the grandeur in the world. 
 
 PRINCE DESIRE AND PRINCESS 
 MIGNONETTA. 
 
 THERE was once upon a time a king who was passion- 
 ately fond of a princess; but she could not be married 
 because she was enchanted. He went to consult a fairy, 
 to ascertain what he ought to do to make the princess 
 love him. The fairy said to him: "You know that the 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALKS. %tf 
 
 princess has a large cat, of which she is very fond; well, 
 she can marry that person only who can succeed in tread- 
 ing on her cat's tail." 
 
 The prince said to himself: "That will not be very dif- 
 ficult to accomplish;" and he quitted the fairy, deter- 
 mined rather to crush the cat's tail than to fail in tread- 
 ing on it. He hastened to his mistress' palace; Master 
 
 Puss came to meet him very consequentially, as was his 
 wont; the king lifted up his foot, but when he thought 
 to have put it on the cat's tail, Puss turned round so 
 quickly that he trod on nothing but the floor. He was a 
 week trying to tread on this fatal tail, which appeared to 
 be full of quicksilver, for it was continually moving. 
 But at last the king had the good fortune to surprise 
 Master Puss one day, when he had his head in a jar in 
 which a rat had taken shelter, and trod upon his tail 
 with all his weight. Puss turned, mewing horribly, and 
 immediately took the shape of a tall man, who, looking 
 at the prince with eyes full of anger, said to him: 
 
 "You may now marry the princess, since you have dis- 
 solved the enchantment which prevented yon; but I will 
 be revenged. You shall have a son who will always be 
 unfortunate, until the time when he shall become aware 
 that his nose is too long, and if you take any umbrage at 
 what I threaten you shall immediately be put to death." 
 
 Although the king was frightened at the sight of this 
 tall man, who was an enchanter, he could not help laugh- 
 
278 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 ing at his threat. "If my son's nose should be too 
 long," said he to himself, "unless he should be either 
 blind or silly he will certainly be able to' see or feel it." 
 
 When the enchanter had disappeared the king went to 
 find the princess, who consented to marry him; however, 
 he did not live long with her, for he died eight months 
 after the wedding. A month after his death the queen 
 gave birth to a young prince, who was called "Desire." 
 He had the finest large blue eyes in the world, and a 
 pretty little mouth; but his nose was so large that it cov- 
 ered half his face. The queen was inconsolable when she 
 saw this large nose; but the ladies who were with her 
 told her that the nose was not so large as it appeared to 
 her to be; that it was a Roman nose, and that history 
 averred that all heroes had large noses. The queen, 
 who loved her son to excess, was charmed with this dis- 
 course, and by dint of continually looking at Desire, his 
 nose no longer appeared to be so very long. The prince 
 was brought up very carefully, and as soon as he could 
 speak all kinds of shocking stories were told him of peo- 
 ple who had short noses. No one was allowed to remain 
 near him whose nose did not a little resemble his own, 
 and the courtiers, to show their respect to'the queen and 
 her son, pulled their children's noses several times a day 
 with a view of lengthening them; they had, however, a 
 difficult task, for their sons appeared to have hardly any 
 nose at all near Prince Desire's. When he became old 
 enough to understand it he was instructed in history, 
 and whenever any great prince or handsoms princess was 
 mentioned to him, he or she was always spoken of as hav- 
 ing a long nose. The room was hung round with pic- 
 tures, in which all the figures had large noses, and De- 
 sire grew so accustomed to regard length of nose as an 
 ornament that he would not for an empire have parted 
 with an atom of his. When he had reached the age of 
 twenty it was thought expedient for him to marry, and 
 the portraits of various princesses were submitted to him. 
 He was in raptures with that of Mignonetta, the daugh- 
 ter of a great king, and heiress to several kingdoms; "of 
 the kingdoms, however, Desire thought not at all, he 
 was so much struck with her beauty. The Princess 
 Mignonetta, although he was thus charmed with her, had 
 a little turned-up nose,which harmonized admirably with 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 279 
 
 her other features, but which very much perplexed the 
 courtiers. They had acquired such a habit of ridiculing 
 small noses that they sometimes could not forbear laugh- 
 ing at that of the princess; but Desire would not suffer 
 a jest on this subject, and he banished two courtiers 
 from his presence who dared to make insinuations 
 against Mignonetta's nose. The others, warned by their 
 fate, were more cautious, and there was one who said to 
 the prince that in truth a man could not be pleasing who 
 had not got a large nose, but that it was not the same in 
 respect to woman; for a wise man who spoke Greek had 
 informed him that he had read in an old manuscript that 
 the fair Cleopatra had the end of her nose turned up. 
 The prince made a magnificent present to the courtier 
 who told him this good news, and dispatched ambassadors 
 to demand Mignonette in marriage. His proposal was 
 accepted, and he was so anxious to see her that he went 
 more than nine miles on the road to meet her; but as he 
 was just stepping forward to kiss her hand the enchanter 
 appeared, and carried off the princess before his face, 
 leaving him quite inconsolable. 
 
 Desire resolved never to re-enter' his kingdom until he 
 had discovered Mignonetta. He would not allow any of 
 his courtiers to accompany him, and mounting a good 
 horse, he laid the bridle on his neck and allowed him to 
 choose his own road. The horse presently came to a 
 large plain, which he traversed the whole day without 
 seeing a single house. Both horse and rider were ready 
 to die with hunger; at last, as night was about to set in, 
 they discovered a cave in which a light was burning. 
 Desire entered, and saw a little old woman, who ap- 
 peared to be more than a hundred years old. She put on 
 her spectacles to look at the prince, but she was a long 
 time adjusting them, for her nose was too short. The 
 prince and the fairy (for it was a fairy), burst out laugh- 
 ing as they looked at each other exclaiming simulta- 
 neously: "Oh! what a comical nose!" 
 
 "Not so comical as yours/' said Desire; "but, madam, 
 let us leave our noses as they are, and have the goodness 
 to give me something to eat, for both I and my poor 
 horse are dying with hunger." 
 
 "With all my heart," answered the fairy. "Although 
 your nose is ridiculous, you are not the less the son of 
 
280 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 my best friend. I loved the king your father like my 
 own brother; but he had a very handsome nose." 
 
 "And what is there wanting in mine? v asked Desire. 
 
 "Oh! it wants nothing," answered the fairy; "on the 
 contrary, there is but too much of it; but no matter, a 
 man may be very good and yet have too large a nose. I 
 was saying, then, that I was your father's friend; at that 
 time he frequently came to see me, and you must know 
 that in those days I was very pretty; your father told me 
 so. I must repeat to you a conversation that we had 
 together the last time he saw me." 
 
 "Very well, madam," said Desire, "I will listen to you 
 with a great deal of pleasure when I have had my sup- 
 per; consider, if you please, that I have eaten nothing 
 to-day." 
 
 "The poor child is right," said the fairy; "I did not 
 think of that. I will prepare your supper, and while you 
 are eating I will tell you my history in a few words, for 
 I do not like long tales. A long tongue is still more in- 
 sufferable than a large nose, and I remember when I was 
 young that I was admired for not being a great talker. 
 The queen, my mother, used frequently to have it men- 
 tioned to her, for, such as you see me, I am a great king's 
 daughter. My father " 
 
 "Your father ate when he was hungry," said the 
 prince, interrupting her. 
 
 "Yes! he did doubtless," said the fairy, "and you also 
 will have your supper in a moment. I was merely going 
 to tell you that my father^ " 
 
 "But I will not listen to a word until I have some- 
 thing to eat," said, the prince, growing angry. He 
 checked himself, however, for he wanted something of 
 the fairy, and said: "I know that the pleasure I should 
 take in listening to you would make me forget my own 
 hunger; but my horse, who will not understand you, is in 
 need of some food." 
 
 This compliment made the fairy bridle. "You shall 
 wait no longer," said she to Desire, calling her domes- 
 tics; "you are very polite, and, in spite of the size 'of 
 your nose, you are very amiable." 
 
 "Plague take the old woman with my nose!" said the 
 prince to himself; "one would have sworn that my 
 mother had stolen what is wanting in hers to make 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 281 
 
 mine with; if I were not hungry I would leave this prate- 
 a-pace, who fancies that she is a little talker. One must 
 be very stupid not to perceive one's own defects: that 
 comes of her being born a princess; flatterers have 
 spoiled her, and persuaded her that she is a little talker. 
 
 While that was passing in the prince's mind, the serv- 
 ants laid the table; and the prince wondered at the 
 fairy, who kept asking them a thousand questions, solely 
 to have the pleasure of talking: he was especially sur- 
 prised at a waiting-woman, who, in everything that she 
 saw, praised her mistress for her discretion. "Egad!" 
 thought he as he was eating, "I am delighted to have 
 found my way here. This example demonstrates to me 
 how wisely I have acted in not listening to flatterers, 
 who praise us princes very shamelessly, concealing our 
 defects from us or representing them to us as perfec- 
 tions: but as for me, I shall never be their dupe; I know 
 my own defects, Heaven be thanked." Poor Desire quite 
 thought he was right, and little imagined that those who 
 had praised his nose had ridiculed it in their hearts, as 
 the waiting-woman was ridiculing the fairy; for the 
 prince observed that she turned her head aside every now 
 and then to laugh. With regard to himself, he did not 
 say a word, but ate away as fast as he could. 
 
 "Prince," said the fairy to him, when he began to be 
 satisfied, "move a little, I entreat you; yournose makes 
 so large a shadow that it prevents me from seeing what 
 is on my plate. By the way, with regard to your father: 
 I went to his court when he was quite a child; but it is 
 forty years since I first retired into this solitude. Tell 
 me a little how things are going on at court now; are the 
 ladies still as fond of running about? In my time they 
 used to go on the same day to the promenade, to the as- 
 sembly, to the theater, to the ball. But how long your 
 nose is! 1 cannot grow used to it." 
 
 "In truth, madam, "answered Desire, "do not say any 
 more about my nose; it is as it is, and in what does it 
 concern you? I am contented with it, and do not wisk 
 that it was any shorter; every one to his taste." 
 
 "Oh! I perceive now I have hurt your feelings, my 
 poor Desire," said the fairy, "but I did not intend to do 
 so; on the contrary, I am your friend, and I wish to do 
 you a service; but notwithstanding that I cannot help 
 
PRINCE DESIRE PARTING FROM THE QUEEN. 
 (283) 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 283 
 
 "being shocked at your nose; I will not, however, men- 
 tion it to you again; I will even constrain myself to 
 think that you are snub-nosed; though, in truth, there 
 are materials enough in it to make three reasonable 
 noses." 
 
 Desire, who had finished his supper, grew so tired of 
 the fairy's tedious prattle about his nose that he sprang 
 on his horse and rode away from the cavern. He con- 
 tinued his journey; and wherever he went he thought 
 that everybody was mad, for everybody talked about his 
 nose; nevertheless, he had been so accustomed to hear it 
 asserted that his nose was handsome that he could not 
 reconcile himself to the idea that it was too long. The 
 old fairy, who wished to do him a service in spite of him- 
 self, determined to shut up Mignonetta in a crystal 
 palace, and place this palace in the prince's road. De- 
 sire, transported with joy, strove to break it; but he 
 could not succeed: in despair, he wished to approach near 
 it so as at least to speak to the princess, who, on her 
 part, stretched her hand close to the crystal wall of the 
 palace. He was very anxious to kiss her hand, but turn 
 his head which way he would, he could not place his 
 mouth near it, his nose constantly preventing him. He 
 then perceived for the first time its extraordinary length, 
 and feeling all over it with his hand: "I must confess/' 
 said he, "that my nose is too large." 
 
 At the moment he pronounced those words the crystal 
 palace vanished, and the fairy appeared leading Migno- 
 netta by the hand, and saying: "Confess that you are 
 greatly obliged to me; I vainly wished to speak to you 
 about your nose, but you would never have acknowledged 
 its defect unless it had become an obstacle to your 
 wishes. In this way self-love conceals from us all the 
 defects of our minds and bodies. In vain reason en- 
 deavors to unveil them to us: we can never perceive them 
 until the same self-love that blinds us to them finds 
 them to be opposed to its interests." 
 
 Desire, whose nose had become an ordinary nose, prof- 
 ited by this lesson. He asked Mignonetta to become his 
 wife; married her, and they became a sincerely attached 
 couple. They never parted without grief and the ten- 
 derest embraces; and in this union of affection they con- 
 tinued till age and death crept on them the happiest of 
 kings and queens. 
 
284 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 PKINCESS MINIKIN. 
 
 ONCE upon a time there lived a king and a queen who 
 had only one son, in whom they centered all their hopes. 
 He was fourteen years old at the time from which this 
 history commences, and the queen had given up all hopes 
 of having any more children. The prince was handsome 
 to admiration, and learned with facility all that was 
 taught him. The king and queen doted on him, and 
 their subjects made him the object of their tenderest 
 affection; for, though he knew very well what distinc- 
 tion was necessary to observe toward the several persons 
 who approached him, he was affable to all. He was 
 called Zirphil. As he was their only son, the king arid 
 queen resolved that he should marry young, that they 
 might hope to see princes, his sons, worthy of wearing 
 their crown, if unfortunately Zirphil should be taken 
 from them. 
 
 Search was accordingly made, on foot and on horse- 
 back, for a princess worthy of the heir-apparent: but 
 notwithstanding a suitable partner for him could not be 
 found. At last, after many inquiries had thus been 
 made, the queen was informed that a lady, very closely 
 veiled, requested a personal and private interview with 
 her majesty, in order to confer with her on a very im- 
 portant affair. The queen hastened to her throne to re- 
 ceive her, and gave orders for her to be ushered into her 
 presence. The lady, .on being admitted, walked up to 
 the queen without removing her large white veil, which 
 reached from her head to her feet, and entirely concealed 
 every part of her person. When she had arrived at the 
 foot of her throne: "I am astonished, queen!" said 
 she, "that you have even dreamed of marrying your son 
 without consulting me; I am the Fairy Marmotta, and my 
 name is too well known for you not to have heard of me. 
 I am mortally offended, and, as a commencement of 
 your punishment, I command you to marry youi son Zir- 
 phil to a person whom I have brought hither for that 
 especial purpose." With these words she fumbled in 
 her pocket and pulled out a small toothpick case; this 
 she opened, when there issued from it a little enameled 
 doll, so pretty and so nicely made that the queen, in 
 
PRINCE ZIRPHIL AND HIS FATHER. 
 (285) 
 
286 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 spite of her grief, could not forbear admiring its beauty. 
 ''This is my god-daughter," continued the fairy, "and I 
 have destined Zirphil from his birth td be her husband." 
 
 The queen burst into tears, and conjured Marmotta, by 
 the most tender entreaties, not to expose her to the 
 laughter of her subjects, who would ridicule her indeed 
 if she were to announce to them such a marriage. 
 
 "What doyou mean by ridicule, madam?" said the fairy. 
 "Ah! we shall see whether they have any occasion to 
 ridicule my god-daughter, and whether your son ought 
 not to adore her. I assure you that she is worthy of him 
 in every respect; that she is small is true, but she has 
 more wit than all the people in your kingdom put to- 
 gether; and when you hear her you will be surprised 
 yourself ; 'for you must know that she can talk, and to 
 some purpose. Come, little Princess Minikin," said she 
 to the doll, "talk a little to your mother-in-]aw, and 
 show her what you can do." 
 
 Then the pretty Minikin skipped on to the queen's 
 tippet, and complimented her in so tender and intelligent 
 a manner that the queen suspended her tears, and affec- 
 tionately kissed the little princess. 
 
 "Here, your majesty," said the fairy, "is my tooth- 
 pick case; you can replace your daughter-in-law therein: 
 1 wish your son to accustom himself to her society before 
 he marries her; however, I do not think it will require 
 a very long time. Your obedience may soften my anger; 
 but if you disobey my orders, you, your husband, your 
 son and your kingdom, shall all feel the effects of my re- 
 sentment; and above all do not fail to replace her very 
 early every evening in the case, for it is of great impor- 
 tance that she does not sit up late." 
 
 With these words the fairy lifted up her veil, and the 
 queen fainted away with terror on perceiving a real liv- 
 ing marmot, covered with black hair, and having a head 
 as large as an ordinary woman. Her attendants came to 
 her assistance, and when she recovered from her swoon 
 she only saw the case which Marmotta had left. 
 
 She was conveyed to bed, and the king was informed 
 of her indisposition; he hastened to her apartment in 
 violent agitation. The queen desired all her attendants 
 to quit the room, and, with a torrent of tears, related 
 what had transpired to his majesty, who would not be- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 287 
 
 lieve a word she said until he saw her draw forth the 
 doll from her little case. 
 
 "Good Heaven!" cried he, after meditating a few mo- 
 ments, "is it possible that kings are liable to such severe 
 misfortunes? Alas! we are only placed higher than other 
 men to feel more acutely the sorrow and misfortunes 
 inseparable from this life." 
 
 "And to show greater examples of fortitude, sire," 
 interposed the doll, in a soft and clear voice. 
 
 "My dear Minikin," said the queen, "you talk like an 
 oracle." 
 
 The king took her hand and kissed it. Finally, after 
 an hour's conversation between these three personages, it 
 was agreed that nothing should as yet be said about the 
 marriage, and that they were to wait until Zirphil, who 
 was then absent for three days on a hunting expedition, 
 should determine to obey the fairy's orders, which the 
 queen undertook to make known to him. 
 
 Meanwhile, the king and queen paid the utmost atten- 
 tion to the little Minikin; she had a highly accomplished 
 mind, she spoke exceedingly well, and with a peculiarly 
 lively turn, which was engaging; however, notwithstand- 
 ing her animation, her eyes had a certain motionless 
 stare which was lot agreeable, and which the queen only 
 overlooked as she began to love the little princess. She 
 was, however, fearful that the prince might conceive an 
 aversion to her on this account. More than a month had 
 passed after Marmotta's visit, and the queen had not yet 
 dared to introduce Zirphil to his proposed bride, when 
 one morning that prince entered her apartment before 
 she had risen, and, seating himself by her bedside, spoke 
 as follows: 
 
 "A few days ago, madam, while I was hunting, the 
 most surprising adventure conceivable befell me, which 
 I would fain have concealed from you; but the secret has 
 become so burdensome to me that I feel I can withhold 
 it from you no longer. 
 
 "It is now some days since, that as I was eagerly fol- 
 lowing a wild boar I became so absorbed in its pursuit 
 as not to observe that I had outstripped all my attend- 
 ants; when, as I arrived at the outskirts of the forest, I 
 all at once saw the animal precipitate himself into a large 
 opening in the ground, into which my horse plunged 
 
288 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 after him. I felt myself descending into the earth for 
 about half an hour, when my horse's, hoofs came sud- 
 denly in contact with the floor. Looking about me, I 
 saw, instead of the wild boar, which I confess I was 
 somewhat fearful of meeting, a very ugly woman, who 
 begged me to alight from my horse and follow her. I 
 did not hesitate, and giving her my hand, she opened a 
 little door which I had not before perceived, and I en- 
 tered with her into a green marble saloon, in the middle 
 of which stood a large golden tub, covered by a piece of 
 rich cloth. This she raised, and I saw in the tub a lady 
 of such surpassing loveliness that I could with difficulty 
 preserve myself from falling backward with surprise. 
 
 " 'Prince Zirphil,' said the lady, who appeared to be 
 bathing, 'the Fairy Marmotta has enchanted me here, 
 and it is by your aid alone that I can be freed.' 
 
 " 'Speak, madam,' said I, 'inform me how I can serve 
 you.' 
 
 'You must/ replied the lady, 'either pledge yourself 
 to marry me immediately, or scale me alive.' 
 
 "My surprise at the first proposition could only be 
 equaled by my horror at the alternative. She observed 
 my embarrassment, and continued: 
 
 " 'Do not imagine that I am ridiculing you, or that I 
 am making a proposal that you will have any reason to 
 repent accepting. No, Zirphil, do not be alarmed; but 
 I am an unfortunate princess for whom the fairy has con- 
 ceived a violent hatred, and whom she has metamor- 
 phosed into a creature half-woman, half-whale, because 
 I refused to marry her nephew, the King of the Whit- 
 ings, a young man the ugliness of whose person is only 
 equaled by the wickedness of his actions; the fairy has 
 condemned me to remain in the state in which you now 
 see me until a prince named Zirphil shall have fulfilled 
 one of the conditions I have just proposed to you. To 
 bring this about, I caused my lady-of-honor to take the 
 shape of a wild boar this morning, in order to attract you 
 hither; you know how my design has succeeded. But I 
 must now inform you that you will not be allowed to 
 quit this place until you have complied with either one 
 or the other of my requests; this I cannot avoid, and 
 Citronetta, whom you have already seen, will confirm to 
 you the truth of my words.' 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 289 
 
 "Conceive, madam/' said Prince Zirphil to the queen, 
 who was listening with the greatest attention, "into what 
 a state tkis speech threw me. Although I thought that 
 the princess was very beautiful, and although her beauty 
 and misfortunes made her extremely interesting, the idea 
 of a whale princess inspired me with horror; on the other 
 hand, the thought of scaling her alive made me frantic. 
 
 " 'But madam,' said I at length (for the silence into 
 which her discourse had thrown me was becoming as in- 
 supportable as it was unmannerly), 'is there no third 
 means of accomplishing what you desire?' I had no 
 sooner pronounced these unlucky words than the princess 
 and her attendant began to utter such piercing shrieks 
 and lamentations as almost rent the roof of the saloon. 
 'Ingrate! barbarian! tiger! everything that is most fero- 
 cious and inhuman!' said she; 'you would then add to 
 my punishment the horror of seeing .you expire? For 
 know that if you do not resolve at once to comply with 
 my request, the fairy has assured me that you will per- 
 ish; and that I shall remain in my present condition all 
 my life.' 
 
 "Her reproaches pierced my heart; she drew her beau- 
 tiful arms from the water, and clasped her lily-white 
 hands to entreat me to decide quickly. Citronetta threw 
 herself at my feet and embraced my knees, almost deaf- 
 ening me with her clamorous grief. 'But how can I 
 marry you?' said I, 'how can the ceremony be per- 
 formed, in the first place?' 
 
 " 'Scale me,' said she tenderly, 'and do not marry me 
 at all. I shall be quite as well pleased.' 
 
 " 'Scale her,' said the attendant, redoubling her en- 
 treaties, 'and trouble yourself no further.' 
 
 "I was in an inexpressible perplexity; and when I at- 
 tempted to reflect how to act their cries and tears only 
 increased my confusion. At last, after a thousand con- 
 flicting thoughts, I looked again on the beautiful whale- 
 princess, and her beauty triumphed. I knelt near the 
 tub, and taking her fair hand: 'No, adorable princess,' I 
 exclaimed, 'I will not scale you; I prefer to marry you.' 
 
 "The princess' joy at hearing these words was visible 
 on her countenance; but it was a modest joy, for she 
 blushed, and with downcast eyes she said: 
 
 " 'I shall never forget the service you are about to do 
 
OLti, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 me; I am so penetrated with gratitude to you that you 
 cannot ask me for anything that I will not grant you in 
 return.' 
 
 " 'Come, lose no time/ cried the impatient Citronetta, 
 'but inform Prince Zirphil what remains for him to do.' 
 
 " 'It is only necessary/ said the whale-princess, blush- 
 ing again, 'for you to give me your ring and to receive 
 mine; here is my hand, receive it as a pledge of my 
 faith.' 
 
 "No sooner had I made this tender exchange and 
 kissed her fair hand, than I found myself on my horse, 
 in the middle of the forest, where I was soon rejoined by 
 my attendants, and I returned to the place mute with 
 astonishment. Every evening since this took place I 
 have been transported, without knowing by what means, 
 into the handsome green marble saloon, where I pass the 
 night in company with an invisible person, who says she 
 is my bride, and who converses with me on the subject 
 of our union: but " 
 
 "Ah! my son," interrupted the queen, ''and is it pos- 
 sible that you are really married?" 
 
 "Yes! but although I am very fond of my wife, 
 madam," resumed the prince, "I would have restrained 
 my passion for her, if I could have disenchanted her 
 without either marrying her or scaling her alive." 
 
 As Zirphil pronounced these words, a small voice was 
 heard from the queen's pocket, saying: "Prince Zirphil, 
 you should have scaled her; and your pity will perhaps 
 be fatal to you." 
 
 On hearing this voice the prince was quite speechless 
 with astonishment. In vain the queen attempted to con- 
 ceal the speaker from him: he immediately fumbled in 
 the pocket which was lying on an armchair which stood 
 near the bed, and drew forth the case, which the queen 
 took from his hand and opened. Princess Minikin then 
 stepped from it, and the prince, in surprise, kneeling down 
 by the queen's bedside to look at her more closely, ex- 
 claimed: "Would you believe, madam, that this is the 
 miniature counterpart of my beloved whale-princess!" 
 The queen then informed her son of all that had passed 
 on the Fairy Marmotta's visit, at which Zirphil could not 
 forbear showing a surprise not very flattering to Minikin; 
 but she was so good-natured that when she saw the 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 291 
 
 queen's affliction she kissed her hand and could not re- 
 frain from tears. Zirphil was touched by this tender 
 scene, and asked Minikin for her hand to kiss in its turn: 
 with much grace and dignity she extended it to him, and 
 then re-entered her case. When Zirphil had left the 
 queen she rose from her bed to inform the king of what 
 she had heard and of what she had just witnessed, that 
 they might take every reasonable precaution against the 
 probable effect of the fairy's anger. 
 
 The following night Prince Zirphil, notwithstanding 
 that his bodyguard had been doubled, was carried off as 
 the clock struck twelve, and found himself, as usual, in 
 company with his invisible princess; but instead of being 
 greeted with kind and tender language, as heretofore, he 
 heard weeping and sounds of griei, and observed that 
 the princess kept a considerable distance from him. He 
 ran after her round the apartment until he was tired, 
 when, seating himself on a sofa, he exclaimed: "What 
 have I been guilty of that I deserve such unkind treat- 
 ment?" 
 
 "I know all," said the whale-princess in a voice choked 
 by sobs. "Ingrate! have you forgotten the tenderness 
 with which you kissed the hand of the Princess Mini- 
 kin?" 
 
 "The tenderness," returned Zirphil quickly; "ah/di- 
 vine princess, are you so little acquainted with mine as 
 to accuse me on so slight a ground? If I looked at Mini- 
 kin attentively it was only because her face exactly re- 
 sembles yours, and, being deprived of the pleasure of 
 seeing you, all that resembles you fills me with delight. 
 Conceal yourself no longer, my dear princess, and be sure 
 that I will look at none but you." 
 
 The invisible prmftess seemed to be consoled by those 
 words, and drawing near the prince: "Forgive me r " said 
 she, "this little jealous suspicion; I have reasons enough 
 to dread being separated from you, to be afflicted at any- 
 thing that seems to forebode that misfortune." 
 
 "But," said Zirphil, "can you not inform me why you 
 are not permitted to make yourself visible to me? For, 
 if I have delivered you from Marmotta's tyranny, how is 
 it that you are still under enchantment?" 
 
 "Alas!" said the invisible princess, "if you had chosen 
 to scale me we should have been much happier; but you 
 
292 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 felt so much horror at that proposition that I dared not 
 press yfou more." 
 
 "By what means," interrupted Zirphil, "is Minikin 
 acquainted with what has happened? for she said nearly 
 the same thing to me." 
 
 No sooner had he pronounced these words than the 
 whale-princess uttered a piercing shriek and sprang off 
 the sofa, and the prince, in astonishment, did so too. 
 But what was his terror when he uerceived the hideous 
 Marmotta, in the middle of the apartment, holding his 
 beautiful princess by her flowing ringlets: no longer in- 
 visible, no longer half a whale. He drew his sword; but 
 his princess, with tears and supplications, entreated him 
 to moderate his anger, as it would be of no avail against 
 the fairy's power, and the horrible Marmotta, gnashing 
 her teeth, there issued from her mouth a violet-colored 
 flame, which singed his whiskers. "Prince Zirphil," 
 said the fairy to him, "a fairy who guards you prevents 
 me from exterminating you, your father, your mother, 
 and all who are related to yon; but you shall at least suf- 
 fer in what is most dear to you for marrying without 
 having consulted me, and your torments, and those of 
 your princess, shall not cease until you are submitted to 
 my power." 
 
 As she finished these words the fairy disappeared, to- 
 gether with the princess, the apartment and the palace, 
 and Prince Zirphil found himself in his owir room in his 
 nightdress and with his drawn sword in his hand. He 
 was so astonished and so beside himself with anger that 
 he did not observe that it was freezing, for it was then 
 the middle of winter. On hearing his outcries his 
 guards rushed into his chamber and requested him either 
 to go to bed or allow himself to be dressed. He chose 
 the latter, and went straight to the apartment of ^i 
 queen, who, on her part, had passed the night in tno 
 most dreadful anxiety. On going to bed the queen was 
 unable to sleep, and, being troubled with sorrowful 
 thoughts, she resolved to impart them to the little Mini- 
 kin. With that purpose she took the case; but in vain 
 she shook it Minikin was no longer there. The queen, 
 fearful that she had lost her in the garden, rose from her 
 bed and gave orders for torches to be lighted and a 
 search to be made immediately; but in vain they searched; 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 293 
 
 Minikin had vanished, and the queen returned to her 
 bed in a transport of grief, with which she was over- 
 whelmed when her son entered her apartment. He was 
 himself in such affliction that he did not perceive that 
 his mother was in tears. The queen, therefore, when she 
 noticed his agitation, said: "Ah! doubtless you are come 
 to announce some terrible calamity?" 
 
 "Yes, madam," answered Zirphil, "I am come to in- 
 form you that I wish to live no longer if I do not find my 
 dear princess." 
 
 "How, my son!" said the queen, "are you already in 
 love with that unfortunate princess?" 
 
 "What! with your Minikin?" said the prince; "is it 
 possible that you can even suspect me? Alas! my dear 
 whale-princess has been torn from me; for her only I 
 wish to live, and Marmotta, the cruel Marrnotta, has 
 dragged her from me." 
 
 "Ah! my son," said the queen, "lam still more af- 
 flicted than you are; for if you are deprived of your 
 whale-princess I have to regret the loss of my Minikin, 
 who since last evening has disappeared from the case." 
 Then the queen and Zirphil related to each other the 
 misfortunes that had befallen them. The king was 
 promptly informed of the queen's despair and outcries, 
 as also of his son's sorrow. He entered the apartment in 
 the midst of the scene we have described, and informed 
 himself of what had occurred. As he was very sagacious, 
 the thought immediately struck him to have Minikin ad- 
 vertised, and to offer a large reward to whoever should 
 bring her to the palace. Everybody thought this an 
 admirable expedient, and the queen herself, notwithstand- 
 ing her sorrow, was obliged to agree that no one but the- 
 most transcendent genius could have hit upon so singu- 
 felicitous a scheme. Accordingly, handbills were 
 printed and distributed, and the queen consoled herself 
 with the hope of soon receiving intelligence of her little 
 princess. As for Zirphil, the loss of Minikin interested 
 him as little as her presence. He came to the resolution 
 of seeking out a certain fairy of whom he had heard, and 
 having obtained permission of the king and queen he set 
 out immediately, attended only by hi^ equerry. 
 
 The country in which the fairy lived was situated at 
 an immense distance from that of the prince; but neither 
 
294 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 time nor obstacle could stop the amorous impatience of 
 the young Zirphil. He passed through kingdoms and 
 countries out of number. Nothing particular occurred 
 to him, because he was determined that nothing should; 
 for, beautiful as Cupid and brave as a lion, adventures 
 would have befallen him if he had been willing to seek 
 them. At last, after he had been a year on his travel, 
 he arrived at the borders of the desert in which the fairy 
 resided; he alighted from his horse, and left his equerry 
 to await his return in a little hut, with orders not to be 
 impatient for his coming. He entered on the desert, 
 which was indeed frightfully solitary: it was inhabited 
 only by owls, but their dismal screechings did not dismay 
 the soul of our courageous prince. Sustained by his un- 
 conquerable intrepidity, and by the hope of meeting with 
 the beneficent fairy, he did not hesitate an instant, but 
 penetrated into that region which until then had never 
 been trodden by mortal feet. 
 
 After night had set in, he perceived afar off a light, 
 which made him think that he was approaching the fairy's 
 grotto: for no one but a fairy could reside in that hor- 
 rible desert. He continued to direct his steps toward it 
 during the whole of the night; and at last, about day- 
 break, he discovered the celebrated grotto. He arrived 
 at the foot of a prodigiously high rock, which seemed to 
 be of fire, such was its brilliancy; it was a carbuncle of 
 such an immense size that the fairy had a very spacious 
 residence therein. When Prince Zirphil had reached her 
 grotto the Fairy Effulgent appeared to him; he pros 
 trated himself before her, when she desired him to rise 
 and follow her into the grotto. "Prince," said she to 
 Zirphil, "a power equal to mine has partly counteracted 
 the happiness with which I endowed you at your birth; 
 but you may expect everything from my protection; you 
 must have as much patience as courage, to overcome 
 Marmotta's wickedness. I can tell you no more." 
 
 "At least, madam," answered the prince, "do me the 
 favor to inform me if the beautiful whale-princess is 
 unhappy; and if I may hope to see her again soon." 
 
 "She is not unhappy," said Effulgent, "but you can- 
 not hope to see her again until you have pounded her in 
 the mortar of the King of the Whitings." 
 
 "Oh, heavens!" cried Zirphil; "is it possible, madam, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIR7 TALES. 395 
 
 that she is in his power? Alas! then I have to dread the 
 effects of his passion for her, in addition to the horror I 
 feel at having to pound her with my own hands!" 
 
 "Arm yourself with courage/' answered the fairy, 
 "and do not hesitate to obey me; on that all your happi- 
 ness will depend, as also that of your wife." 
 
 "But she will die if I pound her," continued the 
 prince, "and I would sooner suffer death myself " 
 
 "Go," said the fairy, "and make no reply: every mo- 
 ment that you lose adds to Marmotta's fury. Hasten to 
 the King of the Whitings; tell him that you are the 
 page promised him by me; and rely on my protection." 
 Then Effulgent pointed out to him, on a map, his road 
 to the court of the King of the Whitings; and dismissed 
 him, after apprising him that the ring he had received 
 from his whale-princess would instruct him how to act 
 when the king gave him anything difficult to perform. 
 He set out; and, after journeying several days, arrived 
 at a meadow close to the seaside, where there was moored 
 a little sailing-boat, built of mother-of-pearl and orna- 
 mented with gold. He looked at his ruby-ring, and saw 
 his shadow sitting in the boat; so he jumped on board; 
 and having unmoored it, the wind drove it out to sea: 
 he was soon out of sight of land, and after being driven 
 before the wind for several hours, the boat stopped at the 
 foot of a crystal castle, built on piles. He sprang on the 
 landing-place, and entered a court which led to a superb 
 vestibule and to a numerous suite of apartments, all the 
 walls of which were of rock-crystal, admirably engraved, 
 presenting the most charming effect imaginable. This 
 castle was the palace of the King of the Whitings; and 
 its only inhabitants were men with fishes' heads. The 
 prince had no doubt as to where he was: he felt his 
 choler rising, but he controlled it to ask of a turbot, 
 who looked like a captain of the guard, where he could 
 find the King of the Whitings. The man-turbot gravely 
 motioned him onward, and Zirphil passed into the guard- 
 room, where he saw a thousand men, with pikes' heads, 
 under arms, who fell into a double rank for him to pass 
 through: at last, after making his way through an in- 
 finite crowd of men-fish, he came to the presence-cham- 
 ber. He did not hear much noise in his progress, for 
 the men-fish were dumb; while he observed that the 
 
296 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 greater part of them had heads like the whitings. The 
 prince saw in the anteroom several who appeared to be 
 of high rank, from the crowds which surrounded them, 
 and from their own important looks. Zirphil had 
 reached the king's closet, just as the council, which was 
 composed of twelve men with sharks' heads, was leaving 
 his majesty. Presently, the king himself appeared: he 
 had, like so many of his court, the head of a whiting; 
 but he had also fins on his shoulders, and from the waist 
 downward was a real whiting. He had the gift of 
 speech; and his only garment was a scarf of golden-fish- 
 skin, which looked very splendid. On his head he wore 
 a helmet shaped like a crown, whence depended the tail 
 of a codfish, which served him instead of a plume of 
 feathers. Four men-whitings were carrying him in a 
 bowl made of Japanese porcelain, about the size of a 
 bathing-tub, and which was filled with sea-water. One 
 of the greatest ceremonials at the court, and which was 
 scrupulously exacted by the king, was the refilling of 
 this bowl, twice a day, by the peers and dukes, his at- 
 tendants. This employment was, however, considered a 
 great honor, and was much sought after. 
 
 The King of the Whitings was very tall, and looked 
 more like a monster than anything else. After replying 
 to some of those about him who had brought him peti- 
 tions, he perceived the prince. "Who are you, my 
 friend?" said his majesty. "What accident has brought 
 a man here?" 
 
 "May it please your majesty," answered Zirphil, "I am 
 the page whom the Fairy Effulgent promised to send 
 you." 
 
 "Oh! I understand," said the king, laughing and 
 showing his teeth, which looked like those of a saw; 
 "let him be taken to my seraglio, and let all my crawfish 
 be shown him. Every morning he must choose ten from 
 among them, pound them in a mortar, and make me 
 some broth." 
 
 Zirphil was conducted to the seraglio, and while reflect- 
 ing on his singular situation, he saw the doors open and 
 ten or twelve thousand crawfish enter the room and ar- 
 range themselves in straight lines, nearly filling the 
 apartment. 
 
 The thought struck him that he might be able to dis- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 297 
 
 cover his beautiful and unfortunate whale-princess among 
 them; as the hideous Marmotta had ordained that he 
 should pound her in a mortar. "Why should I have to 
 pound them/' said he, "except it is to drive me mad? 
 But never mind, let me try to discover her/' cried Zir- 
 phil; "that I may at least die of grief before her face." 
 Then he asked the crawfish if they would allow him to 
 search among them for one with whom he was ac- 
 quainted. She who appeared to be the chief mounted 
 on a table and said: 
 
 "We are not aware that there is such a one among us, 
 sir, but you may search until it is time for us to return 
 to our pond; where it is absolutely requisite that we 
 should pass the night." 
 
 Zirphl commenced his researches; but it was like look- 
 ing for a needle in a bundle of hay, and he only learned 
 from those he interrogated that they were all princesses 
 who had been transformed by the wicked Marmotta. 
 He was inexpressibly grieved on hearing this, and to 
 think that he would have to choose ten of them every day 
 for the king's broth. It was now getting late, and they 
 informed Zirphil that it was time for them to return to 
 their pond, but it was not without pain that the prince 
 could consent to forego the pleasure of searching, how- 
 ever fruitlessly, for his dear princess. He had not been 
 able during the whole day to speak to more than one 
 hundred and fifty; but as he was at least certain that she 
 was not among those, he resolved to take ten from their 
 number: he did so, and having taken them to a man- 
 pike, who was the head-cook, the latter inspected them, 
 and brought Zirphil a green porphyry mortar and a 
 golden pestle, and, having shown the prince how to place 
 them, made signs for him to begin pounding. He was 
 about to do so when the bottom of the mortar opened 
 amid shouts of laughter, and sent forth a bright flame 
 which dazzled the prince's eyes for a moment, and then 
 expired, leaving the bottom of the mortar as before. 
 Zirphil looked into it, but nothing was there; the craw- 
 fish had disappeared, at which he was very much as- 
 tonished, but withal pleased: for he did not relish the 
 idea of having to pound them. Tha man-pike seemed to 
 regret what had taken place, and wept bitterly. 
 
 The prince was as much surprised at seeing the head- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 cook's grief as at the laughter of the crawfish; but he 
 could not learn what occasioned either, as the crawfish 
 were gone and the man-pike could not speak. 
 
 Prince Zirphil, pondering on what he had witnessed, 
 returned to his pretty apartment, where he no longer 
 saw the crawfish, they having returned to their pond. 
 The next morning, when the crawfish entered, he again 
 sought for his princess, and, not finding her, he chose 
 ten of the finest of them and took them to the kitchen. 
 The same adventure occurred as before: the flame came 
 from the mortar, the crawfish disappeared laughing, and 
 the man-pike wept. A similar occurrence happened 
 every day for three months; but as Zirphil heard no more 
 of the King of the Whitings, his only sorrow was that he 
 could not find his beautiful whale-princess. 
 
 One evening, as Zirphil was returning from the kitchen 
 to his room, he had occasion to pass through the palace 
 gardens: as he passed near the palisade which surrounded 
 a charming grove, in the middle of which was an artificial 
 cascade, he heard the sound of voices, which not a little 
 surprised him, for he thought all the inhabitants of that 
 country were dumb, like those he had seen. He walked 
 more softly and heard a voice say: "But, my princess, so 
 surely as you never discover yourself, so surely your hus- 
 band will never recognize you." 
 
 "What would you have me do?" said the other voice, 
 which Zirphil immediately recognized as one which he 
 had so often heard; "the tyranny of Marmotta obliges 
 me to act as I do, and I cannot discover myself without 
 endangering my life and his. The wise Fairy Effulgent, 
 who sent me there conceals me from him, for the purpose 
 of preserving us for each other: it is absolutely necessary 
 that he should pound me, it is an irrevocable decree." 
 
 "Whence comes it that the prince must pound you?" 
 said the other; "you have never consented to relate your 
 history to me, though the unfortunate Citronetta, your 
 confidante, would have informed me of it, if she had not 
 been selected last week for the king's broth." 
 
 "Alas!" replied the whale-princess, "that unfortunate 
 creature has then already undergone the fate which 
 awaits me. Would that I were in her place! surely she 
 is now in Effulgent's grotto." 
 
 "Do," said the other voice, "since it is so fine an even,- 
 
OLD, OLD FA1RT TALES. 299 
 
 ing, inform me why you are submitted to Marmotta's 
 vengeance? I have already told ytm who I am, and I 
 repeat that I am burning with impatience to learn your 
 history." 
 
 "Well," said the princess, "although it will only re- 
 new my grief, I cannot refuse to satisfy you; besides, I 
 shall have to speak of Zirphil, and I abandon myself with 
 joy to all that can recall his image to my mind." 
 
 It is easy to imagine the prince's joy at overhearing 
 this tender confession: he softly glided into the grove, 
 and, as it was now quite dark, he could neither see nor 
 be seen: he listened, however, with the utmost attention 
 and overheard as follows: 
 
 "My father was king of a certain country situated near 
 Mount Caucasus; he governed as well as he could a peo- 
 ple of incredible wickedness: insurrections were perpet- 
 ually shaking his throne, and the windows of his palace 
 were frequently shattered to pieces by stones intended 
 for himself. The queen, my mother, who was very 
 clever and highly accomplished, composed for him ha- 
 rangues to appease the rioters; but if he were successful 
 one day, on the next there was infallibly another insur- 
 rection. The judges were tired of condemning to death, 
 and the executioners of hanging and beheading the crim- 
 inals: at last things arrived at such a crisis that, seeing 
 all his provinces in rebellion, and his people in arms 
 against him, my father resolved to retire into the coun- 
 try, that he might no longer witness the dreadful condi- 
 tion of his affairs. He took his queen with him, and 
 left the kingdom to be governed by one of his ministers: 
 a man wiser and of bolder spirit than the king, my 
 father. Our wicked subjects lighted bonfires at their 
 departure, and the next day strangled the minister, declar- 
 ing that he wanted to act the king, and that they pre- 
 ferred even their old one to him. My father was not at 
 all flattered by their preference, and did not therefore 
 quit the retirement of his little country-house, where I 
 was born. I was called Minikin because I was very small, 
 and as the king and queen, tired of honors that had cost 
 them so dearly, wished to conceal my birth from me, 
 they brought me up as a shepherdess. At the end of ten 
 years, which appeared to my parents no longer than ten 
 minutes, so contented were they with their retreat, the 
 
300 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 fairies who inhabited Mount Caucasus, indignant at the 
 persevering wickedness of the inhabitants of my father's 
 late kingdom, resolved to restore it to order. 
 
 '''One day as I was tending my flock in the meadow 
 that joined our garden two old shepherdesses accosted 
 me, and entreated me to give them a night's lodging: 
 they looked so weary and so sorrowful that I instantly 
 took compassion on them. 'Come,' said I to them; 'my 
 father, who is a shepherd, will be willing to receive you.' 
 I then ran to our cottage to tell him that they were com- 
 ing; he went out to meet them, and received them very 
 kindly, as did the queen my mother. I then collected 
 my sheep, and fetched some new milk for our guests; 
 and, while my father was preparing something nice for 
 supper, the queen, who, as I have already told you, was 
 very intelligent, entertained them with her conversation. 
 
 "1 had a little lamb of which I was excessively fond: 
 my father told me to bring it to him that he might put 
 it down to yoast. I was not in the habit of refusing to 
 do as I was desired, so 1 fetched my lamb immediately; 
 but I was so afflicted that I ran to my mother and burst 
 into tears: she was, however, so much engaged in talk- 
 ing to the good women that she did not observe me. 
 'What is the matter with the little Minikin?' said one of 
 them, seeing me in tears. 
 
 " 'Alas! madam,' said I to her, 'my father is about to 
 roast for you my little pet-lamb.' 
 
 " 'What,' said she who had not spoken, 'is it for us 
 that they are going to be so cruel to the pretty Minikin?' 
 Then, rising from her seat, she struck the floor with her 
 wand, and there instantly appeared a table, on which was 
 spread a magnificent feast; at the same time the two old 
 shepherdesses were transformed into two ladies, so hand- 
 some and so glittering with jewels that I was motionless 
 with surprise at seeing them. 
 
 "My father and mother immediately began to testify 
 their respect for the two fairies for you may be sure 
 that fairies they were. Kaising them from their feet, 
 where the king and queen had thrown themselves: 'King 
 and queen,' said the more majestic of the two, 'we have 
 known you for a long time; and your misfortunes have 
 excited our pity. Do not think that a high station is 
 exempt from the evils attendant on human life: you 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRT TALES. 301 
 
 ought to know from experience that the higher the 
 rank, the greater the liability to misfortune; your pa- 
 tience and virtue, however, have lifted you above your 
 hard fate; and it is time they should be rewarded. I am 
 the Fairy Effulgent, and I am come to ask you what can 
 most contribute to your happiness: speak, and do not be 
 afraid of putting our power to the test; consult together, 
 and your wishes shall be accomplished. But do not let 
 your request have reference to Minikin: her destiny is 
 apart from yours. The Fairy Marmotta, jealous of the 
 brillant career before your daughter, has condemned her 
 to obscurity for a certain period; but Minikin will be 
 better able to appreciate the happiness of life after she 
 shall have known some of its evils: we will protect her 
 and mitigate her fate. This is all we are permitted to 
 unfold to you. Now speak: anything that you can ask 
 shall be granted.' 
 
 "The fairies were silent after this harangue. The 
 queen turned to the king and requested him to make 
 answer; for she was in tears at learning that I was des- 
 tined to be unfortunate: but neither was my father in a 
 condition to speak: he uttered lamentable cries, and I, 
 seeing my parents weep, quitted my lamb, to join my 
 tears to theirs. 
 
 "The good fairies, affected by the extreme grief which 
 prevailed in the royal family, spoke a few words apart; 
 then Effulgent, who had already spoken, said to the 
 queen: 'Be consoled, madam; the misfortunes with which 
 Minikin is threatened are not so bad, since they will ter- 
 minate happily; for, from the moment that the husband 
 we have destined for her shall have performed what Fate 
 shall require of him, Minikin will be happy for the re- 
 mainder of her life; and our sister will have no further 
 power over either of them: we have allotted her to a 
 prince, who is every way worthy of her. All that re- 
 mains for us to say is, that it is absolutely necessary you 
 should lower your daughter every morning into the well, 
 and let her bathe there during the space of half an hour. 
 If you scrupulously observe this rule, perhaps your 
 daughter may avoid the misfortune with which she is 
 menaced; and it is at the age of twelve years that her 
 destiny will be fulfilled; if she reach thirteen, without 
 its coming to pass, there, will be no longer anything to 
 
302 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 fear: so much for Minikin. For yourselves, express but 
 your wishes, and they shall be gratified." 
 
 "The king and queen looked at each other, and, after 
 a short silence, the former requested to be changed into 
 a statue until my thirteen probationary years should be 
 accomplished; while the latter conSned her wishes to re- 
 questing that the temperature of the well in which I was 
 to be bathed might always be adapted to the season. 
 The fairies, charmed with this excess of tenderness, 
 granted in addition that the well should be filled with 
 orange-flower-water; and that the king, whenever the 
 queen should throw some of this water over him, should 
 resume his natural form, and be changed into a statue 
 again whenever he should wish. Then the fairies took 
 their leave of us, after having praised the king and queen 
 for their moderation. 
 
 "They disappeared! and I felt grief for the first time 
 in my life, at seeing the king, my father, become a large 
 statue of black marble. The queen gave way to tears, 
 and I also; but at last, as everything has an end, I ceased 
 to cry, and only thought of consoling my mother; for 
 my mind was highly intellectual, and my heart capable 
 of the deepest feelings. The queen passed nearly all her 
 time at the feet of the statue; and I, after being bathed, 
 according to the fairies' instructions, went regularly to 
 milk our sheep: this milk formed our principal food, for 
 the queen was too weak to have an appetite for anything 
 else; indeed, it was only her love for me that made her 
 wish to prolong a life which seemed so unfortunate. 
 'Alas, my child, my child!' would she say to me occasion- 
 ally, 'of what avail to us has been our high rank?' for 
 she no longer concealed from me my birth 'would not a 
 less elevated station have been preferable to a crown at- 
 tended with such grievous misfortunes? Virtue alone, 
 joined to my affection for you, my dear Minikin, enables 
 me to support them; but there are moments when my 
 soul seems anxious to quit my body, and when I confess 
 that I feel a pleasure in the certainty that I must die.' 
 
 "I was regularly bathed every day, and my mother was 
 very much afflicted at seeing the king always remain an 
 inanimate statue; however, she dared not recall him to 
 life, for fear that she should only cause him the grief of 
 Witnessing my predicted misfortune. The fairies not 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 303 
 
 having specified in what way my fate was to affect me, 
 we were in a dreadful state of anxiety, the queen in par- 
 ticular. Her imagination, having a vast field for its 
 exercise, foreboded to her the most frightful misfortunes, 
 and had no bounds to its fears: for my part, I soon 
 ceased to think upon the subject, so true is it that youth 
 is the only season in which we enjoy the present. 
 
 "My mother was continually saying that she had a 
 great mind to recall the king to life, which I advised her 
 to do. At last, at the end of six months, seeing that the 
 fairies' bath had made me very beautiful, and had im- 
 proved my understanding, which was maturing from day 
 to day, she resolved to gratify herself; in order, as she 
 said, to give the king the pleasure of seeing me: so she 
 desired me to fetch her some water from the well. Ac- 
 cordingly, the next morning, when I had bathed, I 
 brought up with me a jug filled with this miraculous 
 water; and the moment that my mother sprinkled some 
 drops of it on the statue, my father became a man again. 
 The queen threw herself at his feet, to ask his pardon for 
 disturbing his repose. My father raised her and embrac- 
 ing her tenderly, peace was concluded; and she presented 
 to him his daughter. 
 
 "The king was delighted with me, and lavished on me 
 a thousand caresses; then, turning to the queen, he asked 
 her if she had any news. 
 
 " 'Alas!' said my mother, 'how should any reach me 
 in this desert?' 
 
 " 'Well, then,' said the king, 'you shall hear some* 
 from me; for I have not been asleep all this time as 
 you supposed. The fairies who protect us have shown 
 me that my subjects have been terribly punished for 
 their wickedness: my kingdom being transformed into 
 one vast lake, and the inhabitants into so many men- 
 fish. A nephew of the Fairy Marmotta, whom they have 
 placed upon the throne, persecutes them with unceasing 
 cruelty; he eats them up for the slightest offence. At 
 the end of a certain period, the exact duration of which 
 is unknown to me, a prince will come who shall reign in 
 his stead; and in the kingdom, which will be then re- 
 established, Minikin will enjoy a long life of happiness. 
 That is all that I have learned, and I have not passed my 
 time very idly,' added the king, laughing, 'to have 
 learned so much.' 
 
304 OLD t OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "We passed some time very happily indeed. The king 
 and queen, however, were rather sorrowful when they re- 
 membered that I was approaching my thirteenth year. 
 As the queen was very careful to bathe me every day, she 
 still hoped that the prediction would not be fulfilled; but 
 who can boast of having evaded his destiny? One morn- 
 ing, the queen having risen early, while she was plucking 
 some flowers to adorn our mantelpiece, for the king was 
 very fond of flowers, she saw crawling from under a 
 tuberose-tree an ugly animal, something like a marmot. 
 The beast sprang at my mother, and bit her nose, when 
 she fainted away with pain, and the fright caused by so 
 sudden an attack. My father, uneasy at her absence, 
 went to seek her; and you may judge of his horror at 
 finding his wife weltering in her blood, and nearly dead! 
 He uttered frightful cries, which soon brought me to his 
 assistance; and between us we bore the queen to our cot- 
 tage, and laid her on her bed; where she lay insensible 
 for two hours. At last she began to give signs of return- 
 ing consciousness; and in a few moments we had the ex- 
 treme pleasure of seeing her perfectly restored, except 
 that the wound she had received was exceedingly pain- 
 ful. Her first question was, whether I had been bathed; 
 but we had been so much engaged attending to her that 
 I had forgotten my bath. On hearing this, my mother 
 was dreadfully alarmed; but seeing that no accident had 
 as yet befallen me, she soon became tranquil, and related 
 to us the particulars of her misfortune: at which we were 
 very much surprised. 
 
 "However, the day passed without any other mis- 
 chance; the king had taken down his fowling-piece, and 
 made a diligent search after the vile brute, but in vain! 
 he co-uld not find it. The next morning at daybreak, 
 the queen arose and took me to the well. She lowered 
 me therein, as usual, but, alas! fatal and miserable 
 day! at that moment the sky, although still perfectly 
 serene, echoed with a dreadful thunder; while the day 
 was rendered more brilliant by a fearful lightning, and 
 there issued from a burning cloud, which suddenly arose, 
 a fiery dart which rushed into the well. Terrified, my 
 mother quitted her hold of the cord that held me, and I 
 was precipitated to the bottom of the well; when I im- 
 mediately became sensible that the lower half of my body 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 305 
 
 was transformed into so much of an enormous whale. I 
 swam about for a short time, and then began calling on 
 the queen with all my might. She did not answer, at 
 which I was very much afflicted; and I was crying very 
 bitterly, as much for the loss of my mother as at my 
 metamorphosis, when I felt an unknown power forcing 
 me to descend; and, having arrived at the bottom of the 
 water, I entered a crystal grotto, in which I observed a 
 sort of nymph, shaped like a frog, but exceedingly large, 
 
 and rather dirty. However, she smiled when she saw 
 me; and said: 'Minikin, I am the nymph of the bottom- 
 less well, and am called Citronetta; I have orders to re- 
 ceive you here, and to make you perform the penance to 
 which you are doomed for having omitted your bath; fol- 
 low me, and make no reply.' She took hold of my tail, 
 and dragged me unresistingly into a green marble saloon, 
 which was near her grotto; and there placed me in a 
 golden tub full of water, when I began to recover my 
 spirits. The good nymph appeared* to be in ecstasies. I 
 informed her of the events of my life, and then begged 
 her to tell me what was become of the king and queen. 
 
06 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "She was about to answer me when a frightful mar- 
 mot, as large as a human creature, entered the saloon, 
 and froze me with horror. She walked upright on her 
 hind legs, leaning on a golden wand. She came up to 
 the tub, in which I would fain have drowned myself, I was 
 so terrified, and touching me with her wand: 'Minikin/ 
 said she to me, 'yon are in my power, and nothing can 
 withdraw you from it, but your obedience, and that of 
 the prince, whom my sisters have destined to be your 
 husband. Listen to me, and divest yourself of your fear, 
 which does not become the daughter of a king. From 
 your infancy I wished to protect you and marry you to 
 my nephew, the King of the Whitings; Effulgent, how- 
 ever, and two or three more of my sisters, had already 
 taken upon themselves to provide you with a husband; 
 and, angry in consequence, I let the effects of my ill- 
 humor fall upon you. Having no power over my sisters; 
 I resolved to punish you for their stubbornness, and so 
 ordained that you should be transformed into a creature, 
 half-woman, half-whale, for at least the half of your life. 
 My sisters cried shame on such injustice, so I was in- 
 duced to diminish the effects of my vengeance; but for 
 my complaisance, I reserved to myself the determination 
 of marrying you to my nephew. Effulgent, who is some- 
 what imperious, and whose power is unfortunately 
 superior to mine, would not hear of this reservation, be- 
 cause she had destined you for a prince who was under 
 her protection. I was accordingly obliged to accede to 
 her wishes, notwithstanding my resentment; and all that 
 I could obtain was, that the one who should deliver you 
 from my power should become your husband. These are 
 their portraits/ added the fairy, handing to me two 
 golden cases; 'you will know them by their likenesses; 
 and if one of them come to deliver you, it is necessary 
 that he should promise to marry you in your present con- 
 dition; and in order that you may quit it, he must tear 
 off all your scales one by one, otherwise you will remain 
 half a fish all your life. My nephew will not have the 
 slightest objection to this proposition; but with regard to 
 the protege of Effulgent, he will not at all like the latter 
 condition, for he appears to me to be a very delicate 
 young gentleman. Employ, then, your utmost address 
 to make him scale you; and that achieved, your misfor- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALKS. 307 
 
 tunes will cease; if, indeed, it be a misfortune to be a 
 very beautiful whale, fat, and well-fed, with water up to 
 your neck.' 
 
 "This speech, to which I made no reply, made me 
 very sorrowful, both on account of my metamorphosis, 
 and of the scaling I was doomed to undergo. 
 
 "Marmotta disappeared, leaving us the two boxes 
 which contained the portraits. I was weeping at the 
 thoughts of my unfortunate situation, quite regardless of 
 the boxes, when the kind and compassionate Citronetta 
 said: 'Come, let us not lament misfortunes which it is 
 not in our power to remedy. Let us amuse ourselves by 
 examining the portraits.' With that she opened one of 
 the two boxes, and showing it to me, we both uttered a 
 shriek of horror on seeing the portrait of an ugly Whit- 
 ing, on which, however, the artist had bestowed as much 
 beauty as he could; but still, never in the memory of 
 man was anything seen so frightful. 'Take the detest- 
 able object from my sight,' said I, 'I cannot endure to 
 look on it longer. 1 would sooner remain a whale all my 
 life than marry the horrible Whiting.' My companion 
 did not give me time to finish my imprecations on the 
 monster: 'See,'. said shr, 'look at this young beauty; I 
 declare that he may scale you whenever he chooses, and 
 you will be but too happy to suffer by his hands!' I 
 quickly turned to see if what she stated were true, and 
 was but too soon convinced. A handsome and agreeable 
 countenance presented itself to my sight; tender and ex- 
 pressive eyes gave a finishing charm to a set of features 
 in themselves noble and majestic. I gazed on this charm- 
 ing portrait with a pleasure of which I was myself uncon- 
 scious and which I had never felt till then. Citronetta 
 was the first to remark it. 'In good faith,' said she, 'our 
 choice is soon made.' I awakened the good-natured Cit- 
 ronetta twenty times in the course of the night to con- 
 verse with her about my prince; and she soon found out 
 his name for me, and informed me that he huntea almost 
 every day in the forest under which I was incarcerated. 
 She proposed to me that she should try to entice him to 
 our abode; but I would not consent, although I was 
 dying with anxiety to see it accomplished. 
 
 "One day when I was more low-spirited than usual, for 
 love has this peculiarity, that it disposes the tender heart 
 
308 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 to melancholy, I saw the frightful Marmotta enter the 
 saloon, accompanied by two persons whom I did not im- 
 mediately recognize. It instantly struck me that she 
 was bringing her unlucky nephew, and I uttered fright- 
 ful cries. They hastened up to me, and I heard the 
 wicked Marmotta say: 'Why, she could not make more 
 noise if they were scaling her; she cries out before she is 
 hurt. 'Good heavens, sister!' said one of the persons 
 who accompanied her, and in whom I recognized with 
 joy the two fairies who had formerly visited my father's 
 cottage, 4 let us hear no more for the present about the 
 scaling, but let us tell Minikin what we have got to say 
 to her/ 'Oh! by all means,' said Marmotta, 'but you 
 know the conditions.' 
 
 "The good fairy, without heeding or replying to her 
 words, spoke to me as follows: 'Minikin, we are too much 
 afflicted by your unhappy condition not to endeavor to 
 change it, and especially as you have not deserved it. I 
 and my sisters have therefore determined to lighten your 
 misfortune as much as maybe in our power. Our scheme 
 is this: you are going to be presented at the court of the 
 prince to whom I have destined you from your cradle; 
 but, my dear child, you will not appear there in your 
 present form, although you are destined to return to it 
 three times a week, and pass the night in your tub; for, 
 until you are married ' 
 
 " 'And scaled/ interrupted the hideous Marmotta, 
 with a sardonic grin. 
 
 "The good fairy turned toward her, shrugged up her 
 shoulders, and immediately continued: 'For until you 
 are married you will remain a whale here. More than 
 this we cannot tell you; but you will learn all in good 
 time. Above all, be very careful to keep your secret; for 
 if a single word escape you which has a tendency to make 
 it known, neither I nor my sisters can assist you more; 
 and you will be wholly in the power of my sister Mar- 
 motta.' 
 
 " 'Which she will be/ said that wicked fairy, 'I al- 
 ready see her in my clutches; a secret kept by a girl, 
 indeed, would be a phenomenon!' 
 
 'That is her business,' said Effulgent (for it was she 
 who had been speaking to me ull along). 'As to the 
 rest, my daughter,' she continued, 'you will be changed 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 309 
 
 into a little enamel doll, but will retain both reason and 
 speech, and we will preserve your real features; and now 
 I give you a week to consider whether what I have 
 proposed be agreeable to you/ 
 
 "There wanted only one day to the fairies' appoint- 
 ment when Citronetta^ who had assumed the shape of a 
 wild boar, and had gone to the forest to procure me news 
 of Zirphil, returned, followed by that too amiable prince. 
 I cannot express to you my joy at seeing 'him; there are 
 no words expressive enough to convey even a distant 
 idea of what I felt. But what delighted me most was to 
 perceive that the prince appeared enchanted with me; at 
 least, I inferred so from his looks. Citronetta, more 
 anxious for my happiness than for our momentary trans- 
 port, dissipated it by proposing to Prince Zirphil to 
 marry me or to scale me. Brought back to recollection, 
 and feeling the danger of our situation, I joined my 
 tears and entreaties to Citronetta's; and by our supplica- 
 tions we induced the prince to pledge to me his faith. 
 We had no sooner exchanged rings than he vanished un- 
 accountably from my sigh ; and I found myself in my 
 proper shape, lying in a comfortable bed. I was no 
 longer troubled with the thoughts of being metamor- 
 phosed; still I was confined in the bowels of the earth, in 
 the green marble saloon, and Citronetta had lost the 
 power of quitting it and of transforming herself. 
 
 "I expected the return of the fairies with fear and 
 trembling. Marmotta appeared at daybreak, unaccom- 
 panied by Effulgent or her companion, and not looking 
 more angry than usual. She touched me with her wand, 
 without saying a word, and I became a charming little 
 doll; when, having put me in her toothpick case, she 
 transported herself to the palace of the queen, my hus- 
 band's mother. She gave me to her, with orders to es- 
 pouse me to her son, or expect all the misfortunes that 
 lay in her, Marmotta's, power to draw upon her; adding 
 that I was her god-daughter and called the Princess Min- 
 ikin. I conceived a very strong friendship for my 
 mother-in-law;. I loved her for her good qualities, inde- 
 pendent of her being the mother of my adored Zirphil; 
 and I was blessed with her friendship in return. I was 
 transported, however, every night to the green marble 
 saloon, in company with my husband. I cannot divine 
 
310 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 why I was forbidden to tell him my secret, since I was 
 married to him; however, I did keep it, notwithstanding 
 Zirphil's impatience to learn it. 
 
 "You are about to see/' continued the speaker, sigh- 
 ing, "that it is impossible to avoid the doom of fate. 
 However," she added, "it is nearly daybreak, and I am 
 dreadfully fatigued with being so long out of the water; 
 so let me return to the pond, and to-morrow, at the same 
 hour, if we are not chosen for the broth of the wretched 
 King of the Whitings, we will resume the thread of my 
 story. Come, let us be moving." 
 
 Zirphil heard no more, and returned to his apartment, 
 very sorrowful at not having apprised his princess that 
 he was so near her: but the fear of increasing her mis- 
 fortunes by his indiscretion consoled him for not having 
 attempted to do so: however, the dread of her perishing 
 by his own hands made him resolve to resume his in- 
 quiries among the crawfish, and to learn their histories. 
 
 Prince Zirphil went to bed, but not to sleep: he could 
 not close his eyes all night. To have discovered his 
 princess, to see her in the shape of a crawfish, and in 
 danger of being sacrificed to appease the appetite of the 
 King of the Whitings, seemed to the prince to be a more 
 dreadful punishment than the death to which he believed 
 she was destined. He was in a cruel state of agitation, 
 when a loud noise was heard in the garden. At first 
 Zirphil only heard it faintly; but, on listening, he dis- 
 tinguished the sounds of flutes and conch-shells. He 
 sprang out of bed and looked through the window, when 
 he saw the King of the Whitings, accompanied by the 
 twelve men-sharks who composed his council, walking 
 in the direction of his pavilion. Zirphil hastened to open 
 the door; and, the procession having entered, the king, 
 in the first place, had his tub refilled with fresh sea- 
 water by the lords who were carrying him; then, after 
 a few minutes' rest, he took his place in the council, and 
 addressed the young prince as follows: "Whoever you 
 may be, you are apparently resolved that I shall die of 
 hunger; for you send me day after day such wretched 
 broth that I cannot swallow a spoonful." Then turning 
 to an attendant his majesty added : "Go to my kitchen and 
 bring the crawfish mortar; I would regale the council." 
 A man-pike immediately ran and fetched what the king 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 311 
 
 desired; and while he was gone the twelve men-sharks 
 took a large net and cast it through the window into the 
 pond, catching three or four thousand crawfish. 
 
 During the interval in which the council was employed 
 fishing, and while the man-pike was gone for the king's 
 pestle and mortar, Zirphil was absorbed in reflection; he 
 felt that the most critical moment of his whole life was 
 at hand, and that the question of his happiness or misery 
 was about to be determined; but, summoning all his 
 
 fortitude and resolution, he prepared to obey the king. 
 The council ceremoniously presented the crawfish, and 
 the prince attempted to pound some of them; but a sim- 
 ilar adventure happened with these as had occurred with 
 those which he had attempted to pound in the kitchen: 
 the bottom of the mortar opened, and flames devoured 
 them. The King of the Whitings and his rascally cour- 
 tiers amused themselves for a long time with the extraor- 
 dinary spectacle; taking great pains, and apparently 
 receiving much pleasure, in continually refilling the mor- 
 tar, until at last there was only one of the four thousand 
 
312 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 crawfish remaining; this was so large and plump that it was 
 charming to look upon. The king gave orders that some 
 one should shell it, in order that he might eat some por- 
 tion of this, at least; and it was accordingly handed to 
 Zirphil, who was not a little grieved at this new cruelty; 
 but his grief was redoubled when he saw the poor craw- 
 fish join its two claws; and when, its eyes streaming with 
 tears, it said to him: "Alas! Zirphil, what have I done to 
 you, that you are about to treat me so cruelly ?" The 
 prince, deeply moved by the words, and with a heart 
 pierced with grief, looked sorrowfully at the crawfish; at 
 last he took upon himself to entreat the king to allow it 
 to be pounded. The king, jealous of his authority, and 
 unshaken in his resolution, was inflamed with anger at 
 this humble petition; and threatened to have Zirphil him- 
 self pounded if he did not immediately shell the craw- 
 fish. The poor prince again took it from the hands of 
 one of the men-sharks to whom he had intrusted it, and, 
 with a little knife which was handed to him, began to 
 shell it; but no sooner had the knife touched it, than the 
 crawfish uttered so piercing a cry that the prince turned 
 away his eyes, and could no longer repress his tears. 
 After awhile, however, he continued his disagreeable 
 task; but, to his astonishment, before he had well fin- 
 ished shelling the crawfish, it changed in his hands to 
 the vile Marmotta; who, leaping on the floor, convulsed 
 with loud and disagreeable laughter, mocksd at Zirphil's 
 grief. The prince, however, was at sight of her relieved 
 from the oppressive fear under which he had been labor- 
 ing, and which had nearly made him swoon. 
 
 The king, in astonishment, cried out: "What! is it 
 possible that I behold my aunt?" 
 
 "Yes, truly, it is herself," said the tormenting crea- 
 ture. "But, my dear Whiting, I have come to inform you 
 of terrible news." His majesty turned pale on hearing 
 these words, and the council assumed an air of satisfac- 
 tion which quite disconcerted the king and his frightful 
 aunt. "It is all over, my darling," continued Marmotta, 
 "and you must return to your watery kingdom; for this 
 obstinate creature has taken it into his head to be so 
 ridiculously constant that I can do nothing with him. 
 Ue has avoided all the snares that I laid in his way in the 
 hope of diverting him from his determination to carry 
 ofi the princess, whom otherwise I had destined for you" 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 313 
 
 On hearing these words the King of the Whitings went 
 into such an excess of fury that words cannot describe it; 
 he committed a thousand extravagances, which made it 
 very apparent that he was the prey of violent and un- 
 governable passions. Marmotta in vain attempted to 
 appease him; neither threats nor entreaties could prevail; 
 he broke his china bowl in a thousand pieces, when, all 
 the water escaping, he swooned away. Marmotta, beside 
 herself with anger, then turned to Zirphil, who had been 
 a passive spectator of the violent scene, and said: "You 
 have conquered, Zirphil, by the assistance of a fairy who 
 is my superior in power; but all your sorrows are not yet 
 over; you cannot be happy until after you have restored 
 to my possession the case which contained the unlucky 
 Minikin: Effulgent herself has granted me that; and I 
 have obtained from her that you shall suffer until then." 
 With these words she threw the King of the Whitings 
 over her shoulders and bundled him into the lake, to- 
 gether with the men-sharks, the palace and all its inhab- 
 itants; and in a moment Zirphil found himself alone at 
 the foot of a high mountain, which stood in the midst 
 of a large desert in which there was not the least sign of 
 vegetation, nor of a human habitation. He looked" in 
 vain for the lake and the palace; all had disappeared at 
 once. The prince was more afflicted than astonished at 
 so extraordinary'an event; he had become familiarized with 
 prodigies, and was only sensible of the grief caused him 
 by Marmotta's persecution. 
 
 "I cannot doubt," soliloquized Zirphil, "that I have 
 pounded my princess; yes, I have pounded her, and am 
 no happier than I was before. Ah! barbarous Marmotta! 
 and you, Effulgent too! even you leave me without as- 
 sistance, after I have obeyed you at the sacrifice of all 
 that so sensitive a heart as mine holds dear." His grief, 
 and the weariness consequent on his having passed the 
 previous night in the grove, made him feel so excess- 
 ively faint that he would have most probably perished, 
 but that his courage wasunequaled, and his love inspired 
 him with a wish to live. 
 
 After walking onward for a long while, our prince 
 came to the brink of a well which was cut through the 
 rock. Here Zirphil sat down to rest himself, and began 
 again to call on his protectress: "Oh! Effulgent," said 
 
314 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 he, "have yon deserted me? After repeating these 
 words several times he heard a voice, proceeding from 
 the well, say: 
 
 "If Zirphil is there, let him speak to me." 
 
 The prince's joy at hearing this voice was increased by 
 a hope that he recognized it as one to which his ear had 
 been accustomed. He sprang to the brink, and .an- 
 swered, therefore: "Yes, I am Zirphil; and you, are you 
 not Citronetta?" 
 
 "I am," said the voice; and Citronetta immediately 
 arose from the well and embraced the prince. Words 
 cannot paint Zirphil's joy at seeing her; he overwhelmed 
 her with questions relative to herself and the princess; 
 and it was some time before, the transport occasioned by 
 their meeting being over, they spoke more rationally. 
 
 "I am about to communicate to you," said Citronetta, 
 "all that you are anxious to learn. Since you pounded 
 us, we have enjoyed a happiness which your absence alone 
 renders incomplete; and I was here awaiting your arrival, 
 by the directions of the Fairy Effulgent, that I might in- 
 struct you as to what remains for you to do, in order to 
 become the happy possessor, without further trouble or 
 fear, of a princess whose love for you equals that which I 
 know you feel for her; but, as some time must of neces- 
 sity elapse before you can arrive at that happiness, I will 
 do myself the pleasure to relate to you that part of the 
 wonderful history of your amiable spouse of which you 
 are as yet unapprised." 
 
 Zirphil kissed repeatedly the hands of Citronetta, in 
 token of his thanks, and followed her into her grotto, at 
 the sight of which he was overcome with tender recollec- 
 tions, when he recognized it as the saloon in which he 
 had for the first time seen his adored whale-princess. At 
 last, having seated himself, and partaken of a repast 
 which was furnished for him by his ring, he requested 
 the good Citronetta to resume the history from the 
 place where the princess had finished her narration. 
 
 "As Effulgent will come to seek you here," said the 
 nymph, "you shall in the meantime learn all that you 
 wish to know. Know, then, that the Fairy Marmotta was 
 notignorant of your marriage; but she had transformed our 
 mutual friend into an enamel doll, thinking that you would 
 be disgusted with her in that shape. Effulgent herself was, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 315 
 
 however, as you have heard, at the bottom of that affair, 
 and well knew that no power could deprive you of the prin- 
 cess if you married her or destroyed her enchantment by 
 scaling her. You married her, and you know what has 
 since taken place. The last time that you saw the prin- 
 cess and myself, we were transformed into crawfish, and 
 placed in a little basket made of rushes, which Marmotta 
 hung on her arm, when seating herself in a chariot 
 drawn by two adders, we were speedily conveyed to the 
 palace of the King of the Whitings. This palace had 
 formerly belonged to the king who is the father of your 
 princess; the city, changed into a lake, formed the place 
 which we have inhabited ever since; and all the men-fish 
 whom you saw were the wicked subjects of that good 
 king. The latter requesting to be made yeoman of the 
 kitchen and keeper of the pestle and mortar to the King 
 of the Whitings, Effulgent gratified him, by giving him a 
 tap with her wand, when he immediately became a man- 
 pike, such as you saw him in the discharge of his duty: 
 now you need no longer be surprised at the tears you saw 
 him shed when you brought the crawfish to be pounded; 
 for, as he knew that his daughter had to undergo that 
 punishment, he always feared that she might be among 
 those which you brought him from time to time; and the 
 unfortunate king had not a moment's peace, because his 
 daughter had no means of making herself known to him. 
 For the queen, she requested to be transformed into a 
 crawfish in order to be with the princess, and her wish 
 was likewise granted. With regard to ourselves, when 
 we arrived at the palace the fairy presented us to the 
 King of the Whitings, and commanded him to have a 
 basin of crawfish broth prepared every day. After 
 which order we were thrown into the pond among the 
 rest. 
 
 "At length you arrived, and we were presented to you; 
 but we were not permitted to make ourselves known un- 
 less you should interrogate us; and we dared not infringe 
 the law, so tired we were of submitting to its rigor, for 
 having formerly disobeyed it in mere trifles. We were 
 selected by you one morning, I and the queen; and we 
 had not time to bid the princess adieu? ere you carried us 
 to the kitchen. We had scarcely touched the bottom of 
 the fatal mortar, when Effulgent herself came to save 
 
316 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 us; and, on restoring me to my proper shape, she trans- 
 
 Eorted me to this, my usual residence. I had the conso- 
 ition of seeing the queen and our companions likewise 
 restored to their proper persons; but I do not know what 
 has become of them. The fairy embraced me, and told 
 me to await you here, and inform you of all that I have 
 just told you when you should arrive here in search of 
 the princess. I had been looking forward to the present 
 moment with impatience, as you may well believe, sir," 
 continued Citronetta to Prince Zirphil, who was listening 
 to her attentively, "until, at last, yesterday, just as I had 
 seated myself at the mouth of my well, Effulgent ap- 
 peared. 'Our children will soon be happy,' said she to 
 me, 'my dear Citronetta; Zirphil must restore to Mar- 
 motta her case, as an end to his labors, for he has scaled 
 the princess.' 'Ah, great queen!' cried I, 'are we 
 then so happy as to have an end to our fears?' 'Yes/ 
 said she, 'you are, indeed; Zirphil thinks he has only 
 scaled Marmotta; but he has in reality scaled the prin- 
 cess, as Marmotta, being concealed in the handle of the 
 knife wherewith he performed his terrible sacrifice at the 
 moment that he finished shelling the crawfish, rendered 
 the princess invisible to his eyes, and substituted herself, 
 Marmotta, in her place.' ; 
 
 "What!" exclaimed Zirphil, "and was it then my charm- 
 ing princess to whom I acted with so much cruelty? 
 Alas! have I been barbarous enough to make her suffer 
 this cruel punishment? heavens! she will never for- 
 give me, nor do I deserve her forgiveness!" The 
 unhappy Zirphil spoke so wildly, and appeared so griev- 
 ously afflicted, that the poor Citronetta was herself 
 relieved that she had communicated to him this cruel 
 piece of intelligence. 
 
 "So," said she at last, seeing the prince in a reverie 
 "so you did not know this?" 
 
 "I did not, indeed," answered Zirphil; "for had I 
 known it was my princess I would rather have stabbed 
 myself to the heart with the unlucky knife." 
 
 "But reflect," said Citronetta, "that if you had stabbed 
 yourself to the heart, the princess would have remained 
 forever in the power of her enemy and of your detested 
 rival, and that it is much better to have shelled her 
 than, by killing yourself, to have allowed her to remain 
 miserable." 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 317 
 
 This last argument, founded on the real state of the 
 question, soothed the prince's grief, and Citronetta pre- 
 vailed on him to take a little food to keep himself alive. 
 Just as they had finished their little repast the vault of the 
 saloon opened, and Effulgent appeared, seated in a car 
 made of a large carbuncle, and drawn by a hundred but- 
 terflies. She alighted, assisted by the prince, who bathed 
 the hem of her robe with a torrent of tears. The fairy 
 raised him and said: 
 
 "Prince Zirphil, you will this day reap the fruit of your 
 heroic actions. Be comforted; at last you will enjoy true 
 happiness. I have overcome the fury of Marmotta by my 
 entreaties, and your fortitude has disarmed her; come 
 with me to receive your princess from her hands and 
 mine." 
 
 "Ah! gracious madam," cried the prince, throwing 
 himself on his knees, "am I not in a dream? is it possi- 
 ble that so much happiness can be real?" 
 
 "Do not doubt it," said the fairy; "come with me, sir, 
 to your kingdom to console the queen your mother, for 
 your absence, and for the death of the king your father; 
 your subjects are impatient to crown you." 
 
 The prince felt, notwithstanding his 'joy, a very lively 
 grief on hearing the news of the king his father's death; 
 but the fairy, to withdraw him from his sorrow, seated him 
 by her side in her car, and allowed Citronetta to establish 
 herself at their feet; then her butterflies displayed their 
 brilliant wings and took the direction of Zirphil's domin- 
 ions. On their route the fairy desired him to look inside 
 his ring; he did so, and found in it the case that he had to 
 restore to Marmotta. The prince thanked the generous 
 Effulgent a thousand times, and they presently arrived 
 at the kingdom, where they were awaited with so much 
 impatience. The queen, Zirphii's mother, came to assist 
 the fairy to alight from her car, and all the people, on 
 being instructed of the prince's return, made such long 
 and hearty acclamations that they partly dissipated the 
 prince's grief. He tenderly embraced t'he queen, and 
 they adjourned to a magnificent apartment prepared by 
 her majesty for their reception, which they had no sooner 
 entered than Marmotta arrived in a little chariot lined 
 with Spanish leather, drawn by winged white rats. She 
 brought with her the fair Minikin, in all the beauty of her 
 
318 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 natural figure, together with the king and queen, her 
 father and mother. Effulgent and ZirphiPs mother went 
 out to receive and embrace Marmotta, and the prince, 
 walking respectfully up to her, presented the toothpick 
 case and kissed her paw, which she extended to him with 
 a gracious smile. Marmotta then permitted Zirphil to 
 embrace his wife and to present her to his parent, who 
 embraced her with transports of the most lively affection. 
 A general interchange of civilities then took place among 
 the numerous persons comprising this illustrious assem- 
 blage, and joy reigned in every breast. Minikin and her 
 charming husband alone spoke not, so much as they had 
 to say to each other; their silence had a certain touching 
 eloquence which affected every one present. The good 
 Citronetta shed tears of joy as she kissed the hands of 
 her divine princess. 
 
 At last Effulgent took them both by the hand, and 
 leading them to the queen, Zirphil's mother: "Behold, 
 madam," said she, "two young lovers, who only await 
 yonr consent to complete their happiness; my sister, the 
 illustrious king and queen here present, and myself, all 
 join to request its fulfillment." The queen, of course, 
 consented in terms suitable to so polite a speech. 
 
 Then Marmotta touched the fair Minikin with her 
 wand, and her dress, which before had been magnificent, 
 was immediately changed into one of silver brocade, 
 embroidered all over with gold, and her beautiful hair 
 instantly arranged itself into a coiffure of such exquisite 
 taste that the kings and queens declared her dazzling 
 charms to be absolutely perfect. In the meanwhile the 
 toothpick case, which the fairy held in her hand, became 
 a crown of brillant diamonds, so beautifully set and so 
 bright that the apartment and all the palace received a 
 new luster, as Marmotta placed it on the princess' head. 
 The prince in his turn was dressed in a suit which per- 
 fectly matched with Minikin's attire, and from the ring 
 which he had received from that princess there issued a 
 crown exactly like hers. They were immediately mar- 
 ried, and proclaimed king and queen of that fine country. 
 The fairies provided the royal banquet, at which, as may 
 be expected by those who know their extreme liberality, 
 nothing was wanting. After staying a week with the 
 jouug king and queen, and loading them with gifts, they 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 319 
 
 departed, and restored Minikin's father and mother to 
 their kingdom: the inhabitants of which had been so 
 severely punished for their faults that they had become a 
 loyal and faithful people. With regard to Citronetta, 
 the fairies gave her permission to spend some time with 
 her beloved mistress, and also arranged that Minikin, by 
 expressing a wish, might have the pleasure of seeing the 
 nymph whenever she pleased. 
 
 The fairies having taken their departure, never were 
 two persons so happy as King Zirphil and Queen Minikin. 
 Their felicity was in themselves and in each other, and 
 their days flew by unmarked in their course, for all was 
 joy. They had children, who blessed them by their good- 
 ness, and they attained an extreme old age: their mutual 
 affection and desire of pleasing each other increasing with 
 their years. After their decease their kingdom was di- 
 vided, and after innumerable vicissitudes it has become, 
 under one of their descendants, the flourishing empire of 
 the great Mogul. 
 
 PRINCE CHERRY. 
 
 THERE was once upon a time a kifig who was so praise- 
 worthy and irreproachable in his conduct that his sub- 
 jects called him "King Good/' One day as he was hunt- 
 
320 
 
 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 ing, a little white rabbit, being closely pursued by the 
 hounds, threw itself into his arms. The king stroked 
 the little rabbit and said: "Since you have placed your- 
 self under my protection I will not see you hurt."' He 
 carried the rabbit to his palace and had a pretty little 
 house made for it, and gave it nice herbs to eat. In the 
 night, while the king was alone in his chamber, suddenly 
 a beautiful lady appeared. She wore neither gold nor 
 silver, but her gown was white as snow, and her head was 
 
 crowned with a wreath of white roses. The good king was 
 very much surprised to see this lady, for his door was 
 closed, and he was puzzling himself to conceive how she 
 had found an entrance, when she said to him: "I am the 
 Fairy Candid. Passing through the wood while you were 
 hunting, I was curious to know if you were as good as 
 everybody says you are. To ascertain this I assumed the 
 shape of a little rabbit and took refuge in your arms, for 
 I was sure that he who would pity a little rabbit could 
 not be unmerciful to his fellow-creatures; while, had you 
 refused me your protection, I should have concluded that 
 with all your show of goodness you were wicked in your 
 heart. I am come to thank you for your kind offices to 
 me, and to assure you that I will always be your friend 
 You may command me in all things within my power, 
 and I promise to grant you all you desiro " 
 
OLD. OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 321 
 
 "Madam," said King Good, "since you are a fairy you 
 ought to know all my wishes. However, I have an only 
 son, of whom I am very fond, and who is called Prince 
 Cherry: if you have any affection for me, become, for my 
 sake, the friend and protectress of my son." 
 
 "Most willingly," said the fairy; "I can make your son 
 the handsomest, the richest, or the most powerful prince 
 in the world: choose whichever of these gifts you like best 
 for him." 
 
 "I desire none of them for my son," answered the good 
 
 king; "but I will be very much obliged to you if you will 
 make him the best of all princes. Of what service to him 
 would be his beauty, or his riches, or the possession of 
 all the kingdoms in the world, if he were wicked? You 
 know very^well, madam, that he would notwithstanding 
 be unfortunate, and that it is the practice of virtue alone 
 which can confer happiness." 
 
 "You have well spoken," said Candid to the king; 
 "but it is not in my power to make Prince Cherry a good 
 man in spite of himself: virtue must be attained; it can- 
 not be endowed or it ceases to be a virtue. All that I 
 can promise you is to give him good advice, to point out 
 his faults to him, and to punish him if he will not correct 
 and punish himself by repentance. v 
 
 King Good was very well satisfied with this promise, 
 and shortly afterward he died. Prince Cherry wept very 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 much for his father, for he loved him with all his heart, 
 and would have given all his gold, and his silver, and all 
 his kingdoms, to have saved his father's life: but what 
 can change the course of fate? Two days after the good 
 king's death, as Cherry was reclining on a sofa, the Fairy 
 Candid appeared to him. "I promised your father," 
 said she, addressing herself to him, "to be your friend; 
 and to keep my word I am come to make you a present." 
 She then placed on Cherry's linger a little gold ring, and 
 continued: "Take great care of this ring; it is plain, but 
 it is more precious than rubies, more valuable than dia- 
 monds; whenever you are about to commit a bad action 
 it will prick your finger; but remember that if in spite 
 of its warning you persevere in an evil deed, yon will for- 
 feit my friendship; nay, I shall become your enemy." 
 
 As she finished these words, Candid disappeared, and 
 left Cherry very much astonished and delighted with his 
 present. He was for some time so wise and good that 
 the ring did not prick him at all, which gave him so 
 cheerful an air that to his name of Cherry was added by 
 his subjects that of Happy. After awhile, as he was one 
 day hunting, he was so unsuccessful as not to take any- 
 thing whatever. This put him in rather an ill humor, 
 and he thought that he felt his ring pricking his finger, 
 but so gently that he did not take much notice of it. As 
 he was returning to his chamber, his little dog Bibi ran 
 as usual to meet him, and leaped round him to be ca- 
 ressed; but the prince said, "Down, sir; I am not in a 
 humor to play with you." The poor little dog, who did 
 not understand him, pulled him by his clothes to make 
 Cherry notice him at least. This made Cherry so angry 
 that he gave the little dog a heavy kick, when instantly 
 the ring pricked him as sharply as if it had been a pin. 
 Surprised, ashamed and confused, he seated himself in a 
 corner of his chamber, saying to himself, "Surely the 
 fairy is making sport of me, for what great crime have I 
 committed in kicking an animal that was teasing me? 
 To what purpose do I rule over a large empire, if I may 
 not even beat my dog?" 
 
 "I am not making sport of you," said a voice in an- 
 swer to the thoughts which were thus passing in Cherry's 
 mind; "you have, instead of one, committed three faults. 
 You first lost your temper, because you cannot bear to 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES, 
 
 be crossed, even in trifles, but think that men and beasts 
 are made to obey you. You next put yourself in a foam- 
 ing passion with your dog, who could not understand 
 you, which is very bad; and lastly, you were so mean- 
 spirited as to be cruel to the poor animal, who did not 
 deserve ill-treatment. I know that you are much above 
 a dog; but if it were reasonable and permitted for the 
 great to ill-treat those who are beneath them, I could at 
 this very moment beat or kill you, since a* fairy is more 
 powerful than man. The advantage of being the ruler 
 of a great empire does not consist in the power of com- 
 mitting all the evils to which we feel disposed, but in the 
 practice of all the good that lies within our power." 
 
 Cherry, though humbled and ashamed, had not yet 
 lost his candor; he acknowledged his faults and promised 
 to correct them: he did not, however, keep his word. 
 He had been brought up by a foolish nurse, who had 
 spoiled him in his infancy. If he wanted anything, he 
 had only to cry, to fret, or to stamp with his feet, and 
 the silly woman gave him all that he cried, fretted or 
 stamped for, and thus had made him passionate and ob- 
 stinate. She had also told him, from morning till night, 
 that he would one day be a king, and that kings were 
 always very happy because their subjects were bound to 
 obey and to respect them, and because no one could pre- 
 vent their doing as they pleased. However, when 
 Cherry grew a little older, and began to observe and 
 reflect, be became aware that nothing is so odious, and par- 
 ticularly in the highest stations of society, as to be 
 proud, haughty and obstinate. He made some efforts to 
 correct himself, but he had contracted a bad habit of giv- 
 ing way to these faults; and a bad habit is very difficult 
 to overcome. He had not naturally a bad heart; he cried 
 with vexation after committing a fault, and would say, 
 "How unfortunate am I to have thus always to oppose 
 my anger and my pride! if I had been corrected when I 
 was young I should not now have so many vices to over- 
 come." 
 
 His ring soon pricked him very often: sometimes he 
 stopped at its warning, and at others, continued his 
 course in its despite; and what is rather singular in the 
 construction of the ring was, that it only pricked him 
 gently for a slight fault; but when he was very wicked it 
 
324 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 actually drew blood from his finger. At last, growing 
 impatient at its friendly severity, and wishing to be 
 wicked at his ease, he threw his ring from him. He 
 thought himself the happiest of men when he was thus 
 freed from his admonisher. He abandoned himself to 
 all the folly that entered into his mind; so that he be- 
 came very wicked indeed, and was the terror and the 
 disgust of his subjects. 
 
 One day as Cherry was walking in the fields he saw a 
 young girl sitting by a brook, so extremely beautiful that 
 he at once resolved to marry her. She was called Zelia, 
 and was as wise as she was beautiful. Cherry accosted 
 her, thinking that Zelia would esteem herself very happy 
 indeed to become a great queen; but to his astonishment 
 she replied with much frankness to his addresses: "Sire, 
 I am but a shepherdess, and have no fortune; but not- 
 withstanding that I will never marry you." 
 
 "Is my appearance then displeasing to you?" asked 
 Cherry, a little moved. 
 
 "No, my prince," answered Zelia; "I find you, as you 
 really are, very handsome. But of what use to me would 
 be your beauty, your riches, the fine clothes, the magnifi- 
 cent carriages that you would give me, if the evil actions 
 of which I should daily witness the performance should 
 force me to despise and to hate you?" 
 
 Cherry went into a violent passion at this, and com- 
 manded his officers to conduct Zelia forcibly to his palace. 
 He was occupied all day with reflections on the contempt 
 that she had shown for him; but, as he still loved her, he 
 could not determine to ill-treat her. Among Cherry's 
 favorites was his foster-brother, whom he had placed in 
 his entire confidence. This man, whose inclinations 
 were as low as his birth, flattered his master's passions 
 and gave him very bad advice. On seeing Cherry very 
 sorrowful, he asked him the subject of his grief; and the 
 prince having answered him that he could not endure 
 Zelia's contempt, and that he was resolved to correct his 
 faults, as it was necessary for him to become virtuous to 
 please her, that wicked man said to him, "You are very 
 good really, to be willing to constrain yourself for the 
 sake of a little girl; if I were in your place I would com- 
 pel her to obey me. Remember that you are king, and 
 that it would be a disgrace for you to submit to the 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 325 
 
 caprice of a shepherdess who should be too happy to be 
 admitted into the number of your slaves. Make her fast 
 on bread and water; put her into prison and, if she re- 
 main adverse to marrying you, put her to a cruel death, 
 and thus teach others to yield to your wishes. It would 
 be disgraceful were it known that a simple shepherdess 
 could turn yon from your course or resist your inclina- 
 tions: on that day will all your subjects forget that they 
 are born only to attend on you." 
 
 "But," said Cherry, "shall I not be disgraced if I put 
 an innocent person to death? for, after all, Zelia is guilty 
 of no crime." 
 
 "No one can be innocent who refuses to yield to your 
 wishes," replied the confidant: "but supposing that you 
 committed an unjust action, even that would be better 
 than that it should be said you allowed any one to show 
 you a want of respect, or to contradict you." 
 
 The courtier attacked Cherry on his weak side; and 
 the fear of seeing his authority diminished made so much 
 impression on the king that he repressed his first impulse 
 to correct himself. He resolved to go that same evening 
 to the room in which the shepherdess was confined, and 
 not to spare her if she still refused to marry him. 
 
 Cherry's foster-brother, who still feared the force of 
 some good inclination, assembled three young lords as 
 wicked as himself, to carouse with the king. They sup- 
 ped together, and took care quite to overturn this poor 
 prince's reason by making him drink very deeply. They 
 artfully excited his anger against Zelia, and made him so 
 ashamed of his weakness toward her that he rose from the 
 table like a madman, and swore that he would at once 
 make her obey him, or that she should be sold the next 
 day for a slave. 
 
 On entering the shepherdess' room, Cherry was very 
 much surprised not to find her therein, for he had kept 
 the key in his pocket. He went into a terrible rage, and 
 vowed vengeance on all whom he suspected of having 
 assisted her escape. His confidants, hearing him talk 
 thus, resolved to take advantage of his anger to sacrifice 
 a lord who had been Cherry's guardian. That good man 
 had sometimes taken the liberty of 'telling the king of 
 his faults, for he loved him as his son. At first Cherry 
 thanked him; he gradually, however, grew impatient z& 
 
326 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 his remonstrances; and at last thought that it was in the 
 spirit of opposition only that his guardian found fault 
 with him when everybody else praised him. He ordered 
 him to withdraw from the court; but, notwithstanding 
 that order, he would say from time to time that he was 
 a good man; and although perhaps he no longer loved 
 him, he could not help esteeming him in spite of him- 
 self. The confidants therefore were continually in fear 
 lest he should take it into his head to recall his guardian, 
 and they believed that they had now found a favorable 
 opportunity to get rid of him forever. They gave the 
 king to understand that Sulirnan (which was his worthy 
 guardian's name) had boasted that he would set Zelia at 
 liberty; and three men were induced by rich bribes to 
 say that they had heard Snliman affirm as much. The 
 prince, in a transport of rage, ordered his foster-brother 
 to dispatch soldiers to fetch his guardian chained like a 
 criminal. After giving this order, Cherry went out into 
 the grounds of the palace, and threw himself on the 
 grass, feeling very miserable. Almost directly afterward 
 he heard the sound of a horse's hoofs, and the Fairy 
 Candid appeared on a white steed: "I promised your 
 father," said she to him, in a severe voice, "to give you 
 good advice, and to punish you if you refused to follow 
 it; you have treated my counsel with contempt; you still 
 preserve the outward appearance of a man, but your 
 crimes have changed you into a monster, the horror of 
 earth and of heaven. It is now time that I entirely fulfill 
 my promise to your father by punishing you for your 
 guilt. I condemn you to become like unto the beasts 
 whose inclinations you have adopted. You have made 
 yourself like the lion by your anger, like the wolf by 
 your gluttony, like the serpent by outraging him who was 
 your second father, like the bull by your ferocity. Bear 
 then in your form the character of all these animals." 
 
 The fairy ceased to speak, and Cherry saw with horror 
 that her sentence was accomplished. He had a lion's 
 head, a bull's horns, a wolf's feet and a serpent's tail. 
 In a moment he found himself out of the grove and in a 
 large forest on the border of a rivulet, in which he saw 
 reflected his horrible transformation. He heard a voice 
 saying: ^'Behold: and reflect on the condition into which 
 your crimes have reduced you. Your soul is a thousand. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 327 
 
 times more frightful than your body." Cherry recog- 
 nized the voice of the Fairy Candid, and in his fury 
 turned round to spring upon and devour her, had it been 
 possible; but he saw no one, while the same voice con- 
 tinued: "I laugh at your weakness and rage. I go to 
 confound your pride, by putting you in the power of 
 your own subjects/' 
 
 Cherry thought that by removing from the rivulet he 
 should lessen his troubles, since he would no longer have 
 his ugliness and deformity before his eyes; so he pene- 
 trated into the wood: but he had not advanced many 
 steps when he fell into a pit that had been dug to entrap 
 bears. In an instant the huntsmen, who had been con- 
 cealed in the trees, came down, and having bound him in 
 chains they conducted him to the capital city of his 
 kingdom. On the road, instead of acknowledging that 
 he had drawn this punishment on himself by his faults, 
 he cursed the fairy, gnashed his chains between his teeth, 
 and abandoned himself to his fury. As he approached 
 the capital he perceived every where great rejoicings; and 
 on the huntsmen asking what had occurred, they were 
 informed that Prince Cherry, who only took delight in 
 tormenting his people, had been destroyed in his cham- 
 ber by a thunderbolt; for thus it was believed. "The 
 gods," added their informants, "could no longer endure 
 the excess of his wickedness, and have rid the earth of 
 the monster." It was stated also that four lords, his ac- 
 complices in crime, thought to profit by his destruction 
 and to share the empire between them; but that the peo- 
 ple, who knew that it was by their evil advice that the 
 king had fallen, had cut them in pieces, and had offered 
 the crown to Suliman, the good man whom the wicked 
 Cherry had wished to put to death. "That worthy guard- 
 ian of the late king has just been crowned," said an old 
 man, "and we celebrate the day as that of the kingdom's 
 deliverance; for he is virtuous, and will restore peace and 
 abundance to the land." Cherry groaned with rage at 
 overhearing this discourse; but it was much worse for 
 him when he arrived at the large square before his palace. 
 He saw Suliman on a superb throne, and heard all the 
 people bless him, and pray for Ing long life, that he 
 might repair the evils they had suffered under his prede- 
 cessor,, when Suliman expressed by signs that he wished 
 
328 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 to be heard, and thus addressed the multitude: "I have 
 accepted the crown you have offered me," said he, "but 
 it is only to preserve it for Prince Cherry. He is not 
 dead, as you believe him to be. A fairy has revealed to 
 me his destiny, and perhaps you may yet see him some 
 day as virtuous as he was in the early years of his reign. 
 Alas!" he continued, weeping, "flatterers seduced him. 
 I knew his heart, it was formed for virtue; and, but for 
 the poisonous discourse of those around him, he would 
 have been the father of us all. Detest his vices, but pity 
 his misfortunes; and let us unite to pray the gods to re- 
 store him to us. For my part I should be but too happy 
 to bathe his throne with my blood, could I but see him 
 once again ascend it with such dispositions as would 
 make him fill it more worthily." 
 
 Suliman's words touched Cherry's heart. He then felt 
 how sincere had been the fidelity and attachment of this 
 good old man; and for the first time since his punish- 
 ment he felt remorse for his crimes. Softened by this 
 good feeling, he felt the rage that had agitated him 
 gradually cool; he reflected on the many crimes of his 
 life, and acknowledged that he was not punished so rig- 
 orously as he deserved. He ceased to struggle in the 
 iron cage in which he was confined, and became as quiet 
 as a lamb. He was conducted to a large menagerie, in 
 which were kept all sorts of monsters and wild beasts, 
 and he was chained up among the rest. 
 
 Cherry resolved that he would lose no opportunity of 
 repairing his faults; he therefore conducted himself very 
 obediently toward the man who had the care of him. 
 This man was a ruffian, and although the monster was 
 very gentle, he yet beat him without rhyme or reason. 
 One day, as his keeper was lying asleep, a lion, having 
 broken his chain, sprang upon him to devour him. 
 Cherry could not for a moment prevent a slight emotion 
 of joy at seeing himself about to be thus delivered from 
 his persecutor; but he immediately repressed this feel- 
 ing, and anxiously regretted that he was not at liberty. 
 I would return," said he, "good for evil by saving the 
 life of this unfortunate." 
 
 No sooner had he thus determined than he saw his 
 cage-door open; he sprang to the assistance of the man, 
 who was awakened, and defending himself against the. 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 329 
 
 lion. The keeper thought he was lost indeed, when he 
 saw the monster, but his fear was soon changed to joy; 
 the beneficent Cherry sprang upon the lion, strangled it, 
 and crouched himself humbly at the feet of the man 
 whom he had just saved. Penetrated with gratitude, the 
 keeper would have caressed the monster who had done 
 him so signal a service; but as he stooped, he heard a 
 voice saying: "A good action never goes unrewarded;" 
 and at the same moment, to his great surprise, he saw 
 but a pretty little dog at his feet. Cherry, charmed at 
 his metamorphosis, leaped upon and caressed his keeper, 
 who took him in his arms and carried him to the king, 
 to whom he related the wonderful occurrence that had 
 just taken place. The queen, charmed with his good- 
 ness, wished to have the dog; and Cherry would have 
 been very well contented with his new condition, could 
 he but have forgotten that he was once a man and a 
 king. The queen daily overwhelmed him with caresses, 
 but greatly feared lest he should grow larger than he 
 then was. She consulted her physicians, who told her 
 that to prevent his growth it was merely necessary to 
 feed him on bread only, and to give him but a fixed 
 allowance of that. Poor Cherry was thus in danger of 
 dying with hunger, but he felt that it was necessary for 
 him to be patient. 
 
 One day, directly after his bread had been given to 
 him for his breakfast, he took it into his head that he 
 would go and eat it in the palace garden. He took it in 
 his mouth therefore, and went straight toward a stream 
 which he recollected as being at a short distance from 
 the palace. But to his surprise the stream was no longer 
 there, and in its place he saw a large house, the outside 
 of which was brilliant with gold and precious stones. 
 
 He observed an immense quantity of men and women, 
 magnificently dressed, all going into this house; and 
 from the interior he heard singing, dancing, and other 
 indications of the good cheer that was to be found there; 
 but he observed that all those who quitted the house 
 were pale, thin, covered with sores, and nearly naked, for 
 their clothes were torn to tatters. Some fell dead as 
 they crossed the threshold, apparently entirely exhausted; 
 others remained stretched on the ground at a short dis- 
 tance from the door, dying with hunger; and a few only 
 
330 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 had sufficient strength to drag themselves away. The 
 poor creatures who were lying on the ground begged 
 with tears for a morsel of bread from those who were go- 
 ing into the house, but were passed by without even a 
 look. Cherry observed a young girl who was trying to 
 gather some grass to eat, and, touched with compassion, 
 said to himself: "I have a good appetite, 'tis true, but I 
 shall not die of hunger before my dinner-time, and if I 
 sacrifice my breakfast to this poor creature, perhaps I 
 may be the means of saving her life." He resolved to 
 obey this good impulse, and put his bread into the young 
 
 irl's hand, who carried it with avidity to her mouth, 
 he soon appeared to be entirely restored, and Cherry, 
 transported with joy at having succored her so oppor- 
 tunely, was thinking of returning to the palace, when he 
 heard loud cries; it was Zelia in the hands of four men, 
 who were dragging her toward the fine house, and were 
 about to force her therein. 
 
 Cherry then regretted that he had lost the shape and 
 powers of the monster, which would have enabled him to 
 rescue his Zelia; while as a weak dog, he could only bark 
 at her enemies and follow close at their heels. He was 
 driven away with kicks and curses, but he resolved not to 
 leave the place, and to ascertain what became of Zelia. 
 He upbraided himself with that beautiful girl's misfor- 
 tunes. "Alas!" said he to himself, "I am irritated' 
 against those who are now carrying her off, but have I 
 not committed against her the same crime? And if the 
 justice of Heaven had not frustrated my intentions, 
 should I not have treated her with as much indignity?" 
 
 Cherry's reflections were interrupted by a noise which 
 he heard over his head. He saw a window opened, and 
 his joy was extreme at perceiving Zelia, who threw out of 
 the window a plateful of victuals so nicely cooked that 
 the very sight of them was enough to create an appetite. 
 The window was immediately closed again, and Cherry, 
 who had not eaten all day, thought that he might as well 
 take advantage of this opportunity. He was just about 
 to eat, when the young girl, to whom he had given his 
 bread, uttered a cry, and, taking him in her arms: 
 "Poor little animal," said she, "touch not those tempt- 
 ing viands; that house is the palace of luxury, and all 
 that comes from it is poisoned." 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 331 
 
 At the same time Cherry heard a voice saying: "You 
 see again that a good action does not go unrewarded/' 
 and he was immediately changed into a pretty little white 
 pigeon. He remembered that this was the color of the 
 Fairy Candid, and he began to hope that she might yet 
 restore him to her good graces. His first wish was to go 
 to Zelia, and, rising in the air, he flew all round the 
 house. He saw with joy that there was a window open; 
 but in vain did he fly all over the house:' he could not 
 find his Zelia there. He resolved, however, not to rest 
 until he should meet with her. He flew onward for 
 many days, and having at last entered on a desert, he 
 perceived a cavern, into which he entered. Conceive 
 his joy! Zelia was seated therein by the side of a vener- 
 able hermit, and was sharing with him his frugal meal. 
 Cherry, transported, flew on to the shoulder of the shep- 
 herdess, and expressed by his caresses the pleasure he 
 felt at seeing her again. Zelia, who was charmed with 
 the little bird's gentleness, softly stroked him with her 
 hand, and although she thought he could not under- 
 stand her, she told him that she accepted the gift that he 
 made her of himself, and that she would always love him. 
 "What have you done, Zelia?" said the hermit; "you 
 have just pledged your faith." 
 
 "Yes, charming shepherdess," said Cherry to her, re- 
 suming at that moment his natural form; "the end of 
 my metamorphosis depended then on your consent to our 
 union. You have promised to love me always; confirm 
 my happiness or I will conjure the Fairy Candid, my 
 protectress, to restore to me that form under which I had 
 the happiness to please you." 
 
 "You need not fear her inconstancy," said Candid, 
 who, quitting the figure of the hermit, under which she 
 had been concealed, appeared in her proper person. 
 "Zelia loved you when first she saw you, but your vices 
 obliged her to conceal from you the passion with which 
 you had inspired her. The change that has taken place 
 in your heart allows her to give way to her tenderness. 
 You will live happily together, since your union will be 
 founded on virtue."' 
 
 Cherry and Zelia threw themselves at the Fairy Can- 
 did's feet. The prince could not sufficiently thank her 
 for her goodness, and Zelia, enchanted to learn that the 
 
332 OLD t OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 prince had abandoned his errors, confirmed to him the 
 pleasing confession of her love. "Rise, my children,'' 
 said the fairy to them; "I will transport you to your 
 palace: I will restore to Cherry a crown of which his 
 vices had rendered him unworthy." She ceased, and 
 Cherry found himself with Zelia in the chamber of Suli- 
 man, who, charmed to see his master return, restored to 
 himself and to virtue, joyfully abdicated the throne, and 
 became again the most loyal of his subjects. Cherry and 
 Zelia enjoyed a long and happy reign, and it is said of the 
 prince that he thenceforward applied himself so zeal- 
 ously to his duty that the ring which he had recovered 
 with his form never pricked him again so as to draw 
 blood. 
 
 THE PEINCESS MAIA. 
 
 ONCE upon a time there lived a king and queen who 
 had had several children, but who had lost -them all, 
 which gave them much sorrow, for they had more estates 
 than were necessary for themselves, and only wanted 
 children. It was five years since the queen had had her 
 last, and everybody thought that she would have no 
 more, and she was greatly afflicted thinking of her pretty 
 little princes who were dead. 
 
 But at last the queen was consoled by having another 
 little baby. It was proclaimed with the sound of 
 trumpets and with large placards in all the public 
 places, that the best nurses were to present themselves 
 before the queen, that from among them she might 
 choose one for her baby. They soon began to pour in 
 from all the four quarters of the world; no one was to be 
 seen but nurses and their babes. One day the queen 
 took an airing in a large wood, and. seating herself near 
 the king, said: "Sire, let us assemble all the nurses and 
 select one for our baby." 
 
 "W^h all my heart, my dear," said the king, and im- 
 mediately gave order for them all to be summoned. 
 The nurses all came, one after another, made a nice 
 courtesy to the king and queen, and placed themsslves in 
 a row each against a tree. After they had thus arranged 
 themselves, and their healthy looks and fine teeth 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 333 
 
 had been admired, an ugly young woman, sitting cross- 
 legged with her knees as high as her chin in a kind of 
 barrow drawn by two dirty little dwarfs, made her ap- 
 pearance; she had a large hump on her back, squinted 
 shockingly with both eyes, and her skin was somewhat 
 blacker than ink. She held in her arms a little monkey, 
 and she spoke a jargon that no one understood. She 
 came in her turn to offer herself, but the queen repulsed 
 her: "Go, ugly creature," said she to her;' "you are very 
 ignorant to come before me as you are; if yon remain 
 there any longer I will take good care to have you re- 
 moved." The ill-looking creature passed on, grumbling 
 very audibly, drawn by her frightful little dwarfs; she 
 settled herself in the hollow of a large tree, whence she 
 could see all that passed. 
 
 The queen, thinking no more about her, chose a nice- 
 looking nurse; but directly she had named her, behold, 
 a horrible serpent, which was hidden in the grass, stung 
 her in the heel, and she fell down like one dead. The 
 queen, very sorry for this accident, chose another: im- 
 mediately an eagle flying in the air came in sight, carry- 
 ing a tortoise; he flew directly over the poor nurse, let- 
 ting the tortoise fall on her head, which crushed her to 
 atoms like a glass. The queen, still more grieved, 
 named a third, who, coming forward a little quickly, 
 stumbled over a bush full of long thorns and knocked 
 one of her eyes out. 
 
 "Ah!" cried the queen, "my affairs are attended with 
 much misfortune to-day; I cannot choose a nurse with- 
 out bringing ill-luck upon her! I will leave the care of 
 it to my physician." 
 
 As she was rising to return to the palace she heard a 
 very hearty laugh: she looked round and saw behind her 
 the vile humpback, who was seated in her barrow like a 
 monkey, with her cub in her arms. She mocked all the 
 company, and at the queen in particular, who, as you 
 may suppose, was so vexed at this that she felt inclined 
 to run up to her and beat her, not doubting that she had 
 been the cause of all the mishaps which had befallen the 
 nurses; but the humpback, having made three strokes 
 with her wand, the dwarfs were transformed into winged 
 griffins, the barrow into a chariot of fire, and away they 
 all flew in the air uttering menaces and loud cries. 
 
334 OLD. OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "Alas! my dear, we are lost!" said the king; "that is 
 the Fairy Carabosse; the malicious creature has hated me 
 ever since I was a little boy, because I once in a frolic 
 put some sulphur in her broth, and ever since that time 
 she has been seeking an opportunity to revenge herself." 
 
 The queen began to weep. "If I had known her name 
 beforehand," said she, "I would have tried to make a 
 friend of her: I wish I were dead." 
 
 When the king saw the queen so afflicted, he said: 
 "My love, let us consult on what we had better do/' He 
 then raised her and supported her in his arms to the 
 palace, for she still trembled from the effect of the fear 
 which Carabosse had caused her. When the king and 
 queen were in their room, they assembled their council; 
 the doors and windows were carefully shut, that the 
 result of their deliberations might not be overheard, and 
 it was resolved to invite all the fairies who lived within 
 three thousand miles, to the palace. Couriers were dis- 
 patched immediately, bearing letters very civilly con- 
 ceived and fairly written, requesting them to come and 
 see the baby, but asking them to keep the affair secret, 
 for it was feared that it might reach Carabosse's ears, 
 and that she might come and create a disturbance. As 
 a recompense for their trouble, they were promised a blue 
 velvet kirtle, an under petticoat of purple velvet, slippers 
 of slashed crimson satin, a small pair of gilded scissors, 
 and a case full of fine needles. 
 
 When the couriers had departed the queen began to 
 work with her maids-of-honor and her attendants, to 
 make all that had been promised for the fairies; she 
 knew several, but only five or six of them came. As soon 
 as they arrived they hastened to shut themselves up in a 
 .jOroom to endow the little princess. The first gave her 
 perfect beauty; the second, infinite wit; the third en- 
 dowed her with the gift of singing to perfection; the 
 fourth, with a talent for writing, both in prose and verse. 
 
 As the fifth was about to speak a rumbling noise was 
 heard in the chimney, similar in sound to that which a 
 stone would make in falling down a steeple, and Carabosse 
 appeared, covered from head to foot with soot, crying in 
 aloud voice: "And I endow this little creature, ' 
 
 " ' To be more unlucky than any alive, 
 Until she is aged full four times five/ ** 
 
OLD, OLD FAfitY TALES. 335 
 
 At these words the queen, who was in bed, began to 
 cry and to entreat Carabosse to have pity on the littlo 
 princess. 
 
 All the fairies entreated her: "Alas! sister," said they, 
 "recall so bad a gift; what harm can she have done you?" 
 But the ugly fairy would not answer a word so that the 
 fifth, who had not yet spoken, tried to mend the matter, 
 by endowing her with a long and happy life when the 
 time of the malediction should have expired. Carabosse 
 only laughed at her, and sang taunting songs all the 
 time she was reascending the chimney, by which she took 
 her departure. The fairies all remained in consterna- 
 tion, and the poor queen was more particularly astounded. 
 She did not fail to give them what she had promised, 
 augmenting the gifts by ribbons, with which they were 
 very pleased. They were also well feasted; and the eld- 
 est of them said that it was her advice that the young 
 princess, until she should be twenty years old, should be 
 confined in some place where she would see no one but 
 the women who attended on her, and that she should be 
 closely guarded. 
 
 Thereupon the king caused a close tower to be built, 
 in which there was no window; there was no light in it, 
 except that shed by wax tapers. It was reached by a sub- 
 terraneous passage which extended three miles under- 
 ground, and by that passage the governesses and nurses 
 had what they required brought to them. At every 
 twenty steps was a large door very securely fastened, and 
 guards were stationed the whole length of it. 
 
 The young princess was called Maia, because in her com- 
 plexion were combined the hues of the rose and the lily; 
 and she was more blooming and more lovely than the 
 spring in that delightful month whose name she bore. 
 She was admirable in whatever she said or whatever she 
 did; she mastered the most abstruse sciences as well as 
 the most gracefuj accomplishments, and she grew so tall 
 and beautiful that the king and queen never saw her 
 without weeping for joy. She sometimes requested 
 them to stay with her, or take her away with them, for 
 she was melancholy without knowing the cause; but they 
 always deferred yielding to her request. 
 
 Her nurse, who had never quitted her, and did not 
 want talent,- sometimes told her how the world looked 
 
336 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 outside her tower; and she understood her as well as 
 though she had made the grand tour. The king often 
 said to the queen: "My dear, Carabosse will be de- 
 ceived; we are more cunning than she is; our Maia will 
 be happy in spite of her prediction." And the queen 
 would laugh till tears came into her eyes, at the thought 
 of the wicked fairy's defeated malice. They had Maia's 
 
 Portrait taken, and sent copies of it all over the world; 
 }r the twenty years were now near their expiration, and 
 they wished to marry her. Four days only were want- 
 ing to complete the period; the court and the city made 
 great rejoicings in honor of the approaching liberation 
 of the princess, and they were augmented by the news 
 that King Merlin wished to contract her to his son, and 
 had dispatched his ambassador Fanfarinet to ask for her 
 hand. 
 
 The nurse who informed the princess of everything that 
 occurred told her this, adding that no sight could be so 
 beautiful as Fanfarinet's entry. 
 
 "Ah! how unfortunate I am," cried she, "to be de- 
 tained in a gloomy tower, as though I had been guilty of 
 some great crime! I have never seen the sky, the sun, or 
 the stars, of which such wonders are related; I have 
 never seen a horse, a monkey, or a lion, excepting in a 
 picture. The king and queen say that they will liberate 
 me when I shall be twenty years old; but they wish to 
 amuse me, to make me patient, and I know very well 
 that they intend to allow me to die here, although I have 
 not offended them in any way." Thereupon she began 
 to cry so vehemently that her eyes swelled as large as 
 walnuts, and her nurse and foster-sister, with her two 
 other attendants, who were all passionately fond of her, 
 began to cry also, so abundantly that nothing but sobs 
 and sighs could be heard; so bitter was their grief that 
 it nearly stifled them. 
 
 When the princess saw them so opportunely afflicted 
 she took a knife and said aloud: "I am resolved to kill 
 myself immediately, if you do not find a means of letting 
 me see Fanfarinet's splendid entry; the good king and 
 queen will never know anything about it; consider 
 whether you would rather that I should kill myself now 
 directly, or whether you will indulge me in this wish." 
 At these words all the women began to cry again still 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 337 
 
 more bitterly; and they at last determined to indulge her 
 in a sight of Fanarinet, or die in the attempt. They 
 passed the remainder of the evening in proposing and re- 
 jecting expedients; and Maia, who was in despair, said 
 accordingly: "Do not attempt to make me believe that 
 you love me; if you loved me, you would soon find the 
 means. I have read that where there is a will there is a 
 way." 
 
 At last they concluded that they would make a hole in 
 the wall of the tower nearest the city,, by which wall 
 Fanfarinet was expected to pass. They removed the 
 princess' bed, and they all immediately set to work, not 
 leaving off day or night. By dint of scraping and scrap- 
 ing they made a hole through the plaster, and then took 
 out two or three stones. Presently they had displaced 
 so many that they had made a hole large enough to pass 
 a small needle through with much difficulty. 
 
 Through that hole Maia perceived daylight for the first 
 time: it dazzled her eyes; and as she looked continually 
 through it, she at last saw Fanfarinet appear at the head 
 of his company. He was mounted on a white horse 
 which was curveting to the sound of trumpets, and 
 leaping admirably; six flute-players went in front, play- 
 ing the prettiest airs of the last new opera; and six haut- 
 boys re-echoed in answer to the flutes; then the trumpets 
 and kettledrums made a loud noise. Fanfarinet wore a 
 rich suit covered with embroidery and pearls, with 
 golden boots, scarlet feathers, aburid^ce of ribbons, and 
 so many diamonds, for King Merlin had whole rooms 
 full of them, as made him so dazzling that the sun itself 
 was less brilliant. At this sight Maia was sD beside her- 
 self with joy that she could look no longer; and after 
 reflecting a few minutes, she vowed that she would 
 marry no one but the handsome Fanfarinet; that there 
 did not seem to be any chance of his master being half so 
 amiable; that she was not ambitious; that if she had re- 
 sided so comfortably in a tower, she could live just as 
 comfortably, if it were necessary, in a castle in the coun- 
 try with Fanfarinet; that, to her mind, bread and water 
 with him were preferable to the richest delicacies with 
 any one else. In a word, she said so much about him 
 that her women were puzzled to. think where she had 
 learned a quarter of it; and when they were going to 
 
33$ OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 explain his rank and the wrong she was about to do her- 
 self, she made them hold their tongues and would not 
 deign to listen to them. 
 
 When Fanfarinet had arrived at the king's palace, the 
 queen sent to fetch her daughter. All the streets were 
 carpeted, and ladies were at the windows; some held 
 baskets full of flowers, others baskets full of pearls, and, 
 what was better, excellent sweetmeats, to scatter over 
 her as she passed. 
 
 They had begun to dress her, when a dwarf mounted 
 on an elephant arrived at the tower; he came from the 
 five good fairies who had endowed her the day she was 
 born. They sent her a crown, a scepter, a golden bro- 
 cade robe, a petticoat made of butterflies' wings of ad- 
 mirable workmanship, and a little strong box, still more 
 admirable, for it was full of precious stones. It was 
 said that this box was beyond price, and that wealth so 
 immense was. never before seen together. At this sight 
 the queen nearly fainted away with joy; with regard to 
 the princess, she was indifferent enough to it all, think- 
 ing only of Fanfarinet. 
 
 They thanked the dwarf; he had a pistole given to 
 him to get something to drink, and more than a thou- 
 sand yards of narrow ribbon of various colors, with which 
 he made himself fine gaiters, a tie to his cravat, and a 
 bow to his hat. The dwarf was so little that, when he 
 had all those ribbons on, his body was no longer visible. 
 The queen told him that she was considering what nice 
 present she should send the fairies; and the princess, 
 who was very generous, made them presents of several 
 German spinning-wheels, with cedarwood distaffs. 
 
 The princess was attired in all the rarest presents that 
 the dwarf had brought; she appeared so exceedingly 
 beautiful to everybody who saw her that the sun seemed 
 to hide himself in dudgeon, and the moon, who is not 
 too bashful, dared not show herself while Maia was on 
 the road. She traversed the streets on foot, walking on 
 the rich carpets; the people assembled round her in 
 crowds, crying: "Ah! how beautiful, how beautiful she 
 is!" 
 
 As she was going along dressed in this pompons ap- 
 parel, surrounded by the queen and four or five dozen 
 princesses of the blood royal, without reckoning more 
 
MAIA AND FANFARINET. 
 (339) 
 
340 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 than ten dozen who had arrived from the neighboring 
 states to assist at the ceremony, the heavens began to 
 darken, the thunder began to roar, and rain mixed with 
 hail fell in torrents. The queen put her royal mantle 
 over her head, and every lady did the same with her pet- 
 ticoat. Maia was about to do so likewise, when in the 
 air were heard more than a thousand rooks, screech-owls, 
 and ravens, with other birds of ill-omen, who by their 
 foreboding noises augured no good. At the same mo- 
 ment a dirty owl, of a prodigious size, came hovering 
 low in the air, bearing in his beak a spider-web scarf, 
 embroidered with bats' wings; he dropped this scarf on 
 Maia's shoulder, and at that instant loud peals of .laugh- 
 ter were heard, significant enough that what had just 
 taken place was one of Carabosse's tricks. 
 
 At this melancholy spectacle everybody began to weep, 
 and the queen, more afflicted than any one else, tried to 
 snatch away the black scarf; but it seemed nailed to her 
 daughter's shoulders: "Ah!" said she, "this is a ma- 
 neuver of our enemy; nothing will conciliate her. I 
 have fruitlessly sent her more than fifty pounds of sweet- 
 meats, as much sugar-candy, and two Mayence hams; but 
 she has taken no notice of my presents." While she was 
 lamenting, the company were getting wet through. Maia, 
 giddy with the thoughts of the ambassador, went on, and 
 without saying a single word she felt that provided she 
 could please him she cared for neither Carabosse nor the 
 ominous scarf; she was beginning to feel surprised within 
 herself that he did not come to meet her, when all at 
 once he appeared by the king's side. The trumpets, 
 drums, and violins immediately struck up a lively air, 
 and the shouts of the populace redoubled; in a word, the 
 joy seemed universal. 
 
 Fanfarinet had much wit; but when he saw the beau- 
 tiful Maia, with so much grace and dignity, ho was so 
 enraptured that, instead^of speaking, he could only stam- 
 mer; he looked like one tipsy, although he had only 
 taken a cup of chocolate. He was in despair at forget- 
 ting in the twinkling of an eye an harangue which he 
 had repeated daily for many months past, and which he 
 knew well enough to say offhand when he was asleep. 
 
 While he was racking his memory to recall his intended 
 oration, he continued bowing low to the princess, who, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 341 
 
 on her part, courtesied half a dozen times without reflec- 
 tion. After awhile she spoke, and to divest him of the 
 embarrassment she saw that he was in, she said: "My 
 Lord Fanfarinet, I can read in your eyes that your 
 thoughts are agreeable; I give you credit for having so 
 much wit; but let us hasten to reach the palace; it is 
 pouring with rain, and it is the wicked Carabosse who is 
 thus inundating us; when we are under cover she will be 
 duped." 
 
 He replied gallantly that the fairy had wisely foreseen 
 the fire that her beautiful eyes were so certain to kindle, 
 and to assuage it had kindly sent deluges of water. 
 
 After saying these few words, he presented his hand to 
 walk by her side. She said in a low voice: "I feel for 
 you sentiments that you would never divine, were I not 
 to explain them to you; it is not without pain that I do 
 it; but 'evil be to him that evil thinks.' Know, then, 
 Sir Ambassador, that I saw you with admiration mounted 
 on your fine prancing horse, and regretted that you had 
 come hither on the part of another instead of your own: 
 we will not fail, however, if you have as much courage as 
 I have, to find a remedy for this; instead of marrying 
 you in your master's name, I will marry you in your own. 
 I know that you are not a prince, but you deserve to be 
 one, and you please me as much as though you were; we 
 will hasten together to some retired spot in the world. 
 It will be talked about at first, and then some one else 
 will do the same as I shall have done, or perhaps worse; 
 and I shall be left in peace, while they talk of the others, 
 and shall enjoy the pleasure of living with you." 
 
 Eanfarinet thought that he was dreaming, for Maia 
 was so beautiful a princess that, excepting by a strange 
 caprice on her part, he could never have hoped for this 
 honor; he had not even the strength to reply. Had they 
 been alone he would have thrown himself at her feet; 
 as it was, he took the liberty of pressing her hand so 
 warmly that he hurt her little finger, though she did not 
 cry out, so much did she dote upon him. When she had 
 entered the palace a chorus of all kinds of musical in- 
 struments struck up, which was seconded by almost 
 celestial voices, so charming that, one hardly dared to 
 draw one's breath for fear of making too much noise. 
 
 After the king had kissed his daughter on her fore- 
 
342 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 head and cheeks, he said to her: "My dear little lamb," 
 for he called her all sorts of fond names, ' 'should you 
 not very much like to marry great King Merlin's son? 
 here is Lord Fanfarinet, who will be proxy for his mas- 
 ter in the ceremony, and then will conduct you to the 
 fairest kingdom in the world?" 
 
 "Yes, indeed, father/ 7 said she, making a low cour- 
 tesy; "I am willing to do whatever you like, provided 
 that my dear mother consents to it also." 
 
 "I consent, my darling/ 7 said the queen, embracing 
 her. "Come, let dinner be served." 
 
 It was done with all due diligence. There were a 
 hundred tables spread in a long gallery, and never till 
 then had such a feast been made in the memory of man, 
 though Maia and Fanfarinet thought of nothing but each 
 other, and were in such deep reveries that they quite for- 
 got to eat. When dinner was over, there was a ball, a 
 ballet, and a play; but it was already so late, and the 
 company had eaten so heartily at dinner, that in spite 
 of their efforts they all went to sleep standing; the king 
 and queen, overpowered with slumber, threw themselves 
 on a settee; most of the ladies and gentlemen snored, 
 the musicians ceased to keep time, and the performers 
 knew not what they said, our lovers alone being awake, 
 speaking with their eyes a thousand unutterable things. 
 The princess, seeing that she had nothing to fear, and 
 that the guards were all asleep on the straw-beds in the 
 tower, said to Fanfarinet: "Trust to me; let us take 
 advantage of so favorable an opportunity; for I expect 
 that after the nuptial ceremony the king will give me 
 ladies to wait on me, and a prince to accompany me to 
 your King Merlin; we had better therefore hasten away 
 as quickly as we can." 
 
 Maia rose and took the king's poniard, which was set 
 with diamonds, and the queen's diadem, which she had 
 taken off her head to sleep more at ease. She gave Fan- 
 farinet her white hand to lead her out; he took it, and 
 kneeling on one knee: "I swear," said he, "an eternal 
 fidelity and obedience to your highness. Noble princess, 
 you are doing everything for me; vhat would I not do 
 for you?' They quitted the palace; the ambassador car- 
 ried a dark lantern, and after threading several dirty 
 streets they reached the shore, and entered a little boat, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 343 
 
 in which a poor old waterman lay asleep. They awakened 
 him, and when he saw Maia looking so beautiful and 
 wearing so many diamonds and the spider-web scarf, he 
 thought she must be the goddess of night, and kneeled 
 before her; but she had no time to amuse herself, and 
 ordered him to push off at once. This was running a 
 great risk, for neither the moon nor stars were visible; 
 the weather was still gloomy after the rain that Cara- 
 bosse had sent. It is true that there was a carbuncle on 
 the queen's Headdress, which was brighter than fifty 
 lighted torches, so that Fanfarinet, it is said, could very 
 well have done without the dark lantern: they had also 
 with them a stone which could make them invisible. 
 
 Fanfarinet asked the princess where she wished to go. 
 "Alas!" said she, "I wish to go with you; that is all 
 that I have in my mind." 
 
 "But, madam," said he, "I dare not conduct you to 
 King Merlin's kingdom, for we should there be infallibly 
 discovered." 
 
 "Well, then," replied she, "let us go to the Isle of 
 Squirrels; it is far enough off for us to be safe from pur- 
 suit." She directed the mariner to put out to sea, and 
 although it was a small boat, he obeyed. 
 
 When it was nearly daylight, the king, the queen, and 
 all the company, having shaken themselves a little and 
 rubbed their eyes, began to think about concluding the 
 princess' marriage. The queen quickly asked for her 
 rich diadem to dress her head; but it was, of course, 
 vainly sought after on all sides. 
 
 The king, on his part, wished to buckle on his bril- 
 liant poniard; a search for it was immediately commenced 
 all round, and a number of coffers and strong boxes were 
 opened, of which the keys had been lost more than a 
 hundred years; in some of them lots of wonderful curi- 
 osities were found dolls which moved their heads and 
 opened and shut their eyes, golden sheep with little 
 lambs by their sides, candied citron-peel and sugar- 
 almonds; but all these would not console the king. His 
 despair was so violent that he tore his beard; and the 
 queen kept him company by tearing her hair, for, sooth 
 to say. the diadem and poniard wera more valuable than 
 ten cities as large as Madrid. 
 
 When the king saw that there were no hopes of find- 
 
344 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 ing either the diadem or the poniard he said to the 
 queen: "My love, let us take courage and hasten to finish 
 the ceremony which has already cost us so dearly." He 
 asked therefore for the princess, when her nurse, stepping 
 forward, said: 
 
 "I assure your majesty that I have been looking for 
 her more than two hours, and cannot find her." 
 
 These words filled the cup of the king and queen's 
 grief; the latter began to cry like an eagle whose young 
 ones have been carried off, and swooned away. They had 
 the greatest difficulty in the world to recover her. The 
 maids-of-honor and the young ladies wept, saying: 
 "What! is the princess, then, lost?" To complete the 
 misfortune, the king was informed that the ambassador 
 Fanfarinet had disappeared also, which last blow over- 
 whelmed their majesties with affliction. 
 
 The king summoned all his counselors and men-at- 
 arms. He and the queen entered a large saloon which 
 had been promptly hung with black; they had taken off 
 their fine clothes, and had each put on a mourning robe. 
 When they were seen in this state there was not a heart 
 so hard that it was not ready to break; the saloon re- 
 sounded with sobs and sighs. At the end of a few min- 
 utes the king said: "My friends, I have lost my dear 
 daughter Maia; the queen's diadem and my poniard, 
 which are worth an empire, have disappeared with her, 
 as likewise the ambassador Fanfarinet. I am sorely 
 afraid that when the king his master hears the news he 
 will come to seek him among us, and that he will accuse 
 us of having had him put to death. Still, I would have 
 patience if I had money; but I confess to you that the 
 wedding expenses have ruined me. Consult, then, my 
 dear subjects, on what I must do to recover my daughter 
 and Fanfarinet." 
 
 Everybody admired the king's fine harangue; he had 
 never been so eloquent before. Lord Gambilla, chancel- 
 lor of the kingdom, rose and said: "Sire, we are all over- 
 whelmed by the misfortune that has happened to you, 
 and we would have willingly sacrificed even our wives 
 and little children to have averted such a terrible calam- 
 ity; it is doubtless a trick of the Fairy Carabosse. The 
 princess has not yet completed her twentieth year; and 
 since it must be said, I remarked that she was continu- 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 345 
 
 ally looking at Fanfarinet, and that he looked as con- 
 tinually at her; perhaps love has had no small share in 
 what has just taken place." 
 
 At these words the queen, who was very passionate, 
 interrupted him: "Take care what you advance," said 
 she, "my Lord Gambilla; know that the princess is not 
 at all likely to fall in love with Fanfarinet; I have brought 
 her up too well." 
 
 Hereupon the nurse, who had listened to all that 
 passed, came and knelt before the king and queen, say- 
 ing: "I have come to inform you of what has happened. 
 The princess was determined either to see Fanfarinet or 
 to die; we made a little hole in the wall of her tower, 
 through which she saw him, and she immediately swore 
 that she would marry no one but him." 
 
 At this news the grief was universal; while all allowed 
 that Chancellor Gambilla had great penetration. The 
 queen, in violent anger, scolded the nurse, the foster- 
 sister, and all the princess' other attendants, and wanted 
 to have them strangled. 
 
 Admiral Epaulette, interrupting the queen, cried out: 
 "Let us hasten after Fanfarinet; no doubt that wretch 
 has carried off our princess." 
 
 Everybody clapped their hands, answering: "Yes, 
 hasten after him." Then, while some went to sea, 
 others went from kingdom to kingdom, beating drums 
 and sounding trumpets; when a crowd had assembled 
 round them they cried: "He who wishes to earn ten 
 thousand pieces of gold has only to give an intelligence 
 of Princess Maia, who has been carried off by Fanfar- 
 inet." 
 
 They were invariably answered: "You must go else- 
 where; none of us have seen them." 
 
 Those who pursued the princess by sea were more suc- 
 cessful, for after a long voyage they observed one night 
 something ahead which burned like a large fire. They 
 were afraid to approach it in ignorance of what it might 
 be; but all at once this light stopped at the desert Isle 
 of Squirrels; in fact, it was the princess and her lover, 
 with the carbuncle that shone so brilliantly. They dis- 
 embarked, and after giving a hufldred gold crowns to 
 the good man who had brought them, they wished him 
 good-by, and forbade him to say a word to any one, 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES, 347 
 
 The first objects that he fell in with were the king's 
 -., and he no sooner made them out than he tried to 
 avoid them. But the admiral perceived him, and dis- 
 patched a boat after him, and the good man waa so old 
 and infirm that he was too weak to row away. The boat 
 soon came up with him, and he waa conducted to Ad- 
 miral Epaulette, who had him searched; the hundred 
 gold crowns were found on him quite new, for IT. 
 had been coined expressly for the princess' wedding. 
 The admiral questioned him, and, to avoid answering, ne 
 pretended to be deaf and dumb. "Come/ 7 said the 
 admiral, "lash this dumb man to the mainmast, and give 
 him three dozen: it is the best remedy in the world for 
 dumb people." When the old man saw that it was all in 
 earnest, he confessed that a young lady more celestial 
 than human, and an accomplished gentleman, had com- 
 manded him to conduct them to the desert Isle of Squir- 
 rels. At these words the admiral concluded that the 
 princess was in his power; he gave orders for his fleet to 
 surround the island. 
 
 Meanwhile Maia, fatigued by her voyage, sat down 
 under the trees; Fanfarinet lay at full length, and sup- 
 ported his head on his hand, but, being hungry, he did 
 not sleep, and presently said to her: "Do yon think, 
 madam, that I can long remain here? I see nothing to 
 eat; though you were more beautiful than Aurora, that 
 would not be sufficient for me: I must have something 
 to eat; I have long teeth and am very hungry/' 
 
 "What, Fanfarinet!" replied she," "is it possible thai 
 the marks of my friendship have made no impression 
 upon you ? Is it possible that you are not satisfied with 
 your good fortune?" 
 
 "lam rather dissatisfied with my misfortune," cried 
 he; "would to heaven that you were still in your black 
 tower!" 
 
 "Handsome Fanfarinet." said she to him graciously, 
 "I entreat you not to be angry; I will search high and 
 low; perhaps I may find some frait for you/* 
 
 "Perhaps," answered he, "you may find a wolf who 
 will eat you up!" 
 
 The sorrowful princess ran into the wood, tearij: e 
 fine clothes with the brambles and her fair skin with the 
 thorns; she was scratched just as if she had been playing 
 
348 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 with cats see what happens of falling in love; nothing 
 but evil ever comes of it. After running far and near 
 she sorrowfully returned to Fanfarinet, and told him 
 that she could find nothing; he turned on his heel and 
 left her, grumbling between his teeth. 
 
 Their search the next day was equally fruitless; so 
 that they were three whole days without taking any food 
 excepting leaves, and a few may-flies. The princess did 
 not complain, although she was much the more delicate of 
 the two. "I should be contented," said she to him, 
 "were I alone suffering, and I should not even regret 
 dying with hunger, provided that you were well supplied 
 with good cheer." 
 
 "I should be quite indifferent," answered Fanfarinet, 
 "as to whether you lived or died, provided I had where- 
 withal to satisfy my appetite." 
 
 "Is it possible," rejoined she, "that my death would 
 move you so little? Is this in accordance with your 
 vows?" 
 
 "There is a wide difference," said he, "between a man 
 at his ease, who is neither hungry nor thirsty, and an 
 unfortunate ready to die in a desert isle." 
 
 "I am in the same danger," said she, "and do not 
 complain." 
 
 "Complain, indeed!" replied he roughly; "you have 
 thought proper to leave your father and mother to 
 ramble about; and here we are in a pretty pickle!" 
 
 "But it is for love of you that I have done so, Fan- 
 farinet," said she, offering him her hand. 
 
 "I could very well have done without your love," said 
 he; and thereupon he turned upon his heel and left her 
 again. 
 
 The beautiful princess, fatigued beyond measure with 
 grief, began to cry so piteously that it might have sof- 
 tened a rock. She sat down at the foot of a rose-tree 
 which was loaded with white and red roses. After look- 
 ing at them some time, she addressed them as follows: 
 
 How happy you must be, young flowers! The zephyrs 
 breathe upon you, the dew moistens you, the sun beauti- 
 fies you, the trees cherish you, your thorns defend you, 
 and everybody admires you. Alas! and must you be 
 more happy than I?" This reflection made her shed so 
 many tears that the foot of the rose-tree was quite 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 349 
 
 moistened by them. She then saw with astonishment 
 the rose-bush begin to move, the roses to open, and 
 heard the finest of them say to her: 
 
 "If you had not fallen in love your fate would have 
 been as enviable as mine; Love exposes his votaries to 
 the severest misfortunes. Poor princess! take from the 
 hollow of yonder tree the honeycomb that you will find 
 there; but do not be so silly when you have got it as to 
 give any of it to Fanfarinet." 
 
 She ran to the tree, uncertain whether she were awake 
 or dreaming. She found the honey and immediately 
 took it to her ungrateful lover. "Here is a large honey- 
 comb," said she to him; "I might have eaten it myself, 
 but I preferred to share it with you." 
 
 Without thanking her, or even looking at her, he 
 snatched it from her hand and ate it all up, refusing to give 
 her even the smallest piece. He even added raillery to 
 his brutality; he told her that it was too sweet, and would 
 spoil her teeth, with a dozen similar impertinences. 
 
 Maia, more afflicted than she had yet been, seated her- 
 self under an oak-tree, and paid it a compliment similar 
 to that she had made to the rose-tree. The oak-tree, 
 moved with compassion, bent down a branch to her ear 
 and said: "It were a pity that you should die, fair Maia; 
 take that jug of milk into the wood, and do not give a 
 drop of it to your ungrateful lover." 
 
 The princess, in astonishment, looked behind her, and 
 saw a large jug full of milk; she then thought only of 
 the thirst from which Panfarinet was suffering after eat- 
 ing full fifteen pounds of honey, and so ran to him with 
 the jug. "Quench your thirst, handsome Fanfarinet," 
 said she, "and do not forget to leave me a drop, for I am 
 dying with hunger and thirst." 
 
 He readily took the jug from her, and drank off the 
 contents at a draught; then, throwing it on the ground, 
 he broke it in pieces, saying with a malignant smile: 
 "As you have had nothing to eat, you cannot be thirsty." 
 
 The priucess clasped her hands; and raising her bright 
 eyes to heaven: 
 
 "Ah!" cried she, "I have deserved it all; this is a just 
 punishment for having quitted the, king and queen, and 
 tor falling so heedlessly in love with a man whom I did 
 not know, and for having eloped with him, forgetful of 
 
350 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 my rank and the misfortune with which I was menaced 
 by Carabosse." She then began to weep more bitterly 
 than she had ever done in her life, and diving into the 
 thickest part of the wood, she sank through weakness at 
 the foot of an elm on which a nightingale was perched 
 singing most melodiously. * 'Cheer up," said the night- 
 ingale to her, "and look in this bush; you will find there 
 excellent sweetmeats and tartlets fresh from Paris; but do 
 not be so imprudent as to give Fanfarinet any of them." 
 The princess did not need this caution; she had not for- 
 gotten the two last tricks he had played her, and she was 
 so hungry that she ate up all the tartlets. The greedy 
 Fanfarinet, having observed her eating, flew into so vio- 
 lent a passion that he ran, sword in hand, liis eyes 
 sparkling with rage, to slay her. She hastily uncovered 
 the jewel of her headdress which rendered her invisible, 
 and running away from him, reproached him for his in- 
 gratitude in terms which showed sufficiently that she 
 could not even then hate him. 
 
 In the meantime Admiral Epaulette had dispatched 
 Jack Rattle, in his straw boots, king's messenger in ordi- 
 nary, to inform the king that the princess and Fanfarinet 
 had landed on the Isle of Squirrels; but, not knowing 
 the country, he would not effect a landing for fear of 
 ambuscades. At this news, which made their majesties 
 very glad, the king sent for a large book, every leaf of 
 which was six ells long; it was the masterpiece of a 
 learned fairy, and contained a description of all the 
 world. On consulting it, he immediately ascertained 
 that the Isle of Squirrels was uninhabited. "Go," said 
 he to Jack Rattle, "and order the admiral in my name to 
 land immediately; it has been bad management on his 
 part, and on mine also, to leave my daughter so long 
 with Fanfarinet." 
 
 Directly Jack Rattle arrived at the fleet the admiral 
 caused drums and kettledrums to be beaten, trumpets 
 to be sounded, and the band to commence playing their 
 hautboys, flutes, violins, hurdy-gurdies, organs, and gui- 
 tars; they made a desperate din, for instruments of war 
 and peace were heard all over the isle. The princess, 
 alarmed at this noise, ran to her lover to offer him her 
 assistance; their mutual danger speedily reconciled them. 
 "Keep behind me," said she to him; "I will walk first 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 351 
 
 with the invisible stone uncovered, and will use my 
 father's poniard to slay the enemy, while you kill them 
 with your sword." 
 
 The invisible princess advanced among the soldiers; 
 she and Fanfarinet slew them without being seen; noth- 
 ing was to be heard but cries of "lam dead, I am dying." 
 The soldiers in vain fired their muskets; they always 
 missed their mark, for the princess and her lover dived 
 like ducks, and the bullets passed over their heads. At 
 last the admiral, grieved at losing so many men in so ex- 
 traordinary a manner, without even knowing who was 
 attacking him, or how to defend himself, sounded a re- 
 treat, and returned on board his vessels to consult on 
 what steps should next be taken. 
 
 Night was already far advanced; the princess and 
 Fanfarinet had taken refuge in the thickest part of the 
 wood. She was so tired that she stretched herself on the 
 grass and was falling asleep when she heard a low whisper 
 in her ear: "Save yourself, Maia, for Fanfarinet wishes 
 to kill and eat you." Quickly opening her eyes she saw, 
 by the light of her carbuncle, the wicked Fanfarinet, 
 with his arm raised ready to pierce her bosom with his 
 sword; for, seeing her so fair and plump, and having a 
 good appetite, he was going to put her to death and eat 
 her. She did not hesitate as to what course she should 
 take: she softly drew her poniard, which she had kept 
 since the battle, and gave him so deadly a blow in the 
 eye that it killed him on the spot. "Die, ingrate!" 
 cried she; "receive this last favor as one that you have 
 richly deserved; be for the future an example to perfidious 
 lovers, and may your faithless heart never enjoy repose." 
 
 When her first burst of passion was over and she re- 
 membered the condition she was in, she was almost as 
 dead as he whom she had just killed. "What will be- 
 come of me?" cried she, weeping. "I am alone on this 
 isle; the wild beasts will devour me if I do not die of 
 hunger:" she was almost sorry that she had not allowed 
 Fanfarinet to eat her. She sat down trembling, and 
 anxiously awaited the daybreak, for she was afraid of the 
 spirits, and especially of the nightmare. 
 
 As she was leaning against a tr^e, and looking in the 
 air, she observed at a great distance from the ground a 
 handsome golden chariot, drawn by six large tufted hens; 
 
352 OLD, OLl} FAIRY TALES. 
 
 the coachman was a cock, and a fat pullet the postilion. 
 In the chariot was seated a lady, whose charms were 
 more resplendent thr.n the sun; her clothes were em- 
 broidered with gold spangles and little ingots of silver. 
 Maia saw another chariot drawn by six bats; the coach- 
 man was a raven, and the postilion a snail. In it was a 
 frightful little baboon, dressed in a serpent's skin, and 
 wearing on her head a large toad, which served her for a 
 topknot. 
 
 Never, never, was any one so surprised as was the 
 princess. As she was considering how these marvels 
 would end, she observed the chariots advance one toward 
 the other; and the fine lady holding a gilded spear in 
 her hand, and the ugly one a rusty pike in hers, they 
 commenced a fierce combat which lasted more than a 
 quarter of an hour. Presently the handsome lady was 
 victorious; and her opponent hastened from the scene 
 of action with her bats. At the same time the hand- 
 some lady alighted, and addressing Maia, said: 
 
 "Do not be afraid, amiable princess; I have only vis- 
 ited this isle to be of service to you; the combat that I 
 have had with Carabosse has been fought for love of you. 
 She wished to gain the day that she might flog you for 
 leaving your tower four days before the completion of 
 the twenty years; but you saw that I took your part, and 
 that I have driven her away: enjoy the happiness I have 
 acquired for you." 
 
 The grateful princess prostrated herself before her. 
 "Many thanks, great queen of the fairies," said she, 
 "your generosity overpowers me; I do not know how to 
 tnank you, but I feel that I have not a drop of blood 
 that you have just preserved which is not at your 
 service." 
 
 The fairy embraced her three times, and made her still 
 more beautiful than she had been, were such a thing pos- 
 sible. She ordered her cock to go to the king's vessels, 
 and tell the admiral to land without fear, and dispatched 
 her fat pullet to her palace to fetch the finest clothes that 
 were ever seen for Maia. 
 
 When the admiral heard the news that the cock 
 brought he was so enraptured that he nearly went into a 
 fever. He instantly landed on the isle with all his peo- 
 ple; Jack Rattle, seeing the haste in which everybody 
 
OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 353 
 
 quitted the vessels, joined the throng, carrying on his 
 shoulder a spit loaded with game. 
 
 Admiral Epaulette had hardly proceeded three miles 
 up the country, when he perceived on a highroad in the 
 wood the chariot drawn by hens, and the two ladies who 
 were walking. He recognized the princess, and hastened 
 to throw himself at her feet; but he was stopped by Maia 
 herself, who told him that all his homage was due to the 
 generous fairy, who had saved her from Carabosse's 
 claws; so he kissed the hem of her robe, and paid her 
 the handsomest compliments that were ever pronounced 
 on a similar occasion. While he was speaking the fairy 
 interrupted him, and cried: "I declare I smell roast 
 meat." 
 
 "Yes, madam," answered Jack Rattle, showing her 
 the spit loaded with nice game; "it only remains for your 
 highness to taste it." 
 
 "Then serve it up immediately, by all means," said 
 she, "less for me than the princess, who is in want of a 
 good meal." 
 
 Then all the other requisites were sent from the vessels; 
 and the joy at having found the princess, joined to the 
 good cheer, left nothing to be wished for. 
 
 The repast being over, and the fat pullet having re- 
 turned, the fairy dressed Maia in a robe of green and cloth 
 of gold, spangled with rubies and pearls; she confined her 
 fair hair with diamond and emerald bands, crowned her 
 with flowers, and assisting her into her own chariot, all 
 the stars who saw her pass took her for Aurora, though 
 it was not then daybreak, and said to her as they passed: 
 "Good-morning, Madam Aurora." 
 
 After the most tender adieus between the fairy and the 
 princess, the latter said: "But, madam, must I not tell 
 my mother the queen who it is that has done me such 
 kindness?'* 
 
 "Beautiful princess," answered the fairy, "embrace 
 her for me, and tell her that I am the fifth fairy who 
 endowed you at your birth." 
 
 When the princess was on board the admiral's ship a 
 royal salute, of upward of a hundred guns and a thou- 
 sand rockets, was discharged. She arrived safely in port, 
 and found the king and queen waiting for her with the 
 utmost impatience; they received her with so many 
 
354 OLD, OLD FAIRY TALES. 
 
 caresses that they did not give her time to ask pardon 
 for her past folly, although she threw herself at their feet 
 directly she saw them; paternal kindness triumphed, and 
 old Carabosse was blamed for it all. 
 
 At the same time the son of the great King Merlin 
 arrived, uneasy at not having received any news from his 
 ambassador. He had a thousand horses, and thirty 
 lackeys, well dressed in scarlet and rich gold lace; he 
 was a hundred times more charming than the ungrateful 
 Fanfarinet. Care was taken not to inform him that the 
 princess had been carried off, as that might perhaps have 
 given him offence; he was told, very plausibly, that his 
 ambassador, being thirsty, and wishing to draw some water 
 to drink, had fallen, in the act of doing so, into a well, 
 and was drowned. He easily believed it, and the wed- 
 ding was celebrated so joyfully that it effaced the 
 remembrance of all the past sorrows. 
 
THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE 
 STAMPED BELOW 
 
 AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS 
 
 WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN 
 THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY 
 WILL INCREASE TO 5O CENTS ON THE FOURTH 
 DAY AND TO $1.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY 
 OVERDUE. 
 
 
 RETTPNF-D TO 
 
 1 OCT 4 1945 
 
 MTHRO LIB. 
 
 I aAutfWLT 
 
 MAR 1 5 1972 
 
 
 
 JULS |: 
 
 
 t 13K61MX 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 R ?, 9 1972 54 1 
 
 
 1 JUN 3 1961 
 
 1 
 
 K fen c WTH-^-d 
 
 1 
 
 FEB 6 iw 
 
 
 I ftfc^B.^-^ 
 
 
 1 wBvnf 
 
 
 f* 
 i_H^*:* tWfc*^ 7 -- 1 
 
 
 -^|9^ 
 
 
 
 atbD u> M/s? 
 
 ^672 -6PM 61 1 
 
 I BEC'D LD f - 
 
 -5 PM7 
 
 U>"iae K INK 
 
 t . . 
 
 m 
 
 LD 21-100m-"l2, '43 (8796s) 
 
Y8 20037 
 
 
 903949 
 
 1/3 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UBRARY