In one of those parts of the world, commonly called Fairyland, on which
poets alone have the right to bestow names, there formerly reigned a
King so renowned for his rare qualities, that he attracted the esteem
and admiration of all the Princes of his time. He had, many years
past, lost his wife, the Queen, who had never brought him a son; but
he had ceased to desire one since the birth of a daughter of such
marvellous beauty, that from the moment she was born he lavished all
his affection and tenderness upon her. She was named Ravissante, by a
Fairy, a near relative of the Queen, who predicted that the wit and the
charms of the young Princess would surpass all that had ever before
been known or even could be expected from her present beauty; but she
added to this agreeable prediction, that the perfect felicity of the
Princess would depend entirely on her heart remaining faithful to its
first love. In such a case, who can feel assured of a happy destiny?
The King, who desired nothing so much as the happiness of Ravissante,
heartily wished that it had been attached to any other condition,--but
we cannot command our own fates. He begged the Fairy, a thousand times,
to bestow on the young Ravissante the gift of constancy, as he had
seen her give to others the gifts of intelligence and of beauty. But
the Fairy, who was sufficiently wise not to deceive him respecting the
extent of her power, frankly informed the King that it did not extend
to the qualities of the heart. She, however, promised to use her utmost
endeavour to impress the young Princess with the sentiments that would
be likely to ensure her happiness. Upon the faith of this promise, the
King confided Ravissante to her care from the time she attained her
fifth year, preferring to deprive himself of the pleasure of seeing her
rather than run any risk of marring her fortune. The Fairy therefore
carried off the little Princess, who was very soon consoled for leaving
the Court of her father, by the delight and novelty of passing through
the air in a brilliant little car.
On the fourth day after her departure the flying car stopped in the
middle of the sea, upon a rock of a prodigious size--it was one entire
shining stone, the colour of which was exactly that of the sky. The
Fairy remarked with pleasure that the young Ravissante was enchanted
with this colour, and she drew from it a happy omen for the future,
as it was the colour which signifies fidelity. Shortly after they had
landed on it, the Fairy touched the rock with a golden wand which she
held in her hand. The rock immediately opened, and Ravissante found
herself with the Fairy, in the most beautiful palace in the world;
the walls were of the same material as the rock, and the same colour
prevailed in all the paintings and furniture, but it was so ingeniously
mixed with gold and precious stones, that far from wearying the
eye, it equally pleased in all. The young Ravissante dwelt in this
agreeable palace, with several beautiful maidens, whom the Fairy had
transported from various countries to attend on and amuse the Princess,
and she passed her infancy in the enjoyment of every pleasure suited
to her age. When she had attained her fourteenth year the Fairy again
consulted the stars, in order to learn precisely when the heart of
Ravissante would be touched with a passion which pleases even more
than it alarms, however formidable it may appear to some; and she read
distinctly in the stars that the fatal time approached when the destiny
of the young Princess would be fulfilled. The Fairy had a nephew who
was indescribably dear to her: he was of the same age as Ravissante,
born on the same day and at the same hour. She had found, in consulting
the stars also for him, that they promised him the same fate as the
Princess--that is to say, perfect happiness, provided he possessed
fidelity which nothing could vanquish. In order to make him both loving
and faithful she had only to let him behold Ravissante. No one could
resist her eyes, and the Fairy hoped that the attentions of the young
Prince would one day touch her heart. He was the son of a King, brother
of the Fairy; he was amiable; and the young Princess not only had never
had a lover, she had not even seen a man since she had lived on the
rock. The Fairy consequently flattered herself that the novelty of the
pleasure of being tenderly beloved would perhaps inspire the Princess
with a feeling of love in return. She therefore transported the Prince,
who was named Ariston, to the same rock which served both as palace
and prison for the beautiful Ravissante. He there found her amusing
herself with the young maidens of her Court, by weaving garlands of
flowers in a forest of blue hyacinths, where they were then walking,
for the Fairy, in bestowing on the rock the power of producing plants
and trees, had limited the colour of them to that of the rock itself.
She had already, some time since, apprised the Princess that Prince
Ariston would soon visit the island, and she had added, in speaking
of the Prince, everything that she thought likely to prejudice her in
his favour; but she deceived herself this time; and on the arrival of
Ariston, she observed nothing of that emotion or surprise which is the
usual presage of a tender passion. As for the Prince, his sentiments
were in perfect accordance with the wishes of the Fairy: he became
passionately in love from the moment he first set eyes on Ravissante;
and it was not possible to see her without adoring her, for never were
grace and beauty so perfectly united as in the person of this amiable
princess. She had the most exquisite complexion, and her dark brown
hair added to its dazzling whiteness; her mouth had infinite charms,
her teeth were more purely white than pearls; her eyes, the most
beautiful in the world, were deep blue, and they were so brilliant, and
at the same time so touching in their expression, that it was hardly
possible to sustain their glances without yielding the heart at once
to the fatal power which love had bestowed on them. She was not very
tall, but perfectly beautiful, and all her movements were peculiarly
graceful. Everything she did and said pleased invariably, and often a
smile or a single word sufficed to prove that the charms of her mind
equalled those of her person.
Such, and a thousand times more amiable than I can paint her, it had
indeed been difficult for Ariston not to have become distractedly in
love; but the Princess received his attentions with indifference, and
did not appear in the least touched by them. The Fairy remarked it, and
felt a grief which was only surpassed by that of the Prince. She had
remarked in the stars that he who was destined to possess Ravissante
would extend his power not only over the earth, but even over the sea.
Therefore her ambition made her wish that her nephew should touch the
heart of the Princess as much as he desired the same effect from his
love. She thought, however, that if the Prince were as learned as she
was in the magic art, he might perhaps find some mode of rendering
himself more attractive in the eyes of Ravissante; but the Fairy, who
had never loved, was ignorant that the art of pleasing is not always
to be discovered, although sought for with the utmost ardour and
eagerness. She taught the Prince, therefore, in a short time, all those
sciences which are known only to the fairies. He had no pleasure in
learning them, nor had he any idea of employing them but with regard
to his passion for Ravissante. He began to make use of them by giving
every day a new fête to the Princess. She admired the wonders produced,
she deigned even sometimes to praise what appeared the most gallant in
these efforts of the Prince to please her; but after all, she received
his devotion and his attentions as the just homage due to her beauty,
and she considered them amply repaid by her condescending to receive
them without anger.
Ariston began to despair of the success of his passion, but he was too
speedily obliged to confess that this very time, which he complained
of so justly, and in which he felt so keenly the hopelessness of his
love, had, notwithstanding, been the most happy period of his life.
A year after his arrival on the island he celebrated the return of
that memorable day on which he had first beheld Ravissante. In the
evening he gave her a fête in the forest of hyacinths. Marvellous music
was heard in every part of the forest without any one being able to
discover from whence the sounds proceeded. All that was sung by these
invisible musicians tenderly expressed the love of Ariston for the
Princess; they concluded their admirable concert by these words, which
were repeated several times:--
Nor reason nor relentless Fate
My sufferings can terminate!
Without one ray of hope to cheer,
I feel my heart consuming here.
How great his power Love never knew
Till from those eyes his arrows flew.
After the music, there appeared suddenly an elegant collation under
a tent of silver gauze, elegantly looped up with ropes of pearls; it
was open on the side towards the sea, which bounded the forest in that
direction; and was illuminated by a great number of chandeliers formed
of brilliants, which emitted an effulgence nearly equal to that of the
sun. It was by this light that the nymphs of the court of Ravissante
pointed out to her an inscription at the entrance of the pavilion,
written in letters of gold upon a ruby of immense magnitude, supported
by twelve little cupids, who flew away as soon as the Princess had
heard this inscription read, which consisted of these lines:--
Where'er throughout the world those lovely eyes
May the devoted hearts of men enchain,
For one as true as in this desert sighs
Those lovely eyes may search, sweet maid, in vain.
But through that world your glory to proclaim,
And every mortal to your altar bring,
Princess, we haste to bid the trump of Fame
With praise of beauty so divine to ring.
The fête continued, and Prince Ariston had at least the pleasure
of engrossing the leisure of the Princess, if he could not occupy
her heart. But he was deprived even of this gratification by a
surprising spectacle which appeared far out at sea, and attracted
the curiosity and attention of Ravissante and of all the court. The
object approached, and they distinguished that it was an arbour formed
of interlaced myrtle and laurel branches, closed on all sides, and
propelled with great rapidity by an infinite number of winged fish.
This sight was the more novel to Ravissante as she had never before
seen anything of the colour of this arbour. The Fairy having foreseen
that it would cause some misfortune to her nephew, had absolutely
banished it from her island. The Princess watched for the approach
of the strange object with an impatience which appeared to Ariston a
bad omen for his love. She had not long to wait, for the winged fish
brought the arbour in a few moments to the foot of the rock, and the
attention of the young Princess and of all the Court was redoubled.
The arbour opened, and out of it came a young man of marvellous beauty,
who appeared about sixteen or seventeen years of age. He was clothed
in branches of myrtle, curiously interlaced, with a scarf composed of
various-coloured roses. This handsome stranger experienced as much
astonishment as he occasioned. The beauty of Ravissante did not leave
him at liberty to amuse himself by observing the rest of the splendid
scene, the brilliancy of which had attracted him from a distance. He
approached the Princess with a grace which she had never observed but
in herself. "I am so surprised," said he to her, "at all I find on
these shores, that I have lost the power of expressing my astonishment.
Is it possible," continued he, "that such a goddess (for a goddess you
surely must be) has not temples throughout the universe?" "I am not a
goddess," said Ravissante, colouring; "I am an unfortunate princess
banished from the states of the King, my father, to avoid I know not
what misfortune, which they assure me has been predicted from the
moment of my birth." "You appear to me much more formidable," replied
the handsome stranger, "than those stars which may have some evil
influence on your fate, and over what misfortune could not such perfect
beauty triumph! I feel that it can vanquish everything," he added,
sighing, "since it has conquered in a moment a heart which I had always
flattered myself should remain insensible; but, Madam," continued he,
without giving her time to reply, "I must, against my will, withdraw
from this charming place, where I see you only, and where I have lost
my peace of mind; I will return soon, if Cupid prove favourable to me."
After these words, he re-entered the arbour, and in a few moments he
was lost to sight.
Prince Ariston was so astounded and distressed by this adventure, that
he had not at first the strength to speak; a rival had appeared in a
manner as wonderful as unexpected; this rival had seemed to him only
too charming, and he thought he had observed in the beautiful eyes of
the Princess, whilst the stranger addressed her, a languor which he
had often desired to see, but which till then he had never detected.
Agonized by a despair which he dared not betray, he conducted
Ravissante to the Palace, where she passed part of the night, occupied
by the recollection of her agreeable adventure, and made her nymphs
relate each circumstance over and over again, as though she had not
been herself present. As for Prince Ariston, he went to consult the
Fairy, who, he hoped, might possess some charm to allay the violent
grief under which he laboured; but she had no antidote for jealousy,
and they do say none has ever been discovered to this day. The Prince
and the Fairy, however, redoubled their enchantments to defend the
entrance to the rock from this formidable stranger, whom they took
for a magician. They surrounded the island with frightful monsters,
who occupied a great space on the sea, and who, excited by their own
natural ferocity, and by the power of the spell, seemed to assure
Ariston and the Fairy that it would be an impossibility to take from
them the beautiful Princess whom they so jealously guarded. Ravissante
seemed to feel more vividly the power of the charms of the handsome
stranger by the grief which she experienced at the obstacles opposed
to his return to the island; and she resolved, at all events, to be
revenged on Prince Ariston. She began to hate him, and that alone was
ample vengeance. Ariston was inconsolable at finding he had provoked
the hatred of Ravissante by a passion which it appeared to him should
have produced just the contrary effect. The Princess mourned in secret
the forgetfulness of the stranger: it appeared to her that love should
have ere this made him keep his promise to return. Sometimes, also, she
ceased to desire it, when she remembered the dangers with which Ariston
and the Fairy had surrounded the approach to the island. One day that
she was occupied in these various reflections whilst walking alone on
the sea-shore--for Ariston dared not, as formerly, follow her, and the
Princess refused even to attend the fêtes with which he was accustomed
to entertain her,--she arrived at the same spot which the adventure
with the unknown visitor had rendered so remarkable, and was struck
by the appearance of a tree of extraordinary beauty floating towards
the rock. The colour, which was the same as that of the myrtle arbour
of the stranger, gave her a sensation of joy. The tree approached the
rock, and the monsters attempted to defend the entrance, but a little
breeze agitated the leaves of the tree, and having blown off a few,
and driven them against the monsters, they yielded to these light and
harmless weapons, and even ranged themselves with a show of respect in
a circle around the tree, which approached the rock without further
impediment, and opened, disclosing to view the stranger seated on a
throne of verdure; he rose precipitately at the sight of Ravissante,
and spoke to her with so much eloquence and so much love, that after
she had in a few words acquainted him with her history, she could not
conceal from him that she was touched by his devotion, and rejoiced
at his return. "But," said she, "is it fair that you should know the
sentiments with which you have inspired me before I am informed of the
name even of him who has called them forth?"
"I had no intention of concealing it from you," replied the charming
unknown; "but when near you, one can speak of nothing but you; however,
as you wish to know, I obey you, and beg to acquaint you that I am
called the Prince of Leaves: I am the son of Spring and of a sea nymph,
a relation of Amphitrite, which is the cause of my power extending over
the sea: my empire comprises all parts of the earth which recognise
the influence of Spring; but I chiefly inhabit a happy island where
the gentle season which my father bestows reigns perpetually. There
the air is always pure, the fields ever covered with flowers; the sun
never scorches, but only approaches sufficiently near to illuminate
it; night is banished, and it is therefore called the Island of Day.
It is inhabited by a people as amiable as the climate is agreeable.
It is in this place that I offer you an empire, sweet and calm, and
where my heart above all things will acknowledge your sovereignty. You
must, however, beautiful Princess, consent to be carried off from this
rock, where you are retained in veritable bondage: notwithstanding the
honours they pay you with a view to disguise the real state of the
case." Ravissante could not, however, make up her mind to follow the
Prince of Leaves into his empire, in spite of the fear which she had
of the power of the Fairy, and the suggestions of her love; she hoped
that her perseverance in rejecting the vows of Ariston, would at length
cause him to resolve to conquer his passion, and that the Fairy would
then restore her to her father, from whom the Prince of Leaves might
demand her hand.
[Illustration: The Prince of Leaves.--P. 152.]
"But I should at least wish," said she to him, "to be able to send
you word of what happens in this island, and I know not how that is
possible, as everything I do is suspected and watched." "I will leave
with you here," said the Prince, "the subjects of a friend of mine,
who is also a prince. They will constantly attend on you, and by them
you can often send me intelligence; but remember, beautiful Princess,
with what impatience I shall wait for it!" After these words, he
approached the tree which had conveyed him, and having touched some of
the leaves, two butterflies appeared, the one white and flame-colour,
the other yellow and light-grey--the most beautiful in the world. As
Ravissante gazed on them, the Prince of Leaves said, smiling, "I see
you are surprised at the appearance of the confidants I give you;
but these butterflies are not merely what they appear to be; it is a
mystery which they will explain if you will permit them to talk to
you." As he spoke, Ravissante perceived in the distance some of her
nymphs, who came to seek her in her solitude, and she begged the Prince
of Leaves to re-embark; he obeyed, notwithstanding the infinite regret
he felt at quitting her, but he did not depart quickly enough to avoid
observation; they informed Ariston and the Fairy of his return to the
island, and from that moment, in order to take away from the beautiful
Ravissante the means, and even the hope of seeing him again, they
erected a tower on the summit of the rock formed of the same stone;
and in order to render it more entirely secure, as the guard of living
monsters had proved insufficient, they caused the tower and rock to be
invisible to all those who should come to seek her, not daring again
to trust to ordinary enchantments. Ravissante was in despair at being
immured in so cruel and impregnable a prison. Prince Ariston had not
concealed from her that he had rendered it invisible; he had even
attempted to make her accept this care for her safety as a proof of
his tender devotion; but Ravissante felt her hatred and contempt for
him increase daily, and he dared no longer enter her presence. The
butterflies, however, had not quitted her, and she often regarded them
with pleasure as having come from the Prince of Leaves. One day that
she was still more sad than usual, and musing, on a terrace at the top
of the tower, the flame-coloured butterfly flew on to one of the vases
filled with flowers, which ornamented the balustrade. "Why," said he,
all of a sudden to the Princess, "do you not send me to the Prince of
Leaves, he will undoubtedly come to your relief?" Ravissante was at
first so astonished at hearing the butterfly speak, although her lover
had prepared her for the novelty, that she was for some minutes unable
to answer; however, the name of the Prince of Leaves assisting to
dissipate her surprise, "I was so astonished," said she at length, "to
hear a butterfly speak like ourselves, that I could not sooner reply
to you. I can well believe that you could go to apprise the Prince of
Leaves of my misfortune, but what can he do?--only distress himself
uselessly. He cannot find me in a place which the cruelty of my enemies
has taken care to render invisible."
"It is less so than you think," replied the yellow butterfly, flying
round the Princess in order to join in the conversation: "a little
while ago, I surveyed your prison, I flew and even swam round it; it
disappears when one is on the water, but when one is elevated in the
air it ceases to be invisible. No doubt the Fairy did not consider that
road so easy as to require the same defence as that by the sea. I was
about to give you this hint," continued the butterfly, "when my brother
broke the silence which we have hitherto preserved." This agreeable
piece of news restored hope to the Princess. "Is it possible," said
she, "that Ariston can have neglected any precaution which could
gratify his cruelty and his love? No doubt his power, like that of the
Fairy, which is unbounded over earth and sea, does not extend to the
air." This was precisely the reason which had prevented the Prince and
the Fairy from rendering the tower and the rock invisible from the
sky. "But," added Ravissante, after some minutes' reflection, "can the
Prince of Leaves have any power in the air?" "No, Madam," replied the
flame-coloured butterfly, "he can do nothing, and your prison would be
invisible to him though he be a demi-god, as it would be to a mortal;
but--" "The Prince will then be as miserable as myself," interrupted
the sorrowful Ravissante, bursting into a flood of tears, which added
to her beauty, and which affected extremely the two butterflies; "and
I feel I shall be more distressed at his sorrows than at my own!
What ought I, then, to do?" continued she, sighing. "Send me off at
once," replied the flame-coloured butterfly, briskly; "I will go and
apprise the Prince of Leaves of your misfortunes, and he will come
to the rescue: although his power does not extend to the air, he has
a prince amongst his friends who can do anything in it, and of whom
he can dispose as of himself--but my brother can inform you of all
this during my absence. Adieu, beautiful Princess," continued the
butterfly, flying over the balustrade; "cease to weep, and count on my
diligence, I will fly as rapidly as your wishes." After these words,
the butterfly was lost in the air; and the Princess felt that charming
and lively sensation of joy which the hope of soon beholding a beloved
one inspires. She returned to her apartment, and the yellow butterfly
followed her; she was extremely impatient to know from what prince her
lover hoped for assistance; to end her doubts, she begged the yellow
butterfly to tell her all that could contribute to augment or flatter
her hopes. She placed him on a little basket of flowers, which she
carried to a table near her, and the butterfly, who considered it an
honour to please her, commenced his recital.
"Near the Island of Day, where the Prince of Leaves reigns, there is
another, smaller but equally agreeable; the ground there is always
covered with flowers, and they affirm that it is a boon granted to our
country by Flora, to immortalize the memory of the happy days when she
came there to find Zephyr: for they contend that it was on our island
that they used to meet, when their love was still new and secret. It
is called the "Island of Butterflies." The inhabitants are not of the
form that you see me under. They are little winged men, very pretty,
very gallant, very amorous, and so volatile that they hardly love
the same thing for even one day. Whilst the golden age reigned on
the earth, Cupid, who at that time flattered himself that the hearts
of all mankind would be ever fond and faithful, feared that by the
facility with which we flew about the world, we might teach mortals
the agreeable art of changing in love, which this god called an error
capable of utterly destroying the happiness of his empire. In order to
interdict all communication between us and the rest of the universe,
he came to our island, touched the ground with one of his arrows,
and rising again upon a brilliant cloud which had borne him thither,
'If again,' said he, to the inhabitants of the island, 'you wish to
traverse the air, like the gods, I have taken sure means of vengeance;
you can no longer, by your dangerous society, trouble the happiness
of my empire.' After these words he disappeared. The threats of Cupid
did not, however, take from the Butterflies the desire for change,
nor even for flying, if it was only for the pleasure of occasionally
quitting the earth. Some of them mounted into the air, and found that
they had the same facility as they possessed before Cupid had forbidden
them to do so; but as soon as they passed the limits of the Island
they were changed into little insects, such as you now behold me, all
of different colours, avenging Cupid having intended to mark by this
variety how much they were given to inconstancy. Surprised at their
metamorphosis, they returned to our island, and as soon as they touched
the ground they were restored to their original form. Since that fatal
time the vengeance of Cupid has always continued amongst us; when we
quit the earth, nothing of our nature, as men, remains, except our
mind and the liberty of speaking like them; but we have never made use
of it out of our island, not choosing to make this act of vengeance
celebrated by publishing it ourselves to the universe, or to alarm
those who, like us, are inclined to inconstancy. We have, however, the
pleasure of seeing, in our travels through the world, that fate has
revenged us on Cupid without our assistance; for Inconstancy reigns
with equal power to his own in the whole extent of his empire. Some
centuries after this change took place in the realm of the butterflies,
the Sun, that seemed to take pleasure in making it bring forth flowers,
was so enchanted with his handiwork, that he fell in love with a rose
of extraordinary beauty; he was tenderly beloved by her, and she
sacrificed to him all the care bestowed on her by the zephyrs. At the
end of some time the rose became of a different form to the rest; the
Sun immediately caused others to blow, resembling her, in order that
she might be less remarked in this quantity of flowers, which then
appeared a new kind of plant. It has since been called 'the rose of
a hundred leaves.' At length, from the Sun and this rose sprung a
demi-god, whom the Sun destined to reign for ever in our island. Until
then we had had no sovereign, but the son of a god who favoured so
constantly our earth was received as our ruler with extreme joy; they
called him the Prince of the Butterflies. It is this Prince, beautiful
Princess, who can assist you in the air, and whom the adventure I am
about to relate has rendered such a fast friend of the Prince of Leaves.
"In a country far removed from that of the butterflies there reigns a
Fairy, who dwells in a very dark cavern: they call her the Fairy of
the Grotto. She is of an immense size; her complexion is a mixture
of blue, green, and yellow. Her face is almost as formidable as her
power, and she is so dreaded by mortals that there is not one bold
enough to approach the country which she inhabits. One day the Prince
of the Butterflies, travelling for his pleasure in the neighbourhood
of his empire, perceived the Fairy, and surprised at this rencontre
he followed her for some time to see what would become of so fearful
a monster. She did not remark that she was observed, for the Prince,
although the offspring of the Sun, had not been able to obtain from
fate the liberty of travelling under any other form than that which
we all took on leaving the kingdom, because he was born since the
time when Cupid had made us feel his vengeance. However, he was not
inconstant, like all his subjects, and Cupid, by way of showing him
a little favour on that account, had permitted him, when he changed
his form, to be of one colour only, and that colour should be the one
which signifies Fidelity. Under this form he followed the Fairy as
far as he pleased, and he saw her enter her dismal abode. Impelled
by curiosity, he flew in after her; but what a sight awaited him at
the bottom of this cavern! He there saw a young lady, more beautiful
and more brilliant than the day, reclining on a bed of turf, and who
appeared in extreme grief. From time to time she dried the tears
which fell from her lovely eyes; her distress and the languor of her
appearance added to her charms. The Prince of the Butterflies remained
so entranced by this spectacle, that he forgot the form under which he
appeared, and only remembered that he was desperately in love, and that
he was burning to say so. He was roused from this sweet reverie by the
awful voice of the Fairy, who spoke to the young lady with frightful
severity. This filled his heart with sorrow and anger, as well as with
despair, at not daring to express either one or the other. The Fairy,
who by a natural restlessness could not remain long in the same place,
went out of the cavern; the Prince then approached the young person
with whom he was so charmed; he flew round her, and wishing to enjoy
the only liberty which his form permitted, he alighted on her hair,
which was the fairest in the world, and at length upon her cheek. He
was dying to tell her how much he was touched with her beauty and her
grief, but by what means could he convince her that he was son of the
Sun, without being able to appear before her in his own form; and how
could he inform her of the vengeance of Cupid, and the inconstancy
so natural to the inhabitants of the island, at the very time that
he wished to persuade her that he would never cease to love her? He
remained several days in the cavern, or in the forest with which it was
surrounded; he could not resolve to quit this beauty that he so adored,
and although he dared not speak to her, he saw her, and that was enough
to make him prefer this hideous abode to the agreeable scenes where
he had the pleasure of reigning, and of being acknowledged the most
beautiful Prince in the world.
"During the time he remained with this young creature he always saw
the Fairy treat her with incredible inhumanity, and he learnt from
their conversation that this beautiful person was the Princess of the
Linnets, whom the Fairy, being a relative, had carried off at a tender
age, in order more easily to usurp her kingdom, which was a little
island situated near to that of the Butterflies. He had heard of the
Princess having been carried away, and that no one knew what had become
of her. This country was called the Land of the Linnets, on account
of the great quantity of those little birds that was found there. The
Prince of the Butterflies pitied sincerely this unfortunate Princess,
and, in the hope of being able to deliver her, he determined at length
to tear himself away from her. He flew to the Island of Day without
resting for a moment; he there found the Prince of Leaves, with whom
he was united in the most tender bond of friendship, and who was about
to pass a part of the year in the Island of Butterflies. He related
his adventure to the Prince, and after discussing every means by which
it would be possible to set the young Princess at liberty, the Prince
of Leaves resolved to go himself into the forest of the Fairy, to
inform the Princess of the Linnets of the violent love which the Prince
of the Butterflies felt for her, and the reason which would always
prevent that unfortunate sovereign from appearing before her under
his proper form, unless she consented to be transported to the Island
of Butterflies. But the Prince of Leaves appeared to his friend too
formidable a rival to be entrusted with the commission; for he feared,
with reason, that the Princess might be more touched by the charms of
so perfect a prince than by the recital of the love entertained for
her by another prince whom she had never seen nor even heard speak.
He deplored the cruelty of his destiny, and sought some other mode of
declaring his love to the Princess, but without success.
"None but a demi-god could approach the dwelling of the Fairy without
feeling immediately the direful effect of her fury. He embarked,
therefore, with the Prince of Leaves, agitated by a jealous fear.
It appeared to him that this Prince could not preserve for a single
moment, on beholding the beautiful Princess, the insensibility on which
he had always piqued himself.
"Cupid, touched at the sad state to which he was reduced, wished at
least to re-assure him on this point, and at the same time triumph over
the insensible heart of the Prince of Leaves. It was by you, beautiful
Princess," continued the Butterfly, "that the God expected to gain this
victory, and you alone are worthy of it.
"It was on the same day that the two princes embarked that they saw
from afar, upon this rock, an illumination so brilliant, that the
Prince of Leaves, impelled by his destiny more than by curiosity,
ordered the winged fish which conducted the arbour of myrtle in
which he travelled, to approach the spot from which the bright light
emanated. You know the remainder of this adventure. The Prince of
Leaves found you in the forest of hyacinths, and left at your feet the
liberty which he had held so dear, and which, till that moment, he
had always preserved. Hurried away by the impatience of the Prince of
the Butterflies, who had suffered nothing but regret at the delay, he
tore himself, with infinite pain, from a spot where his heart and his
wishes would have made him desire to remain for ever. They continued
their voyage, and the Prince of the Butterflies was so delighted to see
that the Prince of Leaves was so deeply in love, and so far from being
likely to become his rival, that he did not doubt of its being a happy
omen, and that he might count on a successful issue to his enterprise.
"They arrived in the forest of the Fairy of the Grotto; they entered
her dreary abode, and Cupid, who had resolved to favour them, caused
them to find the Princess of the Linnets alone and asleep. There was
no time to be lost--the Prince of Leaves carried her off in the myrtle
arbour, whilst the Prince of the Butterflies followed.
"The Fairy returned at this moment; she uttered the most horrible
shrieks at the sight of this abduction; she thought she could prevent
it by her art, and revenge herself on those who had thus dared to
rescue the Princess of the Linnets. But her enchantments were powerless
over the Prince of Leaves, who soon was far away from the dismal shore.
In the meanwhile the Princess awoke, and was agreeably surprised at
finding herself where she was, and at the presence of the Prince of
Leaves. But it was an agreeable surprise, which increased when that
Prince conversed with her, and informed her of the effect of her
beauty, and that she would henceforth, being delivered from the tyranny
of the Fairy, reign in her own empire, and in one also even finer than
her own. The Prince of the Butterflies then spoke of his love with
so much vivacity and tenderness, that the Princess felt excessive
curiosity to see him in his true form, of which she confessed to have
formed a very exalted idea from the time she heard his voice. They
continued to float on, and after some days arrived at the Island of
Butterflies, when the Prince hastened to land, in order to appear at
length in his own person to the Princess. The Princess of Linnets then
sent to inform her subjects in her own island of her adventures: they
flocked to see her, and it was in their presence that she accepted the
heart and empire of the happy Prince of the Butterflies. The Prince of
Leaves, however, left her immediately that he had safely conducted her
to that island, in order to return hither, beautiful Princess, where
his anxiety and his ardent love made him impatient to be."
Ravissante listened with extreme attention to the Butterfly, when
she saw Prince Ariston enter her chamber with such fury in his
countenance, that she dreaded its effects. "Fate threatens me," he
cried, on entering; "and as it is with some great misfortune, it must,
no doubt, be that of losing you; none other would affect my heart, or
be worthy of being so predicted. See, Madam," he continued, addressing
Ravissante, "the colour which the walls of this tower are assuming--it
is a certain sign of approaching misfortune!"
As the misfortunes of Ariston were a happiness to Ravissante, she
looked without distress at that which he pointed out to her notice,
and perceived, indeed, that the blue stones were losing their original
colour, and beginning to turn green. She was delighted to see this,
as she augured from it the certain approach of the Prince of Leaves.
The joy which the unhappy Ariston remarked in her eyes redoubled his
despair. What did he not then say to Ravissante? And rendered sincere
by the excess of his grief, he told her that his love was so great
as not to allow of his ceasing to adore her, although he was sure of
being miserable all his life. "I cannot doubt it," said he to the
Princess, "for the Fates foretold to me as to you--that I should always
be miserable if I were not always faithful to the first impressions
love made on my heart. And by what means could I ever obey this cruel
mandate? After one has seen you, however he may have loved before, he
must forget everything--even the preservation of his own happiness in
loving and seeking to please you. A young princess of the Court of the
King, my father, once appeared to me worthy of my regard. I thought
fully that I should be sighing to return to her after remaining here
for a short time; but the first sight of you subverted all my previous
plans. My reason and my heart were equally inclined for the change, and
I thought nothing impossible to the tender love with which you inspired
me. I flattered myself even that it might overcome fate; but your
austerity, which never relaxed, has taught me that I was deceived, and
that there remains for me no other hope but that of dying speedily for
your sake."
The Prince Ariston finished speaking these words, which made Ravissante
even think him worthy of some pity, when they saw in the air a throne
of foliage, supported by an immense number of butterflies. One
amongst them, which was entirely blue, and by whose colour Ravissante
recognised the son of the Sun, flew to her, and said, "Come, beautiful
Princess, to-day you shall resume your liberty, and make the most
amiable Prince in the world happy."
The butterflies placed the throne near Ravissante; she seated herself
on it, and they bore her away. Ariston, distracted at the loss of the
Princess, in a paroxysm of despair, flung himself into the sea. The
Fairy immediately abandoned the rock which this suicide had rendered
so fatal and melancholy; and to mark her fury, she shivered both it
and the tower into a thousand pieces by a clap of thunder, and the
fragments were carried by the wind and waves to different sea-coasts.
It is of this species of stone that they now make rings, which they
call turquoise. Those which are still called "de la Vieille Roche" are
made of the remains of this shattered rock, and the others are only
stones which resemble them. The remembrance of the misfortune predicted
to Prince Ariston by the change of colour in the walls of the tower has
descended to our time. They say still that these rings become green
when any misfortune is about to happen to the wearers, and that these
misfortunes are generally connected with love affairs.
Whilst the Fairy gave vent to her grief by the destruction of the
island, the Prince of the Butterflies, satisfied at having rendered to
the Prince of Leaves a similar service to that he had received from
him, conducted the beautiful Ravissante, flying before her, to a boat
of rushes, ornamented with garlands of flowers, in which the Prince
of Leaves awaited her with all the impatience which the violence of
his love inspired. It is impossible to convey an idea of the pleasure
he felt at the arrival of the Princess; never were joy and love so
apparent as in the heart and language of this Prince. He sailed
immediately to the Island of Day. The Prince of the Butterflies flew
off to rejoin the amiable Princess of Linnets as speedily as possible.
Ravissante sent two butterflies to the King, her father, to inform him
of her good fortune; the good King thanked the Fates, and set out as
soon as he could for the Island of Day, where the Prince of Leaves and
Ravissante reigned with all imaginable felicity, and were always happy,
because they never ceased to be fond and faithful.
The lot of Ravissante with envy view--
Born to be blest could she prove only true.
How many hapless lovers had succeeded,
Had constancy been all their idols needed!