‘Lovely Princess,---I adore you, and beg you to accept my heart,
and to believe there is nothing I will not do to end your
misfortunes.---BLONDEL.
This note was tied round the pigeon’s neck, and he flew off with it at
once. He flew fast till he got near the tower, when a fierce wind blew
so hard against him that he could not get on. But he was not to be
beaten, but flew carefully round the top of the tower till he came to
one spot which, by some mistake, had not been enchanted like the rest.
He quickly slipped into the arbour and waited for the princess.
Before long Graziella appeared alone, and the pigeon at once fluttered
to meet her, and seemed so tame that she stopped to caress the pretty
creature. As she did so she saw it had a pink ribbon round its neck, and
tied to the ribbon was a letter. She read it over several times and then
wrote this answer:---
‘You say you love me; but I cannot promise to love you without seeing
you. Send me your portrait by this faithful messenger. If I return it to
you, you must give up hope; but if I keep it you will know that to help
me will be to help yourself.---GRAZIELA.
Before flying back the pigeon remembered about the flower, so, seeing
one in the princess’s dress, he stole it and flew away.
The prince was wild with joy at the pigeon’s return with the note. After
an hour’s rest the trusty little bird was sent back again, carrying a
miniature of the prince, which by good luck he had with him.
On reaching the tower the pigeon found the princess in the garden. She
hastened to untie the ribbon, and on opening the miniature case what was
her surprise and delight to find it very like the picture her governess
had painted for her. She hastened to send the pigeon back, and you can
fancy the prince’s joy when he found she had kept his portrait.
‘Now,’ said the fairy, ‘let us lose no more time. I can only make you
happy by changing you into a bird, but I will take care to give you back
your proper shape at the right time.’
The prince was eager to start, so the fairy, touching him with her wand,
turned him into the loveliest humming-bird you ever saw, at the same
time letting him keep the power of speech. The pigeon was told to show
him the way.
Graziella was much surprised to see a perfectly strange bird, and still
more so when it flew to her saying, ‘Good-morning, sweet princess.’
She was delighted with the pretty creature, and let him perch on her
finger, when he said, ‘Kiss, kiss, little birdie,’ which she gladly did,
petting and stroking him at the same time.
After a time the princess, who had been up very early, grew tired, and
as the sun was hot she went to lie down on a mossy bank in the shade
of the arbour. She held the pretty bird near her breast, and was just
falling asleep, when the fairy contrived to restore the prince to his
own shape, so that as Graziella opened her eyes she found herself in the
arms of a lover whom she loved in return!
At the same moment her enchantment came to an end. The tower began to
rock and to split. Bonnetta hurried up to the top so that she might at
least perish with her dear princess. Just as she reached the garden, the
kind fairy who had helped the prince arrived with the fairy Placida, in
a car of Venetian glass drawn by six eagles.
‘Come away quickly,’ they cried, ‘the tower is about to sink!’ The
prince, princess, and Bonnetta lost no time in stepping into the car,
which rose in the air just as, with a terrible crash, the tower sank
into the depths of the sea, for the fairy Marina and the mermen had
destroyed its foundations to avenge themselves on Graziella. Luckily
their wicked plans were defeated, and the good fairies took their way to
the kingdom of Graziella’s parents.
They found that Queen Mutinosa had died some years ago, but her kind
husband lived on peaceably, ruling his country well and happily. He
received his daughter with great delight, and there were universal
rejoicings at the return of the lovely princess.
The wedding took place the very next day, and, for many days after,
balls, dinners, tournaments, concerts and all sorts of amusements went
on all day and all night.
All the fairies were carefully invited, and they came in great state,
and promised the young couple their protection and all sorts of good
gifts. Prince Blondel and Princess Graziella lived to a good old age,
beloved by every one, and loving each other more and more as time went
on.