well. It was I who sent you those bewitching dreams of the mysterious
tree during the night. It was I who nibbled the cloth, to help you in
your wish to look in. Without this last artifice of mine, I believe I
should have lost you, as well as your father and your prince Gracious.
One more slip, my pet, and you will be my slave for ever!"
The cruel mouse, in her malicious joy, began to dance around Rosalie;
her words, wicked as they were, did not excite the anger of the guilty
girl.
"This is all my fault," said she; "had it not been for my fatal
curiosity and my base ingratitude, the gray mouse would not have
succeeded in making me yield so readily to temptation. I must atone for
all this by my sorrow, by my patience and by the firmness with which I
will resist the third proof to which I am subjected, no matter how
difficult it may be. Besides, I have but a few hours to wait and my dear
prince has told me that his happiness and that of my dearly loved father
and my own, depends upon myself."
Before her lay the smouldering ruins of the palace of the Prince
Gracious. So complete had been its destruction that a cloud of dust and
smoke hung over it, and hardly one stone remained upon another. The
cries of those in pain were borne to her ears and added to her
bitterness of feeling.
Rosalie continued to lie prone on the ground. The gray mouse employed
every possible means to induce her to move from the spot. Rosalie, the
poor, unhappy and guilty Rosalie, persisted in remaining in view of the
ruin she had caused.
THE CASKET
Thus passed the entire day. Rosalie suffered cruelly with thirst.
"Ought I not suffer even more than I do?" she said to herself, "in order
to punish me for all I have made my father and my cousin endure? I will
await in this terrible spot the dawning of my fifteenth birthday."
The night was falling when an old woman who was passing by, approached
and said:--
"My beautiful child, will you oblige me by taking care of this casket,
which is very heavy to carry, while I go a short distance to see one of
my relations?"
"Willingly, madam," replied Rosalie, who was very obliging. The old
woman placed the casket in her hands, saying:--
"Many thanks, my beautiful child! I shall not be absent long. But I
entreat you not to look in this casket, for it contains things--things
such as you have never seen--and as you will never have an opportunity
to see again. Do not handle it rudely, for it is of very fragile ware
and would be very easily broken and then you would see what it contains
and no one ought to see what is there concealed."
The old woman went off after saying this. Rosalie placed the casket near
her and reflected on all the events which had just passed. It was now
night and the old woman did not return. Rosalie now threw her eyes on
the casket and saw with surprise that it illuminated the ground all
around her.
"What can there be in this casket which is so brilliant?" said she.
She turned it round and round and regarded it from every side but
nothing could explain this extraordinary light and she placed it
carefully upon the ground, saying:--
"Of what importance is it to me what this casket contains? It is not
mine but belongs to the old woman who confided it to me. I will not
think of it again for fear I may be tempted to open it."
In fact, she no longer looked at it and endeavored not to think of it;
she now closed her eyes, resolved to wait patiently till the dawn.
"In the morning I shall be fifteen years of age. I shall see my father
and Gracious and will have nothing more to fear from the wicked fairy."
"Rosalie! Rosalie!" said suddenly the small voice of the little mouse,
"I am near you once more. I am no longer your enemy and to prove that I
am not, if you wish it, I will show you what this casket contains."
Rosalie did not reply.
"Rosalie, do you not hear what I propose? I am your friend, believe me."
No reply.
Then the little gray mouse, having no time to lose, sprang upon the
casket and began to gnaw the lid.
"Monster!" cried Rosalie, seizing the casket and pressing it against her
bosom, "if you touch this casket again I will wring your neck."
The mouse cast a diabolical glance upon Rosalie but it dared not brave
her anger. While it was meditating some other means of exciting the
curiosity of Rosalie, a clock struck twelve. At the same moment the
mouse uttered a cry of rage and disappointment and said to Rosalie:--
"Rosalie, the hour of your birth has just sounded. You are now fifteen;
you have nothing more to fear from me. You are now beyond my power and
my temptations as are also your odious father and hated prince. As to
myself, I am compelled to keep this ignoble form of a mouse until I can
tempt some young girl beautiful and well born as yourself to fall into
my snares. Adieu, Rosalie! you can now open the casket."
Saying these words, the mouse disappeared.
Rosalie, wisely distrusting these words of her enemy, would not follow
her last counsel, and resolved to guard the casket carefully till the
dawn. Scarcely had she taken this resolution, when an owl, which was
flying above her head, let a stone fall upon the casket, which broke
into a thousand pieces. Rosalie uttered a cry of terror and at the same
moment she saw before her the queen of the fairies, who said:--
"Come Rosalie, you have finally triumphed over the cruel enemy of your
family. I will now restore you to your father but first you must eat and
drink, as you are much exhausted."
The fairy now presented her with a rare fruit, of which a single
mouthful satisfied both hunger and thirst. Then a splendid chariot,
drawn by two dragons, drew up before the fairy. She entered and
commanded Rosalie to do the same. Rosalie, as soon as she recovered from
her surprise, thanked the queen of the fairies with all her heart for
her protection and asked if she was not to see her father and the prince
Gracious.
"Your father awaits you in the palace of the prince."
"But, madam, I thought that the palace of the prince was destroyed and
he himself wounded sadly?"
"That, Rosalie, was only an illusion to fill you with horror and remorse
at the result of your curiosity and to prevent you from falling before
the third temptation. You will soon see the palace of the prince just as
it was before you tore the cloth which covered the precious tree he
destined for you."
As the fairy said this the chariot drew up before the palace steps.
Rosalie's father and the prince were awaiting her with all the court.
Rosalie first threw herself in her father's arms, then in those of the
prince, who seemed to have no remembrance of the fault she had committed
the day before. All was ready for the marriage ceremony which was to be
celebrated immediately. All the good fairies assisted at this festival
which lasted several days.
Rosalie's father lived with his child and she was completely cured of
her curiosity. She was tenderly loved by Prince Gracious whom she loved
fondly all her life. They had beautiful children, for whom they chose
powerful fairies as godmothers in order that they might be protected
against the wicked fairies and genii.
OURSON
OURSON
THE LARK AND THE TOAD
There was once a pretty woman named Agnella, who cultivated a farm. She
lived alone with a young servant named Passerose. The farm was small but
beautiful and in fine order. She had a most charming cow, which gave a
quantity of milk, a cat to destroy the mice and an ass to carry her
fruit, butter, vegetables, eggs, and cheese to markets every Wednesday.
No one knew up to that time how Agnella and Passerose had arrived at
this unknown farm which received in the county the name of the Woodland
Farm.
One evening Passerose was busy milking the pretty white cow while
Agnella prepared the supper. At the moment she was placing some good
soup and a plate of cream upon the table, she saw an enormous toad
devouring with avidity some cherries which had been put on the ground in
a vine-leaf.
"Ugly toad!" exclaimed Agnella, "I will teach you how to eat my
cherries!" At the same moment she lifted the leaves which contained the
cherries, and gave the toad a kick which dashed it off about ten steps.
She was about to throw it from the door, when the toad uttered a sharp
whistle and raised itself upon its hind legs; its great eyes were
flashing, and its enormous mouth opening and shutting with rage, its
whole ugly body was trembling and from its quivering throat was heard a
terrible bellowing.
Agnella paused in amazement; she recoiled, indeed, to avoid the venom of
the monstrous and enraged toad. She looked around for a broom to eject
this hideous monster, when the toad advanced towards her, made with its
fore paws a gesture of authority, and said in a voice trembling with
rage:--
"You have dared to touch me with your foot! You have prevented me from
satisfying my appetite with the cherries which you had placed within my
reach! You have tried to expel me from your house! My vengeance shall
reach you and will fall upon that which you hold most dear! You shall
know and feel that the fairy Furious is not to be insulted with
impunity. You shall have a son, covered with coarse hair like a bear's
cub and----"
"Stop, sister," interrupted a small voice, sweet and flute-like, which
seemed to come from above. Agnella raised her head and saw a lark
perched on the top of the front door. "You revenge yourself too cruelly
for an injury inflicted, not upon you in your character of a fairy but
upon the ugly and disgusting form in which it has pleased you to
disguise yourself. By my power, which is superior to yours, I forbid you
to exaggerate the evil which you have already done in your blind rage
and which, alas! it is not in my power to undo. And you, poor mother,"
she continued, turning to Agnella, "do not utterly despair; there is a
possible remedy for the deformity of your child. I will accord to him
the power of changing his skin with any one whom he may, by his goodness
and service rendered, inspire with sufficient gratitude and affection to
consent to the change. He will then resume the handsome form which would
have been his if my sister, the fairy Furious, had not given you this
terrible proof of her malice and cruelty."
"Alas! madam Lark," replied Agnella, "all this goodness cannot prevent
my poor, unhappy son from being disgusting and like a wild beast. His
very playmates will shun him as a monster."
"That is true," replied the fairy Drolette; "and the more so as it is
forbidden to yourself or to Passerose to change skins with him. But I
will neither abandon you nor your son. You will name him Ourson until
the day when he can assume a name worthy of his birth and beauty. He
must then be called the prince Marvellous."
Saying these words, the fairy flew lightly through the air and
disappeared from sight.
The fairy Furious withdrew, filled with rage, walking slowly and turning
every instant to gaze at Agnella with a menacing air. As she moved
slowly along, she spat her venom from side to side and the grass, the
plants and the bushes perished along her course. This was a venom so
subtle that nothing could ever flourish on the spot again and the path
is called to this day the Road of the Fairy Furious.
When Agnella found herself alone, she began to sob. Passerose, who had
finished her work and saw the hour of supper approaching, entered the
dining-room and with great surprise saw her mistress in tears.
"Dear queen, what is the matter? Who can have caused you this great
grief? I have seen no one enter the house."
"No one has entered, my dear, except those who enter everywhere. A
wicked fairy under the form of a toad and a good fairy under the
appearance of a lark."
"And what have these fairies said to you, my queen, to make you weep so
piteously? Has not the good fairy interfered to prevent the misfortunes
which the wicked fairy wished to bring about?"
"No, my dear friend. She has somewhat lightened them but it was not in
her power to set them aside altogether."
[Illustration: _Agnella and Passerose were dashed from cloud to cloud_]
Agnella then recounted all that had taken place and that she would have
a son with a skin like a bear. At this narrative Passerose wept as
bitterly as her mistress.
"What a misfortune!" she exclaimed. "What degradation and shame, that
the heir of a great kingdom should be a bear! What will King Ferocious,
your husband, say if he should ever discover us?"
"And how will he ever find us, Passerose? You know that after our flight
we were swept away by a whirlwind and dashed from cloud to cloud for
twelve hours with such astonishing rapidity that we found ourselves more
than three thousand leagues from the kingdom of Ferocious. Besides, you
know his wickedness. You know how bitterly he hates me since I prevented
him from killing his brother Indolent and his sister Nonchalante. You
know that I fled because he wished to kill me also. I have no reason to
fear that he will pursue me for I am sure that he will wish never to see
me again."
Passerose, after having wept and sobbed some time with the Queen Aimee,
for that was her true name, now entreated her mistress to be seated at
the table.
"If we wept all night, dear queen, we could not prevent your son from
being shaggy but we will endeavor to educate him so well, to make him so
good, that he will not be a long time in finding some good and grateful
soul who will exchange a white skin for this hairy one which the evil
fairy Furious has put upon him. A beautiful present indeed! She would
have done well to reserve it for herself."
The poor queen, whom we will continue to call Agnella for fear of giving
information to King Ferocious, rose slowly, dried her eyes and succeeded
in somewhat overcoming her sadness. Little by little the gay and
cheering conversation of Passerose dissipated her forebodings. Before
the close of the evening, Passerose had convinced her that Ourson would
not remain a long time a bear; that he would soon resume a form worthy
of a noble prince. That she would herself indeed be most happy to
exchange with him, if the fairy would permit it.
Agnella and Passerose now retired to their chambers and slept
peacefully.
BIRTH AND INFANCY OF OURSON
Three months after the appearance of the toad and the cruel sentence of
the fairy Furious, Agnella gave birth to a boy whom she named Ourson, as
the fairy Drolette had commanded. Neither Agnella nor Passerose could
decide if he was ugly or handsome for he was so hairy, so covered with
long brown bristles, you could see nothing but his eyes and his mouth,
and not even these unless he opened them.
If Agnella had not been his mother and if Passerose had not loved her
like a sister, poor Ourson would have died from neglect for he was so
frightful no one would have dared to touch--he would have been taken for
a little cub and killed with pitchforks. But Agnella was his mother and
her first movement was to embrace him lovingly and, bathed in tears, to
exclaim:--
"Poor little Ourson! who can ever love you well enough to deliver you
from this horrible curse? Alas! why will not the fairy permit me to make
this exchange, which is allowed to another who may love you? No one can
ever love you as I do."
Ourson did not reply to these endearments; he slept peacefully.
Passerose wept also in sympathy with Agnella but she was not in the
habit of afflicting herself for a long time on any occasion so she dried
her eyes and said to Agnella:--
"Dear queen, I am very certain that your dear son will be clothed but a
short time with this villainous bear-skin and from this day I shall call
him Prince Marvellous."
"I beseech you not to do so," said the queen, anxiously; "you know that
the fairies love to be obeyed."
Passerose took the child, clothed it in the linen that had been prepared
for it and leaned over to embrace it but she pricked her lips against
the rough bristles of Ourson and drew back precipitately.
"It will not be I who will embrace you frequently, my boy," said she, in
a low voice; "you prick like a real hedgehog."
It was Passerose, however, to whom Agnella gave the charge of the little
Ourson. He had nothing of the bear but his skin: he was the
sweetest-tempered, the most knowing, the most affectionate child that
ever was seen. Passerose soon loved him with all her heart.
As Ourson grew up he was sometimes permitted to leave the farm. He was
in no danger for no one knew him in the country. The children always ran
away at his approach and the women repulsed him. Men avoided him--they
looked upon him as something accursed. Sometimes when Agnella went to
market she put him on her donkey and took him with her and on those days
she found more difficulty in selling her vegetables and cheese. The
mothers fled from her, fearing that Ourson would come too near them.
Agnella wept often and vainly implored the fairy Drolette. Whenever a
lark flew near her, hope was born in her breast. But the larks, alas,
were real larks, fit only to make pies and not fairies in disguise.
VIOLETTE
Ourson at eight years of age was tall and strong, with magnificent eyes
and a sweet voice; his bristles were no longer stiff but his hair was
soft as silk, and those who loved him could embrace him without being
scratched, as Passerose had been the day of his birth. Ourson loved his
mother tenderly and Passerose almost as well but he was often alone and
very sad. He saw too well the horror he inspired and he saw also that he
was unlike other children.
One day he was walking along a beautiful road which bordered on the
farm. He had walked a long time and overcome with heat and fatigue he
looked about him for some fresh and quiet spot for repose when he
thought he saw a little object, fair and rosy, a few steps from him.
Drawing near with precaution he saw a little girl asleep. She seemed to
be about three years old and she was beautiful as the Loves and Graces.
Her blonde hair partly covered her fair and dimpled shoulders while her
soft cheeks were round and fresh and dimpled and a half smile played
upon her rosy and parted lips, through which small teeth, white and even
as pearls, could be seen. Her charming head was reposing upon a lovely
rounded arm and the little hand was beautifully formed and white as
snow. The attitude of this little girl was so graceful, so enchanting,
that Ourson stood before her immovable with admiration. He watched with
as much surprise as pleasure, this child sleeping as soundly and
peacefully in the wood as if she had been at home in her own little bed.
Ourson looked at her a long time and examined her toilet which was more
rich and elegant than anything he had ever seen. Her dress was of white
silk embroidered in gold; her boots were of blue satin also embroidered
in gold; her stockings were silk and fine as a spider's web; magnificent
bracelets were sparkling upon her arms and the clasp seemed to contain
her portrait; a string of beautiful pearls encircled her throat.
A lark now commenced its song just above the lovely little girl and
awakened her from her profound slumber. She looked about her, called her
nurse but finding herself alone in the woods, began to weep bitterly.
Ourson was much affected at her tears and his embarrassment was very
great.
"If I show myself," said he to himself, "this poor little one will take
me for some wild beast of the forest. If she sees me she will be
terrified; she will take to flight and wander still further from her
home. If I leave her here, she will die of terror and hunger. What shall
I do!"
Whilst Ourson reflected thus, the little girl turned around, saw him,
uttered a cry of alarm, tried to flee and fell back in a panic.
"Do not fly from me, dear little one," said Ourson, in his sad, soft
voice; "I would not injure you for the whole world; on the contrary, I
will assist you to find your father and mother."
The child gazed at him with staring eyes and seemed much alarmed.
"Speak to me, little one," said Ourson; "I am not a bear, as you might
suppose, but a poor and most unfortunate little boy, who inspires every
one with terror and whom everybody avoids."
The sweet child's eyes became calmer and softer, her fear seemed melting
away and she looked undecided.
Ourson took one step towards her but she became greatly frightened,
uttered a sharp cry and tried again to rise and run off. Ourson paused
and began to weep bitterly.
"Unfortunate wretch that I am," he said; "I cannot even assist this poor
lost child. My appearance fills her with terror! She would rather be
lost than have help from me!"
So saying, poor Ourson covered his face with his hands and sobbing
piteously threw himself on the ground. A few moments afterwards he felt
a little hand seeking to take possession of his own. He raised his head
and saw the child standing before him, her eyes filled with tears. She
caressed and patted the hairy cheeks of poor Ourson.
"Don't cry, little cub, don't cry," said she. "Violette is no longer
afraid, she will not run away again. Violette will love poor little cub.
Won't little cub give his hand to Violette? And if you cry again,
Violette will embrace you, poor little cub."
Tears of happiness and tenderness succeeded those of despair in Ourson.
Violette, seeing that he was again weeping, approached her soft rosy
lips to Ourson's hairy cheek and gave him several kisses.
"You see, little cub, that Violette is no longer afraid. Violette kisses
you! The little cub won't eat Violette--she will follow you!"
If Ourson had followed the dictates of his heart, he would have pressed
her to his bosom and covered with kisses the good and charming child who
overcame her natural terror in order to assuage the grief and
mortification of a poor being whom she saw unfortunate and miserable.
But he feared to arouse her terrors.
"She would think that I was about to devour her," he said.
He contented himself, therefore, with clasping her hands softly, and
kissing them delicately. Violette permitted this smilingly.
"Now little cub is satisfied. Little cub will love Violette, poor
Violette, who is lost!"
Ourson understood well that her name was Violette; but he could not
comprehend how this little girl, so richly clad, was left alone in the
forest.
"Where do you live, my dear little Violette?"
"Yonder--yonder--with papa and mamma."
"What is the name of your papa?"
"He is the king and dear mamma is the queen."
Ourson was more and more surprised and asked:
"Why are you alone in this forest?"
"Violette doesn't know. Poor Violette rode on a big dog--he ran, oh! so
fast--so fast, a long time! Violette was so tired, she fell down and
slept!"
"And the dog, where is he?"
Violet turned in every direction and called softly:
"Ami! Ami!"
No dog appeared.
"Alas! Ami has gone! Poor Violette is alone--alone!"
Ourson took Violette's hand and she did not withdraw it but smiled
sweetly.
"Shall I go and seek mamma, Violette?"
"No, no! Violette cannot stay all alone in this wood. Violette will
go."
"Come, then, with me, dear little girl. I will take you to my mother."
Ourson and Violette now turned their steps towards the farm. Ourson
gathered strawberries and cherries for Violette, who would not touch
them till Ourson had eaten half. When she found that he still held his
half in his hand, she took them, and placed them herself in his mouth,
saying:
"Eat--eat, little cub. Violette will not eat unless you eat. Violette
cannot have little cub unhappy. Violette will not see you weep."
She looked at him to see if he was content and happy. Ourson was really
happy. He saw that his good and pretty little companion not only
tolerated him but was interested in him and sought to make herself
agreeable. His eyes were sparkling with joy, his voice, always soft and
sad, was now tender. After half an hour's walk, he said to her:
"Violette, you are no longer afraid of poor Ourson, are you?"
"Oh! no, no, no!" exclaimed she. "Ourson is good--Violette will not
leave him."
"You are willing, then, that I shall embrace you? you are no longer
afraid of me?"
Violette, without further reply, threw herself in his arms. Ourson
embraced her tenderly and pressed her to his heart.
"Dear Violette, I will always love you. I will never forget that you
are the only child who was ever willing to speak to me, touch me or
embrace me."
A short time after they arrived at the farm. Agnella and Passerose were
seated at the door, talking together. When they saw Ourson arrive
holding a little girl richly dressed by the hand, they were so surprised
that neither could utter a word.