containing this wonderful water, so that it was all spilled; then,
without saying anything to anyone, she had replaced it by a similar
flask taken from the King's apartment, but the liquid in this flask
was really that which was used when the princes or great lords were
condemned to death, for, instead of being beheaded, their faces were
washed with this water and they fell asleep and did not wake again.
And so the King using this water one evening, thinking it to be the
beauty water, and hoping and expecting to be made more handsome, went
to sleep and awoke no more. Upon hearing what had occurred, Cabriole
at once went and told Avenant, who asked him to go to the Princess
Goldenhair and beseech her to remember the poor prisoner. When the
Princess received this message, she went straight to the tower, and,
with her own hands, struck off the chains that bound Avenant, and
placing a crown of gold upon his head, and a royal mantle upon his
shoulders, said: "Come, dear Avenant, I will make you King, and take
you for my husband." Then there was a grand wedding, and Princess
Goldenhair and Avenant, with Cabriole, lived long, all of them happy
and contented.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
Many years ago there lived a dear little girl, who was beloved by
everyone who knew her; but her grandmother was so very fond of her
that she never felt that she could think and do enough for her.
On her grand-daughter's birthday she presented her with a red silk
hood; and as it suited her very well, she would never wear anything
else; and so she was called Little Red Riding Hood. One day her mother
said to her, "Come, Red Riding Hood, here is a nice piece of meat,
and a bottle of wine: take these to your grandmother; she is weak and
ailing, and they will do her good. Be there before she gets up; go
quietly and carefully; and do not run, or you may fall and break the
bottle, and then your grandmother will have nothing. When you go into
her room, do not forget to say 'Good-morning'; and do not pry into all
the corners." "I will do just as you say," answered Red Riding Hood,
bidding good-bye to her mother.
[Illustration: _Painted by Jennie Harbour_
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
The grandmother lived far away in the wood, a long walk from the
village, and as Little Red Riding Hood came among the trees she met a
wolf; but she did not know what a wicked animal it was, and so she
was not at all frightened. "Good-morning, Little Red Riding Hood," he
said.
"Thank you, Mr. Wolf," she said.
"Where are you going so early, Little Red Riding Hood?"
"To my grandmother's," she answered.
"And what are you carrying under your apron?"
"Some wine and meat," she replied. "We baked the meat yesterday, so
that grandmother, who is very weak, might have a nice strengthening
meal."
"And where does your grandmother live?" asked the Wolf.
"Oh, quite twenty minutes' walk further in the forest. The cottage
stands under three great oak trees; and close by are some nut bushes,
by which you will at once know it."
The wolf was thinking to himself, "She is a nice tender thing, and
will taste better than the old woman; I must act cleverly, that I may
make a meal of both."
[Illustration: "WHERE ARE YOU GOING SO EARLY, LITTLE RED RIDING
HOOD."]
Presently he came up again to Little Red Riding Hood and said. "Just
look at the beautiful flowers which grow near you; why do you not look
about you? I believe you don't hear how sweetly the birds are singing.
You walk as if you were going to school; see how cheerful everything
is around you in the forest."
And Little Red Riding Hood opened her eyes; and when she saw how the
sunbeams glanced and danced through the trees, and what bright flowers
were blooming in her path, she thought, "If I take my grandmother a
fresh nosegay she will be much pleased; and it is so very early that
I can, even then, get there in good time:" and running into the forest
she looked about for flowers. But when she had once begun she did
not know how to leave off, and kept going deeper and deeper among the
trees looking for some still more beautiful flower. The Wolf, however,
ran straight to the house of the old grandmother, and knocked at the
door.
"Who's that?" asked the old lady.
"Only little Red Riding Hood, bringing you some meat and wine; please
open the door," answered the Wolf.
"Lift up the latch," cried the grandmother; "I am much too ill to get
up myself."
So the Wolf lifted the latch, and the door flew open; and without a
word he jumped on to the bed and gobbled up the poor old lady. Then he
put on her clothes, and tied her night-cap over his head; got into the
bed, and drew the blankets over him.
All this time Red Riding Hood was gathering flowers; and when she had
picked as many as she could carry, she thought of her grandmother, and
hurried to the cottage. She wondered very much to find the door
open; and when she got into the room, she began to feel very ill, and
exclaimed, "How sad I feel! I wish I had not come to-day." Then she
said, "Good morning," but received no reply; so she went up to the
bed, and drew back the curtains, and there lay her grandmother as
she imagined, with the cap drawn half over her eyes and looking very
fierce.
"Oh, grandmother, what great ears you have!"
"All the better to hear you with," was the reply.
"And what great eyes you have!"
"All the better to see you with."
"And what great hands you have!"
"All the better to touch you with."
"But, grandmother, what very great teeth you have!"
"All the better to eat you with;" and hardly were the words spoken
when the Wolf made a jump out of bed and swallowed down poor Little
Red Riding Hood also.
As soon as he had thus satisfied his hunger, he laid himself down
again on the bed, and went to sleep and snored very loudly. A huntsman
passing by overheard him, and said, "How loudly that old woman snores!
I must see if anything is the matter."
So he went into the cottage; and when he came to the bed, he saw the
Wolf sleeping in it.
"What! are you here, you old rascal? I have been looking for you,"
exclaimed he; and taking up his gun, he shot the old Wolf through the
head.
But it is also said that the story ends in a different manner; for
that one day, when Red Riding Hood was taking some presents to her
grandmother, a Wolf met her, and wanted to mislead her; but she went
straight on, and told her grandmother that she had met a Wolf, who
said good-day; but he looked so hungrily out of his great eyes, as if
he would have eaten her up had she not been on the high road.
So her grandmother said, "We will shut the door, and then he cannot
get in."
Soon after, up came the Wolf, who tapped, and exclaimed, "I am Little
Red Riding Hood, grandmother; I have some roast meat for you." But
they kept quite quiet, and did not open the door; so the Wolf, after
looking several times round the house, at last jumped on to the roof,
thinking to wait till Red Riding Hood went home in the evening, and
then to creep after her and eat her in the darkness.
The old woman, however, saw what the villain intended. There stood
before the door a large stone trough, and she said to Little Red
Riding Hood, "Take this bucket, dear: yesterday I boiled some meat in
this water, now pour it into the stone trough." Then the Wolf sniffed
the smell of the meat, and his mouth watered, and he wished very much
to taste.
At last he stretched his neck too far over, so that he lost his
balance, and fell down from the roof, right into the great trough
below, and there he was drowned.
[Illustration: "WITHOUT A WORD HE JUMPED ON TO THE BED AND GOBBLED UP
THE POOR OLD LADY."]
[Illustration]
THE WHITE FAWN
There was once upon a time a King and Queen who were perfectly happy,
with one exception, and that was that they had no child.
One day when the Queen was staying in a watering-place, some distance
from home, she was sitting by a fountain alone, sadly thinking of the
daughter she longed to have, when she perceived a crab coming in her
direction, who, to the Queen's surprise, addressed her thus:
"Great Queen, if you will condescend to be conducted by a humble
crab, I will lead you to a Fairies' palace and your wish shall be
fulfilled."
"I would certainly come with you," replied the Queen, "but I am afraid
that I cannot walk backwards."
The crab smiled, and transforming herself into a beautiful little old
woman, said:
"Now, madam, it is not necessary to go backwards. Come with me, and
I beg of you to look upon me as your friend." She then escorted the
Queen to the most magnificent palace that could possibly be imagined,
it was built entirely of diamonds.
In this superb place dwelt six Fairies who received the Queen with
the greatest respect, and each one presented her with a flower made of
precious stones--a rose, tulip, an anemone, a columbine, a violet, and
a carnation.
"Madam," they said, "we have pleasure in telling you that soon you
will have a daughter whom you will name Desirée. Directly she arrives,
do not fail to call upon us, for we will bestow all sorts of good
gifts upon her. You have only to hold this bouquet, and mention each
flower, thinking of us, and be assured that we shall at once appear in
your chamber."
The Queen, transported with joy, and overcome with gratitude, threw
herself upon their necks, and warmly embraced them; she then spent
several hours admiring the wonders of the palace and its gardens, and
it was not until evening that she returned to her attendants, who were
in a serious state of anxiety at the prolonged absence of Her Majesty.
[Illustration]
Not very long afterwards, when the Queen was once more at home in her
Royal Palace, a baby Princess was born, whom she named Desirée. Then
taking the bouquet into her hand, the Queen, one by one, pronounced
the names of the flowers, when there immediately appeared, flying
through the air in elegant chariots drawn by different kinds of birds,
the six Fairies who entered the apartment, bearing beautiful presents
for the little baby. Marvellously fine linen, but so strong that it
could be worn a hundred years without going into holes, lace of the
finest, with the history of the world worked into its pattern, toys
of all descriptions that a child would love to play with, and a cradle
ornamented with rubies and diamonds, and supported by four Cupids
ready to rock it should the baby cry. But, best of all, the Fairies
endowed the little Princess with beauty, and virtue, and health, and
every good thing that could be desired.
The Queen was thanking the Fairies a thousand times for all their
favours, when the door opened, and a crab appeared.
"Ungrateful Queen," said the crab, "you have not deigned to remember
me, the Fairy of the Fountain; and to punish your ingratitude, if the
Princess sees daylight before she is fifteen years old, she will have
cause to repent it, and it may cost her her life. It was well I took
the form of a crab, for your friendship instead of advancing has gone
backwards." Then in spite of all the Queen and the Fairies could say,
the crab went backwards out of the door, leaving them in the saddest
consternation, and it was long before they could decide what was best
to be done.
Then, with three waves of a wand, the Fairies caused a high tower to
spring up; it had neither door nor window, an underground passage was
made, through which everything necessary could be carried, and in
this tower the little Princess was shut up and there she lived by
candlelight, where never a glimpse of the sun could come.
When the Princess Desirée was fourteen years old, the Queen had her
portrait painted, and copies of it were carried to all the Courts
in the world. All the Princes admired it greatly, but there was one
Prince, named Guerrier, who loved it above everything; he used to
stand before the picture and avow his passion, just as if it heard
what he said, and at last he told the King, his father.
"You have resolved that I shall marry the Princess Noire, but this I
can never do, so great is my love for the Princess Desirée."
"But where have you seen her?" enquired the King.
The Prince hastened to fetch her portrait, and the King was so greatly
struck by Desirée's beauty that he agreed to follow his son's wishes
and break off his engagement with the Princess Noire, that he might
wed the Princess Desirée. So the King despatched as ambassador a rich
young lord named Bécafigue.
Bécafigue was devoted to Prince Guerrier, and he fitted out a most
splendid retinue to visit the Princess Desirée's Court. Besides
numerous magnificent presents, Bécafigue took with him the Prince's
portrait, which had been painted by such a clever artist that it would
speak; it could not exactly answer questions, but could make certain
remarks. It was truly a speaking likeness of the young Prince.
Desirée's father and mother were delighted when they heard that the
Prince Guerrier was seeking their daughter's hand in marriage, for
they knew him to be a brave and noble young man. But as it still
wanted three months to the Princess's fifteenth year, warned by
the Fairy Tulip, who had taken Desirée under her special care, they
refused to let him see their daughter or to let her yet marry the
Prince Guerrier, but they showed her the Prince's portrait, with
which she was greatly pleased, and particularly when it said, "Lovely
Desirée, you cannot imagine how ardently I am waiting for you; come
soon into our Court to make it beautiful by your presence."
[Illustration]
When Prince Guerrier saw the ambassador return without Desirée, he
was so terribly disappointed that he could neither eat nor sleep, and
before long fell dangerously ill.
Meanwhile Desirée had no less pleasure in looking at the Prince's
portrait than he had had admiring hers, and this was soon discovered
by those around her, and among others Giroflée and Longue Epine, her
maids of honour. Giroflée loved her passionately and faithfully, but
Longue Epine was full of envy of the Princess who was so good and
beautiful, and, besides Longue Epine, Desirée had another enemy,
and that was the Princess Noire, to whom Prince Guerrier had been
betrothed. This Princess Noire now went to the Fairy of the Fountain,
who was her best friend, and begged her to take revenge upon Princess
Desirée, and this the Fairy promised to do. Meanwhile once more
Bécafigue came to the capital where Desirée's father lived, and
throwing himself at the King's feet, besought him in most touching
words to let his daughter go with him at once to the Prince, who would
surely die if he could not behold her.
When Princess Desirée heard of the Prince's illness, she suggested
that she should set out without delay, but in a dark carriage,
that only at night should be opened to give her food. This plan was
approved of; the ambassador was told, and he departed full of joy. So
in a carriage like a large dark box, shut up with her Lady in Waiting
and her two Maids of Honour, Giroflée and Longue Epine, Princess
Desirée departed for Prince Guerrier's Court.
Perhaps you will remember that Longue Epine did not like Princess
Desirée, but she greatly admired Prince Guerrier, for she had seen his
portrait speaking, and she had told her mother, the Lady in Waiting,
that she should die if he married Desirée.
The King and Queen had begged the Lady in Waiting to take the greatest
of care of their dear daughter, and above all to be heedful that she
did not see the light of day until her fifteenth birthday, saying that
the ambassador had promised that until then she should be placed where
there was no other light than that of candles. But now as they drew
near their destination, while it was broad daylight the wicked woman,
urged by her envious daughter, Longue Epine, all at once took a large
knife which she had brought for the purpose, and with it cut the
covering of the carriage.
Then, for the first time, the Princess Desirée saw the light of day!!!
Hardly had she perceived it when, uttering a deep sigh, she threw
herself from the carriage, and in the form of a white fawn fleetly
fled into a forest near by.
The Fairy of the Fountain, who was the cause of this disaster seeing
that all who were accompanying the Princess were about to hasten to
the town to tell the Prince Guerrier what had happened, called up a
great thunderstorm and scattered them in every direction. Only the
Lady in Waiting, Longue Epine and Giroflée were left, Giroflée, who
ran after her mistress, making the trees and rocks echo with her
mournful calls. Then Longue Epine clothed herself in the rich bridal
robes provided for Desirée. She placed the crown upon her head, the
sceptre and orb she carried in her hands, so that all should take her
for the Princess. With her mother bearing her train she gravely walked
in the direction of the town.
[Illustration: "A GREAT THUNDERSTORM SCATTERED THEM IN EVERY
DIRECTION."]
They had not gone far when a brilliant procession came towards them,
amongst whom was the sick Prince in a litter, and to those in advance
Longue Epine announced that she was the Princess Desirée, with her
Lady in Waiting, but that a jealous Fairy had sent a thunderstorm
which had destroyed her carriage and scattered her other attendants.
When the Prince was told of this, he could not refrain from saying
to the messengers: "Now acknowledge, is she not truly a miracle of
beauty, a Princess beyond compare?"
No one replied at first, and then one of the boldest said,
"Sir, you will see; apparently the fatigue of the journey has somewhat
changed her." The Prince was surprised, but when he saw Longue Epine
words fail to express what he felt.
She was so tall that it was alarming, and the garments of the Princess
hardly came to her knees. She was frightfully thin, and her nose,
which was more hooked than a parrot's beak, shone like a danger
signal. Then her teeth were black and uneven, and, in fact, she was as
ugly as Desirée was beautiful.
At first the Prince could not speak a word, he simply gazed at her
in amazement. Then he said, turning to his father, "We have been
deceived, that portrait was painted to mislead us. It will be the
death of me."
"What do I hear, they have deceived you," fiercely exclaimed Longue
Epine.
"It is not to be wondered at," remarked the King, "that your father
kept such a treasure shut up for fifteen years."
Then he and the Prince turned towards the town, and the false Princess
and the Lady in Waiting, without any ceremony, were mounted each
behind a soldier and taken to be shut up in a castle.
[Illustration: _Painted by Jennie Harbour_
THE WHITE FAWN]
Soon after his terrible disappointment, Prince Guerrier, unable to
bear any longer the life at court, secretly departed from the palace
with his faithful friend Bécafigue, leaving a letter for his father
saying he would return to him as soon as his mind was in a happier
state, and begging him meanwhile to keep the ugly Princess prisoner,
and think of some revenge upon the deceitful king, her father.
After three or four days' journeying, the wanderers found themselves
in a thick forest. Quite wearied out, the Prince threw himself
upon the ground, while Bécafigue went on further in search of fruit
wherewith to refresh his royal master.
It is a long time since we left the White Fawn, that is to say the
charming Princess.
Very desolately she wept when in a stream she saw her figure
reflected, and when night came she was in great fear, for she heard
wild beasts about her, and sometimes forgetting she was a fawn she
would try to climb a tree. But with morning dawn she felt a little
safer, and the sun appeared a marvellous sight to her from which she
could hardly turn her eyes. But now the Fairy Tulip, who had always
loved the Princess guided Giroflée's feet in her direction, and
when the White Fawn saw her faithful Maid of Honour her delight was
boundless.
It did not take Giroflée long to discover that this was her
dearly-loved mistress, and she promised the White Fawn never to
forsake her, for she found she could hear all that was said although
she could not speak. Towards night the fear of having no shelter made
the two friends so dreadfully dismayed that the Fairy Tulip suddenly
appeared before them.
[Illustration]
"I am not going to scold you," she said, "although it is through not
following my advice that you are in this misfortune, for it goes to
my heart to see you thus. I cannot release you altogether from this
enchantment, but I have power to shorten the time, and also to say
that during the night you may regain your rightful form, but by day
again must you run through the forest as a Fawn." The fairy also told
them where they could find a little hut in which to pass the nights.
Then she disappeared. Giroflée and the Fawn walked in the direction
the Fairy had pointed out, and arrived at a neat little cottage where
an old woman showed them a room which they could occupy.
As soon as it was night Desirée came to her rightful form, but when
day appeared she was once more a Fawn and, escaping into the thicket,
commenced to run about in the ordinary way.
You have heard how Prince Guerrier rested in the forest while
Bécafigue searched for fruit; quite late in the evening Bécafigue
arrived at the cottage of the good woman who had given shelter to
Giroflée and the White Fawn. He addressed her politely and asked for
the things he required for his master. She hastened to fill a basket,
and gave it to him, saying, "I fear that if you pass a night without
shelter some harm may come to you. I can offer you a poor one, but at
any rate it is secure from the lions."
Bécafigue went back to the Prince and together they returned to the
cottage, where they were led into the room next to that occupied by
the Princess.
Next morning the Prince arose early and went out; he had not long been
in the forest when he saw a beautiful little Fawn. Hunting had ever
been his favourite pastime, and now he pursued the little creature.
All day long hither and thither he chased, but did not succeed in
capturing her, and as evening fell the Fawn slipped away and gained
the little hut where Giroflée anxiously awaited her, and on hearing
her adventure the Maid of Honour told her she must never again venture
out, but the Princess replied:
"It is no use talking thus, when I am a Fawn this room is stifling to
me and I must depart from it."
The next day the young Prince sought in vain for the White Fawn, and
finally tired out threw himself upon the grass and fell asleep.
While he lay there the little Fawn drew near and looking at him
quietly, to her astonishment she recognised his features as those of
the Prince Guerrier. Coming nearer and nearer she presently touched
him and he awoke.
His surprise was great at seeing close by the shy little Fawn, who
stayed not an instant longer but fled away, the Prince following.
"Stay, dear little Fawn," he cried, "I would not hurt you for the
world." But the wind carried off the words before they reached her
ears. Long he chased the poor creature, till at last worn out the Fawn
sank down on the ground and the Prince came up to her.
"Beautiful Fawn," said he, "do not fear me, I shall lead you with
me everywhere." Then he covered her with roses and fed her with the
choicest leaves and grasses.
But as evening drew near the Fawn longed to escape, for what would
happen should she suddenly change into a Princess there in the forest.
Presently the Prince went to fetch some water for her, and while he
was gone she ran homewards. The next day for a long time she hid from
the Prince, but at last he found her, and as she dashed off he shot an
arrow which wounded her in the leg.
Sad that he should have done so cruel a thing, the Prince took herbs
and laid them upon the wound, and at last he went to fetch Bécafigue
to help him carry her to the house. He tied her to a tree.
Alas! Who would have thought that the most beautiful Princess in the
world would be treated thus? While she was straining at the ribbons
trying to break them, Giroflée arrived, and was leading her away when
the Prince met them and claimed the Fawn as his.
"Sir," politely replied Giroflée, "the Fawn was mine before it was
yours," and she spoke to the Fawn, and the Fawn obeyed her in such
a way that the Prince could not doubt that what she said was true.
Giroflée then went on, and, to the surprise of the Prince and
Bécafigue, entered the old woman's house where they themselves lodged.
Then Bécafigue told the Prince that unless he was much mistaken the
owner of the Fawn had lived with the Princess Desirée when he went
there as ambassador.