_The King's Pet Donkey_ 3
_The Donkey-skin falls off_ 13
_The Goblin Pony_ 17
_The Sea-people visit Graziella_ 29
_Dschemila gets an Ass's Head_ 51
_Janni and his Dogs fight the Three-headed Draken_ 65
_'I once saw'_ 71
_Renzolla sees her Face in the Mirror_ 91
_How the Magician was thwarted by the Brush_ 119
_The Hero discovered_ 127
_How the Draken found Herr Lazarus asleep by the Spring_ 137
_The Negro compels Udea to walk_ 155
_Udea finds the Man-eater_ 160
_The White Wolf asks the Princess a Question in the Wood_ 171
_My Uncle is coming_ 181
_How Mohammed finds his Uncle_ 187
_How the Carter killed his Horse_ 207
_Neangir sees the Picture of Argentine_ 213
_Zinebi puts the Turban on the Pot_ 219
_The Bassa laughs at the Circassians_ 233
_The Circassians dance into the Bassa's Garden_ 241
_The Prince kicks the Bear out of the Room_ 271
'Letiko, Letiko, come down and see what a beautiful Apron I have' 277
_Letiko gets Home safe after all_ 279
_The Daughter of Buk Ettemsuch_ 287
_Antonio is not afraid of the Ogre_ 345
_Broad puffs himself out_ 371
_DONKEY SKIN_
There was once upon a time a king who was so much beloved by his
subjects that he thought himself the happiest monarch in the whole
world, and he had everything his heart could desire. His palace was
filled with the rarest of curiosities, and his garden with the sweetest
flowers, while the marble stalls of his stables stood a row of
milk-white Arabs, with big brown eyes.
Strangers who had heard of the marvels which the king had collected, and
made long journeys to see them, were, however, surprised to find the
most splendid stall of all occupied by a donkey, with particularly large
and drooping ears. It was a very fine donkey; but still, as far as they
could tell, nothing so very remarkable as to account for the care with
which it was lodged; and they went away wondering, for they could not
know that every night, when it was asleep, bushels of gold pieces
tumbled out of its ears, which were picked up each morning by the
attendants.
After many years of prosperity a sudden blow fell upon the king in the
death of his wife, whom he loved dearly. But before she died, the queen,
who had always thought first of his happiness, gathered all her
strength, and said to him:
'Promise me one thing: you must marry again, I know, for the good of
your people, as well as of yourself. But do not set about it in a hurry.
Wait until you have found a woman more beautiful and better formed than
myself.'
'Oh, do not speak to me of marrying,' sobbed the king; 'rather let me
die with you!' But the queen only smiled faintly, and turned over on her
pillow and died.
For some months the king's grief was great; then gradually he began to
forget a little, and, besides, his counsellors were always urging him to
seek another wife. At first he refused to listen to them, but by-and-by
he allowed himself to be persuaded to think of it, only stipulating that
the bride should be more beautiful and attractive than the late queen,
according to the promise he had made her.
Overjoyed at having obtained what they wanted, the counsellors sent
envoys far and wide to get portraits of all the most famous beauties of
every country. The artists were very busy and did their best, but, alas!
nobody could even pretend that any of the ladies could compare for a
moment with the late queen.
At length, one day, when he had turned away discouraged from a fresh
collection of pictures, the king's eyes fell on his adopted daughter,
who had lived in the palace since she was a baby, and he saw that, if a
woman existed on the whole earth more lovely than the queen, this was
she! He at once made known what his wishes were, but the young girl, who
was not at all ambitious, and had not the faintest desire to marry him,
was filled with dismay, and begged for time to think about it. That
night, when everyone was asleep, she started in a little car drawn by a
big sheep, and went to consult her fairy godmother.
'I know what you have come to tell me,' said the fairy, when the maiden
stepped out of the car; 'and if you don't wish to marry him, I will show
you how to avoid it. Ask him to give you a dress that exactly matches
the sky. It will be impossible for him to get one, so you will be quite
safe.' The girl thanked the fairy and returned home again.
[Illustration: The King's Pet Donkey]
The next morning, when her father (as she had always called him) came
to see her, she told him that she could give him no answer until he had
presented her with a dress the colour of the sky. The king, overjoyed at
this answer, sent for all the choicest weavers and dressmakers in the
kingdom, and commanded them to make a robe the colour of the sky without
an instant's delay, or he would cut off their heads at once. Dreadfully
frightened at this threat, they all began to dye and cut and sew, and
in two days they brought back the dress, which looked as if it had been
cut straight out of the heavens! The poor girl was thunderstruck, and
did not know what to do; so in the night she harnessed her sheep again,
and went in search of her godmother.
'The king is cleverer than I thought,' said the fairy; 'but tell him you
must have a dress of moonbeams.'
And the next day, when the king summoned her into his presence, the girl
told him what she wanted.
'Madam, I can refuse you nothing,' said he; and he ordered the dress to
be ready in twenty-four hours, or every man should be hanged.
They set to work with all their might, and by dawn next day, the dress
of moonbeams was laid across her bed. The girl, though she could not
help admiring its beauty, began to cry, till the fairy, who heard her,
came to her help.
'Well, I could not have believed it of him!' said she; 'but ask for a
dress of sunshine, and I shall be surprised indeed if he manages that!'
The goddaughter did not feel much faith in the fairy after her two
previous failures; but not knowing what else to do, she told her father
what she was bid.
The king made no difficulties about it, and even gave his finest rubies
and diamonds to ornament the dress, which was so dazzling, when
finished, that it could not be looked at save through smoked glasses!
When the princess saw it, she pretended that the sight hurt her eyes,
and retired to her room, where she found the fairy awaiting her, very
much ashamed of herself.
'There is only one thing to be done now,' cried she; 'you must demand
the skin of the ass he sets such store by. It is from that donkey he
obtains all his vast riches, and I am sure he will never give it to
you.'
The princess was not so certain; however, she went to the king, and told
him she could never marry him till he had given her the ass's skin.
The king was both astonished and grieved at this new request, but did
not hesitate an instant. The ass was sacrificed, and the skin laid at
the feet of the princess.
[Illustration: The Fairy, The Princess & The Donkey's Skin]
The poor girl, seeing no escape from the fate she dreaded, wept afresh,
and tore her hair; when, suddenly, the fairy stood before her.
'Take heart,' she said, 'all will now go well! Wrap yourself in this
skin, and leave the palace and go as far as you can. I will look after
you. Your dresses and your jewels shall follow you underground, and if
you strike the earth whenever you need anything, you will have it at
once. But go quickly: you have no time to lose.'
So the princess clothed herself in the ass's skin, and slipped from the
palace without being seen by anyone.
Directly she was missed there was a great hue and cry, and every corner,
possible and impossible, was searched. Then the king sent out parties
along all the roads, but the fairy threw her invisible mantle over the
girl when they approached, and none of them could see her.
The princess walked on a long, long way, trying to find some one who
would take her in, and let her work for them; but though the cottagers,
whose houses she passed, gave her food from charity, the ass's skin was
so dirty they would not allow her to enter their houses. For her flight
had been so hurried she had had no time to clean it.
Tired and disheartened at her ill-fortune, she was wandering, one day,
past the gate of a farmyard, situated just outside the walls of a large
town, when she heard a voice calling to her. She turned and saw the
farmer's wife standing among her turkeys, and making signs to her to
come in.
'I want a girl to wash the dishes and feed the turkeys, and clean out
the pig-sty,' said the woman, 'and, to judge by your dirty clothes, you
would not be too fine for the work.'
The girl accepted her offer with joy, and she was at once set to work in
a corner of the kitchen, where all the farm servants came and made fun
of her, and the ass's skin in which she was wrapped. But by-and-by they
got so used to the sight of it that it ceased to amuse them, and she
worked so hard and so well, that her mistress grew quite fond of her.
And she was so clever at keeping sheep and herding turkeys that you
would have thought she had done nothing else during her whole life!
One day she was sitting on the banks of a stream bewailing her wretched
lot, when she suddenly caught sight of herself in the water. Her hair
and part of her face was quite concealed by the ass's head, which was
drawn right over like a hood, and the filthy matted skin covered her
whole body. It was the first time she had seen herself as other people
saw her, and she was filled with shame at the spectacle. Then she threw
off her disguise and jumped into the water, plunging in again and again,
till she shone like ivory. When it was time to go back to the farm, she
was forced to put on the skin which disguised her, and now seemed more
dirty than ever; but, as she did so, she comforted herself with the
thought that to-morrow was a holiday, and that she would be able for a
few hours to forget that she was a farm girl, and be a princess once
more.
So, at break of day, she stamped on the ground, as the fairy had told
her, and instantly the dress like the sky lay across her tiny bed. Her
room was so small that there was no place for the train of her dress to
spread itself out, but she pinned it up carefully when she combed her
beautiful hair and piled it up on the top of her head, as she had always
worn it. When she had done, she was so pleased with herself that she
determined never to let a chance pass of putting on her splendid
clothes, even if she had to wear them in the fields, with no one to
admire her but the sheep and turkeys.
Now the farm was a royal farm, and, one holiday, when 'Donkey Skin' (as
they had nicknamed the princess) had locked the door of her room and
clothed herself in her dress of sunshine, the king's son rode through
the gate, and asked if he might come and rest himself a little after
hunting. Some food and milk were set before him in the garden, and when
he felt rested he got up, and began to explore the house, which was
famous throughout the whole kingdom for its age and beauty. He opened
one door after the other, admiring the old rooms, when he came to a
handle that would not turn. He stooped and peeped through the keyhole to
see what was inside, and was greatly astonished at beholding a beautiful
girl, clad in a dress so dazzling that he could hardly look at it.
The dark gallery seemed darker than ever as he turned away, but he went
back to the kitchen and inquired who slept in the room at the end of the
passage. The scullery maid, they told him, whom everybody laughed at,
and called 'Donkey Skin;' and though he perceived there was some strange
mystery about this, he saw quite clearly there was nothing to be gained
by asking any more questions. So he rode back to the palace, his head
filled with the vision he had seen through the keyhole.
All night long he tossed about, and awoke the next morning in a high
fever. The queen, who had no other child, and lived in a state of
perpetual anxiety about this one, at once gave him up for lost, and
indeed his sudden illness puzzled the greatest doctors, who tried the
usual remedies in vain. At last they told the queen that some secret
sorrow must be at the bottom of all this, and she threw herself on her
knees beside her son's bed, and implored him to confide his trouble to
her. If it was ambition to be king, his father would gladly resign the
cares of the crown, and suffer him to reign in his stead; or, if it was
love, everything should be sacrificed to get for him the wife he
desired, even if she were daughter of a king with whom the country was
at war at present!
'Madam,' replied the prince, whose weakness would hardly allow him to
speak, 'do not think me so unnatural as to wish to deprive my father of
his crown. As long as he lives I shall remain the most faithful of his
subjects! And as to the princesses you speak of, I have seen none that I
should care for as a wife, though I would always obey your wishes,
whatever it might cost me.'
'Ah! my son,' cried she, 'we will do anything in the world to save your
life--and ours too, for if you die, we shall die also.'
'Well, then,' replied the prince, 'I will tell you the only thing that
will cure me--a cake made by the hand of "Donkey Skin."'
'Donkey Skin?' exclaimed the queen, who thought her son had gone mad;
'and who or what is that?'
'Madam,' answered one of the attendants present, who had been with the
prince at the farm, '"Donkey Skin" is, next to the wolf, the most
disgusting creature on the face of the earth. She is a girl who wears a
black, greasy skin, and lives at your farmer's as hen-wife.'
'Never mind,' said the queen; 'my son seems to have eaten some of her
pastry. It is the whim of a sick man, no doubt; but send at once and let
her bake a cake.'
The attendant bowed and ordered a page to ride with the message.
Now it is by no means certain that 'Donkey Skin' had not caught a
glimpse of the prince, either when his eyes looked through the keyhole,
or else from her little window, which was over the road. But whether she
had actually seen him or only heard him spoken of, directly she received
the queen's command, she flung off the dirty skin, washed herself from
head to foot, and put on a skirt and bodice of shining silver. Then,
locking herself into her room, she took the richest cream, the finest
flour, and the freshest eggs on the farm, and set about making her
cake.
As she was stirring the mixture in the saucepan a ring that she
sometimes wore in secret slipped from her finger and fell into the
dough. Perhaps 'Donkey Skin' saw it, or perhaps she did not; but, any
way, she went on stirring, and soon the cake was ready to be put in the
oven. When it was nice and brown she took off her dress and put on her
dirty skin, and gave the cake to the page, asking at the same time for
news of the prince. But the page turned his head aside, and would not
even condescend to answer.
The page rode like the wind, and as soon as he arrived at the palace he
snatched up a silver tray and hastened to present the cake to the
prince. The sick man began to eat it so fast that the doctors thought he
would choke; and, indeed, he very nearly did, for the ring was in one of
the bits which he broke off, though he managed to extract it from his
mouth without anyone seeing him.
The moment the prince was left alone he drew the ring from under his
pillow and kissed it a thousand times. Then he set his mind to find how
he was to see the owner--for even he did not dare to confess that he had
only beheld 'Donkey Skin' through a keyhole, lest they should laugh at
this sudden passion. All this worry brought back the fever, which the
arrival of the cake had diminished for the time; and the doctors, not
knowing what else to say, informed the queen that her son was simply
dying of love. The queen, stricken with horror, rushed into the king's
presence with the news, and together they hastened to their son's
bedside.
'My boy, my dear boy!' cried the king, 'who is it you want to marry? We
will give her to you for a bride, even if she is the humblest of our
slaves. What is there in the whole world that we would not do for you?'
The prince, moved to tears at these words, drew the ring, which was an
emerald of the purest water, from under his pillow.
'Ah, dear father and mother, let this be a proof that she whom I love is
no peasant girl. The finger which that ring fits has never been
thickened by hard work. But be her condition what it may, I will marry
no other.'
The king and queen examined the tiny ring very closely, and agreed, with
their son, that the wearer could be no mere farm girl. Then the king
went out and ordered heralds and trumpeters to go through the town,
summoning every maiden to the palace. And she whom the ring fitted would
some day be queen.
First came all the princesses, then all the duchesses' daughters, and so
on, in proper order. But not one of them could slip the ring over the
tip of her finger, to the great joy of the prince, whom excitement was
fast curing. At last, when the high-born damsels had failed, the
shopgirls and chambermaids took their turn; but with no better fortune.
'Call in the scullions and shepherdesses,' commanded the prince; but the
sight of their fat, red fingers satisfied everybody.
'There is not a woman left, your Highness,' said the chamberlain; but
the prince waved him aside.
'Have you sent for "Donkey Skin," who made me the cake?' asked he, and
the courtiers began to laugh, and replied that they would not have dared
to introduce so dirty a creature into the palace.
'Let some one go for her at once,' ordered the king. 'I commanded the
presence of every maiden, high or low, and I meant it.'
The princess had heard the trumpets and the proclamations, and knew
quite well that her ring was at the bottom of it all. She too, had
fallen in love with the prince in the brief glimpse she had had of him,
and trembled with fear lest someone else's finger might be as small as
her own. When, therefore, the messenger from the palace rode up to the
gate, she was nearly beside herself with delight. Hoping all the time
for such a summons, she had dressed herself with great care, putting on
the garment of moonlight, whose skirt was scattered over with emeralds.
But when they began calling to her to come down, she hastily covered
herself with her donkey-skin and announced she was ready to present
herself before his Highness. She was taken straight into the hall, where
the prince was awaiting her, but at the sight of the donkey-skin his
heart sank. Had he been mistaken after all?
'Are you the girl,' he said, turning his eyes away as he spoke, 'are you
the girl who has a room in the furthest corner of the inner court of the
farmhouse?'
'Yes, my lord, I am,' answered she.
'Hold out your hand then,' continued the prince, feeling that he must
keep his word, whatever the cost, and, to the astonishment of every one
present, a little hand, white and delicate, came from beneath the black
and dirty skin. The ring slipped on with the utmost ease, and, as it did
so, the skin fell to the ground, disclosing a figure of such beauty that
the prince, weak as he was, fell on his knees before her, while the king
and queen joined their prayers to his. Indeed, their welcome was so
warm, and their caresses so bewildering, that the princess hardly knew
how to find words to reply, when the ceiling of the hall opened, and the
fairy godmother appeared, seated in a car made entirely of white lilac.
In a few words she explained the history of the princess, and how she
came to be there, and, without losing a moment, preparations of the most
magnificent kind were made for the wedding.
[Illustration: The Donkey-skin falls off.]
The kings of every country in the earth were invited, including, of
course, the princess's adopted father (who by this time had married a
widow), and not one refused.
But what a strange assembly it was! Each monarch travelled in the way he
thought most impressive; and some came borne in litters, others had
carriages of every shape and kind, while the rest were mounted on
elephants, tigers, and even upon eagles. So splendid a wedding had never
been seen before; and when it was over the king announced that it was to
be followed by a coronation, for he and the queen were tired of
reigning, and the young couple must take their place. The rejoicings
lasted for three whole months, then the new sovereigns settled down to
govern their kingdom, and made themselves so much beloved by their
subjects, that when they died, a hundred years later, each man mourned
them as his own father and mother.
[From _Le Cabinet des Fées_.]
_THE GOBLIN PONY_
'Don't stir from the fireplace to-night,' said old Peggy, 'for the wind
is blowing so violently that the house shakes; besides, this is
Hallow-e'en, when the witches are abroad, and the goblins, who are their
servants, are wandering about in all sorts of disguises, doing harm to
the children of men.'
'Why should I stay here?' said the eldest of the young people. 'No, I
must go and see what the daughter of old Jacob, the rope-maker, is
doing. She wouldn't close her blue eyes all night if I didn't visit her
father before the moon had gone down.'
'I must go and catch lobsters and crabs,' said the second, 'and not all
the witches and goblins in the world shall hinder me.'
So they all determined to go on their business or pleasure, and scorned
the wise advice of old Peggy. Only the youngest child hesitated a
minute, when she said to him, 'You stay here, my little Richard, and I
will tell you beautiful stories.'
But he wanted to pick a bunch of wild thyme and some blackberries by
moonlight, and ran out after the others. When they got outside the house
they said: 'The old woman talks of wind and storm, but never was the
weather finer or the sky more clear; see how majestically the moon
stalks through the transparent clouds!'
Then all of a sudden they noticed a little black pony close beside them.
'Oh, ho!' they said, 'that is old Valentine's pony; it must have escaped
from its stable, and is going down to drink at the horse-pond.'
'My pretty little pony,' said the eldest, patting the creature with his
hand, 'you mustn't run too far; I'll take you to the pond myself.'
With these words he jumped on the pony's back and was quickly followed
by his second brother, then by the third, and so on, till at last they
were all astride the little beast, down to the small Richard, who didn't
like to be left behind.
[Illustration: The Goblin Pony]
On the way to the pond they met several of their companions, and they
invited them all to mount the pony, which they did, and the little
creature did not seem to mind the extra weight, but trotted merrily
along.
The quicker it trotted the more the young people enjoyed the fun; they
dug their heels into the pony's sides and called out, 'Gallop, little
horse, you have never had such brave riders on your back before!'
In the meantime the wind had risen again, and the waves began to howl;
but the pony did not seem to mind the noise, and instead of going to the
pond, cantered gaily towards the sea-shore.
Richard began to regret his thyme and blackberries, and the eldest
brother seized the pony by the mane and tried to make it turn round, for
he remembered the blue eyes of Jacob the rope-maker's daughter. But he
tugged and pulled in vain, for the pony galloped straight on into the
sea, till the waves met its forefeet. As soon as it felt the water it
neighed lustily and capered about with glee, advancing quickly into the
foaming billows. When the waves had covered the children's legs they
repented their careless behaviour, and cried out: 'The cursed little
black pony is bewitched. If we had only listened to old Peggy's advice
we shouldn't have been lost.'
The further the pony advanced, the higher rose the sea; at last the
waves covered the children's heads and they were all drowned.
Towards morning old Peggy went out, for she was anxious about the fate
of her grandchildren. She sought them high and low, but could not find
them anywhere. She asked all the neighbours if they had seen the
children, but no one knew anything about them, except that the eldest
had not been with the blue-eyed daughter of Jacob the rope-maker.
As she was going home, bowed with grief, she saw a little black pony
coming towards her, springing and curveting in every direction. When it
got quite near her it neighed loudly, and galloped past her so quickly
that in a moment it was out of her sight.
[From the French, _Kletke_.]
_AN IMPOSSIBLE ENCHANTMENT_
There once lived a king who was much loved by his people, and he, too,
loved them warmly. He led a very happy life, but he had the greatest
dislike to the idea of marrying, nor had he ever felt the slightest wish
to fall in love. His subjects begged him to marry, and at last he
promised to try to do so. But as, so far, he had never cared for any
woman he had seen, he made up his mind to travel in hopes of meeting
some lady he could love.
So he arranged all the affairs of state in an orderly manner, and set
out, attended by only one equerry, who, though not very clever, had most
excellent good sense. These people indeed generally make the best
fellow-travellers.
The king explored several countries, doing all he could to fall in love,
but in vain; and at the end of two years' journeys he turned his face
towards home, with as free a heart as when he set out.
As he was riding along through a forest he suddenly heard the most awful
miawing and shrieking of cats you can imagine. The noise drew nearer,
and nearer, and at last they saw a hundred huge Spanish cats rush
through the trees close to them. They were so closely packed together
that you could easily have covered them with a large cloak, and all were
following the same track. They were closely pursued by two enormous
apes, dressed in purple suits, with the prettiest and best made boots
you ever saw.
The apes were mounted on superb mastiffs, and spurred them on in hot
haste, blowing shrill blasts on little toy trumpets all the time.
The king and his equerry stood still to watch this strange hunt, which
was followed by twenty or more little dwarfs, some mounted on wolves,
and leading relays, and others with cats in leash. The dwarfs were all
dressed in purple silk liveries like the apes.
A moment later a beautiful young woman mounted on a tiger came in sight.
She passed close to the king, riding at full speed, without taking any
notice of him; but he was at once enchanted by her, and his heart was
gone in a moment.
[Illustration: The King sees Princess Mutinosa out hunting]
To his great joy he saw that one of the dwarfs had fallen behind the
rest, and at once began to question him.
The dwarf told him that the lady he had just seen was the Princess
Mutinosa, the daughter of the king in whose country they were at that
moment. He added that the princess was very fond of hunting, and that
she was now in pursuit of rabbits.
The king then asked the way to the court, and having been told it,
hurried off, and reached the capital in a couple of hours.
As soon as he arrived, he presented himself to the king and queen, and
on mentioning his own name and that of his country, was received with
open arms. Not long after, the princess returned, and hearing that the
hunt had been very successful, the king complimented her on it, but she
would not answer a word.
Her silence rather surprised him, but he was still more astonished when
he found that she never spoke once all through supper-time. Sometimes
she seemed about to speak, but whenever this was the case her father or
mother at once took up the conversation. However, this silence did not
cool the king's affection, and when he retired to his rooms at night he
confided his feelings to his faithful equerry. But the equerry was by no
means delighted at his king's love affair, and took no pains to hide his
disappointment.
'But why are you vexed?' asked the king. 'Surely the princess is
beautiful enough to please anyone?'
'She is certainly very handsome,' replied the equerry, 'but to be really
happy in love something more than beauty is required. To tell the truth,
sire,' he added, 'her expression seems to me hard.'
'That is pride and dignity,' said the king, 'and nothing can be more
becoming.'
'Pride or hardness, as you will,' said the equerry; 'but to my mind the
choice of so many fierce creatures for her amusements seems to tell of a
fierce nature, and I also think there is something suspicious in the
care taken to prevent her speaking.'
The equerry's remarks were full of good sense; but as opposition is only
apt to increase love in the hearts of men, and especially of kings who
hate being contradicted, this king begged, the very next day, for the
hand of the Princess Mutinosa. It was granted him on two conditions.
The first was that the wedding should take place the very next day; and
the second, that he should not speak to the princess till she was his
wife; to all of which the king agreed, in spite of his equerry's
objections, so that the first word he heard his bride utter was the
'Yes' she spoke at their marriage.
Once married, however, she no longer placed any check on herself, and
her ladies-in-waiting came in for plenty of rude speeches--even the king
did not escape scolding; but as he was a good-tempered man, and very
much in love, he bore it patiently. A few days after the wedding the
newly married pair set out for their kingdom without leaving many
regrets behind.
The good equerry's fears proved only too true, as the king found out to
his cost. The young queen made herself most disagreeable to all her
court, her spite and bad temper knew no bounds, and before the end of a
month she was known far and wide as a regular vixen.
One day, when riding out, she met a poor old woman walking along the
road, who made a curtsy and was going on, when the queen had her
stopped, and cried: 'You are a very impertinent person; don't you know
that I am the queen? And how dare you not make me a deeper curtsy?'
'Madam,' said the old woman, 'I have never learnt how to measure
curtsies; but I had no wish to fail in proper respect.'
'What!' screamed the queen; 'she dares to answer! Tie her to my horse's
tail and I'll just carry her at once to the best dancing-master in the
town to learn how to curtsy.'
The old woman shrieked for mercy, but the queen would not listen, and
only mocked when she said she was protected by the fairies. At last the
poor old thing submitted to be tied up, but when the queen urged her
horse on he never stirred. In vain she spurred him, he seemed turned to
bronze. At the same moment the cord with which the old woman was tied
changed into wreaths of flowers, and she herself into a tall and stately
lady.
Looking disdainfully at the queen, she said, 'Bad woman, unworthy of
your crown; I wished to judge for myself whether all I heard of you was
true. I have now no doubt of it, and you shall see whether the fairies
are to be laughed at.'
So saying the fairy Placida (that was her name) blew a little gold
whistle, and a chariot appeared drawn by six splendid ostriches. In it
was seated the fairy queen, escorted by a dozen other fairies mounted on
dragons.
All having dismounted, Placida told her adventures, and the fairy queen
approved all she had done, and proposed turning Mutinosa into bronze
like her horse. Placida, however, who was very kind and gentle, begged
for a milder sentence, and at last it was settled that Mutinosa should
become her slave for life unless she should have a child to take her
place.
The king was told of his wife's fate and submitted to it, which, as he
could do nothing to help it, was the only course open to him.
The fairies then all dispersed, Placida taking her slave with her, and
on reaching her palace she said: 'You ought by rights to be scullion,
but as you have been delicately brought up the change might be too great
for you. I shall therefore only order you to sweep my rooms carefully,
and to wash and comb my little dog.'
Mutinosa felt there was no use in disobeying, so she did as she was bid
and said nothing.
After some time she gave birth to a most lovely little girl, and when
she was well again the fairy gave her a good lecture on her past life,
made her promise to behave better in future, and sent her back to the
king, her husband.
Placida now gave herself up entirely to the little princess who was left
in her charge. She anxiously thought over which of the fairies she would
invite to be godmothers, so as to secure the best gift, for her adopted
child.
At last she decided on two very kindly and cheerful fairies, and asked
them to the christening feast. Directly it was over the baby was brought
to them in a lovely crystal cradle hung with red silk curtains
embroidered with gold.
The little thing smiled so sweetly at the fairies that they decided to
do all they could for her. They began by naming her Graziella, and then
Placida said: 'You know, dear sisters, that the commonest form of spite
or punishment amongst us consists of changing beauty to ugliness,
cleverness to stupidity, and oftener still to change a person's form
altogether. Now, as we can only each bestow one gift, I think the best
plan will be for one of you to give her beauty, the other good
understanding, whilst I will undertake that she shall never be changed
into any other form.'
The two godmothers quite agreed, and as soon as the little princess had
received their gifts, they went home, and Placida gave herself up to the
child's education. She succeeded so well with it, and little Graziella
grew so lovely, that when she was still quite a child her fame was
spread abroad only too much, and one day Placida was surprised by a
visit from the Fairy Queen, who was attended by a very grave and
severe-looking fairy.
The queen began at once: 'I have been much surprised by your behaviour
to Mutinosa; she had insulted our whole race, and deserved punishment.
You might forgive your own wrongs if you chose, but not those of others.
You treated her very gently whilst she was with you, and I come now to
avenge our wrongs on her daughter. You have ensured her being lovely and
clever, and not subject to change of form, but I shall place her in an
enchanted prison, which she shall never leave till she finds herself in
the arms of a lover whom she herself loves. It will be my care to
prevent anything of the kind happening.'
The enchanted prison was a large high tower in the midst of the sea,
built of shells of all shapes and colours. The lower floor was like a
great bathroom, where the water was let in or off at will. The first
floor contained the princess's apartments, beautifully furnished. On the
second was a library, a large wardrobe-room filled with beautiful
clothes and every kind of linen, a music room, a pantry with bins full
of the best wines, and a store-room with all manner of preserves,
bonbons, pastry and cakes, all of which remained as fresh as if just out
of the oven.
The top of the tower was laid out like a garden, with beds of the
loveliest flowers, fine fruit trees, and shady arbours and shrubs, where
many birds sang amongst the branches.
The fairies escorted Graziella and her governess, Bonnetta, to the
tower, and then mounted a dolphin which was waiting for them. At a
little distance from the tower the queen waved her wand and summoned two
thousand great fierce sharks, whom she ordered to keep close guard, and
not to let a soul enter the tower.
The good governess took such pains with Graziella's education that when
she was nearly grown up she was not only most accomplished, but a very
sweet, good girl.
One day, as the princess was standing on a balcony, she saw the most
extraordinary figure rise out of the sea. She quickly called Bonnetta to
ask her what it could be. It looked like some kind of man, with a bluish
face and long sea-green hair. He was swimming towards the tower, but the
sharks took no notice of him.
'It must be a merman,' said Bonnetta.
'A _man_, do you say?' cried Graziella; 'let us hurry down to the door
and see him nearer.'
When they stood in the doorway the merman stopped to look at the
princess and made many signs of admiration. His voice was very hoarse
and husky, but when he found that he was not understood he took to
signs. He carried a little basket made of osiers and filled with rare
shells, which he presented to the princess.
She took it with signs of thanks; but as it was getting dusk she
retired, and the merman plunged back into the sea.
When they were alone, Graziella said to her governess: 'What a
dreadful-looking creature that was! Why do those odious sharks let him
come near the tower? I suppose all men are not like him?'
'No, indeed,' replied Bonnetta. 'I suppose the sharks look on him as a
sort of relation, and so did not attack him.'
A few days later the two ladies heard a strange sort of music, and
looking out of the window, there was the merman, his head crowned with
water plants, and blowing a great sea-shell with all his might.
They went down to the tower door, and Graziella politely accepted some
coral and other marine curiosities he had brought her. After this he
used to come every evening, and blow his shell, or dive and play antics
under the princess's window. She contented herself with bowing to him
from the balcony, but she would not go down to the door in spite of all
his signs.
Some days later he came with a person of his own kind, but of another
sex. Her hair was dressed with great taste, and she had a lovely voice.
This new arrival induced the ladies to go down to the door. They were
surprised to find that, after trying various languages, she at last
spoke to them in their own, and paid Graziella a very pretty compliment
on her beauty.
The mermaid noticed that the lower floor was full of water. 'Why,' cried
she, 'that is just the place for us, for we can't live quite out of
water.' So saying, she and her brother swam in and took up a position in
the bathroom, the princess and her governess seating themselves on the
steps which ran round the room.
[Illustration: The Sea-People visit Graziella]
'No doubt, madam,' said the mermaid, 'you have given up living on land
so as to escape from crowds of lovers; but I fear that even here you
cannot avoid them, for my brother is already dying of love for you, and
I am sure that once you are seen in our city he will have many rivals.'
She then went on to explain how grieved her brother was not to be able
to make himself understood, adding: 'I interpret for him, having been
taught several languages by a fairy.'
'Oh, then, you have fairies, too?' asked Graziella, with a sigh.
'Yes, we have,' replied the mermaid; 'but if I am not mistaken you have
suffered from the fairies on earth.'
The princess, on this, told her entire history to the mermaid, who
assured her how sorry she felt for her, but begged her not to lose
courage; adding, as she took her leave: 'Perhaps, some day, you may find
a way out of your difficulties.'
The princess was delighted with this visit and with the hopes the
mermaid held out. It was something to meet some one fresh to talk to.
'We will make acquaintance with several of these people,' she said to
her governess, 'and I dare say they are not all as hideous as the first
one we saw. Anyhow, we shan't be so dreadfully lonely.'
'Dear me,' said Bonnetta, 'how hopeful young people are to be sure! As
for me I feel afraid of these folk. But what do you think of the lover
you have captivated?'
'Oh, I could never love him,' cried the princess; 'I can't bear him.
But, perhaps, as his sister says they are related to the fairy Marina,
they may be of some use to us.'
The mermaid often returned, and each time she talked of her brother's
love, and each time Graziella talked of her longing to escape from her
prison, till at length the mermaid promised to bring the fairy Marina to
see her, in hopes she might suggest something.
Next day the fairy came with the mermaid, and the princess received her
with delight. After a little talk she begged Graziella to show her the
inside of the tower and let her see the garden on the top, for with the
help of crutches she could manage to move about, and being a fairy could
live out of water for a long time, provided she wetted her forehead now
and then.
Graziella gladly consented, and Bonnetta stayed below with the mermaid.
When they were in the garden the fairy said: 'Let us lose no time, but
tell me how I can be of use to you.' Graziella then told all her story
and Marina replied: 'My dear princess, I can do nothing for you as
regards dry land, for my power does not reach beyond my own element. I
can only say that if you will honour my cousin by accepting his hand,
you could then come and live amongst us. I could teach you in a moment
to swim and dive with the best of us. I can harden your skin without
spoiling its colour. My cousin is one of the best matches in the sea,
and I will bestow so many gifts on him that you will be quite happy.'
The fairy talked so well and so long that the princess was rather
impressed, and promised to think the matter over.
Just as they were going to leave the garden they saw a ship sailing
nearer the tower than any other had done before. On the deck lay a young
man under a splendid awning, gazing at the tower through a spy-glass;
but before they could see anything clearly the ship moved away, and the
two ladies parted, the fairy promising to return shortly.
As soon as she was gone Graziella told her governess what she had said.
Bonnetta was not at all pleased at the turn matters were taking, for she
did not fancy being turned into a mermaid in her old age. She thought
the matter well over, and this was what she did. She was a very clever
artist, and next morning she began to paint a picture of a handsome
young man, with beautiful curly hair, a fine complexion, and lovely blue
eyes. When it was finished she showed it to Graziella, hoping it would
show her the difference there was between a fine young man and her
marine suitor.
The princess was much struck by the picture, and asked anxiously whether
there could be any man so good-looking in the world. Bonnetta assured
her that there were plenty of them; indeed, many far handsomer.
'I can hardly believe that,' cried the princess; 'but, alas! if there
are, I don't suppose I shall ever see them or they me, so what is the
use? Oh, dear, how unhappy I am!'
She spent the rest of the day gazing at the picture, which certainly had
the effect of spoiling all the merman's hopes or prospects.
After some days, the fairy Marina came back to hear what was decided;
but Graziella hardly paid any attention to her, and showed such dislike
to the idea of the proposed marriage that the fairy went off in a
regular huff.
Without knowing it, the princess had made another conquest. On board the
ship which had sailed so near was the handsomest prince in the world. He
had heard of the enchanted tower, and determined to get as near it as he
could. He had strong glasses on board, and whilst looking through them
he saw the princess quite clearly, and fell desperately in love with her
at once. He wanted to steer straight for the tower and to row off to it
in a small boat, but his entire crew fell at his feet and begged him
not to run such a risk. The captain, too, urged him not to attempt it.
'You will only lead us all to certain death,' he said. 'Pray anchor
nearer land, and I will then seek a kind fairy I know, who has always
been most obliging to me, and who will, I am sure, try to help your
Highness.'
The prince rather unwillingly listened to reason. He landed at the
nearest point, and sent off the captain in all haste to beg the fairy's
advice and help. Meantime he had a tent pitched on the shore, and spent
all his time gazing at the tower and looking for the princess through
his spy-glass.
After a few days the captain came back, bringing the fairy with him. The
prince was delighted to see her, and paid her great attention. 'I have
heard about this matter,' she said; 'and, to lose no time, I am going to
send off a trusty pigeon to test the enchantment. If there is any weak
spot he is sure to find it out and get in. I shall bid him bring a
flower back as a sign of success, and if he does so I quite hope to get
you in too.'
'But,' asked the prince, 'could I not send a line by the pigeon to tell
the princess of my love?'
'Certainly,' replied the fairy, 'it would be a very good plan.'