from which they could obtain a view of all that happened to the
princess. They had not long to wait, for they quickly espied a dragon,
half a league long, sailing through the sky. He flew laboriously, for
his bulk was so great that even six large wings could hardly support it.
His body was covered all over with immense blue scales and tongues of
poison flame, his twisted tail had fifty coils and another half coil
beyond that, while his claws were each as big as a windmill. His jaws
were agape, and inside could be seen three rows of teeth as long as an
elephant's tusks.
Now while the dragon was slowly wending his way to the mountain-top, the
good and faithful Frog, mounted on a hawk's back, was flying at full
speed to Prince Moufy. She was wearing her cap of roses, and though he
was locked in his privy chamber she needed no key to enter.
'Hapless lover!' she cried; 'what are you doing here? This very moment,
while you sit dreaming about her beauty, Moufette is in direst peril!
See, here is a rose-leaf; I have but to blow upon it and it will become
a mettlesome steed.'
As she spoke there suddenly appeared a green horse. It had twelve hoofs
and three heads, and from the latter it could spit forth fire,
bomb-shells, and cannon-balls respectively. The Frog then gave the
prince a sword, eight yards long and no heavier than a feather, and a
garment fashioned out of a single diamond. This he slipped on like a
coat, and though it was hard as rock it was so pliant that his movements
were in no way impeded.
'Now fly to the rescue of your love,' said the Frog; 'the green horse
will carry you to her. Do not omit to let her know, when you have
delivered her, of what my part has been.'
'Great-hearted fairy!' cried the prince, 'this is no moment to return
you thanks, but from henceforth I am your faithful servant.'
Off went the horse with the three heads, galloping on its twelve hoofs
three times as fast, and more, than the best of ordinary steeds; and in
a very short time the prince had reached the mountain, where he found
his dear princess all alone.
As the dragon slowly drew near, the green horse began to throw out fire,
bomb-shells, and cannon-balls, which greatly disconcerted the monster.
Twenty balls lodged in his throat, his scaly armour was dinted, and the
bomb-shells put out one of his eyes. This enraged him, and he tried to
hurl himself upon the prince. But the latter's long sword was so finely
tempered that he could do what he liked with it, and now he plunged it
in up to the hilt, now cut with it as though it had been a whip. The
prince would have suffered, however, from the dragon's claws had it not
been for his diamond coat, which was impenetrable.
Moufette had recognised her lover from afar, for the gleaming diamond
which covered him was transparent; and she was like to die of terror at
the risk he ran. The king and queen, however, felt hope revive within
them. They had little thought to see arriving so opportunely a horse
with three heads and twelve hoofs that breathed forth fire and flame,
nor yet a prince, in diamond mail, and armed with so redoubtable a
sword, who performed such prodigies of valour. The king put his hat on
the end of his stick, the queen tied a handkerchief to hers, and with
all the Court following suit, there was no lack of signals of
encouragement to the prince. Not that such were necessary, for his own
stout heart and the peril in which he saw Moufette were enough to keep
his courage up.
Heavens, how he fought! Barbs, talons, horns, wings, and scales fell
from the dragon till the ground was covered with them, and the soil was
dyed blue and green with the mingled blood of dragon and horse. Five
times the prince was unhorsed, but each time he picked himself up and
composedly mounted his steed again. Then would follow such cannonades,
bombardments, and flame-throwing as had never been seen or heard of
before.
At length, its strength exhausted, the dragon fell, and the prince
delivered a finishing stroke. None could believe their eyes when from
the gaping wound so made there stepped forth a handsome and elegant
prince, clad in a coat of blue and gold velvet, embroidered with pearls,
and wearing on his head a little Grecian helmet with a crest of white
feathers. With outstretched hands this new-comer ran to Prince Moufy and
embraced him.
'How can I ever repay you, my gallant deliverer?' he cried. 'Never was
monarch confined in a more dreadful prison than the one from which you
have freed me. It is sixteen years since the Lion-Witch condemned me to
it, and I have languished there ever since. Moreover, such is her power
that she would have obliged me, against my will, to devour that sweet
princess. I beg you to let me pay my respects to her, and explain my
hapless plight!'
Astonished and delighted by the remarkable way in which his adventure
had ended, Prince Moufy lavished courtesies upon the newly-discovered
prince. Together they went to Moufette, who rendered thanks a thousand
times to Providence for her unexpected happiness. Already the king and
queen and all the Court had joined her, and everybody spoke at once, and
nobody listened to anybody, while nearly as many tears were shed for joy
as a little time ago had been shed for grief. And finally, to set the
crown on their rejoicing, the good Frog was espied flying through the
air on her hawk. The latter had little golden bells upon its feet, and
when the faint tinkling of these caused every one to look up, there was
the Frog, beautiful as the dawn, with her cap of roses shining like the
sun.
The queen ran to her and took her by one of her little paws. At that
instant the wise Frog was transformed into a majestic royal lady of
gracious mien. 'I come,' she cried, 'to crown the faithful Moufette, who
preferred to face death rather than break her word to Prince Moufy.'
With these words she placed two myrtle wreaths upon the lovers' heads;
and at a signal of three taps from her wand the dragon's bones rose up
and formed a triumphal arch to commemorate the auspicious occasion.
Back to the city went all the company, singing wedding songs as gladly
as they had previously with sorrow bewailed the sacrifice of the
princess. On the morrow the marriage took place, and with what
festivities it was solemnised may be left to the imagination.
PRINCESS ROSETTE
Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who had two handsome boys,
and so well looked after were the latter that they grew apace, like the
daylight.
The queen never had a child without summoning the fairies to be present
at the birth, and she always begged them to tell what its future was to
be. When in due course she had a beautiful little daughter--so pretty
that one could not set eyes on her without loving her--all the fairies
came to visit her, and were hospitably entertained. As they were making
ready to go, the queen said to them:
'Do not forget your friendly custom, but tell me what fortune awaits
Rosette.' Such was the name which had been given to the little princess.
The fairies replied that they had left their magic books at home, but
would come and see her some other time.
'Ah,' said the queen, 'that bodes ill. You are anxious not to distress
me by an unhappy prophecy. But tell me all, I implore you, and hide
nothing from me.'
The fairies did their utmost to excuse themselves. But the queen became
more and more eager to learn everything, and at last the chief of them
made a declaration.
'We fear, Madam,' she said, 'that Rosette will bring disaster on her
brothers, and that in some fashion she will be the cause of their death.
This much and no more can we foretell of the pretty child, and we are
grieved that we should have no better news to give you.'
Then the fairies went away, and the queen was left grieving.
So deep was her grief that the king saw it in her face, and asked what
ailed her. She had gone too near the fire, she told him, and had burnt
all the flax that was on her distaff.
'Is that all?' said the king, and going up to his storeroom he brought
her more flax than she could have spun in a hundred years.
But the queen continued sad, and again the king asked what ailed her.
She declared that in walking by the river she had let her green satin
slipper fall into the water.
'Is that all?' said the king, and summoning all the shoemakers in the
kingdom he brought her ten thousand green satin slippers.
Still she grieved, and once more he asked what ailed her. She told him
that in eating with rather too vigorous an appetite she had swallowed
her wedding-ring, which had been on her finger. The king knew at once
that she was not telling the truth, for he had put away this ring
himself.
'My dear wife,' he said, 'you lie; I put away your ring in my
purse--here it is!'
She was not a little confused at being caught telling a lie (for there
is nothing in the world so ugly), and she saw that the king was
displeased. She told him, therefore, what the fairies had prophesied of
little Rosette, and implored him to say if he could think of any good
remedy.
The king was plunged in the deepest melancholy, so much so that he
remarked on one occasion to the queen: 'I see no other means of saving
our two sons but to bring about the death of our little child while she
is still in long clothes.' But the queen exclaimed that she would rather
suffer death herself. She would never consent, she declared, to such a
cruel course, and he must think of something else.
The royal pair were at their wits' end when the queen was told that in a
forest near the city there lived an aged hermit. His habitation was a
hollow tree, and folks were wont to seek his advice upon all manner of
things. 'I too must go there,' said the queen; 'the fairies have warned
me of the evil, but they have forgotten to tell me of the remedy.'
She rose betimes and mounted a dainty little white mule that was shod
with gold, and took with her two of her ladies, each riding a bonny
horse. When they had entered the wood they dismounted, as a sign of
deference, and presented themselves at the tree where the hermit lived.
The latter had an aversion from the sight of women, but on recognising
the queen he addressed her.
'You are welcome,' he said; 'what do you want of me?'
She told him what the fairies had said of Rosette, and begged for
advice. His reply was that the princess must be placed in a tower and
never be allowed to leave it. The queen tendered her thanks, and having
bestowed liberal alms upon him, returned to tell everything to the king.
When the king had heard her news he gave orders at once for a great
tower to be built. In this the princess was shut up, and to keep her
amused the king and queen and her two brothers went every day to see
her. The elder boy was known as the Big Prince, and the younger as the
Little Prince. Both were passionately attached to their sister, for she
had such beauty and charm as had never been seen before. For the
lightest of looks from her many would have paid a hundred gold pieces
and more.
When the princess was fifteen years old the Big Prince spoke of her to
his father. 'My sister is old enough now to marry, Sire,' he said;
'shall we not soon be celebrating her wedding?' The Little Prince said
the same thing to his mother. But their royal parents turned the
conversation and made no answer on the subject of the marriage.
One day the king and queen were stricken by a grievous malady, and died
almost within twenty-four hours. Throughout the realm there was
mourning; every one wore black, and on all sides the tolling of bells
was heard. Rosette was grieved beyond consolation by the death of her
dear mother.
But when the royal dead had been interred, the noblemen of the realm set
the Big Prince upon a throne of gold and diamonds, robed him in purple
velvet embroidered with suns and moons, and placed a splendid crown upon
his head. Then all the Court cried aloud three times: 'Long live the
King!' and there followed universal festivities and rejoicings.
'Now that we are in power,' said the king and his brother as soon as
they could converse in private, 'we must release our sister from the
tower in which she has languished so long.' They had only to cross the
garden to reach the tower, which was built in a corner. It had been
reared as high as possible, for it had been the intention of the late
king and queen that their daughter should remain in it for life.
Rosette was busy with embroidery when her brothers entered, but on
catching sight of them she rose and left the frame at which she was
working. Taking the king's hand, she said: 'Good-morrow, Sire; you are
king to-day, and I am your humble servant. I implore you to release me
from the tower in which I have been languishing so long.' And with these
words she burst into tears.
The king embraced her and told her not to weep, for he had come to take
her from the tower and establish her in a beautiful castle. The prince,
who had brought a pocketful of sweets to give to Rosette, added his
word. 'Come,' he said, 'let us leave this hateful tower, and do not be
unhappy any longer. Very soon the king will find a husband for you.'
When Rosette saw the beautiful garden, with all its flowers and fruit
and its many fountains, she was overcome with amazement and could not
speak a word. She had never before seen anything of the kind. She looked
about her on all sides, and then ran hither and thither, picking the
fruit from the trees and the flowers from the beds, while her little dog
Frillikin (who was as green as a parrot, had only one ear, and could
dance deliciously) capered in front of her, yapping his loudest, and
amusing everybody present by his absurd gambols.
[Illustration: _Princess Rosette_]
Presently Frillikin dashed into a little copse, and the princess
followed. Never was any one so struck with wonder as she, to behold
there a great peacock with tail outspread. So beautiful, so exquisitely
and perfectly beautiful did it seem to her that she could not take away
her eyes. When the king and the prince joined her they asked what it
was that had so taken her fancy. She pointed to the peacock and asked
what it was, to which they replied that it was a bird that was sometimes
served at table.
'What?' she cried; 'a bird so beautiful as that to be killed and eaten?
I tell you, I will marry no one but the King of the Peacocks, and when I
am queen no one shall ever eat such a dish again!'
No words can express the astonishment of the king. 'My dear sister,' he
said, 'where do you suppose that we are to find the King of the
Peacocks?'
'Wherever you please, Sire,' was the answer; 'but I will marry none but
him!'
After having announced this decision she allowed her brothers to escort
her to their castle. But so great was the fancy she had taken to the
peacock that she insisted on its being brought and placed in her
apartment.
All the ladies of the Court, by whom Rosette had never yet been seen,
now hastened to pay their dutiful respects. Gifts of every kind were
proffered to her--sweetmeats and sugar, gay ribbons, and dresses of
cloth-of-gold, dolls, slippers richly embroidered, with many pearls and
diamonds. All did their best to show her attention, and she displayed
such charming manners, kissing hands and curtseying so graciously when
any gift was offered to her, that not a gentleman or lady of the Court
but left her presence loud in her praise.
While the princess was being thus entertained, the king and the prince
were taking counsel as to how they could find the King of the Peacocks,
supposing such a person did really exist. In pursuit of the plan which
they formed a portrait was painted of the Princess Rosette, and so
cunningly wrought was this picture that only speech seemed wanting to
make it live. Then they said to their sister:
'Since you will marry none but the King of the Peacocks, we are setting
forth together in quest of him through the wide world. If we find him we
shall be well rewarded. Wait for our return, and take care of our
kingdom while we are away.'
Rosette thanked them for the trouble they were taking, and promised to
govern the kingdom well. She declared that while they were away her only
pleasures would be to admire the beautiful peacock and make Frillikin
dance. Their adieux were said with many tears.
Behold, then, the royal pair upon their travels, asking of all whom they
met: 'Do you know the King of the Peacocks?' The reply from all was 'No,
we do not.' Then the travellers would pass on and go further, journeying
in this way so far, far away that no one had ever been so far before.
At last they reached the kingdom of the Cockchafers, and the latter in
their myriads made so loud a buzzing that the king thought he would go
deaf. He asked one who seemed more intelligent than the rest if he knew
whereabouts the King of the Peacocks was to be found.
'Sire,' said the cockchafer, 'his kingdom is thirty thousand leagues
away; you have taken the longest road to get there.'
'How do you know that?' asked the king.
'Because we know you well,' replied the cockchafer; 'every year we spend
two or three months in your garden!'
The king and his brother embraced the cockchafer warmly, and struck up
a great friendship. Arm in arm they all went off to dinner, over which
the visitors expressed their astonishment at the remarkable features of
this country, where the smallest leaf from a tree was worth a gold
piece. Presently they set off for their destination, and as they now
knew the road they were not long in reaching it. They observed that all
the trees were full of peacocks; indeed the place held so many of them
that their screaming as they talked could be heard two leagues away.
'If the King of the Peacocks is himself a peacock,' said the king to his
brother, 'how can our sister dream of marrying him? It would be folly to
sanction it. A nice set of relatives she would present to us--a lot of
little peacocks for nephews!' The prince was equally uneasy in his mind.
'It was an unfortunate notion to come into her head,' he declared; 'I
cannot imagine how she ever came to think that such a person as the King
of the Peacocks existed.'
When they reached the city they found it peopled with men and women, but
the latter all wore garments fashioned out of peacocks' feathers; and
from the profusion in which these objects were everywhere to be seen it
was plain that they were regarded with an intense admiration. They
encountered the King of the Peacocks, who was out for a drive in a
splendid little chariot of gold, studded with diamonds, drawn by a dozen
galloping peacocks.
The King of the Peacocks, fair of complexion, with a crown of peacocks'
feathers surmounting his long and curly yellow locks, was so extremely
handsome that the king and prince were delighted with his appearance. He
guessed from their clothes, so different from those of the natives,
that they were strangers; but to make sure he caused his carriage to
stop and summoned them to him.
The king and the prince advanced to meet him, and bowed low. 'We have
come from far away, Sire,' they said, 'in order to show you a portrait.'
With these words they drew from the pack which they carried the
magnificent portrait of Rosette.
'I do not believe,' said the King of the Peacocks, when he had looked
long and well at it, 'that the world holds so beautiful a maiden.'
'She is a hundred times more beautiful than that,' said the king.
'You are joking,' said the King of the Peacocks.
'Sire,' said the prince, 'this is my brother, who is a monarch like
yourself: men call him King. For myself, I am known as Prince. This
portrait shows our sister, the Princess Rosette. We are here to ask if
you are willing to marry her. She has good sense as well as good looks,
and we will give her for dowry a bushel of golden crowns.'
'Why, certainly,' said the King of the Peacocks, 'I will marry her with
all my heart. I promise she shall want for nothing, and I will love her
truly. But I would have you know that she must be as beautiful as her
picture, and that if she falls short of it by the least little bit, I
will put you to death.'
'We accept the conditions,' said Rosette's two brothers.
'You accept?' said the King of the Peacocks. 'Then you must bide in
prison until the princess has arrived.'
The royal brothers raised no objection to this, for they knew well that
Rosette was more beautiful than her portrait. The King of the Peacocks
saw to it that his captives were well looked after, and went often to
visit them. The portrait of Rosette was placed in his palace, and he was
so taken up with it that, night or day, he could scarcely sleep.
From prison the king and the prince sent a letter to the princess
telling her to pack at once all she might require and come as quickly as
possible, for the King of the Peacocks awaited her. They did not dare to
mention that they were in prison, lest she should be too uneasy.
When the princess received this letter her transports of delight were
enough to kill her. She announced to every one that the King of the
Peacocks had been found, and desired to wed her. Bonfires were lit, guns
fired, and sugar and sweetmeats eaten in abundance; while for three days
every one who came to see the princess was treated to bread and butter
with jam, and cakes and ale.
Having dispensed hospitality in this liberal fashion, the princess gave
all her beautiful dolls to her dearest friends, and entrusted her
brother's realm to the wisest elders of the city. She bade them take
care of everything, spend as little as possible, and save money until
the king should return. At the same time she begged them to look after
her peacock.
Taking with her only her nurse and foster-sister, and her little green
dog Frillikin, she embarked on a vessel and put out to sea. They had
with them the bushel of golden crowns, and clothes enough to last for
ten years, with a change of dress twice a day; and they did nothing but
laugh and sing on the voyage.
Presently the nurse said to the boatman:
'Tell me, tell me, are we near the Land of Peacocks?'
'Not yet, not yet,' replied the boatman.
A little later she asked again:
'Tell me, tell me, are we near it now?'
'Presently, presently,' replied the boatman.
Once more she asked:
'Tell me, tell me, are we near it now?'
[Illustration: _The wicked nurse_]
'Very near, very near,' said the boatman.
When he answered thus the nurse sat down beside him in the stern of the
boat. 'If you like, you can be rich for ever,' she said to him.
'I should like that well,' replied the boatman.
'If you like,' she went on, 'you can gain good money.'
'I ask nothing better,' said he.
'Very well, then,' said the nurse; 'to-night, when the princess is
asleep, you must help me to throw her into the sea. When she is drowned
I will dress up my daughter in her fine clothes, and we will take her to
the King of the Peacocks, who will be delighted to marry her. You shall
have your fill of diamonds as reward.'
The boatman was taken aback by this suggestion from the nurse. He
declared it was a pity to drown so beautiful a princess, and that he had
compassion for her. But the nurse fetched a bottle of wine, and plied
him with drink until he no longer had wits enough left to refuse.
When night fell the princess went to sleep, according to her usual
practice, with little Frillikin comfortably curled up at the foot of the
bed, stirring not a paw. When Rosette was fast asleep the wicked nurse,
who had remained awake, went to find the boatman. She took him to the
cabin where the princess lay, and with the help of the foster-sister
they lifted her up--feather-bed, mattress, sheets, blankets, and
all--without disturbing her, and threw her into the sea just as she was.
So soundly did the princess slumber that she never woke up.
Now luckily her bed was made of feathers from the phoenix, which are
very rare and have this peculiar virtue that they never sink in water.
Consequently the princess went floating along in her bed, just as though
she were in a boat.
Presently, however, the water began little by little to lap first
against the sides of the feather-bed, then against the mattress, until
Rosette began to feel uncomfortable. She turned over restlessly, and
Frillikin woke up. He had a very keen nose, and when he scented the
soles and the cod-fish so near at hand he began yapping. He barked so
loudly that he woke up all the other fish, and they began to swim round
and about. Some of the big fish bumped their heads against the bed, and
there being nothing to steady the latter it spun round and round like a
top.
You may imagine how astonished the princess was! 'Is our vessel doing a
dance upon the water?' she exclaimed; 'I do not remember ever to have
been so uncomfortable as I am to-night.' And all the time Frillikin was
barking as though he had taken leave of his senses.