that?' they exclaimed; 'it is that funny little dog drinking our very
good health with his mistress! Let us make haste and get ashore.' By
this time, you must understand, they were lying off the capital of the
King of the Peacocks.
A hundred carriages had been sent to the water's edge by the king. These
were drawn by animals of every kind--lions, bears, stags, wolves,
horses, oxen, asses, eagles, and peacocks. The carriage in which
Princess Rosette was to be borne was drawn by six blue monkeys which
could leap and dance upon the tight-rope and perform endless amusing
antics; these had trappings of crimson velvet, studded with gold plates.
Sixty young girls awaited the coming of the princess. They had been
selected by the king to be her maids of honour, and their attire, of
every colour of the rainbow, shone with ornaments of which gold and
silver were the least precious.
The nurse had taken great pains over the toilette of her daughter. She
had decked her out in Rosette's most beautiful gown, and placed her
diamonds on her head. But nothing could disguise the fact that she was
an ugly little fright. Her hair was black and greasy, she was cross-eyed
and bow-legged, and in the middle of her back she had a big hump.
Moreover she was ill-tempered and sulky, and was for ever grumbling.
[Illustration: '_She was an ugly little fright_']
When the people of Peacock Land saw her disembark they were so
completely taken aback that none could say a word.
'What's the matter with you all?' she demanded; 'have you all gone to
sleep? Bring me something to eat at once, do you hear? I'll have the
lot of you hanged, precious riff-raff that you are!'
'What a horrible creature!' murmured the citizens amongst themselves,
when they heard these threats; 'as ill-tempered as she is ugly! A nice
bride for our king, or I am much mistaken! It was hardly worth the
trouble to bring her all the way across the world.' The girl meantime
continued to behave in most domineering fashion, giving slaps and blows
to every one without the slightest provocation.
The procession, being very large, was obliged to move slowly, and as the
carriage bore her along she comported herself as though she were a
queen. But all the peacocks, who had perched upon the trees to greet her
as she passed, and had arranged to call out 'Long live the beautiful
Queen Rosette!' cried out when they saw how horrible she was: 'Fie! fie!
how ugly she is!' This enraged her, and she called out to her escort:
'Kill those impudent peacocks: they are insulting me!' But the peacocks
flew nimbly away, and laughed at her.
The rascally boatman was witness of all that occurred, and whispered to
the nurse: 'Things are not going well for us, my good woman: your
daughter should have been prettier.'
'Hold your tongue, stupid!' she replied; 'or you will get us into
trouble.'
Word was brought to the king that the princess was approaching. 'Well,'
said he; 'did her brothers speak the truth? Is she more beautiful than
her portrait?'
'Sire,' said the courtiers, 'if she is only as beautiful, that should be
enough.'
'Very true!' exclaimed the king. 'I shall be content with that. Let us
go and see her.'
He could tell from the din which arose from the courtyard that the
princess had arrived, but the only words he could hear plainly amidst
the hubbub were cries of 'Fie! fie! how ugly she is!' He supposed people
must be referring to some dwarf or pet creature which she had perhaps
brought with her, for it never entered his head that it could be the
princess herself who was meant.
The portrait of Rosette, uncovered, was hoisted on the end of a long
pole, and carried in front of the king, who walked in state with his
barons and peacocks, and the ambassadors from neighbouring kingdoms in
his train. Great was the impatience of the King of the Peacocks to
behold his dear Rosette; but when at length he did set eyes on
her--gracious heavens, it was a wonder the shock did not kill him on the
spot! He flew into a most terrible rage, rending his clothes, and
refusing to go near her. Indeed, she frightened him.
'What!' he cried; 'have those two dastardly prisoners the impudence to
mock me thus, and propose that I should wed such a loathsome creature as
that? They shall die for it! Away with that hussy and her nurse, and the
fellow who brought them here; cast them into the dungeon of my keep!'
Now the king and his brother, who had heard in prison that their sister
was expected, had attired themselves handsomely to receive her. But
instead of the prison being opened and their liberty restored, as they
had anticipated, there came the gaoler with a squad of soldiers, and
made them descend into a black dungeon, swarming with vile creatures,
where the water was up to their necks. Never were two people more
astounded or more distressed. 'Alas!' they cried to each other; 'this is
a doleful wedding feast for us! What has brought this unhappy fate upon
us?' They did not know what in the world to think, except that it was
desired to compass their death, and this reflection filled them with
melancholy.
Three days passed and they heard not a word of anything. At the end of
the third day the King of the Peacocks came and hurled insults at them
through a hole in the wall.
'You called yourselves King and Prince to trap me,' he shouted to them,
'and sought thus to make me promise to wed your sister. But you are
nought but a couple of beggars, not worth the water you drink. You shall
be sent for trial, and the judges will make short work of your case--the
rope to hang you with is being plaited already!'
'Not so fast, King of the Peacocks,' replied the captive monarch,
angrily, 'or you will have cause to repent it! I am a king like
yourself: I rule over a fair land, I have robes and crowns and treasure
in plenty. I pledge my all to the truth of what I say. You must be
joking to talk of hanging us--of what have we robbed you?'
The King of the Peacocks hardly knew what to make of this bold and
confident challenge. He was almost of a mind to spare their lives and
let them take their sister away. But his Chancellor, an arrant
flatterer, egged him on, whispering that if he did not avenge himself,
he would be the laughing-stock of the whole world, and would be looked
upon as a mere twopenny-halfpenny monarch. Thus influenced, he vowed he
would not pardon them, and ordered their trial to take place.
This did not take long, for it was only necessary to compare side by
side the portrait of the true Princess Rosette with the actual person
who had come in her place and claimed identity with her. The prisoners
were forthwith condemned to have their heads cut off as a penalty for
lying, in that they brought the king an ugly little peasant girl after
promising a beautiful princess.
The sentence was read with great ceremony at the prison, but the victims
protested that they had spoken the truth, that their sister was indeed a
princess, and that there was something at the back of all this which
they did not understand. They asked for a respite of seven days, that
they might have an opportunity of establishing their innocence; and
though the King of the Peacock's wrath was such that he had great
difficulty in granting this concession, he agreed to it at length.
Something must now be told of what was happening to poor Princess
Rosette while all these events were taking place at the Court.
Great was her astonishment, and Frillikin's also, to find herself, when
day came, in mid-ocean without boat or any means of assistance. She fell
to weeping, and cried so long and bitterly that all the fishes were
moved to compassion. She knew not what to do, nor what would become of
her.
'There is no doubt,' she said, 'that I have been thrown into the sea by
order of the King of the Peacocks. He has regretted his promise to marry
me, and to be rid of me without fuss he has had me drowned. A strange
way for a man to behave! And I should have loved him so much, and we
should have been so happy together!'
These thoughts made her weep the more, for she could not dispel her
fancy for him.
[Illustration: '_She floated hither and thither_']
For two days she floated hither and thither over the sea, soaked to the
skin, nigh dead with cold, and so nearly benumbed that but for little
Frillikin, who snuggled to her bosom, and kept a little warmth in her,
she must have perished a hundred times. She was famished with hunger,
but on seeing some oysters in their shells she took and ate as many as
would appease her. Frillikin did the same, but only to keep himself
alive, for he did not like them.
When night fell Rosette was filled with terror. 'Bark, Frillikin,' she
said to her dog; 'keep on barking, or the soles will come and eat us!'
So Frillikin barked all night.
[Illustration: '_A kindly old man_']
When morning came the bed was not far off the shore. Hereabouts there
lived, all alone, a kindly old man. His home was a little hut where no
one ever came, and as he had no desire for worldly goods he was very
poor. He was astonished when he heard the barking of Frillikin, for no
dogs ever came that way; and supposing that some travellers must have
missed their road, he went out with the good-natured intention of
putting them right. Suddenly he saw the princess and Frillikin floating
out at sea. The princess caught sight of him, and stretching out her
arms to him, cried:
'Save me, kind old man, or I shall perish; two whole days have I been
floating thus.'
He was filled with pity when he heard her speak thus dolefully, and went
to his house to fetch a big crook. He waded out till the water was up to
his neck, and after being nearly drowned two or three times he
succeeded in grappling the bed and drawing it to the shore.
Rosette and Frillikin were delighted to find themselves once more on
land. Rosette thanked the good man warmly. She accepted the offer of his
cloak, and having wrapped herself in it walked barefoot to his hut.
There he lit a little fire of dry straw, and took from a chest his dead
wife's best dress, with a pair of stockings and shoes, which the
princess put on. Clad thus in peasant's attire, with Frillikin
gambolling round her to amuse her, she looked as beautiful as ever.
The old man saw plainly that Rosette was a great lady, for the coverlets
of her bed were of gold and silver, and her mattress of satin. He begged
her to tell him her story, promising not to repeat a word if she so
desired. She related everything from beginning to end--not without
tears, for she still believed that the King of the Peacocks had meant
her to be drowned.
'What are we to do, my child?' said the old man. 'A great lady like you
is accustomed to live on dainties, and I have only black bread and
radishes--very poor fare for you. But I will go, if you will let me, and
tell the King of the Peacocks that you are here. There is not the least
doubt he will marry you, once he has seen you.'
'He is a bad man,' said Rosette; 'he wanted me to die. If only you can
supply me with a small basket to fasten on my dog's neck, it will be
exceedingly bad luck if he does not bring us back something to eat.'
The old man handed a basket to the princess, and she hung it round
Frillikin's neck with these words: 'Find the best stew-pot in the town,
and bring me back whatever is inside it.' Off went Frillikin to the
town, and as he could think of no better stew-pot than the king's, he
made his way into the royal kitchen. Having found the stew-pot, he
cleverly extricated its contents and returned to the house.
'Now go back to the larder,' said Rosette, 'and bring the best that you
can find there.'
Away went Frillikin to the larder and took some white bread, some choice
wine, and an assortment of fruit and sweets. In fact, he took as much as
he could carry.
When the King of the Peacocks should have dined there was nothing in the
stew-pot and nothing in the larder. Everybody gazed blankly at everybody
else, and the king flew into a terrible rage. 'Oh, very good,' said he;
'it seems I am to have no dinner! Well, put the spits to the fire, and
see to it that some good roast joints are ready for me this evening!'
When evening came the princess said to Frillikin: 'Find the best kitchen
in the town and bring me a nice roast joint.' Off went Frillikin to
carry out this order from his mistress. Thinking there could be no
better kitchen than the king's, he slipped in quietly when the cooks'
backs were turned, and took off the spit a roast joint, which looked so
good that the mere sight of it gave one an appetite. His basket was full
when he brought it back to the princess, but she sent him off again to
the larder, and from there he carried away all the king's sweetmeats and
dessert.
The king was exceedingly hungry, having had no dinner, and ordered
supper betimes. But there was nothing to eat, and he went to bed in a
frightful temper. Next day at dinner and supper it was just the same.
For three days the king had nothing to eat or drink, for every time he
sat down at table it was found that everything had been stolen.
The Chancellor, being very much afraid that the king would die, went and
hid in a corner of the kitchen, whence he could keep the stew-pot on the
fire constantly in view. To his astonishment he saw a little green dog,
with only one ear, creep in stealthily, take the lid off the pot, and
transfer the meat to his basket. He followed it in order to find out
where it went, and saw it leave the town. Still pursuing, he came to the
house of the good old man. He went immediately to the king and told him
that it was to a poor peasant's house that every morning and evening his
dinner and supper vanished.
The king was mightily astonished, and ordered investigations to be made.
The Chancellor, to curry favour, volunteered to go himself, and took
with him a posse of archers. They found the old man at dinner with the
princess, and the pair of them eating the king's provisions. They seized
and bound them with strong ropes, not forgetting to deal in like manner
with Frillikin.
'To-morrow,' said the king, when he was told that the prisoners had
arrived, 'the seven days' grace expires which I granted to those
miscreants who insulted me. They shall go to execution with the stealers
of my dinner.'
When the King of the Peacocks entered the court of justice the old man
flung himself on his knees, and declared that he would narrate all that
had happened. As he told his story the king eyed the beautiful princess,
and was touched by her weeping. When presently the good man declared
that her name was the Princess Rosette, and that she had been thrown
into the sea, he bounded three times into the air, despite the weak
state in which he was after going so long without food, and ran to
embrace her. As he undid the cords which bound her he cried out that he
loved her with all his heart.
[Illustration: Decoration]
A guard had been sent for the princes, who approached just then. They
came sadly with bowed heads, for they believed the hour of their
execution had come. The nurse and her daughter were brought in at the
same moment. Recognition was instant on all sides. Rosette flung herself
into her brothers' arms, while the nurse and her daughter, with the
boatman, fell on their knees and prayed for clemency. So joyous was the
occasion that the king and the princess pardoned them. The good old man
was handsomely rewarded, and given quarters at the palace for the rest
of his life.
Finally, the King of the Peacocks made all amends in his power to the
royal brothers, expressing his deep regret at having ill-treated them.
The nurse delivered up to Rosette her beautiful dresses and the bushel
of golden crowns, and the wedding festivities lasted for fifteen days.
Every one was happy, not excepting Frillikin, who ate nothing but
partridge wings for the rest of his life.
[Illustration: Decoration]
THE END
Edinburgh: Printed by T. and A. CONSTABLE LTD.
Transcriber's Notes:
Passages in italics are indicated by _underscore_.
Other than the corrections listed below, printer's inconsistencies in
spelling, punctuation, hyphenation, and ligature usage have been
retained.
The following misprints have been corrected:
changed "book-case" into bookcase page 127
added ' before I am sure,' page 120
added ' after there are no flies here, page 145
added ' after possibly carry out. page 145
Illustrations have been moved from the middle of a paragraph to the
closest paragraph break.