it out every moment that he thought himself unobserved. The torment
that he gave himself, planning how he might see her to whom the ring
belonged, not daring to believe that if he asked for Donkey-skin she
would be allowed to come, and not daring to speak of what he had seen
through the keyhole for fear that he would be laughed at for a
dreamer, brought back the fever with great violence. The doctors, not
knowing what more to do, declared to the Queen that the Prince's
malady was love, whereupon the Queen and the disconsolate King ran to
their son.
"My son, my dear son," cried the affected monarch, "tell us the name
of her whom you desire: we swear that we will give her to you. Even
though she were the vilest of slaves."
The Queen embracing him, agreed with all that the King had said, and
the Prince, moved by their tears and caresses, said to them: "My
father and my mother, I in no way desire to make a marriage which is
displeasing to you." And drawing the emerald from under his pillow he
added: "To prove the truth of this, I desire to marry her to whom this
ring belongs. It is not likely that she who owns so pretty a ring is a
rustic or a peasant."
The King and the Queen took the ring, examined it with great
curiosity, and agreed with the Prince that it could only belong to the
daughter of a good house. Then the King, having embraced his son, and
entreated him to get well, went out. He ordered the drums and fifes
and trumpets to be sounded throughout the town, and the heralds to cry
that she whose finger a certain ring would fit should marry the heir
to the throne.
First the Princesses arrived, then the duchesses, and the marquises,
and the baronesses; but though they did all they could to make their
fingers small, none could put on the ring. So the country girls had to
be tried, but pretty though they all were, they all had fingers that
were too fat. The Prince, who was feeling better, made the trial
himself. At last it was the turn of the chamber-maids; but they
succeeded no better. Then, when everyone else had tried, the Prince
asked for the kitchen-maids, the scullions, and the sheep-girls. They
were all brought to the palace, but their coarse red, short, fingers
would hardly go through the golden hoop as far as the nail.
"You have not brought that Donkey-skin, who made me the cake," said
the Prince.
Everyone laughed and said, "No," so dirty and unpleasant was she.
"Let someone fetch her at once," said the King; "it shall not be said
that I left out the lowliest." And the servants ran laughing and
mocking to find the goose-girl.
The Princess, who had heard the drums and the cries of the heralds,
had no doubt that the ring was the cause of this uproar. Now, she
loved the Prince, and, as true love is timorous and has no vanity, she
was in perpetual fear that some other lady would be found to have a
finger as small as hers. Great, then, was her joy when the messengers
came and knocked at her door. Since she knew that they were seeking
the owner of the right finger on which to set her ring, some impulse
had moved her to arrange her hair with great care, and to put on her
beautiful silver corsage, and the petticoat full of furbelows and
silver lace studded with emeralds. At the first knock she quickly
covered her finery with the donkey-skin and opened the door. The
visitors, in derision, told her that the King had sent for her in
order to marry her to his son. Then with loud peals of laughter they
led her to the Prince, who was astonished at the garb of this girl,
and dared not believe that it was she whom he had seen so majestic and
so beautiful. Sad and confounded, he said, "Is it you who lodge at the
bottom of that dark alley in the third yard of the farm?"
"Yes, your Highness," she replied.
"Show me your hand," said the Prince trembling, and heaving a deep
sigh.
Imagine how astonished everyone was! The King and the Queen, the
chamberlains and all the courtiers were dumb-founded, when from
beneath that black and dirty skin came a delicate little white and
rose-pink hand, and the ring slipped without difficulty on to the
prettiest little finger in the world. Then, by a little movement which
the Princess made, the skin fell from her shoulders and so enchanting
was her guise, that the Prince, weak though he was, fell on his knees
and held her so closely that she blushed. But that was scarcely
noticed, for the King and Queen came to embrace her heartily, and to
ask her if she would marry their son. The Princess, confused by all
these caresses and by the love of the handsome young Prince, was about
to thank them when suddenly the ceiling opened, and the Lilac-fairy
descended in a chariot made of the branches and flowers from which she
took her name, and, with great charm, told the Princess's story. The
King and Queen, overjoyed to know that Donkey-skin was a great
Princess redoubled their caresses, but the Prince was even more
sensible of her virtue, and his love increased as the Fairy unfolded
her tale. His impatience to marry her, indeed, was so great that he
could scarcely allow time for the necessary preparations for the grand
wedding which was their due. The King and Queen, now entirely devoted
to their daughter-in-law, overwhelmed her with affection. She had
declared that she could not marry the Prince without the consent of
the King her father, so, he was the first to whom an invitation to the
wedding was sent; he was not, however, told the name of the bride. The
Lilac-fairy, who, as was right, presided over all, had recommended
this course to prevent trouble. Kings came from all the countries
round, some in sedan-chairs, others in beautiful carriages; those who
came from the most distant countries rode on elephants and tigers and
eagles. But the most magnificent and most glorious of all was the
father of the Princess. He had happily recovered his reason, and had
married a Queen who was a widow and very beautiful, but by whom he
had no child. The Princess ran to him, and he recognised her at once
and embraced her with great tenderness before she had time to throw
herself on her knees. The King and Queen presented their son to him,
and the happiness of all was complete. The nuptials were celebrated
with all imaginable pomp, but the young couple were hardly aware of
the ceremony, so wrapped up were they in one another.
In spite of the protests of the noble-hearted young man, the Prince's
father caused his son to be crowned the same day, and kissing his
hand, placed him on the throne.
The celebrations of this illustrious marriage lasted nearly three
months, but the love of the two young people would have endured for
more than a hundred years, had they out-lived that age, so great was
their affection for one another.
[Illustration]
_The Moral_
_It scarce may be believed,
This tale of Donkey-skin;
But laughing children in the home;
Yea, mothers, and grandmothers too,
Are little moved by facts!
By _them_ 'twill be received._
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
* * * * *
_Uniform with this Volume_
THE YEAR'S AT THE SPRING
An Anthology of Recent Poetry.
Selected by L. D'O. WALTERS.
With Twelve Plates in Colour
and Twelve in Black and White
and many Decorations by HARRY CLARKE.