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 GRACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 
 
 Okce upon a time there was a king and a queen who had 
 an only daughter. Her beauty, her sweet temper, and her 
 wit, which were incomparable, caused them to name her 
 Gracieuse. She was the sole joy of her mother, who sent her 
 every day a beautiful new dress, either of gold brocade, or of 
 velvet, or of satin. She was always magnificently attired, 
 without being in the least proud, or vain of her fine clothes. 
 She passed the morning in the company of learned persons, 
 who taught her all sorts of sciences, and in the afternoon she 
 worked beside the queen. At luncheon time they sei'ved up 
 to her basins full of sugar-plums, and more than twenty pots 
 of preserves; so that she was universally considered the 
 happiest princess in the world ! 
 
 There was in this same court an exceedingly rich old maid, 
 called the Duchess Grognon, and who was horrible in every 
 respect. Her hair was as red as fire, her face of an alarming 
 size, covered with pimples ; she had but one blear eye left, 
 and her mouth was so large you would have said she could 
 eat everybody up, only, as she had no teeth, people were not 
 afraid of it ; she had a hump before and behind, and limped 
 with both legs. Such monsters envy all handsome persons, 
 and consequently she hated Gracieuse mortally, and retired 
 from Court to avoid heai-ing her praises. She took up her 
 abode in a neighbouring chateau that belonged to her, and 
 when any one who paid her a visit spoke of the perfections 
 of the princess, she would scream out in a rage, " It is false ! 
 it is false ! She is not channing ! I have more beauty in my 
 little finger than she has in her whole body!" 
 
 B 
 
«« GRACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 
 
 Now it happened that the queen fell ill and died. The 
 Princess Gracieuse felt as if she should die also of grief for the 
 loss of so good a mother, and the king deeply regretted his 
 excellent wife. For nearly a twelvemonth he remained shut 
 up in his palace, till at length the physicians, alarmed at the 
 consequence to his health, insisted on his going out and 
 amusing himsel£ 
 
 One day he went hunting, and the heat being very great, he 
 entered a large chateau that he saw near him, for shelter and 
 refreshment. As soon as the Duchess Grognon (for it was her 
 chateau) heard of the king's arrival, she hastened to receive 
 him, and informed him that the coolest place in the mansion 
 was a large vaulted cellar, exceedingly clean, into which she 
 requested he would descend. The king followed her, and 
 entering the cellar he saw two hundred barrels placed in rows 
 one above the other. He asked her whether it was only for 
 herself she kept such a stock. " Yes, Sire," she replied, " for 
 myself alone : but I shall be delighted if your majesty will 
 do me the honour to taste my wines. Here is Canary, Saint 
 Laurent, Champagne, Hermitage, Rivesalte, Rossolis, Persicot, 
 Fenouillet;^ which do you prefer. Sire?" *' Frankly," said 
 the king, " I hold that champagne is worth all the other 
 wines put together." Grognon immediately took a small 
 hammer, struck a cask two or three times, " tap," " tap," and 
 out came a million of pistoles. " What does this mean ] " she 
 exclaimed with a smile, and passing to the next cask she hit 
 that, " tap" " tap," and out rolled a bushel of double Louis- 
 d'ors. " I don't understand this at all," she said, smiling still 
 more significantly. On she went to another barrel and 
 rapped "tap" "tap," and out ran so many pearls and 
 diamonds that the floor of the cellar was covered with them. 
 "Ah!" she cried, " I can't comprehend this. Sire. Somebody 
 must have stolen my good wine and put in its place these 
 trifles." " Trifles ! " echoed the king, perfectly astonished ; 
 " do you call these trifles, Madam? There is treasure enough 
 
 (1) Satnt Ltntrent is a 'wine of Piovence, celebrated by Madame de Sey!^£, in hei 
 letters. Rivesatte, a muscat wine, grown in the vicinity of a small town of th-* 
 name in Roussillon. Rossolis was a liqueur so called from the plant, Ros Soils, orroti 
 du soleil (sun dew). It was so great a favourite with Louis XIV. that a particular 
 sort was called Rossolis du Rou Persicot and Fenouilte, were also liqueurs. T' 
 first a sort of noyau, and the other brandy flavoured with feimel; the princi/ 
 manufactory for which was in the Isle de Rhi. 
 
GRACIETJSE AND PERCTNET. 3 
 
 here to buy ten kingdoms, each as big as Paris ! '" ^ " Well," 
 said the duchess, " know that these barrels are all filled with 
 gold and jewels, and I will make you master of all, provided you 
 will marry me." "Oh," said the king, who loved money beyond 
 anything, " I desire nothing better ! — I'll marry you to-mor- 
 row if you please." " But," continued she, " I must make 
 one more condition. I must have the same power over your 
 daughter as her mother had. She must obey my will and 
 pleasure, and you shall leave her entirely to my management" 
 "Agreed," said the king, "there is my hand upon it." 
 Grognon placed her hand in his, and lea\nng the treasure- 
 vault together, she presented him with the key of it. 
 
 The king immediately returned to his palace. Gracieuse, 
 hearing her royal father's voice, ran to meet him, embraced 
 him, and inquired if he had had good sport. " I have taken," 
 said he, " a dove, alive." " Ah, Sir," said the princess, " give 
 it to me, I will feed and make a pet of it." " That may not 
 be," replied the king, " for to speak plainly, I must tell you 
 that I have seen the Duchess Grognon, and that I am going 
 to marry her." "Oh, Heavens!" exclaimed Gracieuse, "can 
 you call her a dove? She is more like a screech-owl!" 
 " Hold your tongue," said the king, becoming angry; " I 
 command you to love and respect her as much as if she were 
 your mother. Go and dress yourself immediately, for I in- 
 tend to return this very day to meet her." The princess, 
 who was very obedient, went immediately to her dressing- 
 room. Her nurse saw tears in her eyes — "What is the matter, 
 my little darling?" she asked, "you are crying?" "Alas! 
 my dear nurse," answered Gi-acieiose, " who would not weep ? 
 The king is going to give me a step-mother, and to complete 
 my misfortune, she is my most cruel enemy, — in one word, the 
 hitieous Grognon ! How shall I ever bear to see her in the 
 beautiful beds which the queen, my dear mother, so delicately 
 embroidered with her own hands ! How can I ever caress a 
 mahcious old ape who would have put me to death ! " " My 
 d'^ar child," replied the nurse, " you must have a spirit as 
 
 (1) "Dix Royaumet grands conune Paris." I am inclined to think that the word 
 
 ^fonaumet (kingdoms) was used advisedly in lieu of villes (cities), in compliment to 
 
 jjjhe Grand Monarque, and at the expense of the petty princes of Germany and Italy, 
 
 o continually opposed to him (particularly in the League of Augsburgh, 1687), some 
 
 f whose entire dominions were not much larger that the metropolis of Fiance. 
 
4 GRACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 
 
 high and noble as your birth. Princesses like you should 
 set the greatest examples to the world; and what finer 
 example can there be, than that of obedience to a father and 
 sacrificing one's-self to please him 1 Promise me, therefore, 
 that you will not manifest your antipathy to Grognon." The 
 poor princess had much difficulty in summoning up resolu- 
 tion to promise : but the prudent nurse gave her so many 
 excellent reasons, that at length she pledged her word to put 
 a good face on the matter, and behave courteously to her 
 step-mother. She then proceeded to dress herself in a gown 
 of green and gold brocade, her long fair hair falling in 
 wavy folds upon her shoulders, and fanned by the passing 
 breezes, as was the fashion in those days, and crowned with a 
 light wreath of roses and jasmine, the leaves of which were 
 made of emeralds. In this attire, Venus, the mother of the 
 loves, would have looked less beautiful, notwithstanding the 
 air of melancholy which she could not altogether banish from 
 her countenance. 
 
 But to return to Grognon. The ugly creature was exces- 
 sively occupied with her toilette. She had one shoe made 
 half a cubit higher in the heel than the other, in order to 
 appear less lame, a boddice stuffed upon one shoulder to con- 
 ceal the hump on its fellow. A glass eye, the best she could 
 procui'e, to replace the one she had lost. She painted her 
 brown skin white, dyed her red hair black, and then put on 
 an open robe of amaranth coloured satin faced with blue, and 
 a yellow petticoat, trimmed with violet ribbon. She deter- 
 mined to make her entre on horseback, because she had heard 
 it was a custom of the queens of Spain. 
 
 Whilst the king was giving his orders, and Gracieuse await- 
 ing the moment of departure to meet Grognon, she descended, 
 alone into the palace gardens and strolled into a little gloomy 
 grove, where she sat down upon the grass. " At length," she 
 said, " I am at liberty, and may cry as much as I please with- 
 out any one to check me!" and accordingly she sighed and 
 wept so excessively, that her eyes appeared like two foimtains 
 in full play. Tn this sad state she no longer thought of re- 
 turning to the Palace, when she saw a page approaching, 
 dressed in green satin, with a plume of white feathers in his 
 cap and the handsomest countenance in the world. Bending 
 one knee to the ground, he said, " Princess, the king awaits 
 
iqj 
 
 
Gracieuse and Percinet. — p. 6. 
 
GRACIEXJSE AND PERCINET. o 
 
 you." She was struck with surprise at the beauty and grace 
 of the young page, and, as he was a stranger to her, she sup- 
 posed he was in the service of Grognon. " How long is it," 
 said she, " since the king admitted you into the number of 
 his pages 1" "I am not the king's page, madam," he replied ; 
 "I am yours, and will be yours only." " Mine!" exclaimed 
 Gi-acieuse, much astonished, " and I cot know you ! " " Ah, 
 princess!" said he, " hitherto I have not dared to make myself 
 known to you, but the misfortunes with which you are 
 threatened by this marriage of the king oblige me to speak 
 to you sooner than I should have done. I had resolved to 
 leave time and attention to declare to you my passion." 
 "How! a page!" said the princess: "a page has the assu- 
 rance to tell me he loves me ! — This, indeed, completes 
 my degradation ! " " Be not alarmed, beautiful Gracieuse," 
 said he, with the most tender and respectful air ; " I am 
 Percinet, a prince sufficiently well known for his wealth and 
 his science, to relieve you from all idea of inequality in birth 
 and station. In merit and person I eagerly admit your supe- 
 riority. I have loved you long ; I have been often near you 
 in these gardens without your perceiving me. The Fairy 
 power bestowed upon me at my birth has been of gi'eat ser- 
 vice in procuring me the pleasure of beholding you. I will 
 accompany you everywhere to-day in this habit, and, I trust, 
 not altogether without being of service to you." The princess 
 gazed at him while he spoke, in a state of astonishment from 
 which she could not recover. " It is yen, then, handsome 
 Percinet !" said she to him. • It is you whom I have so much 
 wished to see, and of whom such surprising things are related ! 
 How delighted I am that you desire to be my friend ! I no 
 longer fear the wicked Grognon, since you take an interest in 
 my fortunes." A few more words passed between them, and 
 then Gracieuse repaired to the palace, where she found a hoi-se 
 ready saddled and caparisoned, which Percinet had placed in 
 the stables, and which it was supposed must be intended for 
 her. She mounted it, and, as it was a very spirited animal, 
 the page took the bridle and led it, turning every minute 
 towards the princess that he might have the pleasure of 
 beholding her. 
 
 When the horse which had been selected for Grognon ap- 
 peared beside that of Gracieuse, it looked like a drought jade, 
 
6 GBACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 
 
 and the housings of the beautiful steed so blazed with jewels 
 that those of the other could not be compared to them. The 
 king, who was occupied with a thousand things, took no notice 
 of it : but the nobles had no eyes but for the princess, whose 
 beauty was their admiration, and for her green page, who was 
 prettier than all the other Coiut pages put together. 
 
 They met Grognon on the road in an open caleche, looking 
 more ugly and ill-shapen than an old gipsy. The king and the 
 princess embraced her. They led forward her horse, that she 
 might mount, but seeing the one Gracieuse was upon she ex- 
 claimed, " How ! Is this creature to have a finer horse than I ? 
 I had rather never be a queen and return to my precious 
 castle, than be treated in this manner ! " The king immediately 
 commanded the princess to dismount, and to beg Grognon 
 would do her honour to ride her horse. The princess obeyed 
 without a murmur. Grognon neither looked at her, nor thanked 
 her. She was hoisted up on the beautiful horse, and looked 
 like a bundle of dirty clothes. Eight gentlemen held her for 
 fear she should fall otf. Still she was not satisfied, but mut- 
 tered threats between her teeth. They inquired what was the 
 matter with her. " The matter is," said she, " that, being 
 the mistress, I choose that the green page shall hold the rein 
 of my horse as he did when Gracieuse rode it." The king 
 ordered the green page to lead the queen's horse. Percinet 
 looked at the princess, and she at him, without speaking a 
 word. He obeyed, and all the Court set forward, the drimis 
 and trumpets making a desperate noise. Grognon was in 
 raptures. Notwithstanding her flat nose and her wry mouth 
 she would not have changed persons with Gracieuse. 
 
 But at the moment when they were least thinking of it, 
 lo, and behold, the fine horse began to bound, to rear, and at 
 length ran away at such a pace that no one could stop him. 
 Oflf he went with Grognon, who held on by the saddle and 
 by the mane screaming with all her might. At length she 
 T/as thrown with her foot in the stirrup. She was dragged 
 for some distance over stones and thorns into a heap of mud 
 where she was almost smothered. As everybody had ran 
 after her as fast as they could, they soon came up to her : 
 but her skin was scratched all over, her head cut open in four 
 or five places, and one of her arms broken. Never was a 
 bride in a more miserable plight. 
 
GRACLEUSE AND PEECINET. 7 
 
 The king seemed in despair. They picked her up in pieces 
 like a broken glass. Her cap was on one side, her shoes on 
 the other. They carried her into the city, put her to bed, and 
 sent for the best surgeons. Ill as she was, she never ceased 
 storming. " Gracieuse has played me this trick," said she ; " I 
 am certain she only chose that fine but vicious horse in order 
 to make me wish to ride it, and that it might kill me. If the 
 king does not give me satisfaction for this injury I will return 
 to my precious chateau and never see him ^ain as long as 
 I live!" The king was informed of the rage of Grognon. 
 As his ruling passion was avarice, the mere idea of losing the 
 thousand baiTels of gold and diamonds, made him shudder, 
 and was sufl&cient to drive him to anything. He ran to the 
 filthy invalid, flung himself at her feet, and protested she 
 had only to name the punishment Gracieuse deserved, and that 
 he abandoned the princess to her resentment. She professed 
 hereelf satisfied, and said she would send for her. 
 
 Accordingly the princess was told Grognon wanted her. 
 She turned pale and trembled, being well assured it was not 
 to caress her. She looked about everywhere for Percinet, 
 but he did not appear, and sadly she proceeded to Grognon's 
 apartment. Scarcely had she entered it when the doors were 
 closed. Four women, who resembled as many furies, threw 
 themselves on her by order of their mistress, and tore all her 
 fine clothes from her back. When her shoulders were bare, 
 these cruel demons could not endure their dazzling whiteness. 
 They shut their eyes as though they had been looking for a 
 long time on snow. "Come, come, courage!" cried the piti- 
 less Grognon from out her bed. " Flay me that gii'l, and 
 leave her not the least morsel of that white skin she thinks 
 so beautiful." In any other emergency Gracieuse would have 
 wished for the handsome Percinet : but being nearly naked 
 she was too modest to desire his presence, and so prepared 
 herself to suffer everything like a poor innocent lamb. The 
 foiu" furies were each armed with an alarming handful of 
 birchen twigs, and they had besides large brooms out of which 
 they could pull fresh ones, so that they beat her without 
 mercy, and at every blow Grognon called out, " Harder ! 
 harder ! you spare her ! " There is no one who would not 
 suppose, after that, but that the princess was flayed alive 
 from head to foot. They would be mistaken, however : for 
 
8 G&ACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 
 
 the gallant Percinet had bewitched the eyes of these women. 
 They imagined they had birch-rods in their hands, but they 
 had only bunches of feathers of all sorts of colours, and from 
 the moment tliey began to flog her, Gracieuse observed the 
 fact and ceased to be afraid, saying to herself, " Ah, Percinet, 
 you have most generously come to my assistance! What 
 should I have done without you?" The flagellants so fatigued 
 themselves, that they could no longer lift their arms. They 
 huddled her into her clothes and turned her out of the room 
 with a thousand abusive epithets. She returned to her own 
 chamber pretending to be very ill, went to bed, and ordered 
 that no one should stay near her but her nurse, to whom she 
 related her adventure. She talked herself to sleep, the nurse 
 left her, and on awaking she saw in a corner of the room the 
 green page whose respect prevented him from approaching 
 her. She assured him she should never forget, as long as she 
 lived, her obligations to him. She conjured him not to 
 abandon her to the fury of her enemy, but begged he would 
 leave the room, as she had always been taught that it was not 
 correct to remain alone with young gentlemen. He replied, 
 that she should see the respect he entertained for her ; that it 
 was but just, as she was his mistress, that he should obey her 
 in all things, even at the expense of his own happiness, and 
 thereupon he left her, after advising her to continue feigning 
 indisposition in consequence of the iU usage she had received. 
 
 Grognon was so gratified to learn that Gracieuse was in such 
 a condition, that she got well in half the time she would 
 otherwise have done, and the marriage was celebrated with 
 great magnificence. But as the king was aware that Grognon 
 preferred, above everything, to be extolled for her beauty, he 
 had her portrait painted, and commanded a tournament in 
 which six of the best knights in his court should maintain 
 against all comers that Queen Grognon was the loveliest 
 princess in the world. 
 
 A great many foreign knights appeared in the lists to 
 maintain the contraiy. The baboon herself was present at 
 all the encounters, seated in a gi-and balcony hung with cloth 
 of gold, and had the pleasure of seeing the skill of her 
 champions successful in her bad cause. Gracieuse, placed be- 
 hind her, attracted every eye, and Grognon, as silly as she was 
 vain, imagined that no one could look at anybody but her. 
 
GRACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 9 
 
 There was scarcely any one left to dispute the beauty of 
 Groguon, when a young knight presented himself bearing a 
 portrait in a diamond box. He declared that he would 
 maintain Grognon was the ugliest of all old women, and that 
 she whose portrait was in the box was the fairest of all young 
 maidens. So saying, he charged the six knights and un- 
 horsed every one of them. Six others presented themselves, 
 and so on to the number of four-and-twenty, all of whom he 
 overthrew. Then opening his box, he told them that, by 
 way of consolation for their defeat, he would show them the 
 beautiful portrait. Every one instantly recognised it to be 
 that of the Princess Gracieuse. 
 
 The victorious knight made her a profound obeisance, and 
 retired without making himself known, but she had not the 
 least doubt it was Percinet. Grognon was nearly sufifocated 
 with passion ; her throat swelled to such a degi-ee that she 
 could not utter a word. She made signs that it was Gracieuse 
 she was enraged at, and as soon as she could speak she began 
 to rave like a mad woman. "Howl" she exclaimed. "Dare 
 to dispute with me the palm of beauty? To bring such dis- 
 grace upon my knights! No, I cannot endure it, I must 
 have vengeance or death ! " " Madam," said the princess, 
 " I protest that I had not the least hand in anything that 
 has happened. I am ready to attest with my blood, if it be 
 your pleasure, that you are the handsomest person in the 
 world, and that I am a monster of ugliness." " Ah, you can 
 joke, can you, my little darling?" replied Grognon, " but I will 
 have my turn before long." The king was informed of the 
 rage of his wife, and that the princess was dying with terror, 
 and implored him to have pity on her, as, should he leave 
 her to the mercy of the queen, she would do her a thousand 
 mischiefs. He was perfectly unmoved by the appeal, and 
 simply answered, *' I have given her to her step-mother. She 
 may do as she pleases with her." 
 
 The wicked Grognon waited impatiently for night to arrive. 
 . As soon as it was dark she ordered the horses to be put to her 
 travelling carriage. Gracieuse was forced into it, and under a 
 strong escort she was conveyed to a large forest a hundred 
 leagues distant, through which nobody dared pass, as it was 
 full of lions, bears, tigers, and wolves. When they had 
 reached the middle of this terrible wood they made the 
 
10 GHACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 
 
 Princess alight, and left her there regardless of her piteous 
 supplications. "I do not ask you to spare my life," she 
 cried, " I only request immediate death. Kill me and spare 
 me all the tortures I must suffer here !" They were deaf to 
 her entreaties. They did not even deign to answer her, and, 
 galloping off, left the lovely and unfortunate maiden alone 
 in the forest. She hurried on for some time without knowing 
 whither she was going, now running against some tree, now 
 falling, now entangled in the bushes, till at length over- 
 whelmed with anguish, she threw herself on the ground unable 
 to rise again. " Piercinet !" she cried, twice or thrice, 
 " Percinet ! Where are you ? Is it possible you can have 
 abandoned me?" As she uttered the last words, she suddenly 
 beheld the most surprising thing in the world. It was an 
 illumination so magnificent that there was not a tree in the 
 forest on which there were not several chandeliers filled with 
 wax lights, and at the far end of an avenue she perceived 
 a palace built entirely of crystal, which blazed like the sun. 
 She began to imagine Percinet had some hand in this new 
 enchantment, and felt her joy a little mingled with fear. " I 
 am alone," she said, " the prince is young, amiable, in love, 
 and I owe him my life ! Ah ! It is too much ! — Let me fly 
 from him ! — Better for me to die than love him !" So saying, 
 she managed to rise from the ground, notwithstanding her 
 weariness and weakness, and without casting another look 
 towards the splendid palace, she hurried off in an opposite 
 direction, so distressed and so bewildered by the various feel- 
 ings which agitated her, that she did not know what she was 
 doing. 
 
 At that moment she heard a noise behind her. Fear seized 
 her. She thought it was some wild beast who was about to 
 devoiir her. She looked back, trembling, and beheld Prince 
 Percinet as handsome as they paint the God of Love. " You 
 fly me, my Princess ! " said he. *• You fear me when I adore 
 you ! Is it possible you can know so little of my respect as 
 to suppose me capable of failing in it to you 1 Come ! come, 
 without fear, into the fairy palace. I will not enter it if you 
 forbid me. Yo\i will find there the queen, my mother, and 
 my sisters, who already love you tenderly from my account of 
 you." Gracieuse, charmed by the humble and engaging man- 
 ner in which her young lover addressed her, could not refuse 
 
GRACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 11 
 
 to enter with him a httle sledge, painted and gilt, and drawn 
 by two stags, at a prodigiously swift pace, so that in a 
 very short time he conducted her to a thousand points in the 
 forest, each of which appeared to her admirable. It was 
 throughout as light as day. There were shepherds and shep- 
 herdesses gallantly dressed who danced to the sound of flutes 
 and bag-pipes. In other spots, by the side of fountains, she 
 saw village swains and maidens feasting and singing gaily. 
 " I thought this forest was uninhabited," said she to the 
 prince; "but it seems full of happy people." "From the 
 moment you set foot in it," replied Percinet, " this gloomy 
 solitude became the abode of pleasure and mirth. The loves 
 accompany you and flowers grow beneath yovur feet." Gi-acieuse 
 feared to enter into such a conversation : she therefore re- 
 quested him to conduct her to his mother, the queen. He 
 immediately ordered the stags to proceed to the fairy palace. 
 As she approached it she heard most exquisite music, and 
 the queen with two of her daughters met her, embraced her, 
 and led her into a large saloon, the walls of which were of 
 rock-crystal. She observed, with great astonishment, that all 
 her own history to that very day was engraved upon the walls, 
 even the promenade she had just made with the prince in the 
 sledge, and the execution of the work was so fine that the 
 master-pieces of Phidias and all that Greece ever could boast 
 were not to be compared to it. "You have very diligent artists," 
 said Gracieuse to Percinet, " every action, every gestiu:e of 
 mine is instantly sculptured." " Because I would not lose 
 the recollection of the slightest circumstance relating to you, 
 my princess," replied he. "Alas, in no place am I happy or 
 contented!" She made him no answer; but thanked the 
 queen for the manner in which she had received her. A grand 
 banquet was served up, to which Gracieuse did justice, for she 
 was delighted to have found Percinet in lieu of the bears and 
 lions she had dreaded to meet in the forest. Although she 
 was very tired, the prince pereuaded her to pass into a saloon 
 dazzling with gold and painting, in which an opera was per- 
 foi-med before her. The subject was the Loves of Cupid and 
 Psyche, and it was interspersed with dances and allusive 
 songs. A young shepherd came forward, and sang the fol- 
 lowing words : 
 
12 GEACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 
 
 Gracieuse, beloved thou art, 
 And by such a loving heart, 
 Love's own god, were he to woo thee, 
 Could not give a fonder to thee ! 
 Hast thou one thyself more hard, 
 Than rugged bear or spotted pard ? 
 None so fierce the forest rove ; 
 But obey the power of love. 
 All things to his sceptre bow. 
 Cold and cruel only thou ! 
 
 Gracieuse blushed at being so directly addressed by name 
 before the queen and the princesses. She told Perciuet that 
 it was painful to her to have such a subject publicly alluded 
 to. " It recals to me a maxim," she continued, " which I 
 perfectly approve. 
 
 "Be sparing of thy confidence, and know 
 That silence can a charm on love bestow; 
 The world's a wayward judge, and oftentimes 
 The purest pleasures will denounce as crimes." 
 
 The prince requested her pardon for having done anything 
 that was displeasing to her, and the opera ended : the two 
 princesses, by order of the queen, conducted Gracieuse to her 
 apartments. Never was anything so magnificent as the fur- 
 niture, or so elegant as the bed and bed-chamber appropriated 
 to her. -She was waited on by four-and-twenty maidens 
 attired as nymphs, the eldest was but eighteen, and each a 
 miracle of beauty. As soon as she was in bed a strain of ex- 
 quisite miisic wooed her to sleep ; but wonder prevented her 
 closing her eyes, " All I have seen," said she to herself, " is 
 enchantment ! How greatly is so amiable and gifted a prince 
 to be 'feared! I cannot fly these scenes too soon !" — and yet 
 the idea of leaving them Caused her considerable pain. To 
 quit so magnificent a palace to place herself in the power of 
 the barbarous Grognon ! — The sacrifice was great — one might 
 at least hesitate : on the other hand, she found Percinet so 
 engaging she feared to remain in a palace of which he was the 
 master. As soon as she rose in the morning they brought 
 her dresses of every colour, sets of jewellery of every fashion, 
 laces, ribbons, gloves, silk stockings, all in the most marvel- 
 lous taste. Nothing was wanting ! Her toilet was of chased 
 gold ; she had never been so perfectly dressed, and had never 
 
GAACIEUSE AND PEKCINET. 13 
 
 looked so beautiful. Percinet entered the room in a dress of 
 green and gold, (green was his colour because Gracieuse "was fond 
 of it). All those we have heard boasted of as the best-formed 
 and most amiable of men would have lost by comparison with 
 this young prince. Gracieuse told him she had not been able 
 to sleep ; that the recollection of her misfoi-tunes tormented 
 her, and that she could not help dreading the consequences. 
 " What can alarm you, madam 1" said he ; " you are sovereign 
 here — you are here adored — would you abandon me for your 
 cruel enemy 1" "If I were my own mistress," she replied, "I 
 would accept your proposal; but I am accountable to the 
 king, my father, for my actions, and it is better to suffer than 
 fail in my duty." Percinet said everything in the world he 
 could think of to persuade her to marry him ; but she would 
 not consent, and it was almost in spite of herself that she was 
 induced to remain one week, during which he invented a 
 thousand new pleasures for her entertainment. She often 
 said to the prince, " I should much like to know what is 
 passing in Grognon's Court, and how she has glossed over her 
 conduct to me 1 " Percinet told her he would send his squire 
 to ascertain, who was an intelligent person. She replied that 
 she was convinced he had no need of any one to inform him 
 of what was going on, and that therefore he could tell her 
 immediately if he chose. " Come then with me,", said he, 
 " into the great tower, and you shall see for yourself." There- 
 upon he led her to the top of an exceedingly high tower which 
 was all of rock-crystal, like the rest of the chateau. He told 
 her to place her foot on his, and her little finger in his mouth, 
 and then to look in the direction of the city. She imme- 
 diately perceived that the wicked Grognon was with the-king, 
 and that she was saying to him, "-That wretched princess has 
 hanged herself in the cellar ; I have just seen her, she is a 
 most horrible sight — she must be buried immediately, and 
 you will soon get over so trifling a loss." The king began to 
 weep for the death of his daughter. Grognon turned her 
 back upon him, retired to her apartments, caused a log of wood 
 to be dressed up in a cap, and well wrapped in grave-clothes, 
 put into a coffin, and then by order of the king there was a 
 grand funeral, which was attended by everybody, weeping and 
 cursing the cruel stepmother, whom they accused of having 
 caused the death of the princess. All the people went into deep 
 
14 GRACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 
 
 mourning, and she heard the lamentations for her loss, and 
 that they whispered to one another, " What a pity that this 
 lovely young princess should perish through the cruelties of 
 such a wicked creature ! — She ought to be cut to pieces and 
 made into a pie ! " The king could neither eat nor drink, and 
 cried ready to break his heaii; ! 
 
 Gracieuse, seeing her father so afflicted, exclaimed, " Ah, 
 Pei'cinet, I cannot allow my father to believe any longer that 
 I am dead. If you love me, take me back to him." All he 
 could urge was in vain; he was compelled to obey, though 
 with great reluctance. " My princess," said he, " you will 
 regret more than once leaving this fairy palace ; for, as to 
 myself, I dare not think you will regret me. You are more 
 unmerciful to me than Grognon is to you." It was of no use 
 talking; she would go. She took leave of the prince's 
 mother and sisters, entered the sledge with him, and the 
 stags started off. As she left the palace she heard a great 
 noise. She looked back ; it was the entire building which 
 had fallen and lay broken into a thousand fragments. " What 
 do I see?" she cried ; "the palace destroyed !" " My palace," 
 replied Percinet, " shall be amongst the dead. You will never 
 reenter it till after you are buried." " You are angry," 
 said Gracieuse, endeavouring to appease him. " But am I not, 
 in fact, more to be pitied than you?" 
 
 On arriving at the city, Percinet caused the princess, him- 
 self, and the sledge to be invisible. Gracieuse ascended to the 
 king's apartment and flung herself at his feet. When he saw 
 her, he was frightened and would have run away, taking her 
 for a ghost. She stopped him, and assured him she was not 
 dead ; that Grognon had caused her to be carried ofi" into the 
 •wilderness; that she had climbed up a tree, where she had 
 lived upon wild fruits; that they had buried a log of wood 
 in her place, and ended, by begging him, for mercy's sake, 
 to send her to one of his castles, where she might no longer be 
 exposed to the fury of her step-mother. 
 
 The king, scarcely able to credit her story, had the log 
 of wood taken up, and was astounded at the malice of Grog- 
 non. Any other monarch would have ordered Grognon to be 
 buried alive in its place; but he was a poor weak man, who 
 hadn't courage enough to be really in a passion. He caressed 
 his daughter a good deal, and made her sup with him. When 
 
GRACIEUSE AND PEHCINET; 15 
 
 Grognon's creatures ran and told her of the return of the 
 princess, and that she was supping with the king, she began 
 to rave like a mad woman, and rushing to him, told him 
 there must be no hesitation about it ; he must either abandon 
 that cheat to her, or see her, on the instant, take her de- 
 parture never to retixm as long as she lived. That it was 
 mere folly to believe that the girl was the Princess Gracieuse. 
 It was true she resembled her slightly, but that Gracieuse had 
 hanged herself; that she had seen her with her own eyes, and 
 that if any credence was given to the story of that impostor, 
 it would be an unpardonable want of respect to, and con- 
 fidence in her," The king without another word gave up to 
 her the unfortunate princess, believing, or feigning to believe, 
 that she was not his daughter. 
 
 Grognon, transported with joy, dragged her, with the help 
 of her women, into a dungeon, where she had her stripped. 
 They took away her costly garments and threw over her a rag 
 of coarse cloth, putting wooden shoes on her feet and a hood 
 of drugget on her head. They barely gave her straw enough 
 to lie upon, and a little black bread to eat. 
 
 In this distress, she began to weep bitterly, and to regret 
 the Faiiy Palace; but she dared not call on Percinet for 
 succour, feeling that she had treated him too unkindly, and 
 not being able to believe he loved her enough to come again 
 to her aid. In the meanwhile, the wicked Grognon had sent 
 for a fairy who was little less malicious than herself. " I have 
 here in my power," she said, " a little hussy who has offended 
 me. I want to punish her, by giving her such difl&cult tasks 
 to execute that she will not be able to perform them, and so 
 that I may break her bones without giving her a right to 
 complain. Help me to find a new torment for her every day." 
 The Fairy told her she would think of it, and that she should 
 see her again the next morning. She kept her word. She 
 brought a skein of thread as big as four grown-up people, so 
 finely spun that it would break if you breathed on it, and so 
 tangled that it was in a bundle without beginning or end. 
 Grognon, dehghted, sent for her beautiful prisoner, and said 
 to her — " There, my good little gossip, set your great powers 
 at work to wind off this skin of thread ; and rest assured that 
 if you break the least bit of it, you are lost, for I will flay you 
 alive, myself! Begin whenever you please; but it must be 
 
.16 GKACIEUSE AND PERCTNET. 
 
 •wound off before sunset." With that she shut her up in a 
 room under three locks. 
 
 The Princess was no sooner left alone than, examining the 
 enormous skein and turning it over and over, breaking a 
 thousand threads in trying to find one to begin with, she 
 became so confused that she ceased attempting to unravel it ; 
 and, flinging it into the middle of the room, " Go," she cried, 
 " fatal thread, thou wilt be the cause of my death ! Ah, Per- 
 cinet ! Percinet ! if my cruelty has not completely offended 
 you, I implore you to hasten — not to save me, but only to 
 receive my last farewell." Thereupon she began to weep so 
 bitterly, that even one who was not a tender lover must have 
 been touched by it. Percinet opened the door as easily as if 
 he had had the key in his pocket. " I am here, my Princess," 
 said he to her, " always ready to serve you. I am not capable 
 of deserting you, notwithstanding the poor retiirn you make 
 to my affection." He struck the skein three times with his 
 wand ; the broken threads were immediately rejoined, and 
 two more taps unravelled it with most astonishing perfection. 
 He inquired if there was any other service he could render 
 her, and whether she would never call on him but when she 
 was in trouble. " Do not reproach me, handsome Percinet," 
 said she ; " I am already sufficiently miserable." " But, my 
 Princess, it is in your own power to liberate yourself from the 
 tyranny of which you are the victim. Come with me. Com- 
 plete our mutual happiness. What do you fear 1 " " That 
 you do not love me well enough," replied she. " I would 
 have time to be convinced of your affection." Percinet, exas- 
 perated by her suspicions, bowed and disappeared. 
 
 The sun was just about to set ; Grognon awaited the 
 moment with the greatest impatience. At length she antici- 
 pated it, and came with her four furies, who accompanied her 
 everywhere. She put the three keys into the three locks, and 
 said as she opened the door, " I'll wager, now, that this idle 
 beauty hasn't wagged one of her ten fingers. She would 
 much rather have slept to imjirove her complexion." As soon 
 as she entered, Gracieuse presented her with the ball of thread 
 quite perfect. She had not a word to say, except that Gra- 
 cieuse had soiled it, — that she was a dirty creature; and for 
 that gave her two such slaps on the face, that the roses and 
 lilies of her cheeks turned blue and yellow. The hapless 
 
GRACIEUSE AND PERCTNET. 17 
 
 Gracieuse bore patiently an insult she was not in a position to 
 resent. They took her back to her dungeon, and locked her 
 up carefully. Grognon, vexed that she had not succeeded with 
 the skein of thread, sent for the Fairy, and loaded her with 
 reproaches. " Find out something," she said, " so difficult 
 that she cannot possibly accomplish it." The Fairy departed, 
 and the next day returaed with a great barrel full of feathers. 
 There were some of all sorts of birds — nightingales, canai-ies, 
 greenfinches, goldfinches, linnets, redwings, paiTots, owls, spar- 
 rows, doves, ostriches, bustards, peacocks, larks, partridges; — 
 I should never have finished if I attempted to name them all. 
 These feathers were so mixed together, that the birds them- 
 selves could not have recognised their own. " Here," said the 
 Fairy to Grognon, " is what will try the skill and patience of 
 your prisoner. Order her to pick out these feathers, and put 
 the peacock's, the nightingale's, and every other sort, each by 
 themselves in separate heaps. It would be a task for a faiiy." 
 Grognon was ready to die with joy, picturing to herself the 
 perplexity of the wretched princess. She sent for her, threat- 
 ened her as before, and shut her up with the ban-el in the 
 chamber under three locks, ordering her to finish her work 
 by sunset. 
 
 Gracieuse took out some of the feathere ; but finding it im- 
 possible to distinguish the different kinds, threw them back 
 again into the barrel ; — then took them out again, and made 
 several attempts to sort them, but perceiving the task was 
 impossible, " Let me die," she cried, despairingly. '' It is 
 my death they seek, and death will end my misfortunes. I 
 will not again call Percinet to my assistance. If he loved 
 me he would have been already here." " I am here, my 
 princess," exclaimed Percinet, rising out of the barrel in 
 which he had concealed himself. " I am here to extricate you 
 from the difficulty you are in. Can you doubt, after so many 
 proofs of my affection, that I love you more than my life 1 " — 
 Immediately he gave the barrel three taps with his wand, 
 and the feathers came out by millions and sorted themselves 
 into little heaps all round the room. " What do I not owe 
 you, my lord!" said Gracieuse. "But for you I must have 
 perished. Eest assured of my entire gratitude !" The prince 
 tried everything to persuade her to take a firm resolution 
 in his favour. She still asked for time, and though with 
 
 c 
 
18 QRACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 
 
 considerable violence to his own feelings, he granted her 
 request. 
 
 Grognon anived, and was so thunderstruck by what she 
 saw, that she was at her wit's end how further to torment 
 Gracieuse. She did not omit to beat her, however, saying that 
 the feathers were ill aiTanged. She sent for the Fairy, and 
 flew into a violent passion with her. The Fairy knew not 
 how to answer her; she was perfectly confounded. At 
 length she told Grognon that she would employ all her skill 
 in making a box which should bring her prisoner into great 
 trouble if she ventured to open it ; and a few days afterwards 
 she brought a box of a tolerable size. " Here," said she to 
 Grognon, " order your slave to carry this somewhere. Forbid 
 her particularly to open it. She will not be able to resist it, 
 and you will be satisfied." Grognon followed her instructions 
 implicitly. " Carry the box," said she to Gracieuse, " to my 
 fine chateau, and place it on the table in my closet : but I 
 forbid you, under pain of death, to look at what it contains." 
 Gracieuse set off with her wooden shoes, her cloth dress, and 
 her woollen hood. All who met her exclaimed, " That must 
 be a goddess in disguise ! " for nothing could conceal her mar- 
 vellous beauty. She had not walked far before she felt 
 tired. In passing through a little wood, on the skirt of a 
 pleasant meadow, she sat down to take breath. She placed 
 the box on her knees, and suddenly felt an inclination to open 
 it. "What can happen to me?" said she; "I wont take any- 
 thing out of it, but only see what there is in it." She thought 
 no more of the consequences, but opened the box, and im- 
 mediately out came a quantity of little men and women, 
 fiddlers, musical instruments, little tables, little cooks, little 
 dishes, — in fact, the giant of the party was not bigger than 
 one's finger. They skipped about the meadow, divided them- 
 selves into several groupes, and began the prettiest ball that 
 ever was seen. Some danced, others cooked, others feasted, 
 the little fiddlers played admirably. Gracieuse. at fii-st, was 
 somewhat amused by so extraordinary a sight ; but after she 
 had rested a little, and wanted to get them back into the box, 
 not one of them would obey her. The little gentlemen and 
 ladies ran away. The fiddlers followed their example. The 
 cooks, with their stewpans on their heads and their spits on their 
 shoulders, scampered into the wood when she entered the 
 
GRACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 19 
 
 meadow, and into the meadow again when she entered the 
 wood. "0 thoughtless curiosity!" said Gracieuse, weeping, 
 " thou wilt be too favourable to my enemy. The only mis- 
 fortune I could have avoided has been brought on me by my 
 own folly. Oh, I cannot sufficiently blame myself! Percinet!" 
 she cried, " Percinet ! If it be possible you can still love such 
 an imprudent princess, come and help me in this, the most 
 unfortunate occurrence in my life ! " Percinet did not wait 
 to be called thrice. She saw .him appear instantly in his 
 splendid gi-een dress. " If it were not for the wicked Grog- 
 non," said he, " beautiful princess, you would never think of 
 me." "Oh, think better of my sentiments," she replied; "I 
 am not so insensible to merit, nor so ungrateful for benefits 
 conferred on me. It is true I tiy your constancy ; but it is to 
 reward it when I am convinced." Percinet, more happy than 
 he had ever been before, tapped the box thrice with his wand, 
 and immediately the little men and women, fiddlers, cooks, 
 and roast-meat, were all packed into it as neatly as if they 
 had never been out of it. Percinet had left his chariot in the 
 wood. He begged the princess to make use of it to go to 
 the rich chateau. She had much need of the carriage in the 
 state she was in, so making her invisible, he drove her himself 
 and enjoyed the pleasure of her company, — a pleasure which 
 my chronicle asserts she was not indifferent to at the bottom 
 of her heart ; but she carefully concealed her sentiments. 
 
 She arrived at the rich chateau, and when she demanded 
 in the name of Grognon to be shown into the queen's closet, 
 the governor burst into a fit of laughter. " What," said he, 
 " do you imagine that you are to leave your sheep to be 
 admitted into so beautiful a place? Be off with you wherever 
 you like ; never did wooden shoes tread those floors." Gracieuse 
 begged him to write a line stating his refusal. He did so, 
 and quitting the rich chateau she found the amiable Perci- 
 net awaiting her, who drove her back to the palace. It 
 would be difficult to wTite down all the tender and respectful 
 things he said to her on the road in the hope of persuading 
 her to put an end to his unhappiness. She promised him 
 that if Grognon played her another wicked trick she would 
 consent. 
 
 When her vile stepmother saw her return she flew at the 
 Fairy, whom she had detained, and scratched, and would have 
 
20 GRACIEUSE AND PEECINET. . 
 
 strangled her, if a fairy could have been strangled. Gracieuse. 
 presented her with the governor's letter and the box. She 
 threw both into the fire, without deigning to open either, and 
 if she was to be believed herself, she would have willingly- 
 flung the princess into it also ; but she did not long postpone 
 her punishment. She had a great hole dug in the garden as 
 deep as a well ; over it they placed a large stone. She then 
 went to walk in the garden, and said to Gi-acieuse and those 
 who accompanied her, " Here is a stone under which I am in- 
 formed there isatreasure, come, let us lift it quickly." Each lent 
 a helping hand ; Gnicieuse amongst the rest. This was exactly 
 what Grognon wanted. As soon as the princess was on the 
 brink of the pit, Grognon pushed her violently into it, and 
 the others let the stone fall again on the top of it. This time 
 the case was indeed a hopeless one. How was Percinet to 
 find her in the bowels of the earth 1 She perfectly compre- 
 hended the difficulty of her position, and repented having so 
 long delayed marrying him. " How terrible is my fate !" she 
 cried ; " I am bui-ied alive ! — the most dreadful of all deaths ! 
 You are revenged for my hesitation, Percinet; but I feared 
 you were of the same inconstant nature as other men, who 
 change as soon as they are sure they are beloved. I wished 
 to be convinced of your constancy; my prudent suspicions 
 are the cause of my present condition. If I could still hope 
 you would regret my loss, my fate would be less painful." 
 She was thus giving vent to her anguish when she saw a little 
 door open, which had escaped her attention in the darkness, 
 and through it perceived the light of day, and gardens filled 
 with flowers, fruits, fountains, grottos, statues, bowers, and 
 summer-houses. She did not hesitate to enter it. She 
 advanced up a gi-and avenue, wondering what would be the 
 end of this adventure. Almost at the same moment she per- 
 ceived the fairy palace. She had not much difficulty in 
 recognising it, independently of the facts that one rarely finds 
 a building entirely of rock crystal, and that she perceived all 
 her recent adventures were engraved in it. Percinet appeared 
 with the queen his mother, and his sisters. " Refuse no 
 longer, lovely princess," said the queen to Gracieuse ; " it is 
 time to make my son happy, and to relieve you from the 
 deplorable life you lead under the tyranny of Grognon.** The 
 grateful princess fell on her knees before her, and told her she 
 
GRACIEUSE AND PERCINET. 21 
 
 placed her fate in her hands, and that she would obey her in 
 all things. That she had not forgotten the prophecy of Per- 
 cinet at the time she left the fairy palace, when he said to her 
 that that very palace would be amongst the dead, and that 
 she would never re-enter it till after she had been buried. 
 That she had the greatest admiration for his wisdom, and no 
 less for his worth, and that she accepted him for her husband. 
 The prince in his turn knelt at her feet : and at the same 
 instant the palace rang with shouts and music, and the mar- 
 riage was celebrated with the greatest magnificence. All the 
 fairies for a thousand leagues round appeared with sumptuous 
 equipages ; some came in cars drawn by swans, others by 
 dragons, others on clouds, others in globes of fire. Amongst 
 them appeared the fairy who had assisted Grognon to torment 
 Gracieuse. When she recognised the princess, never was any 
 one so surprised. She conjured her to forget the past, and 
 promised she would take every means of atoning for the 
 misery she had made her suffer. Actually, she would not 
 stay for the banquet ; but, re-ascending her car drawn by two 
 terrible serpents, she flew to the king's palace, sought out 
 Grognon, and wrung her neck before the guards or her women 
 could interfere to prevent her. 
 
 Envy, thou mean but most malignant foe 
 Of all on earth, good, beautiful, and great; 
 'Twas thy foul hand that aim'd each cruel blow 
 At Gracieuse, and fann'd the fiendish hate 
 Of hideous Grognon. What had been thy fate, 
 Svreet princess, if thy fond and faithful guard, 
 Thy Percinet, had not been ever there ! 
 O, well did lie deserve the rich reward 
 Of constancy, — the crown the Gods prepare 
 For all-enduring, pure, unselfish Love to wear. 
 
THE FAIR WITH GOLDEN HAIR. 
 
 Once upon a time there "was a king's daughter, who 
 was so handsome, there was nothing in the world to be 
 compared with her for beauty, and she was called the 
 Fair with Golden Hair : because her locks were like the 
 finest gold, marvellously bright, and falling all in ringlets 
 to her feet. She always appeared with her hair flowing 
 in curls about her, crowned with flowers, and her dresses 
 embroidered with diamonds and pearls. However it might 
 be, it was impossible to see her without loving her. There 
 was a young king amongst her neighbours, who was un- 
 married, very handsome, and very rich. When he heard all 
 that was said about the Fair with Golden Hair, although he 
 had never seen her, he felt so deeply in love with her, that 
 he could neither eat nor drink, and therefore resolved to 
 send an ambassador to ask her hand in marriage. He had 
 a magnificent coach made for this ambassador, gave him up- 
 wards of a hundred horses and as many servants, and charged 
 him particularly not to return without the princess. From 
 the moment that the envoy had taken leave of the king, the 
 whole court talked of nothing else ; and the king, who never 
 doubted that the Fair with Golden Hair would consent to his 
 proposal, ordered immediately fine dresses and splendid fur- 
 niture to be prepared for her. While the workmen were 
 hard at work, the ambassador arrived at the Fair one's court 
 and delivered his little message; but whether she was that 
 day out of temper, or that the compliment was not agreeable 
 to her, she answered the ambassador, that she thanked the 
 king, but had no inclination to many. The ambassador 
 quitted the court of the princess very low-spirited at not 
 being able to bring her with him. He carried back all the 
 presents he had been the bearer of from the king, for the 
 
THE FAIR WITH GOLDEN HAIR. 23 
 
 princess was very prudent, and was perfectly aware that 
 young ladies should never receive gifts from bachelors ; so 
 she declined accepting the beautiful diamonds and the other 
 valuable articles, and only retained, in order not to affront 
 the king, a quarter of a pound of English pins.^ 
 
 When the ambassador reached the capital city of the king, 
 where he was so impatiently awaited, everybody was afflicted 
 that he did not bring back with him the Fair with Golden 
 Hair, and the king began to cry like a child. They endeavoured 
 to console him, but without the least success. 
 
 There was a youth at court who was as beautiful as the 
 sun, and had the finest figure in the kingdom. On account 
 of his graceful manners and his intelligence he was called 
 Avenant. Everybody loved him, except the envious, who 
 were vexed that the king conferred favours upon him and 
 daily confided to him his affairs. 
 
 Avenant was in company with some persons who were 
 talking of the return of the ambassador, and saying he had 
 done no good. " If the king had sent me to the Fair with 
 Golden Hair," said he to them carelessly, " I am certain she 
 would have returned with me." These mischief-makers went 
 immediately to the king, and said, " Sire, you know not what 
 Avenant asserts, — That if you had sent him to the Fair with 
 Golden Hair he would have brought her back with him. Ob- 
 serve his malice ! He pretends that he is handsomer than you, 
 and that she would have been so fond of him that she would 
 have followed him anywhere." 
 
 At this the king flew into a rage — a rage so terrible, that 
 he was quite beside himself. " Ha, ha ! " he cried, " this pretty 
 minion laughs at my misfortune, and values himself above 
 me ! Go ! — fling him into the great tower, and let him 
 starve to death ! " 
 
 The royal guards hastened in search of Avenant, who had 
 quite forgotten what he had said. They dragged him to 
 prison, inflicting a thousand injuries upon him. The poor 
 youth had only a little straw to lie upon, and would soon 
 have perished but for a tiny spring that trickled through the 
 foundations of the tower, and of which he drank a few drops 
 
 (1) A proof of the estimation. in which English pins were held before 1700. Pins 
 were formerly in such great demand for new year's gifts in Paris, that on New Year's 
 (lay, and " the eve thereof," extra shops were specially licensed for their sale. 
 
24 THE FAIH WITH GOLDEN HAIR. 
 
 to refresh himself, his mouth being parched with thirst. One 
 day, when he was quite exhausted, he exclaimed, with a heavy 
 sigh, " What does the king complain of? He has not a sub- 
 ject more loyal than I am, — I have never done anything to 
 oflFend him !" The king by chance passed close by the tower, 
 and hearing the voice of one he had loved so dearly, he stopped 
 to listen, notwithstanding those who were with him, who hated 
 Avenant, and said to the king, " What interests you. Sire 1 — 
 Do you not know he is a rogue?" The king replied, " Leave me 
 alone ; I would hear what he has to say." Having listened to 
 his complaints, the tears stood in his eyes: he opened the 
 door of the tower and called to the prisoner. Avenant came, 
 and knelt before him in deep sorrow, and kissed his feet, 
 "What have I done, Sire, that I. am thus severely treated?" 
 " Thou hast made game of me, and of my ambassador," an- 
 swered the king. " Thou hast boasted, that if I had sent thee 
 to the Fair with Golden Hair, thou wouldst certainly have 
 brought her back with thee." 
 
 " It is true. Sire," rejoined Avenant, " that I should have 
 so impressed her with the sense of your majesty's high qua- 
 hties, that I feel persuaded she could not have refused you; 
 and in saying that, Sire, I Tittered nothing that could be dis- 
 agreeable to you." The king saw clearly that Avenant was 
 innocent. He cast an angry look upon the traducers of his 
 favourite, and brought him away with him, sincerely repent- 
 ing the wrong he had done to him. After giving him an 
 excellent supper he called him into his cabinet and said to 
 him: "Avenant, I still love the Fair with Golden Hair; her 
 refusal has not discouraged me : but I know not what course 
 to take to induce her to marry me. I am tempted to send 
 thee to her to see if thou couldst succeed." Avenant re- 
 plied that he was ready to obey him in everything, and that 
 he woiild set out the next day. " Hold," said the king ; " I 
 would give thee a splendid equipage." " It is unnecessary," 
 answered Avenant ; " I need only a good horse, and letters of 
 credence from your majesty." The king embraced him, for 
 he was delighted to find him prepared to start so quickly. 
 
 It was on a Monday morning that he took leave of the 
 king and of his friends to proceed on his embassy, quite alone 
 and without pomp or noise. His mind was occiipied solely 
 with schemes to induce the Fair with Golden Hair to marry 
 
THE FAm WITH GOLDEN HAIE. . 25 
 
 the king. He had a writiug-case in his pocket, and when a 
 happy idea occurred to him for his introductory address, he 
 alighted from his steed and seated himself under the trees to 
 commit it to paper, so that he might not forget anything. 
 One morning that he had set out at the first peep of day, in 
 passing through a large meadow, a charming idea came into 
 his head: he dismounted, and seated himself beside some 
 willows and poplars which were planted along the bank of a 
 little river that ran by the edge of the meadow. After he 
 had made his note, he looked about him, delighted to find 
 himself in so beautiful a spot. He perceived on the grass 
 a large gilded carp gasping and nearly exhausted, for in tiy- 
 ing to catch some little flies it had leaped so far out of the 
 water that it had fallen on the grass, and was all but dead. 
 Avenant took pity upon it, and, although it was a fast-day, 
 and he might have carried it off" for his dinner, he picked it 
 up and put it gently back into the river. As soon as my 
 friend the carp felt the freshness of the water, she began to 
 recover herself, and glided down to the very bottom, then 
 rising again joyously to the bank of the stream, " Avenant," 
 said she, " I thank you for the kindness you have done me; 
 but for you I should have died. You have saved me ; I will 
 do as much for you." After this little compUment she darted 
 down again into the water, leaving Avenant much surprised 
 at her intelligence and great civility. 
 
 Another day, as he continued his journey, he saw a crow in 
 great distress. The poor bird was pursued by a large eagle 
 (a great devourer of crows), which had nearly caught it, and 
 would have swallowed it like a lentil if Avenant had not felt 
 compassion for its misfortune. " Thus," he cried, " do the 
 strong oppress the weak. What right has the eagle to eat the 
 crow ? " He seized his bow and arrow, which he always carried 
 with him, and taking a good aim at the eagle, whizz ! he sent 
 the shaft right through its body; it fell dead, and the crow, 
 enraptured, came and perched on a tree. " Avenant," it cried 
 to him, " it was very generous of you thus to succour me, 
 I who am only a poor crow ; but I will not be ungrateful, 
 I will do as much for you." 
 
 Avenant admired the good sense of the crow, and resumed 
 his journey. Entering a great wood so early in the morning 
 that there was scarcely light enough for him to see his toslSl, 
 
26 THE FAIR WITH GOLDEN HAIR. 
 
 he heard an owl screeching, like an owl in despair. " Hey- 
 day ! " said he, " here's an owl in great affliction. It has been 
 caught, perhaps, in some net." He searched on all sides, and 
 at last discovered some large nets, which had been spread by 
 fowlers during the night to catch small birds. " What a 
 pity," said he, " that men are only made to torment each 
 other, or to persecute poor animals which do them no wrong 
 or mischief." He drew his knife and cut the cords. The owl 
 took flight : but returning swiftly on the w-ing, — " Avenant," 
 it cried, " it is needless for me to make a long speech to 
 enable you to comprehend the obligation I am under to you : 
 it speaks plainly enough for itself. The hunters would soon 
 have been here. I had been taken, T had been dead, but for 
 your assistance. I have a grateful heart; I will do as much 
 for you." 
 
 These svere the three most important adventures which 
 befel Avenant on his journey. He was so eager to reach the 
 end of it, that he lost no time in repairing to the palace 
 of the Fair with Golden Hair. Everything about it was 
 admirable. There were diamonds to be seen in heaps, as 
 though they were pebbles. Fine clothes, sweetmeats, money, 
 — the most wonderful sight that ever was seen ; and Avenant 
 thought in his heart, if he could persuade the princess to 
 leave all this to go to the king his master, he should be very 
 lucky indeed. He dressed himself in a suit of brocade, with a 
 plume of carnation and white feathers ; combed and powdered 
 himself, washed his face, put a richly embroidered scarf round 
 his neck, with a little basket, and in it a beautiful little dog 
 which he had bought as he came through Bologna.^ Avenant 
 was so handsome, so amiable, and did everything with so 
 much gi'ace, that when he presented himself at the palace 
 gate, the guards saluted him most respectfully, and they ran 
 to inform the Fan* with Golden Hair, that Avenant, am- 
 bassador from the king, her nearest neighbour, requested to 
 be presented to her. 
 
 At the name of Avenant, the princess said, " That betokens 
 something agreeable to me. I would wager he is a pretty 
 
 (1) Not "Boulogne" in France, as generally translated. Evelyn, in his Diary, 
 speaking of Bologna in 1645, says, " Many of the religious men nourish those lap- 
 dogs, which the ladies are so fond of, and which they here sell. They are a pigmy 
 sort of spaniels, who.se noses they break when puppies, which in my opinion deforms 
 tbem." 
 
THE FAIR WITH GOLDEN HAITI. 27 
 
 fellow, and pleases everybody." "Yes, in sooth, Madam," 
 exclaimed all her maids of honour ; " we saw him from the 
 loft in which we were dressing your flax, and as long as he 
 remained under the windows we could do no work." " Very 
 pretty," replied the Fair with Golden Hair ; " amusing your- 
 selves with looking at young men! — Here, give me my grand 
 gown of blue embroidered satin, and arrange my fair hair 
 very tastefully; get me some garlands of fresh flowers, my 
 high-heeled shoes, and my fan. Let them sweep my pi-esence- 
 chamber, and dust my throne ; for I would have him declare 
 everywhere that I am truly the Fair with Golden Hair." 
 
 All her women hastened to attire her like a queen. They 
 were in such a hurry that they ran against each other, and 
 made scarcely any progi'ess. At length, however, the prin- 
 cess passed into the great gallery of mirrors, to see if anything 
 was wanting, and then ascended her throne of gold, ivory, and 
 ebony, which emitted a perfume like balsam, and commanded 
 her maids of honour to take their instruments, and sing very 
 softly so as not to confuse any one. 
 
 Avenant was ushered into the hall of audience. He was so 
 struck with admiration, that he has since declared frequently 
 that he could scarcely speak ; nevertheless, he took courage, 
 and delivered his oration to perfection. He beseeched the 
 princess that he might not have the mortification of returning 
 without her. " Gentle Avenant," she replied, " the argu- 
 ments you have adduced are all of them exceedingly good, 
 and I assure you I should be very happy to favour you more 
 than another, but you must know that about a month ago I 
 was walking by the river side, with all my ladies in waiting, 
 and in pulling off my glove in order to take some refreshment 
 that was served me I drew from my finger a ring, which un- 
 fortunately fell into the stream. I valued it more than my 
 kingdom. I leave you to imagine the grief its loss occasioned 
 me. I have made a vow never to listen to any offers of mar- 
 riage, if the ambassador, who proposes the husband, does not 
 restore to me my ring. You now see therefore what you have 
 to do in this matter, for though you should talk to me for a 
 fortnight, night and day, you would never persuade me to 
 change my mind." 
 
 Avenant was much surprised at this answer : he made the 
 princess a low bow, and begged her to accept the little dog. 
 
28 THE FAIR WITH GOLDEN HAIR. 
 
 the basket, and the scarf; but she replied that she would 
 receive no presents, and bade him go and reflect on what she 
 had said to him. When he returned to his lodgings, he went 
 to bed without eating any supper, and his little dog, whose 
 name was Cabriolle, would take none himself, and went and 
 laid down beside his master. All night long Avenant never 
 ceased sighing. " WTiere can I hope to find a ring that fell a 
 month ago into a great river?" said he; " it would be folly to 
 attempt looking for it. The princess only named this condi- 
 tion to me because she knew it was impossible for me to fulfil 
 it." And then he sighed again and was very sorrowful. 
 Cabriolle, who heard him, said, " My dear master, I entreat 
 you not to despair of your good fortune : you are too amiable 
 not to be happy. Let us go to the river side as soon as it is 
 daylight." Avenant gave him two little pats, without saying 
 a word, and, worn out with grieving, fell asleep. 
 
 Cabriolle, as soon as he saw daybreak, frisked about so that 
 he waked Avenant, and said to him, " Dress youi-self, master, 
 and let us go out." Avenant was quite willing; he arose, 
 dressed, and descended into the garden, and from the garden 
 strayed mechanically towards the river, on the banks of which 
 he strolled with his hat pulled over his eyes, and his arms 
 folded, thinking only of taking his departure, when suddenly 
 he heard himself called by his name — "Avenant! Avenant!" 
 He looked all around him, and could see nobody : he thought 
 he was dreaming. He resumed his walk, when again the 
 voice called, "Avenant! Avenant!" "Who calls mel" he 
 asked. Cabriolle, who was very little and was looking close 
 down into the water, replied, " Never trust me if it be not a 
 golden carp that I see here." Immediately the carp appeared 
 on the surface, and said to Avenant, " You saved my life in 
 the nettle-tree meadow,^ where I must have perished but for 
 your assistance. I promised to do as much for you. Here, 
 dear Avenant, is the ring of the Fair with Golden Hair. 
 Avenant stooped and took the ring out of my friend the carp's 
 mouth, whom he thanked a thousand times. Instead of 
 returning to his lodgings he went directly to the palace, fol- 
 lowed by little Cabriolle, who was very glad he had induced his 
 
 (1) " Pr6 des Alisiers." " Alisier, the lote or nettle-tree." " Alisier gris, the grey 
 lote. Alisier rouge, the red lote, both (and all the kinds thereof) strangers in 
 England," writes Cotgrave in his Dictionary, Ed. 1660. 
 
THE FAIR WITH GOLDEN HAIR. 29 
 
 master to take a walk by the river side. The princess was 
 informed that Avenant requested to see her. " Alas ! poor 
 youth," said she, " he is come to take leave of me. He is 
 convinced that I required an impossibility, and he is about to 
 return with these tidings to his master." Avenant was intro- 
 duced, and presented her with the ring, saying, " Madam, I 
 have obeyed your commands. Will it please you to accept 
 the king my master for your husband?" When she saw her 
 ring quite perfect she was so astonished — so astonished — that 
 she thought she was dreaming ! " Eeally," said she, " cour- 
 teous Avenant, you must be favoured by a fairy, for by 
 natural means this is impossible." " Madam," he answered, 
 " I am not acquainted with any fairy, but I was very anxious 
 to obey you." "As you are so obliging," continued she, "you 
 must do me another service, without which I never will be 
 married. There is a prince not far from here, named Gali- 
 fron, who has taken it into his head he will make me his 
 wife. He declared to me his determination, accompanying it 
 by the most terrible threats, that if I refused him he would 
 lay waste my kingdom; but judge if I could accept him. He 
 is a giant taller than a high tower; he eats a man as a 
 monkey eats a chestnut ; when he goes into the country he 
 carries in his pockets small cannons which he uses for pistols, 
 and when he speaks very loud those who are near him become 
 deaf. I sent word to him that I did not wish to marry, and 
 that he must excuse me, but he has never ceased to persecute 
 me. He kills all my subjects, and before anything can be 
 done you must fight him and bring me his head." 
 
 Avenant was a little astounded at this proposition; he 
 mxised for a few minutes upon it, and then answered, " Well,- 
 Madam, I will fight Galifron ; I believe I shall be conquered, 
 but I will die as becomes a brave man." The princess was 
 much surprised at his determination; she said a thousand 
 things to prevent his undertaking the adventure. It was of 
 no use. He withdrew to seek for weapons and everything 
 else he might require. When he had made his preparations, 
 he replaced little Cabriolle in his basket, mounted a fine 
 horse, and rode into the dominions of Galifron. He inquired 
 about him of all he met, and everyone told him he was a very 
 demon whom nobody dared approach. The more he heard 
 of him the more his alarm increased. Cabriolle encouraged 
 him, and said, " My dear master, while you fight him I will 
 
80 THE FAIR WITH GOLDEN HAIR. 
 
 bite his legs ; he will stoop to rid himself of me, and then you 
 can kill him easily." Avenant admired the wit of the little 
 dog, but he knew well enough that his help could be of little 
 avail. At length he arrived in the neighbourhood of Gali- 
 fron's castle. All the roads to it were strewed with the bones 
 and bodies of men whom he had eaten or torn to pieces. He 
 did not wait long before he saw the monster coming through 
 a wood; his head was visible above the highest trees, and he 
 sang in a terrible voice — 
 
 " Ho ! bring me some babies, fat or lean, 
 That I may crunch 'em my teeth between ! 
 I could eat so many ! so many ! so many ! 
 That in the wide world there would not be left any ! 
 
 Upon which Avenant immediately sang to the same tune — 
 
 ' Ho ! Here is Avenant to be seen, 
 Who comes to draw your teeth so keen ; 
 He's not the greatest man to view. 
 But he 's big enough to conquer you." 
 
 The rhymes were not quite adapted to the music, but he 
 made them in a great hurry ; and it is really a miracle they 
 were not much worse, for he was in a desperate fright. When 
 Galifron heard these words, he looked about him in every 
 direction, and caught sight of Avenant, who, sword in hand, 
 uttered several taunts to provoke him. They were needless, 
 however. He was in a dreadful rage, and snatching up an 
 iron mace, he would have crushed the gentle Avenant at one 
 blow, had not a crow lighted at that instant on his head, and 
 with its beak most adroitly picked out both his eyes. The 
 blood ran down his face, and he laid about him on all sides 
 like a madman. Avenant avoided his blows, and gave him 
 such thrusts with his sword, running it up to the hilt in his 
 body, that at last he fell bleeding from a thousand wounds. 
 Avenant quickly cut off his head, quite transported with joy 
 at his good fortune; and the crow, who had perched itself on 
 the nearest tree, said to him : " I have not forgotten the 
 service you rendered me in killing the eagle which pursued 
 me. I promised you I would return the obligation. I trust 
 I have done so to-day." " I owe all to you, Monsieur Crow," 
 replied Avenant, "and remain your obliged servant;" and 
 forthwith mounted his horse, laden with the horrible head of 
 Galifron. When he reached the city, all the people followed 
 him, crying, " Behold the brave Avenant, who has slain the 
 monster ! " So that the princess, who heard a great uproar, 
 
ITie Fair with Golden Hair.— p. 31. 
 
THE PAIE WITH GOLDEN HAIR. 31 
 
 and who trembled lest they should come and announce to her 
 the death of Avenant, dared not inquire what had happened. 
 But the next moment she saw Avenant enter, bearing the 
 giant's head, which still impressed her with terror, although 
 there was no longer any occasion for alarm. " Madam," said 
 Avenant to the princess, " your enemy is dead : I trust you 
 will no longer refuse the king my master." " Ah ! pardon 
 me," said the Fair with Golden Hair; "but, indeed, I must 
 refuse him, unless you can find means, before my departure, 
 to bring me some water from the Gloomy Grotto. Hard by 
 there is a deep cavern, full six leagues in extent. At the 
 mouth of it are two dragons, who prevent any one from 
 entering : flames issue from their jaws and eyes. Inside the 
 cavern is a deep pit, into which you must descend : it is full 
 of toads, adders, and serpents. At the bottom of this pit 
 there is a small cavity, through which flows the fountain of 
 Health and Beauty. Some of that water I must absolutely 
 obtain. .Whatever is washed with it becomes something mar- 
 vellous. If persons are handsome, they remain so for ever; 
 if ugly, they become beautiful : if young, they remain always 
 young; if old, they become young again. You may well 
 imagine, Avenant, that I would not quit my kingdom without 
 some of this wonderful water." " Madam," he replied, " you 
 are so beautiful already, that this water will be quite useless 
 to you; but I am an unfortunate ambassador, whose death 
 you desire. I go in search of that which you covet, with the 
 certainty that I shall never retiu-n." The Fair with Golden 
 Hair was immovable, and Avenant set out with the little dog 
 Cabriolle to seek in the Gloomy Gi'otto the water of beauty. 
 Everybody who met him on the road exclaimed, " 'Tis a pity 
 to see so amiable a youth wantonly court destruction. He 
 goes alone to the gi'otto, when even if he had a hundred men 
 to back him he could not accomplish his object. Why will 
 the princess only demand impossibilities?" Avenant passed 
 on without saying a word, but he was in very low spirits. 
 
 Having nearly got to the top of a mountain, he sat down 
 to rest a little, allowing his horse to graze and Cabriolle to 
 run after the flies. He knew that the Gloomy Grotto was not 
 far from that spot, and looked about to see if he could dis- 
 cover it. He perceived a horrible rock, as black as ink, out 
 of which issued a thick smoke ; and the next minute one of 
 the dragons, casting out fire from his mouth and eyes. It had 
 
32 THE T&m WITH GOLDEN HAJK. 
 
 a green and yellow body, great claws, and a long tail, coiled 
 round in more than a hundred folds. CabrioUe saw all this, 
 and was so frightened he did not know where to hide himself. 
 Avenant, perfectly prepared to die, drew his sword, and de- 
 scended towards the cavern, with a phial which the Fair with 
 Golden Hair had given him to fill with the water of beauty. 
 He said to his little dog CabrioUe, " It is all over with me ; 
 I shall never be able to obtain the water which is guarded by 
 those dragons. When I am dead, fill the phial with my blood, 
 and carry it to the princess, that she may see what she has 
 cost me. Then go to the king my master, and tell him my 
 sad story." As he uttered these words, he heard a voice 
 calling, " Avenant ! Avenant !" " Who calls me ?" he asked; 
 and he saw an owl in the hollow of an old tree, who said to 
 him : " You let me out of the fowler's net in which I was 
 caught, and saved my life. I promised I would do you as 
 good a turn, and now is the time. Give me your phial. I am 
 familiar with all the windings in the Gloomy Grotto. I will 
 fetch 3'ou some of the water of beauty." Oh, I leave you 
 to imagine who was delighted ! Avenant quickly handed the 
 phial to the owl, and saw it enter the grotto witliout the least 
 difficulty. In less than a quarter of an hour the bird returned 
 with the phial full of water, and tightly stopped. Avenant was 
 in ecstfisies ! He thanked the owl heartily, and, re-ascending 
 the mountain, joyfully took his way back to the city. 
 
 He went straight to the palace and presented the phial to 
 the Fair with Golden Hair, who had no longer an excuse to 
 make. She thanked Avenant, gave orders for everything to 
 be got ready for her departure, and finally set out with him 
 on their journey. She found him au exceedingly agreeable 
 companion, and said to him more than once, " If you had 
 wished it, I would have made you king, and there would 
 have been no occasion for us to quit my dominions." But 
 his answer was always, " I would not be guilty of such 
 treachery to my master for all the kingdoms on the face of the 
 earth, although you are to me more beautiful than the sun ! " 
 
 At length they arrived at the king's capital city, and his 
 majesty, iiearing the Fair with Golden Hair was approaching, 
 went to meet her, and made her the most superb presents in 
 the world! The marriage was celebrated with such great 
 rejoicings, that folks could talk of nothing else. But the 
 Fair with Golden Hair, who secretly loved Avenant, was 
 
THE FAIR WITH GOLDEN HAIR. 33 
 
 never happy when he was out of her sight, and was always 
 praising him. " But for Avenant," she would say to the 
 king, " I should never have been here. For my sake he has 
 done impossibilities. You shotdd feel deeply indebted to 
 him. He obtained for me the water of beauty. I shall 
 never gi'ow old, and I shall always remain handsome." The 
 envious courtiers who heard the queen express herself thus, 
 said to the king, *• You are not jealous, and yet you have 
 good cause to be so. The queen is so deeply in love with 
 Avenant, that she can neither eat nor drink. She can talk 
 of nothing but him, and of the obligations you are under to 
 him. As if any one else it had pleased you to send to her 
 would not have done as much !" " That's quite true," said 
 the king, " now I think of it. Let him be put in the tower, 
 with irons on his hands and feet." Avenant was accordingly 
 seized, and in return for his faithful service to the king, fet- 
 tered hand and foot in a dungeon. He was allowed to see 
 no one but the gaoler, who threw him a morsel of black 
 bread through a hole, and gave him some water in an 
 earthen pan. His little dog Cabriolle, however, did not 
 desert him; but came daily to console him and tell him 
 all the news. When the Fair with Golden Hair heard of 
 Avenant's disgrace, she flung herself at the king's feet, and, 
 bathed in tears, implored him to release Avenant from prison. 
 But the more she entreated, the more angry the king became, 
 for he thought to himself, " It is because she loves him ;" so 
 he refused to stir in the matter. The queen ceased to urge 
 him, and fell into a deep melancholy. 
 
 The king took it into his head, that perhaps she did not 
 think him handsome enough. He longed to wash his face 
 with the water of beauty, in hopes that the queen woiild 
 then feel more afiection for him. The phial fuU of this 
 water stood on the chimney-piece in the queen's chamber: 
 she had placed it there for the pleasure of looking at it more 
 frequently : but one of her chamber-maids, trying to kill 
 a spider with a broom, unfortunately threw down the phial, 
 wliich broke in the fall, and all the water was lost. She 
 swept the fragments of glass away quickly ; and not knowing 
 what to do, it suddenly occurred to her, that she had seen in 
 the king's cabinet a phial precisely similar, full of water, as 
 clear as the water of beauty ; so, without a word to any one, 
 
 D 
 
34 THE FAIB WITH GOLDEN HAIR. 
 
 she adroitly managed to get possession of it, and placed it on 
 the queen's chimney-piece. 
 
 The water which was in the king's cabinet was used for 
 the execution of princes and great noblemen who were con- 
 demned to die for any crime. Instead of beheading or 
 hanging them, their faces were rubbed with this water, which 
 had the fatal property of throwing them into a deep sleep, 
 from which they never awakened. So it happened one 
 evening that the king took down the phial which he fancied 
 contained the water of beauty, and rubbing the contents 
 well over his face, he fell into a profound slumber and ex- 
 pired. The little dog, CabrioUe, was the first to hear the 
 news of the king's death, and ran with it to Avenant, who 
 begged him to go and find the Fair with Golden Hair, and 
 remind her of the poor prisoner. 
 
 Cabriolle slipped quietly through the crowd, for there was 
 great confusion at court, in consequence of the king's death, 
 and said to the queen, " Madam, do not forget poor Avenant." 
 She immediately recalled to her mind all that he had suffered 
 on her account, and his extreme fidelity. She left the palace 
 without speaking to any one, and went directly to the tower, 
 where with her own hands she took the irons off the hands 
 and feet of Avenant, and putting a crown of gold upon his 
 head, and a royal mantle over his shoulders, she said, " Come, 
 charming Avenant, I make you king, and take you for my 
 husband." He threw himself at her feet in joy and gratitude. 
 Everybody was delighted to have him for their master. His 
 nuptials were the most splendid that ever were seen in the 
 world, and the Fair with Golden Hair reigned long and 
 happily with the handsome Avenant. 
 
 A kindly action never fail to do. 
 The smallest brings a blessing back to you. 
 When Avenant preserved the carp and crow, 
 And even had compassion on the woe 
 Of an ill-omen'd and ill-favour'd owl, 
 Who would have dream'd a feeble fish or fowl 
 Would place him on the pinnacle of fame? 
 ^ When of his king he urged the tender flame, 
 
 And won the fair he for another woo'd, 
 Unshaken in his loyalty he stood. 
 Innocent victim of a rival's hate. 
 When all seem'd lost— when darkest frown'd his fate, 
 Just Providence reversed the ruthless doom,— 
 To Virtue gave the throne, to Tyranny a tomb. 
 
THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a king who was exceedingly- 
 rich both ia lands and money. His wife died, and he wa& in- 
 consolable. He shut himself up for a week in a little room, 
 where he beat his head against the walls in the extremity of 
 his affliction. Fearing he would kill himself, they put some 
 raattrasses between the tapestry and the wall, so that knock 
 himself about as much as he pleased he could not do himself 
 'any mischief. All his subjects agreed amongst themselves, 
 that they would go to him and exert their utmost eloquence 
 to moderate his grief. Some prepared grave and serious 
 orations; others, agreeable, and even lively addresses; but 
 uone made the least impression upon his mind, for he scarcely 
 heard a word they said to him. At last a female presented 
 herself before him, so muffled up in black crape, veils, mantles 
 and other long mourning garments, and who wept and sobbed 
 so much and so loudly, that he was perfectly astonished. She 
 told him, she would not attempt, as others had done, to 
 mitigate his sorrow; she came to augment it, as nothing 
 could be more just than to lament the loss of a good wife; 
 that for her own part, having lost the best of husbands, she 
 had made up her mind to weep as long as she had eyes in 
 her head ; and thereupon she redoubled her groans, and the 
 king, following her example, began to howl outright. He 
 received this visitor with more attention than the others. 
 He talked to her of the excellent qiialities of his dear departed, 
 and she recapitulated all those of her beloved defunct. They 
 talked so much of their sorrow, that at last they were puzzled 
 to know what more to say about it. When the cunning 
 
 d2 
 
36 THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 widow saw the subject was nearly exhausted, she raised lier 
 veil a little, and the afflicted king refreshed his sight with the 
 contemplation of this poor mourner, who rolled about her 
 large blue eyes fringed with long black lashes in the most 
 effective manner. Her complexion was still blooming. The 
 king examined her with a great deal of attention. By degi-ees 
 he spoke less and less of his wife : at last he ceased to speak 
 of her altogether. The widow declared that she should never 
 leave off mourning for her husband. The king implored 
 her not to make sorrow eternal. In fine, to the astonishment 
 of everybody, he married her, and the sables were changed 
 into green and rose colour. It is often only requisite to 
 ascertain the particular foibles of persons, to enable you to 
 creep into their confidence, and do just as you please with 
 them. 
 
 The king had only had a daughter by his first wife, who 
 was considered the eighth wonder of the world. She was 
 named Florine, because she was so sweet, young, and beau- 
 tiful. She was seldom seen in splendid attire, she preferred 
 light morning dresses of taffety, fastened with a few jewels, 
 and quantities of the finest flowers, which produced an 
 admirable effect when twined with her beautiful hair. She 
 was only fifteen when the king was re-married. 
 
 The new queen sent for her own daughter, who had been 
 brought up by her godmother, the Fairy Soussio, but she was 
 not more graceful or beautiful in consequence. Soussio had 
 laboured hard to make something of her, but had laboured in 
 vain. She loved her dearly, though, notwithstanding. Her 
 name was Truitonne, her face being covered with reddish 
 spots like those on the back of a trout.^ Her black hair was 
 so greasy and diity, that no one would venture to touch it, 
 and oil oozed out of her yellow skin. The queen, her 
 mother, doted on her ; she talked of nothing but the charm- 
 ing Truitonne, and as Florine possessed so many advantages 
 over her daughter, it exasperated her, and she sought, by 
 every possible means, to injure the poor princess in the eyes 
 of her father. Not a day passed that the queen and Trui- 
 tonne did not play Florine some mischievous trick. The 
 princess, who was mild as she was sensible, only endeavoured 
 to keep herself out of the reach of their malice. 
 
 (I) Truile, in French. 
 
THE BLUE BIRD. 37 
 
 The king obsei-ved one day to the queen, that Florine and 
 Truitonne were of an age to be married, and that they should 
 bestow the hand of one of them on the first prince who 
 visited their court. ''I wish," said the queen, "that my 
 daughter should be married firet ; she is older than yours, and 
 as she is a thousand times more amiable, there can be no 
 hesitation about the matter." The king, who disliked argu- 
 ment, answered that he was quite willing it should be so, and 
 that he left her to take any measures she pleased. 
 
 A short time after this, it was announced that a visit from 
 King Charmant might be expected. Never was any prince 
 more celebiuted for gallantry and magnificence. In mind and 
 person he was charming as his name implied. When the queen 
 heard this news, she employed aU the embroiderers, all the 
 tailoi-s, aU the work-people of every kind, to make dresses for 
 Truitonne, and requested the king to give nothing new to 
 Florine. She then bribed the waiting women to steal all the 
 princess's clothes, head di-esses, and jewels, the very day King 
 Charmant arrived, so that when Florine went to di-ess she 
 could not find even a ribbon. She knew well enough who 
 had done her this good turn. She sent to purchase materials 
 for a new dress ; but all the tradesmen returned for answer, 
 that they had been forbidden by the queen to furnish her 
 with anything. She was left, therefore, with only the gown 
 she had on her back, and which was very much soiled, and 
 she was so ashamed of her appearance that, when King 
 Charmant arrived, she hid herself in a comer of the haU. 
 
 The queen received her royal visitor with great pomp, and 
 presented her daughter to him, a complete blaze of magnifi- 
 cence, which only made her look more ugly than usual. King 
 Charmant turned his eyes from her as soon as possible. The 
 queen endeavoured to persuade herself that he was too much 
 struck with her, and was afraid of committing himself. In 
 this belief, she continually placed Truitonne before him. He 
 inquired if there was not another princess named Florine. 
 " Yes," said Truitonne, pointing to her with her finger ; " there 
 she is, hiding hei"self, because she is not finely dressed." Flo- 
 rine blushed, and looked so beautiful, so exceedingly beautiful 
 in her confusion, that King Charmant was perfectly dazzled. 
 He rose immediately and bowed profoundly to the princess. 
 " Madam," said he, " your incomparable beauty rendera 
 
•■^^ - 
 
 SS THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 the foreign aid of ornament quite unnecessary." " Sir," 
 replied she, " I own I am little accustomed to wear so dis- 
 graceful a dress as this, and I should have been better pleased 
 to have escaped your notice." " It would have been impos- 
 sible," exclaimed Channant, " for a princess so marvellously 
 beautiful to be anywhere without attracting all eyes from the 
 contemplation of any other object." " Ah," said the queen, 
 greatly irritated, " it is pretty pastime to hear you pay these 
 compliments ! Believe me, Sir, Florine is already vain enough ; 
 she stands in no need of such excessive flattery." King 
 Charmant quickly perceived the queen's motives for thus 
 speaking, but as he was not at all accustomed to constrain his 
 inclinations, he continued openly to manifest his admiration 
 of Florine, and conversed with her for three whole hours. 
 
 The queen in despair, and Truitonne inconsolable that the 
 princess should be thus preferred to her, complained bitterly 
 to the king, and compelled him to consent that, during the 
 residence of King Charmant, Florine should be shut up in a 
 tower, where they could not see each other; and, accordingly, 
 no sooner had she retired to her apartments, than four men 
 in masks seized and carried her to a room at the top of the 
 tower, where they left her in the greatest distress, for she saw 
 clearly that she was thus treated in order to prevent her 
 securing the affections of her royal admirer, with whom already 
 she was much delighted, and would willingly have accepted 
 him for her husband. 
 
 As he was not in the least aware of the violence that had 
 been used towards the princess, he awaited with the greatest 
 impatience the hour when he hoped to meet her again. He 
 talked of her to the gentlemen whom the king had placed 
 about his person to do him honour, but, as they had been 
 ordered by the queen, they said all the ill of her they could 
 imagine : — that she was coquettish, inconstant, ill-tempered ; 
 that she tormented her friends and her servants ; that it was 
 impossible for any one to be more slovenly ; and that she was 
 so avaricious, that she would much rather be dressed like 
 a poor shepherdess than spend the money allowed her by the 
 king her father in the purchase of rich apparel befitting her 
 rank. During all these details Charmant was suffering tor- 
 tures, and coiild scarcely restrain his anger. " No," he argued 
 to himself ; " it is impossible that Heaven would permit so 
 
THE BLUE BIRD. 39 
 
 worthless a soul to inhabit the master-piece of Nature. I 
 admit she was badly dressed when I first saw her, but the 
 shame she evinced proves that she was not accustomed to be so. 
 What ! Can she be ill-tempered and coquettish, with such an 
 enchanting air of mildness and modesty 1 It is not reconcilable 
 with common sense ! I can much more easily imagine that 
 the queen has caused her to be so slandered. She is only her 
 stepmother, and the Princess Truitonne, her own daughter, 
 is such an ugly creature, that it would not be extraordinary 
 if she were envious of the most perfect of human beings." 
 
 Whilst he thus reasoned with himself the courtiers about 
 him readily imagined, from his manner, that he was not best 
 pleased by their abuse of Florine. One, who was more astute 
 than the rest, in order to discover the real sentiments of the 
 prince, changed his tone and language, and began to extol 
 the princess wonderfully. At the first words, Charmant woke 
 up as from a deep sleep. He entered eagerly into the con- 
 vei-sation. His features all lighted up with joy. — Love! 
 Love ! how hard thou art to hide ! thou art visible every- 
 where ! — on a lover's lips, in his eyes, in the tone of his voice, 
 — when we tnily love, silence, conversation, happiness, or 
 misery, are equally demonstrative of the passion which ab- 
 sorbs us. 
 
 The queen, impatient to learn if King Charmant was much 
 smitten, sent for those whom she had placed in positions to 
 acquire his confidence, and passed the rest of the night in 
 their interrogation. Everything they reported only served to 
 confiiin the opinion she had formed that the king was in love 
 with Florine. But how shall I describe to you the melan- 
 choly state of that poor princess? She lay stretched on 
 the floor in the keep of that terrible tower to which the 
 masked ruffians had carried her. " I should be less to be 
 pitied," said she, " if I had been immured here before I had 
 seen that amiable monarch. The recollection of him I 
 cherish only serves to increase my distress. I cannot doubt, 
 but that it is to prevent my seeing him again that the queen 
 has treated me thus cruelly. Alas, how fatal to my peace has 
 been the little beauty it has pleased Heaven to bestow on me !" 
 She then began to weep bitterly, so bitterly that her worst 
 enemy would have pitied her if a witness of her affliction. 
 Thus passed the night. 
 
40 THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 The queen, who was anxious to win over King Charmant 
 by every attention it was in her power to pay him, sent him 
 presents of the most costly and magniBcent dresses, made 
 in the newest fashion of that country, and the Order of 
 the Knights of Cupid, which she had compelled the king her 
 husband to institute the day they were married, in honour of 
 their nuptials. The badge of it was a golden heart, enamelled 
 flame-coloured, surrounded by several arrows, and pierced 
 with one, with the words, " One alone wounds me." The 
 queen had, however, for Charmant a heart cut out of a ruby, 
 as large as an ostrich's egg; each arrow was made of a 
 single diamond about the length of a finger, and the chain to 
 which the badge was appended was composed of pearls, the 
 smallest of which weighed a full pound. In short, ever since 
 the world has been a world, there was never anything like 
 it. Charmant, at the sight of it, was so astonished that it 
 was some time before he spoke a word. In the meanwhile 
 they presented to him a book, the leaves of which were of 
 the finest vellum, beautifully illuminated, and the binding 
 covered with gold and jewels. la it the statutes of the Order 
 of the Knights of Cupid were written in a gallant and tender 
 style. They told him that the princess he had seen, prayed 
 him to be her knight, and had sent him this present. At 
 these words he flattered himself that it came from her he 
 loved. " How ! does the lovely Princess Florine," cried he, 
 " honour me by this splendid and flattering mark of her con- 
 sideration ]" " Sire," they replied, " you mistake the name ; 
 we come from the amiable Truitonne." " Truitonne ! is it she 
 who would have me be her champion?" said the king with 
 a cold and serious air; "I regret that I cannot accept the 
 honour j but a sovereign is not siifl&ciently his own master to 
 enter into any engagements he pleases. I know the duties of 
 a knight, and would fain fulfil them all. I would, therefore, 
 prefer foregoing the favour she designs me, to proving myself 
 unworthy of it." At the same time he replaced in the same 
 corheille,^ the heart, the chain, and the book, and sent them 
 all back to the queen, who, with her daughter, was ready to 
 choke with rage at the contemptuous manner in which the 
 
 (1) A highly-ornamented and richly-lined basket, in which presents of honour are 
 •till on some occasions conveyed. The corheilte de mariage, in Fiance, contains the 
 jewellery and other gifts presented to a bride. 
 
THE BLUE BIED. 41 
 
 illustriovis foreigner had declined so especial a favour. King 
 Charmant visited the king and queen as often as he was per- 
 mitted the opportiinity, in hopes of meeting Florine in the 
 royal apartments. His eyes were everywhere in search of her. 
 The moment he heard any one enter the room he turned 
 sharply round towards the door, and seemed always restless 
 and unhappy. The malicious queen easily guessed what was 
 passing in his mind ; but she appeared to take no notice of it. 
 She talked to him only about parties of pleasiu-e; and he 
 returned her the most incongruous answers. At last he asked 
 her plainly, where was the Princess Florine? " Sir," replied 
 the queen, haughtily, " the king her father has forbidden her 
 to quit her own apartments until my daughter is married." 
 *' And what motive," inquired King Charmant, " can there be 
 for making such a prisoner of that beautiful princess?" " I 
 know not," said the queen, " and if I did, I should not con- 
 sider myself bound to inform you." 
 
 Charmant felt his anger rising fearfully ; he cast an angry 
 glance upon Truitonne, assuring himself in his own mind that 
 little monster was the cause of his being deprived of the plea- 
 sure of beholding Florine, and abruptly quitted the queen's 
 presence, which gave him too much pain. 
 
 On his return to his own apartments, he requested a young 
 prince who had accompanied him, and to whom he was much 
 attached, to gain over, at any cost, one of the princess's at- 
 tendants, in order that he might speak to Florine for one 
 moment. The prince soon found some of the ladies of the 
 palace, whom he could venture to admit into his confidence, 
 and one of them promised him that Florine should that very 
 evening be at a little lower window, which looked upon the 
 garden, and from whence she could converse with Charmant pro- 
 vided he was exceedingly careful that no one should be aware 
 of it; " for," added she, " the king and queen are so severe, 
 that they will take my life if they discover I have favoured the 
 passion of Charmant" The prince, delighted that he had so 
 far succeeded in his mission, promised her anything she could 
 desire, and ran to pay his court to his royal master, by 
 announcing to him the hour of assignation ; but the false 
 confidante in the meantime went and told the queen what 
 had occurred, and requested to know her commands. She 
 immediately decided to place her daughter at the little 
 
42 THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 window. She gave her particular instructions, and Truitonue 
 attended to them all, notwithstanding her natural stupidity. 
 
 The night was so dark it was impossible for King Charmant 
 to discover the imposition, even had he been less confident, 
 so that when he drew near to the window indescribably trans- 
 ported with joy, he poured forth to Truitonne all the tender 
 things he would have said to Florine, to convince her of his 
 aflfection. Truitonne, profiting by the occasion, told him that 
 she felt she was the most unfortunate person in the world, in 
 having so cruel a stepmother; and that she should never 
 cease to suifer all sorts of annoyances till the queen's daughter 
 was married. Charmant assured her, that if she would accept 
 him for her husband, he should be enchanted to share with 
 her his heart and crown ; and thereupon he drew his ring from 
 his finger, and placing it on one of Truitonne's, he begged her 
 to receive it as a token of eternal fidelity, and added that she 
 had only to fix the hour for their flight. Tniitonne made the 
 best answers she could to his urgent persuasions. He noticed 
 they were not very sensible, and the circumstance would have 
 given him some uneasiness but that he thought it arose from 
 the terror she was in of being surprised by the queen. He 
 left her only on condition that she would meet him again the 
 next night at the same hour, which she promised faithfully 
 to do. 
 
 The queen having heard of the happy success of this inter- 
 view, felt satisfied she should obtain her ends completely. 
 Accordingly, the day being fixed for the elopement, King 
 Charmant prepared to carry off his beloved in a flying chariot, 
 drawn by winged frogs, a present which had been made to 
 him by a friend who was an enchanter. The night was ex- 
 cessively dark, Truitonne stole out mysteriously by a little 
 door, and the king, who was waiting for her, received her in 
 his arms with a hundred vows of everlasting affection. But 
 as he was not anxious to be sailing about in his flying chariot 
 for any long time before he married his beloved princess, he 
 desired her to say where she would prefer their nuptials to be 
 solemnized. She answered that she had a godmother, named 
 Soussio, who was a very celebrated Fairy, and she was of 
 opinion they should go at once to her castle. Although the 
 king was quite ignorant of the road, he had only to mention 
 to his great frogs whither he wished to go. They were per- 
 
THE BLUE BIRD. 43 
 
 fectly acquainted with the whole map of the world, and in a 
 very short time they wafted Charmant and Truitonne to the 
 abode of Soussio. 
 
 The castle was so brilliantly illuminated that the king 
 would have discovered his mistake the moment he entered if 
 the princess had not carefully enveloped herself in her veil. 
 She inquired for her godmother, contrived to see her alone, 
 told her how she had entrapped Charmant, and entreated her 
 to pacify him. "Ah! my child," said the Fairy; "the task 
 will not be an easy one : he is too fond of Florine : I feel 
 certain he will give us a great deal of trouble." In the mean- 
 while the king was awaiting them in a saloon, the walls of 
 which were of diamonds so pure and transparent that through 
 them he could see Soussio and Truitonne in conversation to- 
 gether. He thought he must be dreaming. " How," said he, 
 " have I been betrayed 1 'Have some demons brought hither 
 this enemy of our peace 1 Comes she to disturb our nuptials ? 
 My dear Florine does not appear ! Her father has perhaps 
 pursued her !" He began to be the prey of a thousand dis^ 
 tracting conjectures. But matters looked still worse, when 
 entering the saloon, Soussio, addressing him in an authoritative 
 tone, said, '•' King Charmant, here is the Princess Truitonne, to 
 whom you have plighted your troth ; she is my god-daughter, 
 and I desire you will marry her immediately." "I !" ex- 
 claimed he, — " I marry that little monster ! You must think 
 me a vastly tractable person to make such a proposition to 
 me. I have made no promise to her whatever, and if she 
 
 have told you otherwise, she has " " Hold," interrupted 
 
 Soussio, " and be not rash enough to fail in respect towards 
 me ! " "I agree," replied the king, " to respect you as much 
 as a Fairy can be respected, provided you restore to me my 
 princess." "Am not I your princess, faithless onel" said 
 Truitonne, showing him his ring. " To whom didst thou give 
 this ring as a pledge of thy truth ? With whom didst thou 
 converse at the little window if not with me 1" " How then !" 
 he cried, "have I been deceived and imposed iipon?" "But 
 no, no, I will not be your dupe ! What ho ! What ho! my 
 frogs ! my frogs ! I would away instantly ! " " Oho, it is 
 not in your power without my consent," exclaimed Soussio. 
 She touched him, and his feet were fastened to the floor as if 
 they had been nailed to it. " You may stone me to death, 
 
44 THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 you may flay me alive," cried the king, "but I will marry no 
 one but Florine. I am resolved. You may therefore exercise 
 your power upon me as you please!" Soussio tried in turn 
 mildness, menaces, promises, prayers. Truitonne wept, 
 shrieked, groaned, stormed, and became calm again. The 
 king uttered not another word, looking on them both with an 
 air of the greatest indignation; he made not the slightest 
 answer to anything they said to him. 
 
 Twenty days and twenty nights passed without their ceasing 
 to talk ; without eating, sleeping, or sitting down. At length 
 Soussio, quite tired and out of patience, said to the king, 
 " Well, since you are so obstinate that you will not listen to 
 reason, choose at once whether you wiU marry my god- 
 daughter, or do penance for seven years as a punishment for 
 breaking your word." The king, who up to this time had 
 been perfectly silent, suddenly exclaimed, " Do what you will 
 with me, provided I am freed from this wretch." " You are 
 a wretch yourself," said Truitonne, in a passion. '• A petty 
 king like you, with your marsh-bred posters, to come into my 
 country to break your word to me and insult me ! Had you 
 a groat's worth of honour in you, could you behave in this 
 manner?" "What affecting reproaches!" said the king, in an 
 ironical tone ; " Behold what a mistake it is not to take so 
 lovely a person for one's wife ! " " No, no, she shall not be 
 your wife," screamed Soussio, passionately ; " you may fly out 
 of that window if you like, for you shall be a Blue Bird for 
 the next seven years !" At the same moment the king's 
 person undergoes a total change ; his arms are covered with 
 feathers and form wings ; his legs and feet become black and 
 diminutive, and furnished with crooked talons; his body 
 shrinks, — it is all garnished with long fine thin feathers of 
 celestial blue ; his eyes become rounder, and bright as two 
 stars ; his nose is but an ivory beak ; a white crest rises on 
 his head in the form of a crown; he sings and talks to per- 
 fection. In this state, uttering a cry of anguish at beholding 
 himself so metamorphosed, he flies from the fatal palace of 
 Seussio as fast as his wings can carry him. 
 
 Overwhelmed with grief, he roams from branch to branch, 
 selecting only the trees consecrated to love or sorrow. Now 
 upon myrtles, now upon cypx-esses, he sings the most plaintive 
 aire, in which he deplores his sad. fate and that of Florine. 
 
THE BLUE BIBD. 45 
 
 " Where have her enemies hidden her ? " said he. " What has 
 become of that beautiful victim? Has the queen's barbarity 
 permitted her still to breathe ? Where shall I seek her 1 
 Am I condemned to pass seven years without her ] Perhaps 
 during that period they will compel her to marry, and I shall 
 lose for ever the hope on which alone I live." These various 
 reflections afflicted the Blue Bird to such a degree that he 
 would have welcomed death. 
 
 On the other hand, the Fairy Soussio sent Truitonne back 
 to the queen, who was anxiously waiting to know how the 
 nuptials had gone off. When she saw her daughter, and 
 heard from her lips all that had happened, she put herself in 
 a teri'ible passion, which recoiled upon the poor Florine. 
 "She shall repent more than once," said the queen, "her 
 fascination of Charmant ! " She ascended the tower, with 
 Truitonne, whom she had dressed in her richest clothes, with 
 a crown of diamonds on her head, a royal mantle, the train 
 of which was borne by three daughters of the richest barons 
 in the realm, and on her thumb King Charmant's ring, which 
 Florine had noticed the day they conversed together. Florine 
 was greatly surprised to see Truitonne in such pompous 
 apparel. " My daughter has come to bring you a wedding 
 present," said the queen. " King Charmant has espoused her; 
 he loves her to distraction; never has there been such a 
 happy couple." Thereupon they displayed to the princess 
 heaps of gold and silver tissues, jewels, lace, and ribbons, con- 
 tained in large baskets of gold filigree work. In presenting 
 these objects, Truitonne took care Florine should see King 
 Charmant's brilliant ring, so that not being able to doubt her 
 misfortune, she told them, with an air of desperation, to take 
 from ter sight such fatal gifts, that she would wear nothing 
 but black, and, indeed, that she should soon be dead. So 
 saying, she fainted, and the cruel queen, delighted to have 
 succeeded so well, would not permit any one to assist her; 
 but left her alone in the most wretched state imaginable, and 
 went and maliciously reported to the king that his daughter 
 was so madly in love, that nothing could equal the extrava- 
 gancies she committed, and that great care should be taken 
 to prevent her quitting the tower. The king told her to 
 manage the matter exactly as she pleased, and that he should 
 be perfectly satisfied. 
 
46 THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 When the princess recovered from her swoon, and began to 
 reflect on the conduct they had pursiied towards her, on the 
 ill-treatment of her wicked stepmother, and the utter extinc- 
 tion of her hope one day to become the wife of King 
 Charmant, her anguish became so keen that she wept the 
 whole night long. In this wretched condition she sat at an 
 open window uttering the most tender and touching lamenta- 
 tions. When day began to break she shut the window, but 
 continued to weep. The following night she again opened 
 the window, sobbing and sighing profoundly, and shedding a 
 torrent of tears. Morning dawned, and she hid herself in the 
 recesses of her chamber. In the meanwhile King Charmant, or, 
 to speak more correctly, the beautiful Blue Bird, never ceased 
 flying round the palace. He believed his dear princess was 
 conflned in it, and if her lamentations were distressing, his 
 were no less so. He approached the windows as near as he 
 could in order to look into the apartments ; but the dread of 
 being perceived and recognised by Truitoune prevented his 
 doing exactly as he wished. " It would cost me my life," 
 said he to himself " Should these wicked princesses discover 
 where I am they would be revenged upon me ; I must keep 
 aloof, or be exposed to the utmost peril." For these reasons 
 he took the greatest precautions, and rarely sang except 
 during the night. There happened to be an excessively lofty 
 cypress immediately in front of the window at which Florine 
 usually sat. The Blue Bird perched upon it, and had scarcely 
 done so when he heard some one complaining. " How much 
 longer shall I suffer?" said the mourner; "will not death 
 kindly come to my aid 1 Those who fear him see him too 
 soon — I long for his coming, and he cruelly flies me. — Oh, 
 barbarous queen ! what have I done to thee that thou sl¥)uldst 
 detain me in this horrible captivity? Hast thou not ways 
 enough to torment me? Thou hast only to make me witness 
 of the happiness thy unworthy daughter enjoys in the society 
 of King Charmant!" The Blue Bird had not lost one 
 syllable of this complaint. He was so surprised that he 
 awaited daylight with the greatest impatience in order to 
 behold the afflicted lady, but before the morning dawned she 
 had closed her window and retired. The Bird, whose curiosity 
 was awakened, failed not to return the following night. It 
 was moonlight, and he saw a girl at a window of the tower, 
 
THE BLUE BIRD. 47 
 
 who commenced her lamentations. "0 Fortune!" she ex- 
 claimed ; " thou who flatteredst me with the prospect of 
 reigning ; thou who hadst restored to me a father's love ; 
 what have I done to deserve being plunged thus suddenly 
 into the bitterest gi'ief? Is it at so early an age as mine that 
 mortals begin to experience thy inconstancy 1 Return, thou 
 cruel one ; return, if possible ! The only favour I implore of 
 thee is to end my unhappy fate ! " The Blue Bird listened 
 attentively, and the more he did so, the more convinced he 
 became that it was his amiable princess who was thus 
 bewailing. " Adorable Florine," he cried, " wonder of our 
 days, why do you desire so speedily to terminate your own? 
 Your misfortunes are not without remedy ! " " Ah ! who 
 speaks to me," cried she, " in such consoling language?" "An 
 unfortunate king," replied the Bird, "who loves you, and will 
 never love any other than you." " A king who loves me !" re- 
 joined Florine; "is this a snare set for me by my enemy? 
 But after all, what would she gain by it? If she seeks to 
 discover my sentiments, I am ready to own them to her 
 frankly!" "No, my Princess," replied the Bird; "the lover 
 who addresses you is incapable of betraying you," — and as he 
 uttered these words he flew to the window. Florine was at 
 first much alarmed at the appearance of so extraordinary a 
 bird, who spoke with as much sense as if he had been a man, 
 and yet in the small sweet voice of a nightingale. The 
 beauty of his plumage, however, and the words he uttered, 
 soon reassured her, " Am I then permitted once more to 
 behold you, my Princess!" he exclaimed. "Can I taste of 
 such perfect happiness and not die with joy! But, alas! 
 how much is that happiness troubled by your captivity, and 
 the condition to which the wicked Soussio has reduced me 
 for seven years ! " " And who are you, charming Bird," in- 
 quired the Princess, caressing him. " You have pronounced 
 my name," said the king, " and you pretend you do not know 
 me?" "How! the greatest monarch in the world, King 
 Charmant ! " cried the Princess ; " can the little bird I hold 
 in my hand be he ? " " Alas, beautiful Florine, it is but too 
 true!" replied the Bird; "and if anything can console me, it is 
 the feeling that I preferred this pain to that of renouncing 
 my love for you." " For me !" said Florine ; " ah, do not 
 attempt to deceive me. I know, I know that you have 
 
48 THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 married Truitonne. I recognised your ring upon her hand. 
 I saw her blazing with the diamonds you had given to her. 
 She came to insult me in my sad prison, wearing the rich 
 crown and royal mantle she had received from your hands, 
 while I was laden with chains and fetters." " You have seen 
 Truitonne so aiTayed t " internipted the king. " She and her 
 mother have dared to tell you those jewels came from me? — 
 Heaven! is it possible that I hear such awful falsehoods, 
 and that I cannot instantly avenge myself on the utterers ! 
 Know, that they tried to deceive me, that by a base use of 
 your name they succeeded in causing me to carry off the ugly 
 Tj'uitoune; but the instant I discovered my error I endeavoured 
 to fly from her, and eventually prefeired being a Blue Bird 
 for seven long years to failing in the troth I had plighted to 
 you." 
 
 Florine felt such lively pleasure in listening to the explana- 
 tion of her amiable lover, that she no longer remembered the 
 misery of her prison. What did she not say to him to con- 
 sole him under his sad circumstances, and to assure him that 
 she would do no less for him than he had done for her ! Day 
 dawned, and the majority of the officers of the royal house- 
 hold had risen before the Blue Bird and the princess had 
 ceased convening. It cost them a thousand pangs to part, 
 after agreeing that they would meet every night in the same 
 manner. 
 
 Their delight at having found each other was so great that 
 there are no terms in which it can be expressed. Each, on 
 their own part, offered up their thanks to Love and Fortune ; 
 but Florine's happiness was alloyed by her anxiety respecting 
 the Blue Bird. '-' Who will preserve him from the sports- 
 men," she asked, " or from the sharp talons of some eagle or 
 hungry vulture, who will eat him with as much relish as if he 
 was not a great king ? Heaven ! what would become of 
 me if some of his light and delicate feathers, borne on the 
 breeze to my window, announced to me the dreaded disaster 1 " 
 This idea prevented the poor princess closing her eyes, for 
 when one loves, fancies appear like facts, and what one would 
 at another time think impossible, seems certain to happen ; so 
 she passed the day in tears till the hour arrived for her to 
 return to the window. 
 
 The charming Bird, hidden in a hollow tree, had been all 
 
THE BLUE BIRD. 49 
 
 day occupied by the thought of his beautiful princess. " How- 
 happy I am," said he, " to have found her ! — How fascinating 
 she is! — How deeply I appreciate the favour she shows me!" 
 The tender lover counted up every moment of the time he 
 ■was condemned to pass in the shape which prevented his 
 marrying her, and never was the termination of a period 
 desired more ardently. As he was anxious to pay Florine 
 every attention in his power, he flew to the capital city of his 
 own kingdom, alighted on his palace, entered his cabinet 
 through a broken pane of glass in one of the windows, pounced 
 on a pair of diamond ear-rings, so perfect and beautiful that 
 none in the world could be compared to them, took them that 
 evening to Florine, and begged her to wear them. " I would 
 do so," she said, " if you visited me by daylight ; but as I 
 only see you at night, you must excuse me." The Bird pro- 
 mised he would contrive to come to the tower whenever she 
 wished; upon which she put the ear-rings in her ears, and 
 the night passed in tender conversation as the preceding had 
 done. 
 
 The next day the Blue Bird returned to his kingdom, went 
 to his palace, entered his cabinet by the broken window, and 
 brought away the richest bracelets that had ever been seen. 
 Each was made of a single emerald cut facet-wise, and hol- 
 lowed in the middle so as to enable the wearer to pass her 
 hands and arms through them. " Do you imagine," said the 
 Princess to him, " that my affection for you can be measured 
 by presents? Ah, how you misjudge me!" "No, Madam," 
 replied he ; "I do not believe that the trifles I ofier you are 
 necessary for the preservation of your love : but mine will 
 not permit me to neglect the least opportunity of evincing my 
 respect for you, and when I am absent these little trinkets 
 will recal me to your mind." Florine said a thousand kind 
 things to him on the subject, to which he replied by as many 
 no less tender. 
 
 The following night the fond Bird brought to his feir one 
 a moderate sized watch, which was encased in a single pearl, the 
 workmanship of which siu*passed even the material. " It is 
 useless to present me with a watch," said the princess, sweetly. 
 " When you are absent the hours seem endless to me, and 
 when you are with me they pass like a dream, so that I can- 
 not exactly measui'e them." " Alas, my Princess," exclaimed 
 
50 THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 the Blue Bird, " I am exactly of your mind, and am certain 
 that I feel the pain of absence and the pleasure of return 
 even more deeply than you do!" "After what you have 
 suffered to keep faith with me," replied the princess, " I am 
 bound to believe that your affection and respect cannot be 
 carried further." 
 
 As soon as morning appeared, the Bird flew back to his 
 hollow tree, where he lived upon wild fruits. Sometimes he 
 sang the finest airs, to the great delight of all who passed that 
 way. They could see no one, so they fancied it must be the 
 voice of a spirit. This opinion became so prevalent, that 
 at last nobody dared enter the wood. A thousand fabulous 
 adventures were related of those who had done so, and the 
 general alarm ensured the safety of the Blue Bird. Not a day 
 passed without his making Florine some present, either a pearl 
 necklace, or the most brilliant and curiously wrought rings, 
 diamond loops, bodkins, and bouquets of jewels in imitation 
 of natural flowers, entertaining books, interesting medals, till 
 at last she possessed a heap of marvellous valuables. She 
 wore her jewels only by night to please the king, and in the 
 day-time, having no other place to put them in, she hid them 
 carefully in the straw of her mattress. 
 
 Two years thus passed away without Florine once com- 
 plaining of her captivity. How could she? She had the 
 gratification of conversing all night with him she loved. 
 Never were there made so many pretty speeches. Though 
 the Bird never saw any one, and passed the whole day in 
 a hollow tree, they had a thousand new things to tell one 
 another. The matter was inexhaustible. Their love and their 
 ■wit furnished them with abundant subjects of convei-sation. 
 
 In the meanwhile the malicious queen, who detained her 
 so cruelly in prison, vainly endeavoured to marry off Trui- 
 tonne. She sent ambassadors with proposals to all the princes 
 she knew the names of: but they were bowed out almost as 
 soon as they arrived. " If your mission was respecting the 
 Princess Florine, you would be received with joy," was the 
 answer ; " but as for Truitonne, she may remain a vestal 
 without any one objecting." 
 
 These tidings infuriated both mother and daughter against 
 the innocent princess whom they persecuted. " How! — does 
 this arrogant creature continue to thwart us notwithstanding 
 
THE BLUE BIRD. 51 
 
 her captivity'?" cried they. "Never can we forgive the inju- 
 ries she has done us ! She must have private correspondence 
 with foreign governments ; she is therefore guilty, at the least, 
 of high treason. Let us act on this suspicion, and use every 
 possible means to convict her." 
 
 They sat so late in council together on this point, that it 
 was past midnight when they determined to ascend the tower 
 to interrogate Florine. She was at the window with the Blue 
 Bird, arrayed in all her jewels, and her beautiful hair dressed 
 with a nicety not usual in afflicted persons. Her apartment 
 and her bed were strewed with flowers, and some Spanish 
 pastilles she had been burning diffused an exquisite perfume. 
 The queen listened at the door. She fancied she heard an 
 air sung by two persons, (Florine had an almost heavenly 
 voice,) and the following words appeared to be given with 
 great expression : — 
 
 " Oh, how wretched is our lot, 
 And what pangs endure we not. 
 
 Loving thus — thus forced to sever! 
 But, though deep indeed our woes. 
 In despite of cruel foes, 
 
 Our fond hearts are join'd for ever." 
 
 A few deep sighs were heard at the termination of this little 
 concert. 
 
 " Ah, my Truitonne ! we are betrayed," exclaimed the 
 queen, suddenly opening the door and rushing into the room. 
 Fancy the alarm of Florine at this sight! She promptly 
 pushed open the casement, in order to give the Royal Bird 
 an opportunity to fly off" unperceived. She was much more 
 anxious about his preservation than her own ; but he felt he 
 had not the power to fly. His piercing eyes had discovered 
 the peril to which the princess was exposed. He had caught 
 sight of the queen and Truitonne. How great his misery to 
 know he was not in a state to defend her ! They approached 
 her like furies bent on devouring her. "Your intrigues 
 against the state are detected," cried the queen. "Do not 
 imagine your rank can save you from the punishment you 
 deserve." "Intrigues with whom, Madam]" inquired the 
 princess. "Have you not been my jailor these two years? 
 Have I seen any other persons than those you have sent to 
 me ? " Whilst she spoke, the queen and her daughter 
 
 k2 
 
52 THE BLUE 13IIID. 
 
 examined her with unparalleled surprise. Her admirable 
 beauty, and the extraordiuary splendour of her attire, com- 
 pletely dazzled them. "And whence have you obtained, 
 Madam," said the queen, "these jewels that outshine the 
 sun? Would you have us believe there are mines in this 
 tower?" " I have found them," answered Florine; " that is all 
 I know about it." The queen fixed her eyes upon Florine, 
 with a penetrating look, endeavouring to see what was passing 
 in the very core of her heart. " We are not your dupes," 
 she cried ; " you think you can deceive us : but, Princess, we 
 are aware of what you do from morning till night. These 
 jewels have been given to you with the sole object of inducing 
 you to sell your father's kingdom," " I am in a good position 
 to deliver it up," replied Florine, with a disdainful smile; 
 " an unfortunate princess, who has so long languished in cap- 
 tivity, can be of great service, certainly, in a conspii-acy of 
 . such a nature." " And for whom, then," added the queen, 
 " are your tresses so coquettishly dressed ? Your apartment 
 is redolent of perfumes, and your attire so magnificent, that 
 you could not be grander were you going to Court." " I have 
 plenty of time on my hand," said the princess ; " it is not 
 extraordinary I should strive to while away a few moments of 
 it in the cares of my toilet. I pass so many in weeping over 
 my misfortunes, that the innocent occupation of the others 
 cannot surely be a subject of reproach." "Aye, aye, indeed! 
 let us see," said the queen, " if this innocent person is not in 
 treaty with our enemies." She began to hunt everywhere, 
 and coming to the mattress she emptied it, and found such 
 an immense quantity of diamonds, pearls, rubies, emeralds, 
 and topazes, that she could not imagine where they all came 
 from. She had intended to hide in some place documents, 
 the discovery of which would inculpate the princess. So when 
 she thought nobody saw her, she was about to thrust them 
 into the chimney, but by good luck the Blue Bird was 
 perched upon it, who had eyes as sharp as a lynx, and who 
 heard everything. " Beware, Florine !" he cried ; " thy enemy 
 is committing some treason against thee." This voice, so 
 unexpected, frightened the queen so much, that she dared 
 not secrete the papers. " Madam," said the princess, " you 
 see that the spirits of the air are my friends." "I believe," 
 exclaimed the queen, in a paroxysm of rage, " that you are 
 
THE BLUE BIED. 53 
 
 leagued with demons; but, in spite of them, your father will 
 do himself justice." "Would to heaven," cried Florine, " I 
 had only to fear the fury of my father ! but yours, Madam, 
 is much more terrible." 
 
 The queen left her, greatly disturbed by all she had seen 
 and heard. She consulted with her friends, as to what should 
 be done to the princess. They observed, that, if she were 
 protected by some fairy or enchanter, any further persecution 
 of her would only irritate her powerful friend, and that it 
 would be better, first, to endeavour to discover the mystery. 
 The queen approved of this idea. She sent a young girl, who 
 affected extreme simplicity, to sleep in Florine's apartment, 
 under the pretence that she was placed there to wait upon 
 her. But it was not likely Florine would fall into so evident 
 a trap. The princess looked on her, of course, as a spy, and 
 it was impossible for her to feel more poignant affliction. 
 " What, then ! shall I never be able to converse again with 
 the Bird that is so dear to me!" said she. " He assisted me 
 to support my misfortunes. I consoled him. under his. Our 
 affection was everything to us ! What will become of him 1 
 What will become of me." Thinking of all these things, she 
 shed rivers of tears. She no longer dared go to the little 
 window, though she heard the Bird fluttering around it. She 
 was dying to open it ; but she feared exposing the life of her 
 dear lover. She passed a whole month, without appearing at 
 the casement. The Blue Bird was in despair. What com- 
 plaints did he not utter! How could he live without seeing 
 his princess! He had never so keenly felt the pangs of 
 absence and the misery of his metamorphosis. Vainly did he 
 endeavour to seek out a remedy for either. After racking 
 his brains, he could find no consolation anywhei-e, or in 
 anything. 
 
 The spy, who had watched day and night for a whole 
 month, felt quite overpowered with drowsiness, and at last 
 sunk into a sound slumber. Florine observed it. She opened 
 her little window and said — 
 
 "Bird as blue as cloudless sky, 
 Hither, hither quickly fly!" 
 
 We give her own words, without the slightest alteration. 
 The Bird heard them so distinctly that he was at the window 
 in an instant. What delight once more to behold each other ! 
 
54 THE BLUE BIED. 
 
 "SVhat a quantity of things they had to say to each other! 
 They renewed their vows of love and fideUty a thousand and 
 a thousand times. The princess being unable to restrain her 
 tears, her lover was much affected, and did his best to console 
 her. At last the hour of parting arrived, without the spy 
 awaking, and they bade each other farewell in the most 
 touching manner. 
 
 The next day the spy again fell asleep. The princess lost 
 no time in placing herself at the window, and calling as 
 before — 
 
 " Bird as blue as cloudless sky, 
 Hither, hither quickly fly! " 
 
 The Bird immediately arrived, and the night passed, like the 
 preceding one, without noise or discovery, at which the lovers 
 were delighted. They flattered themselves that the spy found 
 so much pleasure in sleeping, that she would do so every 
 night, and, in fact, the third passed as fortunately : but on 
 the one following, the sleeper, being disturbed by some noise, 
 listened, without appearing to be awake, and peeping as well 
 as she could, saw, by the light of the moon, the most beauti- 
 ful bird in the world, who talked to the princess, caressed 
 her with his claw, and pecked her gently with his bill. She 
 overheard part of their conversation, and was exceedingly 
 surprised ; for the Bird spoke like a lover, and the beautiful 
 Florine answered him most tenderly. Day broke. They 
 bade each other adieu ; and, as if they had a presentiment of 
 their coming misfortune, they parted with extreme sorrow. 
 The princess threw herself on her bed, bathed in tears, and 
 the king returned to his hollow tree. The spy ran to the 
 queen, and told her all she had seen and heard. The queen 
 sent for Truitonne and her confidants. They talked the 
 matter over for a long time, and arrived at the conclusion 
 that the Blue Bird was King Charmant. ""WTiat an affront !" 
 cried the queen. " What an affront, my Truitonne ! This 
 insolent princess, whom I fancied was so wretched, was 
 quietly enjoying the most agreeable conversation with that 
 vmgrateful prince ! Oh, I will have such a terrible revenge, 
 that it shall be the talk of the whole world I" Truitonne 
 be^ed her not to lose a moment, and as she considered her- 
 self more interested in the matter than the queen, she was 
 
THE BLUE BTBD. 55 
 
 ready to die ■with joy at the thought of all that would be 
 done to destroy the happiness of the lover and his mistress. 
 
 The queen sent the spy back to the tower, ordering her 
 not to evince any suspicion or curiosity, but to appear more 
 sleepy than ever. She went to bed early, and snored as 
 loudly as she could. The poor deceived princess, opening the 
 little window, called — 
 
 "Bird as blue as cloudless sky, 
 Hither, hither quickly fly ! " 
 
 but in vain she called him the whole night long. He came 
 not ; for the wicked queen had caused swords, knives, razors, 
 and daggers to be attached to the cypress-tree, so that when 
 he flew rapidly into it, these murderous weapons cut off" his 
 feet ; and he fell upon others which lacerated his wings, and 
 wounded him so, that with great diflSculty he reached his own 
 tree, leaving behind him a long track of blood. Why were 
 you not there, lovely Princess, to comfort that Royal Bird 1 
 And yet it would have been the death of her to have seen 
 him in so deplorable a condition. He took no care to save 
 his Ufe, persuaded that it was Florine who had been guilty of 
 this cruel treachery. " barbarous Princess !" he exclaimed, 
 mournfully, " is it thus thou repayest the most pure and 
 tender passion that ever was or will be ? If thou wouldst that 
 I should die, wherefore didst thou not thyself perform the 
 deed 1 Death had been sweet from thy hand. I sought thee 
 with so much love and confidence — I suffered for thee, and 
 suffered without complaining; and thou hast sacrificed me to 
 the most cruel of women, oiu- common enemy ! Thou hast 
 made thy peace with her at the price of my life ! It is thou, 
 Florine, — thou, who hast stabbed me ! Thou hast borrowed 
 the hand of Truitonne, and guided it to my bosom ! " This 
 fatal idea overwhelmed him, and he resolved to die. 
 
 But his friend the Enchanter, who had seen the flying 
 frogs return with the car, but without the king, was so 
 troubled to think what had become of him, that he went 
 eight times round the world in search of him. He was on a 
 ninth joiuney for the same purpose, when, in passing through 
 the wood in which the poor king was lying, he, according to 
 his usual custom, blew a long blast on his horn, and then 
 cried five times, in a loud voice, " King Channant ! — King 
 Charmant ! where art thoul" The king recognised the voice 
 
SB TSE BLUB BIRD. 
 
 of his best friend. " ApfBroaeii," he cried, " this tree, and 
 behold the vretdied Idi^ yoa Iotb, bathed in his blood I"" 
 The Enchanter, much sorpriaed, kxAed about him ereiy- 
 vfaere, vithoat seeing any one. ** I am a Blue Bird,^ ex- 
 daimed the Hn^ in a feeble and plaintiTe Toioe. At these 
 votds the Bndianter fiofond him, witiioot m<xe trouble, in his 
 little nest. Another pemm might have berai more astonished, 
 bat he was vened in ereiy portion oi the necromantic art. 
 It cost him bat a few mxds to .stanch the blood which was 
 feat flowii^; and with some hobs he found in the wood, and 
 over whidi he mattered a Aart qpdl, he cnred the king as 
 perfectly as if he had never been wounded. 
 
 He then bagged he would infiuni him throog^ what adven- 
 tare he had become a bird, and who had wounded him so 
 crnelly. The Im^ satasfied his cuiiosify, and told him that 
 it must have been FIcrine vdio had revealed the amorous 
 mysteiy of the secret visits he paid ho-,, and who, to make 
 ha" peace with the queen, had oonaented to have the cypress- 
 tzee filled with the daggets and raxova wiiidi had hadked him 
 almost to peoea. He ezdaimed a thousand times against 
 the treacheiy of the jKinoesB, and said he shoidd have be^i 
 h^py if he had died befixe he had known the wickedness of 
 her heart. The Magician inve^ied against her, and against 
 an the sex: he advised the ki^ to fevget hex. " What a 
 misfortane it would be," said he^ ** if you could continue to 
 love the ungrateful giri ! Aiker what she has been guilty of 
 towards you, one has everythii^ to fear from her." The Blue 
 %d ooidd not remain loog cl that opinion ; he still loved 
 FlorinB too deari^: and the Enchanter, who knew his real 
 aentiment^ notwitlntanding the pains he took to conceal 
 tfwm, and to him gaily, — 
 
 "CwqA'* br FottnA ot^ Htnr, 
 Vndy MemamTa wmtt i* keaid ; 
 We bnt BMea to ww woe, 
 Detf to ace ar MMtWas wvti. 
 Van eU Itoe lii woA tto do; 
 an ^mgt iMcOefrnnrade: 
 ■■* tSl ke tKDM it M onr liev, 
 BOTKlit tat diAMM it deKried." 
 
 The Royal 'Bird admitted the truth of the remark, and 
 begged his friend to take him iKMne and to put him in a cage, 
 where he would be safe from a cata paw, or any murderous 
 
THE BLUE BIBB. 57 
 
 weapon. " But," said the Enchanter, " will jou still rranaiu 
 fire years in a condition so deplorable, and so little suited to 
 your duties and your dignity f Fw, remember, you have 
 enemies who assert that yon are dead. They wookl seize 
 your kingdom. I mudi £ear you will lose it befixe yon 
 regain your propor fonn." ''Can I not," asked the king, 
 ^ enter my pabo^ and govern as I used to do t" " Oh," ex- 
 claimed his friend, "the case is altered ! Those vho would 
 obey a man, will not bow to a parrot : those who feared you 
 while a king, surrounded by grandeur and pomp, would be 
 the first to pluck out all your feathers^ now you are a little 
 bird." ^ Alas, for human weakness !" cried the king. " Al- 
 though a brilliant exterior is as nothii^ otmipared to merit 
 and virtue, it still possesBeB a power over the minds of men 
 ^diich it is difficult to oombaL Wdl," oontinned hei, ** let us 
 be f^iloeoi^iets, and de^Mse tiiat wfaidi we cannot obtain: 
 our lot will be none the worse ffx iL" *' I do not give up a 
 point so easQy," said the Magician; *< I still hope to hit upon 
 some means for your restoraticm." 
 
 Florine, — the wretdied Florine, — in deqiair at no longer 
 seeing the king^ passed hsx days and nights at the window, 
 repeating unceasing, — 
 
 " Bitd as Uae as doodfeM ckj, 
 Hitber, Utker ^axkly 1}'!*' 
 
 The presence of her watdifid attendant did not prevent her; 
 her despair was so great that she was cardess ofconseqiienoeaL 
 ''What has beonne of you. King Ghannantl" she cried. 
 " Have our mutoal enemies canaed yoa to fed the crod 
 effects of thdr ngel Have yoa feUen a sacrifice to tfadr 
 fiuy ? Alas, alas ! are you no more ? ShaQ I never again 
 bdiold you I or, weary Of my woes, have you abandcMied me 
 to my hard fete!" What tears, what sofas followed these 
 tender complaints ! How did the ahsence of so dear and so 
 amiable a lover lengthen the dreary horns of her captivity ! 
 The princess, oppressed, ill, thin, and aidly altered, could 
 scarcdy sostain hetself ; diie felt convinced that everything 
 most fetal had oceorred to the king. 
 
 The quean and Truitonne triumphed. Thdr levei^ gave 
 them more pleasure than the c^Eenoe had caused them annoy- 
 ance. And what was tins oflfeao^ nSUa aU{ King Charmaut 
 
58 THE BLUE BEELD. 
 
 had refused to marry a little monster he had a thousand rea- 
 sons to hate. In the meantime Florine's father, who had 
 reached a considerable age, fell ill and died. The fortunes of 
 the wicked queen and her daughter assumed a new aspect. 
 They were looked upon as favourites, who had abused their 
 influence. The people rose, and ran in a body to the palace, 
 demanding the Princess Florine, whom alone they would 
 recognise as their sovereign. The enraged queen endeavoured 
 to carry matters with a high hand ; she appeared in a balcony, 
 and threatened the insurgents. The revolt became general ; 
 they broke into her apartments, pillaged them, and stoned 
 her to death ! Truitonne fled for protection to her godmother, 
 the Fairy Soussio, or she would have shared the fete of her 
 mother. The grandees of the kingdom met immediately, and 
 ascended the tower, where the princess was lying very ill. 
 She knew neither of the death of her father, nor of the punish- 
 ment of her enemy. When she heard the noise of persons 
 approaching, she had no doubt but that they were coming to 
 lead her to death. She was not in the least alarmed, for life 
 had become hateful to her since she had lost the Blue Bird. 
 Her subjects, flinging themselves at her feet, informed her of 
 the happy change in her fortunes. She was quite indifferent 
 to it. They carried her to the palace and crowned her. The 
 great care that was taken of her health, and her own desire to 
 seek out the Blue Bird, combined to restore her, and she was 
 soon enabled to nominate a council to govern the kingdom 
 during her absence. She then provided hei-self with jewels 
 to the value of a thousand millions of francs, and set out on 
 her journey one night quite alone, without any one's knowing 
 whither she was gone. The Enchanter, who managed the 
 affairs of King Charmant, not having sufficient power to undo 
 what Soussio had done, decided upon seeking her and pro- 
 posing some arrangement, under favour of which she would 
 restore the king to his natural form. He ordered out his 
 frogs and flew to the Fairy, who was at that moment in con- 
 versation with Truitonne. Enchanters and fairies are on an 
 equal footing. These two had known each other for five or 
 six hundred years, and during that time had quarrelled and 
 made it up again a thousand times at least. She received 
 him very politely. "What would my Gossip?" said she, (it 
 is thus they all address one another.) " Is there anything in 
 
THE BLUE BIRD. 59 
 
 my power that I can do for himi" "Yes, Gossip," answered 
 the Magician, " you can do everything I desire : it concerns 
 one of my best friends, a king whom you have made very 
 unhappy." " Aha! I understand you. Gossip!" cried Soussio. 
 " I'm very sorry, but he has no mercy to hope for, unless 
 he consent to marry my god-daughter. There she is in all her 
 beauty, as you may see. Let him consider of it." 
 
 The Enchanter was almost struck dumb at the sight of her, 
 so hideous did she appear to him; nevertheless, he could not 
 resolve to leave, without coming to something hke an agree- 
 ment with Soussio, for the king had run a thovisand risks 
 since he had lived in a cage. The nail on which the cage had 
 been suspended had broken, and the cage, of course, had fallen 
 to the ground with a severe shock to his feathered majesty. 
 Minet, the cat, who happened to be in the room when this 
 accident happened, gave the poor king a scratch on the eye, 
 which nearly deprived him of the sight of it. On another 
 occasion, they had neglected to give him any fresh water, and 
 he barely escaped having the pip. A little rogue of a monkey, 
 who had got loose, caught hold of some of his feathers through 
 the bars of the cage, and spared him as little as he would 
 have done a jay or a blackbird. But the worst of all was, 
 that he was on the point of losing his kingdom. His heirs 
 were daily trumping up some stories to prove he was dead. 
 So, finally, the Enchanter came to an undei-standing with his 
 gossip Soussio, that she should bring Truitonne to King 
 Charmant's palace, where she should reside for some months, 
 which time the king should be allowed to make up his mind 
 to many her, and that during that period Soussio would 
 permit him to resume his original form, with the proviso 
 that he should become a Bird again if he ultimately refused 
 to espouse her god-daughter. 
 
 The Fairy presented Truitonne with some magnificent 
 dresses, all of gold and silver, then seated her on a pillion 
 behind herself on a dragon, and proceeded directly to the 
 kingdom of Charmant, whom they found there with his faith- 
 ful friend the Enchanter. Three taps of Soussio's wand, and 
 King Charmant was again the handsome, amiable, intelligent, 
 and munificent sovereign he had been before his transforma- 
 tion ; but dearly bought was the reprieve accorded to him. 
 The more thought of marrying Truitonne made him shudder,. 
 
60 THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 The Enchanter reasoned with him as well as he was able, but 
 made little impression on his mind. The king was less occu- 
 pied with the government of his dominions, than with devis- 
 ing means to prolong the period Soussio had allowed should 
 elapse previous to his marriage with Truitonne. 
 
 In the meanwhile Queen Florine, disguised as a peasant, 
 with her hair all dishevelled and hanging about her ears to 
 conceal her features, a straw hat on her head, and a sack upon 
 her shoulder, proceeded on her journey, sometimes walking, 
 sometimes riding, now by sea, now by land, making all 
 possible haste ; but not being certain of her road, fearing every 
 turn she took might be in the wrong direction, and 
 lead her from her amiable monarch instead of towards him. 
 One day that she had stopped to rest herself beside a fountain, 
 whose silvery waters flowed leaping over the little pebbles, she 
 thought she would take that opportunity of washing her feet. 
 She accordingly sat down upon the grassy bank, tied up her 
 fair locks with a ribbon, and put her feet into the little stream. 
 She looked like Diana bathing on her return from the chase. 
 A little old woman who, bent almost double and leaning on 
 a stout stick, was passing that way, stopped, and said to her, 
 " What are you doing there, my pretty girl, all alone by your- 
 self? " " My good mother," answered the queen, " I have 
 plenty of company, for I am beset by sorrows, anxieties, and 
 misfortunes ! " and at these words her eyes filled with tears, 
 " How ! so young and weeping," said the good woman, " Ah, 
 my child, do not give way to sorrow ; tell me truly what is 
 the matter, and I hope I may be able to comfort you." The 
 queen willingly told her all her misfortunes, the conduct of 
 the Faiiy Soussio, and how she was at present in quest of the 
 Blue Bird. 
 
 The little old woman drew herself up as straight as pos- 
 sible, changed suddenly her whole appearance, became lovely, 
 young, and superbly attired, and smiling graciously on the 
 queen, said, " Incomparable Florine, the king you seek is no 
 longer a bird ; my sister Soussio has restored him to his former 
 shape. He is in his own kingdom. Do not afflict yourself; 
 you will reach it, and succeed in your design. Here are four 
 eggs; break one of them whenever you are most in need of 
 assistance, and you will find in it what will be useful." As she 
 ended these words she disappeared, Florine felt much consoled 
 
THE BLUE BIRD. 61 
 
 by what she had heard ; she put the eggs in her sack, and 
 resumed her journey towards the kingdom of Charmant. 
 
 After walking eight days and nights without stopping, she 
 arrived at the foot of a mountain, prodigiously high, all of 
 ivory, and so steep that one could not keep one's footing upon 
 it. She made a thousand vain attempts, stepping down every 
 time, till tired out, and in despair at meeting with so insur- 
 mountable an obstacle, she laid herself down at the bottom of 
 the mountain, determined to die there, when she recollected 
 the eggs the Fairy had given her. 
 
 She took one out of her sack. " Let us see," she said, " if 
 the giver was not making game of me when she promised 
 that I should find help in them in my need!" She broke it, 
 and found inside some little golden cramps, which she fas- 
 tened on her hands and feet. By the aid of them she climbed 
 up the ivory mountain without the least trouble, for the 
 points of the cramps entered the ivory, and prevented her 
 slipping. When she had reached the top, she found herself in 
 equal difficulty respecting the descent. All the valley was 
 one sheet of looking-glass, around which upwards of sixty 
 thousand women were standing and admiring themselves in 
 it extremely, for this looking-glass was full two leagues in 
 breadth, and six in height. Every one appeared in it exactly 
 as they wished to be. The carroty-haired seemed to have 
 locks of gold; a bad coarse brown appeared a glossy raven 
 black. The old looked young — the young never looked older ; 
 in fine, no fault could be seen in this wonderful mirror, and, 
 consequently, it was resorted to by the fair sex from all parts 
 of the world. It was enough to make you die of laughing to 
 see the airs and graces the majority of these coquettes gave 
 themselves. Nor were the men less eager to consult this 
 magical mirror, which was equally pleasing to them. To 
 some it seemed to give fine curly hair, to others taller stature 
 or better shape, a more martial mien or a nobler deportment ; 
 the ladies they laughed at laughed at them no less in return ; 
 so that the mountain was called by a thousand different 
 names. No one had ever been able to get to the top of it, 
 and therefore when Florine appeared on the summit, the 
 ladies uttered shrieks of despair! "Where is that mad 
 creature going?" they cried. " No doubt she knows how to 
 walk upon glass, or the fii-st step she takes she will break our 
 
62 THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 R-iirror to pieces!" — upon which arose a terrible hubbub. 
 The queen knew not what to do, for she saw the imminent 
 danger of descending by that road. She broke another egg, 
 out of which issued two pigeons attached to a car, which at 
 the same time became sufficiently large for her to seat herself 
 in it comfortably. The pigeons then gently descended with 
 the queen, and alighted at the bottom without the least acci- 
 dent. " My little friends," said she to them, " if you will 
 convey me to the spot where King Charmant holds his court, 
 you will not oblige an ungrateful person." The civil and 
 obedient pigeons rested neither day nor night till they arrived 
 at the gates of the city. Florine alighted, and gave each of 
 them a sweet kiss, worth more than a royal diadem. 
 
 Oh, how her heart beat as she entered the city! She 
 stained her face that she might not be recognised. She 
 inquired of some passengers where she could see the king. 
 Some of them began to laugh at her. " See the king ! " said 
 they; "ho! what dost thou want with him, my young slutl 
 Go, go, and clean yourself! your eyes are not worthy the 
 sight of such a monarch." The queen made no reply, but 
 passed on quietly, and asked the next persons she met the 
 same question, — where should she place hei^self in order to see 
 the king. " He is to go to the temple to-morrow with the 
 Princess Truitonne, for he has at last consented to espouse 
 her," was the answer. * 
 
 Heavens! what tidings! Truitonne, the worthless Trui- 
 tonne, on the eve of marriage with the king! Florine felt 
 dying ! she had no longer power to speak or move. She sank 
 down on a heap of stones under a gateway, her face covered 
 by her dishevelled hair and her large straw hat. " Unfortu- 
 nate creature that I am ! " cried she ; " I have come hither 
 but to swell the triumph of my rival, and witness her delight ! 
 It was for her, then, the Blue Bud deserted me ! It was for 
 this little monster that he was guilty of the most cruel incon- 
 stancy ! While, plunged in grief, I trembled for his life, the 
 traitor had already changed, and thinking no more of me 
 than if he had never seen me, left me to lament his absence 
 without a sigh!" When people are very miserable, they 
 rarely have much appetite, so the poor queen sought out a 
 lodging for the night, and went to bed without any supper. 
 She rose with the sun, and hastened to the temple. After 
 
THE BLUE BHtD. 63 
 
 repfeted rebuffs from the soldiers and attendants, she suc- 
 ceeded in obtaining admission. There she saw the king's 
 throne and that of Truitonne, whom the people already looked 
 upon as queen. What affliction for so fond, so sensitive a 
 creature as Florine ! She approached the throne of her rival, 
 and stood there leaning against a marble pillar. The king 
 arrived first, looking more handsome and more fascinating 
 than ever. Truitonne followed him, richly attired, and ugly 
 enough to frighten everybody. She frowned on perceiving 
 the queen. " Who art thou," said she, " to dare thus 
 approach our august person and oxir golden throne 1" " I am 
 called Mie Souillon," replied Florine ; " I come from a great 
 distance to sell you some curiosities ! " and so saying, she took 
 out of her sack the emerald bracelets which King Charmant 
 had given to her. "Aha!" said Truitonne; "these are 
 pretty glass ornaments. Will you take a five-sous piece for 
 them 1 " " Show them. Madam, to some connoisseur," said 
 the queen, " and then we will make our bargain." Truitonne, 
 who was as fond of the king as such a creature could be, and 
 delighted to have a reason for addressing him, approached his 
 throne, and showed him the bracelets, requesting his opinion 
 of their value. The sight of them immediately recalled to 
 him those he had given to Florine. He turned pale, sighed, 
 and remained for some time without speaking; at length, 
 fearing the observations that might be made upon the agita- 
 tion his conflicting emotions had occasioned, he made an 
 effort to compose himself, and answered, "I believe these 
 bracelets to be worth almost as much as my kingdom. I 
 imagined thei-e was but one such pair in the world ; but here 
 is certainly another very Uke it." Truitonne returned to her 
 throne, seated on which she looked less noble than an oyster 
 in its sliell. She asked the queen what was the least price 
 she set upon the bracelets. " You would find it difficult to 
 pay. Madam," she answered ; " I had better propose to you 
 another sort of bargain. If you will obtain permission for 
 me to sleep one night in the Cabinet of Echos, which is in 
 the king's palace, I will make you a present of my emeralds." 
 " Willingly, Mie Souillon ! " said Truitonne, laughing like an 
 idiot, and showing teeth longer than the tusks of a wild boar. 
 Tlie king made no inquiry as to whence the bracelets came, 
 less from indifference to the person by whom they were pre- 
 
64 THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 sented, (indeed, her appearance was not such as to inspire 
 much curiosity,) than from the invincible repugnance he felt 
 to Truitonne. Now, it is fit you should know that while he 
 was a Blue Bird, he had told the Princess Florine that beneath 
 his apartments there was a cabinet, which was called the 
 Cabinet of Echos, so ingeniously constructed that the slightest 
 whispers uttered therein could be heard by the king when 
 reposing in his bedchamber ; and as Florine's intention was to 
 reproach him for his inconstancy, she could not have imagined 
 a better method. 
 
 She was conducted to the cabinet by order of Truitonne, 
 and immediately began her complaints and lamentations. 
 
 " The misfortune I would fain have doubted is but too 
 certain, cruel Blue Bird ! " she cried. " Thou hast forgotten me ! 
 Thou lovest my unworthy rival. The bracelets which I re- 
 ceived from thy disloyal hand could awake no remembrance 
 of me, so entirely hast thou banished me from thy recollec- 
 tion!" Her sobs here choked her utterance, and when she 
 was again able to speak, she resumed her lamentations, and 
 continued them till daybreak. The king's valets-de-chambre, 
 who had heard her moan and sigh all night long, told Trui- 
 tonne, who inquired why she had made such a disturbance. 
 The queen answered that when she slept soundly she was in 
 the habit of dreaming, and often talked aloud in her sleep. 
 As to the king, by a strange fatality he had not heard her. 
 Since he had been so deeply in love with Florine, he never could 
 sleep, so that when he went to bed they gave him a dose of 
 opium, in order to obtain for him some repose. 
 
 The queen passed a part of the day in great anxiety. " If 
 he heard me," thought she, " there never yet was such cruel 
 indifference. If he did not hear me, how shall I manage to 
 make him do sol" She possessed no more extraordinary 
 curiosities; she had plenty of beautiful jewels; but it was 
 necessary to find something which should particularly take 
 the fancy of Truitonne. She therefore had recoiu-se to her 
 eggs. She broke one, and out of it came immediately a coach 
 of polished steel, inlaid with gold, drawn by six green mice, 
 driven by a rose-coloured rat, and the postilion, who was also 
 one of the rat tribe, was of a greyish violet coloux-. In the 
 coach sat four puppets, more lively and sprightly than any 
 that were ever seen at the fairs of St. Germain or St. Laurent. 
 
THE BLUE BIRD. 65 
 
 They could do all sorts of wonderful things, particularly two 
 little gipsies, who, for dancing a saraband or a jig, would not 
 have yielded the palm to Leance. ^ 
 
 The queen stood enraptured at the sight of this new 
 masterpiece of necromantic art. She remained perfectly 
 quiet till the evening, which was the time Truitonne usually 
 took an airing. She posted herself in one of the walks, and 
 set the mice galloping with the coach, rats, and puppets. 
 This novelty so astonished Truitonne, that she called out two 
 or three times — " Mie Souillon ! — Mie Souillon ! will you 
 take five sous for your coach and set of mice ? " " Ask the 
 men of letters and learned doctors of this kingdom," said 
 Florine, " what such a wonder is worth, and I will abide by 
 the valuation of the best judge." Truitonne, who was impera- 
 tive about everything, replied, " Without offending me longer 
 by thy filthy presence, tell me the price." " All I ask," said 
 Florine, " is to sleep again in the Cabinet of Echoes." " Go, 
 poor idiot," answered Truitonne, " thou shalt have thy wish " 
 and, turning to her ladies-in-waiting, " There's a stupid crea- 
 ture," said she, "to reap no greater advantage firom such 
 curiosities ! " 
 
 Night came. Florine uttered all the most touching re- 
 proaches she could think of ; but as vainly as before, for the 
 king never omitted taking his opium. The valets-de-chambre 
 said to one another, " That country wench must surely be 
 mad ! What is she muttering about all night ? " " Notwith- 
 standing," observed some, " there is both reason and feeling 
 in what she says." She waited impatiently for morning, to 
 ascertain what effect her words had produced. " ^Vhat," she 
 cried, "has this barbarous man become deaf to my voice? Will 
 
 (1) The fairs of St. Germain and St. Laurent were two of the principal fairs in 
 Paris, and their theatres and puppet-shows were much frequented. To the 
 "Theatre de la Foire" we are indebted for the French " Opera Comique," and the 
 creation of those charming " Folies Dramatiques," which I have attempted to imi- 
 tate in my extravaganzas. The principal puppet-show was that of Briochfe, who is 
 said to have been the inventor of " Les Marionettes." He is mentioned by Boileau 
 in his Seventh Epistle : " Non loin de la place oil Brioche preside," which was in 
 the Rue Mazarine. It is of him Leander, in the next story (Prince Sprite) buys the 
 monkeys (.vide p. 91). The name of Leance does not occur in the earliest list of 
 dancers I have seen, or amongst those mentioned by the Marquis de Dan^eau in his 
 Diary ; I am therefore in doubt whether Madame d'Aulnoy alludes to a celebrated 
 ballet-dancer or an equally popular puppet. The saraband was a dance introduced 
 into Spain by the Moors. The jig, from the Teutonic gieg, a fiddle, though of Eng- 
 lish invention, was adopted in most European nations. 
 
 r 
 
6G THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 he no longer listen to his dear Florine ? Oh, how weak am I to 
 love him still ! How well do I deserve the scorn with which 
 he treats me !" But in vain did she so reason; she could not 
 divest herself of her affection for him. 
 
 There was but one more egg left in her sack, to afford her 
 further assistance. She broke it, and out came a pie com- 
 posed of six birds, which were larded, dressed, and quite ready 
 for eating; yet, nevertheless, sang admirably, told fortunes, 
 and knew more about medicine than Esculapius himself. 
 The queen was enchanted at the sight of such a wonderful 
 affair, and carried her talking pie into Truitonne's ante- 
 chamber. While waiting for her to pass, one of the king's 
 valets-de-chambre came up to her, and said, " My friend, 
 Mie Souillon, are you aware that if the king did not take 
 opium to make him sleep, you would disturb him dreadfully ? 
 for you chatter all night long in the most extraordinary 
 manner." 
 
 Florine was no longer surprised that the king had not 
 heard her : she took a handful of jewels out of her sack, and 
 said, " I fear so little interrupting the king's repose, that if 
 you will prevent his taking opium to-night, presuming that I 
 sleep in the Cabinet of Echoes, all these pearls and diamonds 
 shall be yours." The valet-de-chambre consented, and gave 
 her his word on the matter. 
 
 A few minutes afterwards, Truitonne arrived. She perceived 
 the queen, with her pie, which she pretended to be eating. 
 " What dost thou there, Mie Souillon 1" said Truitonne to her. 
 " Madam," replied Florine, " I am eating astrologei*s, musi- 
 cians, and physicians." At the same moment all the birds 
 began to sing more melodiously than syrens, and then to cry, 
 " Give us a piece of silver, and we'U tell you your fortune." 
 A duck that was particularly prominent, called out, in a voice 
 louder than any of the others, " Quack ! quack ! quack ! quack ! 
 I am a physician ; I cure all disorders and every sort of mad- 
 ness, exeept that of love." Truitonne, more surprised at so 
 many wonders than ever she had been in her life, vowed it 
 was an excellent pie, and that she would have it. " Come, 
 come, Mie Souillon, what shall I give thee for it ?" " The 
 usual price," answered Florine; "permission to sleep in the 
 Cabinet of Echoes — nothing more." " Hold ! " said Truitonne, 
 generously (for she was in a capital humour, in consequence 
 
THE BLUE BEELD. 67 
 
 of her acquisition of such a pie), " thou shalt have a pistole 
 into the bargain." Florine, happier than she had yet been, in 
 the hope that the king would at length hear her, took her 
 leave of Truitonne, with many thanks. 
 
 As soon as night came, she requested to be conducted to 
 the Cabinet, ardently hoping that the valet-de-chambre would 
 keep his word, and that, instead of giving the king his 
 opium draught, he would substitute for it something that 
 would keep his majesty awake. ^Vhen she thought everybody 
 else was asleep, she began her visual lamentations. " To how 
 many perils have I exposed myself," she said, " in search ot 
 thee ; whilst thou hast fled from me, and woxildst marry Trui- 
 tonne ! What have I done to thee, thou cruel one, that thou 
 shouldst thus forget thy vowsl Remember thy metamorphosis, 
 my fe.vours, and our tender conversations !" She repeated 
 them nearly all, her memory sufficiently proving that nothing 
 was dearer to her than such recollections. 
 
 The king was not asleep, and so distinctly heard the voice 
 of Florine, and every word she uttered, that he could not 
 imagine whence they proceeded; but his heart, penetrated 
 with tenderness, recalled to him so vividly the person of his 
 incomparable princess, that he felt his separation from her 
 as keenly as he did at the moment the knives had wounded 
 him in the cypress-tree. He began to speak aloud on his 
 part, as the queen had done on hers. " Ah, Princess," said 
 he, " too cruel to a lover who adored you ! Is it possible that 
 you can have sacrificed me to our mutual enemies 1 " Florine 
 heard what he said, and fedled not to answer him, and to 
 inform him that, if he would grant Mie Souillon an audience, 
 he would be enlightened respecting all the mysteries which 
 hitherto he had been unable to penetrate. At these words, 
 the impatient king called one of his valets-de-chambre, and 
 asked him if he could find Mie Souillon, and bring her to 
 him. The valet-de-chambre replied, that nothing could be 
 more easy, as she was sleeping in the Cabinet of Echoes. 
 
 The king knew not what to think. How could he beheve 
 so great a queen as Florine was disguised as a scullion 1 And 
 yet, how could he imagine that Mie Souillon had the voice 
 of the queen, and was in possession of such particular secrets, 
 if she were not Florine herself 1 In this uncertainty he arose 
 and dressed himself in the greatest hurry, and descended by 
 
 f2 
 
68 THE BLUE BIRD. 
 
 a back staircase to the door of the Cabinet of Echoes, out of 
 which the queen had taken the key: but the king had a 
 master-key which unlocked every door throughout the 
 palace. 
 
 He found her arrayed in a light robe of white taffety, 
 which she wore beneath her coarse disguise, her beautiful 
 hair faUing about her shoulders. She was lying on a couch, 
 and a lamp at some distance shed on the scene but a feeble 
 light. The king entered suddenly, and his love getting the 
 better of his anger, the moment he recognised her he flung 
 himself at her feet, bathed her hands with his tears, and felt 
 ready to die with joy, grief, and the thousand different thoughts 
 that rushed at once into his mind. 
 
 The queen was not less moved. Her heart seemed to stop 
 beating; she coiild scarcely breathe. She looked earnestly 
 at the king without saying a word, and when she found 
 strength to speak to him, she had no power to reproach him; 
 the joy of beholding him again made her forget, for the time, 
 the cause of complaint she imagined she had against him. 
 At length, they mutually explained, and justified themselves. 
 Their affection revived stronger than ever, and all that em- 
 barrassed them was the Fairy Soussio. But at this moment 
 the Enchanter, who was so fond of the king, arrived with a 
 &mou8 Fairy, no other than she who gave the four eggs to 
 Florine. After the first compliments had passed between 
 them, the Enchanter and the Fairy declared that their power 
 being united in fevour of the king and queen, Soussio could 
 do nothing against them, and that consequently their marriage 
 would take place without delay. 
 
 We may readily imagine the delight of these two young 
 lovers. As soon as it was day the news was spread throughout 
 the palace, and everybody was enchanted to see Florine. The 
 tidings reached Truitonne. She ran to the king's apartments. 
 What was her surprise to find there her beautiful rival ! The 
 moment she attempted to open her mouth to abuse her, the 
 Enchanter and the Fairy appeared, and changed her into a 
 sow, which being called Truye, in French, she still retained part 
 of her name, and her natural disposition to grumble. She ran 
 out of the room grunting, and thence into the kitchen court- 
 yard, where the long peals of laughter with which she was 
 received, completed her despair. 
 
THE BLUE BIED. 09 
 
 King Charmant and Queen Florine, delivered from so odious 
 a person, now thought only of the nuptial fete, the taste and 
 magnificence of which were equally conspicuous. 
 
 It is easy to conceive how great was their happiness after 
 passing through such prolonged misfortunes. 
 
 When Tmitonne would Iiave forced that monarch charming 
 
 To tie a knot which death alone could sunder, 
 
 Regardless of the consequence alarming, 
 
 She certainly committed a great blunder. 
 
 'Tis possible she did not know, a marriage 
 
 Unblest by mutual love is wretched slavery. 
 
 But Channant's bold, uncompromising carriage, 
 
 Showed as much prudence, I conceive, as bravery. 
 
 Better to be a bird of any hue — 
 
 A raven, crow, an owl — I do protest, 
 
 Than tie yourself for life a partner to. 
 
 Who either scorns you, or whom you detest. 
 
 Too many matches of this sort I've seen. 
 
 And wish that now there were some tind magician 
 
 To step such ill-assorted souls between, 
 
 With power to enforce his prohibition, 
 
 Vigilant ever to forbid the banns 
 
 Where selfish feeling3 true affection slighted. 
 
 And ne'er allowing Hymen to join hands, 
 
 W^hen hearts had not been first by Love imited. 
 
PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a king and a queen who had 
 out one son, whom they were passionately fond of, though he 
 was exceedingly deformed. He was as fat as the biggest man, 
 at the same time that he was as short as the smallest dwarf; 
 but the ugliness of his face and the deformity of his body 
 were nothing in comparison with the malignity of his disposi- 
 tion. He was an obstinate brute, who caused the misery 
 of every one about him. The king had observed this from 
 the prince's earliest infency ; but the queen doted upon him, 
 and made him much woree by her outrageous indulgence, 
 which too plainly indicated the power he possessed over her. 
 To find favour in the eyes of this princess, it was necessary to 
 vow that her son was both handsome and witty. She was 
 desirous to give him a name that would inspire respect and 
 fear. After long consideration she called him Furibon. 
 
 "When he was of an age to require a tutor, the king selected 
 a prince who had a dormant claim to the crown, which he 
 might have maintained like a brave man, had not his estates 
 fallen into decay. As it was, he had long ceased to think of it, 
 and applied himself solely to the education of an only son. 
 
 Never was there a youth blessed with a finer disposition. 
 High-spirited, and yet most tractable, there was a peculiar 
 felicity and grace in his every expression. In person he was 
 perfect. 
 
 The king having chosen the father of this young nobleman 
 to train up Furibon, expressly commanded the prince to be 
 very obedient to him ; but Furibon was so stubborn that an 
 hundred floggings would not cure him of a single fault. His 
 tutor's son was named Leander, and everybody loved him. 
 
PRINCE SPRITE. 71 
 
 He was a great &vourite with the ladies; but he attached 
 himself to no one in particular. They called him " The 
 handsome indifferent." All these attacks upon him failed 
 to produce any change in his manner. He rarely quitted 
 Fuiibon ; and that association served but to make the latter 
 appear more hideous. The little brute never spoke to a 
 lady but to utter some rudeness. Sometimes he woidd find 
 fiiult with their dress. Sometimes he would tell them their 
 manners were coarse and countrified. He would accuse 
 them publicly of being painted, and eagerly carried every 
 scandalous story he could pick up about them to the queen, 
 who would not only reprimand them severely, but make 
 them fast by way of punishment. All this caused them 
 mortally to hate Furibon ; this he perceived, and generally 
 resented it on the young Leander. " You are vastly happy," 
 said he, looking at him askance ; " the women praise and 
 applaud you ; they are not so indulgent to me." " My lord," 
 said Leander, modestly, " their respect for you prevents such 
 familiarity." " They are quite right," rejoined Furibon ; " I 
 should beat them into a jelly to teach them their duty." 
 
 One day, some ambassadors having arrived at the court 
 from a far country, the prince, accompanied by Leander, went 
 into a gallery to see them pass. As soon as the envoys 
 saw Leander they advanced towards him with profound salu- 
 tations, evincing by signs their admiration. Then observing 
 Furibon they took him for his dwarf, laid hold of him by the 
 ann and, turned him round and round in spite of all his re- 
 sistance. Leander was in despair ; he exhausted himself with 
 his efforts to make them understand that it was the king's 
 son they were treating so unceremoniously, but all in vaia ; 
 and unfortunately the interpreter was awaiting them in the 
 hall of audience. Finding that they did not comprehend his 
 signs, Leander humbled himself stUl more before Furibon; but 
 the ambassadors as well as the persons in their suite, imagin- 
 ing this was in jest, laughed till they were almost in fits, and 
 filliped the prince on his nose, after the fashion of their own 
 country. Furibon, transported with rage, drew his little sword, 
 which was not longer than a lady's fan, and had certainly done 
 some mischief had not the king advanced to meet the ambas- 
 sadors, and to his great surprise observed the commotion. Ho 
 apologised to them, for he spoke their language. They 
 
7ft PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 answered him, that it was of no consequence ; that they saw 
 clearly the hideous little dwarf was out of temper. The king 
 was greatly chagrined, that the ugliness and folly of his son 
 had occasioned such a mistake. 
 
 As soon as Furibon was left alone with Leander he seized 
 him by the hair and tore out two or three handfuls. He 
 would have strangled him if he had had the power, and for- 
 bade him ever to appear again in his presence. Leander's 
 father, offended at Furibon's conduct, sent his son to a chateau 
 he had in the country. He was not at a loss for amusement. 
 He was fond of hunting, fishing, and walking ; he could draw 
 from nature, read much, and played on several instruments. 
 He rejoiced he was no longer obliged to pay court to a capri- 
 cious prince ; and, notwithstanding the solitude in which he 
 lived, never knew a moment s dulness. 
 
 One day, after walking a long time in his gardens, as the 
 heat increased, he entered a little wood, the trees of which 
 were so high and so leafy that they afforded a very agreeable 
 shade. He began to divert himself by playing on the flute, when 
 he felt something twine itself about his leg very tightly ; and 
 on looking down, discovered to his surprise a large adder. 
 He took out his handkerchief, and catching the reptile by its 
 head he was about to kill it ; but it twisted itself round his 
 arm, and, fixing its eyes upon him, seemed to crave for mercy. 
 One of his gardeners coming up at the time, no sooner saw the 
 adder than he called out to his master, " Hold it fast, my 
 lord, I have been hunting it for an hovu*, in order to kill it. 
 It is the most cunning creature in the world, and does despe- 
 rate mischief in the flower-beds." Leander looked again on 
 the adder, which was spotted with a thousand extraordinary 
 colours, and still gazed at him earnestly without making any 
 effort to defend itself. " As you would have killed it (said 
 he to the gardener) and it ran to me for protection, I forbid 
 you to do it any injiuy. I shall feed it, and when it has 
 cast its beautiful skin, I shall let it go." He returned to the 
 chateau and put the adder into a large room, of which he kept 
 the key, and had bran, milk, flowers and herbs provided 
 for it, to feed on and sport with. 
 
 Here was a happy adder for you. Occasionally he paid it 
 a visit. The moment it perceived him it crept to meet him, 
 with all the pretty airs and graces that an adder is capable 
 
PEINCE SPRITE. 73 
 
 of. The prince was rather surprised at it ; but, nevertheless, 
 did not pay much attention to the circumstance. All the 
 ladies of the court lamented his absence. They talked of 
 nothing but Leander, and wished him back again. " Alas," 
 said they, " there are no more pleasures at court now Leander 
 has left it. That wicked Furibon was the cause of his depar- 
 ture. Must he needs hate Leander, because he is more amiable 
 and more beloved than himself 1 Must Leander dislocate his 
 own bones, and split his mouth from ear to ear, in order to 
 resemble him ? screw up his eyes, and pull ofiF his nose, to 
 gratify this little baboon 1 who will never be happy as long as 
 he lives; for he will never find any one so ugly as he is." 
 
 However wicked princes may be, they will always have 
 flatterers, and, indeed, those who are wicked find more 
 parasites than the others. Furibon had his share : his influ- 
 ence over the mind of the queen made them fear him. They 
 told him what the ladies said of him, and put him almost 
 into a frenzy with passion. He rushed into the queen's 
 chamber in this state, and vowed he would kill himself before 
 her eyes, if she did not instantly find some means of destroy- 
 ing Leander. The queen, who hated the poor youth, because 
 he was handsomer than her monkey of a son, replied that 
 she had long looked upon Leander as a traitor, that she would 
 wiUingly put him to death with her own hand. She advised 
 Furibon to go out hunting with the most trustworthy of his 
 confidants, that Leander would join the chase, and that then 
 they might teach him how to make himself loved by every- 
 body. Furibon accordingly went out hunting. When 
 Leander heard the hounds and horns in the wood, he mounted 
 his horse and rode to see who the hunters were. He was 
 much surprised at meeting suddenly the prince. He dis- 
 mounted and saluted him respectfully. Furibon received 
 him more graciously than he could have hoped, and bade him 
 follow in his suite. At the same time, turning to the assas- 
 sins, he made signs to them to make sure of their blow. He 
 then galloped away, when suddenly a lion of an enormous 
 size rushed out of a cavern, and springing upon him pulled 
 him to the ground. His attendants fled in every direction, 
 leaving Leander alone to combat the furious animal. Sword 
 in hand, he advanced at the hazai-d of being torn to pieces, 
 and by his courage and skill rescued his most cruel enemy. 
 
74 PRINCE SPKITE. 
 
 Furibon had fainted with terror ; Leander used every means 
 to revive and reassure him, and as soon as he was sufficiently 
 recovered, ofifered him his own horse to ride home on. Any 
 one but a monster of ingratitude would have been touched 
 to his heart's core by such great and recent services, and ac- 
 knowledged them nobly both by words and deeds. Not so 
 Furibon. He did not even deign to look on Leander, and 
 availed himself of his horse but to rally the assassins, and 
 order them instantly to dispatch him. They surrounded 
 Leander, and he must infallibly have been slain but for his 
 undaunted courage. He placed his back against a tree in 
 order to avoid being attacked from behind, and, not sparing 
 one of his enemies, laid about him desperately. Furibon, 
 believing he must be killed, hastened to enjoy the sight of his 
 dead body ; but a very different spectacle met his eyes. The 
 villains were all stretched on the earth in their last agonies, 
 and Leander advancing, said to him, " My Lord, if it was by 
 your order these men attacked me, I regret that I defended 
 myself." " You are an insolent traitor," answered the prince, 
 in a rage, " and if ever you again appear in my presence, I 
 will have you put to death." 
 
 Leander made no reply. He returned home very sorrow- 
 ful, and passed the night in thinking what he ought to do, 
 for there was no likelihood of his being able to make a stand 
 against the king's son. He resolved to go abroad and see the 
 world : but when he was just ready to start upon his travels, 
 he remembered the adder, and took to it some milk and some 
 fruit. On opening the door he perceived an extraordinary 
 light shining in a comer of the room, and to his great 
 astonishment beheld a lady, whose noble and majestic air left 
 no doubt of the greatness of her birth. Her dress was of 
 amaranth satin, bordered with diamonds and pearls. She 
 advanced towards him with a gracious smile, and said, 
 " Young Prince, seek not for the adder you brought hither, 
 it is no longer here ; you behold me in its place, to discharge 
 the debt it owes you : but to speak to you more intelligibly, 
 know that I am the Fairy Gentille, celebrated for the amusing 
 and dexterous feats I know how to perform. Our race live 
 an hundred years without growing old, without maladies, 
 without fears or pains. At the expiration of that period, we 
 become adders for the space of a week. It is only during 
 
PKINCE SPRITE. 75 
 
 that time that we are in any danger, for then we can neither 
 foresee nor prevent misfortunes, and if we were killed we 
 should never come to life again. The week ended, we return 
 to our usual shapes, with renewed beauty, power and treasures. 
 You now, my lord, can understand the obligations I am 
 under to you. It is but just I should repay them. Think 
 how I can be useful to you, and depend upon my friendship." 
 The young prince, who had never before held any com- 
 munication with fairies, was so astonished, that it was some 
 time before he could speak. But at length, making her a 
 profound bow, — " Madam," said he, " after the honour I have 
 enjoyed of being of service to you, it appears to me I have 
 nothing more to desire of Fortune." " I shall be very sorry," 
 replied she, " if you do not put me in the way of rendering 
 you some service. Consider that I have the power to make 
 you a great king, to prolong your life, to make you still more 
 amiable, to give you mines full of diamonds and houses full 
 of gold. I can make you an excellent orator, poet, musician 
 and painter, the idol of the women; render your nature more 
 ethereal, make you a spirit of air, water and earth." — Leander 
 interrupted her at this point. " Permit me. Madam, to ask 
 you," said he, " what advantage should I derive from becom- 
 ing a spirit? " " It would enable you to do a thousand useful 
 and agreeable things," replied the fairy. " You are invisible 
 whenever you please, you traverse in an instant the vast 
 expanse of the universe, you rise in the air without wings, you 
 descend to the centre of the earth without dying, you plunge 
 into the depths of the ocean without being drowned, you 
 enter everywhere, though the windows and doors are fastened 
 ever so carefully, and, at any moment you please, you re-ap- 
 pear in your natural form." " Ah, Madam ! " exclaimed 
 Leander, " I will be a spirit I am about to travel; I can 
 imagine an infinite number of pleasures to be enjoyed under 
 such circumstances, and I prefer that gift to all the others 
 which you have so generously offered me." "Be a spirit, 
 then," replied Gentille, passing her hand three times over his 
 eyes and face. " Be a beloved spirit, an amiable spirit, and 
 a frolicksome spirit." She then embraced him, and gave him 
 a little red hat ornamented with two parrot's feathers. "When 
 you put on this cap," continued she, " you will be invisible ; 
 when you take it oflf you appear again." Leander, enraptured. 
 
76 PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 clapped the little red hat on his head, and wished to fly to 
 the forest to cull some wild roses he had observed there. In 
 an instant his body became light, and swift as thought he 
 darted through the window towards the forest, soaring like 
 a bird. He was rather alarmed when he saw himself at a 
 great height and crossing the river. He feared he should fall 
 into it, and that the power of the fairy could not prevent it : 
 but he found himself safe at the foot of the rose-tree, gathered 
 three roses, and returned immediately to the room in which 
 the fairy was stOl standing. He presented them to her, 
 charmed that his little trial-trip had been so successful. She 
 told him to keep the roses ; that one of them would furnish 
 him with any money he might requii'e; that by placing 
 another in his mistress's bosom, he would know if she were 
 faithful to him ; and that the third would preserve him from 
 sickness. Then, without waiting to be thanked, she wished 
 him a fortunate journey and disappeared. 
 
 Leander was exceedingly delighted with the valuable boon 
 which had been conferred upon him. " Could I ever have 
 imagined," said he, " that for having saved a poor adder from 
 the clutches of my gardener, I should be rewarded by the 
 possession of such rare and great advantages ! — Oh, how I 
 shall enjoy myself! — what pleasant moments I shall pass! — 
 how many things I shall become acquainted with ! I can be 
 invisible, — I can witness the most secret adventures." It 
 occurred to him also, that it would be a rich treat to him, 
 to take some vengeance upon Fm-ibon. He speedily arranged 
 his affairs, and mounting the handsomest horse in his stables, 
 named Grisdelin, he departed, followed by a few of his ser- 
 vants, wearing his livery, in order that the news of his return 
 to court might be more speedily known. 
 
 You must know that Fiu-ibon, who was a great story-teller, 
 had reported that but for his own bravery Leander would 
 have assassinated him during the chase, that he had killed aU 
 his people, and that justice should be done upon him. The 
 king, importuned by the queen, gave orders for the arrest of 
 Leander, so that when he arrived in such a public manner, 
 Furibon was immediately informed of it. He was, however, 
 too great a coward to encounter Leander himself He ran to 
 his mother's apartments and told her Leander had returned 
 to court, and entreated her to have him arrested. The queen. 
 
PRINCE SPRITE. 77 
 
 eager to do anything her monkey of a son desired, lost no 
 time in seeking the king; and the prince, impatient to learn 
 the result of the interview, stopped, and put his ear against 
 the door, and lifted up his hair to hear more distinctly. 
 Leander entered the grand haU of the palace with his little 
 red cap on his head, and was of course invisible. As soon as 
 he caught sight of Furibon listening, he took a nail and a 
 hammer and nailed his ear to the door-post. Furibon, dis- 
 tracted, raved and thumped at the door like a madman, 
 uttering piercing shrieks. The queen, at the sound of his 
 voice, ran to open the door to him, and in so doing pulled off 
 her son's ear. He bled as if his throat had been cut, and 
 made a hideous grimace. The queen, inconsolable, sat him 
 in her lap, took up his ear, kissed it, and stuck it on again. 
 
 Leander took a handful of twigs which were used for whip- 
 ping the king's little dogs, and rapped the queen's knuckles 
 and the prince's nose with them. The queen called out she 
 was being murdered, massacred. The king stared, the attend- 
 ants rushed in, no one was to be seen, and it was whispered 
 about that her majesty was out of her wits, and that it must 
 be from grief at seeing Furibon's ear torn off. The king 
 believed the rumoiir, and avoided the queen when she ap- 
 proached him. The scene was altogether very amusing. The 
 meny Sprite gave Furibon another good switching, and then, 
 quitting the apartment, he went into the garden and became 
 visible. There he boldly gathered the cherries, apricots, and 
 strawberries, and the rarest flowers in the queen's parterre, — 
 those she took special care of herself, and which it was death 
 to touch. The gardener, thunderstruck, ran to tell their ma- 
 jesties that Prince Leander was stripping the fruit-trees and 
 plundering the flower-garden. " What insolence ! " exclaimed 
 the queen. " My little Furibon, my dear poppet !— forget, for 
 a moment, the pain of your ear, and run after that wretch ; 
 take with you our guards, our musqueteers, our police, our 
 courtiers. Place yourself at their head, and cut the traitor into 
 collops." Furibon, excited by his mother's words, and followed 
 by a thousand men well armed, humed into the garden, and 
 saw Leander under a tree, who flung a stone at him, which 
 broke his arm, and pelted his troops with oranges. They rushed 
 upon Leander: but he instantly became invisible, and step- 
 ping behind Furibon, who was already in a sad plight, passed 
 
78 PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 a cord between his legs, which threw him on his nose. They 
 picked him up, and carried him to bed exceedingly ill. 
 
 Leander, satisfied with this revenge, returned to where his 
 people awaited him, distributed money amongst them, and 
 sent them back to his castle, not wishing any one to accom- 
 pany him who might be acquainted with the secret of the 
 little red hat and the roses. He had not made up his mind 
 whither he would go. He mounted his beautiful horse called 
 Grisdelin, and allowed him to take whatever road he pleased. 
 He passed through woods and plains, over hills and valleys, 
 without number, resting occasionally, and eating and sleeping,, 
 without meeting with anything worthy of notice. At length 
 he came to a forest, in which he stopped and dismounted, for 
 the sake of a little shade, the day being very hot. The next 
 moment he heard some one sighing and sobbing : he looked 
 aU about him, and saw a man, now running, now stopping, 
 now uttering cries of despair, then silent, tearing his hair, and 
 striking himself violent blows. There was no doubt he must 
 be some miserable madman. The prince, touched with com- 
 passion, accosted him. " I see you," said he, " in so pitiable a 
 condition, that I cannot help inquiring the cause, and offering 
 you any assistance in my power." " Oh, my lord," answered 
 the yoimg man, "there is no remedy for my misfortunes. 
 This very day my beloved is to be sacrificed to a jealous old 
 wretch, who is very wealthy, but who will make her the most 
 miserable person in the world." " She loves you, then 1 " said 
 Leander, " I may flatter myself she does," replied he. " And 
 where is she?" continued the prince. "In a castle at the 
 further end of this forest," answered the lover. " Well," said 
 Leander, " wait here for me ; I will shortly bring you some 
 good news." So saying, he put on the little red hat, and 
 wished himself in the castle. He had scarcely arrived, when 
 he heard a strain of sweet music ; and on entering the build- 
 ing, it echoed with the sound of violins and other instru- 
 ments. He walked into a grand hall, filled with the relations 
 and Wends of the old man and the young lady. Nothing 
 could be more lovely than the latter; but the paleness of 
 her cheeks, the melancholy imprinted on her countenance, 
 and the tears which occasionally filled her eyes, suflficiently 
 expressed her grief. Leander, become an invisible spirit, 
 placed himself in a comer, to watch the persons who were 
 
PRINCE SPRITE. 79 
 
 present. He saw the father and mother of this beautiful girl, 
 who in whispers scolded her for the disinclination she mani- 
 fested, and then returned to their places. The Sprite glided 
 behind the mother, and said in her ear, — " As thou dost con- 
 strain thy child to give her hand to this old baboon, assure 
 thyself that within a week thou shalt be punished by death." 
 The woman, terrified at hearing a voice and seeing no one, 
 and still more so by the threat it uttered, gave a loud shriek, 
 and fell on the floor. Her husband asked what was the 
 matter with her. She explained that she should be a dead 
 woman if her daughter's marriage took place, and that she 
 would not consent to the match for aU the treasures in the 
 world. The hiisband was inclined to laugh at her, and treat 
 her as a dreamer ; but the Sprite approached him, and said, 
 " Incredulous old man, if thou dost not believe thy wife, it 
 will cost thee thy life. Break off this match, and give thy 
 daughter immediately to him she loves." These words pro- 
 duced an astonishing effect. The intended bridegroom was 
 abruptly bowed out, on the excuse that they broke off the 
 match solely in obedience to commands from heaven. He 
 doubted, and attempted some chicanery, for he was a Nor- 
 mandy man;^ but the Sprite shouted such a terrible " Aha !" 
 in his ear, that it almost deafened him; and, to settle the 
 matter, trod on his gouty feet hard enough to crush them. 
 So they ran to seek out the lover in the wood. The Sprite 
 awaited his coming with great impatience, — his young mis- 
 tress alone could feel more. The lovers were ready to die with 
 joy. The banquet which had been prepared for the old man's 
 nuptials, served for those of this happy pair ; and the Sprite, 
 resuming his visible fonn, appeared suddenly at the haU- 
 door, like a stranger who had been attracted by the sounds of 
 festivity. As soon as the bridegroom perceived him, he ran 
 and flung himself at his feet, calling him by every name his 
 gratitude could suggest. Leander passed two days in their 
 castle, and might have remained there if he had chosen, for 
 they offered him all they were worth in the world. He left 
 such good company with much regret. 
 
 (1) Normandy is libeHed sadly in France. 
 " Paisons tour de Norman; 
 
 Dedisons-nous." — La Postaise, " Les Troqueurt." 
 " Le Normand meme alors ignorait le paijure."— Boileau, Epitt. ix. 
 
80 PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 He continued his journey, and reached a great city, in 
 which there lived a queen who delighted in fiUiug her court 
 with the handsomest people in her kingdom. Leander, on 
 his arrival, set up the most splendid equipage that was ever 
 seen. He had only to shake his rose, and obtain as much 
 money as he wished for. It is easy to imagine that, being 
 handsome, young, witty, and above all, magnificent, the 
 queen and princesses received him with a thousand marks of 
 esteem and consideration. 
 
 This court was one of the most gallant in the univei*se. 
 Not to be in love was to be ridiculous. Leander desired to 
 be in the fashion, and fancied he coiild amuse himself by 
 falling in love, and that when he departed he could leave his 
 passion behind him as easily as his equipage. He cast his 
 eyes on one of the queen's maids of honoiir, who was called the 
 beautiful Blondine. She was a very accomplished person, but so 
 cold and so grave, that he was puzzled how to gain her favour. 
 
 He gave enchanting fetes in her honour; balls and plays 
 every evening ; brought her the rarest presents from every 
 part of the globe : but nothing seemed to move her, and the 
 more indifferent she appeared to him, the more he exerted 
 himself to please her. What fascinated him still more was, 
 the belief that she had never loved any one. To be satisfied 
 on this point, it occuiTcd to him to try the power of his rose. 
 He placed it, jestingly, on the bosom of Blondine, and im- 
 mediately, fresh and blooming as it was, it became faded and 
 withered. It needed nothing further to convince Leander 
 that he had a favoured rival. He felt the mortification 
 keenly, and to have ocular demonstration, he that evening 
 wished himself in Blondine's apartment. He saw a musician 
 introduced, who was one of the ugliest beings possible. He 
 howled three or four verses which he had composed for her, 
 the words and air of which were equally detestable ; but she 
 enjoyed them as if they were the finest things she had ever 
 heard in her life. She praised all his frantic grimaces, so 
 much was she taken with him; and finally permitted the 
 filthy fellow to kiss her hand. The outraged Sprite flung 
 himself on the impertinent musician, and, pushing him 
 violently against the balcony, threw him into the garden, 
 knocking out the few teeth he had left in his head. 
 
 If a thunderbolt had fallen on Blondine she could not have 
 
PRINCE SPRITE. 81 
 
 been more astonished. She thought the musician himself 
 possessed by a demon. The Sprite glided out of the apart- 
 ment without discovering himself, and returned immediately 
 to his own lodgings, whence he wrote to Blondine, reproach- 
 ing her as she deserved. Without waiting for her answer, he 
 departed, leaving his splendid carriage and horses to his 
 equerries and gentlemen. He paid the rest of his people 
 handsomely, and mounted his faithful Grisdelin, determined 
 never to love again after the trick that had been played him. 
 
 Leander rode away at full speed. He was for a long time 
 a prey to grief, but reason and absence gradually worked a 
 cure. He arrived at another city, where he learned that 
 a great ceremony was about to take place that very day, on 
 the occasion of a young maiden being admitted into the order 
 of Vestals, although contrary to her own inclinations. The 
 prince pitied her. It seemed as if his little red hat was given 
 him expressly to repair public injuries and console the afflicted. 
 He ran to the temple. The young creature was crowned 
 with flowers, dressed in white, with her hair flowing on her 
 shoulders ; two of her brothers led her by the hand, and her 
 mother followed her, with a large company of both sexes. 
 The eldest Vestal was in waiting at the gates of the temple. 
 At this moment the Sprite shouted, "Stop! stop! Wicked 
 brothers! Reckless parent! Stop! Heaven is opposed to 
 this unjust ceremony. If you venture to proceed you shaU 
 be crushed like frogs." 
 
 They stared about them without being able to discover 
 whence proceeded these terrible threats. The brothers said 
 it was the lover of their sister, who had hidden himself in 
 some hole to play the oracle ; but the Sprite in great wrath 
 took a long stick and inflicted a hundred blows on them. 
 The stick was seen to rise and faU on their shoulders like a 
 hammer upon an anvil. Nobody could doubt that the blows 
 were real. Terror seized the Vestals, they fled, and everybody 
 followed their example. The Sprite alone remained with the 
 young victim. He quickly took ofi" his little hat, and begged 
 to know how he could assist her. She told him, with more 
 courage than one would have expected in a girl of her age, 
 that there was a knight to whom she was not indifferent, but 
 that he had no fortune. Leander shook his rose so much that he 
 left with them ten millions; they married and lived very happily. 
 
82, PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 The last adventure he met with was the most agreeable. 
 On entering a great forest he heard the plaintive cries of 
 a young female. He felt assured some violence was being 
 offered her. He looked about him everywhere, and at length 
 perceived four men well armed carrying off a girl, -rt-ho ap- 
 peared to be about thirteen or fourteen years of age. He 
 hastened towards them and exclaimed, " What has this child 
 done to you, that you should treat her like a slave?" " Ha ! 
 ha ! my little lord," answered the chief of the party, " what 
 business is that of yours? " " I command you," added Leander, 
 " to release her instantly!" "Yes, yes; without fail;" they 
 all answered laughingly. The Prince, much irritated, threw 
 himself from his horse, and clapped on his little red hat, for he 
 did not think himself bound to face fairly four men, who were 
 sufficiently powerful to fight twelve. When his little hat was 
 on, they must have been cunning who could have seen him. 
 The robbers cried, " He has fled; it is not worth our while to 
 himt for him ; let us only catch his horse." One remained 
 as a guard with the young girl, while the other three ran 
 after Grisdelin, who gave them plenty of exercise. The 
 little girl continued her cries and complaints: "Alas, my 
 beautiful Princess," said she, " how happy was I in your 
 palace ! how could I live far away from you ! If you knew of 
 my sad misfortune, you would send your Amazons to rescue 
 your poor Abricotine!" Leander heard her, and without 
 delay seized the arm of the robber who held her, and tied him 
 to a tree, before he had time or power to help himself; for 
 he- could not see the person who bound him. 
 
 Hearing his cries for help, one of his comrades came run- 
 ning quite out of breath, and asked who had bound him. 
 " I don't know," he replied, " I have seen no one." " That's 
 a story trumped up to excuse thyself," answered the other, 
 " but I've long known thee to be but a coward, and I will 
 treat thee as thou deservest." So saying he gave him a score 
 of blows with his stirrup-leathers. The sprite amused him- 
 self amazingly, with hearing him bellow ; and then, approach- 
 ing the second robber, he seized his arms, and bound him to a 
 tree facing his comrade, saying to him, as soon as he had done 
 it, "Now, then, my brave fellow, who has pinioned thee? 
 Art thou not a great coward to have suffered it?" The rogue 
 had not a word to say for himself, and hung down his head 
 
PRINCE SPRITE. 88 
 
 ashamed ; not being able to imagine how he had been made a 
 prisoner without seeing any one. In the meanwhile Abrico- 
 tine took the opportunity of escaping, although she knew not 
 which way to run. Leander missing her, called three times 
 for Grisdelin, who being in a huriy to obey his master, got rid 
 of the two robbers that pursued him with a couple of kicks, 
 fracturing the skull of one, and breaking three ribs of the 
 other. The sprite was now only anxious to rejoin Abricotine; 
 for she had appeared to him very pretty. He wished to be 
 where she was, and instantly found himself in the presence of 
 the girl; who was so very much fatigued that she was cling- 
 ing to the trees every moment for support. When she saw 
 Grisdelin advancing so gaily, she exclaimed, "Good, good; 
 here is a fine horse that will carry Abricotine back to the 
 Palace of Pleasures ! " The sprite heard her plainly enough; but 
 she could not see him. He rode close up to her, Grisdelin 
 stopped, and she jumped up. The sprite caught her in his 
 arms, and placed her gently before him. Oh, what a fright 
 Abricotine was in, to feel herself in the grasp of somebody, 
 and see nobody ! She did not dare to move; she shut her eyes, 
 fearing to see some fearful goblin. She uttered not the slightest 
 word. The Prince, who had always the nicest sweetmeats in 
 the world in his pockets, tried to put some in her mouth; 
 but she set her teeth, and kept her lips as close as possible. 
 
 At length he took off his little red hat, and said to her, 
 " Why, Abricotine, you are very timid, to be so much afraid 
 of me. It is I who released you from the hands of the 
 robbers." She opened her eyes and recognised him. " Ah ! 
 my lord," said she, " I am greatly indebted to you. It is true, 
 I was much alarmed to find myself in the power of an 
 invisible being." " I am not an invisible being," replied he, 
 '• but, perhaps, your sight was troubled at the moment, and 
 you did not observe me." Abricotine believed that it must 
 nave been so, though she was natiu^lly shrewd enough. 
 After having chatted for some time on indifferent subjects, 
 Leander begged she would tell him her age, her country, and 
 by what mischance she had fallen into the hands of 
 robbers. " I am under too much obligation to you," said she, 
 " to refuse satisfying your curiosity; but I intreat you, my 
 lord, to consider the speed of our joiirney of more importance 
 than listening to my story." 
 
 q2 
 
84 PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 " A fairy, who in science never had an equal, fell so despe- 
 rately in love with a certain prince, that, although she was the 
 first fairy who had ever been weak enough to love, she did not 
 hesitate to marry him, in spite of all the other fairies, who 
 unceasingly represented to her the wrong she did to their 
 order. They would not allow her to dwell amongst them 
 any longer; and all she could do was to build a grand palace 
 near the confines of their kingdom. But the prince she had 
 married became weary of her. He was exasperated at her 
 fore-knowledge of all his actions. The instant he had the 
 least hking for another, she flew out at him like a fury, and 
 changed the object of his admiration from the most beautiful 
 person to the ugliest fright in the world. 
 
 " The prince finding such an excess of affection extremely 
 inconvenient, went off one fine morning with post horses, and 
 travelled a very, very great distance, in order to hide himself 
 in a deep cave at the bottom of a mountain, where she should 
 not be able to find him. He was not successful. She fol- 
 lowed him, and informed him that she should shortly become 
 a mother; conjured him to return to his palace; promised 
 that she would give him money, horses, dogs, arms, build a 
 riding-school, and a tennis-court, and lay out a mall for his 
 diversion. All this had no effect on him, he was naturally 
 obstinate and a hbertine. He said a hundred harsh things to 
 her, and called her an old witch, and a hobgoblin. ' It is for- 
 timate for thee,' said she, ' that I have more sense than thou 
 hast folly ; for I could transform thee, were I so inclined, into 
 a cat that should be continually squalling in a gutter, or into 
 a vile toad sputtering in the mud, or into a pumpkin, or a 
 screech owl; but the greatest punishment I can inflict on 
 thee is to abandon thee to thy own humours. Remain in thy 
 hole, in thy gloomy cavern with the bears, call around thee 
 the neighbouring shepherdesses; thou wilt learn in time the 
 difference between beggarly peasants and a fairy, who can 
 render herself as charming as she pleases.' 
 
 " She immediately entered her flying chariot, and departed 
 swifter than a bird. The moment she reached home, she 
 transported her palace to an island ; turning out of it all the 
 guards and officers, and taking into her service women ot 
 the Amazonian race, — whom she set 'to watch the shores of the 
 island so strictly that no man could possibly enter it. She 
 
PRINCE SPRITE. 85 
 
 named this spot the Isle of Peaceful Pleasures, asserting con- 
 stantly, that it was impossible to enjoy such in the society of 
 the male sex. She brought up her daughter in this opinion. 
 There never was so beautiful a creature. She is the Princess 
 whom I serve J and as all the purest pleasures reign around 
 her, nobody grows old in her palace. Young as I look, I am 
 more than two hundred. When my mistress grew up, her 
 fiiiry mother gave her the island, with many excellent lessons 
 how to live happily. She then returned to Fairy Land, and 
 the Princess of Peaceful Pleasures governs her state in an 
 admirable manner. 
 
 " I do not remember having seen, ever since I was bom, 
 any other men than the robbers who carried me off, and you, 
 my lord. Those ruffians told me they were employed by a 
 certain ugly and misshapen person, called Furibon, who was 
 in love with my mistress from seeing only her portrait. They 
 prowled about the island, without daring to set foot on it. 
 Our Amazons are too vigilant to let any one enter it ; but as 
 I have charge of the Princess's birds, and accidentally let her 
 beautiful parrot fly away, fearing her displeasure, I impru- 
 dently quitted the island in search of it. The men seized me, 
 and wovdd have carried me away with them but for your 
 assistance." 
 
 " If you have any gratitude," said Leander, " may I not 
 hope, beautiful Abricotine, that you wUl enable me to enter 
 the Island of Peaceful Pleasures, and gaze on this wonderful 
 princess, who never grows old?" "Ah, my lord," said she, 
 " we should be lost, both of us, if we attempted such a thing I 
 It is easy for you to forego the eiyoyment of a pleasure you 
 never knew. You have never been in that palace ; fancy there 
 is none." " It is not so easy as you imagine," replied the 
 Prince, "to root from one's memory things that have so 
 agreeably occupied it ; and I do not agree with you that it is 
 certain, that to enjoy peaceful pleasures you must absolutely 
 banish our sex." " My lord," answered she, " it is not for me 
 to decide that point. I will even confess to you, that, if all 
 men resembled yourself, I should be of opinion that the 
 Princess would alter the laws ; but as I have only seen five, 
 and found four of them so wicked, I conclude that the bad 
 fer out-number the good, and that it is, therefore, better to 
 banish them all." 
 
86 PEINCE SPRITE. 
 
 Thus conversing, they came to the bank of a large river. 
 Abricotine sprang lightly to the ground. " Adieu, my lord," 
 said she to the Prince, making him a i^rofound curtsy ; " I 
 wish you so much happiness that the whole world shall be to 
 you but one Island of Pleasures. Retire quickly, for fear our 
 Amazons should observe you." " And I, beautiful Abricotine," 
 said the Prince, " wish you a tender heart, in order that I may 
 now and then be recalled to your memory." 
 
 So saying, he rode away, and entered the thickest part of a 
 wood he saw near the river. He took off Grisdelin's saddle 
 and bridle, that he might graze at his pleasure. He put on his 
 little red hat, and wished himself in the Island of Peaceful Plea- 
 sures. His wish was instantly gratified : he found himself in the 
 most beautiful and the most extraordinary place in the world. 
 
 The palace was of pure gold; around the parapets stood 
 statues of crystal, studded with jewels, which represented 
 the signs of the Zodiac, and all the wonders of nature, the 
 sciences, the arts, the elements, the sea with its fishes, the 
 earth with its beasts, Diana hunting with her nymphs, 
 Amazons performing their noble exercises, the amusements 
 and occupations of a country life, shepherdesses with their 
 flocks and their dogs, agi'iculture, harvest, gardens, flowers, 
 bees ; and amongst all these various subjects there was not 
 a male figure to be seen, no men, no boys, — not even a poor 
 little Cupid. The Faiiy's wrath against her truant husband 
 had rendered her merciless to his whole sex. 
 
 " Abricotine has not deceived me," said the Prince to him- 
 self. " The very idea of man is banished from this spot." 
 Let us see if he be much a loser by it. He entered the palace, 
 and beheld at every step such marvels, that having once cast 
 his eyes on them, he could not withdraw them without a 
 struggle. The intrinsic value of the gold and diamonds was 
 trifling compared to that of the art which had been employed 
 upon them. In every direction he met with groups of gentle, 
 innocent, laughing girls, beautiful as day. He passed through 
 a long suite of vast apartments, some filled with the finest 
 China, the perfume of which, joined to its fanciful forms 
 and colours, was exceedingly pleasing; others, the walls of 
 which were made of porcelain, so transparent that the daylight 
 streamed through them ; others were of rock crystal, richly 
 engraved ; and there were also some of amber aftd of coral, of 
 
PKINCE SPRITE. 87 
 
 lapis lazuli, of agate, of cornelian; and the Princess's own 
 apartment was entirely of looking-glass, for it was impossible 
 to multiply too much so charming an object. 
 
 Her throne was formed out of a single pearl, hollowed in 
 the shape of a shell, and in which she could sit with perfect 
 ease. It was hung round with lustres, ornamented with 
 rubies and diamonds; but all this looked less than nothing 
 beside the incomparable beauty of the Princess, Her infantile 
 air combined all the simple grace of the child with the 
 dignified manners of the educated woman. Nothing could 
 equal the softness or the brilliancy of her eyes. It was 
 impossible to find a fault in her. She smiled graciously on 
 her maids of honour, who on that occasion had arrayed them- 
 selves as nymphs for her entertainment. As she missed Abrico- 
 tiue, she inquired where she was. The nymphs replied that they 
 had sought in vain for her ; she could not be found. Leander, 
 dying to speak, assumed the tiny voice of a paiTot (for there 
 were several in the room), and said : " Charming Princess, Abri- 
 cotine will soon return ; she would have been carried off, but 
 for a young prince she met with." The Princess was sur- 
 prised at this speech of the parrot's, for the answer was so 
 much to the pm-pose. " You are a very pretty little parrot," 
 said she, " but you are evidently mistaken ; and when Abri- 
 cotine comes, she will whip you." " I shall not be whipped," 
 replied Leander, still imitating the voice of the parrot. " She 
 will teU you about the anxiety of the stranger to be per- 
 mitted to enter this palace, and disabuse your mind of the 
 false notions you entertain respecting his sex." " Really, 
 parrot," exclaimed the Princess, " it is a pity you are not 
 always so entertaining ; I should love you dearly." " Ah ! if 
 to please you, it be only necessary for me to talk," replied 
 Leander, " I will never cease speaking." " Why ! " continued 
 the Princess, " would one not swear this parrot was a sor- 
 cerer ! " " He is more a lover than a gorcerer," answered 
 Leander. At that moment Abricotine entered, and flung 
 herself at the feet of her beautiful mistress. She related her 
 adventure, and drew the Prince's portrait in very vivid and 
 favourable colours. 
 
 " I should have hated all men," she added, " if I had not 
 seen that one. Oh, Madam ! he is so charming ! His air, 
 and all his manners, have in them something so noble, so 
 
88 PBINCE SPRITE. 
 
 intelligent, and as everything he says is excessively agreeable, 
 I think I have done very right in not bringing him hither." 
 The Princess said not a word about that ; but continued to 
 question Abricotine respecting the Prince, — whether she did 
 not know his name, his family, whence he came, whither he 
 was going ; and finally she fell into a profound reverie. 
 
 Leander narrowly observed everything, and continued to 
 speak as he had begun. " Abricotine is ungrateful, Madam," 
 said he. " This poor stranger will die of grief if he do not 
 see you." " Well, parrot, let him die then," replied the Prin- 
 cess, sighing, " and as thou presumest to talk on this matter 
 like a rational person, and not like a little bird, I forbid thee 
 ever to speak to me again about this stranger." Leander was 
 charmed to see that the words of Abricotine and of the 
 parrot had made such an impression on the Princess. He gazed 
 on her, with a delight which made him forget the oath he 
 had taken never to love again so long as he lived. Certainly, 
 there could be no comparison between the Princess and that 
 coquette, Blondine. " Is it possible," said he to himself, " that 
 this masterpiece of nature, this wonder of our time, should 
 dwell for ever in an island where nobody dares approach her ! 
 But," continued he, " what does it signify to me that aU other 
 men are banished, since I have the honour to be present ; to 
 see, to hear, to admire her, and love her, as I already do to 
 distraction?" 
 
 It was late ; the Princess passed into a saloon of marble 
 and porphyry, where several sparkling fovmtains in full play 
 shed around them a delicious coolness. As soon as she en- 
 tered an overture commenced, and a sumptuous supper was 
 served. On each side of the saloon were aviaries, full of rare 
 birds, of which Abricotine had the care. 
 
 Leander had acquired during his travels the art of imi- 
 tating their various notes; he imitated even such as were 
 not there. The Princess listened, looked, was astonished, and 
 at length rose from the table and approached one of the 
 cages. Leander warbled half as loudly again, and assuming 
 the voice of a canary-bird, he sang the following words to an 
 air which he improvised on the spot : — 
 
 Life without love is but a winter's day ; 
 Joyleu along its lonely path we stray. 
 Love, then, — O love a lover who adores thee ! 
 All here inTites— e'en Love himself implores thee ! 
 
PEINCE SPRITE. 89 
 
 The Princess, still more surprised, sent for Abricotine, and 
 asked her if she had taught one of the canary-birds to sing. 
 She replied, No, but that she thought canaries might &irly 
 be supposed to possess as much intelligence as parrots. The 
 Princess smiled, and believed that Abricotine had given the 
 birds lessons in private, and returned to the table to finish 
 her supper. 
 
 Leander had worked sufficiently hard to have acquired 
 a good appetite. He drew near to the banquet, the odour of 
 which alone was invigorating. The Princess had a blue cat, 
 a very fashionable appendage at that period, and which she 
 was exceedingly fond of: one of her maids of honour carried 
 it in her arms. " Madam," said the maid of honour, " it is 
 my duty to inform your highness that Bluet is hungry." They 
 seated the cat at the table with a little gold plate before it, 
 and a napkin of lace, very tastefully folded. The cat had a 
 collar of pearls to which was appended a golden bell; and with 
 the air of a gourmand it began to eat. " Oh, oh ! " quoth Leander 
 to himself, " a great blue tom-cat, who probably has never 
 caught a mouse in his life, and who is assure(Uy not of a 
 better family than I am, has the honour to sup with my 
 beautiful princess ! I should like to know if he loves her as 
 well as I do j and if it is fair that I should only enjoy the 
 smell, while he munches the tit bits." With that he quietly 
 lifted up the blue cat, placed himself in the arm-chair, and 
 took the animal in his lap. Nobody observed him, of course ; 
 how could they? — he had on his little red hat. The Princess 
 piled up the golden plate of Bluet with partridge, quail, and 
 pheasant. Partridge, quail, and pheasant, disappeared in a 
 moment. All the court agreed, never had a blue cat been 
 known to have such an enoi-mous appetite. There were some 
 excellent ragouts on the table. Leander took a fork, and 
 holding forth with it the cat's paw, he helped himself to the 
 ragouts. Sometimes he took rather a large quantity. Bluet 
 did not understand joking; he mewed and tried to scratch 
 like a wild cat. The Princess desired the servants to hand 
 this tart or that fricassee to poor Bluet. " Observe how he 
 cries for it!" Leander laughed in his sleeve at this absurd 
 adventure ; but he was very thirsty, not having been accus- 
 tomed to sit so long at table without drinking. He caught 
 hold, with the cat's paw, of a great melon, which a little 
 
90 PEINCE SPRITE. 
 
 allayed his thirst, and supper being nearly over, he made off 
 to the sideboard, and drank two bottles of delicious nectar. 
 
 The Princess entered her closet ; she desired Abricotine to 
 follow her, and to shut the door. Leander kept close to her, 
 and made a third in the apartment, iinperceived. The 
 Princess said to her confidant, " Acknowledge that thou hast 
 exaggerated in describing to me this unknown ; it appears to 
 me impossible that he can be so charming." " I protest, 
 Madam," replied she, " that if I have erred in anything it is 
 in not having praised him enough." The] Princess sighed, 
 and was silent for a minute ; then, resuming the conversation, 
 " I am obliged to you," said she, " for having refused to bring 
 him with you." " But, Madam," replied Abricotine, (who 
 ■was a shrewd girl, and saw already the turn her mistress's 
 thoughts were taking,) supposing he had come hither to ad- 
 mire the wonders of this beautiful place, what harm coiild it 
 have caused to you? Do you desire to remain for ever un- 
 known in this comer of the world, hidden from all other 
 mortals? Of what value is so much grandeur, pomp, and 
 magnificence, if nobody see it?" "Peace! Peace! little 
 casuist," cided the Princess ; " trouble not the happy repose 
 I have enjoyed these six hundred years. Dost thou imagine, 
 if I had led a restless and turbulent life I could have existed 
 so many years? None but innocent and tranquil pleasures 
 can produce such effects. Have we not read in the best his- 
 tories the' revolutions of great empires, the unforeseen blows 
 of inconstant fortunes, the wild excesses of love, the pangs of 
 absence or of jealousy? What is it that occasions all these 
 terrors and afflictions? Nothing but the intercourse between 
 the sexes. Thanks to the precaution of my mother, I am 
 exempt from all these crosses, I feel no heart-aches, I cherish 
 no vain desires, I know neither envy, love, nor hatred. Ah ! 
 for ever, for ever, let us enjoy the happy indifference!" 
 Abricotine did not venture to reply : the Princess waited a 
 short time, and then asked her if she had nothing to say. 
 She answered, that in that case she thought it had been very 
 unnecessary to send miniatures of the Princess to the courte 
 of several foreign sovereigns, where they would only make 
 people miserable; as everybody would be dying to see her, 
 and not being able to do so, would go distracted." " Notwith- 
 standing that," said the Princess, " I confess, I wish that my 
 
PRINCE SPRITE. 91 
 
 portrait should fall into the hands of this stranger, whose 
 name I am ignorant of." " Oh, Madam," replied Abricotine, 
 " is not his desire to behold you already sufficiently violent ? 
 Would you increase it?" — "Yes!" exclaimed the Princess; 
 "a certain feeling of vanity, unknown to me till now, has 
 giveu birth to that wish." Leander listened to all this with- 
 out losing a word. Several expressions gave him the most 
 flattering hopes, while the next moment others seemed to 
 destroy them entirely. 
 
 It was late ; the Princess entered her bed-chamber to retire 
 for the night. Leander would have been too happy to follow 
 her to her toilette; but, although it was easy for him to do 
 so, the respect he entertained for her was sufficient to prevent 
 him. He felt he ought not to take any liberties beyond what 
 he might fairly be allowed, and his love was of so delicate and 
 refined a nature, that he tormented himself most ingeniously 
 respecting the veriest trifles. 
 
 He entered a cabinet, close to the bed-chamber of the 
 Princess, to enjoy at least the pleasure of hearing her voice. • 
 She was at that moment asking Abricotine, if she had seen 
 anything extraordinary in her little journey. " Madam," she 
 replied, " I passed through a forest, in which I saw some 
 animals resembling children; they jumped and danced upon 
 the boughs of the trees like squirrels; they are very ugly, 
 but their dexterity is incomparable." " Ah, how I should 
 like to have some !" said the Princess ; " if they were less agile 
 one might possibly catch some of them." 
 
 Leander, who had also passed through this forest, knew 
 perfectly well Abricotine must mean monkeys. ' Immediately 
 he wished himself there : he caught a dozen large and small, 
 and of various colours, put them with considerable difficulty 
 into a great sack, then wished himself at Paris, where he had 
 heard say anything could be had for money. He went to 
 Dautel, who is a virtuoso, and bought of him a little coach 
 entirely made of gold, to which he attached six green mon- 
 keys, with flame-coloured morocco harness mounted with 
 gold. He then went to Brioch6,^ a celebrated puppet-show- 
 man. He found there two very clever monkeys. The most 
 intelligent was called Briscambille, and the other Perceforet ; 
 they were both exceedingly polite and well educated. He 
 
 (1) See note to p. 65. 
 
93 PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 dressed Briscambille in royal robes, and put him into the 
 coach. Perceforet he made the coachman, the other monkeys 
 were attending as pages. 
 
 Nothing more elegant was ever seen. He put the coach 
 and the booted monkeys into the same sack, and the Princess 
 was not in bed before she heard in the gallery the sound of 
 little coach-wheels, and her nymphs came to announce to her 
 the arrival of the King of the Dwarfs. At the same moment 
 the little carriage was driven into the room with its monkey- 
 train, and the wild ones played innumerable tricks, which, 
 in their way, were quite equal to those of Briscambille and 
 Perceforet. Sooth to say, Leander conducted the whole 
 afifair. He took the little monkey out of the little gold coach, 
 who had in his hand a box encrusted with diamonds, whicli 
 he presented with considerable grace to the Princess. She 
 opened it instantly, and found in it a note, in which wei'e 
 ■WTitten the following lines : — 
 
 ■ What beauties, what treasures surround me ! 
 Fair palace, how lovely art thou ! 
 Yet lovelier she who has bound me. 
 By charms never dreamed of till now ! 
 Peace reigns in this thrice happy Isle, 
 But none the poor captive can feel, 
 Who worships, yet trembles the while 
 His flame or his form to reveal. 
 
 It is easy to imagine her surprise ! Briscambille made a 
 sign to Perceforet to come and dance with him. None of 
 the most celebrated dancing monkeys ever equalled this won- 
 derful pair: but the princess, uneasy at not being able to 
 guess from whom the verses came, dismissed the performers 
 sooner than she would otherwise have done, notwithstanding 
 that they had amused her vastly, and that she had at first 
 laughed at them to such a degree that she nearly fainted. 
 She then gave herself up entirely to her reflections, but with- 
 out being able to penetrate the mystery, 
 
 Leander, satisfied with the attention paid to his verses, and 
 the pleasure the Princess had taken in seeing the monkeys, 
 now thought it was time to take a little rest, of which he 
 was in great need; but he was afraid he might select an 
 apartment belonging to one of the nymphs-in-waiting on the 
 Princess. He remained for some time in the grand gallery of 
 the palace; then, descending, he found an open door. He 
 entered softly one of the lower rooms, more beautiful and 
 
PKINCE SPRITE. 93 
 
 cflpnmodious than any he had ever seen. There was a bed in 
 it with gold and green gauze furniture, looped up in festoons 
 with ropes of pearls, and tassels of rubies and emeralds. It 
 was already light enough for him to examine and admire the 
 extraordinary magnificence of this piece of furniture. Having 
 fastened the door, he fell asleep; but the thoughts of his 
 beautiful princess disturbed his slumbers, and he awoke fre- 
 quently sighing forth her name. 
 
 He rose so early that he had time to grow impatient before 
 the time arrived that she was visible, and looking about him, 
 he perceived a canvas prepared for painting, and a packet of 
 colours. He immediately remembered what the Princess had 
 said to Abricotine about her portrait ; and, without losing an 
 instant, he sat down before a large looking-glass, (for he 
 painted better than the best artists of his time,) and took his 
 own portrait ; he then drew in an oval that of the Princess, 
 for her features were so vividly impressed on his heart, that he 
 had no occasion to see her for the first sketch. He finished 
 the portrait afterwards from the fe,ir original without her per- 
 ceiving him, and as the desire to please her gave a charm to 
 his labour, never was there a picture so admirably painted. 
 He had drawn himself kneeling and holding the portrait of 
 the Princess in one hand, and in the other a scroll, on which 
 was written, 
 
 Her image is more perfect in my heart. 
 
 When she entered her cabinet she was astonished to see the 
 picture of a man. She riveted her eyes upon it in still 
 greater surprise when she recognised her own, and read the 
 inscription on the scroll, which afforded her ample food for 
 curiosity and conjecture. She was alone at that moment, 
 and could not teU what to think of so extraordinary a circum- 
 stance, but persuaded herself that it must be Abricotine who 
 had paid her this delicate attention. She now only wanted 
 to ascertain whether the picture of this cavalier was merely a 
 fancy one, or if Abricotine had really seen such a person. 
 She rose hastily, and ran to call her. Leander was already in 
 the cabinet with his little red hat on, anxious to hear what 
 would be said on the subject. 
 
 The Princess desired Abricotine to look at the picture, and 
 to give her his opinion of it. The moment she cast her eyes 
 upon it, she exclaimed, " I protest, Madam, it is the likeness 
 
94 PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 of that generous stranger to whom I owe my life ! yes, 'tis he, 
 I cannot be mistaken. There are his features, his form, his 
 hair, his carriage !" " Thou feignest astonishment," said the 
 Princess, smiling ; " but it was placed here by thyself" " By 
 me, Madam!" replied Abricotine. "I swear to you I never 
 saw this picture before in my life. Am I capable of con- 
 cealing anything from you which it would interest you to be 
 acquainted with? And by what miracle could it come into 
 my possession? I have not the least knowledge of painting — 
 no man has ever entered this island, and yet here are your 
 united portraits." " 1 tremble with fear," said the Princess ; 
 "some demon must have brought this painting hither!" 
 "Madam," said Abricotine, "may it not have been Love? 
 If you think I am right, I will venture to give you a little 
 advice. Let us burn the picture immediately." " It would 
 be such a pity," said the Princess sighing; "methinks my 
 cabinet could not be better adorned than by this painting." 
 She looked at Abricotine as she uttered these words ; but the 
 girl continued to insist they ought to burn an article that 
 could only have been brought there by magic. " And these 
 words," said the Princess, " ' Her image is more perfect in 
 my heart,' must we burn them also?" " We ought to spare 
 nothing," replied Abricotine, " not even your own likeness." 
 And so saying, she ran off to fetch a light. The Princess 
 turned away to a window, unable to gaze any longer on a 
 portrait which produced such an impression on her heart ; and 
 Leander, who did not choose his picture should be burnt, took 
 this opportunity of removing it unobserved by the Princess. 
 He had scarcely quitted the room with it, when she turned to 
 take another look at the charming form which had so fasci- 
 nated her. What was her surprise at its disappearance! 
 She hunted aU roimd the room for it. Abricotine returned, 
 and was asked if she had removed it. She assured her she 
 had not, and this last adventure completely terrified them. 
 
 As soon as Leander had hidden the portrait he returned to 
 the cabinet. It was exceeding pleasure to him so frequently to 
 hear and see his lovely princess. He dined every day at her 
 table with the blue cat, who was certainly not the gainer by it ; 
 there was, however, much still wanting to Leander's happiness, 
 as he dared neither speak in his own voice, nor make himself 
 visible. It is rarely that we love those we have never seen. 
 
PfilNCE SPEITE. 95 
 
 The Princess had a taste for everything that was beautiful. 
 In the present state of her heart she needed amusement. 
 One morning when she was surrounded by her nymphs, she 
 observed that she had a great desire to know how the ladies 
 dressed in the various courts throughout the world, in order 
 that she might select the most becoming and tasteful fashion 
 for her own. Leander wanted no other inducement to 
 range the universe. He pushed his little red hat almost 
 over his eyes, and wished himself in China. He bought the 
 richest stuff he could find there, and took copies of aU the 
 dresses. From thence he flew to Siam, where he did the 
 same thing. In brief, he visited the four quarters of the 
 world in three days ; and as fast as he could load himself he 
 returned to the Palace of Peaceful Pleasures, to hide what he 
 had purchased in one of the apartments. When he had 
 thus collected an infinite number of curiosities, (for money 
 was nothing to him; his rose furnished him with it in- 
 cessantly.) he went and bought five or six dozen dolls, 
 which he had dressed in Paris ; the place of all the world 
 in which fashion has most temples. The doUs exhibited 
 every variety of national habits, and all of unparalleled 
 magnificence. Leander arranged them in the cabinet of the 
 Princess. 
 
 When she entered nobody was ever more agreeably sur- 
 prised. Each doll held a present in its hand ; either watches, 
 bracelets, diamond buttons, or necklaces : the most prominent 
 bore a miniature case. The princess opened it, and found the 
 portrait of Leander. Her recollection of the other painting 
 enabled her to recognise it instantly. She uttered a loud 
 exclamation ! then looking at Abricotine, said to her, " I am 
 at a loss to xmderstand what has happened in my palace for 
 some time past. My birds talk rationally. I seem to have 
 only to form a wish to have it instantly accomplished. I 
 have been twice presented with the portrait of the person 
 who saved thee from the robbers ; and here is a collection of 
 rich stufife, diamonds, embroideries, lace, and innumerable 
 ether rare and costly things. Who is the fairy, or who is the 
 demon, that takes the trouble to render me aU these agreeable 
 services 1" Leander hearing her say this, wrote the following 
 lines on his tablets, and threw them at the feet of the 
 Princess : — 
 
96 PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 I am neither fiend nor fay, 
 
 Only an unhappy lover. 
 
 Who dare not himself discover — 
 Pity me, at least, you may ! 
 
 FmKCE SraiTZ. 
 
 The tablets were so brilliantly ornamented with gold and 
 jewels that they caught her attention instantly ; she opened 
 them, and read with the greatest astonishment what the 
 Prince had written on them. " This invisible being must be 
 a monster," she exclaimed, " since he dares not show himself; 
 but if it were true that he had some affection for me, the 
 presenting me with so touching a porti'ait shows he cannot 
 have much delicacy. He must either not love me, to subject 
 my heart to so painful a trial, or he has too good an opinion 
 of himself, and believes that he is far more fascinating." " I 
 have heard say, Madam," replied Abricotine, "that sprites 
 are composed of air and fire — that they have no corporeal 
 substance, and that it is only by their intelligence and their 
 desires that their existence is manifested." " I am right glad 
 to hear it," rejoined the Princess; "such a lover cannot 
 greatly disturb my tranquillity." 
 
 Leander was delighted to hear her, and see her so occupied 
 with his portrait. He remembered, that in a grotto to which 
 she frequently repaired, there was a pedestal intended to 
 support a statue of Diana, which was still in the hands of the 
 sculptor. He placed himself on it in an extraordinary habit, 
 crowned with laurels, and holding a lyre in his hand, on 
 which he could play better than Apollo. He waited im- 
 patiently for the coming of his Princess, according to her 
 daily custom. It was the spot to which she retired to 
 meditate upon her xmknown adorer. Abricotine's account of 
 him, joined to the pleasure which the contemplation of his 
 portrait had occasioned her, combined to rob her heart of 
 rest. She found a charm in solitude, and her joyous disposi- 
 tion had undergone such a change that her nymphs could 
 scarcely recognise their mistress. 
 
 As she entered the grotto she made signs to her attendants 
 not to follow her. Her nymphs dispersed themselves in the 
 various avenues. The Princess threw herself on a bank of 
 turf She sighed and shed a few tears. She even uttered 
 some words, but in so low a tone that Leander could not 
 catch them. He had worn his little red hat, in order that 
 
PEINCE SPRITE. 97 
 
 she should not see him on her entrance, but he now took it 
 off. Her surprise was excessive at beholding him. She took 
 him to be a statue, for he stood motionless in the attitude he 
 had assumed. She gazed upon him with a mixed feeling of 
 joy and alarm. His unexpected appearance astonished her, 
 but in her heart pleasure soon conquered fear, and she began 
 to admire a figure so lifeUke ; when the Prince, to the accom- 
 paniment of his lyre, sung the following verses : — 
 
 What perfls hirk in this enchanted sjwt I 
 
 Indiflference the heart availeth not ! 
 
 Vain are the vows 1 made to love no more'; 
 
 Hopeless, I give the unequal struggle o'er. 
 
 Why call this realm the Isle of Peaceful Pleasure ? 
 
 Who treads its shore, a slave thenceforth must sigh. 
 
 Vanquish'd, I cease with Love my strength to measure ; 
 
 Here, in his charms, I would hut live and die ! 
 
 Melodious as was the voice of Leander, the Princess could 
 not master the terror with which the prodigy inspired her. 
 She turned pale and fainted. Leander alarmed, leaped from 
 the pedestal, and put on his little red hat, that no one might 
 perceive him. He raised the Princess in his arms, and used 
 every means his affection and anxiety could suggest to recover 
 her. She opened her beautiful eyes, and looked around her 
 as if in search of him. She saw no one ; but she felt some- 
 body was near her who pressed her hands, kissed them, and 
 bathed them with tears. For some time she did not dare 
 speak. Her mind was agitated between hope and fear. She 
 trembled at the sprite ; but she loved the handsome unknown,' 
 whose features she believed it had assumed in the statue. At 
 length she exclaimed, " Sprite ! charming Sprite ! why are 
 you not the person I would have you be?" At these words 
 Leander was on the point of declaring himself, but still 
 hesitated to do so. " If I terrify the object I adore," thought 
 he, " if she fear me, she will not love me." These considera- 
 tions kept him silent, and induced him to retreat into a 
 corner of the grotto. 
 
 The Princess, behoving herself to be alone, called Abricotine 
 and related to her the prodigy of the animated statue. That 
 its voice was celestial, and that when she fainted the sprite 
 had rendered her the kindest assistance. "What a pity," 
 she exclaimed, " that this sprite is deformed and hideous, for 
 
98 PBINCE SPRITE. 
 
 nothing can be more tender and amiable than its manners." 
 " And who told you, Madam," replied Abricotine, "that it is 
 sol Did not Psyche believe that Cupid was a serpent? Your 
 adventure resembles hers. You are not less beautiful. If it 
 were Cupid who loves you, would you not return his passion?" 
 " If Cupid and the xmknown were the same person," said the 
 Princess, blushing, " I should love Cupid; but such a happi- 
 ness is not in store for me. I am fascinated by a chimera, 
 and the fatal portrait of that stranger, joined to thy descrip- 
 tion of him, has caused a revolution in my feelings so opposed 
 to the precepts of my mother, that I dread the punishment 
 it may entail on me." "Pray, Madam," said Abricotine, 
 interrupting her, "have you not already trouble enough, 
 without anticipating evUs which will never occur? " — It is easy 
 to imagine the delight this conversation gave Leander. 
 
 In the meanwhile little Furibon, still in love with the 
 Princess without having seen her, impatiently awaited the 
 return of the four emissaries he had despatched to the Island 
 of Peaceful Pleasures. One alone found his way back, and 
 gave him an account of all that had happened. He informed 
 him also that the island was defended by Amazons, and that 
 unless he was at the head of a large army, he had no chance 
 of setting foot in it. 
 
 The king, his father, was just dead, and Furibon was there- 
 fore his own master, with absolute power over everything. 
 He raised an army of upwards of four hundred thousand men, 
 and marched at the head of them. There was a fine general ! 
 Briscambille or PerceforSt would, either, have made a much 
 better. His charger was not half-a-yard high. When the 
 Amazons perceived this great army advancing, they gave 
 notice to the Princess, who lost not a moment in sending the 
 faithful Abricotine to the kingdom of the Fairies to request 
 her mother's advice as to the best means of resisting Furibon's 
 invasion. But Abricotine found the Fairy exceedingly angry. 
 " I am aware of everything my daughter has done," said she. 
 " Prince Leander is in her palace ; he loves her, and is 
 beloved again. All my care has been insufficient to defend 
 her from the tyranny of Cupid ; she is in his fatal power. 
 Alas ! the cruel god is not satisfied with the mischief he has 
 done me ; he exerts his influence over the being I loved dearer 
 than my life ! Such are the decrees of destiny ! I cannot 
 
PRINCE SPRITE. 99 
 
 oppose them. Begone, Abricotine! I will hear no more 
 of this girl, whose sentiments cause me so much affliction." 
 Abricotine returned to the Princess with these bad tidings. 
 It required little more to drive her to distraction. Leander 
 was beside her, invisible ; her extreme distress caused him the 
 greatest pain. He dared not speak to her at that moment; 
 but he recollected that Furibon was very avaricious, and that 
 probably he might be tempted by a large sum of money 
 to abandon his enterprise. He assumed the dress of an 
 Amazon, and wished himself in the forest where he had left 
 his horse. As soon as he called " Grisdelin !" Grisdelin came 
 leaping and prancing to him with great delight, for he had 
 become very weary waiting so long for his dear master ; but 
 when he saw him in female attire, he could not recognise him, 
 and feared at first he was deceived. On Leander's arrival 
 at the camp of Furibon, everybody took him to be really 
 an Amazon ; he was so handsome. They informed the 
 king that a young lady demanded an audience on the part of" 
 the Princess of Peaceful Pleasures. He hurried on his royal 
 robes, and seated himself on his throne, where one woxxld have 
 thought it was a large toad pretending to be a king. 
 
 Leander commenced his address, by informing him that 
 "the Princess preferring a quiet and peaceable life to the 
 troubles of warfiire, was willing to give him any sum of money 
 he would name, provided he would not molest her; but that, 
 at the same time, if he refused this offer, she should certainly 
 defend herself to the extent of her power." 
 
 Furibon replied, that " he was willing to take pity on her; 
 that he would honour her by his protection; and that she 
 had only to send him a hundred thousand thousand thousand 
 millions of pistoles, and he would immediately return to his 
 own kingdom." Leander answered, " that it would take too 
 much time to count a hundred thousand thousand thousand 
 millions of pistoles ; but that he had only to say how many 
 rooms full he desired ; and that the Princess was too rich and 
 too liberal to calculate so closely." Furibon was greatly 
 astonished, that instead of endeavouring to bargain for a 
 smaller sum, he was actually offered more; he thought to 
 himself he would take all the money he could get, and then 
 arrest the Amazon and kill her, in order that she should 
 never return to her mistress. 
 
 H 2 
 
100 PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 He accordingly told Leander he required thirty very large 
 rooms to be filled completely with gold pieces, and gave him 
 his royal word that he would then retire with his army. 
 Leander was conducted to the apartments selected to be filled 
 •with gold. He took the rose and shook it, and shook it, 
 so much, so much, that out of it poiu-ed pistoles, quadruples,^ 
 Louis, gold crowns, rose-nobles,^ sovereigns,^ guineas,* sequins,^ 
 in a perfect deluge. There are few things in the world to be 
 seen more beautiful than a shower of gold. 
 
 Furibon wasin raptures, in ecstasies; and the more gold he 
 saw, the more he longed to seize the Amazon, and catch the 
 Princess. As soon as the thirty chambers were quite full, he 
 called to his guards, " Arrest ! arrest that cheat ; she has 
 brought me bad money." All the guards rushed forwards to 
 fling themselves upon the Amazon; but, at the same instant, the 
 little red hat was put on, and Leander had disappeared. They 
 thought he had made his escape, and ran after him, leaving 
 Furibon by himself. Leander immediately seized him by 
 the hair and cut off his head, as if it had been a chicken's, 
 without the wretched little king ever seeing the hand that 
 dealt the blow. 
 
 As soon as Leander had severed the head, he wished him- 
 self in the Palace of Pleasures. The Princess was walking in 
 the gardens, meditating sadly on the message she had re- 
 ceived from her mother, and on the means by which she could 
 repulse Furibon ; a difl&cult matter, considering she had no 
 other troops but a few Amazons, who could not possibly 
 defend her against four hundred thousand men. 
 
 Suddenly she saw a head suspended in the air, without 
 
 (1) The Spanish gold doubloon, called quadruple in French, because it was equal 
 in value to four Louis, or eighty francs. 
 
 (2) The rose-noble, an appropriate coin to issue from such a mint, was the old 
 English gold coin of Edward II I. 's reign, first called rose-noblein that of Henry VIII., 
 to distinguish it from the new George noble, struck by the latter monarch. 
 
 (3) The sovereigns here mentioned were Austrian gold coins of the value ot 
 thirty-three francs nine centimes, or about twenty-eight shillings English. There 
 was, however, a gold sovereign coined in England in the reign of Henry VII. The 
 modem Austrian sovereign is of much less value. 
 
 (4) The guinea in Madame d'Aulnoy's days was a new coin. It was first struck in 
 the year 1664, and took its name from the gold of which it was made, being brought 
 from Guinea by the African Company. It was originally only a twenty-shilling 
 piece; its increased value occurring from the subsequent scarcity of gold, in the 
 reign of William and Muy, at one period of which it passed for thirty shillings. 
 
 (5) The sequin (zecchino) is a gold coin still current in Italy and the Levant, and 
 varies greatly in value. In Tuscany it is worth about lOi. 6d. English. 
 
PRINCE SPRITE. 101 
 
 appearing to have anything to sustain it ; a prodigy which 
 astonished her so much, that she knew not what to think of 
 it. It was still more astounding when she saw the head laid 
 at her feet by an unseen hand. At the same time she heard 
 a voice which said to her, — 
 
 " Fear no more, charming Princess, Furibon will never 
 harm you." 
 
 Abricotine recognised the voice of Leander, and exclaimed, 
 " I protest, Madam, the invisible being who speaks to you is 
 the stranger who rescued me ! " The Princess appeared equally 
 surprised and delighted. " Ah ! " said she, " if it be true that 
 the sprite and the stranger are one and the same, I confess 
 it would give me great pleasure to prove to him my grati- 
 tude." The Sprite replied, " I will labour still more to de- 
 serve it" With that he returned instantly to the army of 
 Furibon, through which the news of their king's death was 
 spreading rapidly. The moment he appeared among them in 
 his usual dress, every one ran to him, officers and soldiers 
 surrounded him, uttering loud shouts of joy. They acknow- 
 ledged him as their king, — that the crown belonged of right 
 to him. He liberally allowed them to share amongst them- 
 selves the thirty chambers full of gold, so that the whole 
 army were made rich for ever ; and after several ceremonies, 
 which guaranteed to Leander the fidelity of his troops, he 
 flew back again to the Princess, leaving orders with his army 
 to return by easy marches to his own dominions. 
 
 The Princess had retired for the night, and the respect 
 which Leander had for her prevented his entering her apart- 
 ment. He went at once to his own, for he had always slept 
 in the lower one. He was sufficiently fatigued to need repose, 
 and in consequence forgot to fasten the door as carefully as 
 usual. The Princess suffered fi-om heat and anxiety. She 
 rose before dawn, and descended in dishabille to the lower 
 apartment. But what was her astonishment to see Leander 
 asleep on the bed ! She had plenty of time to examine his 
 features without being seen, and to convince herself that he 
 was the person whose portrait she possessed in the diamond 
 box. " It is not possible," said she, " that this should be 
 a sprite ; for do sprites sleep 1 Is this a being composed of 
 air and fire, occupying no space, according to the description 
 of Abricotine?" She gently touched his hair; she listened 
 
102 PMNCE SPRITE. 
 
 to his breathing ; she could not tear herself away from him. 
 One moment she was in raptures at having found him ; the 
 next she was alarmed at the consequences. Just as she was 
 most earnestly gazing upon him, the Fairy, her mother, entered 
 with such a tremendous noise that Leauder awoke, and started 
 to his feet. What was his surprise and affliction at seeing his 
 Princess in the depths of despair ! Her mother was dragging 
 her away, and loading her with reproaches. Oh, what misery 
 for these young lovers ! They saw themselves on the point 
 of being separated for ever. The Princess dared not say a 
 word to the furious Fairy, she looked only at Leander, as if 
 to implore his assistance. 
 
 He knew well that it was not possible for him to release 
 her from the grasp of so powerful a person ; but he sought, 
 by eloquence and by submission, to touch the heart of the 
 irritated mother. He ran after her, threw himself at her 
 feet, implored her to have pity on a young king whose love 
 for her daughter was unchangeable, and whose greatest felicity 
 would consist in rendering her happy. The Princess, en- 
 couraged by his example, embraced her mother's knees, and 
 declared to her, that without the king she covdd never be 
 happy, and that she was under the greatest obligations to him. 
 " You know not the degradation of love," cried the Fairy, 
 " and the treachery of which these gay deceivers are capable. 
 They captivate but to poison us. I have too dearly proved 
 it ! Would you incur a destiny like mine 1 " " Ah, Madam ! " 
 exclaimed the Princess, "is there no exception? The assur- 
 ances which the king gives you, and which seem so sincere, 
 do they not satisfy you that I may safely trust him 1 " The 
 obstinate Fairy allowed them to sigh at her feet. In vain 
 her hands were bathed with their tears ; she appeared im- 
 penetrable ; and no doubt would never have forgiven them, if 
 the amiable Fairy, Gentille, had not appeared in the chamber 
 more brilliant than the sun. The Graces accompanied her, 
 and she was followed by a troop of Loves, Sports, and Plea- 
 sures, who warbled a thousand new and charming songs, and 
 frolicked about like children. 
 
 Gentille embraced the old Fairy. " My dear sister," said 
 she, " I am sure you have not forgotten the good service I 
 rendered you when you desired to return to our kingdom. 
 Without my assistance you would never have been receivfld 
 
PfilNCE SPRITE. 103 
 
 in it, and since that time I have never asked you any fiivour 
 in return ; but the moment has arrived when you can grant 
 me an essential one. Pardon this lovely Princess, and con- 
 sent to her union with the young king. I will answer for hh 
 fidelity. Their days will be as a tissue of gold and sUk. The 
 alliance will afford you the greatest satisfection, and I shall 
 never forget the pleasure you will give me." " I consent to 
 anything you wish, charming GJentUle ! " cried the Fairy. 
 " Come, my children, come to my arms ; receive the assur- 
 ance of my affection." With these words she embraced the 
 Princess and her lover. The Fairy GJentille was in raptures of 
 joy, and all her train commenced singing nuptial hymns, the 
 sweet symphonies of which awoke the nymphs of the palsice, 
 who came running, in their light robes of gauze, to ascertain 
 what was passing. 
 
 What an agreeable surprise for Abricotine! She had 
 scarcely cast her eyes on Leander when she recognised him, 
 and seeing him holding the hand of the Princess, she doubted 
 not an instant of their mutual happiness. The confirmation 
 of it was the declaration of the Fairy mother that she would 
 transport the Island of Peaceful Pleasures, the palace, and all 
 the marvels it contained, into Leander's dominions; that she 
 would reside there with them; and that she would confer 
 many greater gifts upon them. " Whatever your generosity 
 may suggest to you. Madam," said the king to her, " it is im- 
 possible you can make me a present equal to that bestowed 
 upon me to-day. You have made me the happiest of men, 
 and I feel convinced that you will find me also the most 
 grateful." This little compliment very much pleased the 
 Fairy. She was one of the old school, in whose time people 
 would compliment each other all day long on some thing as 
 tiifling as the leg of a fly. 
 
 As GentUle had thought of everything, she had caused to 
 be transported to the palace, by the power of Brelic-breloc,^ 
 the generals and captains of the army raised by Furibon, in 
 
 (1) Literally, "without order," "any how," "higgledy-piggledy" — "brelife-bre- 
 loque," " sani ordre, inconsiderenunent ;" but it is used in this instance as a substan- 
 tire, implying whim, caprice, fancy, illusion; the term "breloque" signifying a toyi 
 gewgaw, whim.wham; and "berloqne," derived from the same root, illusion or con. 
 fusion of the senses. " Avoir la berlue," is to see double, to be dazzled ; and 
 "battre la breloque," signifies to talk wildly, to be confused, to lose one's head, — 
 " 6tre tout deroute." " Berloquer" is also used to express trifling away time, which 
 kom* of my readers may think I am doing at the present moment. 
 
104 PRINCE SPRITE. 
 
 order that they might witness the splendid fete she was about 
 to give on this occasion. She took enormous pains about it, 
 and five or six volumes would not suffice to contain the de- 
 scription of the comedies, operas, runnings at the ring, concerts, 
 combats of gladiators, huntings, and other magnificent diver- 
 sions, which took place at these charming nuptials. The most 
 singular circumstance was, that each nymph found amongst 
 the brave officers whom Gentille had wafted to these beautiful 
 regions, a husband as passionately attached to her as if he 
 had known her for ten years. It was nevertheless only an 
 acquaintance of four-and-twenty hours, but the little -wand of 
 a Fairy could produce effects even still more extraordinary. 
 
 Where have ye fled, ye happy days, 
 
 When, by the power of a Fairy, 
 Good folks might 'scape a thousand ways 
 
 Out of the very worst quandary ? — 
 When, with a cap or flow'r, one might 
 
 Make any change, play any gambol, — 
 Invisible, see every sight, 
 
 And round the world, through aether, ramble 1 
 Leander a rich rose possess'd. 
 
 Which yielded money without measure ; 
 Another rose the wearer bless'd 
 
 With perfect health — a greater treasure ; 
 A third he had, which you must kno^, 
 
 I think, was less to be desired, — 
 The truth or falsehood it could show 
 
 Of the fair lady he admired. « 
 
 Alas ! to such a case as this 
 
 The old quotation well applies — 
 In love, if " ignorance is bliss, 
 
 'Tis," indeed, " folly to be wise." 
 
PEINCESS PEINTANIERE. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a king and a queen who had 
 seveml children, but they all died; and the king and queen 
 were so very, very much afflicted, that it was impossible to 
 b« m(5re so, for they possessed considerable prop'erty, and only 
 wanted children to inherit it. Five years had elapsed since 
 the queen had given birth to her last infant. Everybody 
 believed she could have no more, because she fretted so exces- • 
 sively, when she thought of all the pretty httle princes she 
 had lost. 
 
 At length, however, the queen found she was likely to 
 have another. Day and night she passed in thinking how 
 she could best preserve the httle creature she was about to 
 bring into the world, — what name it should bear, — what 
 dresses, what dolls, what toys she should give to it. 
 
 It had been proclaimed by sound of trumpet, and bills 
 had been posted up in all the highways, stating that, all 
 the best nurses should present themselves before the queen, 
 that she might choose one for her child. Accordingly, behold 
 them arrive from the four quarters of the world ; nothing 
 was to be seen but nurses with their babies. One day as the 
 queen was taking the air in a great forest, she sat down, and 
 said to the king, " Let us send for all the nm-ses hither, and 
 choose one, for our cows have not milk enough to supply food 
 for all these little children." " Most willingly, my dear," 
 said the king : " come, let the nurses be summoned ! " Lo ! 
 where they all appear, one after the other, making a fine 
 curtsy to the king and the queen ; after which they place 
 themselves in a row, each standing imder a tree. When they 
 
106 PRINCESS PRINTANIEKE. 
 
 were all arranged, and their majesties had admired their fresh 
 complexions, white teeth, and fine persons, they beheld, ad- 
 vancing in a wheelbarrow, propelled by two filthy Uttle dwarfs, 
 an ugly Uttle woman, whose feet turned in, whose knees touched 
 her clun, who had a great hump on her back, squinting eyes, 
 and a skin blacker than ink. She held in her arms a little 
 monkey, which she suckled, and spoke a jargon nobody could 
 understand. She approached to ofier herself in her turn ; 
 but the queen, repelling her, cried, " Hence, you great fright ! 
 — You are an ignorant creature to come before me dressed as 
 you are ! — If you do not immediately retire, I will have you 
 removed by force." The nasty old woman passed on grum- 
 bling excessively, and, dragged by her frightful little dwarfs, 
 went and placed herself in the hollow of a large tree, from 
 whence she could see everything that occurred. 
 
 The queen, who had ceased to think about her, chose a 
 handsome nurse: but the instant she was appointed, a horrible 
 serpent, which was concealed beneath some gi-ass, bit her foot, 
 and she fell down as if dead. The queen, much grieved at 
 this accident, cast her eyes on another. Immediately an 
 eagle came flying with a tortoise in its talons, and dropped it 
 on the head of the poor nurse, which was shivered to pieces 
 like a glass. The queen, still more afflicted, called forward a 
 third nurse, who, in her hurry to advance, stumbled against 
 a thicket, full of long thorns, and knocked out one of her 
 eyes. " Ah ! " cried the queen, " I am most unfortunate to- 
 day. It is impossible for me to choose a nurse without causing 
 her some mischief I must leave the affair to my physician." 
 As she arose to return to the palace, she heard peals of laugh- 
 ter. She looked and saw behind her the wicked old hump- 
 backed woman, who sat like an ape with her swaddled monkey 
 in the wheelbarrow, mocking the whole company, and parti- 
 cularly the queen. Her majesty was so em-aged that she 
 would have flown at and beaten her, feeling assured that she 
 was the cause of all this mischief to the nurses; but the 
 humpback, with three taps of her wand, changed the dwarfs into 
 winged griffins, the wheelbarrow into a chariot of fire, and rose 
 with it into the air, uttering loud threats and horrible shrieks. 
 
 " Alas, my darling, we are lost," said the king ; " it is the 
 Fairy Carabossa ! The wicked creature has hated me ever 
 since I was a little boy, on account of a trick I played her. 
 
PRINCESS PRINTANnSIUE. 107 
 
 putting some brimstone into her broth. From that moment 
 she has always sought an opportunity to be revenged." The 
 queen began to weep, " If I could have guessed who she 
 was," said she, " I woxild have tried to make a friend of her. 
 I'm sure I wish I were dead ! " When the king saw her so 
 deeply afflicted, he said to her, " My love, let us go and con- 
 sult on what step we should take ; " and led her away, sup- 
 porting her by the arm, for she was still trembling from the 
 fright into which Carabossa had thrown her. 
 
 When the king and queen reached their apartments, they 
 summoned their counsellors, caused all the doors and windows 
 to be carefiilly closed, that nobody might hear a word that 
 was uttered, and came to the resolution to invite all the 
 Fairies for a thousand leagues round to be present at the birth 
 of the child. Couriers were despatched immediately with 
 very polite letters to the Fairies, requesting them to take the 
 trouble to attend the queen's confinement, and to keep the 
 matter a great secret ; for they trembled at the idea of Ca- 
 rabossa's hearing of it, and coming to make some disturbance. 
 As a reward for their trouble, they were each promised a 
 hongreline^ of blue velvet, a petticoat of amaranth velvet, a 
 pair of slippers of crimson satin, slashed, a small pair of gilt 
 scissors, and a case full of fine needles. 
 
 As soon as the couriers had departed, the queen set to 
 work, with all her maids and servants, to prepare the presents 
 she had promised the Fairies. She knew a great many, but 
 only five answered their invitation. They arrived at the very 
 moment the queen gave birth to a little princess. Behold 
 them quickly closeted to endow her with precious gifts. The 
 first endowed her with perfect beauty ; the second bestowed 
 on her infinite wit; the third, the faculty of singing admirably; 
 the fourth, the talent of composition both in prose and verse. 
 As the fifth was about to speak, a noise was heard in the 
 chimney, like that of the falling of a huge stone from the top 
 of a steeple, and Carabossa appeared all begi-imed with soot, 
 and shouting as loud as she could, " I endow this little creature 
 
 " With ill-luck in plenty, until she be twenty! " 
 
 At these words the queen, who was in bed, began to cry, 
 and beg Carabossa would have pity on the little Princess. 
 
 (1) A jacket or pelisse of the Hungarian fashion; whence its name. 
 
108 PUmCESS PBINTANIERE. 
 
 All the Fairies said to her, " Alas, my sister ! take ofif your 
 speU again; what has this infant done to you?" But that 
 ugly Fairy kept grumbling to heraelf, without making any 
 reply; so that the fifth, who had not yet spoken, tried to 
 mend the matter, and endowed the Princess with a long life 
 of happiness after the period of the evil spell had expired. 
 Carabossa only laughed at this, and sang twenty satirical 
 songs, as she climbed up the chimney again. All the Fairies 
 remained in great consternation, but particularly the poor 
 queen. She did not, however, neglect to give them the presents 
 she had promised ; she even added to them some ribands, of 
 which they are very fond. They were magnificently feasted ; 
 and at their departure the eldest advised that the Princess 
 ^ould be lodged, tiU she completed her twentieth year, in 
 some place where she could see no one but her own female 
 attendants, and confined strictly to that spot. 
 
 Thereupon the king had a tower built without a window, 
 so that you could only see by candlelight. It was entered 
 by a vault that ran a league underground. Through this 
 subterranean passage everything was carried that was required 
 for the nurses and the governesses. Every twenty paces 
 there were massive gates that were kept closely shut, and 
 sentinels were posted in every direction. 
 
 The Princess had been called Printaniere, because she had 
 a complexion of lilies and roses, firesher and more blooming 
 than the spring. Everything she said or did was admirable. 
 She acquired a knowledge of the most diflScult sciences with 
 the greatest ease, and grew so tall and handsome that the 
 king and queen never saw her without crying for joy. She 
 sometimes begged they would stay with her, or take her with 
 them, for she found herself dull, without well knowing why ; 
 but her parents always put her off with some excuse. Her 
 nurse, who had never quitted her, and who did not lack sense, 
 described to her, occasionally, the appearance of the world, 
 and she comprehended her instantly as weU as if she had seen 
 it. The king frequently said to the queen, "My darling, 
 Carabossa will be outwitted; we are more cunning than she is. 
 Our Printaniere will be happy in despite of her predictions ;" 
 and the queen laughed till she cried at thinking on the vexa- 
 tion of the wicked Fairy. They had had Printaniere's portrait 
 painted, and copies of it sent all over the world, for the 
 
PRINCESS PRINTANHRE. 109 
 
 time was approaching for her to leave the tower, and they 
 were desirous that she should be married. She only wanted 
 four days of being twenty. The court and the city were in 
 great delight at the prospect of the speedy liberation of the 
 Princess ; and their joy was increased by the news that King 
 Merlin wished her to be the wife of his son, and that he had 
 sent his ambassador, Fanfarinet,to propose for her in due form. 
 The nurse, who told the Princess all the news, informed 
 her of this, and assured her that nothing in the world could 
 be a finer sight than the entry of Fanfarinet. " Ah ! how 
 unfortunate am I ! " exclaimed the Princess. " They coop 
 me up here in a dark tower, as if I had committed some great 
 crime. I have never seen the sky, the sun, and the stars, of 
 which they tell so many wonders. I have never seen a horse, 
 a monkey, or a lion, except in a picture. The king and queen 
 say that they will take me out of this place when I am twenty ; 
 but tliey only say so to make me patient, and I am certain 
 they will let me die here, without my having done anything to 
 offend them." Thereupon she began to cry so much — so much 
 — that her eyes swelled as big as one's fist ; and the wet-nurse, 
 and the foster-sister, and the cradle-rocker, and the dresser, 
 and the nursery-maid, who all loved her passionately, began 
 also to C17 so much — so much — that nothing was to be heard 
 but sobs and sighs. It was a scene of utter despair. When 
 the Princess saw them worked up to such a pitch of grief, 
 she seized a knife, and exclaimed, " There ! there ! I am de- 
 termined to kill myself instantly, if you do not find means to 
 let me behold the grand entry of Fanfarinet ! The king and 
 queen will never know anything about it. Decide amongst 
 yourselves, whether you had rather I should cut my throat 
 on the spot, than that you should procure me this gratifi- 
 cation ! " At these words the nurse and all the others recom- 
 menced crying still more bitterly, and resolved unanimously 
 that they would enable her to see Fanfarinet, or die them- 
 selves in the attempt. They passed the rest of the night in 
 proposing various schemes, without finding any that were 
 feasible, and Printaniere, who was almost out of her wits, 
 continually exclaimed, " Never again try to make me beheve 
 that you love me ! — you would find plenty of ways if you did. 
 I feel convinced that love and friendship could overcome every 
 obstacle !" 
 
110 PRINCESS PRINTANIERE. 
 
 At last they decided they would make a hole in the tower, 
 on the side towards that part of the city by which Fanfarinet 
 would arrive. They moved the bed of the Princess from the 
 wall, and immediately set to work, all together, and without 
 ceasing, day or night. By dint of scraping they removed the 
 plaster, and then the smaller stones. They got out so many, 
 that at last they effected an opening, tlu-ough which, with 
 considerable trouble, you might have passed a small needle. 
 It was through this aperture that Printaniere saw the day- 
 light for the first time ! She was perfectly dazzled by it, and 
 as she continued to peep through this little hole, she saw 
 Fanfiirinet appear at the head of all his retinue. He was 
 mounted on a white horse, that pranced to the sound of the 
 trumpets, and curveted admirably. Six flute-players pre- 
 ceded him : they played the finest opera airs, and six hautboys 
 echoed them ; after them came the tnimpets and kettle-drums, 
 making a great noise. Fanfarinet wore a dress embroidered 
 all over with pearls, boots made of cloth of gold, a plume of 
 scarlet feathers, ribands in profusion, and so many diamonds 
 (for King Merlin had rooms full) that the sun was not to be 
 compared to him for brilliancy. Printaniere at the sight 
 felt so completely beside herself that she could not move ; and 
 after pondering upon it for a short time, vowed that she 
 would never have any other husband than the handsome 
 Fanfarinet ; that there was no probability of his master 
 being so agreeable j that she had no ambition ; that as she had 
 managed to exist in a tower, she could live very happily with 
 him, if it were necessary, in some country chateau ; that she 
 would prefer bread and water with Fanfarinet to chickens 
 and sweetmeats with another. In short, she was so eloquent 
 on the subject, that her women were puzzled to imagine where 
 she had acquired one quarter of the knowledge she displayed ; 
 and when they attempted to impress upon her a sense of her 
 own dignity, and of the wrong she would be guilty of to herself 
 as well as to others, she ordered them to be silent, without 
 deigning to listen to them. As soon as Fanfarinet had arrived 
 at the king's palace, the queen came to fetch her daughter. 
 All the houses were hung with tapestry, and the windows 
 filled with ladies; some had baskets of flowers, others of 
 pearls, or of what was bettei', excellent sugar-plums, to shower 
 upon the Princess as she passed. 
 
PRINCESS PRINTANIERE. Ill 
 
 They had commenced attiring her, when a dwarf arrived 
 at the tower, mounted on an elephant. He came from the 
 five good Fairies, who had endowed her on the day she was 
 born. They sent her a crown, a sceptre, a robe of gold bro- 
 cade, a petticoat of butterflies' wings of the most wonderful 
 workmanship, with a casket still more marvellous; so stuck 
 full was it with jewels, it was accounted priceless; and such 
 a mass of riches had never been seen before. The queen was 
 ready to faint with admiration ; as to the Princess, she looked 
 upon it all with indiflference, for she could think only of 
 Fanfarinet. The dwarf was thanked, and had a pistole given 
 him to drink, and upwards of a thousand ells of nonpareil of 
 all sorts of colours, with which he made himself very hand- 
 some garters, a bow to his cravat, and another for his hat. 
 This dwarf was so very diminutive, that when he had all this 
 riband on, you could not see him at all. The queen told him 
 she would find something very beautiful to present in return 
 to the Fairies; and the Princess, who was very generous, 
 sent them several German spinning-wheels, with spindles 
 made of cedar. 
 
 They dressed the Princess in all the greatest rarities that 
 had been brought by the dwarf, and she appeared so ex- 
 tremely beautiful that the sun hid himself for shame, and the 
 moon, who is not over- bashful, did not dare peep out while 
 the Princess was abroad. She proceeded through the streets 
 on foot, over rich carpets, the people crowding round her, 
 and exclaiming, " Oh, how handsome she is ! Oh, how hand- 
 some she is ! " 
 
 As she passed along in this pompous array, with the queen 
 and four or five dozen princesses of the blood-royal, not to 
 mention upwards of ten dozen who bad arrived from various 
 neighbouring states to assist at this fete, the sky began 
 to cloud over, the thunder growled, and rain and hail fell in 
 torrents. The queen drew her royal mantle over her head, all 
 the ladies did the same with their upper petticoats, and 
 Printaniere was about to follow their example, when a 
 noise was heard in the air of more than a thousand ravens, 
 screech-owls, crows, and other ill-omened birds, who by their 
 croaking and hooting boded nothing good. .At the same 
 moment a horrible owl of prodigious size came flying at full 
 speed, holding in his beak a scarf of spiders-web, embroidered 
 
113 PRINCESS PRINTANIEIRE. 
 
 with bats' wings, and let it fall upon the shoulders of Prin- 
 taniere, amid long and loud shrieks of laughter, which proved 
 too surely that it was a wicked trick of the Fairy Carabossa. 
 
 At this melancholy sight everybody began to weep, and the 
 queen, more afflicted than any one, tried to pull off the black 
 scarf; but it seemed nailed to her daughter's shoulders. 
 " Ah ! " cried she, " this is our enemy's doing ! Nothing can 
 appease her ! In vain have I sent her fifty pounds of sweet- 
 meats, as much double-refined sugar, and two Mayence hams ; 
 they have gone for nothing with her ! " 
 
 Whilst thus the queen gave vent to her sorrow, the whole 
 company got wet through to their skins. Printaniere, think- 
 ing of nothing but the ambassador, hastened on without say- 
 ing a single word. Provided she could but charm him, she 
 cared neither for Carabossa nor her unlucky scarf She won- 
 dei'ed to herself that he did not come to meet her, when 
 suddenly she saw him advancing in company with the king. 
 Immediately the trumpets, drums, and violins executed a 
 lively flourish. The shouts of the crowd were redoubled, and 
 the general manifestations of joy were extraordinary. 
 
 Fanfarinet had considerable sense; but when he saw the 
 beautiful Printaniere in all her grace and majesty, he was so 
 enchanted that, instead of speaking, he could do nothing but 
 stutter ; one would have thought he was tipsy, although he 
 certainly had taken nothing but a cup of chocolate. He was 
 in despair at finding that he had forgotten, in the twinkling 
 of an eye, an oration he had studied every day for many 
 months, and that he was so perfect in, he could have spoken 
 it in his sleep. 
 
 While torturing his memory to recover it, he kept bowing 
 profoundly to the Princess, who, in retiu-n, made him half-a- 
 dozen curtsies without any remark. At length she com- 
 menced the conversation ; and to relieve him from the em- 
 barrassment in which she perceived him thrown, she said, 
 " My Lord Fanfarinet, I can easily imagine that all your 
 ideas are of the most charming description. I give you 
 credit for the possession of infinite wit. But let us hasten to 
 the palace. It pours in torrents; it is the wicked Ciiiabossa 
 who is drenching us in this way. When we are once under 
 shelter, we may laugh at her malice." He replied, with much 
 gallantry, that the Fairy had wisely foreseen the conflagra- 
 
PRINCESS PRINTANIERE. 113 
 
 tion such bright eyes were certain to cause, and had sent 
 a dehige of water to keep it under. With these words he 
 offered her his hand to lead her to the palace. She said to 
 him, in a whisper, " I entertain sentiments for you which you 
 would never imagine, if I did not express them to you myself. 
 It is not without some pain that I do so : but ' honi soit qui 
 mal y pense.' Know, therefore, my Lord Ambassador, that 
 it was with admiration I saw you mounted on your beautiful 
 dancing horse ; that I regretted you came hither on any 
 person's account but your own. If you have as much courage 
 as I have, we will not fail to find a remedy for this evil. In- 
 stead of marrying you in the name of your master, I will 
 marry you in your own. I know that you are not a prince ; 
 but you please me as much as if you were one. We will fly 
 together to some safe retreat. It will make a great talk for a 
 time, and then some one will do the same thing, or worse, and 
 the world will leave me alone to talk about her, and I shall 
 have the gratification of being your wife." 
 
 Fanfarinet thought he was dreaming, for Printaniere was 
 a princess of such marvellous beauty and accomplishments, 
 that but for this extraordinary fancy, he never could have 
 hoped for such an honour. He was unable even to answer 
 her. Had they been alone, he would have flung himself at 
 her feet ; he took, however, the liberty of squeezing her hand 
 so hard that he hurt her little finger desperately; but she 
 did not cry out, she was so exceedingly fond of him. 
 
 As she entered the palace, it resounded with the music of 
 a thousand different instruments, with the strains of which, 
 voices almost celestial blended in such exquisite harmony, 
 that the listeners dared scarcely breathe for fear of making so 
 much noise as would drown the softest note of it. 
 
 After the king had kissed his daughter on the forehead 
 and on both cheeks, he said to her, " My pretty little lamb, 
 (for he called her by all sorts of endearing names,) will you 
 not be glad to marry the son of the great King Merlin? 
 Here is Lord Fanfarinet, who will be proxy for him, and con- 
 duct you to the finest kingdom in the world." " Certainly, 
 father," said she, making him a low curtsy, " I will do 
 whatever you please, provided my good mother consents." 
 " I consent, my darling," said the queen, embracing her. " So, 
 quick ! let them serve up the dinner, "^ — which they did directly. 
 
114 PRINCESS PRINTANIERE. 
 
 There were a hundred tables set out in a great gallery, and 
 in the memory of man never did people eat so much, with 
 the exception of Printaniere and Fanfarinet, who cared only to 
 look at each other, and were so lost in their own thoughts 
 that they forgot everything around them. 
 
 After the banquet, there was a ball, a ballet, and a play ; 
 but it was already so late, and they had eaten so much, that 
 notwithstanding all this, the company slept as they stood. 
 The king and queen, overpowered with sleep, fluug themselves 
 on a couch, the majority of the ladies and gentlemen snored, 
 the musicians played out of tune, and the actors did not 
 know what they were saying. Our lovers only were as lively 
 as mice, and made a hundred little signs to each other. The 
 princess, seeing there was nothing to fear, and that the guards, 
 stretched on their sti*aw-beds, were as fast asleep as the rest, 
 said to' Fanfarinet, " Take my advice, let us profit by so 
 favourable an opportunity, for if I wait for the marriage 
 ceremony, the king will place ladies in waiting about me, and 
 appoint a prince to accompany me to the coxxrt of your King 
 Merlin. We had better therefore be off at once as quick as 
 we can." 
 
 She rose and took the king's dagger, the hilt of which was 
 encrusted with diamonds, and the queen's head-dress, which her 
 majesty had taken off in order to sleep more comfortably. 
 She gave her white hand to Fanfarinet for him to lead her 
 forth ; he took it, and putting one knee to the ground, " 1 
 swear," said he, " eternal fidelity and obedience to your high- 
 ness. Great princess, you sacrifice everything for me, what 
 would I not do for you ! " They quitted the palace ; the 
 ambassador carried a dark-lantern, and through very muddy 
 lanes they made their way to the port. They got into a little 
 boat in which a poor old boatman lay fast asleep. They 
 awoke him, and when he saw the princess so beautiful and 
 finely dressed, with so many diamonds, and her scarf of 
 spider's web, he took her for the Goddess of the Night, and 
 fell on his knees before her; but as they had no time for 
 trifling, she ordered him to put off immediately. It was at 
 gi-eat risk, for there was neither moon nor stars to be seen; 
 the sky was still cloudy with the remains of the storm 
 Carabossa had raised. It is true there was a carbuncle in the 
 queen's head-dress, which gave more light than fifty flambeaux, 
 
PRINCESS PRINTANIERE. 115 
 
 and Fanfarinet (according to report) might have dispensed 
 Tfith his dark-lantern. There was also in the head-dress a 
 precious stone which could render the wearer invisible. 
 
 Fan&rinet asked the princess whither she wished to go. 
 " Alas ! " she replied, " I would go with you ; I have no other 
 desire in the world." "But, Madam," rejoined he, "I dare 
 not conduct you to the dominions of King Mer^n. Hanging 
 would be too good for me there." " Well," said she, " let us 
 go to the Island of Squirrels ; it is sufficiently distant to pre- 
 vent your being followed." She ordered the boatman to 
 make for it, and although his boat was a very little one, he 
 obeyed. 
 
 As day began to dawn, the king, the queen, and all the 
 court, having shaken their ears and rubbed their eyes a little, 
 thought of nothing but proceeding to the marriage of the 
 princess. The queen, in a great bustle, asked for the rich 
 head-dress she wanted to put on again. They looked for it 
 in all the cupboards, and hunted for it even in the saucepans; 
 but no head-dress was to be found. The queen, very uneasy 
 about it, ran up stairs and down stairs, into the cellar and 
 into the garret. It was not to be found. 
 
 The king, in his turn, wished to wear his brilliant dagger. 
 With the same diligence they rummaged for it every comer, 
 and broke open quantities of chests and caskets, the keys of 
 which had been lost for upwards of a century. They found 
 a thousand curiosities in them ; — dolls that shook their heads 
 and moved their eyes ; golden sheep with their little lambs ; 
 candied lemon-peel and sugared almonds : but aU this could 
 not console the king. His despair was so great that he tore 
 his beard, and the queen, out of sympathy, tore her hair, for, 
 truth to say, the head-dress and the dagger were worth more 
 than ten cities as big as Madrid. 
 
 When the king saw there was no hope of fiuding either 
 again, he said to the queen, '= My love, let us take courage 
 and hasten to finish the ceremony which has already cost us 
 so dear." He inquired for the princess. Her nurse advanced 
 and said, " My hege, I assure you that I have been seeking 
 her these two hours in vain." These words crowned the grief 
 of the king and queen. The latter began to scream like an 
 eagle that has lost its young, and fell down in a swoon. Never 
 was anything seen so distressing. They flung more than two 
 
 i2 
 
116 PRINCESS PRINTANIERE. 
 
 pails full of Queen-of-Hungary water in her majesty's face 
 without bringing her to herself. The ladies and maids of 
 houovu* wept, and all the valets exclaimed, "What, is the 
 king's daughter, then, lost?" The king, finding that the 
 princess did not appear, said to his state page, " Go, seek 
 Fanfarinet, who is asleep in some comer, that he may come 
 and moui'n with us." The pages sought everywhere, every- 
 where, and found him no more than they found Printaniere, 
 the head-dress, or the dagger. Here was an additional afflic- 
 tion, which completed their majesties' despair. 
 
 The king summoned all his counsellors and officers; he 
 entered, with the queen, a great hall, which had been hastily 
 hung with black. They had put off their grand robes, and 
 were each clad in a long mourning gown, girt with a cord. 
 AVhen they appeared in this attire, there was not a heart so 
 bard that it was not ready to break. The hall resounded 
 with sobs and sighs, and rivulets of tears ran down the floor. 
 As the king had not had time to prepare a speech, he sat 
 for three hours without uttering a word; at last he began 
 thus : — 
 
 " Oyez ! great folks and little ! I have lost my beloved 
 daughter Printaniere ; I cannot tell whether she has melted 
 away or been stolen from me. The queen's head-gear and my 
 poignard, which are worth their weight in gold, have dis- 
 appeared with the princess; and what is still worse, the 
 ambassador Fanfarinet is gone too. I much fear that the 
 king his master, not hearing any tidings of him, will come 
 hither to seek for him, and will accuse us of having made 
 him into minced-meat. Notwithstanding all this, I might 
 have endured my misfortunes with resignation, if I had had 
 any money; but I confess to you frankly, that the expenses of 
 this wedding have ruined me. Consider, therefore, my dear 
 subjects, what I can do to recover my daughter, Fanfarinet, 
 et caetei-a." 
 
 Everj'body admired the king's fine oration. Never before 
 had he displayed so much eloquence. Lord Gambille, the 
 chancellor of the kingdom, arose and spoke as follows : — 
 
 " Sire, we are exceedingly vexed at your vexation, and 
 would willingly have sacrificed even our wives and our little 
 children to have saved you from so much annoyance; but 
 apparently this is a trick of the Fairy Carabossa. The princess 
 
PRINCESS PEINTANIERE. 117 
 
 had not completed her twentieth year; and as the whole 
 truth should be told, I observed that she was constantly 
 looking at Fanfarinet, and he at her. Perhaps Love has 
 played one of his usual pranks on this occasion." 
 
 At these words, the queen, who was very hasty, inter- 
 rupted him : " Take care what you are saying, my Lord Gam- 
 bille," said she ; " know that the princess is not the sort of 
 pei-son to fall in love with Fanfarinet; she has beeu too well 
 brought up," Upon this, the nurse, who had overheard every- 
 thing, entered, and flung herself on her knees before the king 
 and queen. " I come," said she, " to confess the whole affair 
 to you. The princess resolved to see Fanfarinet or die. We 
 made a small aperture, through which she saw him enter the 
 city, and she vowed upon the spot that she would never 
 marry any one else." 
 
 At these tidings, everybody grieved deeply, and acknow- 
 ledged that the Lord Chancellor Gambille was a person of 
 great penetration. The queen, exceedingly annoyed, rated 
 the nurse, the foster-sister, the dresser, the cradle-rocker, and 
 the nursery-maid so soundly, that another word would have 
 killed them. 
 
 Admiral Chapeau-pointu, interrupting the queen, ex- 
 claimed, " Come, let us pursue Fanfarinet ! There can be no 
 doubt that jackanapes has carried off our princess." Every- 
 body clapped their hands, and cried, " Let us go ! " Off" 
 went some to sea; others travelled from kingdom to king- 
 dom, calling the people together by sound of drums and 
 trumpets ; and when a crowd had assembled, saying, " Who- 
 ever would obtain a beautiful doll, dry and wet sweetmeats, 
 little scissors, a robe of gold stuff, and a handsome satin cap, 
 has only to inform us whither the Princess Printauiere has 
 fled with Fanfarinet." The answer was always, " Pass on ; we 
 have not seen them." 
 
 Those who sought the princess at sea were more fortunate : 
 for after a considerably long cruise, they perceived one night 
 something blazing in the distance like a great fire. They 
 were afraid to approach it, not knowing what it could be ; 
 but all of a sudden this light appeared to stop at the Island 
 of Squirrels ; for, in flict, it was the princess and her lover 
 with the great carbuncle which shed this wonderful lustre. 
 They disembarked, and having given the good man who had 
 
118 PRINCESS PEINTANIERE. 
 
 rowed them a hundred golden crowns, bade him adieu, warn- 
 ing him, as he valued the eyes in his head, not to say a word 
 about them to any one. 
 
 The first thing he met with was the king's fleet, which he 
 no sooner caught sight of, than he tried to avoid it ; but the 
 admiral, having espied him, sent a boat after him, and the 
 good man was so old and feeble, that he could not pull fast 
 enough to escape. They soon came up with him, and brought 
 him back to the admiral, who had him searched. They found 
 on him a hundred gold crowns, bran new from the mint ; for 
 they had issued a new coinage in honour of the marriage of 
 the princess. The admiral interrogated him, and to avoid 
 answering, he pretended to be deaf and dumb. " Aha !" said 
 the admiral, " tie me up this mute to the mainmast, and 
 give him a sound lashing. It 's the best cure in the world for 
 dumbness." 
 
 When the old man found they were in earnest, he gave in, 
 and confessed that a girl, more like a celestial than a human 
 being, accompanied by a gentle cavalier, had commanded 
 him to row them to the uninhabited Island of Squirrels. 
 The admiral, on hearing these words, concluded immediately 
 that it was the princess, and ordered the fleet to make sail for 
 and surround the island. 
 
 In the meanwhile, Printaniere, weary after her voyage, 
 finding a spot of green turf under some spreading trees, laid 
 herself down, and fell into a sweet sleep; but Fanfarinet, 
 whose hunger far exceeded his love, did not allow her much 
 time for repose. " Do you imagine, Madam," said he, waking 
 her, "that I can remain long here? I can find nothing to 
 eat. Though you were fairer than day, I can't live upon 
 love ; I must have some more substantial food. I have good 
 sharp teeth, and a very empty stomach ! " " How ! Fan- 
 farinet," replied she, " is it possible that this proof of my 
 affection for you has so httle effect 1 Is it possible that you 
 can think of anything but your good fortune 1" " I think 
 much more of my misfortune," exclaimed the ambassador. 
 "Would to heaven you were in your dark tower again!" 
 " Fair sir," said the princess, kindly, " be not angry, I pray 
 you; t will go and hunt about everywhere, and perhaps 
 I shall find some fruit." " I hope you will find a wolf that 
 ■will eat you up," said Fanfarinet. The princess, much grieved, 
 
PRINCESS PRINTANIERB. 119 
 
 ran into the wood, tearing her fine clothes with the brambles, 
 and her white skin with the thorns. She was scratched as if 
 she had been playing with cats. (This is what comes of 
 loving young men ; it brings nothing but trouble !) After 
 having searched everywhere, she returned, very sad, to 
 Fanfarinet, and told him she had found nothing. He 
 turned his back on her, and left her, muttering between 
 his teeth. 
 
 The next morning they made another fioiitless search ; in 
 short, they passed three days without eating anything but 
 some leaves and a few cockchafers. The princess did not 
 complain, though she was by far the most delicate. " I should 
 be content," said she, " if I were the only sufferer, and should 
 not mind being starved provided you had enough to eat." 
 " You might die for what I care," replied he, " if I had but 
 as much as I wanted." " Is it possible," rejoined the princess, 
 " that you would be so little afi'ected by my death ? Is this 
 the end of all the vows you have made mel " " There is a vast 
 difference," said he, "between a man perfectly at his ease, 
 who is neither hungry nor thirsty, and an unhappy wretch 
 at the point of death in a desert island." " I am in the same 
 danger," continued she, " and yet I do not murmur," " You 
 would do so with a good grace, truly," answered he, bluntly : 
 " you chose to quit your father and mother, to come rambling 
 about here! — Mighty comfortable we are !" " But it was for 
 love of you, Fanfarinet ! " said she, holding out her hand to 
 him. " I could willingly have spared you the trouble," said 
 he ; and thereupon he turned away from her. 
 
 The princess, pained to the heart, began to weep so bitterly 
 that it would have melted a stone. She sat herself down be- 
 neath a bush covered with white and red roses. After having 
 contemplated them for some time, she said to them : " How 
 happy you are, young flowers ! The zephyrs caress you, the 
 dew bathes you, the sun embellishes you, the bees love you, 
 the thorns defend you. Everybody admires you ! — Alas ! 
 must you enjoy more tranquillity than I !" — This reflection 
 caused her tears to flow so plenteously, that the roots of the 
 rose-tree were quite soaked with them : she then perceived, 
 to her great astonishment, that thAbush became agitated, 
 the roses expanded into fuller bloom, and the most beautiful 
 one said to her : " If thou hadst not loved, thy lot would 
 
120 PRINCESS PRINTANIERE. 
 
 have been as enviable as mine. Who loves, incui's the 
 greatest of misfortunes! Poor princess, thou wilt find in 
 the hollow of that tree a honeycomb ; take it : but do not be 
 simple enough to give any to Fanfarinet." The princess ran 
 to the tree, scarcely knowing whether she was in a dream or 
 wide awake. She found the honey, and the moment she had 
 it, she took it to her ungrateful lover, " Here," said she, 
 "is a honeycomb; 1 could have eaten it all by myself, but 
 I preferi'ed sharing it with you." Without thanking, or even 
 looking at her, he snatched it from her and ate it all up, re- 
 fusing to give her the least morsel of it. He added sarcasm 
 even to his brutality, saying that it was too sweet, and would 
 spoil her teeth, and a hundred similar impertinences. Prin- 
 taniere, more than ever afflicted, sat down under an oak, and 
 addressed it in much the same strain as she had the rose- 
 bush. The oak, touched with compassion, bent down to her 
 some of its branches, and said, " "Twere pity thou shouldst 
 perish, lovely princess; take that pitcher of milk, and drink 
 it, without giving one drop to thy ungi-ateful lover." The 
 princess, perfectly astonished, looked behind her, and imme- 
 diately perceived a large pitcher full of milk. She could 
 think of nothing from that moment, but the thirst which 
 Fanfarinet might be enduring after eating more than fifteen 
 pounds of honey. She ran to him with the pitcher : " Quench 
 your thirst, handsome Fanfarinet," said she ; " but don't for- 
 get to leave me a little, for I am parched and famishing!" 
 He took the pitcher rudely from her, made but one draught 
 of its contents, and then, flinging it on some stones, broke it 
 to pieces, saying, with a malicious smile, " When one hasn't 
 eaten one isn't thirsty." 
 
 The princess clasped her hands, and raising her beautiful 
 eyes to heaven, exclaimed, " Ah 1 I have well deserved this ! 
 I am justly pxmished for having left the king and queen ! 
 — for having so thoughtlessly loved a man of whom I knew 
 nothing! — for having fled with him without considering my 
 rank, or reflecting on the misfortunes with which I was 
 threatened by Carabossa!" She then began to weep more 
 bitterly than she had ever done in her life, and plunging into 
 the thickest part of the wood, she sank, exhausted, at the foot 
 of an elm, on a branch of which sat a nightingale that sang 
 marvellously the following words, flapping hia wings, as if 
 
PRINCESS PRTNTANIERE. 121 
 
 he sang them only for Printaniere. He had learned them 
 expressly from Ovid : — 
 
 " Love is a wicked god. The little knave 
 Ne'er grants a boon but to secure a slave ; 
 Beneath the cover of deceitful joys, 
 His poison'd shaft the heart's repose destroys. 
 
 "Who can know it better than I!" exclaimed she, inter- 
 rupting the bird. " Alas ! I am too well acquainted with the 
 cnielty of his shafts and that of my fate!" "Take courage," 
 said the amorous nightingale, "and look in this thicket; 
 thou wilt find therein sweetmeats and tartlets from Le Coq's ; 
 but do not again commit the imprudence of giving any to 
 Fanfarinet." The princess needed not this prohibition to 
 prevent her doing so. She had not yet forgotten the last two 
 tricks he had played her ; and besides, she was so very hun- 
 gry, that she began at once to eat the almonds and the tartlets. 
 The greedy Fanfarinet, having perceived her eating by herself, 
 flew into such a passion, that he ran to her, his eyes flashing 
 with fury, and his drawn sword in his hand, to kill her. She 
 instantly uncovered the jewel of the head-dress which ren- 
 dered the possessor invisible, and, keeping out of his reach, 
 reproached him with his ingratitude in terms which suffi- 
 ciently proved that she could not yet positively hate him. 
 
 In the meanwhile, Admiral Chapeau-pointu had de- 
 spatched Jean Caquet, with his straw boots, Cabinet-courier 
 in ordinary, to tell the king that the princess and Fanfarinet 
 had landed on the Island of Squiirels ; but that, being un- 
 acquainted with the country, he was afraid of ambuscades. 
 
 At these tidings, which gave their majesties much joy, the 
 king sent for a great book, each leaf of which was eight ells 
 long. It was the masterpiece of a learned Fairy, and con- 
 tained a description of the whole earth. The king learned 
 thereby that the Island of Squirrels was uninhabited. " Go," 
 said he to Jean Caquet, " and order the admiral in my name 
 to land instantly. It was very wrong of him, and of me, to 
 leave my daughter so long with Fanfarinet." 
 
 As soon as Jean Caquet had returned to the fleet, the 
 admii-ai ordered a grand flomnsh of drums, kettle-drums, trum- 
 pets, hautbois, flutes, violins, hurdygurdys, organs, and guitars. 
 There was the most desperate uproar, for all these musical 
 instruments of war and peace were to be heard incessantly 
 
122 PRINCESS PRINT ANIERE. 
 
 throughout the island. Alarmed by the noise, the princess 
 flew to her lover to offer him her assistance. He was by no 
 means brave, and their mutual danger quickly reconciled 
 them. " Keep behind me," said she to him, " I will go first ; 
 I will uncover the jewel that renders the bearer invisible, and 
 with my father's dagger I will kill all I can of the enemy, 
 while you kill the rest with your sword." 
 
 The invisible princess advanced to meet the soldiers. She 
 and Fanfarinet ^Ued numbers without being seen. Nothing 
 was heard but cries of " I am slain ! " "I am dying ! " The 
 troops fired in vain ; they hit nothing, for the princess and 
 her lover dived like ducks, and the balls passed over their 
 heads. At length, the admiral, concerned at losing so many 
 men in so extraordinary a manner, without knowing who 
 attacked him, or how to defend himself, ordered a retreat to 
 be sounded, and retimied to his ships to hold a council of war. 
 
 Night was already far advanced. The princess and Fan- 
 farinet took refuge in the thickest part of the wood. Printa- 
 niere was so tired that she lay down on the grass, and was 
 just dropping ofi" to sleep, when she heard a sweet little voice 
 whisper in her ear, " Save thyself, Printaniere, for Fanfarinet 
 would murder and devour you ! " Quickly opening her eyes, 
 she saw, by the light of the carbuncle, the wicked Fanfarinet, 
 with his arm already raised to pierce her bosom with his 
 sword ; for, being very hungry, her whiteness and plumpness 
 had tempted him to kill and eat her. She no longer hesitated 
 about what she should do. She drew the dagger she had kept 
 about her since the battle, and struck him with it such a 
 blow in the eye, that he fell dead on the spot. " Ungrateful 
 wretch ! " she cried ; " take that as the reward thou hast most 
 deserved. Be thou an example for the future to all perfidious 
 lovers; and may thy treacherous spirit never rest in peace !" 
 When the first transports of her fury had subsided, and she 
 thought of the situation she was in, she became almost as 
 lifeless as him she had just slain. " "What will become of 
 me ?" she exclaimed, weeping : " I am all alone in this island ! 
 wild bears will devour me, or I shall be starved to death." 
 She almost regretted she had not let herself be eaten by Fan- 
 farinet. She sat herself down trembling, waiting for daylight, 
 which she was most anxious to behold, for she was afraid of 
 ghosts, and particularly of the nightmare. 
 
PRINCESS PRINTATJIEEE. 123 
 
 As she leaned her head against a tree, and looked up to the 
 sky, she observed, on one side, a beautiful golden chariot drawn 
 by six great tufted hens, with a cock for coachman, and a fat 
 chicken for postilion. In the chariot was a lady, so hand- 
 some — so handsome — that she resembled the sun. Her dress 
 was embroidered aU over with gold spangles and bars of silver. 
 She saw al^ another chariot to which were harnessed six bats. 
 A crow was the coachman, and a beetle the postilion. In it 
 was a frightful little monkey-faced woman, whose dress was 
 made of a serpent's skin, and upon her head a large toad by 
 way of a, fontange} 
 
 Never, no never in the world was any one so astonished 
 as the young princess. As she contemplated these wonders, 
 she suddenly perceived the chariots advance to meet each 
 other ; and the lovely lady wielding a golden lance, whilst the 
 ugly one grasped a rusty pike, they commenced a furious 
 combat, which lasted more than a quarter of an hour. At 
 length, the beauty was victorious, and the fright flew away 
 with her bats. The former immediately descended, and ad- 
 dressing Printaniere, said to her : " Fear nothing, amiable 
 princess, I came hither only to serve you. The combat I have 
 fought with Carabossa was only for the love of you. She 
 claimed the right to whip you for having left the tower four 
 days before you were twenty, but you perceive that I took 
 your part and have put her to flight. Enjoy the happiness 
 I have won for you." The grateful princess flung herself at 
 the lady's feet. " Great Queen of the Fairies," said she to 
 her, " your generosity transports me; I know not how to 
 thank you ; but I feel that there is not a drop of this blood 
 you have saved which I would not shed to serve you." The 
 Fairy embraced her three times, and made her more beautiful 
 than she was before — supposing such a thing to be possible. 
 
 The Fairy ordered the cock to proceed to the royal fleet, 
 and tell the admiral to approach without fear, and sent the 
 fat chicken to her palace to fetch the most beautiful dresses 
 in the world for Printaniere. The admiral was so overjoyed 
 at the tidings brought him by the cock, that he narrowly 
 
 (1) A knot of riband, so called from the celebrated Madame de Fontange, whose 
 hair coming down during a hunting party at Vincennes, tied it up hastily with one 
 of her garters. Louis XIV. was so pleased with the effect, that he requested her to 
 continue to wear her hair so arranged ; and the next day the ladies of the court 
 made their appearance with a riband or top-knot, thenceforth known as ^fontange. 
 
124 PRINCESS PRINTANIERE. 
 
 escaped a fit of illness. He came ashore instantly with all 
 his men, including Jean Caquet, who, observing the huny in 
 •which everybody left the ships, made as much haste him- 
 self, and threw upon his shoulder a spit, well loaded with 
 game. 
 
 Admiral Chapeau-pointu had scarcely proceeded a league 
 when he perceived in one of the great avenues of the forest 
 the chariot drawn by hens, in which the two ladies were 
 riding. He recognised the princess, and was about to kneel, 
 but she told him that all the honours were due to the gene- 
 rous Fairy, who had saved her from the clutches of Carabossa ; 
 on which he kissed the hem of the Fairy's robe, and paid her 
 the finest compliment that was ever uttered upon such an 
 occasion. Before he could finish, the Fairy interrupted him, 
 exclaiming, " I vow I smell roast meat!" "Yes, Madam," 
 said Jean Caquet, displaying the spit loaded with excellent 
 birds ; " it is only for your highness to desire to taste." " Most 
 willingly," she replied; "less for my own sake than for that 
 of the princess, who has need to make a good meal." They 
 immediately sent to the fleet for everything that was neces- 
 sary, and the delight of having found the princess, joined to 
 the good cheer, left nothing to be wished for. 
 
 The repast being finished, and the fat chicken having 
 returned, the Fairy dressed Printaniere in a robe of gold and 
 green brocade, powdered with rubies and pearls. She tied 
 up her beautiful hair with strings of diamonds and emeralds, 
 crowned her with flowei*8, and placing her in the chariot, all 
 the stars that saw her pass thought it was Aurora who had 
 not yet made her appearance, and said as she went by, " Good 
 morning, Aurora." 
 
 After much leave-taking between the Fairy and the prin- 
 cess, the latter said, "Shall I not. Madam, have the pleasure 
 of informing the queen, my mother, who it is that has done 
 me such service?" " Beautiful princess," replied she, "embrace 
 her for me, and say that I am the fifth Fairy who endowed 
 you at your birth." 
 
 The princess having gone on board the admiral's ship, they 
 fired all the guns and more than a thousand rockets. She 
 arrived safely in port, and found the king and the queen 
 awaiting her, and who received her with such caresses that 
 she had no time to ask pardon for her past follies, though she 
 
PRmCESS PRmiANIERE. 125 
 
 Viad flung herself at their feet the moment she saw them. 
 Paternal tenderness excused her completely, and all the fault 
 was laid upon old Carabossa. At the same moment the son 
 of the great King Merlin arrived, exceedingly anxious at not 
 having heard any news of his ambassador. He came with a 
 thousand horses and thirty servants splendidly dressed in 
 scarlet richly laced with gold. He was a hundred times 
 more amiable than the ungrateful Fanfarinet. They took 
 good care not to say anything to him about the little adven- 
 ture of the elopement. It might perhaps have awakened 
 a few suspicions. They told him the very plausible stoiy, 
 that his ambassador being thirsty, and endeavouring to draw 
 some water to drink, had fallen into the well and been 
 drowned. He believed it implicitly, and the nuptials were 
 celebrated amidst so much joy that all past sorrow was 
 entirely forgotten. 
 
 Whatsoever Love may urge, 
 Ne'er from Duty's path diverge ; 
 Suffer not, in any season, 
 Will to triumph ov^r Reason. 
 Ever should that mistress kind 
 Rule the heart and school the mind. 
 Curbing, with her friendly rein. 
 Passions wild and wishes vain. 
 
PRINCESS ROSETTE. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a king and a queen who haci 
 two beautiful boys. They grew like the day, so well did 
 they thrive on the excellent food provided for them. The 
 queen never gave birth to a child without sending for the 
 Fairies, and begging them to tell her what would happen to 
 the infant. Her next was a beautiful little girl, so handsome 
 that you covdd not look on her and not love her. The queen 
 having sumptuously entertained the Fairies who had come to 
 see her, said to them, when they were preparing to depart, 
 " Do not forget your good custom, but tell me what will 
 happen to Rosette " (the name they had given to the little 
 princess). The Fairies replied that they had left their con- 
 juring books at home, and that they would come and tell her 
 another time. "Ah," said the queen, "that bodes me no 
 good ; you do not wish to afflict me by predicting some mis- 
 fortune : but I entreat you to let me know all — hide nothing 
 from me." They made every sort of excuse, and only 
 increased the queen's desire for information. At last the 
 principal Fairy said to her, " We fear, Madam, that Rosette 
 will be the cause of some great misfortune to her brothers; 
 that some affair of hers will cost them their lives. That is 
 all that we can foresee respecting this beautiful little girl, and 
 we are very sorry we cannot tell you anything more agree- 
 able." They departed, and the queen remained so melancholy 
 that the king could not avoid seeing it in her face. He asked 
 her what was the matter. She answered that she had been 
 sitting too near the fire, and had burnt all the wool off her 
 spindle. "Is that all?" said the king. He went up into the 
 
Princess Rosette.— p. 127. 
 
PRINCESS ROSETTE. 127 
 
 loft, aad brought her more wool than she could spin in a 
 hundred years. 
 
 The queen continued in low spirits, and the king again 
 asked her what was the matter. She told him that walking 
 by the river-side she had lost one of her green satin slippers. 
 " Is that all]" said the king. He sent an order to all the 
 shoemakers in the kingdom, and they furnished her majesty 
 with ten thousand green satin slippers. 
 
 She still continued sad. The king again asked what ailed 
 her. She told him that in eatiug too hastily she had swal- 
 lowed her wedding-ring, which had slipped off her finger. 
 The king knew she told him a falsehood, for he had the ring 
 safe in his own possession. " My dear wife," said he to her, 
 " you are not speaking the truth. Hei'e is your ring, which I 
 put for safety into my purse." The queen was much confused at 
 being caught telling a falsehood, for lying is the most disgrace- 
 ful thing in the world, and she saw that the king was angry. 
 She therefore told him what the fairies had predicted about 
 little Rosette, and requested him to say if he could think of 
 any remedy for the evil. The king was so much distressed 
 that he said at once to the queen, " I do not see any other 
 way to save our two sons than by putting to death the little 
 girl whilst she is in her swaddling-clothes." But the queen 
 exclaimed that she would sooner suffer death herself; that 
 she never would consent to so cruel a deed, and that the king 
 must think of something else. 
 
 The minds of their majesties being naturally occupied with 
 this matter entirely, some one informed the queen that in a 
 great forest near the city there was an old hermit who lived 
 in a hollow tree, and who was consulted by people from all 
 parts of the world. " I must seek him also," said the queen ; 
 " the Fairies have told me the danger, but have forgotten the 
 remedy." She rose very early, and mounted a beautiful little 
 white mule shod with gold, two of her maids of honour 
 accompanying her, each on a handsome horse. When they were 
 near the wood, the queen and her ladies dismounted, out of 
 respect for the hermit, and went on foot to the tree he lived 
 in. He objected to the sight of females, but when he saw it 
 was the queen he said to her, " You are welcome ; what is 
 your will with me?" She told him what the Fairies had said 
 about Rosette, and requested his advice. He told her she 
 
1^ PRINCESS ROSETTE. 
 
 should put the princess into a tower, out of which she should 
 never be permitted to step. The queen thanked him, made 
 him a good present, and returned with her information to 
 the king. 
 
 When the king heard this account he ordered a great tower 
 to be built as quickly as possible ; he put his daughter into 
 it, and that she might not feel dull, the king, the queen, and 
 her two brothers went to see her every day. The eldest was 
 called the Great Prince, and the younger the Little Prince. 
 They were passionately fond of their sister, for she was the 
 most beautiful and amiable creature ever seen, and the least 
 of her glances was worth more than a himdred pistoles. 
 When she was fifteen the Great Prince said to the king, 
 " Papa, my sister is old enough to be married, shall we not 
 shortly go to her wedding]" The Little Prince said as much 
 to the queen ; and their majesties answered them evasively, 
 saying no word about the marriage. 
 
 At length the king and queen were taken very iU, and 
 died almost on the same day. Everybody was very sorry, 
 there was a general mourning, and the beUs tolled throughout 
 the city. Rosette was inconsolable for the loss of her good 
 mamma. 
 
 After the funerals of the king and queen, the dukes and 
 marquises of the kingdom seated the Great Prince on a throne 
 of gold and diamonds, with a magnificent crown on his head, 
 and robes of violet velvet embroidered all over with suns 
 and moons. The whole court then shouted three times, 
 " Long live the King ! " and nothing was thought of but 
 rejoicings. 
 
 The King and his brother said to each other, " Now that 
 we are in power, we will take our sister out of the prison in 
 which she has passed so many weary years." Tliey had but to 
 cross the garden to reach the tower, which had been built in 
 a comer of it, as high as possible, for the late king and queen 
 intended the princess should remain in it all her life. Rosette 
 was embroidering a beautiful robe on a frame before her; 
 but when she saw her brothers, she rose, and took the King's 
 hand, saying to him, "Good morning. Sire; you are now 
 king, and I your little servant. I beseech you to take me 
 out of this tower, where I am very dull;" and with that 
 she began to weep. The King embraced her, and told her 
 
V PRINCESS ROSETTE. 129 
 
 not to ciy : that he had come to take her out of the tower, 
 and conduct her to a fine chateau. The prince had his 
 pockets full of sweetmeats, which he gave to Rosette, saying 
 to her, " Come, let us quit this vile dungeon. The king will 
 soon find a husband for you; don't afflict yourself any longer." 
 
 "When Rosette saw the beautiful garden, all full of flowers, 
 fruits, and fountains, she was so astonished that she could not 
 utter a word, for she had never seen anything of the sort be- 
 fore. She gazed eagerly about her, now walking, now stopping, 
 now gathering fruit from the trees, or flowers from their beds. 
 Her little dog, named Fretillon, who was as green as a par- 
 rot, had but one ear, and danced to perfection, ran before 
 her, bow-wow-wowing with a thousand jumps and capers. 
 Fretillon amused the company amazingly. All on a sudden 
 he ran into a little wood. The princess followed him, 
 and never was any one so astonished as she was at seeing in 
 this wood a great peacock with his tail spread, and looking so 
 beautiful, so beautiful — so beautiful, that she could not take 
 her eyes off" him ! 
 
 The king and the prince rejoined her, and inquired what 
 she was amusing herself with. She pointed the peacock out 
 to them, and asked them what it was. They told her it was 
 a bird that was occasionally eaten, "What!" she exclaimed, 
 "do they dare to kill such a beautiful bird and eat it? — I 
 declare to you that I will never marry any one but the King 
 of the Peacocks, and when I am queen I will take good care 
 that none shall be eaten." Nobody can describe the astonish- 
 ment of the king. " But, Sister," said he, " where would you 
 that we should find the King of the Peacocks T' " Wherever 
 you please, Sire, but I will marry nobody else." 
 
 After she had made this resolution, the two brothers con- 
 ducted her to their chateau, whither they were obliged to bring 
 the peacock also, and place it in feer apartment, for she was 
 exceedingly foud of it. All the ladies, who had never seen 
 Rosette, hastened to salute her and pay their court to her. 
 Some brought her preserves, others sugar, others dresses of 
 gold stuffs, beautiful ribbons, dolls, embroidered shoes, pearls 
 and diamonds. She was entertained everywhere, and she was 
 so well bred, so polite, kissing hands, &c., and curtsying when 
 any pretty thing was given to her, that not a gentleman or 
 lady left her dissatisfied with their reception. 
 
 K 
 
130 PRINCESS ROSETTE. 
 
 Whilst she was thus keeping the best company, the King 
 and the Prince determined to find the King of the Peacocks, 
 if there was one in the world. They decided that a portrait 
 of the Princess Rosette should be taken, and they had one so 
 finely painted that it did all but speak. They then said to 
 her, " Since you will not marry any one but the King of the 
 Peacocks, we are about to set out together iu search of him 
 throughout the world. If we find him we shall be very 
 happy. Take cai*e of the kingdom till we return." 
 
 Rosette thanked them for the trouble they were taking. 
 She said, " She would carefully govern the kingdom, and that 
 during their absence all her pleasure would consist iu con- 
 templating the beautiful peacock and making Fretillon dance." 
 They could not refrain from tears in bidding each other 
 fai^ewell. 
 
 Behold these two princes on their journey, inquiring of 
 everybody, "Do you know the King of the Peacocks'?" 
 Everybody answered, "No, no." They travelled on still 
 further, and at last went so far — so far, that nobody has ever 
 been such a distance. 
 
 They arrived at the kingdom of Mayflies. Never before 
 were seen so many. They made such a buzzing that the King 
 was afraid he should never hear distinctly again. He asked 
 one who seemed the most sensible amongst them, if he knew 
 whereabouts he could find the King of the Peacocks. "Sire," 
 said the Mayfly to him, "his kingdom is thirty thousand leagues 
 from this place. You have taken the longest road to it" 
 "And how do you know that?" said the King. " Because," 
 replied the Mayfly, " we know you very well, and go every 
 year to pass two or three months in your gardens." The 
 King and his brother embraced the Mayfly, — they became 
 great friends, and dined together. They saw all the sights of 
 the kingdom, admiring its- curiosities, the smallest leaf on any 
 tree in it being worth a pistole ; after which they set out 
 again to finish their jom*ney; and, as they had learned the 
 way, they were not long about it. They saw all the trees 
 ladeu with peacocks, and every part of the kingdom so full of 
 them, that you could hear them scream and talk at a distance 
 of two leagues. 
 
 The King said to his brother, " If the King of the Peacocks 
 is a peacock himself, how does our sister mean to marry himi 
 
PRINCESS ROSETTE. 131 
 
 We should be mad to consent. A pretty alliance she would in- 
 flict on us. Some little peachicks for nephews!" The Prince 
 was no less troubled about it ; " It is a most unfortunate 
 whim," said he, "that she has taken into her head! What 
 could have induced her to imagine there was a King of the 
 Peacocks in the world ? " 
 
 When they arrived at the principal city, they perceived 
 it was full of men and women ; but that they were dressed 
 in clothes made of peacocks' feathers, and wore a pro- 
 fusion of them everywhere as very fine ornaments. They 
 met the king, who was driving out in a fine httle coach 
 of gold and diamonds, drawn by twelve peacocks fiilly 
 caparisoned. 
 
 This King of the Peacocks was so handsome — so handsome 
 — that the King and the Prince were charmed with him. He 
 had long curly light hair, an exceedingly fair complexion, 
 and wore a crown of feathers from the tail of a peacock. 
 When he saw the two brothers, he judged that, as their 
 dresses were of a different fashion to those worn by the 
 people of the country, they must be foreigners, and to ascer- 
 tain the fact he stopped his coach and ordered them to 
 be called before him. 
 
 The King and the Prince approached him, and having 
 made their obeisance, said to him, " Sire, we have come 
 from a great distance to show you a beautiful portrait." They 
 took out of their portmanteau the grand portrait of Rosette. 
 When the King of the Peacocks had examined it attentively, 
 " I cannot believe," said he, " that there is such a beautiful 
 maid in the world!" " She is a hundred times more beau- 
 tiful," said the King, her brother, " Oh, you are jesting ;" 
 replied the King of the Peacocks. " Sire," said the Prince, 
 " there is my brother, who is a king as well as you. He is 
 styled the King, and I am called the Prince. Our sister, 
 of whom this is the portrait, is the Princess Rosette. We 
 come to ask you if you will espouse her. She is beautiful 
 and very virtuous, and we will give her a bushel of golden 
 crowns." " Yes, truly," said the king, " I wiU marry her with 
 all my heart. She shall lack for nothing at my court ; I will 
 love her excessively ; but I declare to you that I expect she 
 is as handsome as her portrait, and that if it flatter her 
 in the slightest degree, I will put you to death." " Well,' we 
 k2 
 
132 PEINCESS ROSETTE. 
 
 consent," said the two brothers of Rosette. " You consent ! " 
 rejoined the King; "then to prison with you, and there 
 remain until the Princess shall arrive." The princes made 
 not the slightest difficulty, for they were perfectly certain 
 that Rosette was handsomer than her picture. 
 
 When they were in prison the King of the Peacocks 
 had them admirably attended to, and frequently went to see 
 them, keeping in his own castle the portrait of Rosette, 
 on which he so doted that he slept neither night nor day. 
 As the other king and his brother were in prison, they wrote 
 by the post to the Princess, requesting her to pack up her 
 clothes immediately and to come with all speed, as the King 
 of the Peacocks was waiting for hei-. Tney did not tell her 
 they were prisoners, for fear of alarming her. 
 
 When she received their letter she was so transported with 
 joy that she thought she should die of it. She told every- 
 body that the King of the Peacocks was found and desired to 
 marry her. They kindled bonfires, fired guns, and made 
 feasts of sweetmeats and sugar throughout the kingdom. 
 Every one who came to see the Pi-incess during three days 
 had given to them a slice of bread and butter with jam on it, 
 some wafers, and a glass of Hypocras wine. After she had 
 been thus liberal she left her beautiful dolls to her best friends, 
 and her brother's kingdom in the hands of the wisest old men 
 in the city. She strongly enjoined them to take great care of 
 everything, to spend very little, and save up money against 
 the King's return. She begged them to preserve her peacock, 
 and would take nobody with her but her nurse, her foster- 
 sister, and her little green dog Fretillon. 
 
 They put to sea in a boat, taking with them the bushel of 
 gold crowns, and clothes enough to change their dress twice 
 a-day, for ten years. They did nothing but laugh and sing. 
 The nurse asked the boatman, " Are we nearing — are we near- 
 ing the kingdom of Peacocks?" He answered, " No, no." 
 Another time she a.sked him, " Are we nearing? are we near- 
 ing ? " He answered, " We shall be soon ; we shall be soon." 
 A third time she said to him, " Are we nearing ? are we 
 nearing ? " He answered, " Yes, yes." And as soon as he had 
 said so, she went to the end of the boat, seated herself beside 
 him, and said to him, " If thou choosest, thou shalt be rich for 
 ever." He answered, " I should like it much." " U thou 
 
HITNCESS ROSETTE. 133 
 
 choosest," she continued, " thou shalt gain some good pistoles." 
 " I desire nothing better ;" replied he. " Well," said the nurse, 
 "thou must help me then to-night, when the Princess is 
 asleep, to throw her into the sea. As soon as she is drowned I 
 will dress my daughter in the Princess's fine clothes, and we 
 will conduct her to the King of the Peacocks, who will be 
 happy to marry her ; and for thy reward, we will load thee 
 with diamonds." 
 
 The boatman was very much surprised at the nurse's pro- 
 position. He said, it was a pity to drown so handsome 
 a Princess, — that she excited his compassion. But the nurse 
 produced a bottle of wine and made him drink so much that 
 he could no longer refuse her anything. 
 
 As soon as it was dark, the Princess lay down as she was 
 wont; little Fretillon was snugly established at the bottom 
 of the bed, moving neither foot nor paw. Rosette was sleep- 
 ing soundly, when the wicked nurse, who was wide awake, 
 went to fetch the boatman. She led him into the Princess's 
 cabin ; then, without disturbing her, they took her up, with 
 her feather-bed, mattress, sheets, and counterpane, the foster- 
 sister helping them with all her might, and flung the whole 
 into the sea, and the Princess was so fast asleep that she 
 never woke. 
 
 But, by good fortune, the feather-bed was stuflfed with 
 Phoenix feathers, which are very rare, and possess the pro- 
 perty of never sinking in the water, so that she floated on her 
 bed just as if she had been in a boat. The water, however, 
 gradually wetted first the feather-bed and then the mattress, 
 and Rosette, being incommoded by it, turned from side to side, 
 and roused Fretillon. He had an excellent nose, and smelt 
 the soles and the codfish so close to him that he began 
 to bark, and bark sa much, that he woke all the rest of 
 the fish. They began to swim about, the great fish running 
 their heads against the bed of the Princess, which having 
 nothing to steady it, spun round and round, like a whirligig. 
 She was very much surprised. " Has our boat taken to 
 dance on the water 1 " said she ; " I have never been so un- 
 comfoi-table as to-night ;" and still Fretillon kept barking, 
 and making a desperate pother. The wicked nurse and the 
 boatman heard him a long way off", and said, " There is that 
 little rogue of a dog drinking with his mistress to our good 
 
134 PRIKCESS ROSETTE. 
 
 health. Let us make haste to land;" — for they -were just 
 in sight of the city of the King of the Peacocks. 
 
 His majesty had sent down to the beach a hundred coaches 
 drawn by all sorts of rare animals. There were lions, bears, 
 stags, wolves, horses, oxen, asses, eagles, peacocks, and the 
 coach intended to convey the Princess Rosette was drawn by 
 six blue monkeys, who could jump, and dance the tight-rope, 
 and play all manner of amusing tricks. They had beautiful 
 harness of crimson velvet plated with gold. There were 
 also sixty young ladies whom the king had selected to enter- 
 tain the Princess. They were dressed in all sorts of colours; 
 gold and silver were the meanest ornaments about them. 
 
 The nurse had taken great pains to deck out her daughter. 
 She had covered her with Rosette's diamonds, from head 
 to foot, and dressed her in her friend's robes; but despite her 
 finery she looked more ugly than an ape, with greasy black 
 hair, squinting eyes, crooked legs, a gi'eat hump in the middle 
 of her back — an ill-tempered slut, continually grumbling. 
 
 When all the servants of the King of the Peacocks saw her 
 come out of the boat, they were so surprised — so surprised, 
 that they could not speak. " "Wliat does this mean 1" said 
 she, " are you asleep 1 — Come, come, bring me something to 
 eat; you are a nice set of rascals; I will have you all 
 hanged!" At this threat, they said to each other, "What 
 a vile creatiu-e ! — she is as wicked as she is ugly ! — Here's a 
 fine wife for our king ! — I am not surprised at it ! — It was not 
 worth while to send for her from the other end of the world ! " 
 All this while she played the mistress, giving slaps on the 
 face, and blows with her fist, for next to nothing, to every- 
 body about her. 
 
 ^ As her train was very numerous, she proceeded slowly, 
 ohe sat in her coach like a queeu : but all the peacocks that 
 had perched themselves in the trees to salute her as she 
 passed, and had resolved to cry, "Long live the beautiful 
 Queen Rosette," when they perceived her to be such a horrible 
 fright, cried, " Fie ! fie ! how ugly she is ! " She was exces- 
 sively enraged and mortified, and said to her guards, " Kill 
 me those rogues of peacocks who are insulting me." The 
 peacocks flew away quickly, and made game of her. 
 
 The rogue of a boatman, wiio witnessed all this, said 
 in a whisper to the nui-se, " Gossip, all is not well with us. 
 
PRINCESS ROSETTE. 135 
 
 Your daughter should have been handsomer." She replied, 
 "Hold thy tongue, fool; thou wilt bring some misfortune 
 upon us ! " 
 
 They sent to inform the king that the Princess was ap- 
 proaching. " Well," said he, " have her brothers told me the 
 truth? Is she more beautiful than her picture?" — "Sire," 
 they replied, "it is quite sufficient for her to be as handsome." 
 " Yes, surely," said the king, " I shall be perfectly satisfied 
 with that. Let us go and see her," — for he knew by the great 
 noise they were making in the court, that she had arrived, 
 and he could not distinguish anything they were saying, 
 except, "Fie! fie! how ugly she is!" He thought they 
 must be speaking of some dwarf or animal she might have 
 brought with her, for it never could have entered his head 
 that it actually applied to herself 
 
 The portrait of the Princess was carried at the end of a 
 long staff, uncovered, and the king walked in solemn proces- 
 sion after it, with all his barons, and all his peacocks, followed 
 by the ambassadors from the neighbouring kingdoms. The 
 King of the Peacocks was exceedingly impatient to see his 
 dear Rosette. Mercy ! when he did see her, he was nearly 
 dying on the spot ! — He flew into the greatest passion in the 
 world. He rent his clothes ; — he woidd not go near her ; — 
 she frightened him. " How !" he cried, " the two scoundrels 
 I hold in prison are bold, indeed, to have made sport of me, 
 and to have proposed to me to marry a baboon like that. 
 They shall die. — Go ! Lock up instantly that impertinent 
 girl, her nurse, and the fellow who brought them hither. 
 Fling them into the lowest dungeon of my great tower." 
 
 On the other hand, the King and his brother who were 
 prisoners, and who knew the day on which their sister ought 
 to an-ive, had put on their best clothes to receive her. Ii\; 
 stead of opening their prison and setting them at Uberty as 
 they had hoped, the jailor came with some soldiers and made 
 them descend into a cell, perfectly dark, and full of horrid 
 reptiles, where they were up to their necks in water. No- 
 body was ever more astonished or more miserable. "Alas!" 
 they cried to each other, "this is a sad wedding for us! 
 What can have brought so great a misfortune upon us?" 
 They knew not what in the world to think, except, that they 
 were doomed to diej and they were completely overwhelmed 
 
136 PRINCESS EOSETTE. 
 
 •with sorrow. Three days passed without their hearing a 
 word. At the end of the three days, the King of the Peacocks 
 came and insulted them, through a hole in the wall. 
 
 " You have assumed the titles of King and Prince," cried 
 he to them, " in order to impose upon me and engage me to 
 marry your sister; but you are nothing better than vagabonds, 
 who are not worth the water you di'iuk. 1 will find judges 
 for you, who will quickly tiy and sentence you. The rope is 
 already twisting which shall hang you both." " King of the 
 Peacocks," replied the King in great wrath, " be less hasty in 
 this matter, for you may have cause to repent. I am a king 
 as surely as you are one ; I have a fine kingdom, robes, 
 crowns, and good money. Ha! ha ! it's a fine joke truly for 
 you to be talking of hanging us. Have we stolen anything 
 from you, pray?" 
 
 When the king heard him speak so boldly, he knew not 
 what to think, and he was tempted, at times, to let them go 
 with their sister, and not put them to death : but his confi- 
 dant, who was a downright courtier, encouraged him, saying, 
 that if he did not take vengeance on them, everybody would 
 laugh at him, and would think him a mean, petty sovereign, 
 not worth a groat. He swore that he would not foi-give 
 them, and ordered their trial to take place. It did not last 
 long. It was only necessary to exhibit the portrait of the 
 real Princess Rosette by the side of the person who had pre- 
 sented herself under that title. Consequently they were 
 condemned to lose their heads, as false traitors, who had 
 promised to give the king a beautiful princess in marriage, 
 and had only offered to him an ugly comitiy wench. The 
 Court went in full state to the prison to read the sentence to 
 the prisonei"s, and they declared that they had not been guilty 
 of fe,lsehood, that their sister was a princess fairer than the 
 day : that there was some mystery which they could not 
 understand, and that they demanded seven days' respite oi 
 the execution of their sentence, as in that time their innocence 
 would probably be acknowledged. The King of the Peacocks, 
 who was greatly incensed, was very loth to grant them this 
 &vour : but eventually he consented. 
 
 Whilst all this is passing at Court, we must say a word 
 about the poor Princess Rosette. When day broke, she was 
 greatly astonished, and Fretillon also, to find themselves in 
 
PRINCESS EOSETTE. 137 
 
 the middle of the sea without boat or assistance. She began 
 to cry, and wept so bitterly that all the fishes pitied her. 
 She knew not what to do, or what would become of her. 
 " Assuredly," said she, " I have been thrown into the sea by 
 order of the King of the Peacocks. He has repented his 
 promise to marry me, and to get fairly rid of me has ordered 
 me to be drowned. What an extraordinary man ! " she con- 
 tinued; " I should have been so fond of him ; we should have 
 lived so happily together ! " Thereupon she wept more bit- 
 terly, for she could not help loving him. 
 
 She remained thus for two daj's floating on the ocean, first 
 one side and then the other, soaked to her bones, with a cold 
 enough to kill her, and all but benumbed. If it had not 
 been for little Fretillon, who imparted a little warmth to her 
 heart, she would have. died a hundred times over. She was 
 tremendously hungry. She saw the oysters in their shells. 
 She took as many as she chose, and ate them. Fretillon had 
 little liking for them ; but he was obliged to eat something. 
 When it grew dark, Kosette became exceedingly frightened, 
 and she said to her dog, " Fretillon, keep on barking, for fear 
 the soles should eat us." He had barked all night, and the 
 Princess's bed was not far from the shore. On the coast there 
 was a good old man who lived aU alone in a little hut, which 
 nobody ever came near. He was very poor, and cared nothing 
 for worldly goods. When he heard Fretillon bark, he was 
 quite surprised, for dogs seldom passed that way. He thought 
 some traveller had lost their road, and charitably came out 
 of his hut to direct them. All on a siidden he perceived the 
 Princess and Fretillon, who were floating on the water, and 
 the Princess seeing him, stretched out her arms and cried to 
 him, " Good old man, save me, for I am perishing here ; I 
 have languished thus for two days!" 
 
 When he heard her speak so sorrowfully, he had great 
 compassion for her, and re-entered his dwelling to get a long 
 boathook. He waded into the water up to his neck, and 
 thought, twice or thrice, he should be drowned. At length 
 he contrived to pull the bed to the shore. Rosette and 
 Fretillon were vastly glad to be upon dry land. The Princess 
 thanked the good man warmly, and wrapping herself up in 
 her counterpane, walked bai-efooted into the hut, where he 
 made a small fire for her with dry leaves, and took out of his 
 
138 PRINCESS ROSETTE. 
 
 chest the best gown of his deceased •wife, with stockings and 
 shoes, which the Princess put on. Thus, dressed like a peasant, 
 she looked lovely as the day, and Fretillon danced round her 
 to divert her. 
 
 The old man saw plainly that Rosette was some lady of 
 rank, for the coverlid of her bed was of gold and silver, and 
 her mattress of satin. He requested her to tell him her 
 history, and assured her that he would keep it a secret if she 
 wished. She recounted the whole of it, weeping very much, 
 for she was still under the belief that it was the King of the 
 Peacocks who had ordered her to be drowned. " What shall 
 we do, my daughter 1" said the old man to her: "you are so 
 great a princess, accustomed to dainties, and I have nothing 
 to give you but black bread and radishes. You will fare badly 
 with me ; and if you will take my advice you will let me 
 go and tell the King of the Peacocks that you are here. I 
 am sure that if he had seen you he would have married you." 
 " Ah," exclaimed Rosette, " he is a wicked creature, and will 
 put me to death; but if you have a little basket, let us tie it 
 round my dog's neck, and it will be very unlucky if he do 
 not bring back something to eat." The old man gave the 
 Princess a basket; she tied it round Fretillon's neck, and said 
 to him, " Go to the best saucepan in the city and bring me 
 what may be in it." Fretillon ran to the city, and as there 
 were no saucepans better than the king's, he entered the royal 
 kitchen, took the lid off the largest, adroitly possessed himself 
 of its contents, and returned to the hut. Rosette said to 
 him, ." Go back to the buttery and bring me the best of every- 
 thing." Fretillon returned to the buttery and filled his basket 
 with white bread, muscadel wine, and all sorts of fruits and 
 preserves. He was so laden that he could hardly wag. 
 
 Wheu the King of the Peacocks called for his dinner there 
 was nothing in the saucepan or in the buttery. The servants 
 all stared at each other, and the king was in a fearful rage. 
 " Very well," said he, " there is no dinner for me. But take 
 care that the spit is put down this evening, and that I have 
 something very good roasted." When evening arrived, the 
 Princess said to Fretillon, " Go to the city, enter the best 
 kitchen, and bring me some nice roast meat." Fretillon did 
 as his mistress ordered him, and knowing no better kitchen 
 than the king's, stole into it softly, while the cooks' backs 
 
PRINCESS ROSETTE. 1S9 
 
 were turned, and took all the roast meat off the spit, so nicely 
 done, that the mere sight of it gave you an appetite. He 
 brought his basket home, quite full, to the Princess. She 
 sent him back immediately to the buttery, and he returned 
 with all the royal preserves and sweetmeats. The king, who 
 had not dined, being very hungry, desired to sup early ; but 
 there was nothing to set before him. He put himself into 
 an awful passion, and went to bed supperless. The next day 
 at dinner and supper time it was exactly the same case, so 
 that the king was without eating or drinking, because, when 
 he was ready to sit down to table, it was discovered that 
 everything had been carried off. His confidant, greatly dis- 
 turbed, fearing the king would die, concealed himself in a little 
 corner of the kitchen, and kept his eyes constantly on the 
 pot that was boiling. He was much surprised to see a little 
 green dog with one ear enter very softly, take off the cover, 
 and put aU the meat into his basket. He followed it to see 
 whither it went. He saw it go out of the city, and followed 
 it to the good old man's. Immediately he returned to tell 
 the king that all his boiled and roast was taken day and 
 night to the hovel of a poor peasant. 
 
 The king was much astonished. He ordered the man to 
 be brought before him. The confidant, to pay court to the 
 king, determined to go himself, with the archers of the guard. 
 They found the old man dining with the Princess upon the 
 king's boiled meat. They seized and bovmd them with strong 
 cords, and secured Fretillon also. 
 
 As soon as they arrived at the palace the king was informed 
 of it, who replied, " To-morrow wiU be the seventh and last 
 day I granted to those impudent impostors. They shall die 
 with these thieves who have stolen my dinner." So saying 
 he entered the hall of justice. The old man fell on his knees 
 and said he would confess everything. While he was speak- 
 ing the king gazed on the beautiful Princess, and pitied her 
 tears, but when the good man declared that she was the 
 Princess Rosette who had been thrown into the sea, notwith- 
 standing the king was so weak and faint for want of food, he 
 jumped three times for joy, ran and embraced her, and untied 
 the cords with which she was bound, assuring her that he 
 loved her with all his heart. 
 
 At the same time the princes were sent for, who, imagining 
 
140 PRINCESS EOSETTE. 
 
 that it was for their execution, approached very sadly, hang- 
 ing down their heads. The nurse and her daughter were 
 also brought out. When they looked at each other, a general 
 recognition took place. Rosette threw herself on the necks 
 of her brothers. The nurse, her daughter, and the boatman 
 flung themselves on their knees and prayed for mercy. The 
 joy was so great that the King and the Princess forgave them. 
 The good old man was richly rewarded, and lived all the rest 
 of his days in the palace. The King of the Peacocks, in 
 short, made every sort of amends to the King and his brother, 
 proving his regret at having ill-treated them. The nurse 
 restored to Rosette her rich clothes and her bushel of gold 
 crowns, and the nuptial festivities lasted fifteen days. Every- 
 body was satisfied, down to Fretillon, who from that day 
 never ate anything but the wings of partridges. 
 
 Heaven watches o'er us, and when Innocence 
 In danger stands, embraces her defence, 
 Delivers, and avenges her. The notion 
 Of poor Rosette floating upon the ocean. 
 As doth the fabled Halcyon in her nest, 
 Drifting at pleasure of the reckless gale, 
 Awakens pity in each gentle breast. 
 One fears a tragic end to such a tale : 
 Perish she must, the reader can't help thinking. 
 Either amid the stormy billows sinking, 
 Or swallow'd up by some rapacious whale. 
 Fretillon was the humble instrument 
 Of Providence, and from the hungry fishes 
 Not only saved his mistress dear, but, sent 
 To find her food, brought her the daintiest dishes. 
 How many are there now-a-days who need 
 The help of dogs of such a generous breed ! 
 Rosette, from shipwreck saved, pardon'd her foes. 
 O you who on the authors of your woes 
 Would vengeance hurl, whate'er may be the cost, 
 * Let her example on you not be lost ; 
 
 But treasure up this lesson whilst you live^ 
 The noblest vengeance still is — to forgive. 
 
THE GOLDEX BRANCH. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a king whose aiistere and melan- 
 choly disposition inspired terror rather than love. He rarely 
 suffered himself to be seen, and put his subjects to death 
 on the slightest suspicion. They called him King Bnin,'^ 
 because he was always frowning. King Brun had a son 
 who was not in the least like him. Nothing could equal his 
 intelligence, his sweet temper, his liberality, and his general 
 capacity; but he had crooked legs, a hunch on his back which 
 was higher than his head, squinting eyes, a wry mouth, in 
 short, he was a little monster, and never had so beautiful 
 a soul animated so deformed a body. Nevertheless, by a sin- 
 gular fate, he was doted upon by everybody whom he wished 
 to please. He was so superior in mind to all around him, 
 that it was impossible to listen to him with indifference. 
 The queen, his mother, chose that he should be called 
 Torticoli, either because she liked that name, or that the 
 prince being actually all of a twist, she considered that she 
 had hit upon the one most appropriate for him. King 
 Brun, who thought more of the greatness than the happiness 
 of his son, cast his eyes upon the daughter of a powerful 
 sovereign, his near neighbour, and whose dominions joined to 
 
 (1) " Le Roi Brun." In my Extravaganza, founded on this story, I took the 
 liberty of designating his majesty. King Brown ; but though the translation 
 was literal, it did not so completely convey the idea of the author as the other 
 sense in which the word " brun " is used, namely, that of dark, gloomy, dusky, &c. 
 We say, in English, a man " looks black," when he frowns, — not brown. " A brown 
 study," implies deep thought, but not melancholy or anger. For the reasons I 
 have stated in my Preface, I leave this name, aS I have other proper names, 
 untranslated. 
 
142 THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 
 
 his own would make him the most redoubtable monarch on 
 the face of the globe. He conceived that this princess was a 
 very suitable wife for the Prince Torticoli, as she could not 
 have any right to reproach him with his deformity and ugli- 
 ness, being at the least as ugly and deformed as himself. 
 She always went about in a bowl, her legs being out of joint ; 
 and was called Trognon. She was the most amiable creature 
 in the world It appeared as if Heaven had been anxious to 
 compensate her for the injuries of Nature. 
 
 King Brun having obtained the portrait of the Princess 
 Trognon, which he had applied for, had it placed in a great 
 hall, under a canopy, and sent for the Prince Torticoli, 
 "whom he commanded to look with affection upon that pic- 
 ture, as it was the likeness of Trognon, his intended bride. 
 Torticoli cast his eyes upon it, and turned them away imme- 
 diately with an air of disdain, which offended his father. 
 *' Are you not pleased 1 " said he, in a sharp and angry tone. 
 " No, my liege," replied the Prince, " I shall never be 
 pleased to marry a cripple." " It well becomes you," said the 
 King, " to find faults in this princess, being yourself a little 
 monster who frightens everybody that looks at you." " It is 
 for that reason," added the Prince, "that I object to form au 
 alliance with another monster. I can hardly bear the sight 
 of myself: what would be my sufferings with such a com- 
 panion ? " " You fear to perpetuate the race of baboons," 
 said the King insultingly ; " but your fears are bootless : you 
 shall marry her. It is enough for me to command to be 
 obeyed." Torticoli made no reply. He bowed profoundly 
 and withdrew. 
 
 King Brun was not accustomed to encounter the least 
 opposition. His son's refusal put him into an awful passion. 
 He locked him up in a tower which had been built expressly 
 as a prison for rebellious princes ; but there had been none 
 such for two hundred years, consequently everything was 
 sadly out of order in it — the apartments and the furniture 
 appeared of surprising antiquity. The Prince loved reading; 
 he asked for books, and he was permitted to make choice of 
 any in the tower library. He thought, at first, that per- 
 mission would be sufficient, but w^hen he attempted to read 
 some he found the language so obsolete that he could not 
 understand a word of it. He laid them down, then took them 
 
THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 143 
 
 up again, endeavoxiring to make out something of their con- 
 tents, or at all events to amuse himself by their examination. 
 
 King Bruu, satisfied that Torticoli would soon get tired 
 of his imprisonment, acted as if the prince had consented 
 to marry Trognon. He sent ambassadors to the king, 
 his neighbour, to demand the hand of his daughter, to whom 
 he promised perfect happiness. The father of Trognon was 
 enraptured to find so advantageous an opportunity of getting 
 her married; for everybody is not anxious to burden them- 
 selves with a cripple. He accepted the proposals of King 
 Brun, and though, to speak the truth, he had not been greatly 
 struck by the portrait of Prince Torticoli, which had been 
 brought to him, he had it, in its turn, placed in a magnificent 
 gallery. Trognon was brought thither to see it. As soon as 
 she had looked on it, she cast down her eyes, and began to 
 weep. Her father, incensed at the repugnance she evinced, 
 took a looking-glass, and placing it before her, said, " You 
 weep, my daughter ! Ah ! look at yourself, and then admit 
 that you have no right to complain." " If I were in any 
 hurry to be married, my liege," said she, " it would, perhaps, 
 be wrong in me to be so fastidious; but I can bear my 
 shame whilst I am alone. I desire no one to share with me 
 the misery of beholding me. Let me remain the unfortunate 
 Princess Trognon all my life, and I shall be contented — at 
 least I will not complain." However excellent her reasons, 
 the king would not listen to them. She was compelled to 
 depart with the ambassadors who had been sent to propose 
 for her. Whilst she is travelling in a litter, in which she 
 was stuck like a stump, we must retm-n to the tower, and 
 see what the Prince is about. None of his guards dared 
 to speak to him. They had been ordered to let him grow 
 melancholy, to give him bad food, and vex him with all 
 kinds of ill-usage. King Brun knew how to make himself 
 obeyed. If they did not do it for love, they did it from fear ; 
 but the affection they bore to the Prince induced them to 
 alleviate his sufierings as much as they coiild. 
 
 One day as he was walking in a long gallery, musing sadly 
 on the fate which had caused him to be bora so ugly and so 
 repulsive, and to meet with a princess even more ill-favoured, 
 he happened to look up at the windows, which he observed to 
 be painted with such brilliant colours, and such well-designed 
 
144 THE GOLDEN BEANCH. 
 
 subjects, that, having a particular taste for such beautiful 
 works of art, he stopped to examine them ; but he could not 
 comprehend their import, for they rejn"esented scenes in 
 stories which had been forgotten for many ages. One thing, 
 however, struck him, which was, that there was a man in 
 them so closely resembling himself that it appeared like his 
 own portrait. This man was represented in the keep of the 
 tower, examining the wall, in which he found a golden ram- 
 rod,^ with which he opened a cabinet. There were many 
 other subjects which took his attention, and in the greater 
 portion of the windows he saw everywhere his portrait. " By 
 what accident," said he, " have I been made to figure in 
 these scenes; I, who was not born at the time they are sup- 
 posed to have occurred : and by what fatal idea did it occur 
 to the painter to amuse himself by designing a man like me?" 
 He saw painted on the same glass the figure of a lovely young 
 girl, whose features were so regular, and their expression so 
 intellectual, that he could not take his eyes off it. In short, 
 there were a thousand various subjects, and all the passions 
 were so well expressed, that he seemed absolutely a witness of 
 the events in action, which were only represented by a mix- 
 ture of colours. 
 
 He did not quit the gallery till it was too dark to dis- 
 tinguish anything in the painted glass. On his return to his 
 room he took up the first old manuscript that came to his 
 hand. The leaves were of vellum with illuminated borders, 
 and the binding of gold enamelled with blue, so as to form 
 cyphers. He was much surprised to find in the paintings the 
 same subjects as those depicted on the windows in the gallery. 
 He tried to read the manuscripts, but could not succeed. All on 
 a sudden he observed that in one of the pages where there 
 was an illumination representing musicians, the figures began 
 to sing, and in another page, where there appeared players at 
 at Basset and Tric-trac, the cards and dice were in motion. 
 He turned over leaf, and saw people dancing at a ball; all 
 the ladies in full dress, and of marvellous beauty. He turned 
 
 (1) " Tire-bourre." At the period these stories were written, the ramrod was 
 called "the scouring-stick of apiece," and a "tire-bourre" signified the worm or 
 screw by which the charge was drawn of a gun or cannon. {Vide Cotgrave.) I have 
 used the word ramrod, as the nearest to the original that was comprehensible to the 
 modern reader ; the combination of the two instruments at the present day being, I 
 trust, a sufficient apolo^ for the anachronism, if one be necessary. 
 
THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 145 
 
 again, and smelt the savoury fumes of a capital dinner. The 
 little figures were all eating ; the largest was not a quai-ter 
 of an inch in height; and one of them, turning towards the 
 Prince, said to him, " To your good health, Torticoli ! strive 
 to restore our queen to us. If you do so, it will be well for 
 you ; if you do not, it will be ill for you." At these words 
 the Prince was seized with such a violent panic, (for he had 
 been trembling for some time,) that he let the book drop on 
 one side, and .fell on the other like a dead man. At the 
 noise of his fall his keepers ran in. They loved him dearly, 
 and neglected nothing to recover him from his swoon. As 
 soon as he was able to speak, they asked what was the matter 
 with him. He replied that he was so weak for want of 
 proper food that his mind wandered; and his imagination 
 being worked upon, he had fancied he had seen and heard 
 such wonderful things in that book that he was panic-struck. 
 His guardians, much afflicted, gave him something good 
 to eat, in spite of the King's prohibition. When he had 
 eaten, he took up the book again before them, and no longer 
 found anything he had seen in it. This convinced him that 
 he had been under a delusion. 
 
 He returned the next day to the gallery. He saw the 
 figures again in the windows, moving, promenading in ave- 
 nues, hunting stags and hares, fishing, and building tiny houses, 
 for they were very small miniatures, and his portrait was 
 to be seen in every one of them. It had a dress exactly like 
 his own. It ascended into the keep of the tower, and dis- 
 covered the golden ramrod. As the Prince had eaten a good 
 breakfast, he could no longer imagine this was the work of 
 fancy. " This is too mysterious," said he, " for me to neglect 
 the means of knowing more. Perhaps I may leani more 
 in the keep. He ascended to it, and striking against the wall, 
 he fancied that a portion of it sounded hollow. He took 
 a hammer, and knocking down some of the wall near this spot, 
 he found a golden ramrod, very neatly made. He was 
 puzzling himself to think of what use it could be to him, when 
 he perceived in one comer of the room an old worm-eaten 
 wooden press. He tried to open it, but he could find no 
 lock. He turned it about, and hunted on every side ; but it 
 was labour in vain. At last he espied a small hole, and 
 suspecting that the ramrod might be useful, inserted the 
 
 L 
 
146 THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 
 
 worm of it, and then pulling with all his might he opened 
 the press. But in exact proportion to the age and ugliness 
 of its outside was the beauty and marvellous treasures of its 
 interior. All the drawers were of engraved rock-crystal, 
 amber, or precious stones. When you had taken out one, 
 you found smaller drawers at the sides, above, below, and at 
 the back, separated by partitions of mother-of-pearl. On 
 taking out these pai'titions and opening the drawers, each 
 appeared full of the most splendid weapons in the world, 
 rich crowns, admirable portraits. Prince Torticoli was en- 
 chanted ; he was never tired of opening drawers. At length 
 he found a little key made of a single emerald, with which he 
 opened a golden door at the back of the press. He was 
 dazzled by the brilliancy of a carbuncle which formed a large 
 box. He pulled it quickly out of the recess; but what were 
 his feelings when he found it was full of blood, in which 
 was the hand of a man, cut off at the wrist, but still grasping 
 a miniature case ! 
 
 At this sight Torticoli shuddered ; his hair stood on end ; 
 his trembling limbs could scarcely support him. He sat 
 down upon the floor still holding the box. Turning his eyes 
 from so shocking a sight, he was gi-eatly tempted to replace 
 the box where he had found it ; but it occurred to him, that 
 all these circumstances could not have happened without the 
 existence of some great mysteries. He remembered what the 
 little figure in the book had said to him, that accordingly as 
 he acted, it would be well or ill for him. He had as much to 
 fear from the future as from the present ; and finally reproach- 
 ing himself for a timidity unworthy a gi'eat mind, he made 
 an effort, and fixing his eyes on the hand — " Oh, unfortunate 
 hand !" he exclaimed, " canst thou not by some signs acquaint 
 me with thy sad adventure 1 If I have the power to serve 
 thee, assure thyself of the generosity of my heart ! " 
 
 The hand at these words appeared agitated, and moving its 
 fingers, made signs to him, the purport of which he compre- 
 hended as perfectly as if it had been conveyed in words by the 
 most eloquent lips. " Learn," said the hand, " that thou 
 canst do everything for him from whom the barbarity of 
 a jealous monster has separated me. Thou seest in this 
 miniature the portrait of the adorable beauty, who is the 
 cause of my misfortune. Go straightway to the gallexy; 
 
THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 147 
 
 notice the spot on which the sun's rays most brightly fall ; 
 search, and thou wilt discover my treasure." The hand then 
 ceased to move. The Prince put several questions to it, to 
 which it returned no answer. " ^Vhat shall I do with you 1" 
 he added. The hand made fresh signs, by which he understood 
 that he was to replace it in the press. He did so, and shut up 
 everything again ; hid the ramrod in the wall where he had 
 found it; and being now a little accustomed to prodigies, 
 descended to the gallery. 
 
 On his entrance the windows began to clatter and make an 
 extraordinary movement. He looked for the spot where the 
 rays of the sun fell brightest ; he perceived it was upon the 
 portrait of a youth, so handsome and with so majestic an air 
 that he stood enchanted by it. On lifting the picture, he 
 found the wainscot of ebony with mouldings of gold, as 
 throughout the rest of the gallery. He knew not how to 
 remove it, or whether he ought to do so. He consulted the 
 windows; he saw that the wainscot lifted tip. He immediately 
 raised it, and found himself in a vestibiile all of porphyry, 
 ornamented with statues. He ascended a large staircase of 
 agate, the balustrade of which was inlaid with gold. He entered 
 a saloon of lapis lazuli, and traversing numberless apartments, 
 in which he was enraptured by the excellence of the paintings 
 and the richness of the furniture, he arrived at last at a little 
 chamber, of which all the ornaments were composed of tur- 
 quoises, and he saw on a bed of blue and gold gauze a lady, 
 who appeared sleeping. She was of incomparable beauty ; 
 her tresses, blacker than ebony, set ofiF the whiteness of her 
 skin. She seemed to be uneasy in her slumbers. Her features 
 had an air of melancholy in them, and like those of an 
 invalid. 
 
 The Prince, fearing to wake her, approached softly. He 
 heard her speaking, and listening with great attention to her 
 words, he caught these few sentences, broken by sighs: 
 " Dost thou ' imagine, perfidious one, that I can love thee, 
 when thou hast separated me from my beloved Trasimenel — 
 What ! before my eyes thou hast dared divide a hand so dear, 
 from an arm which must ever be dreaded by thee ! Is it by 
 such arts thou pretendest to prove to me thy respect and thy 
 affection? Ah, Trasimene, my dear lover! must I never sea 
 thee more?" The Prince observed that the tears found a 
 
148 THE GOLDEN BBANCH. 
 
 passage through her closed lids, and trickling down her 
 cheeks resembled those shed by Aurora. 
 
 He remained as if immovable at the foot of the bed, not 
 knowing whether he ought to wake her, or leave her still 
 longer in so sad a slumber. It was already clear to him that 
 Trasimene was her lover, and that he had found his hand in 
 the donjon. A thousand confused thoughts were passing 
 through his brain upon so many different subjects, when he 
 heard a charming melody. It was formed by the voices of 
 nightingales and canary birds, who sang with such perfect 
 harmony that they surpassed the most agreeable vocalists. 
 At the same instant an Eagle of extraordinary size entered 
 the apartment. He flew gently, holding in his talons a golden 
 branch laden with rubies, in bunches like cherries. He fixed 
 his eyes steadily on the lovely sleeper. He appeared to gaze 
 on her as though she was the sun, and spreading his great 
 wings hovered before her, now rising, now sinking almost at 
 her feet. 
 
 After some few moments, he turned towards the Prince and 
 approached him, placing in his hand the golden branch with 
 its ruby cherries. The singing birds raised their voices till 
 the notes pierced the roof of the palace. The Prince inter- 
 preted with so much judgment the various incidents which 
 succeeded each other, that he concluded that the lady was 
 enchanted, aud that the honour of so glorious an adventure 
 was reserved for him. He advanced towards her, bent one 
 knee to the ground, touched her with the branch, and said, 
 " Beautiful and charming creature, now sleeping under an 
 influence which is unknown tome, I conjure you, in the name 
 of Trasimene, to resume all those faculties which you appear 
 to have been deprived of" The lady opened her eyes, per- 
 ceived the Eagle, and exclaimed, " Stay, dear lover, stay ! " 
 But the royal bird uttered a piercing and sorrowful cry, and 
 flew away with his little feathered musicians. 
 
 The lady turning, at the same time, towards Torticoli, said 
 to him, " I obeyed the impulse of love before that of gratitude. 
 I am aware that I owe everything to you, and that you have 
 restored me to the light of heaven, which I have been deprived 
 of for two hundred years. The Enchanter who loved me, and 
 has made me suffer so many ills, has reserved for you this 
 great adventure. I have the power to serve you, and pas- 
 
THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 149 
 
 sionately desire to do so. Let me know your wishes. I "will 
 use all the fairy power, which I possess in a sovereign degree, 
 to render you happy." " Madam," replied the Prince, " if 
 your science enables you to penetrate the secrets of the heart, 
 it is easy for you to know that, notwithstanding the misfor- 
 tunes which overwhelm me, I am less to be pitied than many 
 othei-s." "That is owing to yom* good sense," replied the 
 Fairy; " but after all, do not permit me to incur the shame of 
 ingratitude towards you. What do you desire? My power 
 is unlimited. Ask anything." " I desii-e," replied Torticoli, 
 " to restore to you the handsome Ti*asimene, for whom you so 
 constantly sigh." " You are too generous," said the lady, "to 
 prefer my interests to your own. That great work must be 
 achieved by another person. I cannot explain further; know, 
 only, that that person will not be indifferent to you. But do 
 not longer deny me the pleasure of obliging you. What do 
 you desire?" "Madam," said the Prince, "flinging himself 
 at her feet, " you behold my frightful figure. They call me, 
 in derision, Torticoli. Render me less ridiculous!" "Go, 
 Prince," said the Fairy, touching him three times with the 
 golden branch ; " go, thou shalt be so accomplished and sc 
 perfect, that never man before or after this shall be counted 
 thine equal. Henceforth be called Sans-pair; thou wilt be 
 justly entitled to that name." 
 
 The gi-ateful Prince embraced her knees, and, by a silence 
 which testified his joy, he left her to guess what was passing 
 in his soul. She compelled him to rise. He gazed at him- 
 self in the mirrors with which the chamber was adorned, and 
 Sans-pair could not recognise Torticoli. He was three feet 
 taller; his hair fell in large curls upon his shoulders; his 
 mien was full of gi-ace and dignity; his features were regular; 
 his eyes sparkled with intelligence; in short, it was a transfor- 
 mation worthy of a beneficent and grateful Fairy. 
 
 " Why am 1 not permitted," said she, " to reveal to you 
 your destiny? to warn you of the shoals Fortune will put 
 in your path! to teach you the means of avoiding them! 
 What gi'atification it would be to me, to add that benefit to 
 the one I have just conferred on you! But I should offend 
 the superior genius that guides you. Away, Prince; fly from 
 this tower, and remember that the Faiiy Benigne will 
 always be your friend." At these words the Fairy, the 
 
150 THE GOLDEN BEANCH. 
 
 palace, and all the wonders the Prince had seen in it, dis- 
 appeared. He found himself in a dense forest, more than a 
 hundred leagues from the tower in which the King, his father, 
 had confined him. 
 
 Let us leave him to recover from his natural astonishment, 
 and look back to see, first, what is passing amongst the guards 
 which his father had placed around his person, and secondly, 
 what happens to the Princess Trognon. The poor warders, 
 surprised that their Prince did not call for his supper, entered 
 his chamber, and not finding him, searched for him every- 
 where, in great fear that he had escaped. Their labour being 
 in vain, they were in despair, for they made sure that the 
 King, who was so terrible a tyrant, would put them to 
 death ; and after thinking over all the expedients likely to 
 appease him, they decided that one of them should go to bed, 
 and not allow himself to be seen ; that they should say that 
 the Prince was very ill ; that, shortly afterwards, they should 
 pretend that he was dead ; and that the burial of a log of 
 wood would get them out of the scrape. This remedy ap- 
 peared to them infallible, and they immediately began to put 
 their plan into execution. The smallest of the guards was 
 dressed up with a great hump, and put in the Prince's bed. 
 The King was informed that his son was very ill. He thought 
 it was only said to move his compassion, and he determined 
 not to relax in the least his severity. This was exactly what 
 the trembling warders wished for, and the more they said on 
 the subject, the more indifference to it was manifested by the 
 King. 
 
 As for the Princess Trognon, she arrived in a little machine 
 which was only a cubit in height, and carried in a litter. 
 King Brun went to meet her. When he saw her so deformed, 
 seated in a bowl, her skin covered with scales like that of a 
 cod-fish, her eyebrows meeting, her nose large and flat, and 
 lier rnouth reaching to her ears, he could not forbear saying, 
 ' Tnily, Princess Trognon, it becomes you to despise my 
 Torticoli. Know that he is very ugly; but to speak the 
 truth, he is less so than you." " My liege," said the Princess, 
 " I am not vain enough to be offended at the rudeness of your 
 speech. I do not know that it may not be, in your opinion, 
 a sure mode of persuading me to love your charming Torticoli; 
 but I declare to you, notwithstanding my miserable bowl, and 
 
THE GOLPEN BRANCH. 151 
 
 the defects I am full of, that I will not marry him, and that 
 I prefer the title of Princess Trognon to that of Queen 
 Torticoli. 
 
 The King's anger was exceedingly heated by this 
 answer. "I tell you plainly," said he, "I will not be con- 
 tradicted. The king, your father, should be your master, 
 and I have become so, now that he has placed you in my 
 hands." " There are mattei"8," answered the Princess, " in 
 which we have the power to choose. I warn you that I have 
 been brought hither against my will, and that I shall look on 
 you as my most mortal enemy, if you attempt to force me. 
 into this marriage." The King, still more irritated, left her ; 
 and assigned to her an apartment in his palace with ladies to 
 attend her, who were commanded to persuade her that the 
 best thing she could do was to marry the Prince. 
 
 In the meanwhile the guards, who feared being discovered, 
 and that the King might learn his son had escaped, made 
 haste to tell him that he was dead. At the.se tidings he was 
 afflicted to a degree they could never have believed of him. 
 He screamed, he howled, and looking upon Trognon as 
 the cavise of the loss he had sustained, he sent her to the 
 tower, in the place of his dear departed. 
 
 The poor Princess was as full of grief as astonishment at 
 finding herself a prisoner. She was courageous, and com- 
 mented, as she was justified in doing, on so harsh a proceeding. 
 She imagined they would repeat her words to the King, but 
 nobody dared to speak to him on the subject. She con- 
 ceived, also, that she would be allowed to write to her father 
 respecting the ill-usage she suffered, and that he would come 
 and deliver her. Her projects on that score were useless; 
 her letters were intercepted, and given to King Brun. 
 
 As she lived in that hope, however, she was less afflicted ; 
 and every day she went into the gallery to look at the painted 
 windows. Nothing appeared to her so extraordinary as the 
 number of subjects represented in them, and to see herself 
 amongst them, in her bowl. "Since my airival in this 
 country," said she, " the painters have taken a strange fancy 
 to depict me. Are there not enough ridiculous figures with- 
 out mine ? or would they, by force of contrast, set off to gi*eater 
 advantage the beauty of that young shepherdess, who appears 
 to me charming?" She then gazed on the portrait of a 
 
152 THE GOLDEN BEANCH. 
 
 shepherd, which she could not sufficiently praise. *' How much 
 am I to be pitied," said she, " degraded by nature to such an 
 extent as I am ! and how happy are those who are handsome !'' 
 In uttering these words, the tears came into her eyes; then, 
 catching a glimpse of herself in a glass, she turned away sud- 
 denly ; but was much astonished to see behind her a little old 
 woman in a hood, who was half again as ugly as herself, and 
 the bowl in which she pushed herself along had more than 
 twenty holes in it, so much was it worn. 
 
 " Princess," said this little old woman to her, " you may 
 have your choice between virtue and beauty. Your com- 
 plaints are so touching that I have listened to them. If you 
 choose to be handsome, you will be a coquette, vain and very 
 gay. If you choose to remain as you are, you wull be virtuous, 
 respected, and very humble." 
 
 Trognon looked at the person who spoke to her, and asked 
 her if beauty was incompatible with virtue. 
 
 " No," replied the good woman ; " but, in your case, it is 
 decreed that you can only possess one of the two." " Well, 
 then," exclaimed Trognon firmly, " I prefer my ugliness to 
 beauty." " How ! you had rather frighten all those who look 
 on youf rejoined the old woman. "Yes, Madam," said the 
 Princess ; " I would rather choose to suffer all the misfortunes 
 in the world than want virtue." "I brought with me, expressly 
 for this purpose, my white and yellow muff," said the Fairy, 
 " By blowing on the yellow side, you will become like that 
 admii-able shepherdess, who appeared so charming to you, and 
 you will be beloved by a shepherd whose portrait has more 
 than once arrested your attention. By blowing on the white 
 side, you can ensure your continuance in the patlx of virtue, 
 which you have so courageously entered." " Ah, Madam," 
 replied the Princess, " do not refuse me this favour. It will 
 console me for all the contempt with which I am treated." 
 
 The little old woman handed to her the muff of beauty 
 and virtue. Trognon made no mistake about it. She blew 
 upon the white side, and thanked the Fairy, who immediately 
 disappeared. 
 
 The Princess was delighted at the good choice she had 
 made ; and whatever reason she had to envy the incomparable 
 beauty of the shepherdess in the painted windows, she con- 
 soled herself with the thought that beauty passes like a 
 
THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 153 
 
 dream ; that virtue is a constant treasure, and an unfading 
 charm, enduring longer than this life. She still hoped that 
 the King her father would put himself at the head of a great 
 army, and release her from the tower. 
 
 She awaited the moment to behold him with impatience, 
 and she was dying to ascend to the keep of the tower to see 
 the arrival of the succoui-s she expected. But how could she 
 manage to crawl up such a height? She moved about on 
 the floor of her apartment slower -than a tortoise, and, to ascend 
 to any place, her women had to cany her. 
 
 Notwithstanding, she hit upon a rather peculiar plan : she 
 knew that the clock was in the keep. She took off the weights, 
 and put herself in their place. When they wound up the 
 clock, she was hoisted up to the top. She looked eagerly out 
 of the window that opened towards the country ; but she saw 
 nothing coming, and she retired from it to rest herself a little. 
 In leaning against the wall that Torticoli, or, as we should 
 now say, Prince Sans-pair, had pulled down and rebuilt but 
 badly, the mortar fell out, and with it the golden ramrod,- 
 whicli made a tinkling sound as it fell near Trognon. She 
 perceived it, and after having picked it up, examined it to 
 ascei-tain its use. As she had more sense than people in 
 general, she quickly concluded that it was made to open the 
 press, which had no lock to it. She succeeded in doing so, 
 and was not less enraptured than the Prince had been, at the 
 sight of all the rai'c and elegant things she found in it. It 
 contained fbur thousand drawers, all filled with ancient and 
 modem jewels. At length she found the golden door, the 
 box of carbuncle, and the hand swimming in blood. She 
 shuddered, and would have cast it from her ; but she had not 
 the power to let it go, a secret influence prevented her. 
 "Alas! what shall I do?" she cried, sorrowfully. "I had 
 rather die than stay longer here with this amputated hand ! " 
 At that moment she heard a soft and sweet voice, which said 
 to her, '' Take courage, Princess ; thy happiness depends upon 
 this adventure." "Oh! what can I do?" replied she, trem- 
 bling. " Thou must bear that hand to thy chamber," said 
 the voice, "and hide it underneath thy bolster, and when 
 thou seest an eagle, give it to him without losing an instant." 
 Terrified as the Princess was, there was something in that 
 voice so persuasive, that she did not hesitate to obey. She 
 
154 THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 
 
 replaced the drawers and the curiosities as she had found 
 them, without taking a single thing. Her guards, who feared 
 that she had escaped in her turn, not having found her in her 
 room, sought for her, and were struck with surprise at dis- 
 covering her in a place to which they said she could not 
 possibly have mounted except by enchantment. She passed 
 three days without seeing anything particular. She did not 
 dare to open the beautiful carbuncle box, for the sight of 
 the amputated hand caused her too miich alarm. At length, 
 one night, she heard a noise at her window. She got up as 
 well as she could, and, dragging herself across the room, opened 
 the casement. The Eagle flew in, making a great noise with 
 his wings to manifest his joy. She hastened to present him 
 the hand, which he took in his talons, and the next moment 
 she lost sight of him. In his place stood a yoimg man, the 
 handsomest and best made she had ever seen. His forehead 
 was encircled by a diadem; his dress was covered with jewels. 
 He held in his hand a miniature ; and commencing the con- 
 ■versation, " Princess," said he to Troguon, " for two hundred 
 years a perfidious Enchanter has detained me here. We both 
 of us loved the admirable Fairy, Benigne. I was accepted; 
 he was jealous. His art surpassed mine, and determining to 
 use it to my ruin, he commanded me, in an absolute tone, 
 never to see her more. Such a prohibition suited neither my 
 love nor my rank. I threatened him ; and the fair one I 
 adored was so offended at the behaviour of the Enchanter, 
 that in her turn she forbade him ever to approach her. The 
 cruel monster resolved to punish both of us." 
 
 " One day that I was by her side, gazing with delight on a 
 portrait she had given me, yet finding it a thousand times 
 less beautiful than the original, the Enchanter appeared, and 
 with one blow of his sabre cut my hand off at the wrist. The 
 Faii*y Benigne (so is my queen named) felt more keenly than 
 myself the anguish of this wound. She sank insensible upon 
 her couch, and immediately I foimd myself covered with 
 feathers. I was transformed into an eagle. I was permitted 
 to come daily to see the queen, without the power of ap- 
 j)roaching or awaking her ; but I had the consolation of 
 hearing her incessantly breathe tender sighs, and talk in her 
 sleep of her dear Trasimene. I knew also that, at the expira- 
 tion of two hundred yeai"s, a prince would restore Benigne 
 
THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 155 
 
 to the light of day, and that a princess, by returning me my 
 lost hand, would give me back my original form. A celebrated 
 fairy, who interests herself in your glory, ordained that it 
 should be so. It is she who so carefully locked up my hand 
 in the press of the keep ; it is she who has given me the 
 power to prove to you this day my gratitude. Wish for any- 
 thing, Princess, which can give you the greatest pleasvu-e, and 
 instantly you shall obtain it." • 
 
 " Great King," replied Trognon, after some moments' silence, 
 " if I have not answered you directly, it is not that I hesitate 
 to do so; but that I confess I am unused to such surprising 
 adventures as the present, and that I fancy it is rather a 
 dream than a reality." " No, Madam," replied Trasimeue, " it 
 is not an illusion ; you will experience the effects, as soon as 
 you please to tell me what boon you desire." " If I asked 
 for everything I should require to make me perfect," said 
 she, " whatever may be yo\ir power, it woidd be difficult for 
 you to satisfy me; but I will confine myself to the most 
 essential. Make my mind as beautiful as my body is ugly 
 and deformed." " Ah, Princess," exclaimed King Trasimene, 
 " you delight me by so wise and noble a choice ; but who is 
 able to do that which is already accomplished? Your body, 
 therefore, shall become as beautiful as yoiur mind and soul." 
 He touched the Princess with the miniature of the Fairy, 
 She hears all her bones go crick crack — they lengthen — get 
 into joint again; she rises, she is tall, handsome, straight; her 
 skin is whiter than milk; all her features are regular; her air is 
 majestic yet modest; her countenance intelligent and agreeable. 
 " What a miracle!' she exclaimed. "Can this be me] Is it 
 possible 1 " " Yes, Madam," replied Trasimene ; " it is you. 
 The wise choice you made of virtue has brought about the 
 happy change you enjoy. What pleasure it is to me, after 
 all I owe you, to think that I was destined to contribute to 
 it! But quit for ever the name of Trognon; take that of 
 Brilliante, to which your intellect and yovu: charms entitle 
 you." At the same instant he disappeared, and the Princess, 
 without knowing what coach she came by, found herself on 
 the bank of a little river, beneath some shady trees, in the 
 most agreeable spot on earth. 
 
 She had not yet seen her face. The water of the river 
 was so clear that she discovered, to her extreme surprise, that 
 
156 TH-E GOLDEN BRANCH. 
 
 she was the very shepherdess whose portrait she had admired 
 so much in the windows of the galleiy. In fact, hke her, she 
 had on a white dress trimmed with fine lace, neater than any 
 shepherdess had ever been seen in. Her waist was encircled 
 by a band of little roses and jasmine ; her hair was adorned 
 with flowers; she found near her a gilt and painted crook, 
 with a flock of sheep that were feeding by the river side, and 
 knew her voice, and even a sheep-dog who appeared to know 
 her and fawned upon her. 
 
 What reflections did she not make upon these novel pro- 
 digies ! She had been bom and had lived up to that moment 
 the ugliest of all created beings, but she was a princess. She 
 became faii*er than the day, and she was only a shepherdess. 
 She could not help feeling a little the loss of her rank. These 
 various thoughts agitated her till she slept. She had been 
 awake all night, as I have already told you, and the journey 
 she had taken, without being aware of it, was an hundred 
 leagues, so that she felt a little tired. Her sheep and her 
 dog, assembled beside her, seemed to take care of her, and to 
 pay her the attentions she ought to have paid to them. The 
 sun could not cause her any inconvenience, though it was in 
 the full blaze of noon ; for the tufted trees screened her from 
 its scorching rays, and the fresh and delicate gi-ass on which 
 she had seated herself seemed proud of so beautiful a burthen. 
 It was there 
 
 .The gentle violets were seen 
 Emulating other flowers ; 
 Peering above the herbage green, 
 To scatter incense round in showers. 
 
 The birds performed the sweetest concerts, and the Zephyrs 
 held their breath, fearing to disturb her. A shepherd ex- 
 hausted by the heat of the sun, having perceived from a dis- 
 tance this shady spot, hastened towards it ; but, at the sight 
 of the young Shepherdess Brilliante, he was so struck with 
 astonishment that but for a tree, against which he supported 
 himself, he must have fallen to the earth. In fact, he 
 recognised in her the same being whose beauty he had 
 admired in the windows of the gallery, and in the vellum 
 pages of the illuminated manuscripts; for the reader will 
 not doubt for a moment that this shepherd, was no other 
 than Prince Sans-pair. An unknown power had retained 
 him in this countiy. Ho had become the admiration of 
 
THE GOLDEN BKANCH. 157 
 
 all who had seen him. His skill in all sorts of exercises, his 
 good looks, and his intelligence, distinguished him no less 
 amongst the other shepherds, than his rank wonld have done 
 elsewhere. 
 
 He riveted his eyes upon BriUiante, with a curiosity 
 and a pleasure which he had never felt before. He knelt 
 beside her. He contemplated that assemblage of charms 
 which rendered her perfection, and his heart was the first to 
 pay that tribute to her beauty which none since had dared to 
 refuse. Whilst he was in deep meditation, Brilliaute awoke, 
 and seeing Sans-pair near her in a veiy elegant shepherd's 
 dress, she gazed at him, and instantly remembered him, for 
 she had seen his portrait in the tower. " Lovely shepherdess," 
 said he, "what happy fate has led you hither? You come, 
 no doubt, to receive our worship and our vows ! Ah, I feel 
 already that I shall be the most eager to ofier to you my 
 homage." "No, shepherd," said she; "I do not presume 
 to exact honours which are not due to me ; I would remain 
 a simple shepherdess. I love my flock and my dog. Solitude 
 has charms for me, and I desire none other." " How ! young 
 shepherdess, you have come hither with the design of conceal- 
 ing yourself from the mortals who inhabit these lands 1 Is 
 it possible," continued he, " that you would do us so much 
 injury? — at least, make me an exception, as I am the first 
 who has offered his service to you !" " No," replied Brilliante, 
 " I will not see you more frequently than the rest, notwith- 
 standing that I already feel a particular esteem for you. But 
 tell me where I shall find some respectable shepherdess with 
 whom I may dwell, for being a stranger here, and of an age 
 which will not permit me to live alone, I should be glad to 
 place myself under her protection." Sans-pair was en- 
 raptured at being entrusted with this commission. He con- 
 ducted her to so neat a cottage, that it had a thousand 
 charms in its simplicity. It was inhabited by a little old 
 woman, who rarely crossed the threshold because she could 
 liardly walk. " Here, my good mother," said Sans-pair, pre- 
 senting BriUiante to her, " here is an incomparable maiden, 
 whose appearance alone will make you young again." The 
 old wouian embraced her, and told her, with an afiable air, 
 that she was welcome, that she regretted she had so poor 
 a lodging to ofier her, but that at least she should occupy a 
 
158 THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 
 
 good place in her heart. " I did not think," said Brilliante, 
 '• to find here so feivourable a reception, and so much polite- 
 ness; I assure you, my good mother, that I am delighted 
 to be with you. Do not refuse," continued she, addressing 
 the shepherd, " to tell me your name, that I may know to 
 whom I owe this service." " They call me Sans-pair," replied 
 the Prince, " but now I will have no other name than that 
 of yoxir slave." " And I," said the little old woman, " I wish 
 also to know the name of the shepherdess to whom I offer 
 hospitality." The Princess told her she was called Brilliante. 
 The old woman seemed charmed with so lovely a name, and 
 Sans-pair said a hundred pretty things about it. The old 
 shepherdess, fearing that BrilUante was hungry, set before 
 her a very clean bowl full of new milk with brown bread, 
 new-laid eggs, fresh butter, and a cream cheese. Sans-pair 
 ran to his cottage, and brought from it strawben-ies, nuts, 
 cherries, and other fruits ; and in order to stay longer with 
 Brilliante, he asked permission to eat his dinner with her. 
 Alas, how difficult it would have been for her to have refused 
 him ! She had great pleasure in beholding him, and whatever 
 coldness she affected, she was well aware that his presence 
 was not indifferent to her. 
 
 After he left her, she thought about him for a long time, 
 and he of her. He saw her every day ; he led his flock to the 
 spot where she fed her own; he sang beside her the most 
 passionate songs; he played on the flute and the bagpipe 
 while she danced; and she displayed such grace, and kept 
 such perfect time, that he could not sufficiently admire her. 
 Each in their own minds reflected on the surprising chain of 
 adventures which had occurred to them, and each became 
 restless. Sans-pair followed her, assiduously, everywhere — 
 
 In short, whene'er he found the maid alone,^ 
 So well he painted all the rapture known 
 By two fond hearts in Cupid's bonds united, 
 That she discover'd shortly that the flame, 
 To which she scarcely dared to give a name. 
 By Love himself had certainly been lighted. 
 And seeing all the danger that she ran, — 
 
 (1) I am at a loss to know why Madame D'Aulnoy ran the following very prosaic 
 lines into rhyme, as they are simply a portion of the narrative. I felt, liowever, 
 bound to follow her example. 
 
THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 159 
 
 An innoceut and unprotected creattire, — 
 
 She carefully avoided the dear man, 
 
 Although it sadly -went against her nature ; 
 
 In secret, too, her heart would oft implore her 
 
 To pity so respectful an adorer. 
 
 Sans-pair, who could not for his life make out 
 
 What caused the change he'd not been told a word of, 
 
 Sought her, in vain, to satisfy his doubt : 
 
 Brilliante was never to be seen or heard of. 
 
 She avoided him carefully, reproaching herself unceasingly 
 with the sentiments she cherished for him. " What ! " said 
 she, " I have the misfortune to love ! — and to love a miserable 
 shepherd ! What a destiny is mine ! I preferred virtue to 
 beauty. It appeara that Heaven, to rewai-d me for that 
 choice, thought fit to render me handsome : but how unfortu- 
 nate I consider myself in having become so ! But for these 
 idle charms, the shepherd I shun would not have striven to 
 please me, and I should have escaped the shame of blushing 
 at the sentiments I entertain for him ! " These sad reflections 
 always ended in tears, and her pain was increased by the state 
 to which she reduced her amiable shepherd. He was, on his 
 part, overwhelmed with affliction. He was tempted to de- 
 clare to Brilliante the greatness of his birth, in the hope that 
 a feeling of vanity might induce her to listen to him more 
 favourably. 
 
 But he persuaded himself that she would not believe him, 
 and that if she demanded a proof of what he asserted, he was 
 not in a position to give her one. " How cruel is my fate !" 
 he exclaimed : •* hideous as I was, I must have succeeded to 
 my father. A great kingdom makes up for many defects. 
 It would be useless for me now to present myself to him or 
 to his subjects; there is not one amongst them who could 
 recognise me ! and all tlie good the Fairy Benigne has done 
 me, in taking from me my name and my ugliness, consists in 
 having made me a shepherd, and the slave of an inexorable 
 shepherdess, who cannot abide me! — Barbarous Fortune!" 
 said he, sighing, " become more propitious to me, or restore 
 my deformity together with my previous indifference ! " 
 
 Such were the sad Lamentations which the lover and his 
 mistress indulged in, imknown to each other. But, as Bril- 
 liante persisted in avoiding Sans-pair, one day, having deter- 
 mined to speak to her, and wishing to find an excuse which 
 would not offend her, he took a little lamb and adorned it 
 
160 THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 
 
 with, ribands and flowers, and put round its neck a collar of 
 painted straw, so neatly made that it was a sort of clief- 
 (toeuvre. He was himself attired in a dress of rose-coloured 
 tafFety covered with English point, and carried a crook 
 adorned with ribands and a small basket ; and thus equipped, 
 no Celadon in the world had dared to appear before him. 
 He found Brilliante seated on the banks of a rivulet, which 
 flowed gently through the thickest part of the wood. Her 
 sheep were scattered about, browsing. The deep melancholy of 
 the shepherdess prevented her attending to them. Sans-pair 
 accosted her with a timid air. He presented to her the little 
 lamb, aud gazing on her tenderly — " What have I done, beau- 
 tiful shepherdess," said he, " to deserve such terrible proofs 
 of your aversion? You are angry with your eyes for the 
 least look they bestow on me ! — for my passion so ofifends 
 you, that you must fly me. Can you desire one more pure 
 or more faithful ? Have not my words and actions been always 
 marked by respect as well as ardour?" But, no doubt, your 
 afiections are placed elsewhere ; your heart is prepossessed in 
 favour of another." She replied to him immediately ; — 
 
 "Shepherd, if I shun your view, 
 Should that give alarm to you ? 
 By my flight you sure can tell 
 I but fear to love too well. 
 Were my absence caused by hate, 
 Would my anguish be as great ? 
 Reason would from hence enforce me — 
 Love from reason would divorce me. 
 Even now my fluttering heart 
 Fails me when I should depart. 
 Oh, when love becomes extreme, 
 Stem, indeed, doth duty seem ; 
 And how slowly do we move, 
 When we fly from those we love I 
 But, adieu ! I must away, 
 Shepherd, from this fatal spot. 
 Die without you soon I may, 
 But, if you love me, follow not !" 
 
 As she said this, Brilliante left him. The amorous and 
 despairing Prince would have followed her, but his gi-ief be- 
 came so violent that he fell insensible at the foot of a tree. 
 
 Ah, severe and too cruel virtue ! why should yo\i fear a 
 man who has cherished you from his earliest infancy? He is 
 not capable of misunderstanding you, and his passion is per- 
 fectly innocent. But the Princess doubted herself as much 
 
THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 161 
 
 as him; she could not help doing justice to the merits of that 
 charming shepherd, and she was well aware that it is neces- 
 sary to avoid that which appears to us too agreeable. 
 
 Never had any one undertaken such a task as she under- 
 took at that moment. She tore hereelf away from the most 
 tender and best beloved object she had ever seen in her life ! 
 She could not resist looking back several times, to see if he 
 followed her. She saw him fall half dead ! She loved him, 
 and denied herself the consolation of recovering him. When 
 she reached the open plain, she lifted up her eyes pitifully, 
 and folding her arms, exclaimed, " O Virtue ! Glory ! 
 Grandeur! I sacrifice to you my happiness! Destiny! 
 O Trasimene! I renounce my fatal beauty! — Give me back 
 my ugliness, or restore to me the lover I abandon, without a 
 cause to blush at my choice !" After uttering these words, she 
 stood, uncertain whether or not she should retrace her steps. 
 Her heart prompted her to re-enter the wood in which she had 
 left Sans-pair: but her virtue triumphed over her affection. 
 She took the noble resolution never again to behold him. 
 
 Since she had been transported to this spot, she had heard 
 talk of a celebrated Enchanter, who lived in a castle which he 
 and his sister had built on the shore of the island. There was 
 nothing spoken of but their science. Every day produced 
 some new wonder. She thought nothing less than magic 
 power could efface from her heart the image of the charming 
 shepherd; and, without saying anything to her charitable 
 hostess, who had received and treated her like a daughter, 
 she set out on her road so absorbed by her sorrow, that she 
 never reflected on the peril she ran, a young and beautiful 
 girl travelling all alone. She rested neither day nor night, 
 she neither eat nor drank — she was so anxious to reach the 
 castle, and be cured of her love. But in passing through a 
 wood, she heard some one singing. She thought she distin- 
 guished her own name, and recognised the voice of one of her 
 companions. She stopped to listen, and caught these words : — 
 
 " Sans-pair, of all the village swains 
 The handsomest in form and feature, 
 Wore of a shepherdess the chains, 
 Brilliante by name as well as nature ; 
 By every gentle art he sought 
 To move to pity his enslaver; 
 But the poor innocent knew nought 
 Of love, despite the hints he gave her. 
 H 
 
162 THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 
 
 Still in his absence she would sigh, 
 As though of peace fate had bereft her ; 
 It wasn't often, by-the-bye, 
 Because he scarcely ever left her. 
 Stretched on the green turf at her feet. 
 He sang and piped in rustic fashion : 
 The maiden own'd his piping sweet, 
 And caught the air, if not the passion." 
 
 "Ah, this is too much!" exclaimed Brilliante, bursting 
 into tears. " Imprudent shepherd, thou hast boasted of the 
 innocent favours I have accorded thee ! Thou hast dared to 
 suppose that my weak heart wfis influenced by thy passiou 
 more than by my own sense of duty. Thou hast made others 
 the confidants of thy mistaken hopes, and art the cause of 
 my being thus made the theme of idle songs throughout the 
 woods and plains ! " She was so exceedingly annoyed by this 
 circumstance, that she believed she could look on Sans-pair 
 with indifference, and perhaps with aversion. " It is un- 
 necessary," continued she, " for me to go further in search 
 of remedies for my pain ; I have nothing to fear from a shep- 
 herd in whom I see so little merit. I will return to the village 
 in company with the shepherdess whose song I have been 
 listening to." She called to her as loudly as she could ; but 
 nobody answered her, and yet she heard the voice every now 
 and then singing very near her. She became uneasy and 
 alarmed; in fact, the wood belonged to the Enchanter, and 
 nobody could pass through it without meeting with some 
 adventure. 
 
 Brilliante, more bewildered than ever, hastened to make 
 her way out of the wood. " Has the shepherd I feared be- 
 come so little alarming to me that I should venture to see 
 him again? Is it not rather that my heart, in league with 
 him, attempts to deceive me ? Oh, let me fly ! let me fly ! — 
 It is the wiser course for a princess so unfortunate as I am ! " 
 She resumed her journey to the Enchanter's castle, arrived 
 at it, and entered without any obstacle. She traversed several 
 large courts, so overgrown by grass and brambles, that it 
 seemed as if no one had walked in them for a hundred yeara. 
 She made a way through them with her hands, which got 
 scratched in several places. She entered a hall, into which 
 the light was admitted only through a small hole. The walls 
 were hung with the wings of bats, a dozen live cats were 
 dangling from the ceiling in lieu of chandeliers, squalling 
 
THE GOLDEN BEANCH. 163 
 
 enough to drive you crazy ; and on a long table were twelve 
 large mice, fastened to it by their tails, each of which had in 
 front of them a piece of bacon which they couldn't reach ; so 
 that the cats saw the mice without being able to eat them, and 
 the mice trembled at the cats, while they were famishing with 
 a tempting piece of bacon before them. 
 
 The Princess was contemplating the torture of these animals, 
 when she saw the Enchanter enter in a long black robe. He 
 had on his head a crocodile by way of a cap, and never was 
 there seen so hoiTible a head-dress. The old man wore spec- 
 tacles, and carried a whip made of twenty long live serpents. 
 Oh, how frightened the Princess was ! — how she regretted at 
 that moment her shepherd, her sheep, and her dog! She 
 thought only of flight ; and, without saying a word to this 
 terrible man, she ran to the door : but it was covered with 
 spiders' webs. As soon as she had lifted one, she found another 
 under it; and on lifting that, a third appeared; she lifted 
 that, and saw a new one, under which was another; in short, 
 these filthy portieres of spiders' webs were innumerable. 
 
 The poor Princess was worn out with fatigue; her arms 
 were not strong enough to hold up these webs; she would 
 have sat down on the floor to rest herself but was quickly 
 compelled to rise again by long sharp thorns that issued from 
 it. She attempted again to escape, but still found one web 
 under another. The wicked old man, who observed her, 
 laughed till he was ready to choke himself. At length he 
 called to her, and said, " Thou mayest pass the rest of thy life 
 without succeeding in thy object. Thou seemest to me 
 younger and more beautiful than the fairest I ever saw. If 
 thou wilt many me, I will give thee these twelve cats that 
 thou seest hung up to the ceiling to do what thou wilt with, 
 and these twelve mice that are on the table here shall be 
 thine also. The cats ai-e so many princes, and the mice as 
 many princesses. The little rogues, at one time or another, 
 had the honour to please me (for I have been always gay 
 and gallant), but none would love me. These princes were 
 my rivals, and more favoured than I was. Jealousy took 
 possession of me; I found means to entice them hither; and 
 as fast as I caught them, I transformed them into cats and 
 mice. The most amusing part of the business is, that they 
 hate, as much as they formerly loved, each other, and it 
 
 h2 
 
164 THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 
 
 would be scarcely possible to imagine a more complete ven- 
 geance." "Oh, my lord!" exclaimed Brilliante, "change me 
 into a mouse ; I deserve it no less than these poor princesses." 
 " How ! my little shepherdess," said the Magician, " wilt thou 
 not then love me?" "I have resolved never to love," said 
 she. "Oh, how silly thou. ail!" continued the Magician. 
 " I will cherish thee marvellously ; I will tell thee stories ; 
 I will give thee the most beautiful dresses in the world. 
 Thou shalt never move but in a coach or a litter; thou wilt 
 be called ' Madam!'" " I have resolved never to love," re- 
 peated the Princess." " Take care what thou sayest ! " cried 
 the Enchanter, angrily ; " thou wilt repent it for many a long 
 day!" "No matter," replied Brilliante; "I have resolved 
 never to love." "Aha, thou too indifferent creature!" said 
 he, touching her ; " since thou wouldst be of a particular 
 species, thou shalt for the future be neither flesh nor fish; 
 thou shalt have neither blood nor bones. Thou shalt be 
 green, because thou ai*t still in thy greenest youth; thou 
 shalt be agile and sprightly ; thou shalt live in the fields, as 
 thou hast done ; and they shall call thee Grasshopper." At 
 the same moment Princess Brilliante became the most beau- 
 tiful grasshopper in the world, and availing herself of her 
 liberty, skipped quickly into the garden. As soon as she 
 was able to reflect on her situation, she exclaimed mournfully, 
 "Oh, my bowl! my dear bowl! what has become of you] — 
 Behold the result of your promises, Trasimene ! This, then, 
 is the fate which has been reserved for me so carefully these 
 two hundred years! — a beauty as fleeting as that of the 
 flowers of spring ; and as a conclusion, a dress of gi-een crape, 
 a singular little form, which is neither flesh nor fish, and 
 •without blood or bones. I am very unfortunate ! — Alas ! a 
 crown would have covered all ray defects ; I should have 
 found a husband worthy of me; and if I had remained a 
 shepherdess, the charming Sans-pair wished but for the 
 possession of my heart ! He is but too amply revenged for 
 my unjust disdain. Here am I, a gi-asshopper ! doomed to 
 chirrup day and night, whilst my heart, full of bitterness, 
 invites me to weep ! " Thus soliloquized the grasshopper, 
 hidden amongst the tender grass that fringed the borders of 
 a rivulet. 
 
 But what was Prince Sans-pair doing, bereft of his adorable 
 
The Goldon Brancn.— p.l66. 
 
THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 1G5 
 
 shepherdess? The cruel way in which she had left him 
 afflicted him so deeply that he had not the power to follow 
 her. Before he could join her he had swooned, and he re- 
 mained a long time insensible at the foot of the tree where 
 Brilliante saw him fall. At length the coolness of the ground, 
 or some unknown power, brought him to himself: he did 
 not dare to seek her that day at her own home, and revolving 
 in his mind the words she had said to him, 
 
 " Were my absence caused by hate, 
 Would my anguish be as great f " 
 
 He drew from them more flattering hopes, and trusted time and 
 attention might win for him a little gratitude. But what were 
 his feelings when, on going next day to the old shepherdess 
 with whom Brilliante lodged, he heard that she had never 
 been seen since the previous evening ! He was ready to die with 
 anxiety. He wandered away overwhelmed by a thousand 
 conflicting thoughts. He seated himself sadly by the side of 
 the river ; he was tempted a hundred times to fling himself 
 into it, and to end his misfortunes with his life. At lei/gth 
 he took a bodkin, and scratched the following verses on the 
 bark of a nettle-tree :^ — 
 
 " Lovely fountain, river clear, 
 
 Smiling valley, fertile plain, 
 
 Scenes erewhile to me so dear, 
 
 Alas, ye but increase my pain ! 
 
 The beauteous maid for whom I bum, 
 
 To whom your every charm ye owe, 
 " Has left ye, never to return, 
 
 And me to weep for ever mo ! 
 
 When Morning in the East appears. 
 
 She brmgs my spirit no relief ; 
 
 No sun can dry my ceaseless tears, 
 
 No night in slumber lull my grief. 
 
 Forgive me, O thou gentle tree, 
 
 That on thy breast her name I grave ; 
 
 How slight the wound to that which she. 
 
 The cruel one, my bosom gave ! 
 
 My steel thy life untouch'd hath left — 
 
 Her cipher makes thee seem more fair ; 
 
 But of his darling's sight bereft. 
 
 For death alone sighs poor Sans-pair." 
 
 He could not write any more, being accosted by a little 
 old woman, who had a ruff" round her neck, and wore a far- 
 thingale, a roll under her white hair, and a velvet hood. Her 
 ancient appearance had something venerable in it. " My 
 son," said she to him, " your lamentations are very grievous. 
 
 (1) Alisier, vide note, p. 28. 
 
166 THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 
 
 I beg you to let me know the cause." "Alas, good mother!" 
 answered Sans-pair, " I deploz*e the absence of a lovely shep- 
 herdess who flies me. I have resolved to search through all 
 the world until I find her." " Go in that direction, my child," 
 said the old woman to him, pointing towards the castle where 
 poor Brilliante had become a grasshopper ; " I have a pre- 
 sentiment that you will not seek her long." Sans-pair thanked 
 her, and prayed the god of love to befriend him. 
 
 The Prince met with no adventiu-e on the road of sufficient 
 consequence to detain him ; but, on reaching the wood close 
 to the castle of the Magician and his sister, he thought he 
 saw his shepherdess, and hastened to follow her. She glided 
 away from him. " Brilliante !" he cried, " adorable Bril- 
 liante! — stay one instant! — deign to listen to me!" The 
 phantom flitted still faster, and in its pursuit he passed the 
 remainder of the day. When night came on, he saw a great 
 many lights in the castle ; he flattered himself his shepherdess 
 might be there. He ran towards it, and entered without any 
 difficulty. He ascended a staircase, and saw, in a magnificent 
 saloon, a tall old Fairy, horribly thin ; her eyes resembled 
 two burnt-out lamps; you could see through her jaws. Her 
 arms were hke laths, her fingers like knitting-needles,^ a skin 
 of black shagreen 2 covered her skeleton; yet with all this 
 she wore rouge and patches, pink and green ribands, a mantle 
 of silver brocade, a crown of diamonds on her head, and a 
 profusion of jewels all about her. 
 
 " At last. Prince," said she to him, " you have arrived, 
 where I have long wished to see you. Think no more of your 
 little shepherdess; a passion for one so much your inferior 
 should make you blush. I am the Queen of Meteors. I am 
 your friend, and can be of infinite service to you if you love 
 me." "Love you!" exclaimed the Prince, looking at her 
 contemptuously ; " love you. Madam ! — Am I master of 
 my heart? No; I will never be unfoithful; and I feel that 
 even could I change, it is not you who would ever be the 
 object of my affections. Choose amongst your meteors some 
 influence which may suit you. Love the air, — love the winds, 
 — and leave mortals in peace." 
 
 (1) "Futeaux," i.e. Ftueaus h dentelU. 
 
 (2) Peau de chagrin noir. Shagreen is now an article almost obsolete j it was 
 a skin much used during the past century for watch and spectacle cases. 
 
THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 167 
 
 The Fairy was fierce and passionate ; with two blows of her 
 wand she filled the gallery with frightful monsters, against 
 whom the Prince was obliged to exert all his skill and courage. 
 Some had several heads and arms, others the forms of cen- 
 taurs and syrens. There were lions with human faces, 
 sphinxes, and flying dragons. Sans-pair had only his crook 
 and a small boar-spear, that he had armed himself with 
 when he set out on his journey. The tall Fairy interrupted 
 the combat every now and then, and demanded whether he 
 would love her. His answer was always, that he had sworn 
 to be faithful, and could not change. 
 
 Provoked by his firmness, she conjured up the form of 
 Brilliante. " 'Tis well!" said she to him; "thou seest thy 
 mistress at the end of this gallery. Think on what thou art 
 about to do. If thou refusest to marry me, she shall be torn 
 to pieces by tigera before your eyes!" "Ah, Madam," cried 
 the Prince, flinging himself at her feet, " I will die with plea- 
 sm-e to save my beloved mistress ! Spare her life, and take 
 mine !" — " I want not thy life, traitor," said the Fairy ; " it 
 is thy heart and thy hand I demand." Whilst they disputed, 
 the Prince heard the voice of his shepherdess complaining, 
 "Would you let me be devoured?" she asked him. "If you 
 love me, resolve to do as the queen commands you." 
 
 The poor Prince hesitated. " Have you then abandoned 
 me, Benigne," he exclaimed, "after all your promises? — 
 Come, oh, come to our aid !" He had scarcely spoken, when 
 he heard a voice in the air which pronounced distinctly 
 these words : — 
 
 " Leave all to Fate : but be constant, and seek the Golden 
 Branch." 
 
 The tall Fairy, who had made sure of victory through the 
 assistance of so many illusions, was ready to go mad at find- 
 ing so formidable an obstacle in her path as the protection of 
 Benigne. "Fly my presence!" she exclaimed, "wretched 
 and obstinate Prince ! — as thy heart is so full of flame, thou 
 shalt be a cricket that is fond of heat and fire !" 
 
 On the instant, the marvellously handsome Prince Sans- 
 pair became a little dingy cricket, who would have burned 
 himself alive in the nearest fireplace or oven, had he not 
 remembered the friendly voice that had encouraged him. 
 " I must seek the Golden Branch," said he ; " perhaps that 
 
168 THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 
 
 will uncricket me. Ah ! if I find my shepherdess there, what 
 will be wanting to my happiness 1 " 
 
 The cricket hastened to leave the fatal palace, and without 
 knowing which way he should go, commended himself to the 
 protection of the Fairy Benigne, and set off without ceremony 
 or weapons, for a cricket fears neither robbers nor accidents. 
 At his first resting-place, which was a hole in the trunk of 
 a tree, he found a grasshopper, so very melancholy she could 
 not sing. The cricket, never imagining that she was a reason- 
 ing and intellectual creature, said to her, " Where art thou 
 bound to, neighbour gi-asshopper?" "And you, neighbour 
 cricket, where are you going to?" she asked in her turn. 
 This reply astonished greatly the enamoured cricket. " How ! " 
 said he; " can you speak 1" " Why, you speak well enough," 
 cried she ; " do you think a grasshopper has less right to talk 
 than a cricket?" "I can talk," said the cricket, "because 
 I am a man." " And by the same rule," said the grasshopper, 
 " I ought to talk more than you, because I'm a woman." 
 "You have then suffered a fate similar to mine?" said the 
 cricket. " No doubt," answered the grasshopper. " But, 
 once more, whither go you?" rejoined the cricket ; " I should 
 be delighted to find we were likely to remain a long time 
 together." " I heard an unknown voice," replied she, " in the 
 air ; it said, ' Leave all to Fate, and seek the Golden Branch ! ' 
 I fancied this could only be addressed to me, and without 
 pausing, set out on my journey, though I have no idea whither 
 I should go." 
 
 Their conversation was interrupted by two mice, who came 
 running as fast as they could, and making for the hole at the 
 foot of the tree, and flinging themselves in head foremost, 
 nearly smothered neighbour cricket and neighbour grass- 
 hopper, who got out of their way as best they could, into 
 a little comer, " Ah, Madam," exclaimed the biggest mouse, 
 " I have got a pain in my side with running so fast. How 
 fares your highness?" — "I have pulled my tail ofi"," replied 
 the younger mouse, "otherwise Lmust still have remained 
 upon the old sorcerer's table. But did you note how he 
 pursued us ? How happy are we to have escaped from his 
 infernal palace!" — " I am rather afraid of the cats and the 
 mousetraps, my princess," continued the large mouse ; " and 
 I pray fervently that we may soon aiTive at the Golden 
 
THE GOLDEN BEANCH. 1C9 
 
 Branch." " You know the road to it then ?" said her mousefied 
 highness. " Know it, Madam? — as well as I do that to my 
 own house," replied the other. " It is a wonderful branch ; 
 a single leaf of it is sufficient to make one rich for ever. It 
 supplies you with money, it dispels enchantments, it gives 
 beauty, and preserves youth. We must set out to-morrow 
 before day-break." " We will have the honour to accompany 
 you, ladies," said the grasshopper, " if you have no objection; 
 I and an honest cricket whom you see here, for we as well as 
 you are pilgrims to the Golden Branch." A great many com- 
 pliments immediately passed between them, for the mice were 
 princesses, whom the wicked Enchanter had tied to his table, 
 and the high breeding of the cricket and the gras.shopper was 
 always apparent whatever might be their situation. They 
 all woke very early. They set out in solemn silence, for they 
 were afraid some sportsman on the look out, hearing them 
 speak, would catch them, and put them into a cage; and in 
 due time they arrived at the Golden Branch. It was planted in 
 the middle of a wonderful garden. The walks, in lieu of sand, 
 were strown with small oriental pearls rounder than peas. 
 The roses were crimson-coloured diamonds, and the leaves 
 were emeralds; the blossoms of the pomegranates were 
 garnets ; the marigolds were topazes ; the jonquils, yellow 
 brilliants; and the violets, sapphires; the blue-beUs, turquoises; 
 the tulips, amethysts, opals, and diamonds. In short, the 
 number and variety of ^ese beautiful flowers dazzled more 
 than the sun. 
 
 Here, then, (as I have already told you,) was the Golden 
 Branch, the same that Prince Peerless received from the 
 Eagle, and with which he touched the Fairy Benigne when 
 she was enchanted. It had grown as high as the highest 
 trees around it, and was covered with rubies in the form of 
 cherries. As soon as the cricket, the grasshopper, and the 
 two mice approached it, they recovered their natural forms. 
 What joy, what transports filled the breast of the fond 
 Prince, at the sight of his beautifiil shepherdess ! He flung 
 himself at her feet. He was about to express to her all he 
 felt at so g^eeable and unhoped-for a surprise, when Queen 
 Benigne and King Trasimene appeared in matchless pomp, 
 for everything corresponded with the magnificence of the 
 garden. Four cupids, armed cap-drjtie, with bows at their 
 
170 THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 
 
 sides, and quivers on their shoulders, supported with their 
 arrows a little canopy of gold and blue brocade, under which 
 were seen two splendid crowns. " Hither, charming lovers ! " 
 said the Queen, extending her arms towards them; "come, 
 and receive from our hands the crowns which your virtue, 
 your birth, and your constancy deserve. Your toils are about 
 to change for pleasures. Princess Brilliante," continued she, 
 " the shepherd, so alarming to your heart, is the very Prince 
 who was destined for you by your father and his own. He 
 did not die in the tower. Receive him as your husband, and 
 leave to me the care of your happiness and tranquillity." 
 The Princess, delighted, flung herself into the arms of Be- 
 nigne, and by the tears which flowed down her cheeks, proved 
 to her that excess of joy had rendered her speechless. Saus- 
 pair knelt before the generous Fairy, respectfully kissed 
 her hands, and uttered a thousand unconnected sentences. 
 Trasimene embraced him heartily ; and Benigne, in a few 
 words, informed them that she had hardly ever quitted them, 
 — that it was she who had proposed to Brilliante to blow 
 into the white and yellow muflF, — that she had assumed the 
 form of an old shepherdess in order to take the Princess as 
 a lodger, — and that it was she also who had directed the Prince 
 which way he should go in search of his shepherdess. " It 
 is true," continued she, " that you have undergone sufferings 
 which I would have spared you had it been in my power; 
 but the pleasures of love must be bought at some cost." 
 
 At this moment they heard some sweet music which 
 floated around them. The cupids hastened to crown the 
 young lovers; the marriage rites were performed; and during 
 the ceremony, the two princesses, who had recovered their 
 forms, implored the Fairy to exert her power to deliver the 
 other unfortunate mice and cats who languished in despair 
 in the Enchanter's castle. " I can refuse you nothing on 
 such a day as this," answered the Fairy ; so saying, she struck 
 the Golden Branch three times, and all who had been con- 
 fined in the castle appeared in their natural forms — each 
 lover finding his mistress. The liberal Fairy, desirous that 
 nothing should be wanting to the fete, gave the whole con- 
 tents of the press in the keep to be divided amongst the 
 company. The value of this present was more than that 
 of ten kingdoms in those days. It is easy to imagine their 
 
THE GOLDEN BRANCH. 171 
 
 satisfaction and gratitude. Benigne and Trasimene cro-wned 
 this great work by a generosity which surpassed all that they 
 had hitherto exhibited. They declared that the Palace and 
 Garden of the Golden Branch should, for the future, be the 
 property of King Sans-pair and Queen Brilliante. A hun- 
 dred other sovereigns were their tributaries, and a hundred 
 kingdoms their dependencies. 
 
 When to Brilliante her aid a Friry proffer'd, 
 She might — and much she needed it just then- 
 Have chosen the rare beauty to her offer'd j 
 A tempting bait to nine maids out of ten : 
 Witness the art, the trouble, and the cost 
 To gain or keep it, of the sex recorded. 
 But the temptation on Brilliante ■was lost ; 
 She preferr'd virtue, and was well rewarded. 
 The rose and lily on the cheek will die 
 As quickly as the flowers with which they vie ; 
 But beauties of celestial virtue bom. 
 Are deathless as the soul which they adorn. 
 
THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TEEE. 
 
 There was once upon a time a King and a Queen •who 
 wanted nothing to make them happy but children. The 
 Queen was already aged; she had lost all hopes of having 
 any — when she found herself likely to become a mother, and 
 in due time brought into the world the most beautiful girl 
 that was ever seen. Joy was extreme in the palace; each 
 person was endeavouring to find a name for the Pi'incess that 
 would express their feeling towardjs her. At last they called 
 her Aim6e. The Queen had engraved upon a turquoise- 
 heart the name of Aim6e, daughter of the King of the Happy 
 Island; she tied it round the Princess's neck, believing that 
 the turquoise would bring her good fortune. But the rule 
 failed in this case; for one day, when, to amuse the nurse, 
 they took her out to sea in the finest summer weather, all 
 at once there arose so tremendous a tempest that it was 
 impossible to land, and as she was in a little boat, which was 
 only used for pleasure trips close in-shore, it soon went to 
 pieces. The nurse and all the sailors perished. The little 
 Princess, who was sleeping in her cradle, remained floating 
 upon the water, and was ultimately thrown by the waves on 
 the coast of a very pretty countiy, but which was scarcely 
 inhabited since the Ogre Ravagio and his wife Tourmentine 
 had come to live there : they ate up everybody. The Ogres 
 are terrible people : when once they have tasted fresh meat 
 (it is thus they term human flesh), they will hardly ever eat 
 anything else ; and Tourmentine always found out some secret 
 manner of attracting a victim, for she was half a fairy. 
 
THE BEE AND THE OHANGE TEEE. 173 
 
 A league off sbe smelt the poor little Princess ; she ran to 
 the shore in search of her before Ravagio could find her. 
 They were equally greedy, and never were seen such hideous 
 figures, each with one squinting eye in the middle of the 
 forehead, a mouth as large as that of an oven, a nose large 
 and flat, long asses' ears, hair standing on end, and hximps 
 behind and before. When Tourmentine, however, saw Aim^e 
 in her rich cradle, wrapped in swaddling-clothes of gold bro- 
 cade, playing with her little hands, her cheeks resembling the 
 white rose mixed with the carnation, and her little vermilion 
 smiling mouth half open, which seemed to smile at the horrid 
 monster who came to devour her, the Ogress, touched with 
 pity she had never felt before, resolved to nurse it, and if 
 she did eat it, not to do so directly. She took the child in 
 her arms, tied the cradle on her back, and in this manner 
 she returned to her cave. " Look, Ravagio," said she to her 
 husband, " here is some fresh meat, very plump, very tender ; 
 but, by my head ! thou shalt not touch it with teeth, — it is a 
 beautiful little girl, I shall bring it up, and we will marry 
 her to our son ; they will have some extraordinary little 
 Ogres, and that will amuse us in our old age." — " Well said," 
 replied Ravagio ; " thou art wise, as thou art great. Let me 
 look at the child — it seems wonderfully beautiful !" " Do not 
 eat it ! " said Tourmentine, putting the child in his great 
 clutches. " No, no," said he ; "I would rather die of hunger." 
 Here, then, were Ravagio, Tourmentine, and the young Ogre, 
 caressing Aimee in so tender a manner that it was miraculous. 
 
 But the poor child, who only saw these deformed creatures 
 around her, and not her nurse, began to put up its lip, and 
 then she cried lustily ; Ravagio's cavern echoed with it. 
 Tourmentine, fearing the noise would frighten her still more, 
 took and carried her into the wood, her children following 
 her. She had six — each one uglier than the other. She 
 was half a fairy, as I have said before; her power consisted 
 in a little ivory wand, which she held in her hand when she 
 wished for anything. She took the wand then, and said, 
 " I wish, in the name of the royal fairy, Trufio, that the 
 most beautiful hind in our forests, gentle and tame, would 
 leave its fawn, and come hither directly, and nurse this little 
 creature that Fortune has sent me." Immediately a hind 
 appeared; the little Ogres welcomed her kindly; she drew 
 
174 THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 
 
 near, and suckled the Princess. Tourmentine carried her 
 back to her grotto; the hind ran skipping and gamboling after 
 them, and the child looked at it and fondled it. When she 
 was in her cradle and cried, the hind was always ready to 
 feed her, and the little Ogre rocked her. 
 
 Thus was the King's daughter brought up, while they 
 deplored her loss night and day; and believing she was 
 drowned, the King thought of choosing an heir. He spoke to 
 the Queen upon the subject, who told him to do what he judged 
 proper — that her dear Aim6e was dead — that she had no hope 
 of any more children — that he had waited long enough — and 
 that, as fifteen years had elapsed since she had the misery of 
 losing her daughter, it would be folly now to expect her 
 return. The King decided upon asking his brother to select 
 amongst his sons the one he thought most worthy to reign, 
 and to send him without delay to him. The ambassadors, 
 having'received their credentials and all uecessaiy instruction, 
 departed. It was a great distance off; they were embarked 
 on })oard some fine vessels. The wind was favourable, and 
 they arrived in a short time at the palace of the King's 
 brother, who was in possession of a large kingdom. He 
 received them very graciously ; and when they asked him 
 permission to take back with them one of his sons to succeed 
 their master the King, he wept for joy; and told them that 
 since his brother left the choice to him, he would send him 
 the one he would have taken for himself; which was the second 
 of his sons, whose inclinations were so well suited to the great- 
 ness of his birth, that he found him perfect in everything he 
 could wish him to be. They sent for the Prince Aim6, (so 
 was he called,) and however prejudiced in his favour the 
 ambassadors were previously, they were perfectly astonished 
 when they saw him. He was eighteen years old. Love, the 
 young god of love himself, was less beautiful — but it was 
 a beauty which detracted nothing from that noble and martial 
 air which inspires respect and affection. He was informed 
 of the anxiety of the King his uncle to have him near him ; 
 and of the intention of the King his father to hasten his de- 
 parture. They prepared his equipage. He took his leave, 
 embarked, and put to sea. Let him sail on; let Fortune 
 guide him ! 
 
 We will now return to Ravagio, and see what is occupying 
 
THE BEE AND THE OEANQE TREE. 175 
 
 our young Princess. Her beauty increased with her age, 
 and they might well say of her that Love, the Graces, and 
 all the goddesses combined, never possessed so many 
 charms. It appeared, when she was in the dark cavern with 
 Kavagio, Tourmentine, and the young Ogres, that the sun, 
 stars, and skies had descended into it. The cruelty of these 
 monsters had the effect of making her still gentler ; and from 
 the moment she was aware of their terrible inclination 
 for human flesh, she was always endeavouring to save the 
 unfortunate people who fell into their hands, so much so 
 that she often exposed herself to their fury. She would have 
 been sacrificed to it had not the young Ogre guarded her like 
 the apple of his eye. Ah ! what will not love do 1 This little 
 monster's nature had become softened by seeing and loving 
 this beautiful Princess ; but, alas ! what was her grief when 
 she thought she must marry this detestable lover ! Although 
 she knew nothing of her birth, she had rightly guessed from her 
 rich clothes, the gold chain, and the turquoise, that she was 
 of good birth, and she believed so still more from the feelings 
 of her heart. She neither knew how to read or write, nor 
 any language ; she spoke the jargon of the Ogres ; she lived 
 in perfect ignorance of all worldly matters; she possessed, 
 however, as fine principles of virtue, and as sweet and un- 
 affected manners, as though she had been brought up in the 
 most polished court in the univerae. She had made herself a 
 tiger-skin dress, her arms were half naked, she wore a quiver 
 and arrows over her shoulder, and a bow at her side. Her 
 fair hair was fastened only by a platted band of sea-rushes, 
 and floated in the breeze over her neck and shoulders. She 
 also wore buckskins, made of the sauie rush. In this attire, 
 she walked about the woods like a second Diana; and she 
 would never have known she was beautiful if the crystal foun- 
 tains had not been innocent mirrors for her — which she gazed 
 into without their inducing her to be vain, or think more of 
 herself. The sun had a similar effect upon her complexion, 
 as upon wax ; it made it whiter, and the sea air could not tan 
 it. She never ate anything but what she took in hunting or 
 fishing, and under this pretext she often absented herself from 
 the horrible cavern, to avoid looking at the most deformed 
 objects in nature. " Heavens!" cried she, in shedding tears, 
 " what have I done, that thou hast destined me to be the 
 
176 THE BEE AND THE OEANQE TREE. 
 
 bride of this cruel little Ogrel Why didst thou not leave me 
 to perish in the sea? Why didst thou preserve a life, that 
 must be spent in this deplorable manner? Hast thou not 
 some compassion for my grief?" She thus addressed the 
 gods, and implored their aid. 
 
 When the weather vras rough, and she thought the sea had 
 cast some unfortunate persons on shore, she would carefully go 
 and assist them, and prevent them from approaching the Ogres' 
 cavern. It had been blowing fearfully throughout one night : 
 she arose as soon as it was day, and ran towards the sea. She 
 perceived a man, who, with his arms locked round a plank, 
 was trying to gain the shore, notwithstanding the violence of 
 the waves, which continually repulsed him. The Princess was 
 most anxious to help him; she made signs to him, to indi- 
 cate the easiest landing places ; but he neither saw nor heard 
 her. Sometimes he came so close, that it appeared he had 
 but one step to make, when a wave would cover him, and he 
 disappeared. At last he was thrown upon the sand, and lay 
 stretched on it without motion. Aimee drew near him, and, 
 notwithstanding his death-like appearance, she rendered him 
 all the assistance she could. She always carried about her 
 certain herbs, the odour of which was so powerful, it recovered 
 any one from the longest fainting-fit. She pressed them in 
 her hands, and rubbed his lips and temples with some of 
 them. He opened his eyes, and was so astonished at the 
 beauty and the dress of the Princess, that he could hardly 
 determine if it were a dream or reality. He spoke first ; she 
 spoke in her turn. They coiild not understand each other, 
 and looked at one another with much attention, mingled with 
 astonishment and pleasure. The Princess had only seen some 
 poor fishermen that the Ogres had entrapped, and whom she 
 had saved, as I have already said. What must she, then, liave 
 thought, when she saw the handsomest and best made man in 
 the world, most magnificently dressed ! It was, in short, the 
 Prince Aime, her cousin-german, whose fleet, driven by a 
 tempest, had gone to pieces on these shoals, and their crews, 
 at the mercy of the winds and waves, had perished, or been 
 cast upon unknown shores. The young Prince, for his part, 
 was astonished at seeing so beautiful a creature, in such 
 savage attire, and in so deserted a country ; and the remem- 
 brance of the princes and ladies he had so recently quitted, 
 
THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 177 
 
 only served to convince him that the being he now beheld 
 far siu-passed them all. In this mutual astonishment they 
 continued to talk, without being understood by each other; 
 their looks and their actions being the sole interpreters of 
 their thoughts : when, after some moments, the Princess 
 suddenly recollecting to what danger this stranger was 
 about to be exposed, the deepest melancholy and dejection 
 became expressed in her countenance. The Prince, fearing 
 she was about to faint, evinced great anxiety, and would have 
 taken her hand, but she repulsed him, and endeavoured, as 
 well as she could, to impress upon him that he must go away. 
 She began to inin before him ; then returned, and made signs 
 to him to do so. He accordingly ran from her, and returned. 
 When he returned, she was angry with him; she took her 
 arrows, and pointed them to her heart, to signify to him that 
 he would be killed. He thought she wished to kill him ; he 
 knelt on one knee, and awaited the blow. When she saw 
 that, she knew not what to do, or how to express herself; and, 
 looking at him tenderly, " What," said she, " must thou, then, 
 be the victim of my frightful hosts 1 — must these very eyes, 
 which now gaze on thee with so much pleasure, see thee torn 
 in pieces, and devoured without mercy 1 " She wept ; and the 
 Prince was quite at a loss to comprehend the meaning of her 
 actions. She succeeded, however, in making him understand 
 she did not wish him to follow her. She took him by the 
 hand, and led him into a cave in a rock, the mouth of which 
 opened towards the sea. It was very deep : she often went 
 there to deplore her misfortunes ; sometimes she slept there, 
 when the sun was too powerful to return to the Ogres' cavern ; 
 and, as she had great neatness and skill, she had furnished it 
 with hangings of butterflies' wings, of various colours; and 
 upon canes, twisted and passed one within the other, which 
 formed a sort of couch, she had spread a carpet of sea-rushes. 
 She had placed clusters of flowers in large and deep shells, 
 answering the purpose of vases, which she filled with water, 
 to preserve her bouquets. There were a thousand pretty 
 little things she had manufactured, some with fish-bones and 
 shells, and others with the sea-rush and cane ; and these arti- 
 cles, notwithstanding their simplicity, were so exquisitely 
 made, it was easy to judge from them of the good taste and 
 ingenuity of the Princess. The Prince was perfectly surprised 
 
 IT 
 
178 THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 
 
 at it all, and thought it was in this place that she lived. He 
 was delighted to be there with her; and although he was not 
 happy enough to make her understand the admiration with 
 which she inspired him, it already appeared he preferred 
 seeing and living near her, to all the crowns to which his birth 
 and the will of his relations could call him. She made him 
 sit down ; and, to indicate that she wished him to remain till 
 she could procure him something to eat, she unfastened the 
 band from her hair, put it round the Prince's arm, and tied 
 him to the couch, and then left him. He was dying to follow 
 her, but was afraid of displeasing her, and became lost in 
 reflections, from which he had been diverted by the presence 
 of the Princess. " Where am 1 1" said he. " Into what country 
 has fortune led me? My vessels are lost, my people are 
 drowned, and I have nothing left. Instead of the crown that 
 was offered me, I find a gloomy rock, in which I seek a 
 shelter. What will become of me here 1 What sort of people 
 shall I find here 1 If I am to judge from the person who has 
 assisted me, they are all divinities ; but the fear she had that 
 I should follow her — the rude and barbarous language which 
 sounded so badly from her beautiful mouth, induces me to 
 think something still more unfortunate will happen to me 
 than has already occurred." He then applied himself entirely 
 to reviewing in his mind all the incomparable charms of the 
 young savage: his heart was on fire; he became impatient 
 that she did not retm-n, and her absence appeared the greatest 
 of all evils to him. She returned as quickly as she possibly 
 could. She had thought of nothing but the Prince ; and such 
 tender feelings were so new to her, that she was not on her 
 guard against that with which he was inspiring her. She 
 thanked heaven for having saved him from the dangers of the 
 sea, and she prayed it to preserve him from the peril he ran 
 in being so near th»/ Ogres, She was so excited, and she had 
 walked so rapidly that when she arrived she felt rather 
 oppressed by the heavy tiger's skin which served as a mantle 
 for her. She sat down ; the Prince placed himself at her feet, 
 much moved by her sufferings: he certainly was worse than 
 she was. As soon as she recovered from her faintness, she 
 displayed all the little dainties she had brought him ; among 
 others, four parrots and six squirrels, cooked by the sun; 
 Btrawben-ies, cheiTies, raspberries, and other fruits. The 
 
THE BEE AND THE OEAKGE TREE. 179 
 
 plates were of cedar and eagle-wood,^ the knife of stone, the 
 table-napkins of large leaves of trees, very soft and pliable ; 
 there was a shell to drink out of, and another filled with beau- 
 tiful water. The Prince expressed his gratitude to her by all 
 the signs he could of head and of hands, and she with a sweet 
 smile made him understand that all he did was agreeable to 
 her. But the hour of separation having arrived, she made him 
 so perfectly understand that they must part, that they both 
 began to sigh, and hid their tears from each other. She arose, 
 and would have gone, but the Prince uttered a loud cry, and 
 threw himself at her feet, begging her to remain. She saw 
 clearly what he meant, but she repulsed him with a little air 
 of severity; and he felt he must accustom himself by times to 
 obey her. 
 
 To tell the truth he passed a miserable night ; that of the 
 Princess was not any better. When she returned to the 
 cavern, and found herself surrounded by the Ogres and their 
 children, — when she contemplated the frightful little Ogre, as 
 the monster that would become her husband, and thought of 
 the charms of the stranger she had just quitted, — she felt 
 inclined to throw herself head foremost into the sea ; — added 
 to all this, the fear that Ravagio, or Tourmentine, would 
 smell fresh meat, and that they would go straightway to the 
 rock, and devour Prince Aime. 
 
 These various fears kept her awake all night ; she arose at 
 daybreak, and went to the seashore ; she ran, she flew there, 
 laden with parrots, monkeys, and a bustard; fruits, milk, 
 and everything of the best. The Prince had not taken off 
 his clothes, he had suffered so much from fatigue at sea, 
 and had slept so little, that towards the morning he had 
 fallen into a doze. "What!" said she, in awaking him; "I 
 have thought of you ever since I left you; I have not even 
 closed my eyes, and you are able to sleep!" The Prince 
 looked at her, and listened without understanding her. In 
 his turn he spoke, "What joy, my darling," said he to her, 
 kissing her hands ; " what joy it is to see you again ! It 
 appears an age since you left this rock." He talked some 
 
 (1) Canambour, Calambour, Calambuc, Boit cTAigle, the odoriferous wood of a 
 species of Aloe, a native of Mexico and of Cochin-China. It was much used in the 
 manufacture of toys. Madame de Serigne mentions a rosary of Calambuc in her 
 lettei of the 9tb June, 1680. 
 
180 THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 
 
 time to her before he remembered she coxild not understand 
 him; when he recollected it, he sighed heavily, and was 
 silent. She then took up the conversation, and told him she 
 was dreadfully alarmed that Eavagio and Tourmentine would 
 discover him ; that she dared not hope he could be in safety 
 in the rock for any length of time ; that if he went away she 
 should die, but that she would sooner consent to that than 
 expose him to be devoured; that she entreated him to fly. 
 At this point tears filled her eyes; she clasped her hands 
 before him in the most supplicating manner; he could not 
 understand at all what she meant, he was in despair, and 
 threw himself at her feet. At last she so frequently pointed 
 out the way to him that he understood some of her signs, and 
 he in his turn explained to her that he would rather die than 
 leave her. She was so touched with this proof of the Prince's 
 affection for her, that she took from her arm the chain of gold, 
 with the turquoise heart, that the Queen, her mother, had 
 hung round her neck, and tied it round his arm in the most 
 gracious manner. Ti-ansported as he was by this favour, he 
 failed not to perceive the characters engraved on the turquoise. 
 He examined them attentively, and read, " Aim6e, daughter 
 of the King of the Happy Island." No astonishment could 
 equal his; he knew that the little Princess who had perished 
 was called Aim6e; he had no doubt this heart belonged to 
 her, but he was ignorant if this beautiful savage was the 
 Princess, or whether the sea had thrown this trinket on the 
 sands. He looked at Aimee with the most extraordinary 
 attention, and the more he looked at her the more he dis- 
 covered a certain family expression and features ; and from the 
 particular feelings at his heart, he felt convinced that the 
 savage maiden must be his cousin. She was perfectly asto- 
 nished at his actions, lifting his eyes to heaven in token of 
 thanks, looking at her and weeping, taking her hands and 
 kissing them vehemently ; he thanked her for her generosity, 
 and fastening the trinket again on her arm, signified to her he 
 would rather have a lock of her hair, which he begged of her, 
 and which he had much trouble in obtaining. Four days 
 passed thus ; the Princess carried him every morning the food 
 he required. She remained with him as long as she possibly 
 could, and the hours passed quickly away, although they 
 could not converse together. One evening that she returned 
 
THE BEE AND THE OKANGE TREE. 181 
 
 rather late, and expected to he scolded by the terrible Tour- 
 mentine, she was much surprised at being favourably received; 
 and finding a table covered with fruits, she asked to be 
 allowed to take some. Eavagio told her that they were in- 
 tended for her; that the young Ogre had been gathering them, 
 and that it was now time to make him happy ; that three 
 days hence he wished her to marry him. What tidings ! 
 Could there be any in the world more dreadful for this 
 amiable Princess ! She thought she should die of fright and 
 grief; but, concealing her affliction, she replied she would obey 
 them without repugnance, provided they would give her a 
 little longer time. Ravagio became angi-y, and said, " What 
 should prevent my instantly devouring you?" The poor 
 Princess fainted with fear in the claws of Tourmentine and 
 the young Ogre, who loved her dearly, and who entreated 
 Ravagio so much that he appeased him. Aimee did not sleep 
 an instant ; she waited for daylight with impatience. As soon 
 as it appeared, she flew to the rock, and when she saw the 
 Prince she uttered sad cries, and shed rivers of teare. He 
 remained almost motionless ; his love for the beautiful Aimee 
 had increased in four days, more than a common passion 
 would have done in four yearc ; he was dying to ask her what 
 had happened. She knew he could not understand her, and 
 could think of no mode of explanation. At last she untied 
 her long hair — she put a wreath of flowers on her head, and 
 taking Aime's hand, she made signs, expressing that they in- 
 tended she was to do so with another. He comprehended 
 the misery that was threatening him, and that they were 
 going to marry her. He felt he should expire at her feet ; 
 he knew neither the roads, nor the means of saving her, nor 
 did she. They shed tears together — looked at each other — 
 and mutually signified it would be better to die together than 
 to be separated. She stayed with him till the evening; but 
 as night advanced sooner than they expected it, and being 
 deep in thought, she did not attend to the paths she took ; 
 she entered a part of the wood very little frequented, and 
 where a long thorn pierced her foot through and through : 
 happily for her she was not far from the cavern. She had 
 much trouble in reaching it — her foot was all over blood. 
 Ravagio, Tourmentine, and the young Ogres, came to her 
 assistance. She sufiered great pain when they took out the 
 
182 THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 
 
 thorn; they gathered herbs, and applied them to her foot; 
 and she retired, very uneasy, as may be imagined, about her 
 dear Prince. " Alas ! " said she, " I shall not be able to walk 
 to-morrow; what will he think, if he does not see me? I 
 made him understand they intended marrying me; he will 
 think I have not been able to prevent it; who will feed him? 
 However he may act, it will be death to him ; if he come 
 to seek me, he is lost ; if I send one of the young Ogres to 
 him, Ravagio will know of it." She burst into tears; she 
 sighed; and would rise early in the morning; but it was 
 impossible for her to walk ; her wound was too painful ; and 
 Tourmentine, who saw her creeping out, stopped hei*, and 
 said if she took another step she would eat her. 
 
 In the meantime the Prince, finding her usual hour for 
 being with him was passed, became distressed and frightened; 
 the faster the time flew, the more his fears increased ; all the 
 punishments in the world would have appeared less terrible 
 to him than the anxieties to which his love consigned him. 
 He constrained himself to have patience, but the longer he 
 waited, the less hope he had. At length he determined to 
 die, and rushed out resolved at all risks to seek his amiable 
 princess. He walked on, he knew not whither; he followed 
 a beaten path that he saw at the entrance of the wood ; after 
 walking for about an hour, he heard a noise, and perceived 
 the cavern, from whence came a thick smoke; he expected 
 he should obtain some information there. He entered; 
 and he had scarcely taken a step when he saw Eavagio, who, 
 instantly seizing him with immense strength, would have 
 devoured him, had not the cries he uttered in defending him- 
 self reached the ears of his dear love. At the sound of that 
 voice she felt nothing could stop her ; she rushed out of the 
 hole she slept in, and entered that part of the cavern where 
 Ravagio was holding the poor Prince; she was pale and 
 trembling as though he would have eaten her. She threw 
 herself upon her knees before him, and entreated him to keep 
 this fresh meat for the day of her marriage with the young 
 Ogre, and she herself would eat him. At these words Ravagio 
 was so satisfied to think the Princess would follow their cus- 
 toms, that he let go the Prince, and shut him up in the hole 
 where the young Ogres slept. Aim6e begged to be allowed 
 to feed him, that he might not get thin, and that he might 
 
THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 183 
 
 do honour to the nuptial repast. The Ogre consented to it; 
 she took the best of everything to the Prince. When he 
 saw her enter his joy diminished his wretchedness, but his 
 grief was renewed when she showed him her wounded foot. 
 They wept together for some time. The Prince could not 
 eat, but his dear mistress cut such dehcate pieces with her 
 own hands, and presented them to him with so much kind- 
 ness, that it was impossible to refuse them. She made the 
 young Ogres bring fresh moss, which she covered with birds' 
 feathers, and caused the Prince to understand it was for his 
 bed. Tourmentine called her; she could only bid adieu to 
 him by stretching out her hand ; he kissed it with transports 
 of affection which cannot be described, and in her eyes he read 
 the expression of her feelings. Eavagio, Tourmentine, and 
 the Princess, slept in one of the recesses of the cavern. The 
 young Ogre, and five little Ogres, slept in the other, where the 
 Prince was. It is the custom in Ogreland, that the Ogre, 
 Ogress, and the young Ogres, always sleep in their fine gold 
 crowns. This is the only pomp they indulge in ; and they would 
 rather be hung or strangled than forego it. When they were 
 all asleep, the Princess, who was thinking of her lover, re- 
 membered, that although Ravagio and Tourmentine had 
 given her their word of honour they would not eat him ; if 
 they felt hungry in the night, (which was almost always the 
 case when there was fresh meat near them,) it would be all over 
 with him ; and the anxiety occasioned by this horrid thought, 
 wrought on her to such a degree, she was ready to die with 
 fright. After pondering for some time, she arose, hastily 
 threw on her tiger-skin, and gi'oping her way without making 
 any noise, she entered the cavern, where the little Ogres were 
 asleep. She took the crown from tte head of the first she 
 came to, and put it upon that of the Prince, who was wide 
 awake, but did not dare appear to be, not knowing who was 
 performing this ceremony. The Princess then returned to 
 her own little bed. She had scarcely crept into it, when 
 Ravagio, dreaming of the good meal he might have made of 
 the Prince, and his appetite increasing while he thought of 
 it, arose in his turn, and went into the hole where the little 
 Ogres were sleeping. As he could not distin^hLsee, fearing 
 he should make a mistake, he felt about wjhIPr hand, and 
 throwing himself upon the one who had no crown on, crunched 
 
184 THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 
 
 him, as he would a chicken. The poor Princess, who heafd 
 the cracking of the bones of the unfortunate creature he was 
 eating, was faint and dying with fear that it might be her 
 lover; and the Prince, for his part, who was much nearer, 
 was a prey to all the terrors consequent on such a situation. 
 Morning relieved the Princess of her terrible anxiety; she 
 quickly sought for the Prince, and by her signs, made him 
 sufficiently understand her fears, and her impatience to see 
 him safe from the murderous teeth of these monsters. She 
 spoke kindly to him, and he would have uttered a thousand 
 kinder words to her, but for the arrival of the Ogress, who 
 came to look at her children. She perceived the cavern filled 
 with blood, and missed her youngest Ogre. She uttered 
 horrible shrieks. Ravagio soon found out what he had done 
 — but the evil could not be remedied. He whispered to her, 
 that being hungiy, he had chosen the wrong, for he thought 
 he had eaten the fresh meat. 
 
 Tourmentine pretended to be pacified, for Ravagio was 
 cruel, and if she had not taken his apology in good part, he 
 very likely would have devoured her. But, alas ! how much 
 the beautiful Princess suffered from anxiety ! She was always 
 thinking by what means she could save the Prince ; and he 
 could only think of the frightful place this amiable girl was 
 living in. He could not make up his mind to go away so 
 long as she was there — death would have been preferable to a 
 sepai*ation. He made her understand this by repeated signs ; 
 — she implored him to fly, and save his own life ; they shed 
 tears, pressed each other's hands, and in their respective lan- 
 guages, vowed to each other reciprocal faith and everlasting 
 love. She could not resist showing him the clothes she had 
 on when Tourmentine found her, and also the cradle she was 
 in. The Prince recognised the arms and device of the King 
 of the Happy Island. At this sight he was in raptures ; the 
 Princess remai-ked his transports of joy, which led her to be- 
 lieve that he had learned something of importance from the 
 sight of this cradle. She was dying to know what it meant — 
 but how could he make her aware whose daughter she was, 
 and how nearly they were related] All she could make out 
 was, tliat she had great reason to rejoice. The hour for 
 retiring was come, and they went to their beds as on the pre- 
 ceding night. The Princess, a prey to the same misgivings, 
 
THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 185 
 
 got up quietly, went into the cavern where the Prince was, 
 gently took the crown from one of the little Ogres, and put 
 it on her lover's head, who dared not detain her, however 
 desirous he was to do so. The respect he had for her, and 
 the fear of displeasing her, prevented him. The Princess 
 could not have done better than putting the crown upon 
 Aim6's head. Without this precaution, he would have been 
 lost. The barbarous Tourmentine started up out of her 
 sleep, and thinking of the Prince, whom she considered more 
 beautiful than the day, and very tempting food, she was so 
 frightened that Ravagio would eat him by himself, that she 
 thought she would be beforehand with him. She glided, 
 without uttering a word, into the young Ogres' cavern ; she 
 gently touched those that had crowns on their head (the 
 Prince was of the number), and one of the little Ogres was 
 gone in three mouthsful. Aime and his lady-love beard all, 
 and trembled with fear; but Tourmentine, having accom- 
 plished her purpose, now only wanted to go to sleep ; so they 
 were safe for the remainder of the night. " Heaven aid us !" 
 cried the Princess. " Suggest to me what we can do in such 
 a pressing extremity!" The Prince prayed as fervently; 
 sometimes he felt inclined to attack these two monsters, and 
 fight with them ; but what hope had he of obtaining any advan- 
 tage over them? — they were as tall as giants, and their skin 
 was proof against pistol-shot; so that he came to the more 
 prudent conclusion, that ingenuity could alone extricate 
 them from this frightful position. As soon as it was day, 
 and Tourmentine found the bones of her little Ogre, she 
 filled the air with fearful howls. Ravagio appeared in as 
 much despair. They were a hundred times very nearly 
 throwing themselves upon the Prince and Princess, and 
 devouring them without mercy. They had hidden them- 
 selves in a little dark corner, but the cannibals knew full 
 well where they were, and of all the perils they had encoun- 
 tered, this seemed the most imminent. Aim6e, racking her 
 brains, all at once remembered that the ivory wand which 
 Tourmentine possessed performed wonders; why, she herself 
 could not tell. " If, notwithstanding her ignorance," said 
 she, " these surprising things occur, why should not my 
 words have as much effect?" Filled with this idea, she ran 
 to the cavern in which Tourmentine slept; she looked for the 
 
186 THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TEEE. 
 
 wand, that was hidden in a hole ; and as soon as she had it 
 in her hand, she said — " I wish, in the name of the Royal 
 Fairy Trufio, to speak the language of him I love ! " She 
 would have made many other wishes, but Ravagio entered — 
 the Princess held her tongue, and putting back the wand, she 
 very quietly returned to the Prince. " Dear stranger," she 
 said, " your troubles affect me much more than my own do !" 
 At these words the Prince was struck with astonishment. 
 " I understand you, adorable Princess ! " said he ; " you speak 
 my language, and I hope that you, in your turn, understand 
 that I suffer less for myself than for you ; that you are dearer 
 to me than my life, than the light of day, and all that is 
 most beautiful in nature!" "My expressions are more 
 simple," replied the Princess, " but they are not the less sin- 
 cere. I feel I would give everything in the rocky cavern 
 on the sea-shore, — all my sheep, lambs, in short all I possess, 
 for the pleasure of beholding you." 
 
 The Prince thanked her a thousand times for her kindness, 
 and begged her to tell him who had taught her in so short a 
 time to speak, in so perfect a manner, a language till then 
 unknown. She told him of the power of the enchanted 
 wand, and he informed her of her birth, and their relation to 
 each other. The Princess was transported with joy; and as 
 nature had endowed her with extraordinary intellect, she ex- 
 pressed it in such choice and well-turned phrases, that the 
 Prince was more in love with her than ever. They had not 
 much time to lose in settling their affairs ; it was a question of 
 flight from these irritated monsters, and speedily to seek an 
 asylum for themselves. They promised to love each other 
 for ever; and to unite their destinies, the moment they were 
 able to be married. The Princess told her lover, that as 
 soon as she saw Ravagio and Tourmentine were asleep, she 
 would fetch their gi-eat camel, and that they would get 
 on it, and go wherever it pleased heaven to conduct them. 
 The Prince was so delighted he could with difficulty con- 
 tain his joy, and many things, that still alarmed him, were 
 effaced by the charming prospect of the future. The night so 
 long looked for amved : the Princess took some meal, and 
 kneaded it with her white hands, into a cake, in which she 
 put a bean ; then, she said, holding the ivory wand, " Oh, 
 bean, little bean ! I wish, in the name of the royal fairy, 
 
THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 187 
 
 Trufio, that you may speak, if it be necessary, till you are 
 baked." She put this cake in the hot cinders, and then went 
 to the Prince, who was waiting most impatiently, in the 
 miserable lodging belonging to the young Ogres. " Let us 
 go," said she, " the camel is tethered in the wood." " May 
 love and fortune guide us," replied the Prince, in a low 
 voice, " Come, come, my Aim6e ; let us seek a happy and 
 peaceful abode," It was moonlight; she had secured the 
 ivory wand ; they found the camel, and went on the road, 
 not knowing whither. In the meantime Tourmentine, who 
 was full of grief, kept turning about without being able to 
 sleep ; she put out her arm to feel if the Princess was in her 
 bed yet; and not finding her, she cried out in a voice of 
 thunder, "Where art thou, girlf " I am near the fire," an- 
 swered the bean. " Wilt thou come to bed 1 " said Tourmen- 
 tine; "Directly," replied the bean ; "go to sleep; go to sleep." 
 Tourmentine fearing to wake Ravagio, ceased speaking; 
 but in about two hours afterwards, she again felt in Aim^e's 
 little bed, and cried out, " What, thou little jade, thou 
 wilt not come to bed ? " "I am warming myself as much 
 as I can," answered the bean. " I wish thou wast in the 
 middle of the fire, for thy pains ! " added the Ogress. " I am 
 there," said the bean, " and none ever warmed themselves 
 nearer." They still continued talking, for the bean kept up 
 the conversation, like a very clever beau. Towards the morn- 
 ing, Tourmentine again called the Princess; but the beau 
 was baked, and did not answer. This silence made her 
 uneasy, — she got up very angi-y ; looked about her ; called ; 
 alarmed everybodj'; and searched in every direction. No 
 Princess! no Prince ! no little wand! She shrieked so loudly, 
 that the rocks and valleys echoed again, " Wake up, my 
 poppet ; awake, dear Ravagio ; thy Tourmentine is betrayed. 
 Our fresh-meat has run away." Ravagio opened his eye, and 
 bounded into the middle of the cavern like a lion ; he roared, 
 he bellowed, he howled, he foamed, "Quick, quick; give 
 me my seven-leagued boots, that I may pursue our fugitives ; 
 I will catch them, and swallow them before long." He put on 
 his boots, with which at one stride he went seven leagues. 
 Alas ! how was it possible to fly fast enough to escape from 
 such a runner? You may be surprised that with the ivory 
 wand they did not go faster than he did; bat the beautiful 
 
188 THE BEE AND THE OBANGE TREE. 
 
 Princess was a novice in Fairy art ; she knew not all she could 
 do with such a wand ; and it was only in extreme cases that a 
 sudden light broke upon her. Delighted at being together, 
 at understanding each other, and by the hope of not being 
 pursued, they travelled on ; when the Princess, who was the 
 fii-st to perceive the terrible Eavagio, cried out, " Prince, 
 we are lost ! Behold that frightful monster, who is coming 
 upon us like a thunder-bolt ! " " What shall we do V said 
 the Prince, " What will become of us 1 Ah, if I were 
 alone, I should not care for my life; but yours, my dear 
 mistress, is threatened." " I am hopeless, if the wand will not 
 aid us," added Aim^e, weeping. " I wish," said she, '' in the 
 name of the royal fairy, Trufio, that our camel may be- 
 come a pond, that the Prince may be a boat, and myself an 
 old woman, who is rowing it." Immediately, the pond, the 
 boat, and tha old woman were there, and Ravagio arrived at 
 the water's edge. " Hola, ho ! old mother," he cried, '*' have 
 you seen a camel, and a young man and woman, pass by 
 here?" The old woman, who kept her boat in the middle 
 of the pond, put her spectacles on her nose, and looking at 
 Ravagio, made signs to him, that she had seen them, and that 
 they had passed through the meadow. The Ogre believed 
 her ; he went to the left The Princess wished to take her 
 natural form ; she touched herself with the wand three times, 
 and struck the boat and the pond. She and the Prince 
 became yoimg and beautiful again. They quickly mounted 
 the camel, and turned to the right, that they might not meet 
 their enemy. 
 
 While proceeding rapidly, and hoping to find some one who 
 could tell them the road to the Happy Island, they lived 
 upon the wild fruit of the country, they drank water 
 from the fountains, and slept beneath the trees, not without 
 fear that the wild beasts would come and devour them. But 
 the Princess had her bow and arrows, with which she would 
 have tried to defend herself. The danger was not so terrible 
 to them as to prevent their feeling the liveliest pleasure 
 in being released from the cavern, and finding themselves to- 
 gether. Since they had been able to understand, they had 
 said the prettiest things in the world to each other. Love 
 generally quickens the wit; but, in their case, they needed 
 no such assistance, possessing naturally a thousand agreeable 
 
THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 189 
 
 accomplishments, and an imagination ever suggesting new 
 and original ideas. 
 
 The Prince testified to the Princess his extreme impatience 
 to arrive speedily either at his or her royal father's court, as 
 she had promised, that with the consent of their parents, she 
 would accept him as her husband. What you will have some 
 difficulty perhaps in believing is, that while waiting for this 
 happy day, and being with her in forests and solitudes, where 
 he was at full liberty to make to her any proposals he pleased, 
 he conducted himself in so respectful and prudent a manner, 
 that never in the world has there been known to exist so 
 much love and virtue together. 
 
 After Ravagio had scoured the mountains, forests, and 
 plains, he returned to his cavern, where Tourmentine and the 
 young Ogres impatiently awaited him. He was laden with 
 five or six people who had unfortunately fallen into his 
 clutches. " "Well," said Tourmentine, "hast thou found and 
 eaten those runaways, those thieves, that fresh meat 1 Hast 
 thou not saved for me either a hand or a foot of them?" " I 
 believe they must have flown away," replied Ravagio ; " I ran 
 like a wolf in all directions without meeting with them. I only 
 saw an old woman in a boat upon a pond, who gave me some 
 tidings of them." "AVhat did she tell thee, then?" impa- 
 tiently inquired Tourmentine. " That they had gone to the 
 left," replied Ravagio. " By my head, thou hast been de- 
 ceived," said she: " I suspect it was to them thou didst speak. 
 Go back ; and if thou findest them, give them not a moment's 
 grace ! " Ravagio greased his seven-leagued boots, and set out 
 again like a madman. Our young lovers were issuing from a 
 wood, in which they had passed the night. When they saw 
 the Ogre they were both greatly alarmed: " My Aim^e," 
 said the Prince, " here is our enemy ; I feel I have courage 
 enough to fight with him ; have you not sufficient to escape, 
 by yourself]" " No," cried she, " I will never forsake you — 
 imkind one j do you thus doubt my love for you 1 But let 
 us not lose a moment; perhaps the wand may be of great 
 service to us. I wish," cried she, " in the name of the royal 
 fairy, Trufio, that the Prince should be changed into a pic- 
 ture, the camel into a pillar, and myself into a dwarf" The 
 change was made; and the dwarf began to blow a horn. 
 Ravagio, who approached with rapid strides, said, " Tell me, 
 
190 THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 
 
 you little abortion of nature, if you have not seen a fine 
 young man, a young girl, and a camel pass by here 1" " Ah, 
 I will tell you," replied the dwai-f ; " I know that you are in 
 quest of a gentle Damoiseau,^ a marvellously fair dame, and the 
 beast they rode on. I espied them here yesterday at this, 
 disporting themselves happily and joyously. The gentle Da- 
 moiseau received the praise and guerdon of the jousts and tour- 
 naments, which were held in honour of Merlusine, of whom you 
 here behold the lovely resemblance. Many high-born gentle- 
 men and good knights broke their lances here, on hauberks, 
 helmets, and shields ; the conflict was rough, and the guerdon, 
 a most beautiful clasp of gold, richly beset with pearls and 
 diamonds. On their departure, the unknown dame said to 
 me, ' Dwarf, my friend, without longer parley, I crave a boon 
 of thee, in the name of thy fairest lady-love.' ' It will not be 
 denied,' said I to her; 'audi grant it to you, on the sole 
 condition, that it is in my power.' ' In case then,' said she, 
 ' that thou shouldst espy the great and extraordinary giant, 
 whose eye is in the middle of his forehead — pray him most 
 courteously, that he go his way in peace, and leave us alone ;' 
 and, therewith, she whipped her palfrey, and they departed." 
 " Which way 1 " said Ravagio. " By that verdant meadow, on 
 the skirts of the wood," said the dwarf. " If thou liest," replied 
 the Ogre, " be assured thou filthy little reptile, that I will 
 eat thee, thy pillar, and thy portrait of Merluche." ^ " There 
 is no villainy or falsehood in me," said the dwarf ; " my 
 mouth is no lying one ; living man cannot convict me of fraud. 
 But go quickly, if you would kill them before the sun sets." 
 The Ogre strode away. The dwarf resumed her own figure, 
 and touched the portrait and the pillar, which also became 
 themselves again. What joy for the lover and his mistress! 
 " Never," said the Prince, " did I suffer such keen anxiety, 
 my dear Aim6e ! as my love for you increases every moment, 
 so are ray fears augmented when you are in peril." " And I," 
 said she, " seemed to have no fear ; for Ravagio never eats 
 pictures, and I was alone exposed to his fury. There was 
 
 (1) A young gentleman before he was knighted. All the answers of the dwarf in 
 the original are written in the language of the middle ages, and evince Madame 
 d'Aulnoy's study of the Romans and Fabliaux of the 13th and 14th centuries. 
 
 (2) An intentional contemptuous alteration of the name of Merlusine into that for 
 a stock-fish. 
 
THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 191 
 
 also little in my appearance that was palatable ; and, in short, 
 I risked my life to preserve yours." 
 
 Ravagio hunted in vain; he could neither find the lover 
 nor his mistress. He was as tired as a dog ; he retraced his 
 steps to the cavern. " What ! hast thou returned without our 
 prisoners 1 " exclaimed Tourmentine, tearing her bristling 
 hair. " Don't come near me, or I shall strangle thee !" "I 
 saw nothing," said he, " but a dwarf, a pillar, and a picture." 
 " By my head," continued she, " it was them ! I was very 
 foolish to leave my vengeance in thy hands, as though I were 
 too little to undertake it myself. Here ! here I go ! I will 
 put on the boots this time, and I shall not speed worse than 
 thou." She put on the seven-leagued boots, and started. 
 What chance have the Prince and Princess of travelling so 
 quickly as to escape these monsters, with their accursed 
 seven-leagued boots ! They saw Tourmentime coming, dressed 
 in a serpent's skin, the variegated colours of which were won- 
 derful. She carried upon her shoulder a mace of iron, of a 
 terrible weight; and as she looked carefully on all sides, she 
 must have seen the Prince and Princess, had they not been at 
 that moment in the thickest part of a wood. " The matter is 
 hopeless," said Aimee, weeping ; " here comes the cruel Tour- 
 mentine, whose sight chills my blood : she is more cunning 
 than Eavagio. If either of us speak to her, she will know us, 
 and eat us up without more ado. Our trial will be soon over, 
 as you may imagine." " Love, Love, do not abandon us ! " 
 exclaimed the Prince. " Hast thou within thy empire fonder 
 hearts or purer flames than ours 1 Ah, my dear Aim6e," con- 
 tinued he, taking her hands and kissing them fervently, 
 " canst thou be destined to perish in so barbarous a man- 
 ner T' "No," said she, "no; I have a certain feeling of 
 courage and firmness that reassures me. Come, little wand, 
 do thy duty. I wish, in the name of the royal fairy, Trufio, 
 that the camel should be a tub, that my dear prince should 
 become a beautiful orange-tree, and that I, metamorphosed 
 into a bee, should hover around him." As usual, she struck 
 three blows for each ; and the change took place so suddenly, 
 that Tourmentine, who had arrived on the spot, did not per- 
 ceive it. The hoirible fury was out of bi'eath, and sat down 
 under the orange-tree. The Princess Bee delighted in sting- 
 ing her in a thousand places : and although her skin was bo 
 
192 THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 
 
 hard, the sting pierced it, and made her cry out. To see her roll 
 and lay about her upon the grass, one would have thought 
 her a bull, or a young lion, tormented by a swarm of insects ; 
 for this one "was worth a hundred. The Prince Orange-ti*ee 
 was dying with fear that she would be caught and killed. At 
 last, Tourmentine, covered with blood, made off; and the 
 Princess was about to resume her own form, when, unluckily, 
 some travellers passing through the wood, having perceived 
 the ivory wand, which was a very pretty-looking thing, picked 
 it up, and carried it away. Nothing could be much more 
 unfortunate than this. The Prince and Princess had not lost 
 their speech, but of how little use was it to them in their 
 present condition ! The Prince, overwhelmed with grief, 
 uttered lamentations that greatly added to his dear Aim^e's 
 distress. He would sometimes thus express himself : — 
 
 " I'he moment was near, when my lovely Princess 
 Had promised my -wishes to crown. 
 A hope so enchanting — of joy, such excess, 
 Defied of misfortune the frown ! 
 O Love, who such wonders can work at thy will ; 
 Who nileth the world with thy dart ; 
 Preserve my dear Bee from each peril, and still 
 Unchanged to the last keep her heart." 
 
 " How wretched am I," continued he, " thus pent up within 
 the bark of a tree. Here I am, an Orange-tree, without any 
 power to move. What will become of me, if you abandon me, 
 my dear little Beel" " But," added he, " why will you go so 
 far from me? You will find a most agreeable dew on my 
 flowers, and drops in them sweeter than honey : you will be 
 able to live on it. My leaves invite you to couch in them ; 
 there you will have nothing to fear from the malice of 
 spiders !" As soon as the Orange-tree ceased its complaints, 
 the Bee replied to him thus — 
 
 "Fear not, Prince, that I should range; 
 Nought my faithful heart can change; 
 Let the only thought of thine. 
 Be that thou hast conquer'd mine." 
 
 She added to that — " Do not fear that I will ever leave you. 
 Neither the lilies, nor the jasmines, nor the roses, nor all the 
 flowers of the most beautiful gardens, would induce me to 
 commit so much infidelity. You shall see me continually 
 flying around you, and you will know that the Orange-tree 
 is not less dear to the Bee than Prince Aime was to the 
 
THE BEE AXD THE ORANGE TREE. 193 
 
 Princess Aim^e." In short, she shut herself up in one of the 
 lai^est flowers, as in a palace ; and true love, which is never 
 without its consolations, found some even in this union. 
 
 The wood in which "the Orange- tree was situated was the 
 favourite promenade of a princess who lived hard by in a 
 magnificent palace. She was young, beautiful, and witty : they 
 called her Linda. She would not marry, because she feared she 
 should not be always loved by the person she might choose for a 
 husband ; and as she was very wealthy, she built a sumptuous 
 castle, and received there only ladies, and old men (more 
 philosojjhers than gallants), permitting no young cavalier to 
 approach it. The heat of the day having detained her a 
 longer time than she wished in her apartments, she went out 
 in the evening, with all her ladies, and came to walk in the 
 wood. The perfume from the Orange-tree surprised her; she 
 had never seen one, and she was charmed to have found it. 
 She could not understand by what chance she had met with 
 it in such a place. It was soon surrounded by all the com- 
 pany. Linda forbade any one to pick a single flower, and 
 they carried the tree into her garden, whither the faithful Bee 
 followed it. Linda, enchanted with its delicious odour, seated 
 herself beneath it. Before returning to the palace, she was 
 about to gather a few of the blossoms, when the vigilant Bee 
 sallied out humming under the leaves, where she remained 
 as sentinel, and stung the princess so severely, that she very 
 nearly fainted. There was an end of depriving the Orange- 
 tree of its blossoms ; Linda returned to her palace, qnite ill. 
 When the Prince was at liberty to speak to Aimee, " What 
 made you so vexed with young Linda, my dear Bee 1 " said he 
 to her ; " you have stung her cruelly." " Can you ask me 
 such a question ? " replied she. " Have you not sufficient 
 delicacy to understand that you ought not to have any sweets 
 but for me ; that all that is yours belongs to me, and that I 
 defend my property when I defend your blossoms?" "But," 
 said he, " you see them fall without being distressed : would 
 it not be the same to you if the princess adorned herself with 
 them — if she placed them in her hair, or put them in her 
 bosom 1 " " No," said the Bee, in a sharp tone, " it is not at 
 all the same thing to me. I know, ungrateful one, that you 
 feel more for her than you do for me. There is also a great 
 difierence between an accomplished person, richly dressed, 
 
 o 
 
194 THE BEE a:;d the orange tree. 
 
 and of considerable rank in these parts, and an unfortunate 
 princess, whom you found covered with a tiger's skin, sur- 
 rounded by monsters who could only give her coarse and 
 barbarous ideas, and whose beauty is not great enough to 
 enslave you." And then she cried, as much as any bee is able 
 to cry. Some of the flowers of the enamoured Orange-tree 
 were wetted by her tears, and his distress at having vexed his 
 princess was so great that all his leaves turned yeUow, 
 several branches withered, and he thought he should die. 
 " What have I done, then," exclaimed he, " my beautiful Bee ? 
 "What have I done to make you so angry 1 Ah ! doubtless, 
 you will abandon me. You are already weary of being linked 
 to one so unfortunate as I am." The night was passed in 
 reproaches ; but at the break of day a kind Zephyr, who had 
 been listening to them, induced them to be reconciled; it 
 could not render them a greater service. In the meantime, 
 Linda, who was dying to have a bouquet of orange-flowers, 
 arose early in the morning, descended to her flower-garden, 
 and flew to gather one. But when she put fox-th her hand, 
 she felt herself so violently stung by the jealous Bee, that her 
 heart failed her. She returned to her room in a very bod 
 temper. " I cannot make out," said she, " what this tree is that 
 we have found ; for whenever I wish to take the smallest bud, 
 some insects that guard it pierce me with their stings." One 
 of her maids, who had some wit, and was very lively, said, 
 laughingly : " I would advise you. Madam, to arm yourself 
 as an Amazon, and follow Jason's example, when he went to 
 win the golden fleece, and com-ageously take the most beau- 
 tiful flowers from this pretty tree." Linda thought there was 
 something amusing in this idea, and immediately she ordered 
 them to make her a helmet covered with feathers, a light 
 cuii-ass, and gauntlets ; and to the sound of trumpets, kettle- 
 drums, fifes, and hautbois, she entered the garden, followed by 
 all her ladies, who were armed like herself, and who called 
 this f&te " the Battle of the Bees and Amazons." Linda drew 
 her sword very gracefully ; then, striking the most beautiful 
 branch of the Orange-tree, said : " Appear, temble Bees, ap- 
 pear ! I come to defy you ! Are you sufficiently valiant to 
 defend that which you love?" But what became of Linda, 
 and all who accompanied her, when they heard a pitiful 
 " Alas !" issue from the stem of the Orange-tree, and saw tliat 
 
THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 195 
 
 blood flowed from the severed branch ? " Heavens ! " cried she, 
 " what have I done ? — what prodigy is this !" She took the 
 bleeding branch, and vainly attempted to rejoin the portions: 
 she was seized with alarm and an overpowering anxiety. 
 
 The poor little Bee, in despair at the sad accident that had 
 happened to her dear Orange-tree, was about to rush out to 
 find death at the point of the fatal sword, in her attempt to 
 avenge her dear Prince; but she preferred living for him, 
 and recollecting a remedy that he needed, she entreated him 
 to let her fly to Arabia that she might bring back some balm 
 for him. After he had consented to her going there, and 
 they had taken a tender and afiectionate farewell of each 
 other, she started for that part of the world, with instinct 
 alone for her guide. But to speak more correctly, Love carried 
 her there ; and as he flies faster than the swiftest of winged 
 beings, he enabled her rapidly to perform this long journey. 
 She brought back wonderful balm upon her wings, and about 
 her little feet, with which she cured her Prince. It is true, 
 it was not so much by the excellence of the balm, by as the 
 pleasure it afforded him, in seeing the Princess Bee take so 
 much care of his wound. She applied the balm every day, 
 and he had much need of it ; for the severed branch was one 
 of his fingers ; so had they continued to treat him as Linda 
 had done, he would neither have had legs nor arms. Oh, 
 how acutely did the Bee feel for the sufferings of the Orange- 
 tree ! She reproached herself with being the cause, by the 
 impetuosity with which she defended its flowers. Linda, 
 alarmed at what she had seen, could neither sleep nor eat. 
 At last the resolved to send for some Fairies, in the hope of 
 being enlightened upon a matter that seemed so extraordinary. 
 She despatched ambassadors, laden with handsome presents, 
 to invite them to her court. 
 
 Queen Trufio was one of the first who arrived at Linda's 
 palace. There never was a person so skilful in Fairy art. 
 She examined the branch and the Orange-tree, she smelt its 
 flowei"S, and distinguished a human odour, which surprised 
 her. She did not leave a spell untried, and employed some 
 so powerful, that all at once the Orange-tree disappeared, 
 and they perceived the Prince, handsomer and better made 
 than any other man in the world. At this sight Linda 
 became immoveable ; she was struck with admiration, and so 
 
 o2 
 
196 THE BEE AND THE ORANGE TREE. 
 
 peculiar a feeling for him, that she had already lost her former 
 indifference, while the young Prince, thinking of his charming 
 Bee, threw himself at Tmfio's feet. " Great Queen," said he, 
 " I am infinitely indebted to thee ; thou hast given me new 
 life, by restoring me to my original form ; but, if thou wouldst 
 that I should owe thee my peace and htippiness, a blessing 
 even greater than the life thou hast recalled me to, restore 
 me my Princess !" In uttering these words he took hold of 
 the little Bee, whom he never ceased gazing upon. " Thou 
 shalt be satisfied," answered the generous Trufio. She recom- 
 menced her ceremonies, and the Princess Aimee appeared 
 with so many charms that there was not one of the ladies who 
 was not envious of her. Linda hesitated within herself, 
 whether she ought to be pleased or vexed at so extraordinary 
 an adventure ; and, particularly, at the metamorphose of the 
 Bee. 
 
 At length her reason got the better of her passion, which 
 was only in its infancy; she embraced Aimee a thousand 
 times, and Trufio begged her to relate her adventures. She 
 was under too much obligation to her to refuse what she 
 wished. The graceful and easy manner with which she spoke 
 interested the whole assembly; and when she told Trufio 
 she had performed so many wonders by virtue of her name 
 and her wand, there was an exclamation of joy throughout the 
 hall, and every one entreated the Fairy to complete this great 
 work. Trufio, on her side, felt extreme pleasure at all she 
 had heard. She folded the Princess in her arms. 
 
 " Since I was so useful to you, without knowing you," 
 said she to her, "judge, charming Aim^e, now that I oo know 
 you, how much I am inclined to serve you. I am a friend of 
 the King your father, and of the Queen your mother : let us 
 instantly go, in my flying chariot, to the Happy Island, where 
 both of you will be received as you deserve." Linda begged 
 them to remain one day with her, during which she made 
 them very costly presents, and the Princess Aim^e left off her 
 tiger's skin for dresses of incomparable beauty. Let all now 
 imagine the joy of our happy lovers. Yes, let them imagine it, 
 if they can ; but to do that, they should have met with the 
 same misfortunes, have been amongst Ogres, and undergone 
 as many transformations. They set out at last ; Trufio con- 
 ducted them through the air to the Happy Island. They 
 
THE BEE AND THE OKANGE TREE. 197 
 
 wei-e received by the King and Queen as the last persons 
 in the -world they had ever expected to see again, but whom 
 they beheld with the greatest pleasure. Aimfie's beauty and 
 prudence, added to her wit, made her the admiration of the 
 age. Her dear mother loved her passionately. The fine 
 qualities of Prince Aim6's mind were not less appreciated 
 than his handsome person. The nuptials were celebrated; 
 nothing was ever so magnificent. The Graces attended 
 in their festive attire. The Loves were there, without even 
 being invited, and by their express order, the eldest son of the 
 Prince and Princess was named " Faithful Love." They have 
 given him since then many other titles ; and under all these 
 various names it is very diflBcult to find " Faithful Love," 
 such as sprang from this charming marriage. Happy they 
 who meet with him unmistakeably. 
 
 Aimfie with her lover alone in a wood, 
 Conducted herself with extreme circumspection ; 
 To Reason she listen'd — Temptation withstood, 
 And lost not a jot of her Prince's affection. 
 Believe not, ye fair, who would captivate hearts, 
 That Cupid needs Pleasure alone to retain him ; 
 Love oft from the lap of Indulgence departs, 
 But Prudence and Virtue for ever enchain him. 
 
THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a King and a Queen, who 
 loved each other so much — so much that they made each 
 other's sole happiness. Their hearts and their sentiments 
 were always in unison. Each day they hunted the hare or 
 the stag, or went fishing for soles and carp, or to the ball to 
 dance the bouree or the pavan,^ and to great banquets to 
 eat roast meats and sugar-plums, to the play and to the 
 opera. They laughed, they sang, they played a thousand 
 tricks to amuse themselves — in short, it was the happiest of 
 times. Their subjects followed the example of the King and 
 Queen ; they emulated each other in their pastimes. For all 
 these reasons they called this kingdom the Land of Joy. It 
 happened that a king who was the neighbour of King Joyeux 
 lived very differently. He was a declared enemy to pleasure. 
 He desired nothing but wounds and blows. He had a grim 
 countenance, a large beard, hollow eyes; he was all skin and 
 bones, always dressed in black, with hair which stood on end, 
 very greasy and dirty. To please him, they knocked down 
 and killed all travellers. He hung all criminals himself, and 
 delighted in torturing them. "When a mother was dotingly 
 fond of her little girl or boy, he would send for her, and 
 before her 6jes would break the child's arms, or wring its 
 neck. This kingdom was called the Land of Tears. 
 
 The wicked King heard of the happiness of King Joyeux ; 
 he was very envious of him, and resolved to raise a largo 
 
 (1) The Bourse, or Borie, is the national dance of Auvergne. Madame de 
 Sevigne, in her letters from Vichy, in 1676, repeatedly eulogises its grace and spirit ; 
 and Wraxall, in his "Tour in France," 1775, speaking of a fair countess, says, 
 'When she danced the Bourse, a dance peculiar to Auvergne, I thought Hortensia 
 
 Mancini was not comparable to Madame de L ." The Pavan was a slow and 
 
 stately dance, taking its name from the peacock, because it was danced by princes in 
 their mantles, and ladies in gowns with long trains. Hawkins tells us the air was 
 invented at Padua. 
 
THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 199 
 
 army, and kill, ■wound, or take captive him and all his 
 people. He sent in all directions for men and arms: he 
 ordered cannon to be cast. Everybody trembled with fear. 
 They said, "With whom is he going to war? He will give 
 him no quarter." AVhen everything was ready, he marched 
 towards the countiy of King Joyeux, who at this bad news 
 speedily took measures for his defence. The Queen was 
 frighcened to death, and crying said, "Sire, we must fly — let 
 us collect as much money as we can, and go to the other end 
 of the world." The King replied, "Fie, Madam, I have 
 too much courage for that. It is better to die than be 
 branded as a coward." He assembled all his men-at-arms, 
 took an affectionate farewell of his wife, mounted his beautiful 
 horse, and departed. When she lost sight of him, she began 
 to weep sadly, and clasping her hands together, said, " Alas ! 
 if I should have an infant, and the King should be killed in 
 battle, I shall be a widow and a prisoner, and the wicked 
 King will inflict a thousand cruelties lapon me. This thought 
 prevented her from eating and sleeping. She wrote to him 
 every day; but one morning, looking from the battlements, 
 she saw a courier coming at full speed. She called to him, 
 " Ho, Courier, ho ! What news 1 " " The King is dead," said 
 he; "the battle is lost; the wicked King will be here imme- 
 diately." The poor Queen swooned, and they carried her to 
 bed. All her ladies were around her, crying one for her 
 father, another for her son, and tearing their hair: it was 
 the most distressing thing in the world. All on a sudden 
 they heard cries of "Murder! Thieves!" It was the wicked 
 King, who had arrived with all his wretched followers, killing 
 every one they met with. He entered the Royal Palace in com- 
 plete armour, and ascended to the Queen's chamber. When she 
 saw him enter, she was so frightened that she hid herself in the 
 bed, and pulled the counterpane over her head. He called to 
 her two or three times, but she never spoke a word. He 
 grew angry, and said very fiercely, " Dost thou make sport of 
 me ! dost know that I might strangle thee instantly?" He 
 pulled the bed-clothes off" her, and tore off her cap : her 
 beautiful hair fell all about her shoulders ; he twisted it three 
 times round his hand, and threw her over his shoulders like a 
 sack of corn; he carried her thus down-stairs, and mounted 
 with her upon his large black horse. She entreated him to have 
 
200 THE GOOD LirrLE MOUSE. 
 
 mercy on her, but he only mocked her and baid, " Cry and 
 complain! it makes me laugh, and amuses me." He carried 
 her into his own country, and vowed all the way that he would 
 b^ng hex*, but he was told it would be a pity, as she was about 
 to become a mother. When he discovered that, it occurred to 
 him, that if she had a daughter, he would marry his son to 
 her, and to ascertain which it would be, he sent for a Fairy 
 who lived near to his dominions. When she arrived, he 
 entertained her better than was his custom ; he then took her 
 up into a tower, at the top of which the poor Queen occupied 
 a very small and ill-furnished room. She was lying on the 
 ground, upon a mattress not worth two-pence, and where she 
 cried day and night. When the Fairy saw her, she could not 
 help pitying her; she curtsied to her, and, embracing her, 
 said in a low voice, " Take courage. Madam, your misfortunes 
 will not last for ever. I hope to hasten the term of them." 
 The Queen was consoled a little by these words, returned the 
 Fairy's embraces, and begged her to have pity upon a poor 
 princess who had enjoyed the greatest happiness, and was 
 now equally miserable. They were in close conversation, 
 when the wicked King exclaimed, " Come ! no more compli- 
 ments. I brought you here to tell me if this slave will have 
 a boy or a girl?" The Fairy said, " She will have a girl, who 
 will be the handsomest and best informed princess that was 
 ever seen;" and forthwith she endowed the unborn princess 
 with innumerable virtues and honours. 
 
 " Should she not be handsome and well informed," said the 
 wicked King, " I will hang her to her mother's neck, and her 
 mother on a tree, and nothing shall prevent me." So saying, 
 he left the room with the Fairy, not condescending to look at 
 the good Queen, who was crying bitterly, for said she to 
 herself, " Alas ! what shall I do ? Should I have a beautiful 
 little girl, he will give her to his monkey of a son ; and should 
 she be ugly, he will hang us together. To what an extremity 
 am I reduced ? Could I not hide my infant somewhere, so 
 that he should never see it?" The time drew near for the 
 little princess to be brought into the world, and the Queen's 
 anxieties increased — she had no one to complain to, or to 
 console her. The jailor who had the care of her gave her 
 each morning but three boiled peas, with a little piece of 
 black bread. She became as thin as a herrinix — she was 
 
THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 201 
 
 nothing but skin and bone. One evening, as she was spin- 
 ning (for the wicked King, who was very avaricious, made 
 her work night and day), she saw a very pretty little Mouse 
 come in through a hole. She said to it, " Alas ! my little 
 darling, what dost thou come to seek here? I have only 
 three peas for myself the whole day long; if thou wouldst 
 not fast, thou hadst better depart." The little Mouse ran 
 hither and thither, and danced and capered like a little 
 monkey, and the Queen was so amused at it, that she gave it 
 the only pea that she had left for her supper. " Here, little 
 darling," said she, " eat this ; I have nothing moi-e, and I give 
 it you willingly." As soon as she had done so, she saw upon 
 the table an excellent parti'idge, wonderfully well roasted, and 
 two jai-s of sweetmeats. " Truly," said she, " a good deed is 
 never unrewarded." She ate a little, but she had lost her 
 appetite through fasting. She threw some bon-bons to the 
 Mouse, who was still nibbling, and then she began to skip 
 about more than before supper. Early the next morning, the 
 jailor brought the Queen the three peas, which he had put 
 into a large dish out of mockery. The little Mouse came 
 softly and ate them all three and the bread also. When the 
 Queen wanted her dinner, she could not find anything. She 
 was very angry with the Mouse. " It is a wicked little 
 animal," said she; "if it continxies to do this, I shall be 
 starved." As she was about to put the cover on the empty 
 dish, she saw it fill with all sorts of good things to eat : she 
 was delighted and began to dine on them, but whilst eating she 
 bethought herself that the wicked King would perhaps in a 
 few days order her baby to be killed, and she left the table 
 weeping, and raising her eyes to heaven exclaimed, "Ah! 
 are there no means of saving my child?" As she uttered 
 these words she saw the little Mouse playing with some long 
 bits of straw; she took them up and set to work upon 
 them. " If there is enough straw," said she, " I will make a 
 covered basket to put my little girl in, and I will give her 
 out of the window to the fii-st charitable person who will take 
 care of her." She then worked on with renewed spirit. 
 There was plenty of straw, the Mouse always dragging some 
 into the room, where she continued to skip about, and at 
 meal-time the Queen gave it her three peas, and, in exchange, 
 always fovmd a hundi*ed sorts of ragouts. She was much 
 
202 THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 
 
 surprised, and was continually wondering who it could be 
 that sent her such excellent things. The Queen, one day, 
 was looking out of the window, to ascertain how long the cord 
 should be, by which she intended letting the basket down. 
 She perceived below a little old woman, who was leaning on 
 a stick, and who said to her, " I know your trouble, Madam ; 
 if you like, I will serve you." " Alas ! my dear friend," said 
 the Queen, "I should be very much obliged to you. Come every 
 evening to the foot of this tower. As soon as my child is bom 
 I will let it down to you ; you will nurse it, and if I am ever 
 rich, I will handsomely reward you." " I am not covetous," 
 answered the old woman, " but I am dainty in my eating ; 
 there is nothing I like so much as a plump and fat mouse. 
 If you find any in your garret, kill them, and throw them to 
 me. I shall not be ungrateful for it, and your baby shall be 
 well taken care of." The Queen, hearing this, began to weep 
 without making any reply, and the old woman, after having 
 waited a little, asked her why she cried. " It is," she said, 
 " because there is but one mouse that comes into my chamber, 
 which is so pretty — such a veiy pretty little creature — that I 
 cannot make up my mind to kill it." " How!" replied the old 
 woman, angrily, "you love a knavish little mouse that gnaws 
 everything, better than the child you are about to have! 
 Very well. Madam, then you are not to be pitied ; remain in 
 such good company; I shall have plenty of mice without 
 yours ; I care little about it ;" and she went away grumbling 
 and muttering. Although the Queen had a good meal set 
 before her, and the Mouse came to dance to her as usual, 
 she never raised her eyes from the groimd on which she 
 fixed them — the tears streaming down her cheeks. That 
 same night she was confined of a Princess, who was wonder- 
 fully beautiful; instead of crying, as other children do, she 
 laughed at her dear Mamma, and held out her little hands 
 towards her, as though she was quite sensible. The Queen 
 fondled and kissed her most tenderly, sadly thinking, " Poor 
 little darling ! dear child ! if thou fallest into the wicked King's 
 hands, thy life will be ended." She covered her up in the 
 basket with a note tied to her dress, upon which was written, 
 " The name of this unfortunate infimt is Joliette." And 
 when she had left her a few moments without looking at her, 
 she again opened the basket, and found her stiU handsomer ; 
 
THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 20S 
 
 she kissed her and wept more bitterly, not knowing what to 
 do. But with this comes the little Mouse and gets into the 
 basket. " Oh ! thou little creature," said the Queen, " how 
 dearly has thy preservation cost me ! I may, perhaps, lose on 
 thy account my dear Joliette ; any one else would have killed 
 thee, and given thee to the dainty old woman, but I could 
 not consent to do that." The Mouse began to say, " Do not 
 repent of having done so. Madam ; I am not so unworthy of 
 your friendship as you think." The Queen was frightened to 
 death when she heard the Mouse speaking; but her fear 
 increased greatly when she perceived its httle muzzle begin to 
 take the form of a human face, that its paws became hands 
 and feet, and that it suddenly grew larger. At length the 
 Queen, hardly daring to look at her, recognised her to be the 
 same Fairy who came to see her with the wicked King, and 
 who was so kind to her. The Fairy said to her, " I wished to 
 try your heart; I have discovered it to be good, and that 
 you are susceptible of friendship. We Fairies, who possess 
 immense wealth and treasures, seek only for friendship to 
 sweeten life, and we rarely find it." " Is it possible, beautiful 
 lady," said the Queen, embracing her, " that you have any 
 trouble in finding friends, being so rich and powerful T' 
 " Yes," replied she, " for they only love us from self-interest, 
 and that affects us but little; but when you loved me as a 
 little mouse, it was not from an interested motive. I wished 
 to prove you still further ; I took the form of an old woman ; 
 it was I who spoke to you at the foot of the tower, and you were 
 still faithful to me." At these words she embraced the Queen, 
 then she kissed the vermilion mouth of the little Princess, and 
 said to her, " I endow thee, my child, to be the consolation of 
 thy mother, and to be richer than thy father; to live a 
 hundred years, always beautiful, without sickness, without 
 wrinkles, and without becoming an old woman." The Queen, 
 enchanted, thanked her, and entreated her to carry Joliette 
 away with her, and to take care of her, adding that she gave 
 her to her to be her own daughter. The Fairy accepted her, 
 and thanked her; she put the baby in the basket, and 
 lowered it to the ground; but having stopped a little, to 
 reassume the form of the little Mouse, when she descended 
 the cord after her, the child was not there, and reascending, 
 much frightened, " All is lost ! " said she to the Queen ; " my 
 
204 THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 
 
 enemy Cancaline has carried off the Princess. You must 
 know she is a cruel fairy who hates me ; and, unfortunately, 
 being my senior, she is more powerful than I am. I know 
 not by what means I can recover Joliette from her horrid 
 clutches." 
 
 When the Queen heard such sad news, she thought she 
 should die of gi'ief j she cried very much, and begged her 
 kind friend to try and see the child again, at any price. In 
 the meanwhile the jailor came into the Queen's apartment, 
 and found she had Jbeen brought to bed. He flew to tell the 
 King of it, who ran to ask for the child ; but she said that a 
 fairy whose name she did not know had appeared and taken it 
 away by force. The wicked King stamped his foot, and bit his 
 nails to the quick. " I promised to hang thee," said he ; "I will 
 keep my word instantly." He then dragged the poor Queen 
 into a wood, climbed up a tree, and was going to hang her, 
 when the Faiiy, having rendered herself invisible, gave him a 
 violent push, and he fell from the top of the tree, knocking 
 out four of his teeth. Whilst his people were endeavouring 
 to put them in again, the Fairy carried the Queen away in 
 her flying chariot, and conducted her to a beautiful castle. 
 She took great care of her, and if she had had the Princess 
 Joliette with her she would have been perfectly happy ; but 
 they could not find out where Cancaline had placed her, 
 although the little Mouse tried all she possibly could. Time 
 passed on, and the Queen's extreme affliction was a little 
 abated. Fifteen years had flown away when it was reported 
 that the wicked King's son had determined to marry his 
 turkey-keeper, notwithstanding the young girl objected to 
 the match. It was very surprising that a turkey-keeper 
 should refuse to become a Queen; howevei*, the wedding- 
 dresses were made, and it was to be so splendid a marriage 
 that they came from a hundred miles about to see it. The 
 little Mouse transported herself thither ; she wished to see the 
 turkey-keeper at her ease. She went into the poultry-yard, 
 and found her dressed in coarse linen, with naked feet, and 
 a greasy napkin round her head. There were dresses of 
 gold and silver, — diamonds, pearls, ribands, and lace, all 
 about her on the ground; the turkeys were trampling on 
 them, dirtying them, and spoiling them. The girl was 
 sitting upon a large stone; the wicked King's son, who was 
 
THE GOOD LTTTLE MOUSE. 205 
 
 crooked, blind with one eye, and lame, was saying to her, 
 roughly, "If you refuse me yoiu* heart, I will kill you." She 
 answered him proudly, " I will not marry you, you are too 
 ugly; you resemble your cruel fiither; leave me in peace 
 with my little turkeys — I love them better than all your fine 
 clothes." The little Mouse looked at her with admiration; 
 for she was as beautiful as the sun. As soon as the wicked 
 King's son was gone, the Fairy assumed the figure of an old 
 shepherdess, and said to her, "Good morning, my darling; 
 your turkeys look very fine ones." The young turkey-keeper 
 looked at the old woman sweetly, and replied, " They want 
 me to leave them for a paltry crown — what would you advise 
 me to do?" " My little girl," said the Fairy, "a crown is 
 very beautiful, you know neither the value nor the weight of 
 it." " But I do know," promptly replied the turkey- 
 keeper, " and, therefore, refuse to accept it ; at the same time 
 I know not who I am, nor where my father and mother are. 
 I have neither friends nor relations." " You are beautiful 
 and virtuous, my child," said the wise Fairy, " which is 
 worth ten kingdoms. Tell me, I entreat you, who placed 
 you here, since you have neither father nor mother, friends 
 nor relations?" " A fairy named Cancaline is the cause of 
 my being here : she beat me, and knocked me about without 
 cause or reason. I ran away one day, and not knowing 
 where to go, I sat down in a wood. The son of the wicked 
 King came to walk there ; he asked me if I would attend to 
 his poultry- yard. I Tvas very willing to do so. I had the 
 care of the turkeys ; he frequently came to see them, and he 
 saw me also. Alas ! without any wish on my part, he took 
 it in his head to love me so much, that he worries me 
 greatly." 
 
 The Fairy, after hearing this story, began to think that 
 the turkey- keeper was the Princess Joliette; she said to her, 
 " My child, tell me your name ?" " I call myself Joliette, at 
 your service," said she. At this name, the Fairy no longer 
 doubted about it, and throwing her arms round her neck, she 
 thought she should devour her with kisses. She then said 
 to her, " Joliette, I have known you for some time past ; 
 I am delighted to find you are so discreet, and so well- 
 informed ; but I wish you were cleaner, for you look like a 
 little scuUion. Take the beautiful clothes that are here, 
 
206 THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 
 
 and dress yourself in them." Joliette, who was very obedient, 
 threw off, immediately, the greasy handkerchief from her 
 head, and shaking it slightly, she was covered entirely by her 
 hair, which was as fair as light, and as fine as golden thread ; 
 it fell in ringlets down to the ground : then, taking in 
 her-delicate hands some water from a fountain, which was in 
 the poultry-yard, she washed her face, which became as clear 
 as oriental pearl. Roses seemed to be blooming upon her 
 cheeks and lips ; her breath smelt of garden and wild thyme ; 
 her form was as strait as a rush. In winter time they might 
 have taken her skin for the snow, and in summer for the 
 lily. 
 
 When she was dressed in her diamonds and fine clothes, 
 the fairy considered her a miracle ; she said to her, " Who 
 do you think you are, my dear Joliette, now you are so bravely 
 dressed?" She replied, " Truly, it seems to me that I am the 
 daughter of a great king." " Should you be glad of it 1" said 
 the Fairy. " Yes, my good mother," replied Joliette, curtsey- 
 ing to her ; " I should be very glad." " Well," said the Fairy, 
 " then be content : I will tell you more to-morrow." She 
 quickly returned to her splendid castle, where the Queen 
 was busy spinning silk; the little Mouse cried out to her, 
 " Will your Majesty bet your distafi" and spindle that I 
 do not bring you the best news you have ever had." " Alas !" 
 rephed the Queen, " since the death of King Joyeux, and the 
 loss of my Joliette, I would not give a pin for all the news in 
 the world." " There, there ! do not grieve yourself any 
 more," said the Fairy, " the Princess is wonderfully well ; 
 I have just seen her; she is so beautiful, so very beautiful, 
 that it only depends upon herself to be a queen." She 
 related everj'thing from beginning to end, and the Queen 
 cried with joy to know her daughter was so beautiful, and 
 with grief that she had been a turkey-keeper. 
 
 "When we were great sovereigns in our own kingdom," 
 said she, "and lived in such splendour, the poor dear 
 departed and myself never thought our child would be a 
 turkey-keeper!" " It is the cruel Cancaline," added the Fairy, 
 " who, knowing how I love you, to spite me, has put her in 
 this situation ; but she sliall not be in it any longer, or I will 
 burn my books." " I will not agree," said the Queen, " to 
 her marrying the son of the wicked King. Let us go 
 
THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 207 
 
 to-inorrow to claim her, and bring her here." In the meantime, 
 the wicked King's son, being extremely angry with Joliette, 
 sat down under a tree, where he gave way so to his grief that 
 he quite howled. His father heard him; he went to the 
 window and called out to him, "What art thou crying about, 
 making a fool of thyself?" He answered, "Our turkey- 
 keeper will not love me." "How! she will not love theel" 
 said the wicked King, " I will make her love thee, or she 
 shall die." He called his guards, and said to them, " Go and 
 fetch her, for I will make her suffer so much that she shall 
 repent Of her obstinacy." They went to the poultry-yard, 
 and found Joliette in a white satin dress, embroidered all over 
 with gold, with pink diamonds, and more than a thousand 
 yards of riband all about it.^ Never had they seen so fine a 
 lady, in all her grandeur ; they did not dare speak to her, 
 taking her for a princess. She said very civilly to them, 
 " Pi"ay tell me whom you seek here 1" " Madam," said they, 
 " we are looking for a miserable little wretch they call 
 Joliette." "Alas! it is I," said she; "what do you want 
 with me 1" They instantly seized her, and tied her feet and 
 hands with thick cords, for fear she would run away. They 
 led her in this manner to the wicked King, who was with his 
 son. When he saw her so beautiful, he could not avoid being 
 a little moved ; and no doubt would have had pity upon her, 
 had he not been one of the most wicked and cruel men in the 
 world. He said to her, "Hah! hah! little rogue! little toad! 
 you will not then love my son? He is a hundred times hand- 
 somer than you are ! one of his looks is worth more than 
 your whole person. Come, love him directly, or I will have 
 you flayed." The Princess, trembling like a little pigeon, 
 knelt before him, and said, " Sire, I entreat you not to flay 
 me : that would be too cruel. Let me have two or three 
 days to think what I ought to do, after which, be it as you 
 will." His son, in a state of fury, insisted on her being 
 flayed. They agreed at last to shut her up in a tower, where 
 she could see nothing but the sky. At this moment the good 
 Fairy arrived in her flying cliariot, with the Queen. They heard 
 all the news. The Queen began to cry bitterly, saying, how 
 unfortunate she always was, and that she would i-ather her child 
 
 (n The enormous quantity of ribands worn at this period by gentlemen, as well &» 
 ladies, makes this scarcely an exaggeration. 
 
208 THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 
 
 was dead than that she shoiild marry the wicked King's sou. 
 The Fairy said to her, " Take courage; I am going to worry 
 them so much, that you will be satisfied and avenged." 
 When the wicked King went to bed, the Fairy transformed 
 hereelf into a little mouse, and hid herself under the bolster 
 of the bed. As soon as he wished to sleep, she bit his ear ; 
 he became very angry ; he turned on the other side ; she bit 
 the other ear. He cried out, "Murder!" He called for 
 some one to come to him ; they came ; they found his two ears 
 bitten, and bleeding so much, that they could not stop the 
 blood. While they were looking everywhere for the mouse, 
 she went to the wicked King's son, and served him in like 
 manner. He called up his people, and showed them his ears, 
 which were all skinned, and they put plaisters on them. The 
 little Mouse returned to the wicked King's room, who had 
 become a little drowsy; she bit his nose, and continued to 
 nibble at it ; he put his hands up to it ; she bit them and 
 scratched them. He cried out, "Mercy! I am lost!" She got 
 into his mouth, and nibbled his tongue, his cheeks, his lips, 
 his eyes. They came to him they saw him quite overpowered ; 
 he could scarcely speak. Lis tongue was so bad ; he made 
 signs that it was a mo\ise ; they looked for it in the mattress, 
 in the bolster, in every corner; she was no longer there. She 
 ran and served the son still worse, and ate his good eye (for 
 he was already blind with one). He rose like a mad-man, 
 sword in hand ; he was quite blind ; he ran into his father's 
 room, who had also taken his sword, storming and swearing 
 that he would kill everybody if they did not catch the mouse. 
 When he saw his son in such a fury, he scolded him ; and the 
 latter was so heated by passion that he did not recognise his 
 father's voice, and fell upon him. The wicked King, much 
 enraged, wounded his son with his sword; he received a 
 wound in return; they both of them fell to the ground, 
 bathed in blood. All their subjects, who hated them mortally, 
 and who only obeyed them through terror, fearing them no 
 longer, tied cords around their feet and dragged them into 
 the river, saying, they were quite delighted to get rid of them. 
 Thus died the wicked King and his son. The good Fairy, who 
 knew what had occurred, sought the Queen, and they hastened 
 to the black tower, where Joliette was shut up under more 
 than forty locks. The Fairy struck the great door three times 
 
THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 209 
 
 with a little wand of hazel wood. It flew open, as did also all 
 the others. They found the poor Princess very sad, who did 
 not say a single word. The Queen threw herself upon her 
 neck. " My dear child," said she to her, " I am thy mother, 
 the Queen Joyeuse." She then related to her the history of 
 her life. When Joliette heard so much good news, she was 
 neai-ly dying with pleasure. She fell at the Queen's feet ; she 
 embraced her knees, moistened her hands with her tears, and 
 kis.sed them a thousand times. She affectionately caressed 
 the Fairy, who had brought her baskets full of valuable jewels, 
 gold, diamonds, bracelets, pearls, and the portrait of King 
 Joyeux, surrounded by precious stones, all of which she 
 placed before her. " Let us lose no time," said the Fairy, 
 " we must make a coup d'etat ; let us go into the great hail 
 of the castle, and harangue the people." She walked first, 
 with a gi'ave and serious face, having on a dress with a 
 train more than ten yards long, and the Queen in one of blue 
 velvet, embroidered in gold, with a much longer train. (They 
 had brought their robes of state with them.) They had also 
 crowns upon their heads, as brilliant as suns. The Princess 
 Joliette followed, distinguished by her manellous beauty and 
 modesty. They curtsied to all whom they met, gentle and 
 simple. They were followed by crowds, anxious to know who 
 these fine ladies could be. When the hall was quite full, the 
 good Fairy told the wicked King's subjects that she would 
 give them for a queen King Joyeux's daughter, whom they 
 saw before them ; that they would live very happy under her 
 government ; that, if they accepted her, she woiild find her a 
 husband as perfect as herself, who would be always cheerful, 
 and banish melancholy from every heart At these words, 
 every one exclaimed, " Yes, yes, she shall be our queen ; we 
 have been too long sad and miserable." At the same moment 
 a hundred different instruments began to play on all sides, every 
 one joined hands and danced a round, i^ singing to the Queen, 
 her daughter, and the good Fairy : — " Yes ! yes ! she shall be 
 our queen," &c. Such was their reception, and. never was 
 so much happiness known ; they spread the tables, they ate, 
 
 (1) Rounds were dances in a ring, formed by the joined hands of the dancers, and 
 amongst the oldest of such amusements, "Sellenger's Round" is said to be the 
 ear' est of which che air has descended to us. It has been traced up nearly to the 
 reign of Henry VIII. ■ 
 
 P 
 
210 THE GOOD LITTLE MOUSE. 
 
 and drank, and then went to bed and slept soundly. "When 
 the Princess arose next morning, the Fairy presented to her 
 the handsomest Prince that had ever been seen. She had 
 been to the very end of the world to fetch him, in her flying 
 chariot; he was as amiable as Joliette. The moment she saw 
 him, she loved him. He, on his side, was charmed with her, 
 and the Queen was transported with joy. They prepared 
 a splendid banquet, and wonderfully fine dresses, and the 
 marriage ceremony was performed amidst the greatest 
 rejoicings. 
 
 The unfortunate Queen, 
 
 Whose distress you have seen, 
 In prison— abandon'd— forlorn— 
 
 By perils beset, 
 
 O'er her poor Joliette 
 Might have wept from the hour she was bom, 
 
 Had not a kind Fay, 
 
 Who had many a day. 
 As a Mouse, shared her commons so short, 
 
 With gratitude warm, 
 
 Bravely weather'd the storm. 
 And brought theii bark safe into port ! 
 
 This is but a fable. 
 
 Yet from it I'm able 
 A moral, perchance, to impart : 
 
 To all things be kind, 
 
 And let gratitude find 
 For ever a place in your heart. 
 
THE RAM. 
 
 In the happy times when Fairies existed, there reigned a 
 King who had three daughters. They were young and beau- 
 tiful, and all three possessed considerable merit; but the 
 youngest was the most amiable and the best beloved. They 
 called her Merveilleuse. The King her father gave her more 
 gowns and ribands in a month than he gave the others in a 
 year, and she was so good-natured that she shared everything 
 with her sisters, so that there subsisted the best understanding 
 between them. 
 
 The King had some very bad neighbours, who, weary of 
 peace, formed so powerful a league against him, that he was 
 compelled to arm in self-defence. He raised a large force, 
 and took the field at its head. The three Princesses remained 
 with their tutors in a castle, where they heard eveiy day good 
 news of the King. At one time he had taken a city, at 
 another he had won a battle ; at length he succeeded in com- 
 pletely routing his enemies, and driving them out of his 
 dominions. He then returned with all speed to the castle to 
 see his little Merveilleuse, of whom he was so fond. 
 
 The three Princesses had had made for themselves three 
 satin gowns, — one green, one blue, and the third white. Their 
 jewels were selected to match their dresses. The green was 
 enriched with emeralds; the blue with turquoises; and the 
 white with diamonds. Thus attired, they went to meet the 
 King, singing the following verses, which they had written to 
 celebrate his victories : — 
 
 "With conquest crown'd on many a glorious plain, 
 What joy to greet our king and sire again ! 
 Welcome him back, victorious, to these halls. 
 With new delights and countless festivals; 
 Let shouts of joy and songs of triumph prove 
 His people's loyalty, his daughters' love ! " 
 
 p2 
 
212 THE EAM. 
 
 When the King saw them so lovely, and in such splendid 
 dresses, he embraced them all tenderly, but caressed Merveil- 
 leuse more than he did the others. 
 
 A magnificent banquet was served up : the King and his 
 three daughters sat down to table ; and sis it was his habit to 
 draw inferences from everything, he said to the eldest, " Tell 
 me, pray, why have you put on a green gown?" " Sire," she 
 answered, " having heard of your achievements, I fancied that 
 green would expi'ess the joy and hope with which your return 
 inspired me." " That is very prettily said ! " exclaimed the 
 King. " And you, my child," he continued ; " why do you 
 wear a blue gown?" " My liege," said the Princess, " to indi- 
 cate that we should unceasingly implore for you the protec- 
 tion of the Gods, and also that the sight of you is to me like 
 that of heaven and all the starry host!" "You speak like 
 an oracle ! " said the King. " And you, Merveilleuse ; what 
 reason had you for dressing yourself in white?" "Because, 
 Sire," she answered, "it becomes me better than any colour." 
 " How ! " ci-ied the King, very much offended ; " was that 
 your only motive, you little coquette?" " My motive was to 
 please you," said the Princess ; " it appears to me that I 
 ought to have no other." The King, who loved her dearly, 
 was so perfectly satisfied with this explanation, that he 
 declared himself much pleased by the little turn she had 
 given to her meaning, and the art with which she had at first 
 concealed the compliment. "There! there!" said he, "I 
 have made an excellent supper. I shall not go to bed yet. 
 Tell me what you all dreamed of the night before my return." 
 The eldest said she dreamed that he had brought her a 
 gown, the gold and jewels of which shone brighter than the 
 sun. The second said she dreamed that he had brought her a 
 golden distaff to spin herself some shifts with. The youngest 
 said she di-eamed that he had married her second sister, 
 and that on the wedding-day he held a golden ewer, and said, 
 " Merveilleuse, come hither and wash." 
 
 The King, indignant at this dream, knit bis brow, and made 
 an exceedingly wry face. Everybody saw he was very angry. 
 He retired to his chamber, and flung himself into bed. He 
 could not forget his daughter's dream. " This insolent little 
 creature," said he, " would degrade me into her sei-vant. I 
 should not be surprised if she had put on white satin without 
 
THE RMI. 213 
 
 thinking of me at all. She holds me unworthy of considera- 
 tion. But I will frustrate her wicked designs while there is 
 time." He rose in a fuiy ; and though it was not yet day- 
 light, he sent for the captain of his guards, and said to him, 
 " You have heard the di-eam of Merveilleuse : it prognosti- 
 cates strange things against me. I command you to seize 
 her immediately, to take her into the forest, and kill her; 
 after which, you will bring me her heart and her tongue, that 
 I may be sure you have not deceived me, or I will have you 
 put to death in the most cruel manner possible." The cap- 
 tain of the guards was astounded at this barbarous order. 
 He dared not remonstrate with the King, for fear of increasing 
 his anger, and causing him to give the horrible commission to 
 another. He assured him he would take the Princess and 
 kill her, and bring him her heart and her tongue. 
 
 The captain went directly to the Princess's apartment, 
 where he found some difficulty in obtaining admission, for it 
 was still very early. He informed Merveilleuse that the King 
 desired to see her. She rose immediately ; a little Moorish 
 girl, named Patypata, carried her train. A young ape, and a 
 little dog, who always accompanied her, ran after her. The 
 ape was called Grabugeon, and the little dog, Tintin. The 
 captain of the guards made Merveilleuse descend into the 
 garden, where he told her the King was taking the fresh 
 morning air. She entered it ; the captain pretended to look 
 for the King, and not finding him, said, " No doubt his 
 Majesty has walked on into the wood." He opened a little 
 door, and led the Princess into the forest. It was just getting 
 light: the Princess looked at her conductor; he had tears 
 in his eyes, and was so dejected that he could not speak. 
 "What is the matter?" inquired she in the kindest tone; 
 " you seem very much distressed." " Ah, Madam !" exclaimed 
 he ; " who could be otherwise at the most dreadful order that 
 was ever given! The King has commanded me to kill you in 
 this forest, and to take him your heart and your tongue. If 
 I fail to do so he will put me to death." The poor Princess 
 turned pale with terror, and began to weep silently. She 
 looked like a little lamb about to be sacrificed. She fixed 
 her beautiful eyes on the captain of the guards, and looking 
 at him without anger, said, " Will you really have the heart 
 to kill me — me, who never did you any harm, and who 
 
214 THE RAM. 
 
 always spoke well of you to the King? If I had deserved my 
 father's hate I could have suffered the cousequences without 
 a murmur; but, alas! I have shown him so much respect 
 and affection that he cannot with justice complain of me." 
 " Fear not, beautiful Princess," said the captain of the guards ; 
 " I am incapable of so barbarous a deed. Rather would I 
 suffer the death he has threatened me with : but should I kill 
 myself you would not be the safer for it. We must find some 
 means by which I can return to the King, and persuade him 
 that you are dead. 
 
 "What means can we find?" said Merveilleuse ; " for he has 
 ordered you to bring to him my tongue and my heart, and 
 without you do so, he will not believe you." Patypata, who 
 had heard all that had passed, and of whose presence neither 
 the captain of the guards nor the Princess was aware, so 
 absorbed were they in their affliction, advanced boldly, and 
 threw herself at the feet of Merveilleuse. " Madam," said 
 she, " I offer you my life. You must kill me. I shall be too 
 happy to die for so good a mistress." " Oh ! I can never 
 permit it, my dear Patypata," said the Princess, kissing her. 
 " After so touching a proof of thy friendship, thy life must be 
 as dear to me as my own." Grabugeon then stepped forward, 
 and said, " You have reason. Princess, to love so faithful a 
 slave as Patypata; she can be of much more use to you 
 than I. I offer you my tongue and heart with joy, wishing to 
 immortalize myself in the annals of the Empire of Monkeys." 
 " Ah, my darling Grabugeon," replied Merveilleuse, " I 
 cannot bear the idea of taking thy life!" "It would be 
 insupportable to me," exclaimed Tintin, "good little dog as 
 I am, should any one but myself lay down their life for ray 
 mistress. Either I will die, or nobody shall die." Upon this 
 there arose a great altercation between Patypata, Grabugeon, 
 and Tintin. They came to big words. At last, Grabugeon, 
 more hasty than the othei'S, ran up to the very top of a tree, 
 and flinging herself down head foremost, was killed on the 
 spot. Much as the Princess lamented her, she consented, as 
 the poor thing was dead, that the captain of the guards should 
 cut out her tongue ; but it was so small, (for altogether the 
 creature was not bigger than one's fist,) that to their great 
 grief they felt convinced the King would not be deceived 
 by it. 
 
THE RAM. 215 
 
 " Alas ! my dear little ape, behold thee dead then," cried 
 the Princess, " without my life being ensured by the sacrifice 
 of thine ! " " It is for me that honour is reserved," inter- 
 rupted the Moor, snatching up as she spoke the knife that 
 had been used upon Grabugeon, and plunging it into her 
 bosom. The captain of the guards would have taken her 
 tongue, but it was so black that he could not flatter himself 
 he could cheat the king with it. 
 
 " Am I not most imfortunate !" said the Princess weeping. 
 " I lose all those I love, and yet my lot remains unchanged." 
 "If you would have accepted my offer," said Tintin, "you 
 would only have had to regret my loss, and I should have had 
 the satisfaction of being the only one regretted." Merveil- 
 leuse kissed her little dog, weeping so bitterly over him that 
 she was quite exhausted. She turned hastily away, and when 
 she ventured again to look round, her conductor was gone, and 
 she found herself alone with the dead bodies of her Moor, her 
 ape, and her little dog. She could not quit the spot till she 
 had buried them in a hole which she found by chance at the 
 foot of a tree, upon which she afterwards scratched these 
 words : — 
 
 " Three faithful friends lie buried in this grave, 
 Who sacrificed themselves my life to save." 
 
 She then began to think of her own safety, and as there 
 was none for her in that forest, which was so close to her 
 father's castle that the first person who saw her would recog- 
 nise her, or where she might be eaten like a chicken by the 
 lions and wolves that infested it, she set off" walking as fast as 
 she could. But the forest was so extensive, and the sun so 
 powerful, that she was soon ready to die with heat, fear, and 
 weariness. She gazed about her everywhere, without being 
 able to see the termination of the wood. Everything alarmed 
 her. She fancied continually the King was in pursuit of her, 
 to kill her. It is impossible to repeat all the lamentations 
 she naturally gave utterance to. 
 
 She walked on without following any particular path, the 
 thickets tearing her beautiful dress, and scratching her white 
 skin. At length she heard a sheep bleat. " No doubt," said 
 she, " there are some shepherds here with their flocks. They 
 may direct me to some village where I may conceal myself in 
 the dress of a peasant. Alas!" continued she, "sovereigns 
 
216 THE RAM. 
 
 and princes are not always the happiest persons in the world. 
 Who in all this kingdom would believe that I am a fugitive, 
 that my father without cause or reason seeks my life, and that 
 to save it I must disguise myself? " 
 
 Wliilst making these reflections, she advanced towards the 
 spot from whence the bleating proceeded. What was her 
 surprise, on arriving in an open space surrounded by trees, to 
 see a large Ram, whiter than snow, whose horns were gilt, who 
 had a garland of flowers round his neck, his legs entwined 
 with ropes of pearls of prodigious size, and chains of diamonds 
 hung about him, and who was reposing on a couch of orange 
 blossoms. A pavilion of cloth of gold suspended in the air 
 sheltered him from the rays of the sun. A hundred gaily- 
 decked sheep were around him, who in lieu of browzing on 
 the grass, Avere taking, some, coffiee, sherbet, ices, and lemonade; 
 others, strawberries and cream, and sweetmeats. Some were 
 playing at basset, others at lansquenet. Several wore collars 
 of gold, ornamented with gallant devices, earrings, and 
 ribands, and flowers in profusion. Merveilleuse was so asto- 
 nished that she remained almost motionless. Her eyes wan- 
 dered in search of the shepherd who had the care of this ex- 
 traordinary flock, when the beautiful Ram came bounding and 
 frisking up to her. " Approach, divine Princess," said he to 
 her, " and fear nothing from such gentle and peaceful animals 
 as we are." "What prodigy is this? — a talking Ram!" ex- 
 claimed the Princess. " Eh, Madam," rejoined the Ram, 
 " your ape and your little dog spoke very prettily. Had you 
 less cause to be surprised at that?" " A Fairy," replied Mer- 
 veilleuse, " had bestowed the gift of speech on them, which 
 made the matter less wonderful." " A similar adventure may 
 perchance have befallen ourselves," answered the Ram, 
 smiling in a sheepish manner. " But what caused you to 
 turn your steps this way, my Princess?" " A thousand mis- 
 fortunes, my lord Ram," said she to him ; " I am the most 
 unhappy person in the world. I seek an asylum from the 
 fury of my father." " Come, Madam," replied the Ram ; 
 " come with me. I offfer you one which can be known only 
 to yourself, and you shall be absolute mistress in it." " It is 
 impossible for me to follow you," said Merveilleuse; "lam 
 dying with fatigue." 
 
 The Ram with the golden horns ordered his chariot to be 
 
THE RAM. 217 
 
 sent for. The next moment they led forward six goats har- 
 nessed to a pumpkin of such a prodigious size that two per- 
 sons could sit in it with the greatest ease. The pumpkin was 
 dry, and the inside hollowed out and fitted with capital down 
 cushions, and lined with velvet throughout. The Princess got 
 into it, admiring so novel an equipage. The Master-Ram 
 seated himself in the pumpkin heside her, and the goats took 
 them at full gallop to a cavern, the entrance to which was 
 closed by a large stone. The golden-homed Ram touched the 
 stone with his foot, and it immediately fell. He told the 
 Princess to enter without fear : she believed the cavern to be 
 a horrible place, and had her alarm been less, nothing could 
 have induced her to descend into it ; but her apprehensions of 
 pursuit were so great, that she would at that moment have 
 thrown herself into a well. 
 
 She followed therefore without hesitation the Ram, who 
 walked before her to show her the way down, which ran so 
 deep, 60 deep, that she fancied she must be going at least to 
 the antipodes, and sometimes feared he was conducting her to 
 the regions of the dead. 
 
 At length she discovered all on a sudden a vast plain, 
 enamelled with a thousand different flowers, whose delicious 
 perfume surpassed that of any she had ever met with; a 
 broad river of orange-flower water flowed around it ; fountains 
 of Spanish wine, rossolis,* hipocras, and a thousand other 
 sorts of liqueurs formed charming cascades and little rivulets. 
 The plain was covered with singular trees. There were entire 
 avenues of them, with partridges better larded and dressed 
 than you would get them at La Guerbois'^ hanging on the 
 bi'anches. In other avenues they were laden with quails, 
 young rabbits, turkeys, chickens, jtheasants, and ortolans. In 
 certain parts, where the atmosphere appeared a little hazy, it 
 rained Bisques d'ecrevisse, and other soups ; foies-gras, ragouts 
 of sweetbreads, white puddings, sausages, tarts, patties, sweet- 
 meats both wet and dry ; besides Louis-d'ors, crowns, pearls, 
 
 (1) See note to page 2. Hipocras was an artificial ■wine, usually made of claret 
 and spices. 
 
 (2) The name of a famous traitevr, or rSlisseur, to be added to those of Mignot 
 and Bergerat, immortalised by Boileau. "There is a cook-shop in the Rue St. 
 Honor6," writes an English traveller of that period, " where 300 men are employed 
 in larding of fowl all at a time. The master keeps a register of the places where 
 they live, and of the times when they are to bring in fowl larded. He told me he 
 sometimes dressed dinners of a thousand livres (francs)." — Fieio of Parit, 1701. 
 
218 THE RAM. 
 
 and diamonds. Showers so rare, as well as so useful, would 
 110 doubt have attracted very excellent company if the great 
 Earn had been more inclined to mix with society in general ; 
 but all the chronicles in which he is mentioned concur in 
 assuring us that he was as reserved as a Roman senator. 
 
 As it was in the finest time of the year that Merveilleuse 
 had arrived in these beautiful regions, she saw no other 
 palace than what was formed by long lines of orange-trees, 
 jasmins, honeysuckles, and little musk-roses, whose interlaced 
 branches formed cabinets, halls, and chambers, all hung with 
 gold and silver gauze, and furnished with large mirrors, 
 lustres, and admirable paintings. 
 
 The Master-Ram told the Princess to consider herself the 
 sovereign of these regions; that for some years past he had 
 had much cause for sorrow and tears; but that it only de- 
 pended on her to make him forget all his misfortunes. 
 " There is something so generous in your behaviour, charm- 
 ing Ram," said she to him, " and everything I see here appears 
 to me so extraordinar'y, that I know not what to make of it." 
 
 She had scarcely uttered these words when there appeared 
 before her a troop of nymphs of the most admirable beauty. 
 They presented her with fruit in baskets of amber, but when 
 she advanced towards them they insensibly receded; she ex- 
 tended her hands to touch them, but felt nothing, and ascer- 
 tained that they were only phantoms. " Oh ! what means 
 this?" she exclaimed. "Who are these around me?" She 
 began to weep, and King Ram, (for so they called him,) who 
 had left her for a few minutes, returning and finding her in 
 tears, was in such despair that he felt he should die at her 
 feet. 
 
 "What is the matter, lovely Princess'?" he inquired. "Has 
 any one in these dominions been wanting in the respect due 
 to you?" "No," answered she; "I do not complain of any 
 one; I only confess to you that I am unaccustomed to live 
 among the dead, and with sheep that talk. Everything here 
 frightens me, and gi-eatly obliged as I am to you for bringing 
 me hither, I shall be more so if you will take me back into 
 the world." 
 
 " Do not be alarmed," replied the Ram ; " deign to listen 
 to me calmly, and you shall hear my sad history. 
 
 " I was bom to a throne. A long line of kings, my 
 
THE KAM. 219 
 
 ancestors, had secured me the possession of the finest kingdom 
 in the universe. My subjects loved me. I was feared and 
 envied by my neighbours, and genei-ally respected, with sorae 
 justice. It was said that no king had ever been more worthy 
 of such homage. My pereonal appearance was not without 
 its attractions to those who saw me. I was exceedingly fond 
 of hunting, and the eager pursuit of a stag having separated 
 me from my attendants, I suddenly saw him plunge into a 
 pond. I spurred my horse in after him, as imprudently as 
 boldly, but instead of the coldness of the water I felt an ex- 
 traordinary heat. The pond dried up, and through an open- 
 ing, out of which issued terrible flames, I fell to the bottom 
 of a precipice, where nothing was to be seen but fire. 
 
 " I thought myself lost, when I heard a voice which said 
 to me, 'No less fire could warm thy heart, ungrateful one!' 
 ' Hah ! who is it that complains of my coldness'?' said I. ' An 
 unfortunate who adores thee without hope,' replied the voice. 
 At the same moment the flames were extinguished, and I 
 perceived a Fairy whom I had known fi-om my earliest infancy, 
 and whose age and ugliness had always horrified me. She 
 was leaning on a young slave of incomparable beauty ; the 
 golden chains she wore sufficiently betokened her condition. 
 ' What prodigy is this, Ragotte,' said I to her, (so is the Fairy 
 named;) can this really be by your orders?' 'By whose 
 orders should it heV replied the Fairy. ' Is it but now thou 
 hast learned the state of my heart? Must I undergo the 
 shame of explaining myself? Have my eyes, once so certain • 
 of their power, lost all their influence? Consider how low I 
 stoop ! 'Tis I who make this confession of my weakness to 
 thee, who, great king as thou mayest be, art less than an ant 
 compared to a Faiiy like me.' ' I am whatever you please,' 
 said I to her, impatiently, 'but what is it you demand of me? 
 is it my crown, my cities, my treasures?' *Ah, wx-etch!' 
 she replied, disdainfully, ' my scullions, if I chose it, could be 
 more powerful than thou. I demand thy heart My eyes 
 have asked tliee for it a thousand and a thousand times. 
 Thou hast not understood them, or rather, thou wouldst not 
 understand them. Hadst thou been desperately in love with 
 another,' continued she, ' I would not have interrupted the 
 progress of thy passion ; but I had too gi'eat an interest in 
 thee not to discover the indifierence that reigned in thy heart. 
 
2.20 THE RAM. 
 
 Well then, love me ! ' added she, pursing np her mouth to make 
 it look more agi*eeable, and rolling her eyes about; ' I will be 
 thy little Ragotte, I will add twenty kingdoms to that thou 
 hast already, an hundred towers full of gold, five hundred 
 full of silver, — in a word, all thou canst wish for.' ' Madame 
 Ragotte,' said I to her, ' it is not at the bottom of a pit in 
 which I expected to be roasted that I should think of making 
 a declaration to a person of your merit ; I implore you by all 
 the charms that adorn you to set me at liberty, and then we 
 will consider together what can be done for your satisfaction.' 
 * Hah, traitor !' she exclaimed, ' if thou didst love me, thou 
 wouldst not seek the road back to thy kingdom; in a grotto, 
 in a fox-hole, in the woods, in the deserts, thou wouldst be 
 happy. Think not that I am such a novice. Thou hopest 
 to escape, but I give thee notice that thou shalt remain here, 
 and thy first task shall be to keep my sheep. They are in- 
 telligent animals, and speak at least as well as thou canst.' 
 
 " So saying she advanced with me into the plain where we 
 now are, and showed me her flock. I paid little attention to 
 ^hem; the beaiity of the slave beside her appeared to me 
 marvellous; my eyes betrayed me. The cruel Ragotte, noticing 
 my admiration, flew upon her and plunged a bodkin into one 
 of her eyes with such violence that the adorable girl fell dead 
 upon the spot. At this horrible sight I threw myself upon 
 Ragotte, and, sword in hand, would have immolated her to 
 those dear manes, if by her power she had not rendered me 
 motionless. All my efforts were in vain; I fell to the earth, 
 and sought for means to slay myself, to end the agony I was 
 in, when the Fairy said to me with an ironical smile, ' I will 
 make thee know my power ; thou art a lion at present, thou 
 shalt become a sheep.' 
 
 " At the same moment she touched me with her wand, and 
 I found myself transformed as you behold me. I have not 
 lost the faculty of speech, nor the sense of affliction which rny 
 position occasioned me. ' Thou shalt be a sheep for five 
 years,' said she, ' and absolute master of these beautiful 
 realms, while, far from thee and no longer beholding thy 
 handsome face, I will brood only over the hate I owe thee.' 
 
 " She disappeared, and if anything could have lightened 
 my misfortune, it would have been her absence. The taUiing 
 sheep you see here acknowledged me as their king; they 
 
THE BAM. 221 
 
 informed me that they were unfortunate mortals who had in 
 various ways given offence to the vindictive Fairy, and had 
 been formed by her into a flock ; that the penance of some 
 was of less dui-ation than that of others. In fact," he added, 
 " every now and then they become what they were before, 
 and leave the flock. As for the shadows you have seen, they 
 are those of the rivals and enemies of Ragotte whom she has de- 
 prived of life for a century or so, and who will afterwards return 
 to the world. The young slave I spoke of is amongst them. 
 I have seen her several times with great pleasure, althougli 
 she did not speak to me, and on approaching her I had the 
 vexation to find it was but her shade ; finding however that 
 one of my sheep was very attentive to this little phantom, I 
 discovered that he was her lover, and that Ragotte, out of 
 jealousy, had taken him from her. For this reason, I have 
 since avoided the shade of the slave, and during three years 
 have sighed for nothing but my liberty. 
 
 " In the hope of regaining it, I frequently wander into the 
 forest. There I saw you, beautiful Princess," continued he, 
 " sometimes in a chariot which you drove yourself with more 
 skill than the sun does his own, sometimes following the chase 
 on a steed that seemed as if he would obey no other rider, 
 or contending in the race with the ladies of your court, flying 
 lightly over the plain, you won the prize, like another Ata- 
 lanta. Ah, Princess, if, during all this time in which my 
 heart paid you its secret homage, I had dared to address you, 
 what should I not have said? But how would you have 
 received the declaration of an unhappy sheep like me 1 " 
 
 Merveilleuse was so agitated by all she had heard, that she 
 scarcely knew how to answer him. She said some civil things 
 to him, however, which gave him a little hope, and told him 
 that she was less alarmed at the ghosts now that she knew 
 their owners would revive again. "Alas!" continued she, 
 " if my poor Patypata, my dear Grabugeon, and the pretty 
 Tintin, who died to save me, could meet with a similar fate, I 
 should not be so melancholy here." 
 
 Notwithstanding the degradation of the royal Ram, he 
 possessed some very great priArileges. " Go," said he to his 
 grand equerry, (a very good-looking sheep,) "go fetch the 
 moor, the ape, and the little dog; their shades will amuse our 
 Princess." The next moment they appeared, and although 
 
222 THE RAM. 
 
 they did not approach Merveilleuse near enough for her to 
 touch them, their presence was a great consolation to her. 
 
 The royal Ram had all the sense and delicacy which is 
 required for agreeable convei-sation. He was so passionately 
 fond of Merveilleuse, that she began also to have some regard 
 for him, and at length to love him. A pretty sheep, very 
 gentle, veiy affectionate, is not unlikely to please one, par- 
 ticularly when it is known he is a king, and that his trans- 
 formation will shortly terminate. The Princess thus passed 
 her days in peace, awaiting a happier lot. 
 
 The gallant Kam thought of nothing but her. He gave 
 fetes, concerts, hunts; his flock assisted him cordially; even 
 the shades played their parts in the entertainments. 
 
 One day, on the arrival of* the couriers, — for he regularly 
 sent out for the news, and always had the first and best 
 intelligence, — he learned that the eldest sister of Princess 
 Mei-veilleuse was about to marry a great prince, and that 
 nothing could be more magnificent than the preparations 
 they were making for the nuptials. " Ah ! " said the young 
 Princess, " how unfortunate I am to be deprived of the sight 
 of so many fine things ! Here am I underground, amongst 
 ghosts and sheep, whilst my sister is appearing to all the 
 world in queenly splendour. Everybody will pay court to 
 her ; I alone shall have no share in her joy." " What reason 
 have you to complain. Madam?" said the King of the Sheep; 
 "have I refused you permission to go to the wedding? 
 Depart as soon as you ptease, only give me your word that 
 you will return. If you do not agree to that, you will see 
 me expire at your feet, for my attachment to you is too 
 violent for me to lose you and live." Merveilleuse, much 
 affected, promised the Eam that nothing in the world should 
 prevent her return. He provided her with an equipage 
 befitting her birth. She was superbly dressed, and nothing 
 was forgotten that could increase her beauty. She entered a 
 chariot of mother-of-pearl, drawn by six Isabella coloured^ 
 
 (1) The Infanta Isabella, daughter of Philip II., King of Spain, wife of the 
 Archduke Albert, made a vow at the siege of Ostend in 1602, that, till the city was 
 taken, she would never change her clothes. Contrary to expectation, it was three 
 years before the place was reduced, by which time her Highness's linen had acquired 
 a hue better imagined than described. The superstition of the times, however, gave 
 a fashion to it, and what we now call dun-colour became popular, and is to this 
 day in France called couleur Isabelte, 
 
THE RAM. 223 
 
 hypogriffins, newly arrived from the antipodes. She was 
 accompanied by a great number of exceedingly handsome 
 officers, richly attired. The royal Ram had sent for them from 
 a great distance, to form the train of the Princess. 
 
 She arrived at her father's court at the moment the 
 marriage was being celebrated. As soon as she appeared, 
 she dazzled everybody by the blaze of her beauty and of the 
 jewels which adorned her. She heard nothing around her 
 but acclamations and praises. The King gazed on her with 
 such eagerness and pleasure that she was afraid he would 
 recognise her ; but he was so convinced of her death that he 
 had not the least idea she was his daughter. 
 
 The fear, notwithstanding, that she should be detained, 
 prevented her staying to quite the end of the ceremony. She 
 departed abruptly, leaving a little coral box, garnished with 
 emeralds, and with these words on it, in diamond sparks: 
 "Jewels for the Bride." They opened it immediately, and 
 what did they not find in it ! The King, who had hoped to 
 see her again and was burning to know who she was, was in 
 despair at her departure He gave strict orders that if 
 ever she returned, they should shut the gates upon her and 
 detain her. 
 
 Brief as had been the absence of Merveilleuse, it had 
 seemed an age to the Ram. He waited for her by the side of 
 a fountain in the thickest part of the forest. He had immense 
 treasures displayed there, with the intention of presenting 
 them to her in gratitude for her return. As soon as he saw 
 her, he ran towards her, bounding and frisking like a true 
 sheep. He lay down at her feet, he kissed her hands, he told 
 her all his anxiety and his impatience. His passion inspired 
 him with an eloquence which quite charmed the Princess. 
 
 Some short time afterwards the King married his second 
 daughter. Merveilleuse heard of it, and entreated the Ram to 
 permit her to witness, as before, a fete in. which she took so 
 much interest. 
 
 At this reqiiest, he felt a pang which he could not suppress. 
 A secret presentiment foretold to him some misfortune ; but 
 as we cannot always avoid evil, and his consideration for the 
 Princess overruled every other feeling, he had not the heart 
 to refuse her. " You desire to leave me. Madam," said lie ; 
 " for this misfortune I must blame my sad destiny more than 
 
224 THE EAM. 
 
 you. I consent to your wish, and I can never make you a 
 greater sacrifice." 
 
 She assured him that she would return as quickly as she 
 did the first time: that she should be deeply pained by 
 anything that could keep her from him ; and entreated him 
 not to be uneasy about her. She went in the same state as 
 before, and arrived just as they were commencing the marriage 
 ceremony. Despite the attention they were paying to it, her 
 presence caused exclamations of joy and admiration, which 
 drew the eyes of all the princes upon her. They could not 
 cease looking at her, and felt her beauty to be so extraordinary 
 that they were ready to believe she must be something more 
 than mortal. 
 
 The King was charmed to see her once more. He never 
 took his eyes off her, except to order all the doors to be closed 
 to prevent her departure. The ceremony being neai'ly con- 
 cluded, the Princess rose hastily that she might disappear in 
 the crowd, but she was extremely sui-prised and distressed to 
 find that all the gates were locked. 
 
 The King accosted her with gi-eat respect and a submissive 
 air that reassured her. He begged her not to deprive them 
 so soon of the pleasure of seeing her, and that she would 
 remain and grace the banquet he was about to give the princes 
 and princesses who had honoured him with their presence on 
 this occasion. He led her into a magnificent saloon, in which 
 all the court were assembled, and offered to her himself a 
 golden basin and a ewer filled with water, that she might 
 wash her beautiful hands. At this, she could no longer 
 suppress her emotions; she flung herself at his feet, and 
 embracing his knees, exclaimed, " Behold, my dream has come 
 true ! You have offered me water to wash with on my 
 sister's wedding-day without any evil befalling you." 
 
 The King recognised her with less difficulty, as he had more 
 than once been struck by her great resemblance to Mer- 
 veilleuse. " Ah ! my dear daughter," said he, embracing her 
 with teai's in his eyes, " can you forget my cmelty 1 I sought 
 your life because I thought your dream prognosticated the 
 loss of my crown. It did so, indeed," continued he, " for here 
 are your two sisters married, and each has a crown of her 
 own, therefore mine shall be yours." So saying, he rose, and 
 placed his crown on the head of the Princess, crying,-- " Long 
 
THE RAM. 225 
 
 live Queen Merveilleuse!" All the com-t repeated the shout. 
 The two sistei-s of the young Queen came and threw their 
 arms around her neck, and kissed her a thoiisand times. 
 Merveilleuse was so happy she could not express her feelings. 
 She cried and laughed at the same moment. She embraced 
 one, talked to another, thanked the King, and in the midst 
 of all this, recollected the captain of the guard to whom she 
 was under so much obligation, and asked eagerlj^ to see 
 him, but they informed her he was dead. She felt his loss 
 deeply. 
 
 When they sat down to table, the King requested her to 
 relate all that had happened to her since the day he had 
 issued such fatal orders respectiug her. She immediately 
 commenced the narrative, with the most admirable gi'ace, and 
 everybody listened to her attentively. 
 
 But whilst she was thus engi'ossed by the King and her 
 sisters, the enamoured Eam saw the hour fixed for the return 
 of the Princess pass by, and his anxiety became so extreme that 
 he could not control it. " She will never return," he cried ; 
 " my misei'able sheep's face disgusts her. Oh ! too unfor- 
 tunate lover, what will become of me if I have lost Mer- 
 veilleuse ? Ragotte ! barbarous Fairy ! — how hast thou re- 
 venged thyself for my indifference to thee ! " He indulged in 
 such lamentations for a long time, and then, finding night 
 approach, without any signs of the Princess, he ran to the 
 city. When he reached the Kings palace, he asked to see 
 Merveilleuse ; but as everybody was now awai-e of her ad- 
 ventures, and by no means desired that she should return to 
 the realms of the Ram, they harshly refused to admit him to 
 her presence. He uttered cries and lamentations capable of 
 moving any one except the Swiss guard who stood sentry at 
 the palace gates. At length, broken-hearted, he flung himself 
 on the gi'ound, and breathed his last sigh. 
 
 The King and Merveilleuse knew nothing of the sad 
 tragedy which had taken place. The King proposed to his 
 daughter to mount a triumphal car, and show herself to all 
 the city by the lights of thousands and thousands of flam- 
 beaux which illuminated the windows and all the great 
 squai'es ; but what a horrible spectacle for her, to see, as she 
 issued from the palace-gates, her dear Ram stretched breathless 
 on the pavement ! She threw herself fi-om the car, she ran tp 
 
 Q 
 
226 THE RAM. 
 
 him, she wept, she groaned, she knew that her unpunctuality 
 had caused the death of the royal Ram. In her despair, she 
 felt she should die herself 
 
 It was then admitted that persons of the highest rank are 
 subject, like others, to the blows of Fortune, and that they 
 frequently meet with the greatest misery at the very moment 
 they believe themselves to have attained the height of their 
 wishes. 
 
 The choicest blessings sent by Heaven 
 Oft to our ruin only tend ; 
 The channs, the talents, to us given, 
 But bring us to a mournful end. 
 The royal Ram had happier been 
 Without the graces which first led 
 Ragotte to love, then hurl her mean 
 But fatal vengeance on his head. 
 Sure, he deserved a better fate. 
 Who spurn'd a sordid Hymen's chains ; 
 Honest his love — unmask'd his hate, — 
 How different from our modern swains ! 
 Even his death may well surprise 
 The lovers of the present day, — 
 Only a silly sheep now dies, 
 Because his ewe has gone astray. 
 
FINETTE CENDRON. 
 
 Once on a time there was a King and a Queen who had 
 managed their afFaii-s very badly. They were driven out of 
 their kingdom. They sold their crowns to support themselves; 
 then their wardrobes, their linen, their lace, and all their 
 furniture, piece by piece. ' The brokers were tired of purchas- 
 ing, for every day something or other was sent for sale. 
 When they had disposed of nearly everything, the King said 
 to the Queen, " We are out of our own country, and have no 
 longer any property. We must do something to get a living 
 for ourselves and our poor children. Consider a little what 
 we can do : for up to this time I have known no trade but a 
 king's, which is a very agreeable one." The Queen had much 
 good seuse ; she asked for eight days to think the matter 
 over ; at the end of that time, she said to the King, " Sire, 
 we must not make ourselves unhappy. You have only to 
 make nets, with which you may catch both fowl and fish. 
 As the lines wear out, I will spin to make new ones. With 
 respect to our three daughters, they are downright idle girls, 
 who still think themselves fine ladies, and would fain live in 
 that style without work. We must take them to such a distance 
 — such a distance, that they can never find their way back 
 again, fcr it will be impossible for us to keep them as fine as 
 they would like to be." 
 
 The King began to weep when he found he must separate 
 himself from his children. He was a kind father ; but the 
 Queen was mistress ; he therefore agreed to whatever she 
 proposed. He said to her, " Get up eai'ly to-morrow morning, 
 
228 riNETl'E CENDRON. 
 
 and take your three daughters wherever you think fit." 
 Whilst they were thus plotting together, the Princess Finette, 
 who was the youngest daughter, listened at the key-hole, and 
 when she discovered the design of her father and mother, she 
 set off as fast as she could for a great grotto, at a considerable 
 distance from where they lived, and which was the abode of 
 the Fairy Merluche, who was her godmother. 
 
 Finette had taken with her two pounds of fresh butter, 
 some eggs, some milk, and some flour, t© make a nice cake for 
 her godmother, in order that she might be well received by 
 her. She commenced her journey gaily enough; but the 
 further she went, the more weary she grew. The soles of her 
 shoes were worn completely through, and her pretty little 
 feet became so sore, that it was sad to see them. She was quite 
 exhausted ; she sat down on the grass and cried. A beauti- 
 ful Spanish horse came by, saddled and bridled. There were 
 more diamonds on his housings than would purchase three 
 cities, and when he saw the Princess he stopped and began to 
 graze quietly beside her. Bending his knees he appeared to 
 pay homage to her; upon which, taking him by the bridle, 
 " Gentle Hobby," said she, " wouldst thou kindly bear me to 
 my Fairy godmother's? Thou wouldst do me great service; 
 for I am so weary that I feel ready to die : but if thou wilt 
 assist me on this occasion, I will give thee good oats and good 
 hay, and a litter of fresh straw to lie upon." The horse bent 
 himself almost to the ground, and young Finette jumping 
 upon him, he galloped off with her as lightly as a bird. He 
 stopped at the entrance of the grotto, as if he had known 
 where he was to go to ; and, in fact, he knew well enough ; 
 for it was Merluche herself who, having foreseen her god- 
 daughter's visit, had sent the fine horse for her. 
 
 As soon as Finette entered the grotto, she made three pro- 
 found curtsies to her godmother, and took the hem of her 
 gown and kissed it, and then said to her, " Good day, god- 
 mother, how do you do? I have brought you some butter, 
 milk, flour, and eggs, to make a cake with after our country 
 fashion." "You are welcome, Finette," said the Fairy; "come 
 hither that I may embrace you." She kissed her twice, at 
 which Finette was greatly delighted, for Madame Merluche 
 wa.s not one of those fairies you might find by the dozen. 
 "Come, goddaughter," said she, "you shall be my little 
 
Finette Cendron.— p. 228. 
 
FINETTE CENDRON. 229 
 
 lady's maid. Take down my hair and comb it." The 
 Princess took her hair down and combed it as cleverly as 
 possible. " I know well enough," said Merluche, " what 
 brought you hither. You overheard the King and Queen 
 consulting how they might lose you, and you would avoid 
 this misfortune. Here, you have only to take this skein of 
 thread ; it will never break. Fasten one end of it to the 
 door of your house and keep the other end in your hand; 
 when the Queen leaves you, you will easily find your way 
 back by following the thread." 
 
 The Princess thanked her godmother, who gave her a bag 
 full of fine dresses all of gold and silver. She embraced her, 
 placed her again on the pretty hoi-se, and in two or three 
 minutes he carried Finette to the door of their majesties' 
 cottage. " My little friend," said Finette to the horse, " you 
 are very handsome and clever ; your speed is as great as the 
 sun's. I thank you for your service. Return to the place 
 you came from." She entered the house softly, and hiding 
 her bag under her bolster went to bed, without appearing to 
 know anything that had taken place. At break of day the 
 King woke his wife : " Come., come. Madam," said he, " make 
 ready for your journey." She got up directly, took her thick 
 shoes, a short petticoat, a white jacket, and a stick. She 
 summoned her eldest daughter, who was named Fleur 
 d'ximour ; her second, who was named Belle-de-Nuit, and her 
 third, named Fine-Oreille, whom they familiarly called Finette. 
 " I have been thinking all last night," said the Queen, " that 
 we ought to go and see my sister; she will entertain us 
 capitally. We may feast and laugh as much as we like there." 
 Fleur d'Amour, who was in despair at living in a desert, said 
 to her mother, " Let us go. Madam, wherever you please ; 
 provided I may walk somewhere, I don't care." The two 
 others said as much. They took leave of the King and set 
 off all four together. They went so far — so far, that Fine- 
 Oreille was much afraid her thread would not be long enough, 
 for they had gone nearly a thousand leagues. She walked 
 always behind the othei*s, drawing the thread cleverly through 
 the thickets. 
 
 When the Queen imagined that her daughters could not 
 find the way back, she entered a thick wood, and said to 
 them, " Sleep, my little lambs, I will be like the shepherdess, 
 
233 FINETTE CENDROX. 
 
 tidings. Go, however, they must ; and so far did they go that 
 never before had any one made so long a journey. Finette, 
 who never said a word, kept behind, and shook her sack of 
 ashes with such wonderful skill that neither the wind nor the 
 rain affected them. 
 
 The Queen being perfectly persuaded that they could not 
 find their way back again, and observing one evening that 
 her thi-ee daughters were fast asleep, took the opportunity of 
 leaving them, and returned home. As soon as it was light, 
 and Finette found her mother was gone, she awoke her sisters. 
 "We are alone," said she; "the Queen has left us." Fleui 
 d' Amour and Belle-de-Nuit began to cry; they tore tholi 
 hair, and beat their own faces with their fists, exclaiming, 
 "Alas! what will become of us!" Finette was the best- 
 hearted girl in the world. She had compassion again on her 
 sisters. " See now to what I expose myself," said she to 
 them ; " for when my godmother furnished me with means to 
 return, she forbade me to show you the way, and told me that 
 if I disobeyed her, she would never see me more." Belle-de- 
 Nuit threw herself on Finette's neck, Fleur d'Amour did the 
 same, kissing her so affectionately that it required nothincr 
 more to bring them all three back together to the King and 
 the Queen. 
 
 Their majesties were greatly surprised at the return of the 
 Princesses. They talked about it all night long, and the 
 youngest, who was not called Fine-Oreille for nothing, heard 
 them concoct a new plot, and arrange that the next morning 
 the Queen should again take them on a journey. She ran to 
 wake her sisters ; " Alas ! " said she to them, " we are lost I 
 The Queen is determined to lead iis into some wilderness, and 
 leave us there. For your sakes I have offended my god- 
 mother; I dare not go to her for advice as I used to do." 
 They were in sad trouble, and said one to another, " What 
 shall we do, sister; what shall we doT' At length Belle-de- 
 Nuit said to the two others, "Why should we worry our- 
 selves'? old Merluche has not got all the wit in the world — 
 some other folks may have a little. We have only to take 
 plenty of peas with us and drop them all along the road as we 
 go, and we shall be sure to trace our way back." Fleur 
 d'Amour thought the idea admirable ; they loaded themselves 
 with peas, filling all their pockets j but Fine-Oreille, instead 
 
riNETTE CENDRON. 2^ 
 
 of peas, took her bag fiill of fine clothes, and the little box of 
 diamonds, and as soon as the Queen called them they were 
 ready to go. She said to them, " I dreamed last night that 
 in a country which it is unnecessary to name, there are three 
 handsome princes, who are waiting to marry you. I am 
 going to take you there, to see if my dream is true." The 
 Queen went first and her daughters followed her, dropping 
 their peas without any anxiety, for they made sure of being 
 able to find their way home. 
 
 This time the Queen went further than ever she had gone 
 before ; but during one dark night she left the Princesses, and 
 reached home very weary, but very happy to have got rid of 
 so great a burthen as her three daughters. 
 
 The three Princesses having slept till eleven o'clock in the 
 morning, awoke, and Finette was the first to discover the 
 Queen's absence. Although she was perfectly prepared for it, 
 she could not help crying, trusting for her return much more 
 to the power of her fairy godmother than to the cleverness of 
 her sisters. She went to them in a great fright, and said, 
 " The Queen is gone ; we must follow her as quickly as pos- 
 sible." " Hold thy tongue, little mischievous animal," replied 
 Fleur d'Amour ; " we can find our way well enough when we 
 choose; you are making a great fuss at a wrong season, 
 gossip." Finette durst not make any answer. "When, how- 
 ever, they did try to retrace their steps, there were no signs or 
 paths to be found. There ai'e immense flocks of pigeons in 
 that country, and they had eaten up all the peas. The Prin- 
 cesses began to cry and scream with grief and terror. After 
 being two days without food, Fleur d'Amour said to Belle-de- 
 Nuit, "Sister, hast thou nothing to eat?" "Nothing," she 
 replied. She put the same question to Finette. " Nor have 
 I," she answered, " but I have just found an acorn." " Ah ! 
 give it to me," said one ; " Give it to me," said the other. 
 Each insisted on having it. "An acorn will not go far 
 amongst three of us," said Finette ; " let us plant it ; there may 
 spiing a tree from it which may be useful to us." They con- 
 sented, although there was little chance of a tree growing in 
 a country where none were to be seen. They could find 
 only cabbages and lettuces, on which the Princesses lived. 
 If they had been very delicate they must have died a hundred 
 times. They slept almost always in the open air, and every 
 
232 FINETPE CENDRON. 
 
 tidings. Go, however, they must ; and so far did they go th.at 
 never before had any one made so long a journey. Fiuette, 
 who never said a word, kept behind, and shook her sack of 
 ashes with such wonderful skiU that neither the wind nor the 
 rain affected them. 
 
 The Queen being perfectly persuaded that they could not 
 find their way back again, and observing one evening that 
 her thi-ee daughters were fast asleep, took the opportunity of 
 leaving them, and returned home. As soon as it was light, 
 and Finette found her mother was gone, she awoke her sisters. 
 "We are alone," said she; "the Queen has left us." Fleui 
 d' Amour and Belle-de-Nuit began to cry; they tore theii 
 hair, and beat their own faces with their fists, exclaiming, 
 "Alas! what will become of us!" Finette was the best- 
 hearted girl in the world. She had compassion again on her 
 sisters. " See now to what I expose myself," said she to 
 them; " for when my godmother furnished me with means to 
 return, she forbade me to show you the way, and told me that 
 if I disobeyed her, she would never see me more." Belle-de- 
 Nuit threw herself on Finette's neck, Fleur d'Amour did the 
 same, kissing her so affectionately that it required nothiujr 
 more to bring them all three back together to the King and 
 the Queen. 
 
 Their majesties were greatly surprised at the return of the 
 Princesses. They talked about it all night long, and the 
 youngest, who was not called Fine-Oreille for nothing, heard 
 them concoct a new plot, and arrange that the next morning 
 the Queen should again take them on a journey. She ran to 
 wake her sisters ; " Alas ! " said she to them, " we are lost I 
 The Queen is determined to lead iis into some wilderness, and 
 leave us there. For your sakes I have offended my god- 
 mother; I dai'e not go to her for advice as I used to do." 
 They were in sad trouble, and said one to another, " What 
 shall we do, sister; what shall we dol" At length Bclle-de- 
 Nuit said to the two others, "Why should we worry our- 
 selves] old Merluche has not got all the wit in the world — 
 some other folks may have a little. We have only to take 
 plenty of peas with us and drop them all along the road as we 
 go, and we shall be sure to trace our way back." Fleur 
 d'Amour thought the idea admirable ; they loaded themselves 
 with peas, filling all their pockets; but Fine-Oreille, instead 
 
I'INETTE CENDRON. ZSSi 
 
 of peas, took her bag ftill of fine clothes, and the little box of 
 diamonds, and as soon as the Queen called them they were 
 ready to go. She said to them, " I dreamed last night that 
 in a country which it is unnecessary to name, there are three 
 handsome princes, who are waiting to marry you. I am 
 going to take you there, to see if my dream is true." The 
 Queen went first and her daughters followed her, dropping 
 their peas without any anxiety, for they made sure of being 
 able to find their way home. 
 
 This time the Queen went further than ever she had gone 
 before ; but during one dark night she left the Princesses, and 
 reached home very weary, but very happy to have got rid of 
 so great a burthen as her three daughters. 
 
 The three Princesses having slept till eleven o'clock in the 
 morning, awoke, and Finette was the first to discover the 
 Queen's absence. Although she was perfectly prepared for it, 
 she could not help crying, trusting for her return much more 
 to the power of her fairy godmother than to the cleverness of 
 her sisters. She went to them in a great fright, and said, 
 " The Queen is gone ; we must follow her as quickly as pos- 
 sible." " Hold thy tongue, little mischievous animal," replied 
 Fleur d'Amour; "we can find our way well enough when we 
 choose; you are making a great fuss at a wrong season, 
 gossip." Finette duret not make any answer. When, how- 
 ever, they did try to retrace their steps, there were no signs or 
 paths to be found. There ai-e immense flocks of pigeons in 
 that country, and they had eaten up all the peas. The Prin- 
 cesses began to cry and scream with grief and terror. After 
 being two days without food, Fleur d'Amour said to Belle-de- 
 Nuit, "Sister, hast thou nothing to eat?" "Nothing," she 
 replied. She put the same question to Finette. " Nor have 
 I," she answered, " but I have just found an acorn." " Ah ! 
 give it to me," said one ; " Give it to me," said the other. 
 Each insisted on having it. "An acorn will not go far 
 amongst three of us," said Finette ; " let us plant it ; there may 
 spring a tree from it which may be useful to us." They con- 
 sented, although there was little chance of a tree growing in 
 a country where none were to be seen. They could find 
 only cabbages and lettuces, on which the Princesses lived. 
 If they had been very delicate they must have died a hundred 
 times. They slept almost always in the open air, and eveiy 
 
234 FINETTE CENDRON. 
 
 moining and evening they took it by turns to water the 
 acorn, saying to it, " Grow, grow, beautiful acorn !" It began 
 to grow so fast that you could see it grow. When it had got 
 to some size, Fleur d' Amour tried to climb it, but it was not 
 strong enough to bear her ; she felt it bend under her weight, 
 and so she came down again. Belle-de-Nuit was not more 
 successful. Finette, being lighter, managed to get up and 
 remain a long time. Her sisters called to her, " Canst thou 
 see anything, sister? " She answered, " No, I can see nothing." 
 "Ah, then, the oak is not tall enough," said Fleur d' Amour; 
 so they continued to water it, and say, " Grow, grow, beautiful 
 acorn ! " Finette never failed chmbing it twice a-day. One 
 morning when she was up in the tree, Belle-de-Nuit said to 
 Fleur d' Amour, " I have found a bag which our sister has 
 hidden from us. What can there be in it?" Fleur d' Amour 
 replied, " She told me it contained some old lace she had got 
 to mend." " I believe it is full of sugar-plums," said Belle- 
 de-Nuit. She had a sweet tooth, and determined to ascertain 
 the fact She opened the bag, and found in it actually a 
 quantity of old lace belonging to the King and Queen, but 
 hidden beneath it were the fine clothes the Fairy had given 
 to Finette, and the box of diamonds. " Well, now ! was there 
 ever such a sly little rogue 1 " exclaimed Belle-de-Nuit ; " we 
 will take out all the things, and put some stones in their 
 place." They did so directly. Finette rejoined them, without 
 observing what they had done, for she never dreamed of 
 decking herself out in a desert ; she thought of nothing but 
 the oak, which speedily became the finest oak that ever was 
 seen. 
 
 One day that she had climbed up into it, and that her 
 sisters as usual asked her if she could see anything, she 
 exclaimed, " I can see a large mansion, so fine — so fine, that I 
 want words to describe it ; the walls are of emeralds and 
 rubies, the roof of diamonds; it is all covered with golden 
 bells and weathercocks that whirl about as the wind blows." 
 " Thou liest," said they ; " it cannot be as fine as thou sayest." 
 " Believe me," replied Finette, " I am no story-teller ; come 
 and see for yourselves; my eyes are quite dazzled by it." 
 Fleur d'Amour climbed up the tree. When she saw the 
 chateau, she could talk of nothing else. Bclle-de-Nuit, who 
 had a great deal of curiosity, failed not to climb in her turn, 
 
riNETTE CENDRON. 235 
 
 and was as much enchanted as her sisters at the sight of the 
 chateau. " We must certainly go to this palace," they said ; 
 " perhaps "we shall find in it some handsome princes, who will 
 be only too happy to marry us." They talked the whole 
 evening long on this subject, and lay down to sleep on the 
 grass; but when Finette appeared to them in a sound 
 slumber, Fleur d' Amour said to Belle-de-Nuit, " I'll tell you 
 what we should do, sister ; let us get up and dress ourselves 
 in the fine clothes Finette has brought hither." " You are in 
 the right," said Belle-de-Nuit ; so they got up, curled their 
 hair, powdered it, put patches on their cheeks,^ and dressed 
 themselves in the beautiful gold and silver gowns all covered 
 with diamonds. Never was anything so magnificent. Finette, 
 ignorant of the theft her wicked sisters had committed, took 
 up her bag with the intention of dressing herself, but was 
 vastly distressed to find nothing in it but flints. At the 
 same moment she perceived her sisters shining like suns. 
 She wept, and complained of the treachery they had been 
 guilty of towards her, but they only laughed and made a joke 
 of it. " Is it possible," said she to them, " that you will have 
 the effrontery to take me to the chateau, without dressing and 
 making me as fine as you are?" "We have barely enough 
 for oui-selves," replied Fleur d' Amour. "Thou shalt have 
 nothing but blows, an' thou importunest us." " But," continued 
 she, " the clothes you have on are mine ; my godmother gave 
 them to me. You have no claim to them." '•' If thou sayest 
 more about it," said they, " we will knock thee on the head, 
 and bury thee without any one being the wiser!" Poor 
 Finette did not dare provoke them ; she followed them slowly, 
 walking some shoz't distance behind them, as if she were only 
 their servant. 
 
 The nearer they approached to the mansion the more won- 
 derful it appeared to them. " Oh!" said Fleur d' Amour and 
 Belle-de-Nuit, " how we shall amuse ourselves ! — what capital 
 dinners we shall get ! We shall dine at the King's table ; but 
 Finette will have to wash the dishes in the kitchen, for she 
 looks like a scullion; and if anybody asks who she is, we 
 must take care not to call her our sister ; we must say she is 
 
 O) The fashion of patching the face with small pieces of court -plaister, cut some- 
 times into the most fantastic shapes, was carried to the greatest extreme at the close 
 of the seventeenth and commencement of the eighteenth centuries. 
 
236 FliNETTE CENDRON. 
 
 the little cowkeeper in the village." The lovely and sensible 
 Finette was in despair at being so ill-treated. 
 
 When they reached the castle-gate they knocked at it. It 
 was opened immediately by a terrific old woman. She had 
 but one eye, which was in the middle of her forehead, but it 
 was bigger than five or six ordinaiy ones. Her nose was flat, 
 her complexion swarthy, and her mouth so horrible that it 
 frightened you to look at it. She was fifteen feet high, and 
 measured thirty round her body. " Unfortunate wretches ! " 
 said she to them; "what brought ye hither 1 Know ye not 
 this is the Ogre's Castle, and that all three of you would 
 scarcely sufiice for his breakfast? But I am more good- 
 natured than my husband. Come in ; I will not eat you all 
 at once. You shall have the consolation of living two or 
 three days longer." When they heard the Ogress say this, 
 they ran away, hoping to escape ; but one of her strides was 
 equal to fifty of theirs. She ran after and caught them, one 
 by the hair, the others by the nape of the neck ; and putting 
 them under her arm took them into the castle, and threw 
 them all three into the cellar, which was full of toads and 
 adders, and strewed with the bones of those the Ogres had 
 eaten. 
 
 As the Ogress fancied eating Finette immediately, she went 
 to fetch some vinegar, oil, and salt, to make her into a salad, 
 but hearing the Ogre coming, and thinking that the Princesses 
 were so white and delicate that she should like to eat them 
 all herself, she popped them quickly under a large tub, out of 
 which they could only look through a hole. 
 
 The Ogre was six times as tall as his wife ; when he spoke, 
 the building shook, and when he coughed it was like peals of 
 thunder. He had but one great filthy eye ; his hair stood all 
 on end; he leaned on a huge log of wood which he used for a 
 cane. He had a covered basket in his hand, out of which 
 he pulled fifteen little children he had stolen on the road, 
 and swallowed them like fifteen new-laid eggs. When the 
 Princesses saw him they trembled under the tub. They 
 were afraid to cry, lest they should be heard, but they whis- 
 pered to each other : " He wUl eat us all alive ; is there no 
 way to save ourselves?" 
 
 The Ogre said to his wife, " Look ye, I smell fresh meat ; 
 give it me." " That's good! " said the Ogress; " thou dost 
 
riNETTE CENDRON. 28f 
 
 always fancy thou smellest fresh meat ; it is thy sheep wliich 
 have just passed by." " Oh ! I am not mistaken," said the 
 Ogre, " I smell fresh meat for certain, and 1 shall hunt eveiy- 
 •where for it." " Hunt," said she ; " thou wilt find nothing." 
 " If I do find it, and thou hast hidden it from me," replied 
 the Ogre, " I will cut thy head oflF, and make a ball of it." She 
 was frightened at this threat, and said, " Be not angi-y, my 
 dear little Ogre, I will tell thee the truth. Three young girls 
 came here to-day, and I have got them safe, but it would be 
 a pity to eat them, for they know how to do everything; I 
 am old and want rest; thou seest our fine house is very dirty, 
 that our bread is badly made, and thy soup now rarely pleases 
 thee ; that I myself do not appear so handsome in thine eyes 
 since I have worked so hard. These girls will be my servants. 
 I pray thee do not eat them just now ; if thou shouldst fancy 
 one of them some other day, they will be always in thy 
 power." 
 
 The Ogi'e was very reluctant to promise that he would not 
 eat them immediately. " Let me alone," said he, " I will 
 only eat two of them." " No, thou shalt not eat them." 
 "Well then, I will only eat the smallest;" and she replied, 
 " No, thou shalt not touch one of them." At last, after much 
 contention, he promised he would not eat them. She thought 
 to herself, " When he goes hxmtiug I will eat them, and tell 
 him they have made their escape." 
 
 The Ogre came out of the cellar, and told his wife to bring 
 the girls before him. The poor Princesses were almost dead 
 with fright; the Ogress tried to comfort them. When they 
 were brought before the Ogre, he asked them what they could 
 do. They answered, they could sweep, and sew, and spin, 
 exceedingly well ; that they could make ragouts so dehcious 
 that you would eat even the plates; and as for bread, cakes, 
 and patties, people had been wont to send to them for a 
 thousand leagues round. The Ogre was dainty. "Aha!" 
 said he, "set these good housewives to work immediately; 
 but," said he to Finette, " after you have lighted the fire, how 
 do you know when the oven is hot enough?" " My Lord," 
 she replied, " I throw some butter into it, and then taste it 
 with my tongue." "Very well," said he; "light the oven 
 fire, then." The oven was as big as a stable, for the Ogre and 
 Ogress ate more bread than would feed two ai-mies. The 
 
238 FINETTE CENDRON. 
 
 Princess made a terrific fire. The oven was as hot as a 
 furnace ; and the Ogre, who was present, waiting for his new 
 bread, ate in the meanwhile a hundred lambs and a hundred 
 little sucking-pigs. Fleur d'Amour and Belle-de-Nuit were 
 making the dough. " Well," said the great Ogre, " is the 
 oven hot?" " You shall see, my Lord," said Finette. She 
 threw in a thousand pounds of butter, and then said to him, 
 " It should be tasted with the tongue, but I am too short to 
 reach it." " I am tall enough," said the Ogre ; and stooping, 
 he thrust his body so far into the oven that he could not 
 recover himself, and so all the flesh was burnt off his bones. 
 When the Ogress came to the oven she was astounded to find 
 her husband a mountain of cinders! 
 
 Fleur d'Amour and Belle-de-Nuit, who saw she was very 
 much distressed, consoled her to the best of their ability, but 
 they feared her grief would too soon subside, and, her appetite 
 returning, she would make a salad of them as she was about 
 to do before. They said to her, " Take comfort. Madam, you 
 will find some king or some marquis who will be delighted to 
 many you." She smiled a little, showing her teeth longer 
 than one's fingers. 
 
 When they saw her in such a good humour, Finette said to 
 her, " If you wovdd throw off" these horrible bear-skins in 
 which you wrap yourself, and follow the fashion, we wiU dress 
 your hair to perfection, and you will look like a star." 
 " Come," said the Ogi-ess, " let us see what thou wouldst do ; 
 but assure thyself that if there be any ladies handsomer than 
 me, I will make minced-meat of thee!" Upon this the three 
 Princesses took off her cap, and began combing and curling 
 her hair, amusing her all the while with their chatter. Finette 
 then taking a hatchet, struck her from behind such a blow 
 that her head was taken clean from her shoulders. 
 
 Never was there such delight! The three Princesses 
 mounted upon the roof of the mansion to amuse themselves 
 by ringing the golden bells. They ran into all the apartments, 
 which were of pearls and diamonds, and the furniture so 
 costly, that they were ready to die with pleasure. They 
 laughed, they sang, they wanted for nothing. There were corn, 
 sweetmeats, fruit, and dolls, in abundance. Fleur d'Amour 
 and Belle-de-Nuit went to sleep in beds of brocade and velvet, 
 and said to each other, " Behold us richer than our father was 
 
FINETTE CENDRON. 239 
 
 when he was in possession of his kingdom ; but we want to be 
 maiTied, and nobody will venture here. This mansion no 
 doubt is considered a cut-throat place, for people are not 
 aware of the death of the Ogre and Ogress. We mxist go to 
 the nearest city, and show ourselves in oiir fine dresses, and 
 we shall soon find some honest bankers who will be very glad 
 to maiTy Princesses." As soon as they were dressed, they 
 told Finette they were going to take a walk ; that she must 
 stay at home and cook, and wash and clean the house, so that 
 on their return they might find everything as it should be : 
 if not, she should be beaten within an inch of her life ! Poor 
 Finette, whose heart was full of grief, remained alone in the 
 house, sweeping, cleaning, washing, without resting, and crying 
 all the time. " How unfortunate," she said, " that I should 
 have disobeyed my godmother! All sorts of evils happen to 
 me; my sisters have stolen my costly dresses, and array 
 themselves in my ornaments. But for me, the Ogre and his 
 wife would be alive and well at this moment. How have I 
 benefited by destroying themi" When she had said this, 
 she sobbed till she was almost choked. Shortly afterwards 
 her sisters returned laden with Portugal oranges, preserves, 
 and sugar. "Ah!" said they to her, "what a splendid ball 
 we have been to ! How it was crowded ! The King's son 
 was amongst the dan cere; we have had a thousand compli- 
 ments paid to us. Come, take our shoes off and clean them, 
 as it is your business to do." Finette obeyed them, and if by 
 accident she let a word drop in the way of complaint, they 
 flew at her, and beat her almost to death. 
 
 The next day they went out again, and returned with an 
 account of new wonders. One evening that Finette was 
 sitting in the chimney corner on a heap of cinders, not 
 knowing what to do, she examined the cracks in the chimney, 
 and found in one of them a little key so old and so dirty that 
 she had the greatest trouble in cleaning it. When she had 
 done so she found it was made of gold, and presuming that a 
 golden key ought to open some beautiful little box, she ran 
 all over the mansion trying it in all the locks, and at length 
 found it fitted that of a casket which was a masterpiece of 
 art. She opened it, and found it full of clothes, diamonds, 
 lace, linen, and ribands, worth immense sums of money. She 
 said not a word of her good luck to her sisters, but waited 
 
240 FINbTl'E CENDllON. 
 
 impatiently for their going out the next day. As soon as 
 they were out of sight she dressed and adorned herself, till she 
 looked more beautiful than the sun and moon together. 
 
 Thus aiTayed, she went to the ball where her sistei-s were 
 dancing, and though she had no mask on,^ she was so changed 
 for the better that they did not know her. As soon as she 
 appeared a murmur arose throughout the assembly; some 
 were full of admiration, others of jealousy. She was asked to 
 dance, and surpassed all the other ladies in grace as mucli as 
 she did in beauty. The mistress of the mansion came to her, 
 and making her a profound curtsy, requested to know her 
 name, that she might always remember with pleasure the 
 appellation of such a marvellously beautiful person. She 
 replied civilly that her name was Cendi'on. There was not a 
 lover who did not leave his mistress for Cendron : not a poet 
 who did not make verses on Cendron. Never did a little 
 name make so much noise in so short a time. The echoes 
 repeated nothing but the praises of Cendron. People had 
 not ej'es enough to gaze upon her, nor tongues enough to 
 extol her. 
 
 Fieur d'Amour and Belle-de-Nuit, who had previouslj' 
 created a great sensation wherever they appeared, obsei-ving 
 the reception accorded to this new comer, were read}' to 
 burst with spite : but Finette extricated herself from all ill- 
 consequences with the best grace in the world. Her mannere 
 appeared those of one born to command. 
 
 Fleur d'Amour and Belle-de-Nuit, who never saw their 
 sister but with her face begrimed with soot from the chimney, 
 and altogether as dii-ty as a dog, had so completely lost all 
 idea of her beauty that they did not recognise her in the 
 least. They paid their court to Cendron, as well as the rest. 
 As soon as she saw the ball was nearly over, she hastened 
 away, returned home, undressed herself quickly, and put on 
 her old rags. When her sisters arrived, " Ah ! Finette," said 
 they to her, "we have just seen a young princess who is per- 
 fectly charming. She is not a young ape such as thou art, 
 she is as white as snow, with a richer crimson than the roses ; 
 her teeth are pearls, her lips coral ; she had a gown on that 
 
 (1) Tlie mask -was a fashionable article of female costume in France, durini? the 
 reign of Louis XIV., and was not entirely disf-arded in England before the eighteenth 
 century. 
 
FINETTE CENDRON. 241 
 
 must have weighed more than a thousand pounds. It was 
 all gold and diamonds. How beautiful! how amiable she 
 is ! " Finette said in a low voice, " So was I ; so was I." 
 " What dost thou mutter there ? " said her sisters. She re- 
 peated in a still lower toue, " So was I ; so was I." This 
 little game was played for some time. There was scai'cely a 
 day that Finette did not appear in a new dress ; for the casket 
 was a fairy one, and the more you took out of it the more 
 there came in, and everything so highly fashionable, that 
 all the ladies dressed themselves in imitation of Finette. 
 
 One evening that Finette had danced more than usual, and 
 had delayed her departure to a later hour, being anxious to 
 make up for lost time and get home a little before her sisters, 
 she walked so fast that she lost one of her slippers, which was 
 of red velvet, embroidered with pearls. She tried to find it 
 in the road, but the night was so dark, her search was in 
 vain, and she entered the house one foot shod and the other 
 not. The next day, Prince Cheri, the King's eldest son, going- 
 out hunting, found Finette's slipper. He had it picked up, 
 examined it, admired its diminutive size and elegance, turned 
 it over and over, kissed it, took care of it and caiTied it home 
 with him. From that day he would eat nothing, he became thin, 
 and altered visibly; was yellow as a quince, melancholy, de- 
 pressed. The King and Queen, who loved him to distraction, 
 sent in every direction for the choicest game and the best 
 sweetmeats. They were less than nothing to him. He looked 
 at it all without uttering a word in reply to his mother when 
 she spoke to him. They seut everywhere for the first phy- 
 sicians, even as f;ir as Paris, and Montpellier.^ When they 
 arrived they saw the Prince, and after watching him for three 
 days and three nights without once losing sight of him, they 
 came to the conclusion that he was in love, and that he would 
 die if they did not find the only remedy for him. The Queen 
 who doted on her son, was nearly dissolved in tears, so great 
 was her grief at not being able to discover the object of his 
 love, that he might marry her. She brought into his apart- 
 ment the most beautiful ladies she could find. He would not 
 
 (1) The School of Medicine of Montpellier is one of the most eminent in Europe, 
 and owes its establishment to the Moorish physicians driven out of Spain by the 
 Christians, a.d. 1186, and received here by the lords of Montpellier. From its first 
 establishment, it has been much resorted to ; and many of the most celebrated 
 French physicians and surgeor.s received their education there. 
 
 R 
 
242 FINETTE CENDRON. 
 
 condescend to look at them. At length she said to him, one 
 day, " My dear son, thou wilt kill me with grief, for thou 
 lovest and concealest from us thy passion. Tell us whom 
 thou lovest, and we will give her to thee, though she should 
 only be a simple shepherdess." The Prince taking courage 
 from the promises of the Queen, drew the slipper from under 
 his bolster, and showing it to her, said, " Behold, Madam, the 
 cause of my malady. I found this little, soft delicate, pretty 
 slipper as I went out to hunt, and I will never marry any one 
 but the woman who can wear it." " Well, my son," said the 
 queen, "do not afflict yourself, we wiU have her sought for." 
 She hastened to the King with this intelligence. He was 
 very much surprised, and ordered immediately that a pro- 
 clamation should be made with sound of drum and trumpet, 
 that all single women should come and try on the slipper, 
 and that she whom it fitted should marry the Priuce. Oii 
 hearing this every one washed their feet with all sorts ot 
 waters, pastes and pommades, some ladies actually had them 
 peeled, and others starved themselves in order to make their 
 feet smaller and prettier. 
 
 They went in crowds to try on the slipper, but not one of 
 them could get it on, and the more they came in vain, the 
 greater was the Piince's affliction. Fleur d'Amour and Belle- 
 de-Nuit dressed themselves one day so superbly, that they 
 were astonishing to look at. " Where can you be going to 1 " 
 asked Finette. " We are going to the great city," replied 
 they, " where the King and Queen reside, to try on the slipper 
 the King's son has found ; for if it should fit either of us, the 
 Prince will marry her, and then my sister or I will be a 
 queen." " And why should not I go ? " said Finette. " Thou 
 art a pretty simpleton, truly," said they; " go, go, and water 
 our cabbages; thou art fit for nothing better." 
 
 Finette thought directly she would put on her finest 
 clothes, and go and take her chance with the rest, for she had 
 a slight suspicion that she should be successful What 
 troubled her was, that she did not know her way ; for the ball 
 at which she had danced was not given in the gi-eat city. 
 She dressed herself magnificently; her gown was of blue satin, 
 covered with stars in diamonds. She had a sun of them in 
 her hair, and a full moon on her back ; and all these jewels 
 shone so brightly, that one couldn't look at her without 
 
FINETTE CENDRON. 243 
 
 winking. When she opened the door to go out, she was 
 much surprised to see the pretty Spanish horse which had 
 carried her to her godmother's. She patted him, and said, 
 "You are most welcome, my little hobby. I am much 
 obliged to my godmother, Merluche." He knelt down, and 
 she mounted upon him like a nymph : he was all covered with 
 golden bells and ribands. His housings and bridle were price- 
 less, and Finette was thirty times more beautiful than fair 
 Helen of Troy. 
 
 The Spanish horse galloped off gaily, his bells went " ting, 
 ting, ting." Fleur d'Amour and Belle-de-Nuit, hearing the 
 sound of them, turned round and saw her coming ; but what 
 was their astonishment at that moment? They knew her to 
 be both Finette and Cendron. They were very much splashed, 
 their fine dresses draggled with mud. "Sister!" cried Fleur 
 d'Amour to Belle-de-Nuit, "I protest here is Finette Cendron." 
 The other echoed the cry ; and Finette passing close to them, 
 her horse splashed them all over, making them a mass of 
 mud. Finette laughed at them, and said, "Your High- 
 nesses, Cendron ^ despises you as you deserve ;" then passing 
 them like a shot, she disappeared. Belle-de-Nuit and Fleur 
 d'Amour looked at each other, "Are we dreaming?" said 
 they; "who could have supplied Finette with clothes and a 
 horse? what miracle is this? Good fortune attends her; she 
 will put on the sUpper, and we shall have made a long journey 
 in vain." 
 
 Whilst they were distressing themselves, Finette arrived at 
 the palace. The moment she appeared everybody thought 
 she was a Queen. The guards presented arms, the drums 
 beat, and the trumpets sounded a flourish ; all the gates were 
 flung open, and those who had seen her at the ball preceded 
 her, crying, " Room ! room ! for the beautiful Cendron, the 
 wonder of the world ! " She entered in this state the apart- 
 ment of the dying Prince. He cast his eyes on her, and 
 eni-aptured at her sight, wished fervently that her foot might 
 be small enough for her to wear the slipper. She put it on 
 instantly, and produced its fellow which she had brought with 
 her on purpose. Shouts immediately arose of " Long live the 
 
 (1) CendnVfon in the French; but vrhether a mistake, or used as a diminutive 
 for " little Cendron," it is curious when we consider the similitude between this part 
 of the story and the Cendrillon of Persault. 
 
 r2 
 
244 FINETTE CENDRON. 
 
 Princess Ch6rie, long live the Princess •who will be our 
 Queen ! " The Prince arose from his couch, and advanced to 
 kiss her hand; she found he was handsome and very intelli- 
 gent. He paid her a thousand delicate attentions. The 
 King and Queen were informed of the event. They came in 
 all haste, and the Queen took Finette in her arms, called her 
 her daughter, her darling, her little Queen ! and made her 
 some magnificent presents, to which the liberal King added 
 many more. They fired the guns ; violins, bagpipes, every 
 sort of musical instrument was set playing; nothing was 
 talked of but dancing and rejoicing. The King, the Queen, 
 and the Prince, begged Cendron to consent to the marriage 
 taking place immediately. " No," said she, " I must first tell 
 you my history," which she did in a few words. When they 
 found that she was a Princess bom, there was another burst 
 of joy, which was almost the death of them ; but when she 
 told them the names of the King and Queen, her father and 
 mother, they recognised them as the sovereigns whose 
 dominions they had conquered. They imparted this fact to 
 Finette, and she immediately vowed she would not consent to 
 marry the Prince until they had restored the estates of her 
 father. They promised to do so, for they had upwards of a 
 hundi-ed kingdoms, and one more or less was not worth 
 talking about. 
 
 In the meanwhile Belle-de-Nuit and Fleur d'Amour arrived 
 at the palace. The first news that greeted them was that 
 Cendron had put on the slipper. They knew not what to do 
 or to say ; they determined to go back again without seeing 
 her; but when she heard they were there, she insisted they 
 should come in, and instead of frowning on them and punish- 
 ing them as they deserved, she rose and advanced to meet 
 them, embraced them tenderly, and then presented them to 
 the Queen, saying to her, " Madam, these are my sisters ; 
 they are very amiable, and I request you will love them." 
 They were so confused at the kindness of Finett-e, that they 
 could not utter a word. She promised them they should 
 return to their own kingdom, which the Prince would restore 
 to their family. At these words they threw themselves on 
 their knees before her, weeping for joy. 
 
 The nuptials were the most splendid that ever were seen. 
 Finette wrote to her godmother and put the letter, accom- 
 
FINETTE CENDRON. 245 
 
 panied with valuable presents, on the back of the pretty 
 Spanish horse, begging her to seek the King and Queen, to tell 
 them their good fortune, and that they had nothing to do but 
 return to their kingdom. The Fairy Merluche acquitted 
 herself very graciously of this commission. The father and 
 mother of Finette were repossessed of their estates, and her 
 sisters became afterwards queens as well as herself 
 
 Revenged on the ungrateful wouldst thou be, 
 Of young Finette pursue the policy. 
 Fresh favours on the undeserving heap ; 
 Each benefit inflicts a wound most deep, 
 Cutting the conscious bosom to the core. 
 Finette's proud, selfish sisters suffer'd more. 
 When by her generous kindness overpower'd. 
 Than if by Ogres they had been devour'd. 
 From her example then this lesson learn. 
 And good for evil nobly still return ; 
 Whate'er the wrong that may thy wrath awake, 
 No grander vengeance for it could'st thou take. 
 
FOETUN^E. 
 
 There was once upon a time a poor husbandman, who, 
 feeling himself at the point of death, did not wish to leave 
 behind him any subjects of dispute between his son and 
 daughter, whom he tenderly loved. So he said to them, 
 " Your mother brought me as a wedding portion two joint- 
 stools and a straw mattrass. There they are with my hen ; also 
 a pot of pinks, and a plain silver ring, which were given me 
 by a great lady who once lived in my poor hut. She said to 
 me at parting, * My good man, there is a present I make you; 
 be careful to well water the pinks and to lock up safely the 
 ring. In addition to this, your daughter shall be incom- 
 parably beautiful. Name her Fortun^e, and give her this 
 ring and these pinks to console her for her poverty.' Thus, 
 continued the good man, my dear Fortunee, you shall have 
 both the one and the other; the rest shall be for your 
 brother." The two children of the husbandman appeared 
 contented ; he died ; they wept, and the division of property 
 was made without an appeal to the law. 
 
 Fortunee thought that her brother loved her, but one day 
 that she had taken one of the stools for a seat, he said with 
 great fierceness, " Keep your pinks and your ring, but do not 
 disarrange my stools ; I like order in my house." Fortunee, 
 who was very gentle, began to weep silently, and remained 
 standing whilst Bedou (that was her brother's name) was 
 seated in state like a judge. Supper time arrived. Bedou 
 had an excellent new-laid egg from his only hen, and he threw 
 the shell at his sister. " There," he said, " I have nothing 
 else to give you ; if that does not suit you, go and hunt for 
 
FOKTlINfiE. 247 
 
 frogs : there are plenty in the neighbouring marsh." Fortun6e 
 made no answer; she only raised her eyes to heaven, wept 
 again, and then went to her own room. She found it filled 
 with perfume, and never doubting that it was the scent of the 
 pinks, she approached them sadly and said, " Beautiful pinks, 
 whose variety is so charming to my sight, you who console 
 my afflicted heart by the sweet perfume you exhale, do not 
 fear that I shall let you want for water, or with cruel hand, 
 that I shall tear you from your stem. I shall cherish you, 
 for you are my only treasures." As she ceased speaking, she 
 looked to see if the plants then required watering — they were 
 very dry. She took her pitcher, and hastened by the light of 
 the moon to the fountain, which was at some distance. As 
 she had walked fast, she sat down by the side of the fountain 
 to rest ; but she had scarcely been there a moment when she 
 saw a lady approaching, whose majestic air was in perfect 
 accordance with the numerous attendants who accompanied 
 her; six maids of honour carried her train, she leant on two 
 others ; her guards walked before her, richly dressed in 
 amaranth velvet, embroidered with pearls. They carried an 
 arm-chair, covered with cloth of gold, in which she seated 
 herself, and a field-canopy which was quickly arranged ; at the 
 same time, they set out the buffet. It was covered with 
 vessels of gold and vases of crystal. They sei-ved an excel- 
 lent supper by the side of the fountain, the sweet murmure 
 of which seemed to accompany a number of voices that sang 
 these words : — 
 
 Softest zeph3rrs fan our groves, 
 Flora garlands every glade ; 
 Happy birds declare their loves 
 Deep within the leafy shade ; 
 Listen to their warblings sweet. 
 And if thy heart with love would beat, 
 Choose amongst the countless swains 
 Who would glory in thy chains. 
 
 Fortun^e remained in a corner, not daring to move, so 
 much was she surprised at all that was passing. In a few 
 moments, this gi'eat Queen said to one of her Equerries, " I 
 fancy I see a shepherdess near that thicket ; let her approach.'' 
 Fortun^e immediately advanced, and though she was naturally 
 timid, she did not omit to make a profound ciutsey to the 
 Queen with so much grace, that those who saw her were per- 
 
248 FORTUNE. 
 
 fectly astonished. She took the hem of the Queen's robe and 
 kissed it, and then stood erect before her, her eyes modestly 
 cast down, and her cheeks coloured with crimson, which 
 heightened the brilliant whiteness of her complexion. It was 
 easy to remark in her manners that simplicity and sweetness 
 which is so charming in young maidens. 
 
 " What are you doing here, pretty girl," said the Queen; " are 
 you not afraid of robbers?" "Alas! Madam," replied For- 
 tun^e, " I have but a linen gown; what would they take from 
 a poor shepherdess like me." "You are not rich, then?" 
 said the Queen, smiling. " I am so poor," answered Fortunee, 
 "that I only inherited from my father a pot of piuks and a 
 silver ring." 
 
 "But you have a heart," said the Queen. "If any one 
 wished to have that, would you give it them ? " "I do not 
 know what it is to give my heart, Madam," she replied ; " I 
 have always understood that without a heart we could not 
 live, that if it is wounded we must die, and notwithstanding 
 my poverty I am not sorry to live." " You are quite right to 
 defend your heart, my child; but tell me," continued the 
 Queen, " have you had a good supper?" " No, Madam," said 
 Fortunee, " My brother ate it all." The Queen commanded 
 a cover to be laid for her, and, desiring her to be seated, 
 helped her to the very best. The young shephei'dess was so 
 lost in admiration, and so charmed with the goodness of the 
 Queen, that she could scarcely eat a morsel. 
 
 " I am very anxious to kiaow," said the Queen, " what has 
 brought you so late to the fountain." " Madam, there is my 
 pitcher, I came to fetch water to water my piuks." Saying 
 this, she stooped to pick up the pitcher which was near her, 
 but as she showed it to the Queen, what was her astonishment 
 to find it was a golden one, covered with lai'ge diamonds, and 
 filled with water which had a delicious perfume. She dared 
 not take it, thinking it could not be hers. " I give it you, 
 Fortunee," said the Queen ; "go and water the flowers you take 
 such care of, and remember that the Queen of the Woods 
 would be numbered amongst your friends." At these words, 
 the shepherdess threw herself at the Queen's feet. " After 
 having offered you my most humble thanks, Madam," she 
 said, "for the honour you have done me, I venture to 
 take the liberty to ask you to remain here a moment, I wish 
 
FORTUNE. 249 
 
 to fetch you the half of my goods— my pot of pinks which 
 can nevei- be in better hands than yours." 
 
 " Go then, Fortunee," said the Queen, gently patttng her 
 cheek, " I consent to remain here till your return." Fortunee 
 took her golden pitcher and ran to her little room, but during 
 her absence Bedou had entered, taken away her pot of pinks, 
 and put in their place a large cabbage. 
 
 When Fortunee saw this wretched cabbage, she was plunged 
 in despair, and hesitated about returning to the fountain at all. 
 At length she determined she would do so, and throwing 
 herself on her knees before the Queen, said, " Madam, Bedou 
 has stolen my flowers ; I have nothing now remaining but my 
 ring; I hope you will accept that in proof of my gratitude." 
 " If I take your I'ing, fair Shepherdess," said the Queen, "you 
 are completely ruined." 
 
 "Ah ! Madam," she answered with an air of great intelligence; 
 " while I possess your good opinion, I can never be ruined." 
 The Queen took the ring, placed it on her finger, and then 
 mounted a car of coml, enriched with emeralds, and dmwn by 
 six white horses more beautiful than the steeds of the sun. 
 
 Fortunee gazed after her as long as she could. At last 
 a turn of the road in the forest hid her from her sight, and 
 she then returned to Bedou's cottage full of this adventure. 
 
 The first thing she did, on entering her chamber, was 
 to throw the cabbage out of window, but she was much 
 astonished to hear a voice cry, "Ah! I am killed." She 
 could not tell what to make of this exclamation, as in general 
 cabbages do not speak. As soon as it was light, Fortunee, 
 uneasy about her pot of pinks, went down into the garden to 
 search for them, and the first thing she found was the unhappy 
 cabbage; she gave it a kick, saying, "What dost thou here, 
 thou that didst presume to take in my chamber the place of 
 my pinks?" " If I had not been carried, it would never have 
 entered my head to go there," replied the cabbage. Fortunee 
 trembled, for she was very much frightened; but the cabbage 
 said again to her, "If you- will cairy me to my companions, 
 I can tell you in two words that your pinks are iu Bedou's 
 straw mattrass." Fortunee, in despair, knew not how to re- 
 cover tliem. She kindly planted the cabbage, and then taking 
 tip her brother's favourite hen, she sjiid to it, " Naughty 
 thing, I will now make you pay for all the misei-y which 
 
250 FORTUNfiE. 
 
 Bedou has caused me." "Ah! Shepherdess," said the hen, 
 " Let me live ; and, as my fancy is to cackle, I will tell you 
 some wonderful things. 
 
 " Do not imagine yourself the daughter of the husbandman 
 who brought you up ; no, beautiful Fortunee, he is not your 
 father; but the Queen who gave you birth had already six 
 girls, and, as if it was in her own power to have a boy, her 
 husband and father-in-law threatened to stab her if she did 
 not bring them a son and heir. The poor Queen was agaip 
 about to become a mother, they shut her up in a castle, and 
 placed round her guards, or more properly speaking, execu- 
 tioners, who had orders to kill her if she gave birth to 
 another daughter. 
 
 " The Queen, trembling at the fate which awaited her, could 
 neither eat nor sleep. She had a sister a fairy. To her she 
 wrote, informing her of her just cause of alarm. The Fairy, 
 who was also near her confinement, knew that she would have 
 a son, and as soon as the boy was bom, she loaded the z;ephyrs 
 with a cradle, in which she put her own son, and ordered 
 them to carry the little prince into the Queen's chamber, and 
 change him for the daughter which would be born to her; but 
 this forethought was of no avail, for the Queen, receiving no 
 answer from her fairy sister, profited by the good- will of one 
 of her guards, who, out of pity, allowed her to escape by a 
 ladder of ropes. 
 
 " As soon as you were in the world, the afflicted Queen, 
 trying to hide herself, came to this cottage nearly dead with 
 grief and fatigue. I was the husbandman's wife, and a good 
 nurse. She gave you in charge to me, and told me her mis- 
 fortunes, by which she was so overwhelmed, that she died 
 without having time to give us any directions respecting 
 what was to be done with you. As I loved gossiping all my 
 life, I could not help telling everybody this adventure; and so 
 one day I told all I knew about it to a beautiful lady who 
 came here. She instantly touched me with a wand, and I 
 became a hen, without power to speak any more. My 
 grief was excessive, and my husband, who was absent at the 
 time of the metamorphose, knew nothing of it. On his 
 return, he looked everywhere for me; finally he thought I 
 .was drowned, or that the beasts of the forest had devoured 
 me. This same lady who had done me so much mischief 
 
roETUN^ 251 
 
 passed by here a second time ; she then ordered him to call 
 you Fortun^e, and made him a present of a pot of pinks and 
 a silver ring; but whilst she was here there arrived five-and- 
 tweuty soldiers of the King, your father, who sought you for 
 evil purposes; she uttered some words, and changed them all 
 into green cabbages. It is one of them you threw out of the 
 window yesterday evening. I never heard him speak till now, 
 nor could I speak myself: I know not how our voices came 
 back to us." The Princess was greatly surprised at the 
 wonders which the hen related to her. She was full of kind 
 feeling towards her, and said, " I pity you very much, my 
 poor nurse, to think you should become a hen ! I would 
 gladly restore you to your own form if I could, but do not 
 despair. It appears to me that all the aflfairs you have just 
 •acquainted me with cannot be allowed to remain as they are 
 at present. I shall go now and look for my pinks, for I love 
 them deai-ly." 
 
 Bedou was gone into the forest, never imagining that 
 Fortunee would think of hunting in his mattrass; she was 
 delighted at his absence, and flattered herself that she would 
 meet with no obstacle, when she suddenly saw an immense 
 number of enormous rats armed for battle. They formed 
 themselves in battalions, having in their rear the famous 
 mattrass and one of the stools on either flank ; many great 
 mice formed a corps de reserve, determined to fight like 
 Amazons. Fortunee, struck with sm-prise, dared not approach. 
 The rats threw themselves on her, and bit her till she was all 
 over blood. " What ! " she exclaimed, " my pinks, my dear 
 pinks, must you remain in such bad company ? " It suddenly 
 occurred to her that perhaps the perfumed water which was 
 in the golden vase might possess a peculiar virtue. She ran 
 to fetch it, and threw some drops of it on the host of rats 
 and mice. Immediately the rascals ran away, each into his 
 hole, and the Princess quickly laid hands on her beautiful 
 pinks, which were nearly dead for want of water. She at 
 once poured on them all the water she had in her golden 
 vase, and was smelling them with much pleasure, when she 
 heard a sweet voice come from amongst the stalks, which said 
 to her, " Incomparable Fortunee, this is the happy day so 
 long wished for, in which I may declare to you my sentiments. 
 Know that the power of your beauty is so great that it can 
 
252 FORTUN^E. 
 
 £ven inspire flowers with love." The Princess, trembling and 
 surprised at having heard a cabbage, a hen, and a pink speak, 
 and seen an army of rats, turned pale and fainted. 
 
 Bedou came in at the moment : labour and the heat of the 
 sun had put him in such a fever, that when he found Fortunee 
 had come to search for her pinks, and had found them, 
 he dragged her to the door and flung her outside. She had 
 scarcely felt the coldness of the earth, before she opened her 
 beautiful eyes and perceived near her the Queen of the 
 Weods charming and magnificent as usual. " You have a bad 
 brother," she said to Fortunee. " I saw with what inhumanity 
 he threw you out here; would you like me to revenge youl" 
 " No, Madam," answered Fortunee ; " I have no feelings of 
 anger, and his bad disposition cannot change mine." " But," 
 rejoined the Queen, " I have a presentiment which assures me 
 that this rough peasant is not your brother; what do you 
 think?" "All appearances persuade me that he is. Madam," 
 replied the Shepherdess modestly, "and I ought to believe 
 them." "What!" continued the Queen, "have you not heard 
 that you were born a princess?" " I have just been told it," 
 she replied ; " but how can I venture to boast of that of 
 which I have no proof?" 
 
 " Ah ! my dear child," replied the Queen, " how I like to 
 see you in this mood ; I know now that the mean education 
 you have received has not extinguished the nobility of your 
 blood. Yes, you are a princess, and it has not been in my 
 power to save you from the misfortunes which you have 
 sufiered up to this hour." She was here interrupted by the 
 appearance of a youth more beautiful than the day. He was 
 attired in a long robe of gold and green silk, fastened by 
 large buttons of emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. He had a 
 crown of pinks, and his hair covered his shoulders. As soon 
 as he saw the Queen, he bent one knee to the ground and 
 saluted her respectfully. " Ha ! my son, my amiable Pink," 
 she said, " the fatal time of your enchantment is over, thanks 
 to the aid of the beautiful Fortun6e; what joy to see 
 you!" She pressed him closely to her bosom, and then 
 tnming to the Shepherdess, " Charming Princess," she said, 
 " I know all that the Hen told you ; but what you do not 
 know is, that the zephyrs whom I had ordered to put my son 
 in your place laid him in a bed of flowers whilst they went 
 
poaiTJNfiE. 253 
 
 to find your mother, who "was my sister. A fairy, from ■whose 
 knowledge it was impossible to conceal anything, and with 
 whom I had quarrelled for some time, watched so well for 
 the moment that she had foreseen from the birth of my son, 
 that she changed him on the spot to a pink, and notwith- 
 standing my science, I could not prevent the misfortune. In 
 the grief in which I was plunged, I employed all my art to 
 discover some remedy, and I could find none better than to 
 bring Prince Pink to the place where you were nursed, 
 foreseeing that when you had watered the flowers with the 
 delicious water I had in the golden vase, he would speak, 
 he would love you, and in future nothing would disturb your 
 happiness. I had also the silver ring which it was necessary 
 I should receive from you, being aware that that would be 
 the sign by which I should know that the hour approached 
 when the spell would lose its force, in spite of the rats and 
 mice whom our enemy would place in battle array to prevent 
 your recovering the Pinks. Thus, my deai* Fortun^e, if my 
 son marries you with this silver ring, your happiness will be 
 permanent. See if this Prince appears sufficiently amiable 
 for you to receive him as a husband." " Madam," replied she 
 blushing, " you overpower me with favours. I know you are 
 my aunt; that, by your power, the guards sent to kill me 
 were metamorphosed into cabbages, and my nurse into a hen ; 
 and that in proposing to me an alliance with Prince Pink, it 
 is the gi'eatest honour you can do me, but shall I tell you 
 the cause of my hesitation 1 I do not know his heart, and 
 I begin to feel for the first time in my life that I could not 
 be happy if he did not love me." 
 
 *•' Banish all uncertainty on that point, sweet Princess," 
 said the Prince. " Long ago you made as much impression 
 on me as you could wish at the present moment, and if 
 the use of my voice had been granted me, what would you 
 not have heard of the passion which consumed me; but 
 I am an unhappy Prince, for whom you can feel only indiffer- 
 ence." He then recited these verses : — 
 
 While but a simple flower to sight, 
 You lavish'd on me every care ; 
 With pleasure mark'd my blossoms bright, 
 With joy Inhaled my fragrance rare. 
 For you I breathed my sweetest sigh, 
 For you my gayest tints display'd. 
 
^54 FORTUNfiE. 
 
 >nd drooping when you were not nigh 
 My passion to express essay'd : 
 Consuming with my secret flame, 
 In silence doom'd so long to languish: 
 With gentle touch you thrill'd my tr&me. 
 With gentle look assuaged my anguish. 
 Sometimes those lovely lips would kiss 
 My leaves, all trembling with emotion. 
 Oh then, to tell thee all my bliss — 
 To prove my grateful heart's devotion — 
 In those sweet moments how I pray'd 
 Some magic power, my fate deploring, 
 Would break the spell upon me laid. 
 My shape, my speech again restoring. 
 My prayer was heard ; once more I find 
 The form, the voice, for which I panted ; 
 But thou art changed! — no longer kind ! 
 Ye gods! my prayer why have ye granted? 
 
 The Princess seemed well pleased with the Prince's gal- 
 lantry. She highly praised the impromptu, and though she 
 was not accustomed to hear verses, she spoke on the subject like 
 a person of good taste. The Queen, who had borne her Shep- 
 herdess's dress with great impatience, touched her, and wished 
 for her the richest clothes that were ever seen. In a moment, 
 her white linen changed to silver brocade, embroidered with car- 
 buncles ; from her high head-dress feU a long veil of gauze, 
 mixed with gold; her black hair was ornamented with a 
 thousand diamonds; and her complexion, whose whiteness 
 was dazzling, assumed so rich a colour, that the Prince could 
 scarcely support its brilliancy. " Ah ! Fortunee, how beautiful 
 and charming you are!" exclaimed he, sighing; "will you be 
 inexorable to my pain 1 " " No, my son," said the Queen ; 
 " your cousin will not resist our prayers." 
 
 While they were thus talking, Bedou, returning to his work, 
 passed them, and seeing Fortunee attired like a goddess, he 
 thought he was dreaming. She called him to her with much 
 kindness, and begged the Queen to have pity on him. 
 "What, after having so ill-treated you?" said she. "Ah! 
 Madam," replied the Princess, " I am incapable of vengeance." 
 The Queen embraced her, and praised the generosity of her 
 sentiments. " To gratify you," she rejoined, " I am going to 
 enrich the ungrateful Bedou." His hut became apalace, well fur- 
 nished, and full of money ; his stools and his mattress remained 
 unchanged to remind him of his former state ; but the Queen 
 of the Woods refined his spirit, amended his manners, 
 
FORTUNE. 255 
 
 and improved his appearance. Bedou then found himself 
 possessed of gratitude. What did he not say to the Queen 
 and Princess, to prove it on tiiis occasion. Finally, by a 
 stroke of the Queen's wand, the cabbages became men, the hen 
 a woman. Prince Pink remained the only person discontented. 
 He was sighing beside the Princess ; he conjured her to take 
 a resolution in his favour. At length she consented ; she had 
 never before seen any loveable object, and all that was most 
 loveable was less so than this Prince. The Queen of the 
 Woods, delighted at so fortunate a marriage, neglected 
 nothing to make it sumptuous. The fetes on this occasion 
 lasted many years, and the happiness of this tender couple as 
 long as they lived. 
 
 One might have guess'd, without a fairy's aid, 
 That Fortunee was bom a throne to grace : 
 The brilliant virtues which adom'd the maid 
 Proved she had sprung from an illustrious race ; 
 For in her veins ran the high blood of worth,' 
 Virtue alone is true nobility. 
 O thou with nought to boast of but thy birth, 
 Learn from my page this lesson with humility. 
 Vainly thou vauntest that ancestral fame 
 Which makes thee bearer of a glorious name ; 
 Vainly thou dreamest the purple robe of pride 
 Thy crimes can justif>', thy follies hide. 
 The wise and good, whatever their estate. 
 Alone have claims to be accounted great. 
 Pomp, wealth, and power, without a noble mind. 
 No place in honour's spotless roll will find. 
 
 (1) 1 presume the "beau sang" to which the countess alludes, as the cause of 
 the "brilliant virtues " of Fortunee, was entirely on the mother's side. The virtue 
 of the poor queen is unquestioned, but that of her royal husband, who threatened 
 to murder her if she did not bring him an heir to his crown, is scarcely of that class 
 which we should call brilliant, even in an " antique Roman." The moral is an ad- 
 mirable one. Its only fault appears to me to be, that it has nothing to do with 
 the story. 
 
BABIOLE. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a Queen who had nothing on 
 earth to wish for to complete her happiness, except children. 
 She talked of nothing else, and continually said that the 
 Fairy Fanferluche having attended at her birth, and not 
 being contented with the Queen, her mother, had put herself 
 into a passion, and condemned her in consequence to nothing 
 but misfortune. 
 
 One day, when she was sitting sadly and alone by the fire- 
 side, she saw come down the chimney a little old woman, 
 about the height of your hand, riding on three bits of rushes. 
 She wore on her head a sprig of hawthorn; her dress was 
 composed of flies' wings; two nut-shells served her for boots; 
 she sailed in the air, and after taking three turns in the 
 room, she stopped before the Queen. " For a long time," 
 said the old woman, " you have been complaining of me, 
 accusing me of all your misfortunes, and making me respon- 
 sible for all that happens to you. You think, Madam, that I 
 am the cause of your having no children. I come now to 
 announce to you that you will have an Infanta,^ but 1 fear 
 she will cost you many tears." "Ah ! noble Fanferluche," 
 said the Queen, " do not refuse me your pity and your aid. 
 I will render you all the services in my power, provided the 
 Princess you promise me shall be my comfort and not my 
 affliction." "Destiny is more powerful than I," replied the 
 Fairy. " All I can do, to show my affection for you, is to 
 give you this white hawthorn ; fasten it to your child's head 
 
 (I) A princess is so called in Spain. 
 
BABIOLE. 257 
 
 the moment she is bom ; it will preserve her from many perils." 
 She gave her the sprig, and vanished like lightning. 
 
 The Queen remained sad and thoughtful. " Why should I 
 ■wish," she said, " for a daughter who will cost me many tears 
 and sighs ? should I not be happier without any children ? " 
 The presence of the King, whom she loved dearly, a little 
 dissipated her grief, and when she found that she should 
 soon become a mother, all her care was to desire her 
 friends, the moment the Princess should be born, to lay 
 on her head the hawthorn flower, which she kept in a box 
 of gold covered with diamonds, as the most valuable thing she 
 possessed. 
 
 At length the Queen gave bii*th to the most beautiful 
 creature that had ever been seen ; they instantly attached to 
 her head the sprig of hawthorn, when, at the same moment, 
 oh! wondrous! she became a little monkey, jumping, running, 
 and skipping about the room just as a monkey would. At 
 this metamorphose all the ladies uttered the most horrible 
 cries, and the Queen, who was more frightened than any one, 
 thought she should have died of despair. She called to them 
 to remove the sprig of hawthorn that they had placed behind 
 the ear ; but after the greatest trouble in catching the little 
 ape, they found it useless to remove the fatal flowers ; she was 
 a monkey still, a confirmed monkey, refusing to be nursed 
 like a child, and would eat nothing but nuts and chestnuts. 
 "Rirbarous Fanferluche," said the Queen, sadly, "what 
 luave I done to thee that thou shouldst use me thus? "VVTiat 
 will become of me I what a disgrace to me ! all my subjects 
 will think I have given birth to a monster. What will be 
 the King's hon-or at such a child ! " She wept, and prayed 
 the ladies to advise her how to act in such an emergency, 
 " Madam," said the oldest of her attendants, " you must 
 persuade the King that the Princess is dead, and then shut 
 up this ape in a box, and sink it to the bottom of the sea ; for 
 it would be horrible to preserve any longer a little brute of 
 such a kind." The Queen found it difficult to agree to this 
 proposal, but as they told her the King was coming to her 
 apartments, she was so confused and agitated, that without 
 further deliberation she told her maid of honour to do what 
 she pleased with the monkey. 
 
 They took it into another room, shut it up in a box, and 
 s 
 
258 BABIOLE. 
 
 desired one of the valets-de-chambre to throw it into the 
 sea. He instantly departed on his en-and. 
 
 Behold the Princess exposed to extreme danger ! The man, 
 however, thinking the box beautiful, was sorry to deprive 
 himself of it ; so he seated himself on the sea-shore, and took 
 out the ape, determining to kill it, (for he did not know it was 
 his sovereign,) but whilst he had hold of it, a great noise 
 which startled him obliged him to turn his head, when he saw 
 an open chariot drawn by six unicorns, resplendent with gold 
 and precious stones. It was preceded by a military band. 
 A Queen crowned, and in a royal mantle, was seated in the 
 chariot on cushions of cloth of gold, and she held in her 
 arms her son, a child of four years old. 
 
 The valet recognised this Queen as the sister of his mistress. 
 She had come to see and rejoice with her, but when she found 
 the little Princess was dead, she departed sadly to return to 
 her kingdom. She was lost in thought, when her son cried, 
 " I want that monkey ! I will have it." The Queen, looking 
 up, beheld the prettiest monkey that ever was seen. The 
 valet endeavoured to escape, but he was prevented. The 
 Queen ordered a large sum to be given him for the monkey ; 
 and finding it gentle and playful, she named it Babiole ; thus, 
 notwithstanding her hard fate, the Princess fell into the hands 
 of her own aunt. 
 
 When the Queen arrived in her own dominions, the little 
 Prince begged her to give him Babiole for a playmate. He 
 desired she should be dressed like a Princess ; so every day they 
 made her new dresses, and they taught her to walk only on her 
 feet. It was impossible to find a prettier or more agreeable 
 little monkey; her little face was as black as a jackdaw's, 
 with a white ruff round her neck, and tufts of flesh colour at 
 her ears. Her httle paws were not bigger than biitterflies' 
 wings, and her sparkling eyes indicated so much intelligence, 
 that there was no need for astonishment at anything she did. 
 
 The Prince, who loved her very much, petted her un- 
 ceasingly ; she would never bite him, and when he wept, she 
 wept too. She had been already four years with the Queen, 
 when, one day, she began to stammer like a child trying to 
 talk. Every body wondered at her, and they were still more 
 astonished when she began to speak in a voice so clear and 
 distinct that every word was intelligible. Marvellous ! Babiole 
 
r 
 
 BABIOLE, 259 
 
 speaking ! Babiole a reasoning creature ! The Queen would 
 have her again, to amuse her ; they therefore carried her to 
 her Majesty's apartments, greatly to the grief of the Prince. 
 He began to weep ; and, to console him, they gave him cats 
 and dogs, birds and squirrels, and even a pony, called Cri- 
 quetin, which danced a saraband;^ but all this was to him 
 not worth one word from Babiole. 
 
 On her side, she was under greater constraint with the 
 Queen than with the Prince: they required her to answer 
 like a Sibyl to a hundred ingenious and learned questions to 
 which she could not always reply. When an ambassador or 
 a stranger arrived, they made her appear in a robe of velvet or 
 brocade with bodice and collar. If the Court was in mourn- 
 ing, she had to drag after her a long mantle of crape, which 
 fatigued her very much. They did not allow her to eat what 
 she liked, the physician always ordering her dinner, which 
 did not at all please her, as she was as self-willed as an ape 
 bom a princess might be expected to be. The Queen gave her 
 masters who tried the powers of her intellect most thoroughly. 
 She excelled in playing on the harpsichord ; they had made 
 her a wonderful one in an oyster shell. Painters came from 
 all quarters of the world, and especially from Italy, to take 
 her likeness. Her renown spread from pole to pole, for no 
 one had ever heard of a monkey endued with speech. 
 
 The Prince, as beautiful as the picture of the god of love, 
 graceful and witty, was not less a prodigy. He came to see 
 Babiole, and sometimes . amused himself with talking to her; 
 their conversation often changed from gay to grave, for Babiole 
 had a heart, and that heart was not metamorphosed like the 
 rest of her Uttle body. She became, therefore, deeply 
 attached to the Prince, and he in return became only too fond 
 of her. 
 
 The unfortunate Babiole did not know what to do; she 
 passed her nights on the top of a window shutter, or on a 
 comer of the chimney-piece, without a wish to enter the 
 basket prepared for her, which was soft, and well lined with 
 wadding and feathers. Her governess (for she had one) often 
 heard her sighing, and sometimes complaining; her melan- 
 choly became deeper as her reason increased, and she never 
 saw herself in a looking-glass without tiying, out of vexation, 
 
 (1) A dance originally Moorish. 
 
 s2 
 
280 BABIOLE. 
 
 to break it, so that people constantly said, " A monkey will 
 always be a monkey; Babiole cannot rid herself of the mis- 
 chief natural to her species." 
 
 The Prince growing up, became fond of hunting, dancing, 
 plays, arms, and books, and no longer even mentioned the 
 poor little ape. Things were very different on her side of the 
 question ; she loved him better at twelve years old than she 
 had at six, and sometimes reproached him with his neglect, 
 while he thought that he made up for everything when he 
 gave her a choice apple or some sugared chestnuts. 
 
 At last Babiole's reputation reached even the kingdom of 
 the monkeys, and King Magot conceived a great wish to 
 marry her. With this intention he sent a notable embassy 
 to obtain her from the Queen; his prime minister had no 
 difficulty in understanding his wishes, but would have been 
 at great trouble in expressing them, had it not been for the 
 assistance of the parrots and pies, vulgarly called "mags," 
 who chattered not a little, while the jackdaws, who followed 
 in the suite, would not suffer themselves to be outdone in 
 noise. 
 
 A huge monkey, named Mirlifiche was chief of the embassy ; 
 he had a carriage made for him of cardboard, and on it were 
 painted the loves of King Magot and the ape Monette, well 
 known in the empire of the Monkeys ; she, poor thing, had met 
 a tragic end from the claws of a wild cat, who was by no means 
 accustomed to her tricks. There was painted the happiness 
 of Magot and Monette during their marriage, and the natural 
 grief he had displayed at her death. Six white rabbits, from 
 a capital waiTen, drew the carriage called by way of distinc- 
 tion the state coach. After this came a chariot made of straw, 
 painted in different colours, and containing the apes destined 
 to attend on Babiole ; it was worth anything to see how they 
 were adorned, in fact they looked as if they were going to a 
 wedding. The rest of the cortege was composed of little 
 spaniels, greyhounds, Spanish cats, Muscovy rats, some 
 hedgehogs, cunning weasels, and dainty foxes; some drew the 
 carriages, others carried the baggage. Above all, Mirlifiche, 
 graver than a Roman dictator, and wiser than Cato himself, 
 bestrode a leveret, that ambled along more easily than any 
 English gelding. 
 
 The Queen knew nothing of this magnificent embassy until 
 
I 
 
 BABIOLE. 261 
 
 it arrived at her palace, but the shouts of laughter fi*om the 
 guards and people inducing her to put her head out of window, 
 she beheld the most extraordinary sight she had ever seen in 
 her life. Mirhfiche, followed by a considerable number of 
 monkeys, advanced towards the chariot of the apes, and, 
 giving his paw to the largest, called Gigona, assisted her to 
 descend ; then letting fly the little parrot, who was to serve 
 as interpreter, he waited until this beautiful bird had presented 
 itself to the Queen and demanded an audience for him. 
 
 PeiToquet, raising himself gently in the air, came to the 
 window out of which the Queen was looking, and in a tone of 
 voice the prettiest in the world said, " Madam, his excellency 
 the Count De MirliBche, ambassador from the celebrated 
 Magot, king of the monkeys, demands an audience of your 
 Majesty, to treat of a most important affair." " Beautiful 
 parrot," said the Queen, caressing him, " first take something 
 to eat and to drink, and then I will allow you to go and tell 
 Count Mirlifiche I bid him most welcome to my kingdom, he 
 and all who accompany him. If his journey from Magotia 
 hither has not too much fatigued him, he may shortly enter 
 my audience chamber, where I shall await him on my throne, 
 with all my court." At these words Perroquet kissed his 
 claw twice, flapped his pinions, sang a little air, expressive of 
 his delight, and taking wing again perched on the shoulder of 
 Mirlifiche and whispered to him the favourable reply he had 
 received. Mirlifiche was not insensible of the kindness. He 
 immediately requested one of the Queen's officers, through 
 the magpie, Margot, who had installed herself as sub-inter- 
 preter, to show him into an apartment, where he might repose 
 for a few moments. They immediately opened a saloon paved 
 with marble, painted and gilded, which was one of the best in 
 the palace. He entered it with part of his suite, but as 
 monkeys are always great ferreters by profession, they found 
 a certain comer in which had been arranged a quantity of jars 
 of presences. Behold the gluttons at them. One has a 
 crystal cup full of apricots, another a bottle of syrup — this 
 one a patty, that one some almond cakes. The winged gentry 
 who made up the cortege were much annoyed to be spectators 
 of a feast in which there was neither hempseed nor millet- 
 seed, and a jackdaw, who was a great chatterer, flew to the 
 audience chamber, and, respectfully approaching the Queen, 
 
262 BABIOLE. 
 
 said, " Madam, I am too devoted a servant of your Majesty's 
 to be a willing accomplice in the havoc which is being made 
 in your very nice sweetmeats. Count Mirlifiche himself has 
 already eaten three boxes full. He was crunching the fourth 
 without any respect to your royal Majesty, when, touched to 
 the heart, I came to inform your Majesty of it." " I thank 
 you, my little friend Jackdaw," said the Queen, smiling, " but 
 I can dispense with your zeal about my sweetmeats ; I aban- 
 don them in favour of Babiole, whom I love with all my heart." 
 The jackdaw, a little ashamed at having made a great noise 
 ibr nothing, retired without another word. The ambassador 
 with his suite shortly after entered the apartment. He was 
 not dressed precisely in the height of the fashion, for since the 
 return of the famous Fagotin,^ who had cut such a figure in 
 the world, they had never seen a good model. He had a 
 peaked hat, with a plume of green feathers in it, a shoulder 
 belt of blue paper covered with gold spangles, large canions,^ 
 aad a walking stick. Perroquet, who passed for a tolerably 
 good poet, having composed a very grave hai-angue, advanced 
 to the foot of the throne where the Queen was seated, and 
 addressed Babiole thus : — 
 
 " Madam, the wondrous power of your eyes 
 In great Magot's fond passion recognise ! 
 These apes, these cats, this equipage so rare, — 
 , These bir^s — all, all, his ardent flame declare ! 
 
 When 'neath a mountain cat's fierce talons fell 
 Monette, (the beauteous ape he loved so well, 
 And who alone could be compared to you,) 
 When to her spouse she bade a last adieu. 
 The king a hundred times swore by her shade, 
 That love should never more his heart invade. 
 Madam, your charms have from that heart effaced 
 The tender image his first love had traced. 
 Of you alone he thinks. If you but knew 
 The state of frenzy he is driven to ; 
 To pity surely moved, your gentle breast 
 Would share his pain, and so restore his rest. 
 He whom we saw of late so fat, so gay, 
 Now worn to skin and bone, a constant prey 
 To a consuming care nought can remove. 
 Madam, he knows too well what 'tis to love ! 
 
 (1) The name generally given to a dressed-up monkey, " Singe habille." 
 
 (2) Canons, or canions, were rows or rolls of ribands at the knees of the breeches 
 worn in the days of Henry III. of France, and our Elizabeth; the name appears 
 afterwards to have been transmitted to the lace frills that were worn below the knees, 
 temp Louis XIV. — See Mclifere's " Les Precieuses Ridicules," scene x. 
 
BABIOLE. 268 
 
 Olives and nuts, his favourite food of yore, 
 Insipid seem — are relish'd now no more. 
 He dies ; your help alone we come to crave, — 
 'Tis you alone can snatch him from the grave. 
 I scorn to tempt you by the grosser bait 
 Of the choice fare within our happy state, 
 Where grapes and figs are in profusion found. 
 And all the finest fruit the whole year round." 
 
 Perroquet had scarcely finished his oration when the Queen 
 turned her eyes on Babiole, who felt more disconcerted than 
 anybody had ever been before. The Queen wished to ascertain 
 her sentiments before she replied. She told the parrot to 
 make his excellency the ambassador understand that she 
 favoured the King's pretensions as far as it depended on 
 herself. The audience over, she retired, and Babiole followed 
 her into her closet. " My little ape," said the Queon to her, 
 " I acknowledge that I shall regret thy absence, but there is no 
 way of refusing Magot, who asks thy hand in marriage, for I 
 have not yet forgotten that his father brought two hundred 
 thousand monkeys into the field against me, and they ate so 
 many of my subjects that we were obliged to agree to a shame- 
 ful peace." "That means, then. Madam," replied Babiole, 
 impatiently, " that you are resolved to sacrifice me to this 
 horrid monster to avoid his anger ; but I supplicate your 
 Majesty at least to grant me a few days to make up my mind 
 finally." " That is but just," said the Queen; " nevertheless, if 
 you will take my advice, decide promptly; consider the honours 
 prepared for thee, the magnificence of the embassy, and what 
 maids of honour he sends thee. I am sure that Magot never 
 did for Monette what he has done for thee." " I do not know 
 what he has done for Monette," said little Babiole, indig- 
 nantly, " but I know well that I am not greatly touched by 
 the sentiments with which he honours me." She rose 
 instantly, and with a graceful curtsey went to search for 
 the Prince, to tell him her troubles. As soon as he saw her, 
 he exclaimed, " Well, Babiole, when are we to dance at your 
 wedding ? " "I do not know, Sir," said she, sadly ; " but the 
 deplorable state I am in renders me incapable of keeping my 
 own secrets, and however my delicacy may suffer, I must 
 own to you that you are the only person I could take for a 
 husband." " Me ! " said the Prince, bursting into a loud 
 laugh, " for a husband ! My little ape, I am charmed at 
 
264 EABIOLE. 
 
 what you tell me, yet I hope you will pardon me if I do not 
 accept your proposal, for, in short, our figures, tastes, and 
 manners are not quite suitable." " I agree with you," she 
 said, "and our hearts also are unlike; you are an ingrate; 
 for a long time I have suspected it, and I am very foolish to 
 feel an affection for a prince who so little deserves it." 
 
 " But, Babiole, think of the misery with which I should 
 see you perched on the top of a sycamore, holding on to a 
 branch by your tail. Take my advice ! laugh at this affair, 
 for your honour and mine. Marry King Magot, and for old 
 friendship's sake, send me your first little monkey." " It is 
 well for you, my Lord," added Babiole, "that I have not 
 exactly the disposition of an ape ; any other than I would 
 have already scratched out your eyes, bitten off your nose, 
 and torn off your ears, but I abandon you to the reflections 
 that you will one day make on your unworthy conduct." She 
 could say no more, for her governess came to fetch her; the 
 Ambassador Mirlifiche, having taken to her apartments some 
 magnificent presents. There was a toilette, composed of a 
 spider's web embroidered with little glowworms; an egg-shell 
 held the combs, and a white-heart cherry served for a pin- 
 cushion, all the linen being trimmed with lace paper. There 
 were besides in a basket several shells neatly arranged ; some 
 to serve for earrings, others for bodkins, and all brilliant as 
 diamonds; and what was much better, there were a dozen 
 boxes filled with comfits, and a little glass coffer, containing 
 a nut and an olive, but the key was lost. Babiole, however, 
 cared little about it. The Ambassador informed her in a 
 grumbling tone, the language used in Magotia, that his King 
 was more touched by her chai'ms than by those of any monkey 
 he had ever seen in his life ; that he had had a palace built for 
 her in the top of a fir-tree ; that he had sent her these presents 
 and also some excellent sweetmeats, as a mark of his attach- 
 ment, so that the King, his master, could not better testify his 
 affection. " But," continued he, " the strongest proof of his 
 tenderness, and the one of which you ought to be the most 
 sensible, is, Madam, the care he has taken to have his portrait 
 painted as a foretaste of the pleasure you will have in seeing 
 him." He thereupon displayed the portrait of the King of the 
 Monkeys, seated on a great log of wood, and eating an apple. 
 
 Babiole turned her eyes away, that they might not be 
 
\ 
 
 BABIOLE. 265 . 
 
 longer offended by such a disagreeable figure, and grumbling 
 three or four times she made Mirlifiche understand that she 
 was obliged to his master for his esteem, but that she had 
 not yet determined whether she should marry or not. 
 
 Meantime the Queen had resolved not to draw on herself the 
 anger of the monkeys, and not thinking it necessary to stand 
 on much ceremony in sending Babiole where she chose her to 
 go, prepared everything for her departure. At this news 
 despair took complete possession of poor Babiole's heart ; the 
 contempt of the Prince on one hand, the indifference of the 
 Queen on the other, and more than all, such a husband, made 
 her resolve to fly. It was not a very difficult matter j since 
 she had spoken they no longer tied her up; she went out and 
 came in and entered her room as often by the window as by 
 the door. She hurried, therefore, away, jumping from tree to 
 tree, from branch to branch, till she came to the banks of a 
 river. The excess of her despair prevented her from compre- 
 hending the peril she should incur by attempting to swim 
 across, and without pausing even to look at it, she flung her- 
 self in, and immediately went to the bottom; but as she did 
 not lose her senses, she perceived a magnificent grotto, orna- 
 mented with shells. She entered it quickly, and was received 
 by a very old man, whose long white beard descended to his 
 waist : he was reclining on a couch of reeds and flags, and 
 was crowned with poppies and wild lilies, and was leaning 
 against a rock, out of which flowed several fountains which 
 fed the river. " Ah ! what brings thee here, little Babiole?" 
 said he, holding out his hand to her. " My Lord," she replied, 
 " I am an unfortunate ape ! I am flying from a horrible 
 monkey, whom they want me to marry." " I know more of 
 thy history than thou thinkest," added the wise old man ; 
 "it is true thou dost abhor Magot, but it is no less true 
 that thou lovest a young- Prince, who treats thee with indif- 
 fei-ence." " Ah, Sir," cried Babiole, sighing, " do not speak 
 of it ; the thought of him augments all my woes." " He 
 will not always be a rebel to love," continued the guest of 
 the fishes ; " I know he is reserved for the most beautiful 
 princess in the world." " Unfortunate that I am," continued 
 Babiole, "he then can never be mine." The good man 
 smiled, and said to her, " Do not distress thyself, my good 
 Babiole, time is a great master; only take care not to lose 
 
266 BABIOLE. 
 
 the little glass coffer which Magot sent thee, and which by 
 chance thou hast in thy pocket. I cannot say more to thee 
 on the subject : here is a tortoise who goes a very good pace; 
 seat thyself on him, and he will conduct thee whither thou 
 shouldst go." " After all the obligations you have conferred 
 on me," said Babiole, " I cannot leave you without inquiring 
 your name." " They caU me Biroquoi," he said, " father of 
 Biroquie — a river, as you see, large enough and famous 
 enough." Babiole mounted the tortoise with perfect con- 
 fidence; they travelled for some time on the water, and at 
 last, after what appeared a long round, the tortoise gained the 
 bank. 
 
 It would be difficult to find anything more noble looking 
 than the English saddle and the rest of the harness of the 
 tortoise, complete even to the little pistols in the saddle bow, 
 the pockets of which were made of two bodies of crabs. 
 
 Babiole travelled on, entirely confiding in the promises of 
 Biroquoi, when on a sudden she heard a rather loud noise ; 
 Alas ! alas ! it was the ambassador Mirlifiche, with all his 
 followers, who were returning to Magotia, sad and afflicted at 
 the flight of Babiole. A monkey of the troop had climbed 
 a walnut-tree at dinner time, to knock down the nuts to feed 
 the Magotins ; but he had hardly reached the top of the tree 
 when, looking about him, he saw Babiole on the poor tortoise, 
 who was travelling slowly in the open country. At this 
 sight he began to scream so loud that the assembled monkeys 
 asked him in their language what was the matter ; he told 
 them, and they immediately let loose the parrots, pies, and jays, 
 who flew to the spot and identified her, and on their report 
 that it really was Babiole, the Ambassador, the apes and the 
 rest of the party ran after and seized her. 
 
 What a misfortune for Babiole! It would be difficult to have 
 met with a greater or more grievous one. They made her 
 enter the state coach, which was immediately surrounded by 
 the most vigilant apes, some foxes, and a cock, the latter of 
 whom mounted on the imperial and stood sentinel day and 
 night. A monkey led the tortoise as a rare animal, and thus 
 the cavalcade continued its journey, to the great distress of 
 Babiole, who had no other companion than Madame Gigona, 
 a sour-tempered and ill-natured ape. 
 
 At the end of three days, during which nothing particular 
 
BABIOLE. 267 
 
 occurred, the guides having missed their way, the cavalcade 
 arrived at a large and beautiful city totally unknown to 
 them, but perceiving a beautiful garden, the gate of which 
 was open, they entered and ravaged it as if it was a conquered 
 country. One cracked nuts, another swallowed cherries, a 
 third stripped a plum-tree; in short, down to the smallest 
 monkey in the train, there was not one that did not go plun- 
 dering and pocketing. 
 
 Now, you must know that this city was the capital of the 
 kingdom in which Babiole was bom, that the Queen her 
 mother, resided in it, and that ever since she had the misfor- 
 tune to see^her daughter changed into an ape by the sprig of 
 hawthorn, she had never suffered in her dominions any ape, 
 monkey, baboon, or anything in fact that could recal the 
 fatal circumstance to her mind. A monkey was looked upon 
 there as a disturber of the public peace. What, then, was 
 the astonishment of the people at the arrival of a card coach, 
 a chariot of painted straw, and all the rest of the most ex- 
 traordinary equipage that has ever been seen since stories 
 were stories, and fairies fairies. 
 
 The news flew to the palace. The Queen was appalled ; 
 she imagined that the monkey people had designs against her 
 throne. She called a council immediately, and the whole of 
 tlie intruders were pronounced guilty of high treason : de- 
 termined, therefore, to make such an example of them as 
 should be a warning to all for the future, she sent her guards 
 into the garden with orders to seize all the monkeys. They 
 threw large nets over the trees ; the hunt was soon over, and 
 notwithstanding the respect due to the quality of an ambas- 
 sador, the character was sadly outraged in the person of 
 Mirlifiche, whom they consigned without the least remorse 
 to the depths of a dungeon, in which he was placed under a 
 large empty puncheon with the rest of his comrades, together 
 with the lady apes and miss monkeyswho accompanied Babiole. 
 Babiole hei-self experienced a secret gratification in this new 
 misfortune. When unhappiness attains a certain point, 
 nothing further alarms us, and even death, perhaps, is looked 
 forward to as a boon. Such was her situation — her heart, 
 tortured by the recollection of the Prince, who had despised 
 her, and her mind by the frightful image of King Magot, 
 whose wife she was about to become. 
 
268 BABIOLE. 
 
 Now we must not forget to say that her dress was so 
 pretty and her manners so superior that those who had made 
 her prisoner could not help considering her something won- 
 derful, and when she spoke their surprise was still greater. 
 They had often heard mention of the admirable Babiole. The 
 Queen, who had found her, and was ignorant of the transfor- 
 mation of her niece, had frequently written to her sister that 
 she had a wonderful ape, and begged her to come and see itj 
 but the afflicted mother always skipped such passages in her 
 letters. At length the guards, in ecstasies of delight, carried 
 Babiole into a great gallery where they erected a little throne, 
 on which she seated herself with the air of a sovereign more 
 than that of a captive ape, and the Queen happening to pass 
 through the gallery, was so struck with surprise at her pretty 
 mien, and the graceful salutation she made her, that, despite 
 hereelf, nature spoke in favovir of the Infanta. 
 
 The Queen took Babiole in her anns. The little creature, 
 herself agitated by feelings till then unknown to her, threw 
 herself on the Queen's neck, and said to her such tender and 
 winning things, that all those who heard her were full of 
 admiration. " No, Madam," she said, " it is not the fear of 
 approaching death (with which I am told you threaten the 
 unfortunate race of monkeys) that induces me to seek means 
 to please and propitiate you ; the termination of my existence 
 is not the greatest misfortune that can befal me, and my 
 feelings are so far above the thing I am, that I should regret 
 the least step that might be taken to save me. It is for your- 
 self alone that I love you, Madam; your crown affects me 
 much less than your merits." 
 
 Now what reply, in your opinion, could anybody make to 
 so polite and respectful a Babiole 1 The Queen, as mute as a 
 fish, opened her two great eyes, imagined she was dreaming, 
 and felt her heart excessively agitated. She carried Babiole 
 into her cabinet. "When they were alone she said to her, 
 " Delay not a moment the relation to me of thy adventures, 
 for I feel satisfied that of all the animals that stock my 
 menageries, and that I keep in my palace, I shall love thee 
 the best. I promise thee even, that for thy sake I will par- 
 don the monkeys that accompany thee." " Ah! Madam," said 
 Babiole, " I do not intercede for them. It has been my mis- 
 fortune to be bom an ape, and the same cruel fate has given 
 
BABIOLE. 269 
 
 me an understanding which will be my torment as long as I 
 live ; for what must I feel when I see myself in a looking 
 glass, a little ugly black creature, with paws covered with 
 hair, a tail, and teeth always ready to bite, and at the same 
 time know that I am not without intelligence, that I possess 
 some taste, refinement, and feeling." " Art thou susceptible 
 of love?" asked the Queen. Babiole sighed without replying, 
 "Oh!" continued the Queen. "I pmy thee tell me if thou 
 lovest a monkey, a i-abbit, or a squirrel, for if thou ai-t not 
 positively engaged, I have a dwarf who would be the very 
 husband for thee." Babiole at this proposition assumed an 
 air of indignation, which made the Queen burst out laughing. 
 " Don't be angry," said she; "and tell me by what chance it 
 is that thou hast the power of speech?" " All that I know 
 of my history," said Babiole, " is that the Queen your sister, 
 had scarcely left you after the birth and death of the Princess 
 your daughter, than she saw, on the sea-shore, one of your 
 valets-de-chambre, who was about to drown me. I was 
 snatched from his grasp by her orders, and by a miracle 
 which astonished everybody I found myself possessed of the 
 power of speech and reason. Masters were given to me to 
 teach me several languages, and how to play on various in- 
 struments ; at length, Madam, I became aware of my misfor- 
 tune, and, — but what is the matter, Madam?" cried she, 
 observing the Queen's fece perfectly pallid, and covered with 
 cold perspiration. "I perceive an extraordinary change in 
 your countenance?" "I am dying," said the Queen, in a 
 feeble voice, and scarcely able to articulate. " I am dying, 
 my dear and too unhappy child ! Ah ! have I then found 
 thee to- day?" As she uttered these words she &inted- 
 Babiole, much alarmed, ran to call for help. The ladies in 
 waiting on the Queen hastened to give her some water, to 
 unlace her, and put her to bed. Babiole smuggled herself 
 into bed with her. No one noticed it, she was so very little. 
 
 When the Queen recovered from the long swoon into which 
 the Princess's account of herself had thrown her, she desired 
 to be left alone with the ladies who knew the secret of the 
 fatal birth of her daughter. She told them what had occurred ; 
 at which they were so amazed that they knew not what 
 advice to give her. 
 
 She commanded them, however, to say what they thought 
 
270 BABIOLE. 
 
 it -would be best to do in so sad a conjuncture. Some sug- 
 gested that the ape should be smothered, others were for 
 shutting it up in some hole, and a third party proposed send^ 
 ing it again to be drowned in the sea. The Queen wept and 
 Bobbed, and said, " She has so much good sense, what a pity 
 to see her reduced by a magic bouquet to this miserable con- 
 dition. But after all," she continued, " it is my child. It is 
 I who have drawn down upon her the wrath of the wicked 
 Fanferluche ; is it just she should suffer for the hate that feiry 
 bears to me ? " 
 
 " Yes, Madam," said her old maid of honour, " you must 
 protect your own fame. What would the world think of you 
 if you declared youi-self the mother of a monkey Infanta. It 
 is not natural for one so handsome as you are to have such 
 children." 
 
 The Queen lost all patience at such reasoning, whilst the 
 old lady and the others all insisted with equal warmth that 
 the little monster ought to be exterminated. Finally the 
 Queen determined to have Babiole locked up in a chateau, 
 where she could be well fed and well treated for the rest of 
 her days. 
 
 When the Princess heard the Queen express her resolution 
 to put her in prison, she slipped quietly out at the side of the 
 bed, and leaping from a window on to a tree in the garden, 
 escaped into the great forest, and left everybody wondering 
 what had become of her. 
 
 She passed the night in the hollow of an oak, where she 
 had time to moralize on the cruelty of her destiny; but what 
 gave her the most pain was the necessity she was under of 
 quitting the Queen. Still she preferred a voluntary exile 
 which left her the enjoyment of her liberty, to remaining a 
 captive for ever. 
 
 As soon as it was light she continued her journey, without 
 knowing where to go, turning in her mind over and over 
 agcin a thousand times, this strange, this most extraordi- 
 nary adventure. " What a difference," she exclaimed, " be- 
 tween that which I am, and that which I ought to have been !" 
 The tears flowed fast from the little eyes of poor Babiole. 
 
 Every morning at daybreak she resumed her flight. She 
 feared the Queen would have her pursued, or that some of 
 the monkeys, escaped from the cellar, would seize and carry 
 
BABIOLE. 271 
 
 her against her will to King Magot. She fled so far without 
 following road or track, that at length she came to a great 
 desert, in which was to be found nor house nor tree, nor 
 fruit, nor herb, nor fountain. She entered upon it without 
 reflection, and when she became hungry, she discovered, but 
 too late, how imprudent it was to travel through such a 
 country. 
 
 Two nights and two days elapsed without her being able 
 to catch even a worm or a gnat. The fear of death came 
 over her. She was so weak that she felt fainting. She 
 stretched herself on the ground, and recollecting the olive 
 and the nut that were still in the little glass box, she thought 
 she might make on them a slender meal. Encouraged by 
 this ray of hope she took up a stone, broke the box to pieces, 
 and began to eat the olive. 
 
 But scarcely had she bitten it when out ran a flood of 
 fragrant oil, which falling on her paws they became the most 
 beautiful hands in the world. Her surprise was extreme. 
 She took some of the oil in her hands and rubbed herself all 
 over with it. A miracle ! She made herself so beautiful 
 that nothing in the universe could be compared to her. She 
 felt she had large eyes, a small mouth, a handsome nose — 
 she was dying to see herself in a glass ; at last it occuiTed to 
 her to make one out of the largest piece of her broken box. 
 Oh, when she saw herself, what delight ! What an agreeable 
 surprise ! Her clothes had enlarged with herself Her head 
 was well dressed, her hair was in a thousand curls ; her com- 
 plexion was as blooming as the flowers of spring. 
 
 The first moments of her surprise over, the cravings of 
 hunger became more urgent, and her distress on that score 
 greatly increased. " Ah," said she, " so young and handsome, 
 a princess bom as I am, must I perish in this sad spoti Oh, 
 cruel fortune that has brought me hither, what hast thou in 
 store for me? Is it to heap more aflliction upon me, that thou 
 hast effected this charming and unhoped-for change in my 
 person? And thou, too, venerable river Biroquoi, who so 
 generously saved my life, wilt thou leave me to perish in this 
 frightful desert?" 
 
 The Infanta vainly cried for help. Every power was deaf 
 to her voice, and the torments of hunger increased to such a 
 degree that she took the nut and cracked it : but as she flung 
 
272 BABIOLE. 
 
 away the shell, she was greatly astonished to see coming out 
 of it, architects, painters, masons, upholsterers, sculptoi-s, and 
 workmen in a thousand other crafts. Some drew plans of a 
 palace, others built it, others furnished it, Tiiese painted the 
 apartments, those laid out the gardens. Blue and gold met 
 the eye in every direction. A magnificent repast was served 
 up: sixty princesses dressed finer than queens, led by squires, 
 and followed by their pages, came and paid her the highest 
 compliments, and invited her to the banquet which awaited 
 her. Babiole immediately, without waiting to be pressed, 
 entered the saloon, and wdth the air of a Queen ate as a 
 starving person might be expected to eat. 
 
 She had scarcely risen from table, when her treasurers 
 placed before her fifteen thousand chests as big as hogsheads, 
 filled with gold and diamonds. They inquired if it was her 
 pleasure that they should pay the workmen who had built 
 her palace. She answered that it was proper to do so ; but 
 bargained that they should also build a city, marry, and 
 remain in her service. They all consented, and the city was 
 built in three quarters of an hour, although it was five times 
 larger than Rome. Here was a number of prodigies to come 
 out of a little nut ! 
 
 The Princess resolved to send a grand embassy to the 
 Queen her mother, and to convey some reproaches to the 
 young Prince her cousin. Whilst the requisite preparations 
 were being made, she amused herself with runnings at the 
 ring, at which she always distributed the prizes ; also with 
 cards, plays, hunting, and fishing ; for they had brought a 
 river through the palace gardens. 
 
 The report of Babiole's beauty spread throughout the 
 universe, and kings came to her court from the four corners 
 of the earth ; — giants taller than mountains and pigmies 
 smaller than rats. 
 
 It happened one day, during a grand tournament, after 
 several knights had broken their lances, a quarrel arose be- 
 tween them, and they fought in earnest and wounded each 
 other. The Princess, greatly oifended by this conduct in her 
 presence, descended from her balcony to ascertain who were 
 the guilty parties; but when they were unhelmed, what were 
 her feelings when she recognised in one of them the Prince 
 her cousin ! If not dead, he was so nearly gone, that she 
 
BABIOLE. 273 
 
 was hereelf ready to die of grief and alarm at the sight. She 
 had him carried into the handsomest room in the palace, 
 where nothing was wanting that could be necessary for his 
 recovery, — physicians from Chodrai,^ surgeons, ointments, 
 broths, syrups. The Infanta herself made the bandages 
 and prepared the lint. They were watered with her tears; 
 and those tears should alone have been a balsam to the 
 wounded prince. They were so indeed in more ways than 
 one, for not counting half-a-dozen sword-cuts, and as many 
 lance-thrusts, which had pierced him through and through, 
 he had long been at the court, incognito, and had been 
 wounded by the bright eyes of Babiole so desperately, that 
 he was incurable for life. It is easy, therefore, to imagine at 
 present some portion of what he felt, when he was able to 
 read in the countenance of that beautiful princess, that she 
 was in the utmost grief at beholding the condition to which 
 he was reduced. 
 
 I shall not stop to repeat aU that his heart prompted him 
 to say in thanking her for the kindness she had shown him. 
 Those who heard him were astonished that a man so very ill 
 could express himself with so much warmth and gratitude. 
 The Infanta, who blushed more than once at his words, begged 
 him to be silent, but his agitation and ardour carried him so 
 far, that she saw him suddenly fall into an alarming agony. 
 Up to this time she had evinced great fortitude, but now she 
 lost it so completely that she tore her hair, uttered wild 
 shrieks, and gave her people reason to believe that her heart 
 was vastly susceptible, since she could in so short a time be 
 so desperately in love with an utter stranger, — for little did 
 they know in Babiola (she had so named her kingdom), that 
 the prince was her cousin, and that she had loved him from 
 her earliest infancy. 
 
 It was during his travels that he had arrived at this Court, 
 and as there was no one he knew to present him to the 
 Infanta, he thought that nothing could be better than per- 
 forming five or six heroic actions before her, that is to say, 
 cutting off the arms or legs of some of the knights in the 
 lists; but he found none polite enough to permit him to do 
 
 (1) There is no Chodrai to be found in the Dictionnaire Universe! G^ographique de 
 la France, 3 vols. 1804. Chaudray near Mantes, and Chaudrey on the Aube, are 
 ■mall to^ros which do not appear to have been distinguished in the annals of 
 mnticine. 
 
fe74 BABIOLE. 
 
 80. There was consequently a furious general combat ; the 
 strongest overthrew the weakest, and the weakest, as I have 
 before told you, was the Prince. 
 
 Babiole, in a state of distraction, ran out on the high road 
 without coach or guards. She plunged into a wood and 
 fainted away at the foot of a tree. The Fairy Fanferluche, 
 who never slept, and was always on the watch for opportuni- 
 ties to do mischief, came and carried her off in a cloud blacker 
 than ink, and which flew faster than the wind. 
 
 The Princess remained for some time perfectly unconscious. 
 At length she came to herself. Never was surprise equal to 
 hers, at finding herself so far from the ground and so near to 
 the pole. The floor of a cloud is not solid, so that as she ran 
 here and there it seemed to her that she was treading on 
 feathers) and the cloud opening a little she had a narrow 
 escape of falling through. She found no one to complain 
 to, for the wicked Fanferluche had made herself invisible. 
 Babiole had leisure to think of her dear Prince, and the con- 
 dition in which she had left him, and she gave hei'self up to 
 the most poignant grief that could possess a living soul. 
 " How ! " exclaimed she, " am I yet capable of surviving him 
 I love ; and can the fear of approaching death find a place in 
 my heart? Oh, if the sun would roast me he would do me 
 a kindness ; or if I could drown myself in the rainbow, how 
 happy I should be ! but, alas, the whole zodiac is deaf to my 
 voice : the sagittary has no darts, the bull no horns, the 
 lion no teeth. Perhaps the earth will be more obliging, and 
 offer me the sharp point of some rock on which I may kill 
 myself Prince, my dear cousin ! why are you not here to 
 see me make the most tragic leap that a despairing lover 
 couM think of ! " As she uttered these words she rushed to 
 the end of the cloud, and sprang from it with the force of an 
 arrow from a bow. 
 
 All who saw her thought it was the moon falling ; and as 
 it was then in the wane, many who adored it, and who re- 
 mained for some time without seeing it, went into deep 
 mourning, and were convinced that the sun out of jealousy 
 had played it this wicked trick. 
 
 Much as the Infanta desired to kill herself she did not 
 succeed. She fell into the glass-bottle in which the fairies 
 usually keep their ratafia in the sun. But what a bottle! 
 
BABIOLE. 275 
 
 There is not a tower in the world so large. Fortunately it 
 was empty, or she would have been drowned in it like a fly. 
 The bottle was guarded by six giants. They recognised the 
 Infanta immediately. They were the same giants who had 
 been residing at her court and who were in love with her. 
 The malignant Fanferluche, who did nothing without calcu- 
 lation, had transported them thither each on a flying dragon, 
 and these dragons guarded the bottle when the giants slept. 
 Many a day during the time Babiole was in the bottle did 
 she regret her monkey's skin. She lived like the chameleons 
 on air and dew. The place of her imprisonment was known to • 
 none. The young Prince was ignorant of it. He was not 
 dead, and was continually inquiring for Babiole. He saw 
 plainly enough by the melancholy of all his attendants, 
 that a general feeling of sorrow pervaded the Court upon 
 some subject which his natural discretion prevented him 
 from attempting to discover; but as soon as he was conva- 
 lescent, he entreated them so earnestly to give him some 
 tidings of the Princess, that they had not the courage to 
 conceal her loss from him. Some who had seen her enter 
 the wood, maintained that she had been devoured by the 
 lions; while others believed she had destroyed herself in a fit 
 of despair. Others, again, imagined she had gone out of her 
 mind, and was wandering about the world. 
 
 As the last notion was the least dreadful, and kept up in 
 a slight degree the hopes of the Prince, he adopted it, and 
 departed on Criquetin, the horse I have before mentioned, 
 but I omitted to say that he was the eldest son of Bucephalus, 
 and one of the best horses of the age. The Prince let the 
 bridle fall on his neck, and suffered him to take his own road. 
 He called loudly on the Infanta, but the echoes alone replied 
 to him. 
 
 At length he came to the banks of a large river ; Criquetin 
 was thirsty and went in to drink, and the Prince, as before, 
 shouted, "Babiole, lovely Babiole! where art thou?" 
 
 He heard a voice, the sweetness of which seemed to charm 
 the waters. This voice said to him, " Advance, and you shall 
 learn where she is." At these words the Prince, whose cou- 
 rage was equal to his love, clapped both his spurs into the 
 sides of Criquetin. He plunged into the river and swam 
 tiU he came to a whirlpool, into which the waves were sucked 
 
 t2 
 
276 BA.BIOLE. 
 
 rapidly. They went down in it, horse and man, and the 
 Prince made sure he should be drowned. 
 
 He arrived, however, fortunately, at the abode of the 
 worthy Biroquoi, who was celebrating the marriage of his 
 daughter with one of the richest and deepest rivers in the 
 country. All the aquatic deities were assembled in the 
 Grotto. The Tritons and the Syrens performed the most 
 agreeable music, and the River Biroquie, lightly attired, 
 danced the Hay^ with the Seine, the Thames, the Euphrates, 
 and the Ganges, who had certainly come a long way to be 
 merry together. 
 
 Criquetin, who knew good manners, halted very respect- 
 fully at the entrance of the Grotto, and the Prince, who 
 knew better manners even than his horse, making a profound 
 bow, inquired if a mortal like himself might be permitted to 
 make his appeai-ance in so splendid a party. 
 
 Biroquoi replied, in an affable tone, that he did them both 
 honour and pleasure. " I have expected you for some days, 
 my lord," continued he ; "I am interested in your fate, and 
 that of the Infanta who is dear to me. You must release her 
 from the fatal spot in which the vindictive Fanferluche has 
 imprisoned her. It is in a bottle." "Ah, what do I hear!" 
 cried the Prince; "the Infanta is in a bottle 1" "Yes," said 
 the sage old man ; " she suffers much ; but I warn you, my 
 lord, that it is not easy to conquer the giants and the di-agons 
 that guard it, unless you follow my counsels. You must leave 
 your good steed here, and mount on a winged dolphin that 
 I have for some time been breaking in for you." He had the 
 dolphin brought out, saddled and bridled, who vaulted and 
 curveted so cleverly that Criquetin was jealous of him. 
 
 Biroquoi and his friends made haste to arm the Prince. 
 They gave him a brilliant cuirass of the scales of golden 
 carps, and placed on his head the shell of a huge snail, which 
 was overshadowed with the tail of a large cod raised in the 
 form of an aigrette ; a naiad girt him with an eel, from which 
 depended a tremendous sword made out of a long fish-bone ; 
 and lastly they gave him the shell of a great tortoise for a 
 shield ; and, thus armed, there was not the smallest gudgeon 
 
 (1) "Les Olivettes." A dance, the figure of which was formed by couples turning 
 hand-ln-hand after each other, round three fixed points. It was called the Hay in 
 England. 
 
BABIOLE. 27T 
 
 that did not take him to be the God of Soles, for to speak the 
 truth, this young Prince had a certain air •which is rarely 
 met with in mortals. 
 
 The hope of soon recovering the charming Princess he 
 adored inspired him with a joy he had not experienced since 
 her loss, and the faithful chronicle of these events asserts 
 that he ate with an excellent appetite whilst he was staying 
 with Biroquoi, and that he thanked him and all the company 
 ■with extraordinary eloquence. He then bade adieu to Cri- 
 quetin, and mounted the flying dolphin, who set off with 
 him immediately. The Prince, towards evening, found him- 
 self at such a height, that for the sake of a little rest he 
 entered the kingdom of the Moon. The curiosities he saw 
 there would have detained him for some time had he been 
 less anxious to extricate his beloved Infanta from the bottle 
 in which she had been living for several months. 
 
 Morning had scai'cely dawned when he discovered her 
 suiTOunded by giants and dragons, which the Fairy, by the 
 power of her little wand, had kept beside her. She so little 
 imagined that any one would have power to rescue the Prin- 
 cess, that she felt perfectly satisfied with the vigilance of her 
 terrible guards, and their ability to prolong the sufferings of 
 Babiole. 
 
 That beautiful Princess had raised her mournful eyes to 
 Heaven, and was addressing to it her sad complaints, when 
 she saw the flying dolphin and the knight who came to her 
 deliverance. She had not believed in the possibility of such 
 an event, although her own experience had taught her that 
 the most extraordinary things become familiar to certain 
 persons. " Is it by the malice of some Fairies," said she, 
 "that yon knight is borne through the air? Alas! howl 
 pity him if, like me, he is doomed to be imprisoned in some 
 bottle or flagon." 
 
 Whilst she thus ruminated, the Giants, who saw the Prince 
 hovering above their heads, thought it was a boy's kite, and 
 cried one to the other, " Catch hold, catch hold of the line ! 
 — it will amuse usj" but while they were stooping to look 
 for the line, the Prince rushed down upon them, sword in 
 hand, cut them in pieces as you would cut a pack of cards, 
 and scattered them to the winds. 
 
 At the noise of this desperate combat the Infanta looked 
 
278 BABIOLE. 
 
 round, and recognised her young Prince. What joy, to be 
 assured he was alive ! — but what terror to see the imminent 
 peril he was in amongst those horrible giants and the dragons 
 that were springing upon him. She uttered fearful shrieks, 
 and was ready to die at the sight of his danger. 
 
 But the enchanted bone with which Biroquoi had armed 
 the Prince never struck in vain, and the light dolphin flying 
 up or down with him at exactly the right moment, was also of 
 wonderful assistance to him; so that in a very short time the 
 ground was covered with the bodies of these monsters. 
 
 The impatient Prince, who saw his Infanta through the glass, 
 would have dashed the bottle to pieces had he not been afraid 
 of wounding her. He decided, therefore, to descend through 
 the neck of it. When he reached the bottom of the bottle, he 
 flung himself at the feet of Babiole, and respectfully kissed 
 her hand, " My Lord," said she, " it is necessary, in order to 
 retain your good opinion, that I should give you my reasons 
 for the tender interest I took in your preservation. Know 
 that we are near relations : that I am the daughter of the 
 Queen, your aunt, and that very Babiole whom you found in 
 the form of an ape on the sea-shore, and who afterwards had 
 the weakness to evince an attachment for you which you de- 
 spised." " Ah, Madam," said the Prince, *' can I believe so 
 miraculous a circumstance? You have been an ape, — j'ou 
 have loved me, I have been aware of it, and was capable of 
 rejecting the greatest of all blessings!" "I should at this 
 moment have a very bad opinion of your taste," replied the 
 Infanta smiling, " if you could then have felt any affection for 
 me : but let us away, my Lord ; I am weary of captivity, and 
 I fear my enemy. Let us seek the Queen, my mother, and 
 tell her all the extraordinary things in which she must be so 
 much interested." " Come, Madam, let us go," said the 
 enamoured Prince, mounting the winged dolphin, and taking 
 Babiole in his arms ; " let me hasten to restore to her in your 
 person the most lovely princess that the world ever boasted." 
 
 The dolphin rose gently into the air and took his flight to- 
 wards the capital, where the Queen passed her melancholy 
 life. The disappearance of Babiole had deprived her of 
 repose. She could not cease thinking of her, of the pretty 
 speeches she had made, and, all ape as she was, the Queen 
 would have given half her kingdom to see her once more. As 
 
BABIOLE. S79 
 
 soon as the Prince arrived he assumed the disguise of an 
 old man, and requested a private audience of her Majesty. 
 ** Madam," said he to her, " I have studied from my earliest 
 youth the art of Necromancy : you may judge from that fact 
 that I am not ignorant of the hatred Fanferluche bears you, 
 and its terrible consequences ; but dry your tears, Madam ; 
 that Babiole, whom you have seen so ugly, is now the most 
 beautiful Princess in the world. She wiU shortly be beside 
 you, if you will forgive the Queen your sister the cruel 
 war she has made upon you, and cement the peace by the 
 marriage of your Infanta with the Prince your nephew." *' I 
 cannot flatter myself with such hopes," replied the Queen 
 weeping ; " you wish to allay my sorrow, sage old man, but 
 I have lost my dear child, I have no longer a husband, 
 my sister pretends to my kingdom, her son is equally unjust 
 towards me, and I will never seek their alliance." " Destiny 
 has ordained otherwise," said the Prince, " I am commissioned 
 to inform you so." " Alas !" added the Queen, " where would 
 be the advantage of my consenting to their marriage 1 The 
 wicked Fanferluche has too much power and malice. She 
 would oppose it always." " Make yourself easy on that score. 
 Madam," replied the old man; "promise me only that you will 
 not object to the match so much desired." " I wUl promise 
 anything," said the Queen, " on condition that I once again 
 behold my dear daughter." 
 
 The Prince retired and ran to the spot where the Infanta 
 was awaiting him. She was surprised to see him disguised, 
 and he was, therefore, compelled to explain to her that for 
 some time past there had been a confliction of interests between 
 the two Queens, which had caused considerable bitterness; 
 but that he had at length induced his aunt to consent to his 
 wishes. The Princess was delighted: she repaired to the 
 palace. All who saw her pass, were so struck by her perfect 
 resemblance to her mother, that they hastened after her 
 to ascertain who she could be. 
 
 As soon as the Queen saw her, her heart was so greatly 
 agitated that she needed no other proof of the truth of the 
 story. The Princess flung herself at the Queen's feet, and 
 was raised by her into her arms ; where, after remaining for 
 some time without speaking, and kissing away each other's 
 tears, they gave utterance to all that can be imagined on such 
 
280 BM^IOLE. 
 
 an occasion. The Queen then, casting her eyes on her nephew, 
 received him very graciously, and repeated to him the pro- 
 mise she had made to the necromancer. She would have 
 said more, but the noise that she heard in the court-yai-d of 
 the palace induced her to look out of the window, and she had 
 the agreeable surprise of beholding the aiTival of the Queen 
 her sister. The Prince and the Infanta, who were looking 
 out also, perceived in the royal suite the venerable Biroquoi, 
 and even good Criquetin was one of the party. All at the 
 sight of each other uttered shouts of joy ; they ran to meet 
 each other with transports which cannot be described, and 
 the magnificent nuptials of the Prince and the Infanta were 
 celebrated upon the spot in spite of the Fairy Fanferluche, 
 whose power and malignity were equally confounded. 
 
 The friendship of the -wicked we should fear, 
 Their fairest offers prudently declining; 
 E'en while protesting that they hold us dear, 
 In secret oft our peace they're undermining. 
 
 ^^r The Princess, whose adventures I've related, 
 
 Of happiness might ne'er have been bereaved. 
 If, from the fairy who her mother hated, 
 The fatal hawthorn had not been received. 
 
 Her transformation to an ugly ape 
 
 Could not exempt her from the tender passion ; 
 
 Regardless of her features and her shape, 
 
 She dared to love a Prince — "the glass of fashion." 
 
 I know some well, in this our present day, 
 Ugly aa any monkeys in creation, 
 Who, notwithstanding, venture siege to lay 
 To the most noble hearts in all the nation. (1) 
 
 But I suspect, ere they secure a lover, 
 They must to some enchanter pay their duty. 
 Who can inform them where they may discover 
 The oil which gave to Babiole her beauty. 
 
 (1) We hare no clue to the exact dates at which these stories were written, but 
 about this period Mdlle Choin, whom St. Simon describes as " a fat, squat, 
 swarthy, ugly, flat-nosed girl," contrived to acquire an ascendency over the heart of 
 Monseigneur the Dauphin, son of Louis XIV., and father of Philip V. king of 
 Spain. The allusion may have been more general, but the notoriety of this in- 
 trigue, which became the theme of the ballad-mongers of the day, renders the 
 supposition not improbable, that this celebrated intrigante «as at least included in 
 the category 
 
THE YELLOW DWARF. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a Queen -who had only one 
 daughter left out of a very large family, but that one was 
 worth a thousand. Finding herself a widow, and having 
 nothing in the world so dear to her as the young Princess, 
 she was so much afraid of losing her that she never corrected 
 any of her faults ; so that this marvellous creature, perceiving 
 that her beauty was celestial rather than mortal, and knowing 
 that she was born to a crown, became so proud and so vain 
 of her nascent charms that she despised everybody. 
 
 The Queen, her mother, by her caresses and her indulgence, 
 confirmed her in the belief that there was nothing in the 
 world which could be worthy of her. She appeared nearly 
 always dressed as Pallas or Diana, followed by the principal 
 ladies of the court attired as nymphs ; and finally, to pamper 
 her vanity to the utmost, the Queen gave her the name of 
 ToutebeUe ; and having had her portrait painted by the best 
 artists, sent it to several kings, with whom she was in strict 
 alliance. As soon as they saw this portrait, eveiy one, without 
 an exception, yielded to the inevitable power of her charms. 
 Some fell ill, others lost their wits, and those who were for- 
 tunate enough to preserve their health and senses hastened 
 to her court. But no sooner did they behold the fair original, 
 than the poor princes became her devoted slaves. 
 
 There never was a court more gallant and polite. Twenty 
 kings vied with each other in their endeavours to please the 
 Princess; and after having spent three or four hundred 
 millions of francs upon a single entertainment, would feel 
 more than repaid if they could only draw from her an 
 admission that " It was pretty." 
 
282 THE YELLOW DWARF. 
 
 The worship that was paid to her delighted the Queen. 
 Not a day passed that the Princess did not receive seven or 
 eight thousand sonnets, as many odes, madrigals, and songs, 
 which were sent by all the poets in the universe. Toute- 
 belle was the sole theme of all the prose and verse written 
 by the authors of her time. All the bonfires were made with 
 these compositions, which sparkled and burned better than 
 any other sort of fuel. The Princess had already reached the 
 age of fifteen. Nobody ventured to pretend to the honour of 
 being her husband, though everybody desired it : but how 
 was it possible to touch a heart of that description? — you might 
 have hanged yourself five or six times a- day to please her, 
 and she would have thought it a mere trifle. Her lovers 
 complained bitterly of her cruelty, and her mother, who 
 wished her to be married, saw no means of inducing her to 
 decide in favour of one of them. " Will you not," said she 
 sometimes to her, " abate a little of that insupportable pride 
 which causes you to look with disdain upon all the kings who 
 visit our court] I wish to give you one for a husband: — 
 have you no desire to please me?" " I am so happy," replied 
 Toutebelle. " Pray, permit me, Madam, to enjoy my peaceful 
 indifference. If I were once to lose it, you might be very 
 sorry." " Yes," said the Queen, " I should be sorry if you 
 loved any one beneath you ; but look at those who sigh for you, 
 and admit that there are none to be found more worthy." 
 
 It was quite true, but the Princess had such an opinion of 
 her own perfections that she considered herself worth some 
 one better stiU ; and after some time, her obstinate determi- 
 nation to remain single so distressed her mother, that she 
 repented, but too late, her extreme indulgence. Not know- 
 ing what she ought to do, she went by herself to consult a 
 celebrated Fairy called the Fairy of the Desert : but it was 
 not easy to see her, for she was guarded by lions. The Queen 
 would have had little chance if she had not been for a long 
 time aware that it was necessary to throw to these beasts 
 some cake made of millet-seed, sugar-candy, and crocodiles' 
 eggs. She had made one of these cakes herself, and put it into 
 a little hand-basket. As she was tired with walking so far, not 
 being accustomed to it, she laid down at the foot of a tree to 
 take a little rest. Insensibly she fell asleep, but on re-awaking 
 she found her basket empty. The cake was gone ! and to 
 
THE YELLOW DWAKF. 283 
 
 complete the misfortune, she heard the great lions coming, 
 roaring tremendously, for they had smelt her. 
 
 " Alas, what will become of me !" she exclaimed piteously; 
 " I shall be devoured ! " She wept, and not having strength 
 to fly, she clung to the tree under which she had slept. At 
 that moment she heard, "Hist! Hist! A-hem! A-heml" 
 She looked all about her, and raising her eyes, she saw up in 
 the tree a little man not above a cubit in height. He was eating 
 oranges, and said to her, " Oh ! I know you well. Queen, and 
 I know the fear you are in that the lions will devour you ; 
 and not without reason are you alarmed, for they have de- 
 voured many before you, and to complete your misfortune 
 you have no cake." 
 
 " I must submit to die !" said the Queen, sighing. " Alas, 
 I should do so with less pain if my dear daughter were but 
 married!" " Howl you have a daughter!" exclaimed the 
 Yellow Dwarf (He was so called from the colour of his skin, 
 and his living in an orange- tree.) " Truly, I am delighted 
 to hear it, for I have sought a wife by land and sea. Look 
 now, if you will promise her to me, I will save you from 
 lions, tigers, or bears." The Queen looked at him, and she 
 was scarcely less frightened at his horrible little figure than 
 she was at the lions. She mused, and made no answer. 
 " What ! do you hesitate, Madam 1 " cried he. " You cannot 
 be very fond of life." At the same moment the Queen per- 
 ceived the lions on the brow of a hill running towards her. 
 Each had two heads, eight feet, four rows of teeth, and their 
 skin was as hard as shell, and as red as morocco. At this 
 sight, the poor Queen, trembling more than a dove at the 
 view of a falcon, cried out with all her might — " My Lord 
 Dwarf! Toutebelle is yours." " Oh !" said he, with a disdain- 
 ful air, "Toutebelle is too much of a belle ;^ I will have 
 none of her. You may keep her." " Ah, my Lord," con- 
 tinued the afflicted Queen, " do not refuse her ! — she is the 
 most charming Princess in the world!" "WeU," said he, 
 " out of charity I accept her : but recollect the gift you have 
 made me ! " The trunk of the orange-tree, in which he was 
 seated, immediately opened. The Queen riished headlong into 
 it; it closed, and the lions were balked of their prey. 
 
 The Queen was so agitated that she did not notice a door 
 
 (I) *< Toutebelle eit trop belle." 
 
284 THE TELLOW DWARF. 
 
 constructed in the tree. At length she perceived it, and 
 opened it : it opened on a field of nettles and thistles sur- 
 rounded by a muddy ditch. At a little distance stood a very 
 low-roofed cottage, that<?hed with straw, — the Yellow Dwarf 
 came out of it with a mirthful air. He wore wooden shoes, 
 and a jacket of coarse yellow cloth ; had large ears, and no 
 hair, and looked like a thorough little villain. " I am de- 
 lighted, my Lady Mother-in-law," said he, " to show you the 
 little chateau in which your Toutebelle will reside with me. 
 She may keep an ass upon these nettles and thistles to ride 
 about on. This rustic roof will shelter her from the incle- 
 mency of the weather ; she will drink this water and eat some 
 of the frogs that fatten in it ; and she will have me day and 
 night beside her, handsome, gay, and gallant, as you see me, 
 for I should be very sorry if her shadow followed her closer 
 than I." 
 
 The unfortunate Queen, suddenly struck by the wretched 
 life the Dwarf had allotted to her dear daughter, and being 
 unable to support so terrible a picture, dropped insensible to 
 the ground without being able to utter a word in reply to 
 him : but while she was in this state she was transported to 
 the Palace, placed in her own bed, very neatly, with the finest 
 night-caps and the handsomest fontange^ that she had ever 
 worn in her life. The Queen awoke and recollected what had 
 befallen her. She wouldn't believe it was true; for finding 
 herself in her Palace, amidst her ladies, and her daughter by 
 her side, there was little to show that she had been in the 
 Desert, that she had encountered such great dangers, and 
 that the Dwarf had saved and preserved her from them on 
 so hard a condition as the gift to him of Toutebelle. Never- 
 theless, the rare lace of the cap, and the beauty of the riband, 
 astonished her as much as the dream she presumed she had 
 had, and in the excess of her anxiety she fell into a melan- 
 choly, so extraordinary, that she could scarcely speak, eat, or 
 sleep. The Princess, who loved her mother with all her heart, 
 was very vmeasy about her. She implored her frequently to 
 say what was the matter with her : but the Queen, seeking 
 for pretexts, answered sometimes that she was out of health, 
 and at others that one of the neighbouring States threatened 
 to go to war with her. 
 
 (1) See note, p. 122. 
 
The Yellow Dwarf.— p. 286. 
 
THE YELLOW DWARF. 285 
 
 Toutebelle saw plainly enough that these were plausible 
 reasons, but that there was something else at the bottom of 
 the matter which the Queen studiously concealed from her. 
 Being unable longer to control her anxiety, she resolved to 
 seek out the famous Fairy of the Desert, whose science was 
 so much talked of everywhere. She was also desirous of her 
 advice on the question of marrying or remaining single, for 
 eveiybody pressed her strongly to choose a husband. She 
 took care to knead the cake herself, which had the power to 
 appease the fury of the lions, and pretending to go to bed 
 early one evening, she went out by a little back staircase, her 
 face covered by a large white veil which came down to her 
 feet ; and thus, all alone, took the road to the grotto in which 
 the skilful Fairy resided. 
 
 But on arriving at the fatal orange-tree, of which I have 
 already spoken, she found it so covered with fi-uit and 
 blossoms, that she was seized with an irresistible desire to 
 gather some. She set her basket upon the erround and plucked 
 some oranges, which she ate. When she looked again for her 
 basket and the cake, they had disappeared. She is alarmed, 
 she is distressed, and suddenly she sees beside her the frightful 
 little Dwarf I before described. " What ails you, fair maid ? 
 what are you weeping fori" said he. "Alas! who would not 
 weep'?" replied she, " I have lost my basket and my cake 
 which were so necessary to insure my safe arrival at the 
 abode of the Desert Fairy." 
 
 " Ah! and what would you with her, fair maid?" said the 
 little monkey ; " I am her kinsman, her friend, and at least 
 as clever as she is." " The Queen, my mother," replied the 
 Princess, " has lately fallen into an alarming despondency, 
 which causes me to tremble for her life. I fancy I am, per- 
 haps, the cause of it ; for she wishes me to many ; and I 
 confess to you that I have not yet seen any one I think 
 worthy of me. It is for this reason I would consult the 
 Fairy." " Don't give yourself that trouble. Princess," said the 
 Dwarf; " I am better fitted than she to enlighten you on such 
 subjects. The Queen, your mother, is sorry that she has 
 promised you in marriage." " The Queen promised me!" 
 cried the Princess, interrupting him. " Oh, you must be 
 mistaken. She would have told me, and I am too much 
 interested in the matter for her to engage me without my 
 
286 THE YELLOW DWARF. 
 
 previous consent." " Beautiful Princess," said the Dwarf, 
 suddenly flinging himself at her feet, " I flatter myself that 
 her choice will not displease you when I inform you that it is 
 I who am destined to enjoy such happiness." " My mother 
 would have you for her son-in-law!" exclaimed Toutebelle, 
 recoiling some paces; "was there ever any madness like 
 yours?" " I care very little about the honour," said the Dwarf 
 angrily. " Here come the lions, in three bites they will avenge 
 me for your unjust disdain." 
 
 At the same moment the poor Princess heard the pro- 
 longed roars of the approaching monsters. " What will 
 become of me !" she cried : "must I end my young days thus !" 
 The wicked Dwarf looked at her, and laughing contemp- 
 tuously said, " You will have at least the glory of dying 
 a maiden, and of having escaped the mesalliance of a person 
 of your dazzling worth with a miserable Dwarf like me." 
 " For mercy's sake be not angry," said the Princess, clasping 
 her beautiful hands, " I would rather marry all the dwarfs in 
 the universe than perish in so frightful a manner." " Look at 
 me well, Princess, before you give me your word," replied he, 
 " for I do not wish to take any advantage of you." " I have 
 looked at you more than enough," said she. " The lions are 
 approaching ; my terror increases ; save me ! save me ! or I 
 shall die of fright." In fact, she had scarcely uttered these 
 words before she fainted ; and without knowing how she got 
 there, found hei-self, on recovering from her swoon, in her 
 own bed, in the finest linen in the world, with the most beau- 
 tiful ribands on her dress, and a little ring made of a single 
 red hair, which fitted her finger so closely that the skin might 
 have been taken off" sooner than the ring. 
 
 When the Princess saw all these things, and remembered 
 what had taken place that night, she fell into a melancholy 
 which surprised and pained the whole Court. Her mother 
 was more alarmed than anybody, and asked her hundreds of 
 times what was the matter; but the Princess persisted in 
 conceaUng from her the adventure. At length, the great 
 estates of the kingdom, impatient to see the Princess married, 
 assembled in council, and afterwards proceeded to have an 
 audience of the Queen, whom they petitioned to choose a 
 husband for her daughter as soon as possible. She answered 
 them, that she desired nothing better ; but that her daughter 
 
THE YELLOW DWARF. 287 
 
 evinced so much repugnance to marriage, that she advised 
 them to go and talk to the Princess herself upon the subject. 
 They went immediately. 
 
 Toutebelle had lost much of her haughtiness since her ad- 
 venture with the Yellow Dwarf She saw no better way of 
 getting out of the dilemma, than by marrying some great 
 king with whom the little monkey would not dare to dispute 
 so glorious a prize. She, therefore, returned a more favourable 
 answer than was hoped for ; saying, that although she should 
 have esteemed herself happy in remaining single all her life, 
 she consented to marry the King of the Gold Mines, a very 
 powerful and handsome prince, who had loved her passion- 
 ately for several years, and who up to that moment had 
 never been able to flatter himself that she would make the 
 least return to his affection. 
 
 It is easy to imagine the excess of his joy when he received 
 such charming intelligence, and the rage of all his rivals 
 at the utter extinction of the fond hopes they had continued 
 to nourish; but Toutebelle could not marry twenty kings. 
 She had much ado to choose one ; for her vanity was as great 
 as ever, and she was still fully persuaded that nobody in the 
 world was a fitting match for her. 
 
 Everything was prepared for the celebration of one of the 
 grandest entertainments that had ever been given in the uni- 
 verse. The King of the Gold Mines sent home for such pro- 
 digious sums of money that the sea was entirely covered with 
 the ships which returned with them. Agents were despatched 
 to all the most polished and gallant Courts, particularly that 
 of France, to purchase the rarest materials for the wardrobe 
 of the Princess; though she had less need than anybody 
 of ornament to set off her beauty, which was so perfect that 
 it was impossible to add to it; and the King of the Gold 
 Mines, thus upon the eve of happiness, never left the side. of 
 his charming Princess. 
 
 The obvious importance of becoming acquainted with the 
 character of her future husband, inducing the Princess to 
 study it carefully, she discovered in him so much merit, so 
 much sense, such deep and delicate feeling, — in short, so fine 
 a mind in so perfect a body, that she began to return in 
 some degree his affection. What happy moments were they 
 for both, when, wandering in the most beautiful gardens in 
 
288 THE YELLOW DWARF. 
 
 the world, they found themselves at liberty to express their 
 mutual sentiments. This pleasxire was often heightened by the 
 charms of music. The King, always gallant and amorous, 
 sang verses and songs of his own composition to the Princess. 
 The following is one she was much pleased with : — 
 
 " The groves, for thee, a richer green put on ; 
 The flowery meads their brightest colours don ; 
 Where'er thy footsteps fall fresh blossoms spring; 
 Sweeter within thy bowers, the sweet birds sing. 
 All nature smiles, around, below, above, 
 All hail the daughter of the God of Lore ! " 
 
 Joy was at its height in the palace. The King's rivals, en- 
 raged at his success, had quitted it and returned to their own 
 dominions, overwhelmed with the deepest gi'ief, unable to 
 bear the pain of witnessing Toutebelle's maiTiage. They 
 had taken their leave of her in so touching a manner that she 
 could not help pitying them. " Ah, Madam," said the King 
 of the Gold Mines to her on that occasion, " what an injustice 
 you have done me to-day ; you have blest with your pity, 
 lovers who were more than repaid for their sufferings by one 
 glance from your eyes." 
 
 " I should be sorry," replied Toutebelle, " if you witnessed 
 with indifference the compassion I have evinced for those 
 princes who have lost me for ever. It is a proof of your sen- 
 sibility, for which I am indebted to you. But, my Lord, 
 their position is so different from yours ; you have so much 
 reason to be satisfied with my conduct towards you, and they 
 have so little cause to congratulate themselves, that you 
 ought not to carry your jealousy further." The King of the 
 Gold Mines, overcome by the kind manner in which the 
 Princess had received a reproach which might have annoyed 
 her, threw himself at her feet, and kissing her hand, asked her 
 pardon a thousand times over. At length, the day so long 
 waited and wished for arrived. Everything being ready for 
 the marriage of Toutebelle, the trumpets and musical instru- 
 ments announced throughout the city the commencement of 
 this gi-and fete. The streets were carpeted and strewed with 
 flowers. The people flocked in crowds to the great square in 
 front of the palace. The Queen, in a state of rapture, had 
 scarcely gone to bed before she got up again, long before day- 
 break, to give the requisite orders and to select the jewels 
 which the Princess was to wear. She was all diamonds down 
 
THE YELLOW DWARF. 289 
 
 to her very shoes, which were made of them. Her gown of 
 silver brocade was striped with a dozen rays of the sun, which 
 had been bought at an enormous price ; but which also could 
 not be surpassed in brilliancy except by the beauty of the 
 Princess. A magnificent crown adorned her head, her hair 
 falling in wavy curls to her feet, and her majestic form dis- 
 tinguished her amongst the crowd of ladies who accompanied 
 her. 
 
 The King of the Gold Mines was not less perfect or less 
 magnificent in his appeai-ance. His happiness was visible in 
 all his looks and actions. No one accosted him who did not 
 return laden with his liberalities ; for round his banqueting- 
 hall were an*anged by his orders a thousand barrels full of gold, 
 and large sacks of velvet embroidered with pearls, crammed 
 with pistoles. Each held an hundred thousand. They were 
 given indiscriminately to all who held their hands for them ; 
 so that this ceremony, which was not one of the most useless 
 or least agreeable on this occasion drew many persons to the 
 wedding, who had little taste for other entertainments. 
 
 The Queen and Princess were advancing to meet the King, 
 and proceed with him to the altar, when they saw entering a 
 long gallery through which they were passing, two large 
 turkey-cocks, drawing a very clumsily-made box. Behind 
 them came a tall old woman, whose great age and decrepitude 
 were no less remarkable than her extreme ugliness. She 
 leaned on a crutch. She wore a black taffety ruff, a red 
 velvet hood, and a farthingale all in tatters. She took three 
 turns round the gallery with her turkey-cocks before she 
 spoke a word ; then, stopping in the centre of it, and brandish 
 ing her crutch in a threatening manner, she cried, " Ho ! ho ! 
 Queen! — Ho! ho! Princess! Do you fancy you can break 
 with impunity your promises to my friend the Yellow Dwarf! 
 I am the Fairy of the Desert ! But for him and his orange- 
 tree know you not that my great lions would have devoured 
 ye? We do not put up with such insults in Fairy Land. 
 Consider quickly what you are about to do ; for I swear by 
 my coif, that you shall marry him, or I will burn my 
 crutch." 
 
 " Ah ! Princess," exclaimed the Queen, bursting into tears, 
 "what do I hear! — what promise have you made?" "Ah! 
 Mother," cried Toute-belle, sorrowfully, " What promise have 
 
 u 
 
290 THE YELLOW DWAfiF. 
 
 you, yourself, madel " The Kiug of the Gold Mines, enraged 
 at this interruption, and the attempt of the wicked old woman 
 to oppose his marriage, advanced upon her, sword in hand, 
 and placing the point to her throat, cried, " Quit this palace 
 for ever, or with thy life thou shalt atone for thy malice ! " 
 
 He had scarcely pronounced these words, when the lid of 
 the box flew up with a terrific noise as high as the ceiling, 
 and out of it was seen to issue the Yellow Dwarf, mounted 
 on a large Spanish cat, and who placed himself between the 
 Fairy of the Desert and the King of the Gold Mines. 
 
 " Rash youth !" said he to the latter, " think not of assault- 
 ing this illustrious Fairy : 'tis with me alone thou hast to do ! 
 I am thy rival, thy enemy ; the faithless Princess who would 
 give thee her hand has plighted her troth to me, and received 
 mine. Look, if she have not on her finger a ring of my hair. 
 Try to remove it, and thou wilt learn by that little exertion 
 that thy power is inferior to mine." " Miserable monster," 
 said the King to him, " hast thou really the audacity to 
 declare thyself the lover of this divine Princess, and to 
 pretend to the possession of so glorious a treasure 1 Know 
 that thou art a monkey, whose hideous figure is painful to 
 the sight, and that I had ere this dispatched thee, hadst thou 
 been worthy of dying by my hand." The Yellow Dwarf, 
 stung to the very quick, struck his spurs into the sides of his 
 cat, who set up a terrific squalling, and flying hither and 
 thither, frightened everybody but the brave King, who 
 pressed the dwarf so closely, that he drew a large cutlass 
 with which he was armed, and defying the King to single 
 combat, descended into the court-yard of the palace amidst 
 an extraordinary uproar. The enraged King followed him 
 with rapid strides. Scarcely had they confronted each other, 
 the whole court being in the balconies to witness the combat, 
 when the sun became suddenly as red as blood, and it grew 
 so dark that they could scarcely see themselves. It thundered 
 and lightened as if there was to be an end of the world, and 
 the two txirkey-cocks appeared at the side of the Yellow 
 Dwarf like two giants, taller than mountains, casting out 
 flames from their mouths and eyes in such abundance, that 
 each looked like a fiery furnace. All these horrors were 
 unable to shake the magnanimous heart of the young King. 
 The intrepidity evinced by his every look and action reassured 
 
THE YELLOW DWARF. 291 
 
 all who were interested in his preservation, and perhaps some- 
 what embarrassed the Yellow Dwarf ; but his courage failed 
 when he saw the Fairy of the Desert, her head covered with 
 long serpents like Tisiphone, mounted upon a winged griflSn, 
 and armed with a lance, rush upon his dear Princess, and 
 strike her so fierce a blow, that she fell into the Queen's arms 
 bathed in her own blood. That tender mother, more deeply 
 wounded by the blow than was even her daughter, uttered 
 shrieks and lamentations which are indescribable. The 
 King's courage and reason at that sight abandoned him 
 together. He ceased fighting, and ran to rescue the Princess, 
 or perish with her, but the Yellow Dwarf anticipated his 
 movements : he leaped with his Spanish cat into the balcony, 
 snatched the Princess from the arms of the Queen and of the 
 ladies by whom she was surrounded, and then jumping on to 
 the roof of the palace, disappeared with his prize. 
 
 The King, motionless with astonishment, was gazing in 
 utter despair on this extraordinary adventure, which unfortu- 
 nately he had no power to prevent, wheu, to complete his 
 misery, he felt his eyesight fail him, and that by some irre- 
 sistible power he was hurried through the vast expanse of air. 
 What misfortunes ! Love ! cruel Love ! Is it thus thou 
 usest those who acknowledge thee their conqueror? The 
 wicked Fairy of the Desert, who came to assist the Yellow 
 Dwarf to carry oflf the Princess, no sooner set her eyes upon 
 the King of the Gold Mines than her barbarous heart was 
 touched by the charms of that young Prince. She marked 
 him for her prey, and bore him oif to the recesses of a 
 frightful cavern, where she loaded him with chains which she 
 had fastened to a rock. She hoped that the fear of approach- 
 ing death would make him forget Toute-belle, and induce 
 him to do whatever she desired. As soon as they had arrived 
 there, she restored his sight without setting him at liberty, 
 and, assuming by the power of fairy art the graces and 
 charms which nature had denied her, she appeared before him 
 like a lovely nymph, whom chance had conducted to that 
 spot. 
 
 " What do I behold !" she cried. " Can it be you, charm- 
 ing Prince 1 What misfortune has befallen you, and driven 
 you to languish in this miserable abode ? " The King, 
 deceived by her appearance, replied, "Alas, fair nymph, I 
 
 u2 
 
292 ■ THE YELLOW DWARF. 
 
 know not the object of the infernal Fairy who brought me 
 hither ; for, although she deprived me of sight when she bore 
 me off, and has not appeared to me since, I know from the 
 tone of her voice that it was the Fairy of the Desert," " Ah, 
 my Lord," exclaimed the false nymph, " if you are in the 
 power of that woman you will not escape without marrying 
 her. She has served more than one hero this trick, and of all 
 persons in the world, she is the most obstinate when she sets 
 her mind upon anything." Whilst she thus pretended to 
 take gi'eat interest in the King's affliction, he caught sight of 
 the nymph's feet, which were like those of a griffin. The 
 Fairy of the Desert was always recognised by this peculiarity, 
 which in all her metamorphoses remained unchanged. 
 
 The King took no notice of it, and continuing to talk to 
 her as in perfect confidence, " I do not," said he, " entertain any 
 dislike to the Fairy of the Desert, but I cannot endure that 
 she should protect the Yellow Dwarf and keep me in chains 
 like a criminal. What have I done to offend herl I ad- 
 mired a charming princess ; but if the Fairy restores me to 
 liberty, I feel that gratitude will induce me to love no one 
 but her." " Do you say that sincerely," asked the deceived 
 nymph. " Doubt it not," replied the King. " I am un- 
 acquainted with the art of dissimulation ; and I confess to you 
 that my vanity would be more flattered by the regard of a 
 Fairy than by that of a simple Princess ; but were I dying 
 for love of her, I would evince nothing but hatred to her, 
 until I had regained my liberty." 
 
 The Fairy of the Desert, deceived by these words, resolved 
 to ti'ansport the King to a spot which was as beautiful as the 
 cavern he now inhabited was horrible. So compelling him to 
 enter her chariot, to which she had now harnessed swans 
 instead of the bats which usually drew it, she fled with the 
 King of the Gold Mines from one pole to the other. 
 
 But what was the Prince's emotion, whilst thus travelling 
 through the boundless regions of air, at beholding his dear 
 Princess in a castle all of steel, the walls of which, reflecting 
 the rays of the sun, became like burning-glasses, and scorched 
 to death all who ventured to approach it. She was reclining 
 in a bower beside a sti'eamlet. One of her hands was beneath 
 lier head, and with the other she appeared to be wiping away 
 her tears. As she lifted her eyes to heaven, imploring its 
 
THE YELLOW DWARF. 293 
 
 aid, she saw the King pass by with the Fairy of the Desert, 
 who, having taxed the magic power she was so skilled in, to 
 appear beautiful in the eyes of the young monarch, seemed 
 to those of the Princess the most admirable creature in the 
 world! "How!" she exclaimed, "am I not sufficiently 
 wretched in this inaccessible castle, to which the frightful 
 Yellow Dwarf has transported me 1 Must the demon of 
 jealousy come to torture me, to complete my misery ? Must 
 I learn by this extraordinary occurrence the infidelity of the 
 King of the Gold Mines ? He has supposed that once out of 
 sight he was absolved from all the vows that he has made 
 me ! But who is this formidable rival, whose fatal beauty 
 surpasses mine?" 
 
 Whilst the Princess was thus speaking, the enamoured King 
 was in mortal agony at being so rapidly borne away from the 
 dear object of his affections. If he had not been so fully 
 aware of the power of the Fairy, he would have attempted, 
 at any hazard, to escape from her, either by killing her, or 
 some other means which his love or his courage might have 
 suggested; but what could be done against so powerful a 
 being ? Opportunity and stratagem could alone release him 
 from her clutches. 
 
 The Fairy had perceived Toute-belle, and sought to discover 
 in the eyes of the King the effect which the sight of his 
 darling had produced in his heart. " No one," said the King, 
 interpreting her glances, " can better than myself furnish you 
 with the information you desire; this unexpected meeting 
 with an unhappy Princess, for whom I entertained a previous 
 attachment, has caused me some little emotion; but you 
 possess so great an ascendency over her in my mind, that I 
 would rather die than be faithless to you." " Ah ! Prince," 
 said the Fairy, " may I flatter myself that I have inspired 
 you with sentiments so favourable to me 1 " " Time will con- 
 vince you. Madam," he replied ; " but if you would persuade 
 me that I have some share in your good graces, you will not 
 refuse me when I ask your protection for Toute-belle." " Do 
 you know what you ask me ? " said the Fairy, frowning and 
 looking askance at him. " Would you have me employ mv 
 science against the Yellow Dwarf, who is my best friend, and 
 release from his power a proud princess whom I cannot cease 
 to regai'd as my rival ?" The King sighed, without replying. 
 
2^ THE YELLOW DWAEP. 
 
 What answer could he make so astute a personage ? They 
 reached an extensive meadow, enamelled with a thousand 
 various flowers. A deep river surrounded it, and streams 
 from many fountains flowed gently beneath tufted trees, 
 afibrding ever a refreshing shade. In the distance arose a 
 superb palace, the walls of which were of transparent 
 emeralds. As soon as the swans that drew the Fairy's 
 chariot had descended beneath a portico roofed with rubies, 
 and paved with diamonds, thousands of lovely nymphs 
 appeared on all sides, and advanced to receive them with 
 loud acclamations of joy. They sang the following words : — 
 
 " When Love o'er the heart would a triumph obtain, 
 Defiance is idle — we struggle in vain. 
 Resistance gives force to the weapons he wields ; 
 The greater the hero, the sooner he yields." 
 
 The Fairy of the Desert was delighted at hearing this 
 allusion to her conquest. She led the King into the most 
 superb apartment that had ever existed in the recollection of 
 fairies, and left him there for a few minutes alone, that he 
 might not fancy himself positively a prisoner. He felt 
 assured that she was not far ofij and that wherever she might 
 hide herself, she had an eye upon all his actions. He there- 
 fore advanced towards a large looking-glass, and, addressing 
 it, he said, " Faithful counsellor, allow me to see what I can 
 do to render myself more agreeable to the chai-ming Fairy of 
 the Desert, for my anxiety to please her is unceasing." So 
 saying, he combed and powdered his hair, put a patch upon 
 bis cheek,^ and seeing on a table a suit of clothes more mag- 
 nificent than his own, he dressed himself in them as quickly 
 as possible. The Fairy reentered, so transported with joy, 
 that she could not control it. "I appreciate," said she, 
 "the pains you take to please me. You found the way 
 without intending it. Judge then. Sir, if it will be a difficult 
 task when you are anxious to do so." 
 
 The King, who had his reasons for saying sweet things to 
 the old Fairy, was not sparing of them, and by degrees ob- 
 tained permission to take a daily walk by the sea-side. She 
 had, by the exercise of her art, rendered that coast so dan- 
 gerous that no pilots were sufficiently adventurous to approach 
 
 (1) Mouchet. Patches made of small pieces of court plaister were at this period 
 indispensable to the appearance of a fine gentleman or lady. 
 
THE YELLOW DWAKF. 295 
 
 it, so that she had nothing to fear from the favour she had 
 granted to her captive. It was, however, some comfort to 
 him to indulge in solitary musings, uninterrupted by the 
 presence of his \dcked gaoler. 
 
 After having strolled for some time on the sands, he stooped 
 and wrote the following lines in them with a cane which he 
 carried : — 
 
 At length I am at liberty to weep : 
 
 My tears in torrents now uncheck'd may pour, 
 
 And ea^e my labotiring bosom's anguish deep. 
 
 Alas ' my love I shall behold no more. 
 
 O thou that makest this rock -girted shore 
 
 To mortals inaccessible ! dread Sea, 
 
 Whose mountain billows as the wild winds roar : 
 
 Now high as heaven, now low as hell, can flee ; 
 
 Thy state, compared to mine, is calm tranquillity. 
 
 Toute-belle ! O cruel destiny! For ever, 
 
 For ever lost ! The idol of my heart ! 
 
 Ye Gods, when dooming me from her to sever, 
 
 Why bade ye not my life as well depart f 
 
 Spirit of Ocean ! whatsoe'er thou art — 
 
 If it be true that e'en beneath the wave 
 
 Love hath the power to reach thee with his dart — 
 
 Rise from thy pearly grot, thy coral cave. 
 
 And from despair a fond and faithful lover save. 
 
 As he finished writing, he heard a voice which irresistibly 
 attracted all his attention, and perceiving the tide rising in 
 an extraordinaiy manner, he looked rapidly around him and 
 saw a female of extraordinary beauty, whose body to the waist 
 was covered only by her long hair, which, gently agitated by 
 the breeze, floated upon the water. She held a looking-glass 
 in one hand, and a comb in the other. Her form teiminated 
 in a long fish's tail, furnished with fins. The King was much 
 surprised at so extraordinary an appearance. As soon as she 
 was near enough to speak to him, she said, " I know the sad 
 state to which you are reduced by the loss of your Princess, 
 and by the extravagant passion which the Fairy of the Desert 
 entertains for you. If you are willing, I will convey you 
 from this fatal spot, where you may otherwise languish for 
 more than thirty years longer." The King knew not how to 
 reply to this proposal ; not that he wanted any temptation to 
 escape from captivity, but that he feared the Fairy of the 
 Desert had taken this form to deceive him. As he hesitated, 
 the Syren, who could read his thoughts, said, " Do not ima- 
 
296 THE YELLOW DWARF. 
 
 gine I am laying a snare for you ; I am of too honest a nature 
 to wish to serve your foes. The conduct of the Fairy of the 
 Desert and of the Yellow Dwarf has incensed me against 
 them. I see your unhappy Princess daily ; her beauty and 
 merit equally excite my compassion, and I repeat to you, if 
 you will have confidence in me, I will save you." " I have 
 such perfect confidence in you," said the King, " that I will 
 do whatever you command ; but as you have seen my Prin- 
 cess, pray give me some news of her." " We should lose too 
 much time in conversation, here," said the Syren. " Come 
 with me, I will convey you to the Steel Castle, and leave on 
 the shore a figure so perfectly resembling you, that it shall 
 deceive the Fairy. 
 
 She immediately cut some sea-rushes, and making a large 
 bundle of them, blew three times upon them, and said, " Sea- 
 rushes, my friends, I order you to lie stretched on the sand, 
 without motion, until the Fairy of the Desert comes to take 
 you away." The rushes became covered with skin, and so 
 like the King of the Gold Mines, th^t he had never seen so 
 astonishing a transformation. They were dressed in clothes 
 exactly resembling his, and the countenance was pale and 
 wasted, as if he had been drowned. The friendly Syren then 
 made the King seat himself upon her great fish's tail, and 
 thus they ploughed the sea together with mutual satisfaction. 
 
 " I will now willingly inform you," said the Syren, " that 
 when the wicked Yellow Dwarf carried off Toute-belle, not- 
 withstanding the wound the Fairy of the Desert had inflicted 
 on her, he placed her behind him on the crupper of his hor- 
 rible Spanish cat. She lost so much blood, and was so ten-i- 
 fied by the whole occurrence, that her strength failed her, and 
 she was in a swoon during the entire journey ; but the Yellow 
 Dwarf would not stop to give her the least assistance until he 
 had safely arrived in his terrible Steel Palace. He was re- 
 ceived on his entrance by the most beautiful nymphs in the 
 world whom he had transported thither. They emulated each 
 other in their eagerness to serve the Princess. She was put 
 into a bed, the furniture of which was of cloth of gold, covered 
 with pearls as big as walnuts." " Hah ! " exclaimed the 
 King of the Gold Mines, interrupting the Syren, " he has mar- 
 ried her, then? I faint! I die!" "No," said she, "compose 
 yourself, my Lord, the constancy of Toute-belle has preserved 
 
THE YELLOW DWARF. 297 
 
 her from the violence of that hideous dwarf." " Proceed 
 then," said the King. "What more have I to tell you?" 
 continued the Syren. " She was in the grove when you 
 passed over it. She saw you with the Fairy of the Desert, who 
 was so disguised that she appeared to the Princess to possess 
 greater beauty than herself. Her despair is not to be con- 
 ceived. She believes you love the Fairy." " She believes that 
 I love the Fairy! Just Heavens!" cried the King, "into what 
 a fatal error has she fallen, and what must I do to undeceive 
 her?" "Consult your own heart," replied the Syren, with 
 a gracious smile. " When we are deeply in love, we need no 
 advice in such a matter." As she uttered these words, they 
 arrived at the Steel Castle. The side that faced the sea was 
 the only part of it that the Yellow Dwarf had not fortified 
 with those formidable walla which burned everybody who 
 approached them. 
 
 " I know well enough," said the Syren to the King, " that 
 Toute-belle is beside the same fountain that you saw her 
 seated near when you passed over the castle gardens ; but as 
 you will have some enemies to contend with before you can 
 approach her, here is a sword, armed with which you may 
 dare any encounter, and brave the greatest dangers; but be- 
 ware that you never let it fall. Adieu; I go to repose 
 beneath the rock you see yonder. If you need my assistance 
 to convey you and your dear Princess any further, I will not 
 fail you ; for the Queen, her mother, is my best friend, and it 
 was for her sake that I came to seek you." So saying, she 
 presented the King with a sword, made of a single diamond. 
 The rays of the sun were less brilliant. The King compre- 
 hended all its value, and unable to find terms in which to 
 express his gratitude to the Syren, he implored her to supply 
 his deficiency by imagining all that an honest heart was capa- 
 ble of feeling, under such great obligations. 
 
 We must now say a word about the Fairy of the Desert. 
 When she found her amiable lover did not return, she 
 hastened in search of him. She went down to the sea-shore 
 with an hundred maidens in her train, all bearing magnifi- 
 cent presents for the King. Some carried large baskets filled 
 with diamonds ; others golden vases of marvellous workman- 
 ship ; many bore ambergris, coral, and pearls ; others car- 
 ried on their heads bales of inconceivably rich stuffs ; whilst 
 
298 THE YELLOW DWARF. 
 
 others again carried fruit, flowers, and even birds. But what 
 were the feelings of the Fairy, who followed this fair and 
 numerous troop, when she saw the sea-rushes looking so like 
 the King of the Gold Mines, that it was impossible to distin- 
 guish the least difference between theml At this sight, struck 
 with astonishment and the deepest grief, she uttered so fear- 
 ful a shriek that it pierced the skies, made the hills tremble, 
 and was echoed even in the infernal regions. The Furies, 
 Megara, Alecto, and Tisiphone, could not assume a more 
 teiTible appearance than did the Fairy of the Desert at that 
 moment. She threw herself on the seeming body of the 
 King; she wept, she howled, she tore to pieces fifty of the 
 most beautiful maidens who had accompanied her, immolating 
 them to the manes of the dear departed. After this she 
 invoked the presence of eleven of her sister fairies, and re- 
 quested them to aid her in the construction of a superb 
 mausoleum, in which she might deposit the remains of the 
 young hero. Every one of the eleven was, like the Desert 
 Fairy, deceived by the appearance of the sea-rushes. This 
 circumstance is enough to surprise one, for fairies in general 
 know everything ; but the clever Syren proved in this case 
 that she knew more than they did. 
 
 While they were collecting porphyry, jasper, agate, and 
 marble, statues, devices, gold and bronze to immortalise the 
 memory of the King they believed to be dead, he was thank- 
 ing the amiable Syren, and conjuring her to continue to pro- 
 tect him. She pledged herself to do so in the kindest manner 
 possible, and vanished from his sight. There was nothing 
 left for him to do, but to advance towards the Steel Castle. 
 
 So, guided by his love, he strode on rapidly, narrowly 
 examining every part of the castle in hopes of discovering 
 his adorable Princess; but he was not long without other 
 occupation. Four terrible sphinxes surrounded him, and 
 flying on him with their sharp talons would quickly have 
 torn him in pieces, if the diamond sword had not proved as 
 useful to him as the Syren had predicted. He had scarcely 
 flashed it in the eyes of these monsters before they fell 
 powerless at his feet. He dealt each of them its death-blow, 
 then advancing again, he encountered six dragons, covered with 
 scales, harder to pierce than iron. Alarming as was this adven- 
 ture, his courage remained unshaken, and making good vise of 
 
THE YELLOW DWARF. 299 
 
 his redoubtable sword, there was not one that he did not cut 
 in half at a blow. He was in hopes he had surmounted the 
 greatest obstacles, when a most embarrassing one presented it- 
 self. Twenty-four beautiful and graceful nymphs advanced to 
 meet him with long garlands of flowers, which they stretched 
 across his path to impede his progress. "Whither would 
 you go, Sire?" said they, "we are entrusted with the guardian- 
 ship of these regions. If we permit you to pass, innumerable 
 misfortunes will befal both you and us. For mercy's sake do 
 not persist in this resolution. Would you stain your vic- 
 torious hand with the blood of twenty-four innocent maidens, 
 who have never done anything to displease youl" The King 
 at this sight stood amazed and irresolute. He did not know 
 what course to take. He, who professed such extreme respect 
 for the fair sex, and his eagerness to be their champion to the 
 death on every occasion, was in the present case about to 
 destroy some of the fairest ! But whilst he was hesitating, 
 he heard a voice which instantly determined him, " Strike ! 
 strike ! " said this voice to him, " or thy Princess is lost to 
 thee for ever ! " 
 
 At these words, without uttering a syllable in reply to the 
 nymphs, he rushed upon them, broke through their garlands, 
 attacked them without mercy, and scattered them in a 
 moment. This was the last obstacle he had to encounter. 
 He entered the grove in which he had previously seen Toute- 
 belle. She was seated beside the fovintain, pale and suffering. 
 He accosted her tremblingly. He would have thrown him- 
 self at her feet : but she fled from him as hastily and indig- 
 nantly as if he had been the Yellow Dwarf. " Condemn me 
 not unheard, Madam," said he, " I am neither faithless nor 
 guilty of any intentional wrong towards you. I am an un- 
 happy lover, who has been compelled, despite himself, to 
 offend you." "Ah, cruel Prince," she exclaimed, "I saw you 
 sail through the air with a lady of extraordinary bea\ity; was 
 it despite yourself you made that voyage 1 " " Yes, Princess," 
 replied he, " it was despite myself ; the wicked Fairy of the 
 Desert was not satisfied with chaining me to a rock, she wafted 
 me in a car to one of the ends of the world, where I should 
 still have languished in captivity, but for the unhoped-for 
 assistance of a beneficent Syren who brought me hither. I 
 come, my Princess^ to snatch you from the power of him who 
 
300 THE YELLOW DWARF. 
 
 holds you a prisoner. Do not reject the aid of the most 
 faithful of lovers!" He flung himself at her feet and caught 
 the skirt of her gown to detain her : but in so doing he un- 
 fortunately let fall the formidable sword. The Yellow Dwarf, 
 who had lain hidden beneath the leaves of a lettuce, no 
 sooner saw it out of the King's hands than, being aware of its 
 power, he sprang upon and seized it. 
 
 The Princess uttered a terrible shriek at the sight of the 
 Dwarf; but her anguish only exasperated the Httle monster : 
 with two cabalistic words he conjured up two giants, who 
 loaded the King with chains and fetters. " Now," said the 
 Dwarf, " I am master of my rival's fate; but I will spare his 
 life, and give him liberty to leave this place, provided you 
 consent to marry me immediately," " Oh, let me rather die 
 a thousand deaths ! " exclaimed the amorous King. " You die ! 
 — alas, my Lord!" said the Princess, "what can be more 
 terrible to me than such a calamity?" "Your becoming the 
 victim of this monster," replied the King ; " can any horror 
 exceed thati" " Let us die together then," continued she. 
 " Nay, Princess," rejoined the King, " grant me the consola- 
 tion of dying for you." " Sooner than that," said the Princess 
 to the Dwarf, " I consent to your washes." " Before my 
 eyes ! " exclaimed the King ; " before my eyes, will you make 
 him your husband? — Cruel Princess, — life will be hateful to 
 me !" *' No," said the Yellow Dwarf. " You shall not see me 
 become her husband : — a beloved rival is too dangerous to be 
 endured ! " 
 
 With these words, despite the tears and shrieks of Toute- 
 belle, he stabbed the King to the heart, and laid him dead at 
 his feet. The Princess, unable to survive her lover, fell upon 
 his body, and her spirit quickly fled to join his. Thus perished 
 this illustrious but unfortunate pair, without the possibility 
 of assistance from the Syreu; for the power of the spell 
 was centred in the diamond sword. 
 
 The wicked Dwarf prefeired seeing the Princess dead to 
 beholding her in the arms of another, and the Fairy of the 
 Desert becoming informed of this event, destroyed the 
 mausoleum she had erected, conceiving as much hatred of 
 the memory of the King of the Gold Mines as she had for- 
 merly entertained passion for his person. 
 
 The friendly Syren, overwhelmed with grief at so great 
 
THE YELLOW DWAEF. 301 
 
 a misfortune, could obtain no other favour from Fate than 
 the pennission to change the two lovers into palm-trees. 
 Their two bodies, so perfect during life, became two beautiful 
 trees; stiU cherishing a faithful love for each other, they 
 joined their branches in fond embraces, and immortalised 
 their passion by that tender union. 
 
 Those who in danger on the stonny main 
 Vow hecatombs to all the Gods they know, 
 When safe on shore they find themselves again, 
 Not even near their altars care to go. 
 All, when in peril, oaths are prone to take ; 
 But let the tragic tale of poor Toute-belle 
 Warn ye n| promise in your fear to make, 
 You would not gladly keep when all is well. 
 
GREEN-SERPENT. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a great Queen, -who, on giving 
 birth to twin daughters, invited twelve' fairies, residing in 
 her neighbourhood, to come and see them, and endow them, 
 as was the custom in those days, — and a very convenient 
 custom too, for the power of the fairies generally made up 
 the deficiencies of nature, though it certainly did sometimes 
 spoil what nature had done her best to make perfect. 
 
 When the fairies had all assembled in the banquet cham- 
 ber, a magnificent collation was served up to them. They 
 were just seating themselves at the table, when Magotine 
 entered the apartment. She was the sister of Carabosse, and 
 no less malicious. The Queen shuddered at the sight of her, 
 fearing some disaster, as she had not invited her to the 
 entertainment; but, carefully concealing her uneasiness, she 
 placed, herself, an arm-chair for the Fairy, which was covered 
 with green velvet embroidered with sapphires. As Magotine 
 was the eldest of the fairies, all the rest made way for her to 
 pass, and whispered to each other, " Let us hasten, sister, to 
 endow the little Princesses, so that we may be beforehand 
 with Magotine." 
 
 When the arm-chair was placed for her, she rudely said 
 she would not have it, and that she was big enough to eat 
 standing. But she made a mistake, for the table being rather 
 a high one, she was not tall enough even to see over it ; and 
 this annoyance increased her ill-humour. " Madam," said 
 the Queen, " I beg you will take your seat at the table." " If 
 you had wished me to do so," replied the Fairy, " you would 
 have sent an invitation to me, as you did to the others; but 
 you would only have handsome persons at your court, with 
 fine figures and fine dresses, like my sisters here. As for me 
 
GEEEN-SERPENT 303 
 
 I am too ugly and too old ; but, for all that, I have no less 
 power than they — and, without boasting of it, I may perhaps 
 have more." All the fairies pressed her so much to sit down 
 to table, that at length she consented. A golden basket was 
 placed before them, containing twelve bouquets composed of 
 jewels. The fairies who had arrived first, each took her 
 bouquet ; so that there was not one left for Magotine, who 
 began to mutter between her teeth. The Queen ran to her 
 cabinet, and brought her a casket of perfumed Spanish 
 morocco, covered with rubies and filled with diamonds, pray- 
 ing her acceptance of it ; but Magotine shook her head, and 
 said to her, " Keep yo\ir jewels, Madam ; I have enough and 
 to spare. I only came to see if you had thought of me. You 
 have neglected me shamefully." Thereupon she struck the 
 table with her wand, and all the dainties with which it was 
 loaded turned into fricaseed serpents; at which the fairies 
 were all so horrified, that they flung down their napkins, and 
 left the table. 
 
 Whilst they were talking together respecting the sad trick 
 Magotine had played them, that cruel little Fairy approached 
 the cradle in wluch the Princesses were lying wrapped in 
 their swaddling clothes of cloth of gold, and looking the 
 loveliest children in the world. " I endow thee," said she 
 rapidly to one of them, "with perfect ugUness." She was 
 about to utter some malediction on the other, when the 
 fairies, in great agitation, ran and stopped her; on which 
 the mischievous Magotine broke one of the window-panes, 
 and, darting through it like a flash of lightning, vanished 
 from their sight. 
 
 All the good gifts which the benevolent fairies could 
 bestow on the Princess were insufficient to alleviate the 
 wretchedness of the Queen, at finding herself the mother of 
 the ugliest being in the universe. She took the infant in her 
 arms, and had the misery to see it grow more hideous every 
 instant. She struggled in vain to suppress her tears in pre- 
 sence of their fairy ladyships; she could not prevent their 
 flowing, and it is impossible to imagine the compassion they 
 felt for her. " What shall we do, sisters?" said they to each 
 other; "what shall we do to console the Queen 1" They held 
 a grand council on the subject, and, on its conclusion, told 
 the Queen not to give way so much to grief, as there was 
 
804 GREEN-SERPENT. 
 
 a time coming when her daughter would be very haj^py. 
 " But," interrupted the Queen, " will she become beautiful 
 again?" "We cannot give you any further information," 
 replied the fairies. " Be satisfied, Madam, with the assm-ance 
 that your daughter will be happy." She thanked them veiy 
 much, and did not neglect loading them with presents ; for, 
 although the fairies were very rich, they always liked people 
 to give them something; and the custom has descended from 
 that day to this, through all the nations of the earth, without 
 time having had the least effect upon it. 
 
 The Queen named her eldest daughter Laidronette, and 
 the youngest BeUotte. These names suited them perfectly; 
 for Laidronette became so frightful, that, in spite of all her 
 intelligence, it was not possible to look at her; while her 
 sister's beauty incz'eased hourly, and her appearance was 
 altogether charming. The consequence was, that Laidronette, 
 having arrived at twelve years of age, went and threw herself 
 at the feet of the King and Queen, and implored them to 
 permit her to go and shut herself up in the Lonely Castlel 
 that she might afflict them no longer with the contem- 
 plation of her ugliness. As, notwithstanding her hideous 
 appearance, they could not help being fond of her, it was not 
 without some pain they consented to let her depart; but 
 BeUotte remained with them, and that was a sufficient con- 
 solation. 
 
 Laidronette beseeched the Queen to send nobody with her, 
 but her nurse and a few officei-s to wait on her. " You need 
 not be under any apprehension, Madam, of my being run 
 away with," said she ; " and I can assure you that, being what 
 I am, I would willingly avoid even the hght of day." The 
 King and Queen acceded to her wishes, and she was con- 
 ducted to the Castle she had chosen to reside in. It had 
 been built many ages. The sea came in close under its 
 windows, and served it for a canal. There was a large forest 
 in the vicinity, to walk or ride in, and several meadows 
 terminated the prospect. The Princess played various instru- 
 ments, and sang divinely. She passed two years in this 
 agreeable solitude, and even wrote in it some volumes of 
 reflections; but the desire to see the King and Queen again 
 induced her to take coach and revisit the Court. She arrived 
 just as they were about to celebrate the marriage of BeUotte. 
 
GIEEX-SERPENT. 305 
 
 The joy was universal ; but the moment they beheld Laidro- 
 nette, everybody looked distressed. She was neither embraced 
 nor caressed by any of her relations, and the only thing they 
 had to say to her was, that she had grown very much uglier, 
 and that they advised her not to appear at the ball ; but that 
 if she wished to see it, they would manage to find some hole 
 for her to peep through. She replied that she had come 
 there neither to dance nor to hear the music ; that she had 
 been so long in the Lonely Castle, that she could not resist quit- 
 ting it, to pay her respects to the King and the Queen ; that 
 she was most painfully aware they could not endure the sight 
 of her, and that she would therefore return to her wilderness, 
 where the trees, the flowers, and the fountains did not re- 
 proach her with her ugliness, when she wandered amongst 
 them. When the King and Queen saw she was so much 
 hurt, they told her, with some reluctance, that she might stay 
 two or three days with them ; but, as she was a girl of high 
 feeling, she answered that it would give her more pain to 
 leave them if she passed so much time in their good com- 
 pany. They were too anxioiis for her departure, to press her 
 to stay, and therefore coldly observed that she was quite 
 right. 
 
 The Princess Bellotte, for a wedding gift, presented her 
 with an old riband, which she had worn all the winter in 
 a bow on her muff, ^ and the king Bellotte was going to marry 
 gave her some zinzoliu taffety ^ to make a petticoat with If 
 she is to be believed, she would willingly have thrown the 
 riband and the rag of zinzolin in the faces of the generous 
 donors; but she had so much good sense, prudence, and 
 judgment, that she exhibited no ill-temper. So, with her 
 faithful nurse, she left the Court to return to her Castle, her 
 heart so full of grief, that she never spoke a word the whole 
 journey. 
 
 One day, as she was walking in one of the most gloomy 
 avenues in the forest, she saw at the foot of a tree a large green 
 serpent,^ which, rearing its head, said to her : " Laidronette, 
 
 (1 ) The muffs worn by persons of fashion at that period were ornamented with a 
 bow of riband in front. 
 
 (2) A mixture of silk and red worsted. Zinzolin b^ itself was much used in the 
 working of tapestry. 
 
 (3) From her description of the monster at page 307, it would appear that Madame 
 D'Aulnoy adopted the word terpent in the sense of the German and old English 
 
 X 
 
806 GEEEN-SERPENT. 
 
 thou art not the only unhappy creature. Look at my horrible 
 form, and know that I was born handsomer even than thou 
 wert," The Princess, greatly terrified, heard not one half of 
 these words. She fled from the spot, and for many days did 
 not venture to leave the castle, so much was she afraid of 
 meeting with such another adventure. At last, weary of 
 sitting alone in her chamber, she came down one evening, 
 and walked on the sea-beach. She was pacing it slowly, 
 musing on her sad fate, when she perceived sailing towards 
 her a little barque, gilt and painted all over with a thousand 
 various devices. The sail was of gold brocade, the mast of 
 cedar, the oars of eagle- wood. ^ It appeared to be drifting at 
 random, and, coming close in shore, the Princess, curious to 
 inspect all its beautiful decorations, stepped on board of it. 
 She found it fitted up with crimson velvet, on a gold ground, 
 the nails being all diamonds. But suddenly the barque was 
 borne to sea again, and the Princess, alarmed at the impend- 
 ing danger, caught up the oars, and endeavoured to row back 
 to the beach ; but her efforts were in vain. The wind rose, 
 and the waves ran high : she lost sight of land, and, perceiving 
 nothing round her but sea and sky, she resigned herself to 
 her fate, fully assvired that it was little likely to be a happy 
 one, and that this was another malicious trick of the Fairy 
 Magotine. " I must die," she said, " and wherefore this secret 
 dread of death ? Alas ! have I ever yet enjoyed any of those 
 pleasures of life which might cause me to regret leaving iti 
 My ugliness disgusts even my nearest relatives. My sister is 
 a great queen, and I am consigned to exile in the depths of 
 a wilderness, where the only companion I have found is a 
 serpent who can speak. Is it not better I should perish, 
 than drag on so miserable an existence T' With these re- 
 flections, she dried up her tears, and courageously looked out 
 for the quarter from which death would come. She appeared 
 to invite his speedy approach ; when over the billows she saw 
 a serpent making towards the vessel, and which, on nearing 
 it, said to her : " If you were willing to receive some assistance 
 from a poor green serpent Hke me, I am able to save your 
 
 tourm, worm, which is used indifferently for a dragon or a serpent, and as the former 
 it has been figured in the print to the Geneva and Paris edition of the " Cabinet 
 des Fees," 1785. I have adhered to the word I found in the text, and leave the 
 inference to the reader. 
 (1) See note to page 179. 
 
GREEN-SERPENT. 307 
 
 life." " Death is less friglitful to me than thou art," exclaimed 
 the Princess ; " and if thou seekest to do me some kindness, 
 never let me set eyes on thee again." The gi-een serpent 
 gave a long hiss (the manner in which sei"pents sigh), and 
 without answering a word, went immediately under water, 
 "What a horrible monster!" said the Princess to herself. 
 " He has green wings, a body of a thousand colours, ivory 
 claws,^ fiery eyes, and on his head is a bristling mane of long 
 hair. Oh, I would much rather die than owe my life to him ! 
 But," continued she, " what motive has he in following me ? 
 and by what accident has he the power of speaking like a 
 rational being?" She was thus musing, when a voice, in 
 answer to her thoughts, said to her : " Learn, Laidronette, 
 that Green-Serpent is not to be despised; and, were it not 
 a harsh thing to say to thee, I might assure thee he is less 
 hideous in the sight of his species than thou art in the eyes 
 of thine. But, far from desiring to annoy thee, our wish is 
 to lighten thy sorrows, provided thou dost consent." This 
 voice greatly surprised the Princess, and the words it uttered 
 appeared to her so unjustifiable, that she could not suppress 
 her tears ; but a sudden reflection striking her, she exclaimed : 
 " How is this ? Do I grieve to die, because I am reproached 
 with my ugliness 1 Alas ! should I not perish as certainly, 
 were I the handsomest person in the world? It should 
 rather console me, and prevent my regretting the speedy 
 termination of my existence." Whilst she thus moi-alized, the 
 vessel, completely at the mercy of the winds, drifted on till it 
 struck upon a rock, and went immediately to pieces. The 
 poor Princess felt that all her philosophy could not support 
 her in such an extremity. She caught at some pieces of the 
 wreck, and clung, as she imagined, to them ; she felt herself 
 supported in the water, and happily reached the shore at the 
 foot of a great rock. Alas ! what was her horror, when she 
 discovered that her arms were tightly locked round the neck 
 of the green serpent ! Perceiving her dreadful teiTor, he 
 retired a short distance from her, and said : " You would fear 
 me less, if you knew me better; but it is my hard fate to 
 terrify all who see me." With that he plunged into the 
 waves, and Laidronette remained alone upon the rock, which 
 soared to a prodigious height above her. 
 
 (1) See note 3, page 305. 
 
 x2 
 
308 GBEEN-SERPENT. 
 
 On whichever side she cast her eyes, she saw nothing to 
 save her from despair. Night was approaching; she was 
 without food, and knew not where to go. " I thought," said 
 she, sadly, " to perish in the ocean, but here, doubtless, is the 
 end reserved for me. Some sea-monster will come and devour 
 me, or I shall die of hunger." She climbed up, and seated 
 herself on the summit of the rock. As long as it was light, 
 she gazed upon the ocean ; and when it was quite dark, she 
 took off her taffety petticoat, covered her head with it, and 
 remained in trembling expectation of what might befal her. 
 Sleep at length overpowered her ; and presently she thought 
 she heard the music of several instruments. She was per- 
 fectly persuaded that she was dreaming ; but a moment after- 
 wards she heard some one sing the following verses, which 
 seemed to have been composed expressly for her : — 
 
 " Suffer Cupid here to wound thee, 
 Here his gentle sway we own ; 
 Love with pleasure will surround thee, 
 In this isle no grief is known." 
 
 The attention she paid to these words had the effect of 
 waking her completely. " What good or ill fortune now 
 awaits me ? " she exclaimed. " Can there yet be happy days 
 in store for one in my wretched condition?" She opened her 
 eyes timidly, under the apprehension of seeing herself sm*- 
 rounded by monsters ; but what was her astonishment when, 
 in place of the rude and terrible rock, she perceived an 
 apartment, the walls and ceiling of which were entirely of 
 gold. She was lying in a bed, which perfectly corresponded 
 in its magnificence with the rest of this most splendid palace 
 in the universe. She asked herself a hundred questions re- 
 specting this extraordinary sight, not being able to believe 
 she was wide awake. At length, she got up, and ran to open 
 a glass door that gave access to a spacious balcony, from 
 which she beheld all the beauties nature, assisted by art, 
 could create upon earth. Gardens, filled with flowers, foun- 
 tains, statues, and the rarest trees ; distant woods ; palaces, 
 the walls of which were ornamented with jewels, and the 
 roofe composed of pearls, so wonderfully constructed that 
 each was a masterpiece of architecture. A calm and smiling 
 sea, covered with thousands of vessels, whose sails, pendants, 
 
GREEN-SERPENT. 309 
 
 and streamers, fluttering in the breeze, completed the charm 
 of the prospect. 
 
 " Ye gods ! — ye just gods !" exclaimed the Princess, " what 
 do I behold 1 Where am 1 1 What an astounding tranforma- 
 tion ! What has become of the terrible rock, that seemed to 
 threaten the skies with its lofty pinnacles ? Can I be she who 
 was shipwrecked last night, and saved by a serpent.?" She 
 continued thus talking to herself — walking about, then stop- 
 ping, perfectly bewildered. At length, she heard a noise in 
 her aj)artment. She re-entered it, and saw advancing towards 
 her a hundred Pagods,^ formed and dressed in a hundred 
 different fashions. The tallest were about a cubit in height, 
 and the shortest not above four inches, — some beautiful, 
 graceful, and agreeable; others hideous, alarmingly ugly. 
 Their bodies were of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls, crys- 
 tal, amber, coral, porcelain, gold, silver, brass, bronze, iron, 
 wood, and clay; some without arms, others without feet, 
 others had mouths extending to their ears, eyes all askew, 
 broken noses ; in a word, there is not more variety amongst 
 all the creatures that inhabit the world than there was 
 amongst these pagods. 
 
 Those who presented themselves before the Princess were 
 the deputies of the kingdom. After an oration, which con- 
 tained some very judicious reflections, they entertained her 
 by the information, that for some time past they had travelled 
 about the world ; but that, in order to obtain their sovereign's 
 permission to do so, they took an oath not to speak during 
 their absence ; that some there were, indeed, so scrupulous, 
 they would not even shake their heads, or move their hands 
 or feet, but that the majority of them could not help it. 
 That in this way they traversed the univeree ; and when they 
 returned, they amused the king by telling him everything 
 that had occurred, even the most secret transactions and 
 adventures in all the courts they had visited. " A pleasure. 
 Madam," added one of the deputies, " which we shall have the 
 honour of occasionally affording you ; for we are commanded 
 to neglect nothing which can entertain you. In lieu of 
 bringing you presents, we now come to amuse you with our 
 
 (1) Pagodes, the French name not only for Indian or Chinese temples, but for those 
 figures, whethei idols or not, which have movable heads. " 11 remue la t4tc 
 comme une Pagode," is a popular saying in the language. 
 
310 GREEN-SERPENT. 
 
 songs and dances," They began immediately to sing the fol- 
 lowing words, dancing at the same time a round, to the music 
 of tambourines and castagnets : — 
 
 " Sweet are pleasures after pains, 
 Lovers, do not break your chains ; 
 Trials though you may endure, 
 • Happiness they will ensure. 
 
 Sweet are pleasures after pains, 
 Joy from sorrow lustre gains." 
 
 When they ceased dancing and singing, the deputy who 
 had been spokesman said to the Princess : " Here, Madam, 
 are a hundred pagodines, who have been selected to have the 
 honour of waiting on you. Every wish you can have in the 
 world will be gratified, provided you consent to remain 
 amongst us." The pagodines appeared in their turn ; they 
 carried baskets, proportioned to their own size, filled with 
 a hundred diflferent articles, so pretty, so useful, so well made, 
 and so costly, that Laidronette was never weary of admiring 
 and praising them, uttering exclamations of wonder and 
 delight at all the marvels they displayed to hei\ The most 
 prominent pagodine, who was a little figure made of dia- 
 monds, recommended her to enter the Grotto of the Baths, as 
 the heat of the day was increasing. The Princess proceeded 
 in the direction indicated, between two ranks of body-guards, 
 whose forms and appearance were enough to make one die 
 with laughter. 
 
 She found in the grotto two baths of crystal, ornamented 
 with gold, full of scented water, so delicious and uncommon, 
 that she was perfectly astonished at it. The baths were under 
 a pavilion of green and gold brocade. The Princess inquired 
 why there were two. They answered, that one was for her, 
 and the other for the King of the Pagods. " But where is he, 
 then ?" exclaimed the Princess. " Madam," they replied, " he 
 is at present with the army, making war on his enemies. You 
 will see him as soon as he returns." The Princess then in- 
 quired if he were married. They answered, no ; and that he 
 was so charming, no one had ever yet been found worthy of 
 him. She indulged her curiosity no further, but undressed 
 and entered the bath. All the pagods and pagodines began 
 immediately to sing and play on various instruments. Some 
 bad theorbos made out of nut-shells — others, bass-viols made 
 
GREEN-SERPENT. 311 
 
 out of almond-shells ; for it was, of course, necessary that the 
 instruments should be proportioned to the size of the per- 
 formers. But everything was so perfect, and harmonized so 
 completely, that nothing could surpass the delight experienced 
 at their concerts. 
 
 When the Princess came out of her bath, they presented 
 her with a magnificent dressing-gown. Several pagods who 
 played the flute and the hautbois marched before her, and a 
 train of pagodines followed her, singing songs in her praise. 
 In this state, she entered an apartment, where her toilet was 
 set out. Immediately the pagodines in waiting, and the 
 pagodines of the bed-chamber, bustled about, dressed her 
 hair, put on her robes, praised her, admired her. There was 
 no longer talk of her ugliness, of zinzolin petticoats, or greasy 
 ribands. 
 
 The Princess was truly astounded. "To whom can T be 
 indebted for such extraordinary happiness?" said she to her- 
 self. " I was on the brink of destruction — I awaited death, 
 and could hope for nothing else ; and, notwithstanding, I sud- 
 denly find myself in the most beautiful and magnificent place 
 in the world, and where I am received with the greatest joy !" 
 As the Princess was endued with great good sense and good 
 nature, she conducted herself in such a manner that all the 
 little creatures who approached her were enchanted at her 
 behaviour. 
 
 Every morning, at her levee, she was presented with new 
 dresses, new lace, new jewels. It was a great pity she was so 
 ugly ; but, notwithstanding, she who could not abide herself, 
 began to fancy she was less disagreeable, in consequence of the 
 great pains they took in attiring her. She scarcely passed an 
 hour without some pagods coming to visit her, and recounting 
 to her all the most curious and private circumstances that 
 occurred in the world. Treaties of peace, leagues offensive 
 and defensive, treasons and quarrels of lovers, infidelities of 
 mistresses, distractions, reconciliations, heirs disappointed, 
 matches broken off, old widows remarrying very foolishly, 
 treasures discovered, bankruptcies declared, fortunes made in 
 a minute, favourites disgraced, place-huntera, jealous hus- 
 bands, coquettish wives, naughty children, ruined cities; in 
 short, what did they not talk of to amuse or interest the 
 Princess? She occasionally saw some pagods, who were so 
 
812 GHEEN-SERPENT. 
 
 exceedingly corpulent, and had such pufied-out cheeks, that 
 they were wonderful to look at. When she asked them the 
 cause, they answered : " As we are not permitted to laugh or 
 to speak during our travels, and are constantly witnessing all 
 sorts of absurdities and almost intolei-able foUies, our inclina- 
 tion to laugh is so great, that the suppression of it swells us 
 aip, and causes what may properly be called risible dropsy, of 
 which we cure oui-selves as soon as we get home." The Prin- 
 cess admired the good sense of the pagodine people ; for really 
 we might be ready to burst with laughter, if we laughed at 
 all the extravagancies we are daily beholding. 
 
 There was scarcely an evening without a performance of 
 one of the best plays of Comeille or Moliere. There were fre- 
 quent balls. The most diminutive pagods danced on the tight- 
 rope, in order to be better seen. Finally, the banquets given 
 to the Princess might have served for feasts at the greatest 
 solemnities. They brought her books of every description, 
 serious, amusing, historical : in short, the days ran away like 
 minutes ; although, to speak the truth, all these ingenious 
 pagods appeared to the Princess intolerably little, for it often 
 happened that when she went out walking, she had to put 
 some thirty or so into her pockets, in order to take care of' 
 them. It was the most amusing thing in the world to hear 
 the chattering of their little voices, shriller than those of the 
 puppets in a show at the fair. 
 
 It happened one night that the Princess not being able to 
 sleep, said to herself, " What is to become of me ? Shall 
 I always remain here ? I pass my dajs more agreeably than 
 I could have ventured to hope ; yet something is wanting to 
 my heart. I know not what it is ; but I begin to feel that 
 this round of pleasures, unvaried by a single event, is rather 
 insipid." " Ah Princess," said a voice, as in answer to her 
 thoughts, " is it not your own fault ? If you would consent 
 to love, you would soon know that it is possible to remain 
 with a beloved object, not only in a palace, but in a frightful 
 wUdemess, for ages without wishing to leave it." 
 
 " What pagodine speaks to me 1 " inquired the Princess. 
 " What pernicious advice does she give me, — inimical to my 
 future peace 1 " " It is not a pagodine," replied the voice, 
 " who forewarns you of what will sooner or later occur. It is 
 the UBhappy sovereign of this realm, who adores you, Madam, 
 
GREEN-SERPENT. 313 
 
 and who cannot tell you so without trembling." " A king 
 who adores me," replied the Princess. " Has that king eyes, 
 or is he blind? Can he know that I am the ugliest person in 
 the world." " I have seen you. Madam," answered the in- 
 visible being, "and have not found you what you represent 
 yourself. Be it for your person, your merit, or your misfor- 
 tunes, I repeat, I adore you; but my respectful and timid 
 affection obliges me to conceal myself." " I am indebted to 
 you for so doing," rejoined the Princess; " for alas, what would 
 be my fate should I love any one 1 " " You would make the 
 happiness of him who cannot live without you," said the voice, 
 " but he will not venture to appear before you without your 
 permission." "No, no," said the Princess; "I would avoid 
 seeing any object that might too powerfully interest me." 
 The voice was silent, and the Princess remained all the rest 
 of the night in deep meditation on this adventure. 
 
 However she might have resolved not to say the least word 
 to any one respecting it, she could not resist asking the 
 pagods if their king had returned. They answered in the 
 negative. This reply, so ill-agreeing with what she had heard, 
 disturbed her. She continued her inquiries as to whether 
 their king was young and handsome. They told her he was 
 young, handsome, and very amiable. She asked if they fre- 
 quently received intelligence of him. They replied, " Every 
 day." " But," added she, " does he know that I am in his 
 palace? " "Yes, !Madam," answered her attendants, " he knows 
 everything that occurs here concerning you : he takes great 
 interest in it, and every hour a courier is sent off to him with 
 an account of you." She was silent, and became much more 
 thoughtful than she had formerly been. Whenever she was 
 alone, the voice spoke to her. Sometimes she was alarmed at 
 it : but at others, she felt pleased ; for nothing could be more 
 polite than its language to her. " Although," said the Princess, 
 " I have resolved never to love, and have every reason to 
 defend my heart against an attachment which could only be 
 fatal to it, I nevertheless confess to you that I should much 
 like to behold a king who has so strange a taste ; for if it be 
 true that you love me, you are perhaps the only being in the 
 world who could be guilty of a similar weakness for a person 
 so ugly as I am." " Think of me whatever you please, ador- 
 able Princess," replied the voice. " I find in your merit 
 
314 GREEN-SERPENT. 
 
 a sufficient justification for my passion ; nor is it from singu- 
 larity of taste that I conceal myself. I have motives so 
 melancholy, that if you knew them you could not refrain 
 from pitying me." The Princess then pressed the voice to 
 explain itself; but it ceased to speak, — she only heard long 
 and heavy sighs. All these circumstances made her very 
 uneasy. Although her lover was unknown and invisible to 
 her, he paid her a thousand delicate attentions. Add to this, 
 the beautiful place she was in induced her to desire society 
 more suitable to it than that of the pagods. She consequently 
 began to feel tired and dull everywhere. The voice of her 
 invisible admirer alone had power to please her. Waking 
 suddenly one exceedingly dark night, she found that some- 
 body was seated beside her bed. She thought it was the 
 Pagodine of Pearls, who, having more wit than the others, 
 used sometimes to come and keep her company. The Princess 
 stretched out her arm to take hold of her; but the person 
 seized her hand, pressed it, kissed it, dropped some tears upon 
 it, and was evidently too much affected to speak. She was 
 convinced it was the invisible monarch. " What would you 
 of me ? " said she to him, sighing. " Can I love you without 
 knowing or seeing you 1 " " Ah, Madam," replied he, " by 
 what conditions do you fetter the delight of obeying you ? 
 It is impossible for me to appear before you. The same wicked 
 Magotine who has so illtreated you, has condemned me to 
 suffer for seven years. Five have already elapsed : two yet 
 remain, the misery of which you could entirely relieve by 
 accepting me for your husband. You will think me a rash 
 fool, and that I am asking au absolute impossibility ; but if 
 you knew, Madam, the excess of my passion and the extent 
 of my misfortunes, you would not refuse me the favour 
 I implore of you." 
 
 Laidronette, I have already told you, had began to feel 
 very dull; she found the invisible king everything that could 
 be most charming in conversation, and love took possession of 
 her heart, under the specious disguise of generous commisera- 
 tion. She replied, that she must be allowed some days to 
 consider of it. It was a great thing to have brought her to 
 require only a few days to decide on a matter which he had 
 not ventured to flatter himself she would ever listen to. Tho 
 fetes and the concerts recommenced with increased splendour. 
 
GBEEN-SERPENT. 315 
 
 Nothing was to be heard but hymeneal strains. Presents 
 were continually brought her, surpassing all that had ever 
 been seen. The enamoured voice assiduously wooed her ia 
 the sweetest accents, as soon as it was dark ; and the Princess 
 retired at an earlier hour, in order to have more time to 
 listen to it. r 
 
 At length she consented to marry the invisible king, and 
 gave him her promise that she would not attempt to see liim 
 till the full term of his penance had expired. " It is of vital 
 importance," said the King to her, " both to you and to me. 
 Any imprudent curiosity you might indulge in, would entail 
 on me a recommencement of my penance, and involve you in 
 a like misfortune : but if you can resist the evil coixnsels that 
 will be given to you, you will have the satisfaction of finding 
 me all your heart desires, and of regaining, at the same time, 
 the marvellous beauty of which the malicious Magotine de- 
 prived you." The Princess, enraptured at this new hope, vowed 
 a thousand times to her husband that she would indvilge 
 in no curiosity without his permission. So the nuptials took 
 place without any public demonstrations ; but the heart and 
 the mind were not less gainers by that arrangement. 
 
 As all the pagods were eager to amuse their new queen, 
 one of them brought her the history of Psyche, written in 
 a charming style by one of the most popular authors of the 
 day.^ She found in it many passages bearing a strong resem- 
 blance to her own adventures, and it inspired her with such 
 an anxiety to behold her father, mother, sister, and brother- 
 in-law, that all the King could say to her would not suffice to 
 combat this fancy. " The book you are reading," said he, 
 "displays to you the misfortunes which befel Psyche. Oh, 
 for mercy's sake, profit by the warning, and avoid them !" 
 She promised more than he even required of her ; and finally 
 a vessel, manned by pagods, and laden with presents, was 
 despatched with letters from Queen Laidronette to the Queen 
 her mother, conjuring her to come and pay a visit to her 
 daughter in her own dominions ; and the pagods who were 
 charged with this mission were permitted, on this occasion 
 
 (1) La Fontaine. His version of the classical story of Psyche was published in 
 1669. Its great popularity caused it to be selected as the subject for a tragic ballet 
 in five acts by Moli^re, and Pierre Corneille, first performed at court in 1070, and 
 subsequently in public, July 24, 1671. 
 
316 GREEN-SERPENT. 
 
 only, to speak in a foreign land. The loss of the Princess had 
 not been entirely imfelt by her relations : they believed she 
 had perished; consequently her letter gave great delight to 
 the Coiui;. The Queen, who was dying to see Laidronette 
 again, lost not a moment in setting out, with her other 
 daughter and her son-in-law. The pagods, who alone knew 
 the way to their kingdom, safely conducted thither the whole 
 royal family; and when Laidronette saw her relations, she 
 was ready to expire with joy. She read the story of Psyche 
 over and over again, to be completely on her guard respect- 
 ing any questions that might be put to her, and to regulate 
 her answei-s to them ; but the pains she took were all in vain 
 — she made a hundred mistakes. Sometimes the King was 
 with the army ; sometimes he was ill, and in no mood to see 
 any one; sometimes he was on a pilgrimage; and at others, 
 hunting or fisliing. At last, it seemed as if she was pledged 
 to talk nothing but nonsense, and that the barbarous Mago- 
 tine had unsettled her wits. 
 
 Her mother and sister consulted together on the subject, 
 and came to the conclusion that she was deceiving them, and 
 might probably be deceived herself They, therefore, with 
 ill-directed zeal, resolved to tell her so, and managed very 
 skilfully to infect her mind with a thousand doubts and 
 fears. After having refused for a long time to acknowledge 
 the justice of their suspicions, she at last confessed that up to 
 that period she had never seen her husband; but that his 
 conversation was so charming, that it was sufficient happiness 
 to listen to it : that he had yet two years to pass in this state 
 of penance, but that at the end of that time, not only should 
 she behold him, but become, herself, beautiful as the orb of 
 day. "Oh, unfortunate creature!" exclaimed the Queen; 
 " how gross is the snare they have laid for thee ! Is it pos- 
 sible that thou couldst have listened with such extreme 
 simplicity to such fables? Thy husband is a monster; and 
 how could it be otherwise, for all the pagods, of whom he is 
 the King, are downright monkeys." " I believe, rather," re- 
 plied Laidronette, " that he is the God of Love himself" 
 " What a delusion !" cried Queen Bellotte. " They told Psyche 
 that she had married a monster, and she discovered that it 
 was Cupid. You are positive that Cupid is your husband, 
 and to a certainty he is a monster ! At least, satisfy your 
 
GREEN-SEBPENT. 317 
 
 mind on this point ; enlighten yourself on the matter, as you 
 may so easily." The Queen said as much, and her son-in-law 
 still more. 
 
 The poor Princess was so confused and so agitated, that, 
 after having sent all her family home, laden with presents, 
 which sufficiently repaid the zinzolin taflfety and the muflf- 
 riband, she resolved, come what would, to obtain a sight of 
 her husband. Oh, fatal curiosity, which a thousand fearful 
 examples fail to correct in us, how dearly art thou about to 
 cost this unfortunate Princess ! She would have thought it a 
 great pity not to imitate her predecessor. Psyche ; so she con- 
 cealed a lamp in the same manner, and by the aid of its light 
 gazed iipon the hitherto invisible king, so dear to her heart 
 But what frightful shrieks did she not utter, when, instead of 
 the tender Cupid, fair, white, young, and every way charming, 
 she beheld the horrible green serpent, with his long bristling 
 mane. He awoke in a paroxysm of rage and despair. " Cruel 
 woman," cried he, " is this the reward of so much affection ?" 
 The Princess heard him not — she had fainted with terror; 
 and the serpent in an instant was far away. 
 
 At the disturbance caused by this tragical scene, some 
 pagods ran to the spot; they carried the Princess to her 
 couch, and gave her every assistance. Imagination cannot 
 paint the distress of Laidronette, upon returning to her 
 senses. How did she reproach herself for the affliction she 
 had brought upon her husband ! She loved him tenderly, but 
 she was horrified at his form, and would have cheerfully given 
 half the remainder of her days never to have seen him. 
 
 But these sad reflections were interrupted by the entrance 
 of some pagods into her chamber, with alarm in their coun- 
 tenances. They came to inform her that several ships full of 
 puppets, with Magotine at their head, had entered the har- 
 bour, without meeting any resistance. The puppets and the 
 pagods have been enemies from the earliest periods. They are 
 opposed to each other in a thousand ways ; and the puppets 
 enjoy the privilege of talking wherever they go, which is 
 denied the pagods. Magotine was their queen. Her hatred 
 of poor Green-Serpent, and of the unfortunate Laidronette, 
 prompted her to assemble her forces, with the intention to 
 come and harass them at the moment they were in the 
 greatest affliction. 
 
818 GREEN-SERPENT. 
 
 She succeeded easily enough in her object; for the Queen 
 was in such despair, that, although they urged her to give the 
 requisite directions, she excused herself on the plea that she 
 knew nothing of the art of war. They called together, by her 
 desire, such pagods as had been in besieged cities, or in the 
 cabinets of the greatest commanders. She ordered them to 
 Bee to everything, and went and shut herself up in her 
 cabinet, looking w^ith an indifferent eye upon all the events 
 of life. 
 
 Magotine had for her general that celebrated puppet Punch, 
 who knew his business well, and who had in reserve a large 
 body of wasps, mayflies, and butterflies, who performed won- 
 ders against some light armed frogs and lizards. The latter 
 had been for many years in the pay of the pagods, and were, 
 in truth, much more terrible in name than in action. 
 
 Magotine amused herself for some time in witnessing the 
 combat. The pagods and pagodines surpassed themselves in 
 their exertions; but the Fairy, with a stroke of her wand, 
 dissolved all their superb edifices. Those charming gardens, 
 those woods, those meadows, those fountains were over- 
 whelmed with their own ruins, and Queen Laidronette could 
 not escape the sad fate of becoming the slave of the most 
 malignant fairy that ever was or will be. Four or five hun- 
 dred puppets forced her into the presence of Magotine. 
 " Madam," said Punch to the Fairy, " behold the Queen of the 
 Pagods, whom I have taken the liberty to bring before you." 
 " She has been long known to mc," said Magotine. " She 
 was the cause of my being insulted on the day she was born, 
 and I will never forget it." " Alas, Madam," said the Queen 
 to her, " I believed you were sufl&ciently revenged. The gift 
 of ugliness which you bestowed upon me in so supreme a 
 degree might have satisfied any one less vindictive than you." 
 *' How she argues ! " said the Fairy. " Here is a learned 
 doctor of a new sort ! Your first employment shall be teach- 
 ing philosophy to my ants. Prepare yourself to give them 
 a lesson every day." " How shall I set about it. Madam 1 " 
 replied the afflicted Queen. " I am ignorant of philosophy, 
 and were I even well veraed in it, are your ants capable of 
 understanding it 1 " " Hear, hear this logician ! " exclaimed 
 Magotine. " Very well. Queen. You shall not teach them 
 philosophy; but in spite of yourself you shall set the whole 
 
GREEN-SERPENT. 319 
 
 world an example of patience which it will be difficult to 
 imitate." 
 
 Thereupon she had brought to her a pair of iron shoes so 
 small that she couldn't get half her foot into either of them; 
 but notwithstanding that, she was compelled to put them on. 
 The poor Queen could only weep and suffer. " Here ! " said 
 Magotine, " there is a spindle full of spider's web. I expect 
 you to spin it as fine as your hair, and I give you but two 
 hours to do it in." " I have never spun. Madam," said the 
 Queen ; " but though what you desire appears to me to be 
 impossible, I will endeavour to obey you." She was led im- 
 mediately into the depths of a very dark grotto, the entrance 
 to which was closed with a great stone, after they had given 
 her some brown bread and a pitcher of water. 
 
 In trying to spin this filthy spider's web, she dropped her 
 too heavy spindle a hundred times. She had the patience to 
 pick it up again as many, and to begin her work over again, 
 but always in vain. " Clearly do I now perceive," said she, 
 " the extent of my misery. I am consigned to the power of 
 the implacable Magotine, who is not satisfied with having de- 
 prived me of aU my beauty, — she would find some pretext to 
 kill me." She began to weep, recalling to her memory the 
 happiness she enjoyed in the kingdom of Pagodia, and casting 
 away her spindle, exclaimed, " Let Magotine come when she 
 will ! I cannot do impossibilities." A voice answered, " Ah 
 Queen, your too imprudent curiosity has caused you these 
 tears ; but one cannot see those sufter whom we love. I have 
 a friend whom I have not mentioned to you before. She is 
 called the Fairy Protectrice. I trust she will be of great 
 service to you." Immediately she heard three taps, and with- 
 out seeing any one, she found her web spun and wound into 
 a skein. 
 
 At the expiration of the two hours, Magotine, who was 
 eager for a fray, had the stone rolled from the mouth of the 
 grotto, and entered it, followed by a numerous train of 
 puppets. " Come, come, let us see," said the Fairy, " the 
 work of this idle hussy, who neither knows how to sew nor to 
 spin." " Madam," said the Queen, " it is quite true I did not ; 
 but I was obliged to learn." When Magotine saw the extra- 
 ordinary result, she took- the skein of spider's web, and said, 
 
820 GREEN-SERPENT. 
 
 " Verily, you are too skilful, it would be a gi'eat pity not to 
 keep you employed. Here, Queen, make me some nets with 
 this thread strong enough to catch salmons in." " Nay, for 
 mercy's sake," replied the Queen, " remember that it is 
 barely strong enough to hold flies." " You are a great 
 casuist, my pretty friend," said Magotine, " but it will avail 
 you nothing." She quitted the grotto, had the stone re- 
 placed at the mouth of it, and assured Laidronette that 
 if the nets were not finished in two hours, she was a lost 
 creature. 
 
 " Oh, Fairy Protectrice ! " exclaimed the Queen, " if it be 
 true that my sorrows can move your pity, do not deny me your 
 assistance." As she spoke, the nets were made. Laidronette 
 was extremely surprised. She thanked, with all her heart, 
 the friendly fairy who had conferred on her such a benefit, 
 and thought with delight that it was undoubtedly her hus- 
 band who had secured for her such a friend. " Alas, Green- 
 Serpent," said she, "you are very generous, to continue to 
 love me after the injuries I have done you." No reply was 
 made, for Magotine entered, and was much astonished to find 
 the nets so exceedingly well made, that no common hands 
 were capable of executing such a work. " What ! " she cried, 
 " will you have the audacity to maintain that you have woven 
 these nets 1" "I have no fx-iend in your Court, Madam," said 
 the Queen ; " and even if I had, I am so carefully imprisoned 
 that it would be difiicult for any one to speak to me with- 
 out your permission." " As you are so clever and skilful, 
 you wUl be of great use to me in my kingdom," rejoined the 
 fairy. 
 
 She immediately ordered her fleet to be got ready for sea, 
 and all the puppets to be prepared to go on board. She had 
 the Queen heavily chained down, fearing that in some fit of 
 despair she might fling herself overboard. One night as 
 the unhappy Princess was deploring her sad fate, she per- 
 ceived, by the light of the stars, the green serpent, who 
 quietly approached the vessel. " I am always afraid of alami- 
 ing you," said he, " and despite the reasons I have for not 
 sparing you, you are infinitely dear to me." " Can you par- 
 don my imprudent curiosity 1 " replied she, " and may I say 
 to you without oflfence, — 
 
GREEN-SERPENT. 321 
 
 ' Is it thou ? Is it thou, love ? Again art thou near f 
 My own royal Serpent, so faithful and dear ! 
 Again dare I hope a fond husband I see 1 
 Oh, what have I suifer'd since parted from thee ! " 
 
 The serpent replied as follows : — 
 
 " To hearts that love truly, to part is a pain, 
 With Hope e'en to whisper of meeting again ; 
 In Pluto's dark regions what torture above 
 Our absence for ever from those whom we love V 
 
 Magotine was not one of those fahries who occasionally 
 sleep. The desire to do mischief kept her continually awake. 
 She did not fail to overhear the conversation between the 
 Serpent-King and his wife. She flew to interrupt it like a 
 fury. " Aha ! " said she ; " you amuse yourselves with tagging 
 rhymes, do you? and complain in heroics of your destiny? 
 Truly, I am delighted to hear it. Proserpine, who is my 
 best friend, has begged me to send her a poet on hire. Not 
 that there is a dearth of poets below ; but because she wants 
 more. Green-Serpent ! I command thee to go finish thy 
 penance in the Shades, and to give my comphments to the 
 gentle Proserpine." 
 
 The unfortunate serpent departed, uttering prolonged 
 hisses, leaving the Queen in the deepest affliction. She felt 
 she had no longer anything to care for. In her passion she 
 exclaimed, " By what crime have we ofiended thee, Magotine? 
 I was scarcely born when thy fiendish malediction robbed me 
 of my beauty and rendered me horrible. Canst thou accuse 
 me of any crime, when I had not at that time attained the 
 use of reason? when I did not know myself? I am convinced 
 that the unhappy King, whom thou hast just consigned to 
 the infernal regions, is as innocent as I was. But finish thy 
 work. Give me instant death. It is the only favour I ask 
 of thee." " Thou wouldst be too happy if I granted thy 
 prayer," said Magotine. " Thou must first draw water for 
 me from the bottomless spring." 
 
 As soon as the ships had reached the kingdom of puppets, 
 the cruel Magotine took a millstone, and tied it round the 
 Queen's neck, ordering her to ascend with it to the summit 
 of a mountain which soared high above the clouds. When 
 tbere, she was to gather four-leaved trefoils enough to fill 
 a basket, and then she was to descend into the depths of the 
 
 Y 
 
322 GREEN-SERPENT. 
 
 valley, to draw the Water of Discretion in a pitcher with a hole 
 in the bottom of it, and to bring her as much as would fill 
 her large glass. The Queen told her it was out of her power 
 to obey her : that the millstone was more than ten times her 
 own weight ; that the pitcher with a hole in it could never 
 retain the water she wished to drink ; and that she could not 
 resolve to attempt anything so impossible. " If thou dost 
 not," said Magotine, "rest assured thy Green-Serpent shall 
 suffer for it." This threat so frightened the Queen, that 
 without considering her weakness, she endeavoured to walk ; 
 but, alas ! the effort would have been idle, if the Fairy Pro- 
 tectrice, whom she invoked, had not come to her assistance. 
 " Behold," said the Fairy to her, " the just punishment of 
 your fatal curiosity. Blame no one but yourself for the 
 state to which Magotine has reduced you." So saying, she 
 transported her to the top of the mountain, and fiUed her 
 basket for her with four-leaved trefoils, despite the terrible 
 monsters that guarded the spot, and made supernatural 
 efforts to defend it; but were rendered more gentle than 
 lambs by one tap of the wand of the Fairy Protectrice. 
 
 She waited not for the grateful Queen to thank her, before 
 she completed her good offices as far as it laid in her power. 
 She gave her a little car drawn by two white canary-birds, 
 who spoke and whistled to admiration. She told her to de- 
 scend the mountain, and to fling her iron shoes at two giants 
 armed with clubs who guarded the fountain, who would 
 thereupon fall senseless ; that she must then give her pitcher 
 to the little canaries, who would easily find means to fill it 
 with the water of Discretion ; that as soon as she was in pos- 
 session of it, she should wash her face with it, and she would 
 become the most beautiful person in the world. She also 
 advised her not to remain at the fountain, nor to reascend 
 the hill, but to stop in a very pleasant little grove she would 
 find on her road; that she might remain there for three 
 years, as Magotine would only imagine that she was endea- 
 vouring to fill her pitcher with water, or that she had fallen 
 a victim to some of the other perils of the journey. 
 
 The Queen embraced the knees of the Fairy Protectrice, 
 and thanked her a hundred times for the special favours she 
 had conferred on her. " But," added the Queen, " neither the 
 success I may achieve, nor the beauty. Madam, which you 
 
GREEN-SERPENT. 323 
 
 promise me, can give me the least pleasure, until my serpent 
 is unserpented." " That will not be till after you have passed 
 three years in the mountain grove," said the Fairy, "and 
 have returned to Magotine with the trefoils and the water in 
 the leaky pitcher." 
 
 The Queen promised the Fairy Protectrice she would 
 scrupulously foUow her directions. " But, Madam," she added, 
 " shall I be three years without hearing tidings of King-Ser- 
 pent ] " " You deserve never to hear of him again as long as 
 you live ; for can anything be more shocking than to have 
 caused him to recommence his penance 1 " The Queen made 
 no reply, — the tears that flowed down her cheeks, and her 
 silence, suflficiently proved the pain she suffered. She got into 
 her little car; the canary-birds did their duty, and conducted 
 her to the bottom of the valley, where the giants guarded 
 the fountain of Discretion. She quickly took off her iron shoes, 
 and threw them at their heads. The moment the shoes 
 touched them, they fell lifeless as colossal statues. The 
 canaries took the leaky pitcher, and mended it with such 
 wonderful skill, that there was no appearance of its having 
 ever been broken. The name given to this water made her 
 anxious to drink some of it. " It will make me," said she, 
 " more prudent and more discreet than I have been. Alas, 
 if I had possessed those qualities I should still be in the 
 kingdom of Pagodia." After she had drunk a long draught 
 of the water, she washed her face with some of it, and became 
 so beautiful — so beautiful, you would have taken her rather 
 for a goddess than a mortal. 
 
 The Fairy Protectrice immediately appeared, and said to 
 her, " You have just done that which has pleased me exceed- 
 ingly. You knew that this water could embellish your mind 
 as well as your person. I wished to see to which of the two 
 you would give the preference, and it has been to your mind. 
 I laud you for it, and this act will shorten the term of your 
 punishment by four years." " Diminish none of my suffer- 
 ings," replied the Queen ; " I deserve them all ; but comfort 
 Green-Serpent, who deserves none of his." " I will do all in 
 my power," s&id the Fairy, embracing her ; " but since you are 
 now so beautiful, I desire you will drop the name of Laidro- 
 nette, which no longer suits you ; you must be called Queen 
 Discrete." So saying she vanished, leaving the Queen a pair 
 
 y 2 
 
324 GREEN-SERPENT. 
 
 of little shoes, so pretty and so nicely embroidered, that she 
 thought it almost a pity to wear them. 
 
 When she had re-entered her car, with her pitcher full of 
 water, the canaries flew with her straight to the Grove of the 
 Mountain. There never was a more agreeable spot. The 
 myrtle and orange-trees interlaced their branches to form 
 long covered walks and bowers, into which the sun could not 
 penetrate. A thousand rills, from gently-flowing fountains, 
 shed a refreshing coolness through this beautiful abode ; but 
 what was most curious, all the animals in it spoke, and gave 
 the warmest welcome in the world to the little canaries. " We 
 thought you had deserted us," said they. " The term of our 
 penance is not yet completed," replied the canaries; " but here 
 is a Queen whom the Fairy Protectrice has ordered us to 
 bring to you. Take all the pains you can to amuse her." 
 She was immediately surrounded by all sorts of animals, who 
 paid her their best compliments. " You shall be our Queen," 
 said they to her: "you shall find no attention or respect 
 wanting on our parts." " Where am I ] " she exclaimed- " By 
 what supernatural power are you enabled to speak to me?" 
 One of the little canary birds, who had remained beside her, 
 whispered in her ear, " You must know. Madam, that several 
 fairies being on their travels, were distressed to see persons 
 fall into bad habits. They at first imagined it would be 
 sufficient to advise them to correct themselves, but their 
 warnings were in vain, and, becoming at length quite vexed 
 with them, they imposed penances upon them. Some who 
 talked too much they changed into parrots, magpies, and hens ; 
 lovers and their mistresses they transformed into pigeons, 
 canary birds, and lap-dogs ; those who ridiculed their friends, 
 into monkeys ; gormandizers, into pigs ; and passionate people 
 into lions. In short, the number of persons they made to do 
 penance was so gi'eat that this grove is full of them, and you 
 will therefore find in it folks of all qualities and humours." 
 " From what you have just told me, my dear little canary," 
 said the Queen, "I have reason to believe that you are here 
 only because you were too loving." *' It is quite true, 
 Madam," replied the canary. " I am the son of a Spanish 
 Grandee. Love in our country has such absolute power over 
 all hearts, that one cannot resist it without incurring the 
 charge of rebellion. An English Ambassador arrived at the 
 
GREEN-SERPENT. 325 
 
 court. He had a daughter who was extremely beautiful, but 
 insupportably haughty and satirical. Notwithstanding this, 
 I was caught by her ; I loved her to idolatry. Sometimes she 
 seemed touched by my attentions, and at others repulsed me 
 with such disdain that I lost all patience with her. One day 
 that she had exasperated me, a venerable old woman accosted 
 me, and reproached me for my weakness; but all she could 
 say to me only made me more obstinate ; she perceived it, 
 and became angry. 'I condemn thee,' said she, *to be a 
 canary bird for three years, and thy mistress to be a wasp.' 
 Instantly I felt a change take place in me of the most extia- 
 ordinary description. Despite my afiliction, I could not for- 
 bear flying into the Ambassador's garden, to ascertain what 
 was the fate of his daughter. But I had hardly arrived there 
 when I saw her approach in the form of a large wasp, buzzing 
 four times louder than any other. I hovered round her with 
 the devotion of a lover, that nothing can destroy. She tried 
 several times to sting me. 
 
 " ' Would you kill me, beautiful wasp ? ' said I. ' It is 
 unnecessary you should use your sting. You have but to 
 command me to die, and I will obey you.' The wasp made 
 no answer. She alighted on some flowers, that had to endure 
 her ill-temper. 
 
 " Overwhelmed by her contempt, and the situation to which 
 I was reduced, I flew away without caring whither my wings 
 would take me. I arrived at length at one of the most 
 beautiful cities in the universe, and which they call Paris. I 
 was weary; I flung myself on a tuft of large trees, enclosed 
 within some walls, and before I knew who had caught me, I 
 found myself behind the door of a cage, painted green, and 
 ornamented with gold. The apartment and its furniture 
 were of a magnificence that surprised me. A young lady 
 came immediately and caressed me, and spoke to me so 
 sweetly that I was charmed with her. I was not long a resi- 
 dent in her chamber without learning the secret of her heart. 
 I saw a sort of Matamore ^ visit her, who was always in a rage 
 that nothing could appease, and who, not contented with un- 
 ci) An epithet of Spanish origin, signifying literally, "a MooTiUler," but applied 
 to a ruffianly bully, or professed duellist — the old English "swash-buckler" and 
 the modern "fire-eater." 
 
326 GREEN- SERPENT. 
 
 unjustly accusing her, beat her till he left her for dead in the 
 anns of her women. I was not a little afflicted to see her 
 suffer this unworthy treatment, and what distressed me still 
 more was, that the blows he dealt her seemed to have the 
 power of increasing the affection of that lovely lady. 
 
 " Night and day I wished that the fairies who had changed 
 me into a canary bird would come and set to rights such ill- 
 assorted lovers. My desires were at length fulfilled. The 
 fairies suddenly appeared in the apartment just as the furious 
 gallant began his usual uproar. They loaded him with re- 
 proaches, and condemned him to become a wolf. As to the 
 patient person who had allowed him to beat her, they turned 
 her into a ewe, and sent her into the Grove of the Mountain. 
 With respect to myself, I easily found means of escape. I 
 wished to see the various courts of Europe. I flew into Italy, 
 and fell into the hands of a man who, having frequent busi- 
 ness in the . city, and not choosing that his wife, of whom he 
 was very jealous, should see any one in his absence, took care 
 to lock her up from morning till night, so that to me was 
 accorded the honour of amusing this lovely captive ; but she 
 had other occupation than attending to me. A certain 
 neighbour, who had long loved her, came in the evening to 
 the top of the chimney, and slid down it into the room, look- 
 ing Vjlacker than a devil. The keys which the jealous hus- 
 band had charge of, served only to keep his mind at ease. I 
 was constantly fearing some fatal catastrophe, when one day 
 the fairies entered by the keyhole, and not a little surprised 
 the two lovers. ' Go and do penance!' said the fairies, touch- 
 ing them with their wands. * Let the chimney sweeper become 
 a squirrel, and the lady an ape, for she is a cunning one ; and 
 the husband, who is so fond of keeping the keys of his house, 
 become a mastiff for ten years.' 
 
 " It would be too much to tell you," added the canary, " all 
 the various adventures I met with, I was obliged occasion- 
 ally to visit the Grove of the Mountain, and I rarely returned 
 to it without finding fresh animals, as the fairies continued to 
 travel, and were incessantly irritated by the numberless faiJts 
 of mankind ; but during your residence here, you will have 
 time enough to divert yourself by listening to the recital of 
 all the adventures of the inhabitants." Several of them 
 
GREEN-SERPENT; 327 
 
 immediately offered to relate theirs whenever she pleased. She 
 thanked them very politely, but as she felt more inclined to 
 muse than to talk, she sought a retired spot, where she could 
 remain alone. As soon as she had fixed on one, a little 
 palace arose in it, and the most sumptuous banquet in the 
 world was served up to her. It consisted only of fruits, but 
 they were of the rarest description ; they were brought to her 
 by bix-ds, and during her stay in the grove she wanted for 
 nothing. 
 
 There were entertainments occasionally, which pleased her 
 more from their singularity than anything else. Lions were 
 seen to dance in them with lambs; bears whispered tender 
 things to doves, and serpents softened for linnets. A but- 
 terfly might be seen courting a panther ; in short, there was 
 no classification of species, for it was not that one was a tiger 
 and another a sheep, but simply that they were persons whom 
 the fairies had chosen to punish for their faults. 
 
 They all loved Queen Discrete to adoration. Every one 
 made her their umpire in any difference. Her power was 
 absolute in this little republic, and if she had not continually 
 reproached herself as the cause of Green-Serpent's misfortunes, 
 she might have borne her own with some degree of patience ; 
 but when she thought of the state to which he was reduced, 
 she could not forgive herself for her imprudent curiosity. The 
 time having arrived for her to leave the Grove of the Moun- 
 tain, she gave notice of it to her little conductors, the faithful 
 canaries, who promised her a happy return. She left secretly 
 in the night-time, to avoid the leave-takings and lamentations 
 which would have cost her some tears, for she was affected by 
 the friendship and respect which all these rational animals 
 had testified for her. 
 
 She forgot neither the pitcher full of the water of Discretion, 
 nor the basket of trefoil, nor the iron shoes ; and at the mo- 
 ment when Magotine believed her to be dead, she presented 
 herself suddenly before her, the mill-stone round her neck, the 
 iron shoes on her feet, and the pitcher in her hand. The 
 Fairy, at sight of her, uttered a loud cry, and then inquired 
 whence she came. " Madam," said the Queen, " I have 
 passed three years drawing water in the broken pitcher, at 
 the end of which time I found the way to make it hold water," 
 
328 GREEN-SERPENT. 
 
 Magotine burst into a fit of laughter, thinking on the fatigue 
 the poor Queen must have imdergone ; but, looking at her 
 more attentively, " What's this I see ! " she exclaimed. 
 " Laidronette has become quite lovely ! How came you by 
 this beauty I" The Queen informed her that she had washed 
 herself with the water of Discretion, and that this miracle had 
 been the consequence. At these tidings Magotine dashed the 
 pitcher on the ground. " Oh, thou power that defiest me ! " 
 she exclaimed, "I will be revenged. Get your iron shoes 
 ready," said she to the Queen. " You must go for me to the 
 infernal regions, and demand of Proserpine the Essence of long 
 life ; I am always afraid of falling sick, and perhaps dying ; 
 when I am possessed of that antidote, I shall have no more 
 cause for alarm. Take care, therefore, you do not uncork 
 the bottle, nor taste the liquor she gives you, or you will 
 diminish my portion." 
 
 The poor Queen had never been so astonished as she was 
 by this order. " Which is the way to the infernal regions?" 
 said she. " Can those who go to them return ? Alas, 
 Madam, will you never weary of persecuting me? Under 
 what luckless star was I bom? My sister is much happier 
 than I, It must no longer be thought that the constellations 
 are equally favourable to eveiybody." She began to' weep, 
 and Magotine exulting at the sight of her tears, laughed 
 loudly, and cried, " Go ! go ! Do not delay a moment your 
 departure on a voyage from which I shall reap so much grati- 
 fication." She filled for her a wallet with old nuts and black 
 bread, and with this handsome provision the poor Queen 
 started, determined to dash her brains out against the first 
 rock she came to, and terminate her sorrows. 
 
 She walked for some time at random, now turning one way 
 and now another, and thinking it was a most extraordinary 
 affair to be thus sent to the infernal regions. When she was 
 tired, she laid down at the foot of a tree, and began to think 
 of the poor serpent, forgetting all about her own journey, 
 when suddenly she beheld the Fairy Protectrice, who said to 
 her, " Know you not, beautiful Queen, that to release your 
 husband from the shades in which the commands of Magotine 
 detain him, it is necessary you should seek the home of Pro- 
 serpine?" " I would go much further, if it were possible, 
 
GR£E^ -SERPENT. 329 
 
 Madam," replied she ; *•' but I do not know the way by which 
 I can descend into that dark abode." " Hold," said the Fairy 
 Protectrice. " Here is a green branch ; strike the earth with 
 it, and repeat these lines distinctly." The Queen embraced 
 the knees of this generous friend, and then said after 
 her : — 
 
 " Thou who canst wrest from mighty Jove the thunder! 
 
 Love, listen to my prayer ! 
 
 Come, save me from despair. 
 And calm the pangs that rend my heart asunder ! 
 Be to the realms of Tartarus my guide. 
 E'en in those drear abodes they own thy sway. 
 Pluto for Proserpine, thy subject, sigh'd ; 
 Open for me then to their throne the way ; 
 A faithful husband from my arms they tear ! 
 My fate is harder than my heart can bear : 
 
 More than mortal is its pain ; 
 
 Yet for death it sighs in vain !" 
 
 She had scarcely finished this prayer, when a young child, 
 iQore beautiful than anything we can behold, appeared in the 
 midst of a gold and azure cloud. He flew down at her feet ; 
 a crown of flowers encircled his brow. The Queen knew by 
 his bow and his arrows, that it was Love. He addressed her 
 thus: — 
 
 " I have heard thy tender sighs. 
 And for thee have left the skies ; 
 Love will chase thy tears away. 
 All for thee will Love essay. 
 Shortly shall thine eyes be blest 
 With his sight thou lovest best ; 
 And the penance that shall be 
 Of thy cruel enemy." 
 
 The Queen, dazzled by the splendour that surrounded Love 
 and delighted at his promises, exclaimed, 
 
 " Down to the realms of woe, 
 I'll fearless follow thee ; 
 Bliss even there to know, 
 If there my love I see." 
 
 Love, who rarely speaks in prose, struck the earth three 
 times, whilst he sang, in the most enchanting manner, these 
 words : — 
 
 " Earth! my voice obey ! 
 The power of Cupid own! 
 ' Ope for Love the way 
 
 t To Pluto's gloomy throne ! " 
 
330 QUEEN-SERPENT. 
 
 The earth obeyed. She opened her bosom ; and by a dark 
 passage, in which the Queen needed a guide as brilliant as he 
 who had taken her under his protection, she reached the 
 infernal regions. She dreaded meeting her husband in them 
 under the form of a serpent; but Love, who sometimes 
 employs himself in rendering good offices to the unfortunate, 
 having foreseen all that was to be foreseen in the matter, had 
 already ordered that Green-Serpent should become what he 
 was previous to his penance. Powerful as Magotiue was, 
 alas, what could she do against Love? The consequence was, 
 that the first sight that met the Queen's eyes was that of 
 her amiable husband. She had never beheld him in such 
 a charming form, and he had never seen her as beautiful as 
 she had become; but notwithstanding this, a presentiment, 
 and perhaps Love, who made a third in the party, caused each 
 of them to guess who the other was. The Queea said to him, 
 with extreme tenderness, — 
 
 " I come to share thy prison and thy pain ; 
 Though doom'd no more the light of Heaven to see, 
 Here let but Love unite our hearts again, 
 No terrors these sad Shades will have for me ! " 
 
 The King, transported by the violence of his passion, said, 
 in reply to his wife, everything that could prove his ardour 
 and delight; but Love, who is not fond of losing time, 
 pressed them to approach Proserpine. The Queen gave 
 Magotine's compliments to her, and requested she would 
 entrust her with the Essence of long life. It was the watch- 
 word between these good people. Proserpine immediately 
 gave the Queen a phial very badly corked, in order to induce 
 her to open it. Love, who is no novice, warned the Queen 
 against the indulgence of a curiosity which would again be 
 fatal to her; and quickly leaving those dreary regions, the 
 King and Queen returned to the light of day. Love would 
 not abandon them. He led them back to Magotiue, and that 
 she might not see him, he hid himself in their hearts. His 
 presence nevertheless inspired the fairy with such humane 
 sentiments, that although she knew not the reason, she re- 
 ceived these illustrious unfortimates very graciously. With 
 a supernatural effort of generosity she restored to them the 
 
GREEN-SEEPENT. 331 
 
 kingdom of Pagodia. They returned to it immediately, and 
 passed the rest of their days in as much happiness as they 
 had previously endured afliictions and anxieties. 
 
 Too oft is curiosity 
 
 The cause of f^tal woe ; 
 A secret which may hurtful be, 
 
 Why should we seek to know ? 
 
 The weakness 'tis of womankind, 
 
 Witness the first created ; 
 From whom Pandora was design'd, 
 
 And Psyche imitated. 
 
 Each, spite of warning, on the same 
 
 Forbidden quest intent. 
 Of her own misery became 
 
 The fatal instrument. 
 
 Psyche's example fail'd to save 
 
 Poor Laidronette from erring ; 
 Like warning she was led to brave. 
 
 Like punishment incurring. 
 
 Alas ! for human common sense, 
 
 No tale, no caution, schools 1 
 The proverb says. Experience 
 
 Can render wise e'en fools : — • 
 
 But when of our own errors past, 
 
 The lessons we despise, — 
 Despite the shadows forward cast, — 
 
 I fear the proverb lies. 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 There was an old king, who, to console himself for a long 
 widowhood, married a beautiful princess, with whom he was 
 very much in love. By his first wife he had one son, who was 
 crooked and who squinted, and was very much vexed at his 
 father's marrying a second time. " Being an only son," said 
 he, " makes me both loved and feared ; but if the young 
 queen should have children, my father, who can dispose of his 
 kingdom, wiU not consider that I am the eldest : he will dis- 
 inherit me in their favour." He was ambitious, full of malice 
 and dissimulation; so much so, that without showing his 
 uneasiness, he went secretly to consult a fairy, who was con- 
 sidered the cleverest in the world. The moment he appeared, 
 she guessed his name, his rank, and what he wanted. " Prince 
 Bossu," said she — thus he was named — " you have come too 
 late : the Queen will have a son. I will not harm it ; but 
 should it die, or any accident happen to it, I promise you 
 that I will prevent there being any other." This promise 
 slightly consoled the humpback. He entreated the fairy to 
 remember him; and resolved within himself to do some mis- 
 chief to his little brother as soon as he was bom. At the 
 end of nine months the Queen had a son, the handsomest in 
 the world ; and they remarked, as an extraordinary thing, 
 that he had the figure of an arrow imprinted upon his arm. 
 The Queen loved her child so much, that she would nurse 
 it herself; which annoyed Prince Bossu exceedingly, for 
 the care of a mother is greater than that of a nurse, and it 
 is much more easy to deceive the one than the other. 
 However, the humpback, who was solely bent on gaining 
 his end, evinced so much affection for the Queen, and love 
 
THE PRINCESS CAEPILLON. 333 
 
 for the little Prince, that the King -was delighted. " I should 
 never have thought," said he, "my son was so good-natured; 
 and if he continue so, I shall leave him a portion of my 
 kingdom." 
 
 These promises were not sufficient for the humpback, — he 
 would have all or none ; so one night he presented the Queen 
 with some sweetmeats that had opium in them. She went to 
 sleep; immediately the Prince, who had hidden himself be- 
 hind the tapestry, softly took the little Prince, and put in his 
 place a large cat, enveloped in swaddling clothes, that the 
 rockers might not perceive the theft. The cat squalled, the 
 rockers rocked: at last it made such a racket, that they 
 thought it was hungry. They awoke the Queen, who, still 
 overpowered with sleep, and thinking she had hold of her 
 dear baby, began to suckle it ; but the savage cat bit her ; 
 she screamed out, and looking at it, what was her horror when 
 she saw a cat's head instead of her son's ! Her grief was so 
 intense, that she thought she should die upon the spot. The 
 Queen's ladies disturbed the whole palace by their screams. 
 The King put on his dressing-gown, and ran to the Queen's 
 apartments. The fii-st thing he saw was the cat, in the 
 swaddling clothes of cloth-of-gold, worn usually by his infant 
 son. They had thrown it on the ground, where it was squall- 
 ing wonderfully. The King was much alarmed, and inquired 
 what it meant. They told him that they knew nothing at 
 all about it, but that the little Prince was not to be seen, — 
 that they sought for him in vain, and that the Queen was 
 much hurt. The King entered the Queen's bedroom : he 
 found her in sad affliction, and not wishing to increase it by 
 his own, he did violence to his feelings to console this poor 
 princess. 
 
 In the meanwhile the humpback had given his little 
 brother to one of his own people. " Carry him to a distant 
 forest," said he to him, " and leave him quite naked in the 
 most exposed situation, that the wild beasts may devour 
 him, and we may never hear any more of him. I would 
 carry him there myself, so much do I fear you will not 
 strictly execute my orders; but I must appear before the 
 King : go, then, and be sure that if I should reign, I shall 
 not be ungrateful." He put the poor child himself into the 
 covered basket; and as he was accustomed to fondle him, the 
 
334 THE PRINCESS CARPHLON. 
 
 infant already knew him, and smiled at him, but the merci- 
 less humpback was less moved by it than a rock. He went in- 
 stantly into the Queen's chamber half-dressed, from being in so 
 much haste, he said. He rubbed his eyes, as if scarcely awake, 
 and when he learned the sad news of his stepmother's injury, 
 of the loss of the Prince, and saw the cat in the swaddling 
 clothes, he uttered such sad cries, that they were as much 
 occupied in consoling him, as if he really had been greatly 
 afflicted. He took the cat and wrung its neck with a ferocity 
 that was quite natural to him, but which he made them 
 believe was excited by the mischief the animal had done to 
 the Queen. Although he was notoriovisly wicked enough to 
 perpetrate such a deed, no one suspected him of being the 
 culprit, — his guilt was so artfully concealed by his feigned 
 affliction. The King and Queen felt quite grateful to this 
 wretch, and commissioned him to send to all the fairies, and 
 find out what had become of their child. 
 
 Impatient to put an end to their researches, he brought 
 them several different and very enigmatical answers, that all 
 tended to the same point : — ^that the Prince was not dead, — 
 that he had been taken away for a time for some inscrutable 
 reason, — ^that he would be restored to them, perfect in every 
 respect, — and that they should seek him no longer, as it 
 would be only labour in vain. He imagined that by such 
 answers he should keep them quiet; and he was right in his 
 conjecture. 
 
 The King and Queen flattered themselves they would one 
 day see their son again; in the meanwhile the bite that the 
 cat had given the Queen proved so venomous, that she died 
 of it, and the King, overwhelmed with grief, shut himself up 
 for a whole year in his palace. He expected still to have 
 news of his son, and expected in vain. 
 
 The man who took the child away walked all night without 
 stopping; when morning began to dawn, he opened the 
 basket, and the sweet infant smiled at him, as he used to do 
 at the Queen when she took him in her arms. " Oh, poor 
 little Prince," said he ; " how unfortunate is thy destiny ! Alas, 
 thou art to be food, like some gentle lamb, to a famishing 
 lion ! Why did the humpback choose me to help him to 
 destroy thee?" He shut the basket, that he might no longer 
 behold so pitiable an object; but the child, who had passed 
 
THE PRINCESS CASPILLON. 335 
 
 the night without nourishment, began to cry lustily. The 
 man who carried him gathered some figs, and put them in his 
 mouth ; the sweetness of the fruit quieted him a little, and 
 thus the man continued to carry him till the following night, 
 when he came to a large and dark forest. He would not 
 enter it at that hour, for fear of being devoured himself, but 
 the next morning he resumed his journey, still carrying the 
 basket. The forest was so large that whichever way he 
 looked he could see no end to it, but in a spot thickly sur- 
 rounded with trees, he perceived a rock, terminating in several 
 rugged peaks. " Here, no doubt," said he, " is the retreat of 
 the most savage beasts. I must leave the infant here, since 
 I am not in a situation to save it." He approached the rock. 
 Immediately an eagle, of a prodigious size, rushed out, flying 
 round and round, as though she had left something in her 
 nest ; in fact it was her young ones, whom she was feeding, 
 at the bottom of a sort of grotto. " Thou wilt be the prey 
 of these birds, who are the kings of others, poor child," said 
 the man. With that he unswathed it, and laid it down 
 beside the three eaglets. Their nest was large, and sheltered 
 from the inclemency of the weather. He had much trouble 
 in putting the Prince there, because the side of the rock by 
 which it could be approached was very rugged and overhung 
 a frightful precipice. He withdrew sighing, and saw the eagle 
 returning swiftly to its nest. " Ah," said he, " there is an end 
 of it ! the child will soon be no more." He hurried away, 
 that he might not hear its last cries. He returned to the 
 humpback, and assured him that he no longer had a brother. 
 At this news the barbarous Prince embraced his faithful 
 minister, and gave him a diamond ring, assuring him that 
 when he became king he would make him captain of his army. 
 The eagle, on returning to her nest, was perhaps^ surprised to 
 find the new guest in it ; surprised or not, she exercised the 
 rights of hospitality better than many people could have done. 
 She nestled close to her nursling, covered him with her wings, 
 and warmed him. It seemed as if she had no longer any care 
 but for him ; a peculiar instinct induced her to seek fruits for 
 him, to peck them, and to pour the juice into the rosy mouth 
 of the little Prince; in short, she fed him so well that his 
 royal mother could not have nursed him better. As soon as 
 the eaglets became stronger, the eagle took them out by 
 
336 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 turns, sometimes on her -wings, sometimes in her talons, and 
 thus accustomed them to look at the sun, without shutting 
 their eyelids. The eagles sometimes left their mother, and 
 flew a little around her, but the little Prince could do nothing 
 of this sort, and when she carried him in the air, he ran great 
 risks of falling and killing himself. Fortune befriended him. 
 It was she who had provided so extraordinary a nurse for him; 
 it was she who prevented his falling. Four years passed in 
 this manner. The eagle lost all her young ones, they flew 
 away when they were big enough ; they never returned to see 
 their mother or their nest. The Prince, who had not strength 
 to go far, remained upon the rock, for the prudent and 
 anxious eagle, apprehensive of his falling down the precipice, 
 carried him to the other side, and lodged him in so narrow a 
 cleft that the wild beasts could not get to him. Love, whom 
 they paint as perfect, was far less so than this yoimg Prince. 
 The heat of the sun could not tarnish the lilies and roses 
 of his complexion ; there was so much regularity in all his 
 features, that the finest painters could not imagine anything 
 to equal them; his hak was already long enough to fall over 
 his shoulders, and he had so lofty a mien that there had never 
 been seen in a child anything so noble and grand. The eagle 
 loved him with an overwhelming affection; she fed him with 
 nothing but fruit, making this difierence between him and 
 her eaglets, to whom she gave only raw flesh. She ruined all 
 the shepherds around in carrying away all their lambs, with- 
 out mercy; nothing was talked of but the ravages of the 
 eagle. At last, tired of feeding her at the expense of their 
 flocks, they resolved amongst themselves to discover her 
 retreat. They separated in several parties, following her 
 flight ; roaming the mountains and the valleys for a long time 
 without success ; but one day they saw her alight upon a 
 great rock; the most courageous of the party ventured to 
 ascend it, although surrounded by a thousand dangers. The 
 bird had at that time two little eaglets that she carefully 
 tended, but dear as they were to her, her afiection was still 
 stronger for the young Prince, with whom she had been 
 longer acquainted. As she was not in her nest when the 
 shepherds discovered it, they had not much difficulty in pull- 
 ing it to pieces, and carrying ofi" its contents ; but what was 
 their surprise at beholding the Prince 1 There was something 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 337 
 
 in the circumstance so wonderful that their limited reason 
 could not at all understand it. 
 
 They carried away the child and the eaglets, all three 
 screaming together. The eagle heard them, and came swoop- 
 ing down upon the ravishers of her property. They would 
 have felt the effects of her fury if she had not been shot 
 dead by an arrow which one of the shepherds let fly at her. 
 The young Prince, full of natural feeling, seeing her fall, 
 uttered pitiful cries, and wept bitterly. After this adven- 
 ture the shepherds returned to their villages. A cruel cere- 
 mony was to take place the next morning, for the following 
 reason : — This country, for a long time past, had been the 
 resort of ogres. The inhabitants, alarmed at such dangerous 
 neighbours, had tried every means to get rid of them, with- 
 out success. These terrible ogres, incensed by the hatred that 
 was manifested towards them, redoubled their cruelties, and 
 devoured, without exception, all who fell into their hands. 
 
 One day that the shepherds had assembled to deliberate on 
 the steps that should be taken against the ogres, all at once, 
 in the midst of them appeared a man of tremendous size ; 
 half of his body was like that of a stag, covered with a blue 
 skin. He had the feet of a goat, a club over his shoulder, and 
 a buckler in his hand. He said to them, " Shepherds, I am 
 the Blue Centaur ; if you give me a child every three years, 
 I promise to bring here a hundred of my brothers, and make 
 such fierce war upon the ogres, that we wiU drive them out, 
 whatever may be their numbers." 
 
 The shepherds hesitated to agree to do anything so cruel, but 
 the most venerable amongst them said, " What then, my 
 friends, is it more advantageous to us that the ogres should 
 each day eat our fathers, our children, and our wives? By 
 sacrificing one we should save many. Do not let us then 
 refuse the offer the Centaur has made us." Upon this they 
 all consented to it. They pledged themselves by sacred oaths 
 to keep their word with the Centaur, and that the child 
 should be ready for him. 
 
 He departed, and returned, as he promised, with his 
 brothers, who were all as monstrous as himself The ogres 
 were as brave as they were ci-uel. They fought several battles, 
 in which, however, the Centaurs were always victorious, and 
 at last obliged them to fly. The Blue Centaur appeared to 
 
 z 
 
888 THE PEINCESS CAEPILLON. 
 
 claim his reward. Every one said nothing could be more just j 
 but when they came to select the promised child, there was 
 not a family who would make up their minds to give one of 
 theirs ; the mothers hid their infants almost in the bosom of 
 the earth. The Centaur, who would not be trifled with, after 
 having waited twice four-and-twenty hours, told the shepherds 
 that he expected they would give him as many children as 
 he stayed days with them, and the delay cost them six little 
 boys and six little girls. From that time forth they regu- 
 lated this serious affair, and every third year they made a 
 solemn ceremony on the delivery of the poor child to the 
 Centaur. 
 
 It was, then, the following morning after the Prince had 
 been taken from the eagle's nest that this tribute was due, 
 and although the child had been already chosen, it is easy 
 to believe the shepherds willingly substituted the Prince: 
 the uncertainty of his birth — for they were so simple they 
 sometimes believed the eagle was his mother — and his wonder- 
 ful beauty, decided them absolutely to present him to the 
 Centaur, for he was so dainty he would not eat children that 
 were not very pretty. The mother of the infant they had 
 selected, relieved from the horror of contemplating the death 
 of 'her child, found her despair thus suddenly changed into joy. 
 They desired her to adorn the young Prince for the sacrifice, 
 as she had previously her son. She carefully combed his long 
 hair, and made him a crown of httle red and white hedge- 
 roses. She dressed him in a long robe of fine white linen, 
 with a girdle of flowers; thus adorned, ho marched at the 
 head of several children who were to accompany him ; but 
 how can I describe his lofty air, or the nobleness that already 
 sparkled in his eyes. He who had never seen anything but 
 eagles, and who was still of so tender an age, appeared neither 
 frightened nor wild ; it seemed to him that all those shepherds 
 had assembled 'merely to please him. "Ah, what a pity!" 
 said they to each other; " what, is this child going to be de- 
 voured] can we not save it?" Many wept, but it was impos- 
 sible to avoid making the sacrifice. 
 
 . The Centaur was in the habit of appearing upon the top 
 of the rock, his club in one hand, his buckler in the other, 
 and from thence, in a dreadful voice, he cried out to the 
 shepherds, "Leave me my prey, and retire." The moment 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 339 
 
 he saw the child they had broiight him, he was greatly de- 
 lighted, and, shouting so loud that the mountains trembled, 
 he exclaimed, " This is the best breakfast I ever had in all my 
 life. I shall want neither pepper nor salt to eat this little 
 boy." The shepherds and shepherdesses looked at the poor 
 child, saying to themselves, " The eagle has spared it, but here 
 is the wretch that will end its days." The oldest shepherd 
 took it in his arms, and kissed it often. " Oh, my child, my 
 dear child," said he, " I do not know thee, but yet I feel that 
 I have seen too much of thee ! Must I assist at thy funeral ] 
 Why did fortune defend thee from the talons of the eaglets 
 and from the hooked-beak of the eagle, since she abandons thee 
 to-day to the voracious appetite of this horrible monster 1" 
 
 While the shepherd was moistening the rosy cheeks of the 
 Prince with tears which flowed firom his eyes, the sweet inno- 
 cent passed his little hands through his grey haii-s, smiling at 
 him in a sweet infantile manner, and the more he inspired 
 him with pity, the more he hesitated to advance with him. 
 "Make haste," exclaimed the hungry Centaur ; "if you make 
 me come down, — if I have to come to you, I will eat more 
 than a hundred." His patience, in fact, began to fail him; he 
 rose and flourished his club, when there appeared in the air a 
 large globe of fire, surrounded by an azure cloud. As every one 
 was attentively looking at this extraordinary sight, the cloud 
 and the globe descended by degrees, and then the latter opened, 
 and out of it issued immediately a chariot of diamonds, drawn 
 by swans, in which was seated the most beautiful lady in the 
 world. On her head was a helmet of pure gold, sui*mounted 
 with white feathers, the vizor was up, and her eyes were as 
 brilliant as the sun. She wore a rich cuirass, and the fiery 
 lance she wielded betokened she was an Amazon. 
 
 " What ! shepherds, " cried she, " have you the inhumanity 
 to sacrifice such a child to a cruel centaur 1 It is time to 
 liberate you from your promise. Justice and reason are 
 opposed to such barbarous custom. No longer fear the re- 
 turn of the ogres ; I will guarantee your safety. I am the 
 Fairy Amazon, and from this* moment I take you under my 
 protection." " Ah ! Madam," said the shepherds and shep- 
 herdesses, lifting up their hands to her, " it is the greatest 
 happiness that could happen to us." They could say no more, 
 for the infuriated Centaur defied the Fairy to the combat. It 
 
 z2 ^ 
 
340 THE TRINCESS CABPILKON. 
 
 was fierce and obstinate ; the fiery lance burnt the monster 
 wherever it struck him, and he uttered horrible yells, which 
 ceased only with his life. He fell completely roasted, and you 
 would have said it was a mountain that had been overthrown ; 
 so tremendous was the shock. The frightened shepherds hid 
 themselves — some in a neighbouring forest, others at the 
 bottom of the rocks, in cavities where they could see all, 
 without being seen. 
 
 It was there the wise shepherd, who held the little Prince 
 in his arms, took refuge ; much more uneasy about what 
 would happen to this amiable child, than what might be the 
 issue to him or to his family, though the latter well deserved 
 consideration. After the death of the Centaur, the Faiiy 
 Amazon took a trumpet, which she blew so melodiously that 
 the sick who heard it arose in perfect health, and others felt 
 a secret joy which they could not tell the meaning of. 
 
 The shepherd and shepherdesses, at the sound of the har- 
 monious trumpet, reassembled. When the Fairy Amazon saw 
 them, in order to reassure them entirely, she advanced to- 
 wards them, in her chariot of diamonds, descending by 
 degrees, till she came within three feet of the earth. The cloud 
 on which the chariot rolled was so transparent that it ap- 
 peared like crystal. The old shepherd, whom they called 
 Sublime, advanced, holding the little Prince in his arms. 
 " Approach, Sublime," said the Fairy, " fear nothing more. I 
 intend peace to reign for the future in these regions, and that 
 you shall enjoy the repose you came to seek in them ; but 
 give me this poor child, whose fate is already so extraor- 
 dinary." The old man, having made a profound reverence, 
 raised his arms, and put the Prince in heiu She kissed and 
 embraced him a thousand times, set him on her knees and 
 talked to him. She knew, nevertheless, that he could neither 
 speak nor understand any language ; he uttered cries of joy or 
 of grief, heaved sighs, and made inarticulate noises; for he 
 had never heard any one speak. 
 
 He was, however, quite dixzzled by the brilliant armour of 
 the Fairy Amazon. He got up on her knee, to reach her 
 helmet, that he might touch it. The fairy laughed at him, 
 and told him, as though he could imderstand her, " When 
 thou ait able to carry arms, my son, thou shalt not be without 
 them." After she had again caressed him very much, she 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 341 
 
 returned him to Sublime. " Good old man," said she to him, 
 " you are not unknown to me ; do not disdain to take care of 
 this child ; teach him to have a contempt for the pomps of the 
 world, and to be above the frowns of fortune — he is, perhaps, 
 born to a very brilliant one ; but I maintain, that wisdom will 
 make him happier than power. Man's happiness ought not to 
 consist of outward grandeur; to be happy, one must be wise, 
 and to be wise one must know oneself — be able to limit one's 
 desires, be content in poverty as in opulence, seek the esteem of 
 men of merit, despise no one, and be always prepared to quit 
 the riches of this wretched life without sorrow. But what am I 
 thinking about, venerable shepherd 1 I talk to you of matters 
 you are much better acquainted with than I am ; but, it is 
 also true, I am speaking more to the other shepherds, who are 
 listening to me, than to you. Adieu, herdsmen; adieu, shep- 
 herds; call me in yoiu* need; this same lance and hand, 
 which have just exterminated the Blue Centaur, will be 
 always ready to protect you." Sublime and all who were with 
 him, as much astonished as delighted, could make no answer 
 to the obliging words of the Fairy Amazon ; in their excite- 
 ment and joy they humbly prostrated themselves before her; 
 and while they were in that position, the globe of fire gently 
 rising to the regions above, disappeared with the Amazon and 
 the chariot. 
 
 The timid shepherds dared not at first approach the Cen- 
 taur, for dead as he was, they were afraid of him; by degrees 
 they became accustomed to him, and agreed among them- 
 selves, that they must make a great pile, and bum him to 
 ashes, for fear his brothers, aware of what had happened, 
 should come and avenge his death upon them. This opinion 
 having been adopted, they lost not a moment in setting about 
 it, and ridding themselves of the odious carcass. 
 
 Sublime can-ied the little Prince to his hut ; his wife was-at 
 home ill, and his two daughters had not been able to leave her 
 to attend the ceremony. " Here, shepherdess," said he, " here 
 is a child, cherished by the gods, and protected by a Fairy 
 Amazon ; we must look on him for the future as our son, and 
 give him an education that may render him happy." The 
 shepherdess was delighted with the present he made her ; she 
 took the Prince on her bed. " At least," said she, *' if I 
 cannot give him such good lessons as you can, I shall bring 
 
342 THE PIUNCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 him up from childhood, and cherish him as my own son." 
 " That is what I ask of you," said the old man ; and there- 
 upon he gave him to her. The two daughters ran to look at 
 him ; they were charmed with his incomparable beauty, and 
 all the graces of his little person. From that moment they 
 began to teach him their language, and never could there be 
 found a prettier or more intelligent pupil ; he learned the most 
 difficult things with a facility which astonished the shepherd ; 
 so that he was very soon sufficiently advanced to receive 
 lessons from him only. This wise old man was able to give 
 him the best advice; for he had been a king of a fine and 
 flourishing kingdom, but a usurper, a neighbour and an 
 enemy, successfully conducted his secret intrigues, and gained 
 over certain factious spirits, who rose in rebellion, and enabled 
 him to surprise the king and all his family, whom he imme- 
 diately ordered to be shut up in a fortress, where he intended 
 them to perish miserably. 
 
 So strange an alteration had no effect upon the virtue of 
 the king and queen ; they resolutely suffered all the outrages 
 that the tyi-ant ordered to be executed upon them ; and the 
 queen, who was with child when this disgrace occurred, was 
 confined with a girl, whom she nm-sed herself; she had two 
 other very amiable children, who shared her troubles as 
 much as their age would permit of At the end of three 
 years the king gained over one of his guards, who agreed to 
 bring a small boat for him to cross the lake, in the middle of 
 which the fortress was built. He provided them with a file 
 to cut the iron bars of their rooms, and with cords to descend 
 by. They fixed upon a very dark night. Everything was 
 favourable ; and without any noise, the guard assisted them to 
 slide down the walls, that were frightfully high : the king went 
 down fii-st, then followed the daughters, afterwards the queen, 
 then the little princess in a large basket ; but, alas ! they had 
 tied her in badly, and suddenly they heard her fall into the 
 lake. If the queen had not fainted from grief, she would 
 have awakened all the garrison by her shrieks and lamenta- 
 tions. The king, distressed at this accident, sought for the 
 child as much as it was possible in so dark a night : he found 
 the basket, and hoped the princess was in it ; but she was not 
 there, and he was obliged to row to save himself and the rest of 
 the family. At the border of the lake they found horses ready 
 
THE PEINCESS CARPILLON. 343 
 
 for them, that the guard had ordered to be there to take the 
 king wherever he would hke to go. During his imprisonment 
 he and liis queen had had time to morahze, and perceive that 
 the greatest benefits of this world are as nothing when esti- 
 mated at their true value ; this, added to the misfortune that 
 had just occm-red to them of losing their little girl, made them 
 resolve not to take refuge among the kings, their neighbours 
 and their allies, where perhaps they would have been con- 
 sidered a burden ; so, taking their own course, they established 
 themselves in a fertile plain, the most agreeable of any spot 
 they could have chosen. In this place the king, changing his 
 sceptre for a sheephook, bought a large flock, and became 
 a shepherd. He built a little country-house, sheltered on one 
 side by mountains, and having on the other a stream well . 
 filled with fish. Here they enjoyed more peace than they 
 had on their throne ; no one envied them their poverty, they 
 feared neither traitors nor flatterers; their days flew by 
 without sorrow, and the king often said, " Ah ! if men could 
 cure themselves of ambition, how happy they would be ! I 
 have been a king, now I am become a shepherd, — I prefer my 
 cottage to the palace in which I reigned." 
 
 It was with this great philosopher that the young Prince 
 studied; he knew not his master's rank, neither did the master 
 know the parentage of his pupil; but he saw in him such 
 noble feelings, that he could not believe him to be an ordinary 
 child. He remarked with pleasure, that he placed himself 
 nearly always at the head of his companions, with an air of 
 superiority that commanded their respect. He was continu- 
 ally forming httle armies ; he built forts, and attacked them. 
 He went hunting, also, and braved the greatest perils, not- 
 withstanding all the remonstrances the shepherd could make. 
 All these things convinced him, that he was born to com- 
 mand. But, while he is being educated, and till he has 
 attained the age of fifteen, let us return to the King his 
 father's court. 
 
 Prince Bossu, finding his father becoming very old, had 
 scarcely any respect for him — he was impatient at waiting so 
 long for the succession. To console himself, he asked the 
 King for an army that he might invade a neighbouring king- 
 dom, the fickle population of which had made overtures to him. 
 The King agreed to it, on condition that, before his departure, 
 
344 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 he would witness the signing of an act by the lords of 
 his kingdom to this effect, — that if ever the Prince, his 
 youngest brother, returned, and they were satisfied it was he, 
 by finding the mark of the arrow upon his arm, he should 
 be recognised as sole heir to the crown. The humpback not 
 only willingly assisted at this ceremony, but would sign the 
 act himself, though his father thought it too much to expect 
 from him ; but as he felt sure of the death of his brother, he 
 hazarded nothing, while he assumed great credit to himself 
 for this proof of his complacency; in consequence of which the 
 King assembled the states, addressed them, shed many tears, 
 when speaking of the loss of his son — moving all those to 
 pity who heard him, and after having signed the insti'ument, 
 and caused the principal nobles to sign it, he commanded 
 them to place it in the royal treasury, and that several authen- 
 ticated copies should be made for the better recording of it. 
 
 Prince Bossu then took leave of him, to head a fine ai'my, 
 and attempt the conquest of the kingdom to which he was 
 invited ; and after many battles, he killed his opponent with 
 his own hand, took the capital city, placed garrisons and 
 appointed governors in every direction, and returned to his 
 father, to whom he presented a young princess named Carpillon, 
 whom he had taken prisoner. 
 
 She was so extremely beautiful, that all that nature had 
 ever previously created, and all that the imagination could 
 fancy, could not be compared to her. The king was enchanted 
 at the sight of Carpillon ; and the humpback, who had been 
 acquainted with her some time, had fallen so deeply in love 
 with her, that he knew not a moment's rest; but as much as 
 he loved her, so much she hated him, as he never spoke 
 to her but as her master, and reminded her always that she 
 was his slave. Her heart so revolted at his coarse manners, 
 that she tried to avoid him as much as possible. 
 
 The King had given her an apartment in his palace, and 
 women to wait upon her; he felt for the misfortunes of so 
 young and beautiful a princess. When the humpback told 
 him he intended to marry her, " I consent to it," replied he, 
 " provided she is not averse to it ; for it appears to me, that 
 when you are near her, she is always melancholy." " It is be- 
 cause she loves me," said the humpback, " and dares not 
 acknowledge it. The constraint causes her to feel embaiTassed; 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 345 
 
 as soon as she is my wife, you will see her happy." " I should 
 like to believe it," said the King ; " but do you not flatter 
 yourself a little too much?" The humpback was much an- 
 noyed by his father's doubts. " You are the cause, madam," 
 said he to the Princess, " of the King's treating me with 
 a severity which is not usual with him. Perhaps he loves 
 you : tell me so candidly, and choose between us, — provided 
 I see you reign, I shall be satisfied." He spoke thus to ascer- 
 tain her sentiments ; for he had no idea of altering his own 
 intentions. The yoimg Carpillon, who knew not yet that the 
 greater number of lovers are artful and deceitful creatures, 
 fell into the trap. " I own, my lord," said she to him, " that 
 if I were my own mistress, I should neither choose the King 
 nor you ; but if my ill fortune compels me to this sad neces- 
 sity, I prefer the King." "And why?" replied the hump- 
 back, endeavouring to constrain himself. " Because," added 
 she, " he is milder than you are, that he reigns at present, and 
 that perhaps he may not live so long." " Ah ! Httle wretch," 
 replied the humpback, " you would marry my father in 
 order to be queen-dowager after a little while. Most assuredly 
 you shall not, — he does not think of you ; it is I who am 
 good enough to do so — goodness, to speak the truth, ill- 
 bestowed, for you are insupportably imgrateful; but, were 
 you a hundred times more so, you shall be my wife." 
 
 The Princess Carpillon learned, but a little too late, that it 
 is sometimes dangerous to say all one thinks ; and, to make 
 amends for what she had just said, " I wished to ascertain your 
 sentiments," rephed she to him ; " I am very glad that you 
 love me sufficiently to resent the harshness that I have 
 affected. I esteem you already, my lord ; endeavour to make 
 me love you." The Prince, in his turn, fell headlong into the 
 trap, obvious as it was ; but people are generally very foolish 
 when they are much in love, and have an inclination to flatter 
 themselves, which it is difiicult to correct. Carpillon's words 
 made him milder than a lamb, he smiled, and pressed her 
 hands till he hmi; them. 
 
 As soon as he had left her she ran to the King's apartment, 
 and throwing herself at his feet, " Protect me. Sire," said she, 
 "from the greatest of misery : Prince Bossu insists upon marry- 
 ing me. I confess that he is odious to me : do not be so unjust 
 as he is ; my rank, my youth, and the misfortunes of my 
 
346 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 family merit the compassion of so great a king as you are." 
 " Beautiful Princess," said he, " I am not surprised that my 
 son loves you — it must be the case with all who see you ; 
 but I will never forgive him, for failing in the respect due to 
 you." " Ah ! Sire," repUed she, " he looks upon me as his 
 prisoner, and treats me as his slave." " It is with my army," 
 replied the King, "that he conquered the conqueror of the 
 King your father : if you are a captive, you are my captive, 
 and I restore you to liberty; happily my advanced age and 
 my white hail's preserve me from becoming your slave." 
 The grateful Princess thanked the King a thousand times, and 
 retired with her ladies. 
 
 The humpback, haviug learned what had just passed, re- 
 sented it deeply; and his fury increased when the King 
 desired him not to think of the Princess, until by great and 
 constant kindness he should overcome her dislike. " I shall 
 have to labour then all my life, and perhaps uselessly," said 
 he ; "I do not like losing my time." " I am sorry on your 
 account," replied the King, " but it can be upon no other 
 terms." " We shall see ;" insolently answered the humpback, 
 as he quitted the room. " You presume to take away my 
 prisoner from me — I will lose my life sooner." " She whom you 
 call your prisoner, was mine," added the irritated King. 
 " She is now at liberty ; she shall be her own mistress, and 
 not dependent upon your caprice." 
 
 So sharp a conversation might have led to higher words 
 still, had not the humpback thought proper to retire. He 
 forthwith resolved to make himself master of the king- 
 dom, and of the Princess. He had ingratiated himself with 
 the troops, while he commanded them, and there were sedi- 
 tious men who wilhngly seconded his bad designs. The King 
 was warned that his son was endeavouring to dethrone him ; 
 and, as the Prince was the strongest, the King could take no 
 other course than that of mildness. He sent for him and 
 said to him ; " Is it possible that you are so ungrateful that 
 you wish to dethrone me, and seat yourself in my place? you 
 see I am at the brink of the grave ; do not hasten the end of 
 my life. Have I not been sufl&ciently afflicted, by the death 
 of my wufe, and the loss of my son ? It is true, I am opposed 
 to your designs on the Princess Carpillon ; but it's out of 
 consideration for you, as much as for her; for, can one be 
 
THE PRINCESS CABPILLON. 347 
 
 happy with a person who does not love him 1 But since you 
 will run the risk, I consent to it ; allow me time to speak to 
 her, and reconcile her to this maiTiage." 
 
 The humpback wished for the Princess more than for the 
 kingdom; for he already ruled over the one he had just con- 
 quered, and he told the King, he was not so eager to reign as 
 he imagined, since he had himself signed the agreement that 
 disinherited him in case his brother should ever return, and 
 that he wovild respect his father's authority, provided he was 
 not prevented marrying Carpillon. The King embraced him, 
 and went to seek the poor Princess, who was in great anxiety 
 respecting the result of the interview. Her governess was 
 still with her. She took her into her closet, and crying bit- 
 terly ; " Is it possible," said she to her, " that after all the 
 promises the King made me, he will have the cruelty to sacri- 
 fice me to this humpback? Certainly, my dear friend, if 
 I must marry him, the day of my marriage will be the last of 
 my life ; for it is not so much his deformity that shocks me, 
 as the badness of his heart." " Alas ! my Princess," repUed 
 the governess, " you are ignorant, no doubt, that the daugh- 
 ters of the greatest kings are victims, whose inchnation they 
 seldom if ever consult; if they do marry an amiable and hand- 
 some Prince, they may thank fortune for it ; but between one 
 monkey and another, nothing is considered but the interest 
 of the State." Carpillon was about to reply, when it was an- 
 nounced that the King was waiting for her in her chamber. 
 She raised her eyes to heaven, to ask for help. 
 
 As soon as she saw the King, it was unnecessary for him to 
 explain the resolution he had arrived at; for she had great 
 penetration, and the qualities of her mind far surpassed those 
 of her person. " Ah ! Sire," she exclaimed, " what are you 
 going to tell mel" " Beautiful Princess," said he, " do not 
 look upon your marriage with my son as a misfortune ; I en- 
 treat of you to consent to it with a good grace ; the violence 
 he does to your feelings sufficiently proves the ardour of his 
 own. He could find more than one Princess, who would be 
 enchanted to share with him the kingdom he has already, and 
 the one he hopes for after my death ; but he will have none 
 but you. Your disdain, your contempt for him, does not 
 dishearten him; and you must believe, that he will never 
 omit anything he can do to please you." " I flattered myself 
 
348 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 I had found a protector in you," replied she ; " my hope is 
 gone, you have abandoned me ; but the gods — the just gods — 
 will not abandon me." " If you knew all that I have done 
 to defend you from this marriage," added he, " you would 
 be convinced of my friendship. Alas! Heaven gave me a 
 son, whom I dearly loved ; his mother nursed him. He was 
 stolen one night from his cradle, and a cat was put in his 
 place, who bit the Queen so cruelly that she died of it. If 
 this sweet child had not been taken from me, he would now 
 be the consolation of my old age ; my subjects would fear 
 him, and I should ofier you my kingdom with him : the hump- 
 back, who now assumes the master, would have been happy 
 to be allowed to remain at Court. I have lost that dear son. 
 Princess, and the misfortune extends to you." " It is I 
 alone," replied she, " who am the cause of what has happened 
 to him. As his existence would have served me, he has 
 perished. Sire, look upon me as guilty; and take my life, 
 rather than marry me." " You were not of an age, beautiful 
 Princess," said the King, " at that time, to do either good or 
 ill to any one; I do not accuse you of causing my misfor- 
 tunes; but if you would not increase them, prepare to 
 receive my son kindly; for he has made himself the strongest 
 here, and could do you most sei'ious injury." She answered 
 only by her tears. The King left her ; and as the humpback 
 was impatient to know what was passing, the King found 
 him waiting in his chamber, and told him the Princess Car- 
 pillon consented to the marriage, and that he had given the 
 necessary orders for it to be solemnised. The Prince was 
 transported with joy; he thanked the King, and immediately 
 sent for jewellers, merchants, and embroiderers. He bought 
 the handsomest things in the world for his mistress, and sent 
 her large golden baskets, filled with a thousand curiosities. 
 She received them with some appearance of pleasure. He 
 then paid her a visit and said to her, " Were you not very 
 silly. Madam Carpillon, to refuse the honour I intended you i 
 for, not to say anything of my amiability, I am considered 
 very clever. I will give you so many dresses, so many 
 diamonds, and so many fine things, that no queen in the 
 world shall be comparable to you." 
 
 The Princess coolly replied, that the misfortunes of her 
 royal house did not allow her to be adorned so much as 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 349 
 
 others were, and therefore she begged of him not to make her 
 such handsome presents. " You would be right," said he 
 to her, " not to adorn yourself, if I did not give you permis- 
 sion ; but it is your duty to please me ; all will be ready for 
 our maiTiage in four days; amuse yourself. Princess, and 
 give your orders, as you are already absolute mistress here." 
 
 After he had left her, she shut herself up with her governess, 
 and told her, that she might choose whether she would find 
 her the means of escape, or those by which she could kill 
 herself the day of her marriage. The governess represented 
 the impossibility of her escaping, and the culpable weakness 
 of killing herself to avoid the evils of this life. She tried to 
 persuade her, that her virtue would contribute to her tran- 
 quillity, and without being desperately in love with the 
 humpback, she would esteem him sufficiently to live con- 
 tentedly with him. 
 
 Carpillon would not listen to any of her remonstrances; 
 she told her, till now she had relied upon her, she now knew 
 what she had to trust to ; that if all the world failed her, 
 she would not fail herself; and that great remedies were 
 required for great evils. After which, she opened the win- 
 dow, and every now and then looked out, withoiit uttering a 
 word. Her governess, who feared she would throw herself 
 out, fell at her feet, and looking affectionately at her, 
 " Well, Madam," said she, " what do you wish me to do ? I 
 will obey you, though it be at the risk of my life." The 
 Princess embraced her, and said, she wished her to purchase 
 for her a shepherdess's dress and a cow ; that she would seek 
 refuge wherever she could. That she must not try to turn 
 her from her purpose, because it was losing time, and she had 
 none to spare ; that she must also, to enable her to get be- 
 yond pursuit, dress up a doU, put it in her bed, and say that 
 she was not well. 
 
 " You must see. Madam," said the poor governess, "to what 
 I am about to expose myself Prince Bossu will be certain 
 that I seconded you in your plans ; he will inflict a thousand 
 tortures upon me to extort from me where you are, and then 
 he will burn me, or flay me alive. Say after that, that I do 
 not love you." 
 
 The Princess was very much distressed : " I wish," replied 
 she, " that you should escape yovu-self, two days after me ; it 
 
350 THE PRINCESS CAEPILLON. 
 
 will be very easy to deceive everybody till then." In short, 
 they contrived so well, that the same night, Carpillon had 
 a dress and a cow. 
 
 All the goddesses that ever descended from the siunmit of 
 Olympus, those who sought the shepherd Paris, and a 
 hundred dozen of others, would have appeared less beautiful 
 tlian Carpillon in this rustic attire. She set out alone, by 
 moonlight, sometimes leading her cow with a cord, sometimes 
 making it cairy her; she proceeded at random half dead 
 with fear. If a breath of wind rustled through the bushes, — 
 if a bird flew from its nest, or a hare started from its form, 
 she thought thieves or wolves were about to attack her. She 
 walked all night, and would have walked all day, but her 
 cow stopped to feed in a meadow, and the Princess, fiitigued 
 with her thick wooden shoes, and the weight of her coarse 
 grey cloth dress, sat down upon the gi'ass by the side of a 
 stream, where she took off her yellow linen cap, to arrange 
 her fair hair, which had escaped from all sides, and fell 
 in curls down to her feet. She looked about to see if any one 
 was near her, that she might conceal herself quickly ; but, 
 notwithstanding the precaution she took, she was surprised by 
 a lady in complete armour, excepting her head, from which 
 she had taken a golden helmet covered with diamonds. 
 " Shepherdess," said she, " I am fatigued ; will you give me 
 some milk from your cow to quench my thirst 1 " " WiUingly, 
 Madam," replied Carpillon, " if I had something to put it 
 into." " Here is a cup," said the warrior lady, presenting her 
 a very handsome china one ; but the Princess knew not how 
 to milk her cow. " How is this?" said the lady; "does your 
 cow give no milk, or do you not know how to milk her?" 
 The Princess began to cry, being quite ashamed of appearing 
 so awkward before so extraordinary a person. " I confess. 
 Madam," said she to her, " I have only been a short time 
 a shepherdess; all my business is to take my cow out to 
 feed — my mother does the rest. " " You have, then, a 
 mother," continued the lady, "and what may she be?" "She 
 keeps a farm," said Carpillon. " Near here ?" inquired the lady. 
 " Yes," replied the Princess. " Really I feel an affection for 
 her, and am obliged to her for having given birth to so beau- 
 tiful a daughter. I should like to see her; take me to her." 
 Carpillon did not know how to answer — she was unaccus- 
 
THE PRINCESS CAEPILLON. 351 
 
 tomed to tell falsehoods, and knew not that she was speaking 
 to a fairy. Fairies were not so common in those days as they 
 have since become. She cast down her eyes; her face was 
 suffused with deep blushes ; at last she said, " When I am 
 sent out into the fields, I dare not go home again till night. 
 I beg of you, Madam, not to oblige me to do what would make 
 my mother angry, who will beat me, perhaps, if 1 disobey her." 
 " Ah ! Princess, Princess," said the Fairy smiling, " you 
 cannot support a falsehood — neither can you play the part 
 you have assumed if I do not assist you; take this — it is 
 a bouquet of gillyflowers; be siu-e that as long as you hold it, 
 the humpback, who is seeking you, will not know you; 
 remember, when you reach the Great Forest, to ask the shep- 
 herds, who feed their flocks there, where Sublime lives ; go 
 to him, and tell him that you come from the Fairy Amazon, 
 who begs he will place you with his wife and daughters. 
 Adieu, beautiful Carpillon, I have been one of your fiiends 
 for a long time." " Alas ! Madam," exclaimed the Princess, 
 " since you know me, and love me, and I have so much need 
 of your assistance, will you abandon me?" " The bouquet of 
 gillyflowers will not fail you," replied she ; " my moments are 
 pi-ecious ; I must leave you to fulfil your destiny." In say- 
 ing these words, she vanished from Cai-pillon's sight, who 
 ■was so frightened, she thought she should die of it. After 
 recovering herself a little, she continued her journey; not 
 knowing at all where the Great Forest was ; but she said to 
 herself, " This clever Fairy, who appears and disappears, who 
 knows me in a peasant's dress, without ever having seen me, 
 will conduct me whither she wishes me to go." Walking or 
 resting, the Princess always held her bouquet ; she advanced, 
 however, but slowly. Her courage was greater than her 
 strength. Where the road was stony she often stumbled ; her 
 feet began to bleed; she was forced to lie down upon the 
 ground under the shelter of some trees; she feared every- 
 thing, and often thought, with great anxiety, of her governess. 
 It was not without reason that she did think of that poor 
 ■woman — her zeal and her fidelity have been rarely equalled. 
 She dressed up a large doll, in the Princess's lace pinners,^ 
 fontanges^ and fine linen; she went very softly about the 
 
 (1) Comelles. The pinners, or lappets, sometimes the caps themselves. 
 
 (2) Knots of riband. See note to page 123. 
 
352 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 chamber, for fear, she said, of disturbing her ; and when any 
 noise was made, she scolded everybody. They ran to tell the 
 King that the Princess was ill ; that did not surprise him : 
 he attributed it to her vexation, and the violence she was 
 doing her own feelings; but, when Prince Bossu heard this 
 sad news, he felt inconceivably grieved, and wanted to see her. 
 The governess with diflSculty prevented him ; " At all events," 
 said he, " let my physician see her." " Ah ! my Lord," cried 
 the governess, " it would be enough to kill her — she detests 
 doctors and their remedies; but do not alarm youi*self, she 
 only requires a few days' rest — it is a headache, which she 
 will soon sleep off." She managed thus to make him promise 
 not to disturb her mistress, and still kept the doll in the bed. 
 But one night when she was prepaiing to escape, — for she felt 
 assured the impatient Prince would soon renew his attempts 
 to enter — she heard him raving like a madman at the door, 
 which he burst open without waiting for her to unlock it. 
 
 The cause of this violence was, that the Princess's ladies 
 had discovered the fraud, and fearing they should suffer for 
 it, they instantly went and informed the humpback. It 
 woiild be impossible to describe the excess of his fury. He 
 rushed to the King, thinking he was in the plot ; but by the 
 surprise he evinced, he was sure he was ignorant of it. As 
 soon as the poor governess appeared, he flew at her, and taking 
 her by the hair of her head, " Restore Carpillon to me," said 
 he, " or I will tear out your heart." She only answered by 
 her tears, and throwing hei-self at his feet, she entreated him 
 to listen to her, but in vain. He dragged her himself into a 
 deep dungeon, where he would have stabbed her a thousand 
 times, if the King, who was as good as his son was wicked, 
 had not obliged him to let her live in this frightful prison. 
 
 The amorous and violent Prince issued immediate orders 
 to piirsue her over land and sea ; he set out himself and 
 rushed in all directions like a man out of his wits. One day, 
 as Cai'pillon was taking shelter under a large rock with her 
 cow, for the weather was frightfully bad, and the thunder, 
 lightning and hail made her tremble, Prince Bossu, and all 
 his followers, who were soaked through by the rain, came and 
 took refuge under the same rock. When she saw him so near 
 her, alas ! he frightened her much more than the thimder, — 
 she grasped her bunch of gillyflowers with both hands, fearing 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 353 
 
 that one would not be sufiBcient, and remembering the Fairy, 
 exclaimed to herself, " Do not abandon me, charming 
 Amazon." The humpback cast his eyes upon her. " What 
 hast thou to fear, decrepit old wretch," said he to her ; " if the 
 thunder should kill thee, what wrong would it do thee? art 
 thou not on the brink of thy gravel" The young Princess 
 was not less delighted than astonished to hear herself called 
 old ; " No doubt," thought she, " that my little bouquet has 
 worked this wonder," and to avoid being drawn into conver- 
 sation, she pretended to be deaf. The humpback finding 
 she could not hear, said to his confidant, who never quitted 
 him, '• If I were in better spirits, I would take this old woman 
 to the top of the rock, and precipitate her from it, that I 
 might have the pleasure to see her break her neck; for 
 nothing would be more amusing to me." " But, my Lord," 
 repUed the villain, " if that would at all rejoice you, I wUl 
 take her there, willingly or by force, and you shall see her 
 body bound like a ball from all the points of the rock, and 
 her blood run close to you." " No," said the Prince, " I have 
 not the time ; I must continue to seek for this ungrateful 
 woman, who has made my life miserable." 
 
 So saying, he put spurs to his horse, and was soon out 
 of sight. It is easy to imagine the Princess's joy at his de- 
 parture ; for, most assuredly, the conversation he had just 
 had with his confidant was enough to alarm her : she did 
 not forget to thank the Fairy Amazon, of whose power she 
 had just had a proof; and continuing her journey she arrived 
 in the plain where the shepherds had built their small cot- 
 tages ; they were very pretty, each of them, with its garden 
 and its fountain : the VaUey of Temp6, and the borders of 
 the Lignon,^ have boasted nothing more elegant. The shep)- 
 herdesses were mostly beautiful, and the shepherds omitted 
 nothing to please them; all the trees were engraved with 
 a thousand different cyphers, and love verses. When Car- 
 pUlon appeared, they left their flocks and followed her re- 
 spectfully; for they were prepossessed by her beauty and 
 her majestic air ; but they were astonished at the poverty 
 of her dress : for, though they lived in a simple and rustic 
 
 (1) A little river, ■which obtained celebrity from D'Urfey's Romance of Aslrfe. 
 Mademoiselle de Sivigni, in her letter finm Vichy of the 8th June, 1676, says, " Iti 
 these meado-ws and lovely groves, it is delightful to see the dancing of the remaining 
 shepherds and shepherdesses of the Lignon." 
 
 A ▲ 
 
354 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 manner, they prided themselves on the neatness of their 
 attire. The Princess begged them to inform her which was 
 the house of the shepherd Sublime ; they hastened to con- 
 duct her thither. She found him seated in a valley with his 
 wife and daughter ; a little river flowing at his feet making 
 a soft miumuring noise ; he had some sea rushes in his hand, 
 with which he was making a basket to hold fruit ; his wife 
 was spinning, and his two daughters were fishing. When 
 Carpillon drew near to them, she was impressed with a respect 
 and affection which surprised her ; and when they saw her, 
 they were so affected that they changed colour several times. 
 " I am a poor shepherdess," said she, humbly accosting them, 
 " come to offer you my services from the Fairy Amazon 
 whom you know. I hope, out of consideration for her, you 
 will willingly receive me." " My daughter," said the King, 
 rising, and in his turn greeting her, " that great fairy is quite 
 right in believing we have the greatest respect for her ; you 
 are, therefore, welcome ; and if you had no recommendation 
 but your own, our house would certainly be open to you." 
 "Come hither, beautiful girl," said the Queen, holding out 
 her hand, " come, and embrace me. I feel fully disposed to 
 love you ; I wish you to look upon me as your mother, and 
 my daughters as your sisters." " Alas ! my kind mother," 
 said the Princess, " I do not deserve this honour ; it is sufl&- 
 cient that I should be your shepherdess, and take charge 
 of your flock." " My daughter," said the King, " we are all 
 equal here ; you come with too good a recommendation for us 
 to make any difference between you and oiu* children ; come 
 and sit with us, and let your cow feed with our sheep." She 
 made some objection, perseveringly insisting that she only 
 came to take care of the house for them ; she would have 
 been very much perplexed had they taken her at her word; 
 but, in fact, it was sufficient to see her, to be satisfied that she 
 was more fit to command than to obey ; and they were also 
 certain that one of so much importance as the Fairy Amazon 
 would not take such interest in an ordinary person. 
 
 The King and Queen looked at her with astonishment 
 mixed with admiration, difficult to comprehend ; they asked 
 her, if she came from a great distance ? She said, " Yes ;" 
 "Whether she had a father and mother?" she said, "No."' 
 And to all their questions she answered by monosyllables, as 
 
THE PRINCESS CAEPELLON. 355 
 
 far as respect would permit her. " And what do you call 
 yourself, my child?" said the Queen. "They call me Car- 
 pUlon," said she. " The name is singular," replied the King, 
 " and, perhaps, some adventure gave rise to it ; it is seldom 
 any one receives such an appellation." She did not reply, 
 aud took one of the spindles from the Queen, to wind off the 
 thread. When they saw her hands, they thought she was 
 taking out of her sleeves two balls of snow formed in that 
 shape ; they were so brilliantly white. The King and Queen 
 looked at each other very significantly, and said to her, 
 '' Your dress is very warm, Carpillon, for the climate we live 
 in, and your wooden shoes are very hard for so young a 
 person as you are ; you must be dressed differently." " In my 
 country," replied Carpillon, " they are dressed as I am • but 
 if it pleases you, mother, to order me to do so, I will dress 
 otherwise." They admired her submission, and above all the 
 modesty which appeared in her eyes and pervaded her whole 
 countenance. 
 
 Supper time had arrived; they arose, and all entered the 
 house. The two Princesses had caught some nice little fish; 
 they had also some new-laid eggs, some mUk, and some fruit. 
 
 " I am surprised," said the King, '■' that my son has not 
 returned yet ; his love of hunting takes him farther than 
 I like, and I am always fearful some accident wiU happen 
 to him." " I am as much alarmed as you are," said the 
 Queen ; " but, if you hke, we will wait supper for him." 
 " No," said the King, "we will do nothing of the sort; on 
 the contrary, I beg, when he returns, that no one will 
 speak to him, and that everybody will be very cold to him." 
 " You know how affectionate he is," said the Queen, " and 
 that it will distress him so much; he will be ill in con- 
 sequence," " I cannot help it," said the King ; " he must be 
 corrected." They sat down to table, and some time afterwards 
 the Prince came in; he had a roebuck on his shoulders, his 
 hair was wet with perspiration, and his face covered with dust. 
 He leaned upon a small spear which he usually carried, his bow 
 was fastened on one side, and his quiver full of arrows on the 
 other. In this state there was something so noble and so 
 haughty in his countenance and in his appearance, that no 
 one coTild see him without attention and respect. "!M other," 
 said he, addressing the Queen, " my wish to bring you this 
 aa2 
 
356 THE PRINCESS CABPILLON. 
 
 roebuck, has caused me a good run over hill and dale to-day." 
 " My son," said the King, seriously, " you cause us more 
 anxiety than pleasure. You know all that I have already 
 said about your love for the chase, but you do not seem in- 
 clined to correct yourself." The Prince reddened ; and what 
 annoyed him more was, that he perceived a stranger was 
 present. He replied that another time he would return 
 earlier, or that he would not go hunting any more till they 
 wished it. " That is sufficient," said the Queen, who loved 
 him dearly ; " my son, I thank you for your present ; come 
 and sit by me and sup, for I am sure you are hungry." He 
 was a little disconcerted at the serious air with which the 
 King spoke to him and he scarcely dared to raise his eyes, 
 for although he was intrepid in the midst of dangers, he was 
 tractable, and stood in great awe of those to whom he owed 
 respect. However, he recovered from his confusion, placed 
 himself next to the Queen, and looked at Carpillon, who had 
 not waited so long to look at him. As soon as their eyes 
 met, their hearts beat so wonderfully that they could not ac- 
 count for their agitation. The Princess blushed and looked 
 down ; the Prince continued to gaze at her ; again she raised 
 her eyes gently, and looked at him a longer time, they were 
 each of them equally surprised, and thought that nothing in 
 the world could surpass what they beheld. " Is it possible," 
 said the Princess, " that seeing so many persons as I have at 
 court, I know not one who could be compared to this young 
 shepherd!" "How is it," said he, in his turn, "that this won- 
 derful girl is a simple shepherdess ! Ah, would that I were a 
 king to place her on the throne, to make her mistress of my 
 dominions as she would be of my heart!" Thus musing, he 
 ate nothing ; the Queen, believing that it was in consequence 
 of his having been unkindly received, loaded him with caresses; 
 she herself handed him some exquisite fruits, of which she 
 was very choice. He begged Carpillon to taste some; she 
 thanked him, and he, without thinking from whose hand he 
 had received them, said son-owfully, " I don't want them," 
 and coldly left them on the table. The Queen did not notice 
 it ; but the eldest Princess, who by no means disliked him, 
 and could have loved him dearly, but for the difference she 
 believed existed between his condition and hers, remarked it 
 with some degree of vexation. 
 
THE PJlDs'CESS CARPILLOX. 357 
 
 After supper the King and Queen retired ; the Princesses, 
 as was their custom, arranged everything about the house : 
 the one milked the cows, the other made some cheese; 
 Carpillon was anxious to work also, as the others did, but she 
 had not been so accustomed to it. She could do nothing 
 well, and the two Princesses laughingly called her the 
 awkwai'd beauty; but the Prince, already in love, assisted 
 her. He went to the well with her, he carried her pitchers, 
 he drew the water for her, and returned heavily laden, for he 
 would not allow her to carry anything. " But what do you 
 mean, shepherd," said she to him ; " must I be the young lady 
 here — I, who have worked all my life, am I come here to do 
 nothing?" "You shall do whatever you like, charming 
 shepherdess," replied he ; " but do not refuse to accept my 
 poor assistance on these occasions. They returned together, 
 sooner than they wished, for although he hai'dly dared to 
 speak to her, he was delighted to be with her. 
 
 They each of them passed a sleepless night, which their 
 inexperience prevented them from imagining the cause of: 
 but the Prince anxiously waited for the hour that he might 
 again behold the shepherdess, while she akeady feared the 
 time she shoiild again see the shepherd. This new trouble, 
 that the sight of him had thrown her into, diverted her at- 
 tention from the other soiTows which oppressed her. She 
 thought of him so often, that she scarcely remembered Prince 
 Bossu. " Fickle Fortune ! " she exclaimed, " why hast thou 
 bestowed so many graces, so fair a countenance, and such 
 charms on a young shepherd, who is only destined to watch 
 his flock ; and on a great Prince, who has to govern a kingdom, 
 so much malice, ugliness, and deformity?" 
 
 Carpillon had never had the curiosity to look at herself 
 since her metamorphosis from a princess iuto a shepherdess, 
 but now a certain desire to please induced her to seek for a 
 mirror. She found the Princesses', and when she saw her 
 head-dress, and her gown, she was quite confused. " What a 
 figure!" said she; "what am I like? It is impossible that I 
 can remain any longer buried in this coai*se stuff." She took 
 some water, and washed her hands and face. They became 
 whiter than lilies. After this she sought the Queen, and 
 kneeling before hei", she presented her with a beautiful dia- 
 mond ring (for she had brought some jewels with her). " My 
 
358 TUE PRI>'CESS CARPILLON. 
 
 good mother," said she, "some time ago I found this ring ; I do 
 not know its value ; but I suppose it is worth some money : 
 I beg of you to accept it, as a proof of my gratitude for your 
 charity towards me, and I further entreat you to buy me 
 some dresses and linen, that I may appear like the shepherdesses 
 of this country." The Queen was surprised to see so beauti- 
 ful a ring in the possession of this young girl. " I will take 
 care of it for you," said she, " but not accept it ; be assured 
 you will have from this morning all that is requisite for you." 
 She then sent to a small town, not very far off, and desired 
 them to bring the prettiest peasant's dress that had ever been 
 seen. The head-dx'ess, the shoes, all was complete; thus attired, 
 she appeared more charming than Aurora. The Prince also 
 had not been neglectful of himself; he had put round his hat 
 a wreath of flowers ; the scarf by which his scrip was tied and 
 his hook were also ornamented with them. He carried a 
 bouquet to Carpillon, and presented it with the timidity of a 
 lover ; she received it with much embarrassment, although she 
 had infinite good sense. Whenever she was with him, she hardly 
 ever spoke, and was always in deep thought. It was much 
 the same with him. When he went hunting, instead of pur- 
 suing the hinds and the deer that he met with, if he found 
 a fitting spot for indulging in thoughts of the charming 
 Carpillon, he would suddenly stop and remain in that soli- 
 tary place, making verses, singing couplets in praise of his 
 shepherdess, talking to the rocks, to the woods, to the trees ; 
 he had lost all that joyous spirit which had caused the 
 shepherds so eagerly to seek his company. 
 
 But as it is difficult to be much in love and not to fear those 
 whom we love, he was so dreadfully afi^id he should offend 
 his shepherdess by declaring his passion for her, that he dare 
 not speak; and although she saw plainly enough, that he pre- 
 ferred her to every one else, and that this preference ought 
 to assure her of his sentiments, she was sometimes troubled 
 at his silence, and sometimes she was pleased at it. " If it be 
 true," said she, " that he loves me, how ought"! to receive such 
 a declaration? If I am angiy with him, I shall perhaps kill 
 him ; and if I am not angry with him, I shall die myself of 
 shame and grief What ! born a Princess, should I listen 
 to a shepherd? Ah, what unworthy weakness! I will never 
 consent to it; my heart should not change, as I change my 
 
The Pnnoess Carpillon*.— p. «i68. 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 359 
 
 dress ; and I have already many things to reproach myself 
 with since I have been here." 
 
 As the Prince's natural voice possessed a thousand charms, 
 and as, even if he could not have sung so well, the Princess 
 was so prepossessed in his favour she would not have been 
 less pleased to hear him, she often asked him to sing some 
 little songs ; and what he sang was so tender, and his accents 
 so touching, she could not break herself of the desire to listen 
 to him. He had written some words, that he repeated in- 
 cessantly, she being fully aware that she was the subject of 
 them. They are as follow : — 
 
 " If a goddess found could be 
 Who in beauty equall'd thee, 
 Would she give, my love to win, 
 All the wealth the world within, 
 I with scorn would her deny, 
 ^ At thy feet to live and die." 
 
 Although she pretended she paid no more attention to that 
 than she did to others, she could not help evincing a preference 
 for it which gratified the Prince. That inspired him with a 
 little more boldness ; he purposely repaired to a part of the 
 river-side, shaded by willows and lote-trees,^ where he knew 
 Carpillon led her lambs every day : he took a bodkin and he 
 wrote upon the bark of a tree, — 
 
 " In this spot I view in vain. 
 Peace with all the Pleasures reign ; 
 Even here, Love robs my breast 
 Both of happiness and rest." 
 
 Tlie Princess surprised him as he finished these words ; he 
 affected to be embarrassed, and after some moments of silence, 
 " You see," said he to her, " an unhappy shepherd, who reveals 
 to the most insensible things, the sufferings which he ought 
 to complain of to you only." She did not answer, and cast- 
 ing down her eyes, she afforded him all the time he needed 
 to declare his sentiments. While he was speftking, she con- 
 sidered within herself how she ought to receive that which 
 she heard from lips that were not indifferent to her, and her 
 liking for him readily found an excuse — " He is ignorant of 
 my birth," said she; "his temerity is pardonable; he loves 
 me, and thinks not that I am his superior. Even if he knew 
 my rank, the gods, who are so high above us, do they not 
 
 (1) Aliiiert. See note, page 28. 
 
360 THE TRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 covet human hearts'? Are they angry because men love 
 them?" — "Shepherd," said she, when he had ceased speaking, 
 " I pity you, it is all I can. I will not love you ; I have 
 already too many other troubles. Alas ! what would become 
 of me, if, to complete my misfortunes, the troubles of love 
 should be added to them?" "Ah, shepherdess, say rather," 
 cried he, " that if you have sorrows, nothing would more 
 surely alleviate them ; I should share them all with you, my 
 only thought would be to please you, and you could trust 
 me with the care of your flock." " Would to heaven," said 
 she, "I had no other cause for uneasiness!" "Can you have 
 any others?" said he, most earnestly; "a being so beautiful, 
 so young, without ambition, unacquainted with the vain 
 grandeurs of a court? But no doubt you love some one here; 
 a rival makes you inexorable to me." In uttering these 
 words, he changed colour; he became sad, for this thought 
 distressed him cruelly. " I will admit you have a hated and 
 detested rival; you would never have seen me, had I not 
 been obliged to fly from his pressing importunities." " Perhaps, 
 shepherdess, you will fly from me, for the same reason ; for if 
 you hate him simply for loving you, I must be in your eyes 
 the most hateful of men." " Whether I do not think so," 
 replied she, " or that I look upon you more favourably, I feel 
 I should not go so far to avoid you, as I should to avoid 
 him." The shepherd was transported with joy by these kind 
 words, and from that day, what pains he took to please the 
 Princess ! 
 
 Every morning he employed himself in seeking for the 
 most beautiful flowers to make into garlands for her; he 
 adorned her crook with a thousand difierent coloured ribands; 
 he would not allow her to be exposed to the sun ; as soon as 
 she came with her flock to the river-side, or in the woods, he 
 twined branches, tied them quickly together, and made 
 arbours with them, under which the turf formed natural 
 couches to repose on. All the trees bore her ciphers; he 
 had carved verses upon them, that spoke but of Carpillon's 
 beauty ; he sang but of her ; and the young Princess observed 
 all these tokens of the shepherd's passion for her sometimes 
 with pleasure, sometimes with much uneasiness. She loved 
 him, without being quite aware of it ; she dared not question 
 herself on the subject, fearing she should find herself too 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLOX. 361 
 
 fond of him: but when we entertain such fear, are we not 
 ah'eady certain of the fact? 
 
 The attachment of the young shepherd for the young 
 shepherdess was no secret ; everybody saw it, and approved 
 of it; who could blame it, in a place where all the world 
 loved. They appeared, it was said, born for each other; they 
 were both perfect; they were master-pieces of the gods, which 
 fortune had confided to their little country, and everything 
 should be done to retain them in it. Carpillon felt a secret 
 joy in hearing from every one the praises of the shepherd 
 she thought so charming; and whenever she reflected on the 
 difference of their rank she grieved, and resolved to remain 
 unknown, that her heart might be more at liberty. 
 
 The King and Queen, who loved her very much, were not 
 at all displeased at this growing affection ; they looked upon 
 the Prince as though he were their son, and the many perfec- 
 tions of the Princess were scarcely less charming to them 
 than to him. " Was it not the Amazon who sent her to us," 
 said they; "and did she not also .come and fight the Centaur 
 in favour of the boyl No doubt this wise Fairy has destined 
 them for each other; we must wait her orders thereupon, and 
 follow them." 
 
 Matters were in this condition, the Prince still complaining 
 of Carpillon's indifference to him — for she carefully concealed 
 her sentiments from him, — when, as he was hunting ojie day, 
 he was unexpectedly attacked by a ferocious bear, who rushing 
 suddenly from the cavity of a rock, threw himself upon him, 
 and would have devoured him had he not been as dexterous 
 as he was brave. After struggling for a long time upon the 
 summit of the mountain, they rolled to the bottom without 
 quitting their hold. Carpillon was standing near the spot 
 with several of her companions. They could not see what 
 was passing above them ; but what was the terror of these 
 young girl^ when they perceived a man and a bear falling 
 headlong down together ! The Princess immediately recog- 
 nised her shepherd. She uttered shrieks of terror and anguish. 
 All the shepherdesses took flight ; she remained sole specta- 
 tress of the combat ; she even boldly thrust the iron of her 
 crook in the terrible animal's mouth, and love gave her 
 strength to render some assistance to her lover. When he saw 
 her, the fear she might be involved in his danger augmented 
 
362 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 his courage to such a degree, that he thought not of his own 
 life, provided that he could save that of his shepherdess. At 
 last he killed the bear close to her feet, but he felt himself half 
 dead with the wounds which he had received. Ah, what was 
 her misery when she saw his clothes stained with his flowing 
 blood ! She could not speak ; the tears gushed from her 
 eyes ; she placed his head upon her knees, then with a sudden 
 eifort, " Shepherd," said she to him, " if you die, I shall die 
 with you. In vain have I concealed from you the secrets of 
 my heart; know them now, and be assured that my life is 
 devoted to you." " What can I wish for more, lovely shep- 
 herdess?" said he ; "whatever may now befal me, my fate 
 must still be a happy one." 
 
 The shepherdesses who had fled now returned with several 
 shepherds, to whom they had related what they had just seen. 
 They hastened to assist the Prince and Princess; for she 
 needed assistance nearly as much as he did. Whilst they 
 were cutting the branches of trees to make a kind of litter, 
 the Fairy Amazon appeared in the midst of them. *' Do not 
 be uneasy, said she to them; "let me touch the young 
 shepherd." She took him by the hand, and placing her gold 
 helmet on his head, " I forbid thee to be ill, dear shepherd," 
 said she to him. He arose instantly ; and the vizor of the 
 helmet being open, displayed to them his fine features full of 
 heroic expression, and his keen and brilliant eyes confirming 
 the hopes the Fairy had inspired them with. He was astonished 
 at the manner in which she had just cured him, and at her 
 majestic appearance. Transported with admiration, with joy, 
 and with gratitude, he threw himself at her feet. " Great 
 Queen," said he to her, " I was dangerously wounded : a look 
 from you, a word from your mouth, has cui-ed me : but, alas ! 
 I have a wound in my heart of which I would not be cured : 
 deign but to assuage its pain, and improve my fortune, that 
 I may be able to share it with this lovely shepherdess." 
 The Princess blushed at hearing him speak thus ; for she was 
 aware the Fairy Amazon knew her, and she was afraid she 
 should be blamed by her, for holding out hopes to a lover so 
 much beneath herself: she dared not look at her. The sighs 
 that escaped her moved the Fairy's compassion. " Carpillon," 
 said she, " this shepherd is not unworthy of your esteem; and 
 you, shepherd, 80 desirous to change your state, rest assured 
 
THE PEINCESS CAEPILLON. 363 
 
 that in a short time a very great change will take place in 
 it." Having uttered these words, she disappeared as usuaL 
 
 The shepherds and shepherdesses, who had hastened to assist 
 them, conducted them in triumph to their village. They 
 placed the lovers in the midst of them, and having crowned 
 them with flowers, in honour of the victory they had just 
 achieved over the terrible bear, — which they dragged after 
 them, — they sang these words upon the affection Carpillon 
 had shown for the Prince : — 
 
 " Greater pleasure yet will reign 
 In these enchanting groves ; 
 Here a shepherd's charms detain 
 The daughter of the Loves." 
 
 In this manner they brought them home to Sublime, to 
 whom they related all that had just happened, — with what 
 courage the shepherd had defended himself against the bear ; 
 and how nobly the shepherdess had aided him in the combat ; 
 and lastly, what the Fairy Amazon had done for him. The 
 King, delighted at this recital, ran to tell the Queen. " Un- 
 doubtedly," said he, "this boy and girl have no common blood 
 in them ; their eminent perfections, their beauty, and the care 
 that the Fairy Amazon takes of them, prove there is some- 
 thing extraordinary relating to them." All at once the 
 Queen remembered the diamond ring Carpillon had given 
 her. " I always forgot," said she, " to show you a ring that 
 this young shepherdess put into my hands with an air of 
 uncommon dignity, begging me to accept it, and to give her 
 in exchange for it some dresses like those they wear in this 
 country." "Is the stone a fine one?" inquired the King. 
 " I have scarcely looked at it," added the Queen ; " but here 
 it is." She presented him with the ring; and as soon as he 
 looked at it, " Ye gods, what do I see ! " cried he. " What ! did 
 you not remember a gift I received from your own hands 1 " 
 At the same time he pressed a little spring, of which he knew 
 the secret. The diamond flew up, and the Queen saw her 
 portrait, that she had had painted for the King, and that- she 
 had tied round the neck of her little daughter to play with, 
 when she was nursing her in the tower. " Ah ! sire," said 
 she, " what strange adventure is this 1 It renews all my 
 griefs. However, let us speak to the shepherdess; we must 
 try to know more about it." 
 
364 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 She called her, and said, " My child, I liave waited till this 
 time for an admission from you, which would have given us 
 much greater pleasure if you had made it without being 
 lu-ged to do so; but since you continue to hide from us who 
 you are, it is right to tell you that we know, and that tlie 
 ring you gave us has solved the enigma." " Alas, my mother," 
 I'eplied the Princess, throwing herself upon her knees before 
 her, " it was not from a want of confidence that I persisted 
 in hiding my rank from you: I thought it would distress 
 you to see a princess in the condition that I am. My father 
 was king of the Peaceful Islands: his reign was troubled by 
 a usurper, who confined him in a tower, with the Queen my 
 mother. After three years of captivity, they procured means 
 of escape ; one of the guards assisted them. They Ipwered 
 me, favoured by the darkness of the night, in a basket. The 
 cord broke. I fell into the lake, without their knowing 
 whether I was drowned or not. Some fishermen who had 
 thrown out their nets to catch carp, found me entangled in 
 them. My size and weight induced them to think it was 
 one of;the largest carps that was in the lake. These hopes 
 vanished when they saw me. They thought they w^ould throw 
 me into the water again to feed the fishes, but finally they 
 left me in the nets and carried me to the tyrant, who instantly 
 knew by the flight of my family that I was an unfortunate 
 little princess, quite forsaken. His wife, who had never had 
 any children, had pity on me. She took me herself, and 
 brought me up under the name of Carpillon. She perhaps 
 wished me to forget my birth, but my heart always told mo 
 who I was; and sometimes it is a misfortune to possess 
 feelings that conform so little to one's situation. However 
 that might be, a prince, named Bossu, came and conquered 
 the usurper who deprived my father of the kingdom he was 
 enjoying so peacefully. This removal of the tyrant made it 
 worse for me. Prince Bossu carried me off as one of the 
 brightest ornaments of his triumph, and resolved to marry 
 me against my inclination. In so great an extremity 1 de- 
 termined to fly by myself, dressed as a shepherdess, and 
 leading my cow. Prince Bossu, who sought for me every- 
 where, and who overtook me, would no doubt have known 
 me, if the Fairy Amazon had not generously given me 
 a bouquet of gillyflowers, on pui-pose to protect me from my 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. ^ 365 
 
 enemies. She was equally kind in sending me to you, my 
 good mother," continued the Princess ; '• and if I did not de- 
 clare my rank sooner to you, it was not from want of confi- 
 dence, but only with the view of sparing you trouble. Not 
 that I complain," continued she ; " I never knew happiness 
 till the day you received me ; and I assure you I find a rural 
 life so sweet and innocent, that I do not hesitate to prefer it 
 to that which they lead at court." 
 
 She spoke so earnestly she did not perceive that the Queen 
 was dissolved in tears, and the King's eyes were also full of 
 them; but as soon as she had finished, they hastened to 
 embrace her, and held her in their arms some time without 
 speaking a word. She was as much afl'ected as they were ; 
 she wept as they did ; and it would be difficult to describe 
 the mingled pain and pleasure that agitated these three illus- 
 trious and unfortunate persons. At last the Queen, making 
 an effort to speak, said to her, " Is it possible, dear child of 
 my soul, that after having so long and deeply regretted thy 
 sad loss, the gods have restored thee to thy mother, to con- 
 sole her in her misfortunes'? Yes, my daughter, thou seest 
 her who bore thee, and nursed thee in thy earliest infancy. 
 Behold the author of thy being. Oh, light of our eyes ! 
 Princess ! whom the wrath of heaven deprived us of; with 
 what transports shall we celebrate thy blessed return ! " " And 
 I, my illustrious mother, and I, my dear Queen," cried the 
 Princess, throwing herself at her feet, " by what words, by 
 what actions can I express to you both, all that the respect 
 and love I owe you causes me to feel at this moment? Thou 
 dear refuge from all my troubles, I find thee, just as I had 
 ceased to flatter myself with hope ! " They renewed their 
 embraces, and thus they passed some hours. Carpillon then 
 withdrew. Her father and mother desired her not to mention 
 what had just transpired; for they were apprehensive of the 
 curiosity of the shepherds of that country ; and as they were 
 for the most part rather unpolished, it was to be feared they 
 would try to discover secrets which did not concern them. 
 
 The Princess was silent on the subject to her companions 
 in general, but she could not keep the secret from her young 
 shephex'd. How can we refrain from trusting those we 
 love ? She had reproached herself a thousand times, for con- 
 cealing from him her birth. *' What obligations," said she, 
 
366 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 " would he not have felt under to me, had he known that, 
 being born to a throne, I had humbled myself to him? Yet, 
 alas ! love makes little difference between the sceptre and the 
 crook! Can the imaginary greatness, so much boasted of, 
 actually possess the soul and satisfy HI No; virtue alone has 
 the right to do so. She places us above the throne, and can 
 detach us from it ; the shepherd who loves me is wise, witty, 
 and amiable. In what can a prince be superior to him?" 
 
 As she indulged in these reflections, she saw him at her 
 feet ; he had followed her to the river-side : and presenting 
 her with a garland of flowers of a charming variety, he said, 
 "Whence came you, lovely shepherdess? For houi-s have I 
 been seeking you, and impatiently awaiting your arrival." 
 " Shepherd," said she, " I have been occupied by a wonder- 
 ful adventure. I should reproach myself did I conceal it 
 from you; but remember, that this mark of my confidence 
 binds you to everlasting secresy. I am a princess, my father 
 was a king, whom I have just discovered in the pei*son of 
 Sublime." 
 
 The Prince was so astounded and agitated at this revela- 
 tion, that he had not the power to interrupt her, while she 
 related to him, in the kindest manner, her whole history. 
 What reason had he not to fear that the good shepherd who 
 had educated him would, being a king, refuse him his daughter, 
 or that she herself reflecting upon the difference between a 
 great Princess and himself, would one day withdraw from him 
 the kindness she had at first shown him. " Ah, Madam," 
 said he mournfully, " I am a lost man : I must die ! You 
 are bom to a throne ; you have found your parents : and I 
 am an unfortunate being who knows neither his country 
 nor his kindred. An eagle was my foster-mother, and her 
 nest my cradle ; if you have deigned to look upon me favour- 
 ably, you will be advised to think of me no longer." The 
 Princess mused for a moment, and, without answering him, 
 she took a bodkin which kept up part of her beautiful hair, 
 and wrote upon the bark of a tree — 
 
 " Canst thou love for love return ? " 
 
 The Prince instantly wrote these words — 
 
 " With a thousand flames I burn." 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 367 
 
 The Princess added vmdemeath — 
 
 " Cease then, shepherd, to complain ; 
 Love, and be beloved again." 
 
 The Prince, transported with joy, threw himself at her feet, 
 and seizing one of her hands said, " You ease my afficted 
 heart, adorable Princess, and by these new acts of kindness, 
 you preserve my life. Remember what you have just written 
 in my favoiir." " I am not likely to forget it," said she with 
 a gracious smile ; " rely upon my heart, it is more interested 
 in your behalf than in my own." Their conversation would 
 have lasted much longer, if they had had more time ; but, as 
 they had to collect the flocks they were tending, they hastened 
 to return. 
 
 Meanwhile, the King and Queen were confen-ing together 
 on the course they should pursue respecting Carpillon and the 
 young shepherd. As long as she was a stranger to them, they 
 approved of the gentle flame that was gradually kindhng 
 in their bosoms. The perfect beauty with which heaven had 
 endowed them, their intellect, the grace which distinguished 
 all their actions, made them desire that their union should be 
 lasting ; but they looked upon it with a very difierent eye, 
 when they considered she was their daughter, and that the 
 shepherd was without doubt only an unfortunate child, whose 
 parents had exposed him to wild beasts, to save themselves 
 the trouble of bringing him up. Finally, they resolved to 
 tell CarpiUon she must no longer encourage the hopes the 
 youth had flattered himself with ; and that she must even 
 seriously declare to him, that it was not her wish to establish 
 herself in that country. 
 
 The Queen called her early in the morning, and spoke with 
 much kindness to her. But what words are capable of calm- 
 ing a grief so violent? The Princess vainly endeavoured to 
 constrain her feelings; her face now suff'used with burning 
 blushes, now paler than if she had been on the point of 
 death ; her eyes lustreless from sorrow, too plainly indicated 
 the state of her heart. Ah! how much she regretted her 
 confession! She assured her mother, however, with great 
 submission, that she would follow her injunctions. She had 
 scarcely strength to throw herself on her bed, where, bathed 
 in tears, she uttered a thousand complaints and a thousand 
 
368 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 regrets. At last she arose to lead her sheep to feed ; but in- 
 stead of going near the river, she plunged into the wood, 
 ■where, lying down upon some moss, she leaned her head upon 
 her hand and fell into a deep reverie. The Prince, who could 
 not rest without her, ran to seek her, and suddenly stood 
 before her. At sight of him she uttered a loud shriek, as if 
 taken by surprise, and rising hastily rushed from him without 
 looking at him ; he remained for a moment motionless at so 
 unusual a proceeding, then following and stopping her, said, 
 " How, shepherdess ! after giving me my death-blow, would 
 you deprive yourself of the pleasure of seeing me die? You 
 have already changed towards your shepherd; do you no 
 longer remember what you promised him yesterday?" " Alas," 
 said she, looking mournfully at him, " alas, what crime do 
 you accuse me of! I am wretched. Commands have been 
 laid upon me which it will be impossible to evade. Pity me! 
 and do not approach me wherever I may be. It must be so." 
 " It must be so," cried he, folding his arms in despair. " Must 
 I fly from you, divine Princess? Can so cruel and so unjust 
 an order be pronounced by you to me? Would you drive 
 me mad? And this flattering hope, to which you allowed me 
 to abandon myself, can it be extinguished while I live?" 
 Carpillon, as heart-stricken as her lover, sank on the ground 
 speechless and motionless ; at this sight he was agitated by a 
 thousand different thoughts. The state in which he saw his 
 mistress sufiBciently proved the compulsion under which she 
 acted, and this certainly in a great measure diminished his 
 grief. 
 
 He lost not a moment in endeavouring to revive her; a 
 spring that flowed gently amongst the grass provided him 
 with water to sprinkle on the face of his shepherdess, and 
 some Cupids who were hidden behind a bush, have asserted 
 to their companions, that he dared to steal a kiss. However 
 that might be, she soon opened her eyes, then repulsing her 
 amiable shepherd, "Fly! Avoid me!" said she; "if my 
 mother should come, would she not have cause to be angry?" 
 " Should I then have left you to be devoured by bears and 
 wolves," said he ; " or during a long swoon, alone in these 
 solitary places, to be stung by some asp, or serpent?" "I 
 must risk everything," she said, " rather than displease the 
 Queen." 
 
THE PKTXCESS CAEPILLON. 369 
 
 During this affecting and tender interview, the Fairy, their 
 protectress, suddenly appeared in the King's chamber: she 
 was armed as usual ; the gems with which her cuirass and 
 helmet were covered, were less brilliant than her eyes : ad- 
 dressing herself to the Queen, she said, " You are not too 
 grateful, Madam, for the present I made you, in restoring 
 you your daughter, who would have been drowned in the 
 nets without my assistance, since you are about to cause the 
 death of the shepherd I confided to your care. Think no 
 longer of the difference that may perhaps exist between 
 him and Carpillon ; it is time they should be united. Pre- 
 pare, illustrious Sublime," said she to the King, " for their 
 marriage — I desire it — and you will never have cause to re- 
 pent it." With these words, and not waiting for their reply, 
 she left them, leaving only a long stream of light behind 
 her as she disappeared, resembUng the rays of the sun. 
 
 The King and Queen were equally astonished and delighted 
 that the Fairy's commands were so positive. " One cannot 
 doubt," said the King, "that this unknown shepherd is of 
 an equal birth with Carpillon : his protectress is too noble 
 to wish to unite two persons unsuitable to each other. It is 
 she, aa you perceive, who saved oui* daughter from perishing 
 in the lake. How have we deserved her favour?" "I have 
 always heard say," replied the Queen, " there are good and 
 bad fairies, that they take a liking or an aversion to a family 
 according to their humour, and evidently the Fairy Amazon 
 favours us," They were still in conversation, when the 
 Princess returned dejected and suffering. The Prince, who 
 dared not follow her but at a distance, arrived, some time 
 after, so melancholy, that a glance at his features was suflBcient 
 to show what was passing in his mind. During the whole meal 
 these poor lovers, who were wont to be the joy of the house, 
 did not utter a word ; nor even venture to raise their eyes. 
 
 As soon as they rose from table, the King went into his 
 little garden, and desired the shepherd to follow him. At 
 this order, he turned pale. A strange shivering ran through 
 all his veins, and Carpillon believing her father was going to 
 send him away, was no less alarmed than he was. Sublime 
 entered an arbour, seated himself, and looking at the Prince, 
 he said, " My son, you know with what affection I have 
 brought you up. I have looked upon you as a present from 
 
 B B 
 
370 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 the gods, to support and console me in my old age ; but "w hat 
 will best prove my regard for you, is the choice I have made 
 of you for my daughter Carpillon ; she of whom you have 
 often heard me deplore the loss. Heaven, who has restored 
 her to me, wills that she should be your wife. I desire it also 
 with all my heart. Will you be the only one to object to it?" 
 " Ah, my father," cried the Prince, throwing himself at his 
 feet, "dare I flatter myself with what I hear? Am I so 
 happy, that your choice falls upon me? or do you merely 
 wish to discover my sentiments with respect to this lovely 
 shepherdess?" " No, my dear son," said the King, "do not 
 hesitate between hope and fear ; I am resolved in a few days 
 to celebrate your nuptials." "You" overwhelm me with 
 kindness," replied the Prince, embracing his knees ; " and if 
 I but poorly express my gratitude to you, it is from the ex- 
 cess of my joy." The King forced him to rise, said a thousand 
 kind things to him, and although he did not tell him of his 
 high rank, he gave him to understand his birth was far above 
 the condition fortune had reduced him to. 
 
 But Carpillon, a prey to her anxiety, could not refrain from 
 following her father and her lover into the garden. She 
 watched them at a distance, hidden behind some trees : when 
 she saw him at the King's feet, she so fully believed he was 
 entreating him not to sentence him to so cruel a separation, 
 that she would stay to learn no more ; she flew into the depths 
 of the forest, running like a fawn, that the hounds and 
 hunters were pursuing; she feared nothing, — neither the 
 ferocity of the wild beasts, nor the thorns, which caught her 
 on aU sides. The echoes repeated her sad lamentations ; she 
 seemed only bent on seeking death ; when the shepherd, im- 
 patient to impart to her the good tidings he had just heard, 
 hastened in search of her. "Where are you, my shepherdess, 
 my charming Carpillon!" cried he; " if you hear me, fly not. 
 Happiness awaits us." 
 
 As he uttered these words, he perceived her far down in a 
 valley, surrounded by several huntsmen, who were endeavour- 
 ing to place her on a horse behind a little humpbacked and 
 deformed man. At this sight, and the shrieks of his mistress 
 for assistance, he flew towards her like an arrow from a bow; 
 having no arms but his sling, he hurled a stone, which struck 
 the man who was carrying off the shepherdess so direct and 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 371 
 
 terrible a blow, that he fell from his horse, with a dreadful 
 wound in the head. 
 
 Carpillon fell with him ; the Prince was already near her, 
 trying to defend her against her ravishers ; but all his resist- 
 ance was in vain ; they seized him, and would have strangled 
 him upon the spot, if Prince Bossu — for it was he — had 
 not made signs to spare him : " For," said he, " he shall be 
 put to death with every variety of torture." They contented 
 themselves, therefore, with binding his arms with thick cords ; 
 and the same cords served to secure the Princess, so that they 
 were enabled to talk to each other. 
 
 At the same time they made a sort of litter to carry the 
 ■\vicked humpback upon. As soon as it was finished, they all 
 departed, without any of the shepherds being aware of the 
 misfortune that had liappened to our young lovers, and so 
 giving information to Sublime. It is easy to imagine his 
 uneasiness when night came and they did not return. The 
 Queen was equally alarmed, and they passed several days in 
 company with all the shepherds of the country in seeking 
 and deploring them in vain. 
 
 You must know that Prince Bossu had never forgotten 
 the Princess Carpillon, but time had weakened his passion; 
 and when he was not amusing himself by committing a few 
 murders, and cutting without distinction the throats of all 
 those who displeased him, he went hunting, and it was some- 
 times seven or eight days before he returned. He was out on 
 one of these long hunting expeditions, when he suddenly 
 caught sight of the Princess crossing a path. Her grief was 
 so acute, and she cared so little what might happen to her, 
 that she had not taken with her her bouquet of gillyflowers, 
 consequently he knew her the moment he saw her. 
 
 " Oh, of all the misfortunes this is the greatest !" said the 
 shepherd, in a low voice, to his shepherdess, " Alas ! we were 
 just upon the eve of being united for ever." He then related 
 what had passed between Sublime and himself. It is easy to 
 comprehend Carpillon's regret. " I have then cost you your 
 life," said she, bursting into tears. " I lead you myself to 
 death, you for whom I would shed my last drop of blood. 
 I am the cause of the misfortune that overwhelms you, and 
 through my own imprudence I have again fallen into the 
 barbarous hands of my most cruel persecutor !" 
 
 BB 2 
 
o73 THE PRINCESS CAKPILLON. 
 
 They talked thus to each other till they reached the city, 
 where the good old King resided, the father of the horrible 
 humpback. He was informed they had brought his son 
 home on a litter, as a young shepherd, in defending his 
 shepherdess, had struck him with a stone from his sling with 
 so much force, that he was dangerously wounded. At these 
 tidings the king, shocked to learn his only son was in this 
 state, ordered them to put the shepherd in prison. The 
 humpback gave a secret order that Carpillon should be 
 treated in like manner. He had resolved, either that she 
 should marry him, or that she should be tortured to death, 
 Ko that the lovers were separated only by an ill-made door, 
 through the chinks of which they had the sad consolation of 
 seeing each other while it was broad daylight, and the rest of 
 the day and night they could converse together. 
 
 What did they not say that was affectionate and loving 
 to each other! All that the heart could feel, or the mind 
 imagine, they expressed in such touching terms, that they 
 were bathed in tears; and perhaps the reader would be equally 
 aft'ected if we repeated them. 
 
 The confidants of the humpback came every day to see 
 the Princess, and threaten her with speedy execution if she 
 did not purchase her life by consenting with a good grace to 
 marry him. She received these propositions with a firmness, 
 and an air of defiance, that made them despair of their 
 undertaking; and as soon as she could speak to the Prince 
 she said, " Fear not, my shepherd, that the dread of the 
 most cruel tortures will shake my constancy; we will die, 
 since we cannot live together." " Do you hope then to com- 
 fort me, beautiful Princess]" said he. "Alas! would I not 
 rather see you in that monster's arms than in the hands of 
 the executioner with which he threatens you?" She chided 
 him for such sentiments, accused him of weakness, and 
 assured him agaiu and again that she would show him how 
 to die with courage. 
 
 The humpback's wound being nearly healed, his love, irri- 
 tated by the continual refusals of the Princess, made him 
 determined to sacrifice to his rage the shepherd who had so 
 iU-used him. He fixed the day for this dismal tragedy, and 
 invited the King, with all his senators, and the grandees of 
 the kingdom, to come and witness it. He was there in an 
 
THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 373 
 
 uncovered litter to feast his eyes upon all the horrors of the 
 spectacle. The King, as I said before, did not know that the 
 Princess Carpillon was a prisoner; so that when he saw her 
 dragged to execution, with her poor governess, whom the 
 humpback had condemned also, and the young shepherd 
 more beautiful than the day, he commanded that they diovdd 
 be brought upon the terrace, where he was surrovmded by 
 the whole court. 
 
 He did not wait for the Princess to complain of the un- 
 worthy treatment she had received, but hastened to cut the 
 cords with which she was bound; and then, looking at the 
 young shepherd, he felt a yearning of tenderness and pity for 
 him. " Rash youth," said he, endeavouring to speak hai-shly 
 to him, " who inspired thee with boldness enough to attack 
 a great Prince, and nearly deprive him of existence!" The 
 shepherd, at the sight of this venerable old man in his royal 
 robes, was on his part inspired with feelings of respect and 
 confidence that he had never experienced before. " Great 
 monarch," said he, with admirable calmness, " the peril in 
 which I saw this beautiful Princess was the cause of my 
 rashness. I did not know your son, and how should I recog- 
 nise a Prince in an action so violent and unworthy his rank I" 
 As he spoke his voice and action became more animated, his 
 arm was uncovered, the mark of the arrow that was on it 
 was too visible for the King not to observe it. " heavens ! " 
 cried he, " am I deceived, or do I find in thee the dear son 
 that I had lost?" " No, great King," said the Fairy Amazon, 
 appearing high in the air, and mounted upon a superb winged 
 horse, " no, you are not deceived ; behold your son ; I pro- 
 tected him, in the eagle's nest, where his cruel brother caiised 
 him to be placed. Let that son now console you for the loss 
 of the other." With these words she rushed upon the guilty 
 humpback, and, piercing him to the heart with her fiery 
 lance, she did not allow him much time to contemplate the 
 hoiTors of death, for he was consumed as though it had been 
 by lightning. 
 
 She then approached the terrace, and presented the Prince 
 with weapons and armour. " I promised them to thee," said 
 she ; " thou shalt be invulnerable with them, and the greatest 
 warrior in the world." Immediately was heard the flourish 
 of a thousand trumpets and all sorts of warlike instruments 
 
374 THE PRINCESS CARPILLON. 
 
 Imaginable ; but these sounds were shortly succeeded by a 
 soft symphony, to which melodious voices sang the praises 
 of the Prince and Princess. The Fairy Amazon dismounted 
 from her horse, placed herself beside the King, and begged 
 him to order immediately all that was required for the cele- 
 bration of the marriage of the Prince and Princess. She com- 
 manded a little fairy, who appeared as soon as she called her, 
 to go for the Shepherd King, the Queen and her daughters, 
 and to return with them instantly. Immediately the Fairy 
 disappeared, and returned as quickly with the illustrious 
 exiles. What happiness after so many afflictions ! The palace 
 resounded with shouts of joy, and nothing was ever equal to 
 that of these sovereigns and their children. The Fairy Amazon 
 gave her orders' in every direction. One word of hers did more 
 work than a hundred thousand people. The nuptials were 
 celebrated with greater magnificence than had ever been seen 
 previously. King Sublime retvu:ned to his dominions ; Car- 
 pillon had the gratification of conducting him thither with 
 her husband. The old King, enchanted to have a son so 
 worthy of his afiection, became young again; at all events, ho 
 was so happy in his old age, that he lived much longer in 
 consequence. 
 
 Youth is the season when the human heart 
 By master minds can moulded be with ease; 
 As to soft wax the fingers can impart 
 ^y gentle pressure any form they please. 
 
 Then may the future man be lost or saved : 
 
 The vice that stains — the virtue that may grace it— 
 
 Once on the heart in infancy engraved. 
 
 Rarely in after years can aught efface it. 
 
 On Life's uncertain sea, in early age, 
 
 Happy is he who spreads his hopeful sail 
 
 Under the guidance of a pilot sage, 
 
 Who knows the shoals, and can foresee the gale. 
 
 The Prince, whose portrait I have tried to take, 
 Had nought of quicksand, or of storm to dread ; 
 A prosperous voyage he scarce could fail to make, 
 Wliile by the Royal Shepherd piloted. 
 
 'Tis true that Love was not to be defied : 
 
 But hence, ye censors who the youth would blame : 
 
 Let Reason only the affections guide. 
 
 And Love lends lustre to the hero's fame 1 
 
THE BENEFICENT FROG. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a King, who for a long while 
 maintained a war against his neighbours. After several battles, 
 they besieged his capital city. He was anxious about the 
 Queen, who was near her confinement, and he entreated her 
 to retire to a castle that he had fortified, and where he had 
 never been but once. The Queen employed prayers and tears 
 to persuade him to allow her to remain near him. She wished 
 to share his fate, and uttered piercing cries when he placed her 
 in her chariot to depart. However, he commanded his guards 
 to accompany her, and promised her to steal away as secretly 
 as he could to visit her. He flattered her with this hope ; for 
 the castle was fiir off, surrounded by a thick forest, and with- 
 out knowing the roads well, there was no getting to it. 
 
 The Queen set out, very sorrowful at leaving her husband 
 to the dangers of the war ; they travelled with her by short 
 stages, fearing she would be fatigued by so long a journey; 
 at length she arrived at her castle very uneasy and melan- 
 choly. After she was sufficiently rested, she wished to make 
 excursions in the neighbourhood; but she found nothing that 
 could amuse her. She looked all around her; she saw im- 
 mense deserts, which rather increased than diminished her 
 soiTOw. She looked at them sadly, and sometimes said, " What 
 a difference between this abode and the one I have been in 
 all my life. If I stay here much longer, I shall die. Who is 
 there to talk to in these solitary places? To whom can 
 I unburden my heart 1 and what have I done to the King 
 that he should banish me ? It seems as though he would 
 make me feel all the bitterness of his absence, when he sends 
 me away to this horrid castle." 
 
 Such were the lamentations she indulged in; and although 
 
376 THE BENEFICENT FROG. 
 
 the King wrote to her every day, and gave her. good news of 
 the siege, she became more and more miserable, and was 
 determined to return to him; but as the officers he had 
 placed about her were ordered not to return with her unless 
 he sent a com-ier expressly for her, she gave them no hint of 
 her intention. She had a little chariot made just large enough 
 for herself, on the pretence that she meant to hunt occa- 
 sionally. She drove it herself, and followed the dogs so close, 
 that the huntsmen could not keep up with her. By these means 
 she became perfect mistress of her chariot, and was in a posi- 
 tion to go whenever she liked. There was but one difficulty, 
 which was her ignorance of the roads in the forest ; but she 
 flattered herself the gods would protect her on her journey: 
 and after offering them a few sacrifices, she announced her in- 
 tention to have a grand hunt, at which she requested everybody 
 would be present ; that she would go in her chariot, and that 
 each person should take a different route, that there should be 
 no escape for the wild beasts. They separated accordingly. The 
 young Queen, who thought she should soon see her husband 
 again, had dressed herself to great advantage. Her capeline ^ 
 was covered with feathers of different colours, her vest orna- 
 mented with jewels; and her beauty, which was uncommon, 
 made her appear like a second Diana. While her suite were 
 occupied by the pleasures of the chase, she gave her horses 
 their heads, urging them to speed by her voice, and a few 
 touches of^ the whip. From a fast trot they soon broke into 
 a gallop, and finally took the bits between their teeth. The 
 chariot seemed whirled onward by the winds. The eye could 
 scarcely follow it. The poor Queen too late repented her 
 temerity. " What havQ I undertaken 1 " said she : " how is it 
 possible for me to guide horses so spirited and unmanageable 1 
 Alas ! what will become of me ? Ah, if the King thought 
 I was in such danger as this, what woiild be his feelings ! he 
 who loves me so dearly, and who only sent me from the 
 capital to place me in greater security. How have I repaid 
 his tender care of me ! and this dear child yet unborn will 
 be also the victim of my imprudence." The air resounded 
 with her sad lamentations. She invoked the gods, she called 
 the feiries to her assistance ; but the gods and the fairies had 
 abandoned her. The chariot was overturned; she had not 
 
 ( 1 ) A low-crowned hat. 
 
THE BENEFICENT FROG. 377 
 
 strength enough to jump out quickly; her foot was caught 
 between the wheel and the axletree. It may be easily ima- 
 gined that it was by nothing less than a miracle that she 
 escaped with life from so terrible an accident. 
 
 She was left prostrate on the ground at the foot of a tree, 
 insensible and speechless, her face covered with blood. She 
 remained in this condition for a long time. When she opened 
 her eyes, she saw standing beside her a woman of a gigantic 
 size, clothed only in a lion's hide. Her arms and legs were 
 naked, her hair tied together with the dried skin of a serpent, 
 the head of which hung upon her shoulders. She had a stone 
 club in her hand, which served as a staff for her to lean 
 upon ; and a quiver full of arrows at her side. So extraor- 
 dinary a figure convinced the Queen that she was dead; 
 for after so serious an accident, she did not imagine she could 
 be still alive ; and in a low tone she said, " I am not at all 
 surprised that mortals are so unwilling to die ; what one sees 
 in the other world is very frightful." The giantess, who was 
 hstening to her, could not help laughing at the idea of the 
 Queen's thinking she was dead. " Recover thy senses," said 
 she to her; " know that thou art still among the Hving, but 
 thy fate will scarcely be less sad. I am the Fairy Lioness, 
 who dwells hardby; you must come and pass your days with 
 me." The Queen looked sorrowfully at her, and said, " If 
 you would take me back to my castle. Madam Lioness, and 
 inform the King what price he must pay for my ransom, he 
 loves me so dearly that he would not even refuse you the 
 half of his kingdom." " No," replied the Fairj' ; " I am suf- 
 ficiently rich. I have for some time been very dull, living 
 alone : thou hast some wit, perhaps thou mayest amuse me." 
 In saying this, she changed herself into a lioness, and placing 
 the Queen upon her back, she carried her down to the bottom 
 of her terrible grotto. As soon as she reached it, she cured 
 her of the hurts she had received, by rubbing her with a 
 pecuhar liquid. 
 
 How astonished and distressed was the poor Queen to find 
 herself in this frightful abode ! The descent to it was by ten 
 thoixsand steps, which led to the very centre of the earth. 
 There was no other light there, but that from several large 
 lamps, which was reflected by a lake of quicksilver. This 
 lake was covered with monsters, whose various forms might 
 
378 THE BENEFICENT lEOG. 
 
 have terrified a more courageous queen. Great owk, screech- 
 owls, ravens, and other birds of sinister omen, were to be 
 heard there ; and in the distance could be seen a mountain, 
 from which trickled waters into an all but stagnant pool. 
 These were all the tears that had ever been shed by unfortu- 
 nate lovers, and collected in reservoirs by compassionating 
 Cupids. The trees had neither leaves nor fruit ; the ground 
 was covered with briars and nettles.^ The food was suitable 
 to the climate of so hateful a country. Dried roots, horse- 
 chestnuts, and the berries of the wild briars, were all that 
 could be found to reheve the himger of the unfortunate 
 beings who fell into the hands of the Fairy Lioness. 
 
 As soon as the Queen was able to work, the Fairy told her 
 she might build herself a hut, as she would have to remain 
 with her all her life. At these words the Queen could not 
 refrain from crying. " Ah ! what have I done to you," ex- 
 claimed she, " that you should keep me here 1 If my death, 
 which I feel approaching, will afford you any pleasure, kill 
 me at once, it is all I venture to hope for from your pity; 
 but do not condemn me to a long and wretched existence 
 apart from my husband." The Lioness ridiculed her distress, 
 and told her she would advise her to dry up her tears, and 
 try to please her ; that if she did otherwise, she would be the 
 most miserable person in the world. " What must I do then," 
 said the Queen, " to soften your heart 1" "I am very fond," 
 said the Fairy, " of fly-pies." It is my desire that you find 
 means of catching enough flies to make a large and excellent 
 pie." " But," said the Queen, " I do not see any here ; and 
 if there were any, it is not light enough to catch them ; and 
 if I had caught them, I never made pastiy : so that you give 
 me an order that I cannot execute." " No matter," said the 
 merciless Lioness, " I will have what I order." 
 
 The Queen made no reply. She thought that in spite of 
 the cruel Fairy, she had but one life to lose, and in her 
 wretched situation, what had she to fear? Instead then of 
 seeking for flies, she sat herself down under a yew-tree, and 
 thus began her sorrowful lamentations : " What will be your 
 distress, my dear husband," said she, " when you seek and 
 cannot find me ! You will imagine I am dead, or unfaithful ; 
 
 (1)1 have omitted here the word loucii, as I could not convey in English the double 
 meaning of "marigolds " and "cares," which it possesses in the original. 
 
THE BENEFICENT FBOG. 379 
 
 and I would rather you deplored the loss of my life, than of 
 my affection. They will find perchance in the forest, the frag- 
 ments of my chariot, and all the ornaments that I wore in the 
 hope of pleasing you ; at such a sight you will no longer doubt 
 that I am dead; and how can I be certain that you will not 
 give to another my place in your heart? But at all events, I 
 shall not know it, for I am never to return to the world." 
 She would have continued a long time, lamenting in this 
 manner, if she had not heard over her head the mournful 
 croaking of a raven. She raised her eyes, and by favour of 
 the httle light that glimmered on the bank, she saw a large 
 raven with a frog in its claws, and evincing a decided inten- 
 tion of eating it quickly. " Although there is nothing here 
 to relieve me" said she, " I will not neglect to save a poor 
 frog, who is in as much distress in its way as I am in mine." 
 She caught up the first stick she could find, and made the 
 raven abandon its prey. The Frog fell to the ground, remained 
 for some time stupefied, then, recoveiing its frogish senses, 
 said, " Beautiful Queen, you are the only kind-hearted person 
 I have seen in these regions since my curiosity led me to 
 them." " By what miracle are you able to speak, little Frog," 
 said the Queen ; " and who are the persons you have seen 
 here, for as yet I have not seen any?" "All the monsters 
 with which this lake is covered," replied the little Frog, "have 
 once been in the world ; some of them kings, others in the 
 confidence of their sovereigns ; there are even some here who 
 have been the mistresses of kings, and cost the state much 
 precious blood. They are those whom you see metamorphosed 
 into leeches. Fate sends them hither for a certain time, but 
 none of them return any better, or correct themselves of their 
 faults." " I can easily understand," said the Queen, " that 
 the herding of many wicked people together, would not tend 
 to their reformation ; but with regard to yourself^ good gossip 
 Frog, what do you do here?" " Curiosity induced me to come 
 hither," repUed she; " I am half a fairy; my power is limited 
 in certain things, and veiy extensive in others; if the Fairy 
 Lioness recognised me in her dominions, she would kill me." 
 " How is it possible," said the Queen, " that being a fairy, 
 or half a fairy, a raven was about to eat you?" " Two words 
 will make you understand it," replied the Frog; "when I 
 have my little hood of roses on my head, in the which 
 
380 THE BENEnCENT FROG. 
 
 consists my greatest power, I fear nothing ; but unfortunately 
 I had left it in the marsh, when this wicked raven pounced 
 upon me. I confess, Madam, but for you I should be no more ; 
 and since I owe my life to you, if I can do anything to com- 
 fort youi-s, you may command me in any way you please." 
 " Alas ! my dear Frog," said the Queen, " the wicked Fairy, 
 who holds me captive, wants me to make her a fly-pasty; 
 there are no flies here, and even were there any, one cannot 
 see well enough to catch them, and I run a great risk of 
 being beaten to death." " Leave it to me," said the Frog, 
 " I will provide you with plenty before long." She imme- 
 diately rubbed herself with sugar, and more than six thousand 
 frogs, friends of hers, did the same; she then went into a 
 place filled with flies — the wicked Fairy had a store-house 
 for them expressly to torment certain unfortunate beings. — 
 As soon as the flies smelt the sugar they settled upon it, and 
 the friendly frogs returned at full g-allop to the Queen. There 
 had never been such a take of flies, nor a better pasty than 
 she made for the Fairy Lioness. When she presented it to 
 her, she was very much surprised, not at all understanding 
 by what means she could have caught them. 
 
 The Queen, who was exposed to all the influences of the 
 air, which was poisonous, cut down some cypress-trees, to 
 begin building her hut with. The Frog generously came 
 to offer her services, and putting herself at the head of all 
 those who went fly-catching, they assisted the Queen in 
 erecting her little edifice, which was the prettiest in the 
 world; but she had scarcely gone to bed in it, when the 
 monsters from the lake, envious of her repose, came to tor- 
 ment her, by the most horrible clamom* that had ever been 
 heard. She arose quite terrified, and fled from the building, 
 which was just what the monsters wanted. A dragon, in 
 former days the tyrant of one of the finest kingdoms in the 
 world, took immediate possession of it. 
 
 The poor afflicted Queen complained of this outrage, but 
 she was only laughed at. The monsters hooted her, and the 
 Fairy Lioness told her, that in future, if she stunned her with 
 her lamentations, she would break every bone in her body. 
 She was obliged to hold her tongue, and have recoui-se to the 
 Frog, who was certainly the best creature in the world. They 
 wept together, for as soon as she possessed her hood of roses, 
 
THE BENEFICENT FROG. 381 
 
 she was able to laugh and to cry like any one else. " I have," 
 said she, " so much affection for you, that I will rebuild your 
 habitation, let all the monsters of the lake be ever so furious 
 about it." She began cutting the wood on the spot, and the 
 Queen's little rustic palace was built so quickly that she slept 
 in it the same night 
 
 The Frog, attentive to aU that was necessary for the Queen, 
 made her a bed of creeping-thyme and wild-thyme. When 
 the \vicked Faiiy found that the Queen no longer slept upon 
 the bare earth, she sent for her. " Who are the men or the gods 
 that protect you?" said she. "This land, on which no 
 showers fall, save of sulphur and fire, has never produced as 
 much as a leaf of sage, and I learn, notwithstanding, that 
 odoriferous herbs grow in your path." " I am ignorant of 
 the cause of it, Madam," said the Queen ; " if I may at- 
 tribute it to anything, it is to my infant, yet unborn, who 
 will perhaps be less unfortunate than myself." "I have a 
 fancy," stiid the Fairy, " to have a bouquet of the rarest 
 flowers ; try if your little brat's good fortune will supply them 
 for you ; if it fail to do so, stripes will not fail you ; for I often 
 administer them, and administer them wonderfully well." 
 The Queen began to weep ; such threats were anything but 
 agreeable to her; and the impossibility of finding any flowers 
 threw her into despair. 
 
 She returned to her little dwelling: her friend the Frog 
 came to her. " How melancholy you seem ! " said she to the 
 Queen. "Alas! my dear gossip, who could be otherwise? 
 The Fairy wants a nosegay of the finest flowers; where shall 
 I find them ? You see those which grow here, and yet my 
 life is in danger if I do not satisfy her." "Amiable Princess," 
 said the Frog, graciously, " 1 must endeavour to get you out 
 of this difficulty; there is a bat here, the only one I have had 
 any dealings with ; she is a good creatvire, she will go faster 
 than I can, I will give her my hood of roses, and with this 
 assistance she will find you some flowers." The Queen made 
 her a low curtsy, for there was no way of embracing the 
 little Frog. 
 
 The latter went immediately to speak to the bat, who in 
 a few houra returned, hiding some beautiful flowers under 
 her wings. The Queen quickly carried them to the wicked 
 Fairy, who was more surprised than she had ever been, being 
 
382 THE BENEFICENT FROG. 
 
 unable to understand by what miracle the Queen was so be- 
 friended. 
 
 The Princess was incessantly looking for the means to 
 escape. She acquainted the good Frog with her wish, wlio 
 said, "Madam, permit me first of all to consult my little 
 hood, and we will act according to its advice; she took it, 
 and having placed it on a rush, she burned some slips of 
 juniper wood, some capers, and two little green peas; she then 
 croaked five times, after which ceremony, putting the hood 
 of' roses on, she began to speak like an oracle. 
 
 " Destiny, ruler of everything," said she, " forbids you to 
 quit these regions; you will give birth here to a princess 
 more beautiful than the mother of the Loves ; for the rest, do 
 not trouble yourself. Time alone can relieve you." 
 
 The Queen cast down her eyes, and tears fell from them, 
 but she resolved to trust her friend. " At all events," said 
 she, " do not desert me ; be at my confinement, since it is 
 decreed that it must take place here." The good Frog pro- 
 mised to be her Lucina,^ and consoled her as much as she 
 could. 
 
 But it is time to return to the King. While his enemies 
 were besieging him in his capital city, he could not regularly 
 send couriers to the Queen; having however made several 
 sallies, he compelled them to raise the siege, and felt less 
 happy at this success on his own account than on that of his 
 dear Queen, whom it enabled him to fetch home without 
 fear. He was ignorant of her disaster ; none of his ofiicers ven- 
 tured to inform him of it ; they had found in the forest the 
 remains of the chariot, the runaway horses, and all the Ama- 
 zonian ornaments she had put on in the idea of rejoining him. 
 
 As they had no doubt of her death, and believed her body 
 to have been devoured by wild beasts, they agreed among 
 themselves to persuade the King that she had died suddenly. 
 At this sad news he thought he should die of grief himself — 
 hair torn, tears shed, mournful exclamations, sobs, sighs, and 
 other small duties of widowhood, — nothing was wanting on 
 this occasion. 
 
 After passing several days without seeing any one, or 
 wishing to be seen, he returned to his capital city dressed in 
 
 (1) The goddess who presided over child-birth; said by some to be the daughter 
 of Jupiter and Juno; by others, Juno herself, or Diana. 
 
THE BENEFICENT FROG. 383 
 
 deep mourning, whicli he felt more at heart than his attire 
 could testify. All the ambassadors of the neighbouring kings 
 came to condole with him, and after the ceremonies which 
 are inseparable from such occurrences, he applied himself to 
 giving repose to his subjects, exempting them from war, and 
 procuring for them an extensive commerce. 
 
 The Queen was ignorant of all these matters ; the time for 
 her confinement ai'rived; she was safely put to bed, and 
 Heaven blessed her with a httle princess, as beautiftd as the 
 Frog predicted. They named her Moufette, and the Queen 
 with much difficulty obtained permission from the Fairy 
 Lioness to nurse it ; for the ferocious and barbarous Fairy had 
 a great desire to eat it. 
 
 Moufette, the wonder of her age, was already six months 
 old, and the Queen looking at her with affection mingled with 
 pity, would incessantly say, "Ah! if the King, thy father, 
 could see thee, my poor little baby, how delighted he would 
 be ! How dear thou wouldst be to him ! But perhaps at this 
 moment he is beginning to forget me : he thinks we are for 
 ever buried in the horrors of death; perhaps at this moment 
 another occupies that place in his heart which he once ac- 
 corded to me." 
 
 These sad reflections cost her many tears. The Frog, who 
 truly loved her, seeing her weep, said to her one day, " If you 
 wish it. Madam, I will go and find the King, your husband ; 
 the journey is long, I travel slowly, but at last, a little sooner 
 or later, I hope to accomplish it." This proposal could not 
 have been more agreeably received than it was by the Queen, 
 who clasped her hands, and even made Moufette join hers, 
 to show Madam Frog how obliged she would be if she would 
 undertake the journey. She assured her the King would 
 not be ungrateful to her. " But," continued she, " of what 
 utility will it be to him to know I am in this sad abode? it 
 will be impossible for him to rescue me from it. " Madam," 
 replied the Frog, " we must leave that care to the gods, and 
 attend to what depends upon ourselves." 
 
 They took leave of each other immediately; the Queen 
 wrote to the King with her own blood upon a small piece of 
 linen, for she had neither ink nor paper. She begged him to 
 trust the worthy Frog in all respects, who would give him 
 news of her. 
 
384 THE BENEFICENT YROG. 
 
 The Frog was a year and four days ascending the ten 
 thousand steps from the black plain, where she had left the 
 Queen, up into the world, and she was another year prepai-ing 
 her equipage, for she was too proud to appear in a great coui-t 
 like a paltry little frog from the mai-shes. She ordered a 
 litter to be made large enough to hold conveniently two eggs ; 
 it was entirely covered with tortoiseshell outside, and lined 
 with the skin of young lizards. She had fifty maids of 
 honour; they were some of those little green queens who 
 leap about the meadows, — each of them was mounted on 
 a snail, with an English saddle, her leg placed on the bow 
 with a wonderful air; several water-rats dressed as pages pre- 
 ceded the snails, to whom she had confided the care of her 
 person ; in short, nothing was ever so pretty ; above all, her 
 hood of marvellous roses, always fresh and blooming, became 
 her better than anything. She was rather a coquette in her 
 way, which induced her to use rouge and patches ; they even 
 said she painted,^ as the greater number of the ladies did in 
 that country, but the matter being looked into, it was found 
 to be the mere scandal of her enemies. 
 
 She was seven years on her journey, during which time the 
 poor Queen suffered inexpressible pains and hardships, and 
 without the beautiful Moufette to console her she would have 
 died a hundred, and a hundred times over again. This won- 
 derful little creature never opened her mouth, nor spoke 
 a word that she did not charm her mother; she even tamed 
 the heart of the Fairy Lioness, — and in short, after the Queen 
 had passed six years in this horrible abode, she allowed her 
 to go hunting, on condition that all she killed should be 
 for her. 
 
 How delighted was the poor Queen, once more to behold 
 the sun ; she was so unaccustomed to it that she was fearful 
 of becoming bhnd. As to Moufette, she was so skilful, though 
 only five or six years old, that nothing escaped her that she 
 shot at, and by this means the mother and daughter tamed 
 down a little the ferocity of the Fairy Lioness. 
 
 The little Frog travelled day and night over hill and dale, 
 and at last arrived in the vicinity of the capital city, where 
 
 (1) That is, white as well as red, colouring the lips and marking the eyebrows. 
 The wearing of rouge alone was not considered objectionable, as it became almost a 
 necessity aner the introduction of hair-powder. 
 
THE BENEnCENT MOG. 385 " 
 
 the King held his court ; she was surprised at seeing every- 
 where nothing but dancing and feasting. People laughed 
 and sang, and the nearer she approached the city, the greater 
 appeared the joy and the merrymaking. Her marshy equi- 
 page surprised everybody — every one followed her, and the 
 crowd became so great when she entered the city, that she 
 had much difficulty in reaching the palace. There every- 
 thing was magnificent. The King, who had been nine years 
 a widower, had at last yielded to the prayers of his subjects, 
 and he was on the point of marrying a princess certainly less 
 beautiful than his wife, but who was nevertheless very charm- 
 ing. The good Frog, having alighted from her car, entered 
 the King's palace followed by her retinue. She had no occa- 
 sion to demand an audience j the monarch, his betrothed, and 
 all the princes were too anxious to learn the reason of her 
 coming to interrupt her. " Sire," said she, " I know not 
 whether the news I bring you will give you pain or pleasure ; 
 the wedding which is about to take place convinces me of 
 your infidelity to the Queen." " Her memory is always dear 
 to me," said the King, shedding tears from which he could 
 not refrain; "but you must know, pretty Frog, that kings 
 cannot always do as they wish. It is now nine years that my 
 subjects have been urging me to marry again. They require 
 from me an heir to the throne. I have therefore chosen this 
 young princess, who appears to me most charming." " I 
 advise you not to marry her," said the Frog, " for polygamy 
 is a hanging matter. The Queen is not dead ; here is a letter 
 written in her own blood which she has entrusted to me ; you 
 have a little princess called Moufette, who is more beautiful 
 than all the goddesses combined." 
 
 The King took the Httle piece of linen on which the Queen 
 had scribbled a few words, kissed it, and bathed it with his 
 tears; he showed it to all the assembly, saying he recollected 
 perfectly her handwriting ; he asked a thousand questions of 
 the Frog, to all of which she answered with as much sense as 
 vivacity. The affianced princess, and the ambassadors who 
 were appointed to witness the celebration of her marriage, 
 made very wry faces. " How, Sire," said the most eminent 
 amongst them, " can you, upon the assertion of a little toad 
 like this, break off so solemn a mairiage ? This scum of the 
 marsh has the impertinence to come with a falsehood to 
 
 c c 
 
386 THE BENEFICENT FROG. 
 
 your court, and enjoy the pleasure of being listened to!" 
 " Mister Ambassador," said the Frog, " learn that I am not 
 the scum of the marsh; and since I must here display my 
 science, Come, Fairies and vassals, appear!" All the little 
 frogs, rats, snails, lizards, with herself at their head, appeared 
 accordingly, but no longer in the form of such nasty little 
 animals; their figures were lofty and majestic, their counte- 
 nances pleasing, with eyes more brilliant than the stars ; each 
 of them wore a crown of jewels on its head, and upon the 
 shouldei"S a royal mantle of velvet, lined with ermine, with a 
 long train which was carried by a male or female dwarf. 
 At the sam6 time, behold, trumpets, kettle-drums, hautboys 
 and drums pierced the air with their lively and martial 
 sounds; all the fairies and vassals began to dance a ballet, so 
 lightly that the least jump carried them up to the ceiling. 
 The attentive King and the intended Queen were not less 
 astonished, when they saw all at once these honourable 
 dancei-s metamorphosed into flowers — jasmine, jonquils, vio- 
 lets, pinks, and tuberoses. It was an animated parterre, the 
 evolutions of whiclj exhilarated the senses as much by their 
 perfume as by their grace. 
 
 A moment afterwards the flowers vanished, and several 
 fountains appeared in their places ; they rose rapidly and fell 
 into a large canal, which flowed at the foot of the castle. 
 It was covered with little painted and gilded galleys, so 
 pretty and gay, that the Princess invited her ambassadors to 
 go in with her to sail about. They did so willingly, con- 
 sidering it to be an entertainment that would be followed by 
 a happy wedding. 
 
 As soon as they were embarked, the galley, the stream, and 
 all the fountains disappeared, and the frogs became frogs 
 again. The King inquired what had become of his Princess. 
 The Frog replied, " Sire, you have no right to any one but 
 the Queen your wife ; if I were not so great a friend of hers 
 I should not give myself any trouble about your intended 
 marriage, but she is so good, and your daughter Moufette is 
 so lovely, that you ought not to lose a moment in trying to 
 set them free." " I confess to you. Madam Frog," said the 
 King, " that if I could believe my wife was not dead, there is 
 nothing in the world I would not do to recover her." " After 
 all the wondera I have performed in your presence," replied 
 
THE BENEFICENT FROG. 387 
 
 she, " it appears to me that you ought to be convinced of 
 what I tell you. Leave your kingdom in good hands, and do 
 not delay your departure. Here is a ring which will enable 
 you to see the Queen, and to speak to the Fairy Lioness, 
 although she is the most terrible creature in the world." 
 
 The King, no longer caring for the Princess who had been 
 selected for him, felt that as his passion for her diminished, 
 his former love for the Queen became stronger than ever. 
 
 He set out, without permitting any one to accompany him, 
 and made some very valuable presents to the Frog. " Do not 
 be discouraged," said she to him ; " you will have some tre- 
 mendous difficulties to surmount, but I hope you will succeed 
 in accomplishing your object." The King, fortified by these 
 promises, departed in search of his dear Queen, with no other 
 guide but his ring. 
 
 As Moufette became older, her beauty so greatly increased, 
 that all the monsters of the quicksilver lake became in love 
 with her. Dragons of the most hideous form were seen to come 
 and crawl at her feet. Although she had beheld them from 
 infancy, her beautiful eyes could not get accustomed to them ; 
 she would &y and hide herself in her mother's arms. " Shall 
 we be a long time here 1 " she asked her, " Will our miseries 
 never be ended ? " The Queen would give her hopes, to console 
 her, but at heart she had none herself. The absence of the Frog, 
 her profound silence, so long a time having elapsed without 
 any news of the King, — all this, I say, afflicted her severely. 
 
 The Fairy Lioness by degrees accustomed herself to take 
 them out with her when she went hunting. She was fond of 
 good eating; she liked the game they killed for her, and 
 though all she gave them in reward for their trouble was the 
 feet or the head, still it was a great thing for them to be 
 permitted again to behold the light of day. The Fairy took 
 the form of a Lioness, the Queen and her daughter rode upon 
 her, and thus hunted through the forest. 
 
 The King, conducted by his ring, having stopped to rest in 
 a forest, he saw them pass like an arrow from a bow. They 
 did not see him. He endeavoured to follow them, but lost 
 sight of them completely. 
 
 Notwithstanding the Queen's incessant troubles, her beauty 
 was not at all diminished. She appeared more lovely than 
 ever. All his afiection for her was rekindled ; and feeling sure 
 
 cc2 
 
388 THE BENEFICENT FROG. 
 
 the young Princess who was with her was his dear Moufette, 
 he determined to perish a thousand times sooner than aban- 
 don his attempt to recover them. 
 
 The kind ring conducted him to the dark abode in which 
 the Queen had resided for so many years. He was not a 
 little surprised at descending to the centre of the earth, but 
 what he saw there astonished him still more. The Fairy 
 Lioness, who knew everything, was aware of the day and the 
 hour that he would arrive. What would she not have given 
 if Fate, in league with her, would have ordered it otherwise 1 
 But she resolved at least to resist the power of the King with 
 all her might. 
 
 In the middle of the quicksilver lake she built a crystal 
 palace, which floated on the waves. She shut up the poor 
 Queen and her daughter in it; and theu she harangued all 
 the monsters who were in love with Moufette. " You will lose 
 this beautiful Princess," said she to them, " if you do not 
 assist me in defending her against a knight who comes to 
 carry her off." The monsters promised to leave nothing un- 
 done that they could do : they surrounded the crj-stal palace ; 
 the lightest of them placed themselves upon the roof and on 
 the walls, others at the doors, and the rest in the lake. 
 
 The King, guided by his faithful ring, went fii-st to the 
 mouth (^f the Fairy's cavern. She waited for him under her 
 form of a Lioness. The moment he appeared, she flew upon 
 him. He drew his sword with a courage she was not pre- 
 pared for; and as she thrust out her paw to drag him to the 
 ground, he lopped it off at the joint, which was exactly that 
 of her elbow. She uttered a loud cry, and fell. He ap- 
 proached her, and put his foot upon her throat : he swore by 
 his faith he would kill her; and notwithstanding her uncon- 
 querable fury she could not help being afraid of him. " What 
 wouldest thou ? " said she to him ; " what dost thou ask of 
 me V "I would punish thee," replied he fiercely, " for carry- 
 ing away my wife ; and I will compel thee to restore her to 
 me, or I will strangle thee directly." " Cast thine eyes upon 
 that lake," said she ; " see if she be in my power." The King 
 looked in the direction she pointed. He perceived the Queen 
 and her daughter in the crystal castle, which though it had 
 neither oars nor rudder, glided like a galley over the quick- 
 silver lake. He felt ready to die of mingled joy and grief; 
 
THE BENEFICENT FROG. 389 
 
 be called to them as loudly as he could, and they heard him, 
 but how could he reach them ? While he was endeavouring 
 to find out some way, the Fairy Lioness disappeared. He 
 ran along the edge of the lake ; but when he had nearly 
 reached the transparent palace on one side, it receded from 
 him with an astonishing swiftness to the other, and his ex- 
 pectations were thus continually frustrated. The Queen, 
 fearing that he would at last become weary of this work, 
 cried out to him not to lose courage ; for the Fairy's object 
 was to tire him, but that true love was not to be rebutted 
 by any difiBculties ; and with that she and Moufette stretched 
 oiit their hands to him, and made all manner of supplicating 
 actions. At this sight the King was more than ever afiected. 
 He raised his voice, and swore by the rivers Styx and Acheron 
 to remain for the rest of his life in those miserable regions, 
 rather than return without them. 
 
 He must have been endued with wonderful perseverance. 
 He passed his time as sadly as any king in the world. The 
 ground, full of brambles and covered with thorns, was his 
 bed ; he had nothing to eat but the wild fruits, bitterer than 
 gall ; and he had continually to defend himself against assaidts 
 from the monsters of the lake. A husband who could go 
 through all this in order to recover his wife, must certainly 
 have lived in the time of Fairies ; and his proceedings suffi- 
 ciently mai'k the epoch of my story. ^ ' 
 
 Three years passed without the King's perceiving any hope 
 of success. He was nearly mad. A hundred times he was 
 on the point of throwing himself into the lake ; and he would 
 have done so, if he could have imagined this last step would 
 have released the Queen and Princess from their sorrows. 
 He was running one day as usual, first on one side of the lake 
 and then on the other, when a horrible Dragon called to him, 
 and said, " If you will swear to me by your crown and by 
 your sceptre, by your royal mantle, by your wife and your 
 daughter, to give me a certain tit-bit to eat, which I am 
 very fond of, and will ask you fbr when I want it, I wiU 
 take you on my wings, and in spite of all the monsters who 
 cover the lake, and who guard this crystal castle, I pro- 
 mise you that we will carry away the Queen and Princess 
 Moufette." 
 
 (1 ) This pleasantry is repeated in the verses that terminate the tale. 
 
390 THE BENEFICENT FROG. 
 
 '•' Ah, thou dear Dragon of my soul ! " cried the Kinp:, 
 " I swear to you, and to all your dragon-kind, that I will 
 feed you to your heart's content, and still remain your humble 
 servant." " Do not pledge your word," replied the Dragon, 
 " if you do not intend to keep it ; for such terrible evils will 
 befal you, that you wiU rue it for the rest of your life." The 
 King redoubled his protestations: he was dying with impa- 
 tience to release his dear Queen ; he mounted on the Dragon's 
 back as he would have done upon the finest horse in the 
 world. At the same time the monsters advanced to inter- 
 cept him. They fought. Nothing could be heard but the 
 sharp hissing of serpents ; nothing could be seen but fire. 
 Sulphur and saltpetre came down pell-mell ! At length 
 the King reached the castle. The monsters redoubled their 
 efforts, — bats, owls, ravens, all attempted to prevent his en- 
 trance; but the dragon, with his claws, his teeth, and his 
 tail, tore in pieces the boldest of them. The Queen, on her 
 part, who witnessed this great battle, broke her prison walls 
 by kicking at them, and armed herself with the pieces, to 
 assist her dear husband. They were at last victorious. The 
 King and Queen reached each other; and the enchantment 
 was ended by a thunderbolt, which fell into the lake, and 
 dried it up. 
 
 The kind Dragon had disappeared with all the others ; and 
 without the King being able to guess by what means he had 
 been transported into his capital city, he found himself there, 
 with the Queen and Moufette, seated in a magnificent hall, 
 with a banquet table before them, covered with delicious 
 dishes. Never was there astonishment equal to theirs, nor 
 greater rejoicings. All their subjects ran to gaze on. their 
 Queen and the young Princess, who, by a succession of miracles, 
 were so superbly dressed, that the crowd was completely 
 dazzled by the brilliancy of their jewels. 
 
 It is easy to imagine that this fine court was speedily 
 occupied with every sort of pleasure. They had masquerades, 
 runnings at the ring, and tournaments, which attracted thither 
 the greatest princes in the world ; and Moufette's lovely eyes 
 riveted them all to the spot. Amongst the handsomest and 
 most skilful, Prince Moufy was particularly distinguished. 
 Nothing was heard but his praises : everybody admired him, 
 and the young Moufette, who had passed all her previous 
 
THE BENEnCENT FEOG. 391 
 
 days amongst the serpents and dragons of the lake, did not 
 hesitate to render justice to Moufy's merit. Not a day passed 
 that he did not invent some new piece of gallantry to please 
 her; for he loved her passionately; and having entered the 
 lists to establish his pretensions, he made known to the King 
 and to the Queen that his principality was so beautiful and 
 so extensive that it deserved their particular attention. 
 
 The King told him that Moufette was at Uberty to choose 
 her own husband, and that he would not constrain her incli- 
 nation in anything; that the Prince should do his best to 
 please her; and that such was his only way to happiness. 
 The Prince was dehghted with this answer. He had gathered 
 from her, during several interviews, that she was not indif- 
 ferent to him ; and after having at last come to an explana- 
 tion with her, she told him, if he were not to be her husband, 
 she would never have any other. Moufy, transported with 
 joy, threw himself at her feet, and conjured her in the most 
 affectionate terms to remember the promise she had just 
 given him. 
 
 He ran instantly to the King and Queen's apartment, and 
 related to them the progress he had made in his suit with 
 Moufette, and entreated them not to defer his happiness. 
 They consented to it with pleasure. Prince Moufy was gifted 
 with so many excellent qualities, that he alone seemed . 
 worthy to possess the admirable Moufette. The King wished 
 very much to affiance them before he returned to Moufy, 
 whither he was obliged to go, to give orders for his marriage ; 
 but he would rather never have left, than depart without full 
 assurance of happiness on his return. The Princess Moufette 
 did not say farewell without shedding many tears. She had 
 I know not what sort of a presentiment that afflicted her; 
 and the Queen, perceiving the Prince overwhelmed with grief, 
 gave him her daughter's portrait, begging him, for the love 
 of them both, that he would forego some of the magnificence 
 of his solemn entry, rather than allow it to prevent his speedy 
 return. He said, " Madam, I have never had so much plea- 
 sure in obeying you as I shall have on this occasion; my 
 heart is too much interested in it for me to neglect anything 
 so necessary to my happiness." 
 
 He posted off; and the Princess Moufette, while waiting 
 his return, occupied herself with singing and playing on 
 
392 THE BENEFICENT FROG. 
 
 various instruments she had been learning for several months 
 past, and upon which she performed admirably. One day 
 when she was in the Queen's room the King entered, with 
 his cheeks bathed in tears, and embracing his daughter, ex- 
 claimed, " Oh, my child ! oh, unfortunate father ! oh, unhappy 
 king ! " He could say no more, — sighs choked his utterance. 
 The Queen and the Princess, much terrified, inquired what 
 was the matter. He at length told them, that a giant of an 
 enormous size had just arrived, who said he was an ambassador 
 from the Dragon of the Lake, who, in discharge of the pro- 
 mise that he had exacted from the King as the condition on 
 which he would assist him to fight and conquer the monsters, 
 had sent to demand the Princess Moufette, that he might eat 
 her in a pie ; that the King had bound himself by the most 
 awful oaths to give the Dragon whatever he desired : and in 
 those days kings knew not how to break their words. 
 
 The Queen, hearing these sad tidings, uttered piercing 
 cries, and strained the Princess in her arms. " They shall 
 take my life sooner," said she, " than make me give up my 
 daughter to this monster ; let him take our kingdom, and all 
 that we possess ! Unnatural father, could you be a party to 
 such a barbarous act? What! Put my child into a pie? 
 Ah, I cannot bear the thought of it ! Send this cruel ambas- 
 sador to me, perhaps my affliction may move him to pity." 
 
 The King did not reply; he went to the giant, and brought 
 him immediately to the Queen, who threw herself at his feet, 
 and with her daughter entreated him to have pity upon them, 
 and to persuade the Dragon to take all that they had, and to 
 save Moufette's life; but he told them it did not depend upon 
 him at all; that the Dragon was too obstinate, and too fond of 
 good living ; that when he took it into his head to eat some 
 little tit-bit, all the gods put together could not change his 
 fancy : that he advised them as a friend to submit with a 
 good grace, or still greater misfortimes might befal them. 
 At these words the Queen fainted, and so would the Princess 
 have done had she not been obliged to assist her mother. 
 
 This sad news was scarcely spread through the palace, be- 
 fore everybody in the city knew it, and nothing was to be 
 heard but sighs and lamentations ; for Moufette was adored. 
 The King could not make up his mind to give her to the 
 giant, and the giant, who had already waited several days, 
 
THE BENEFICENT FROG. 393 
 
 began to be tired, and threatened him in a terrible manner. 
 In the meantime, the King and the Queen said, " Could any- 
 thing have happened to us worse than this? If the Dragon 
 of the Lake came to eat all of us up, we could not be more 
 distressed; if they put our Moufette into a pie, we are lost." 
 Upon which the giant told them, he had received news from 
 his master, and that if the Princess would marry a nephew 
 of his, he consented to let her live ; that as to the rest, this 
 nephew was handsome and well made ; that he was a Prince, 
 and that she might live very happily with him. 
 
 This proposal slightly ameliorated their majesties' grief; 
 the Queen spoke to the Princess, but she found her more 
 averse to this marriage than to her death. "I will not be 
 guilty. Madam," said she, "of preserving my life by an act of 
 infidelity; you have promised me to Prince Moufy, I wiU 
 never be another's ; let me die, the sacrifice of my life will 
 ensure the peace of yours." The King followed the Queen; 
 he spoke to his daughter upon the subject with the greatest 
 affection imaginable ; she remained firm in her decision, and 
 finally he agreed to conduct her to the top of a mountain, 
 whither the Dragon of the Lake was to come for her. 
 
 Everything was prepared for this sad sacrifice; not even 
 those of Iphigenia and Psyche were so mournful; nothing 
 but black dresses, pale faces and consternation was to be 
 seen. Four hundred young girls of the first distinction, 
 dressed in long white robes, and cypress wreaths on their 
 head, accompanied her. They carried her in a black velvet 
 litter, uncovered, in order that every one might see the master- 
 piece of the gods ; her dishevelled locks lay scattered upon 
 her shoulders, here and there tied with crape, and the wreath 
 she wore upon her head was of jasmine mixed with mari- 
 golds.^ She seemed to be affected only by the grief of the 
 King and Queen, who followed her, overwhelmed by their 
 deep affliction. The giant, armed from top to toe, walked by 
 the side of the litter containing the Princess, and looking at 
 her with a longing eye, seemed as if he was sure of having 
 his share of her to eat ; the air was filled with sighs and 
 sobs, and the road was invmdated by the tears that were 
 shed. 
 
 "Ah, Frog! Frog!" cried the Queen, "you have q^uite 
 
 (I) Soucis, vhicb also signifies care*. See note, page 378. 
 
394 THE BENEFICENT FROG. 
 
 forsaken me. Alas ! why did you give me your assistance in 
 that gloomy plain, since you now refuse it to me? How 
 happy I should be, had I then died ! I should not to-day 
 see all my hopes destroyed; I should not see my dear Moufette 
 on the point of being devoured ! " 
 
 While she was uttering these complaints, they were still 
 advancing, however slowly they walked, and at last they 
 reached the summit of the fatal mountain. At this spot, the 
 shrieks and lamentations were redoubled so violently, that 
 nothing had ever been heard so distressing. The giant bade 
 them all to take their leave and retire. They did so accord- 
 ingly ; for in those times people were very simple, and never 
 sought a remedy for anything. 
 
 The King and Queen having retired, ascended another 
 mountain with all their court, whence they could see what 
 was about to happen to the Princess, and in fact they had 
 not been there a long time before they perceived in the air a 
 Dragon, with a tail nearly half a league in length; he had 
 also six wings. He could scarcely fly, his body was so heavy, 
 entirely covered with large blue scales and long fiery darts ; 
 his tail was in fifty curls and a half, each of his claws were 
 as large as a windmill, and his wide open mouth displayed 
 three rows of teeth, as long as the tusks of an elephant. 
 
 But while he was slowly approaching, the dear and faith- 
 ful Frog, mounted on a sparrow-hawk, flew rapidly to the 
 Prince Moufy. She wore her hood of roses, and although he 
 was locked up in his closet, she entered it without a key. 
 " What are you doing here, unfortunate lover ? " said she to 
 him; " you are dreaming of Moufette's charms, who is at this 
 moment exposed to a most frightful catastrophe. Here is a 
 rose leaf; by blowing upon it I can transform it into a beauti- 
 ful horse, as you will see." At the same instant appeared a 
 horse, entirely green. It had twelve feet and three heads. The 
 mouth of one head emitted fire, that of another bomb-shells, 
 and the third, cannon balls. She gave him a sword that 
 was eighteen yards long, and lighter than a feather; she 
 armed him in one single diamond, which he got into as if it 
 were his coat, and although it was as hard as a rock, it was so 
 flexible, that it did not incommode him in the least. "Away!" 
 said she to him, " run, fly to defend her whom you love ; the 
 green hoi-se which I give you will carry you to her; when 
 
THE BENEFICENT FROG. 395 
 
 you have rescued her, let her know what share I have had in 
 her deliverance." 
 
 " Generous Fairy," cried the Prince, " I cannot at present 
 express all my gratitude to you, but I declare myself for ever 
 your most faithful slave." He mounted his three-headed 
 horse, which immediately set off full gallop with its twelve 
 feet, and made more haste than three of the finest horses; so 
 much so, that in a very short time he arrived at the top of 
 the mountain, where he saw his dear Princess all alone, and 
 the frightful Dragon slowly approaching towards her. The 
 green hoi-se belched fire, bombs, and cannon balls, which not 
 a little astonished the monster; he received twenty cannon 
 balls in his throat, which damaged his scales a little, and the 
 bombs knocked out one eye. He became furious, and would 
 have rushed upon the Prince ; but his sword, eighteen yards 
 long, was of such fine tempered steel, that he wielded it as he 
 pleased, thrusting it sometimes up to the hilt, or lashing him 
 with it as with a whip. The Prince would not, however, 
 have escaped feeling the force of this monster's claws, but for 
 the diamond armour, which was impenetrable. 
 
 Moufette recognised him from afar, for the diamond which 
 completely encased him was exceedingly brilliant and clear ; 
 she was consequently seized with the most mortal fright that 
 a fond woman could suffer under such circumstances; but 
 the King and Queen began to feel in their heart some ray of 
 hope; for it was very extraordinary to see a horse with twelve 
 feet and three heads, out of which came fire and flames, and 
 a Prince in a case of diamonds, and armed with so formidable 
 a sword, arrive at so critical a moment and fight with so much 
 valour. The King placed his hat upon his cane, and the 
 Queen tied her handkerchief to the end of a stick, to make 
 signs to the Prince and encoiuuge him. All their retinue 
 did the same; but he did not require it, for his heart alone, 
 and the peril in which he saw his mistress, was sufficient to 
 animate him. 
 
 What efforts did he not make! The earth was covered 
 with darts, claws, horns, wings, and scales of the Dragon. 
 The monster's blood flowed in a thousand places, which was 
 quite blue, while that of the horse was green, which made a 
 singular mixture upon the ground. The Prince fell five times, 
 but always recovered himself; he seized his opportunity to 
 
396 THE BENEFICENT FBOG. 
 
 remount his horse, and then followed such showers of cannon 
 balls and floods of Greek fire,' that never was anything like 
 it before. At last the Dragon lost his strength; he fell, and 
 the Prince gave him a thrust in the belly which caused a 
 frightful gash; but what one would have some difl&culty in 
 believing, and yet is quite as true as the rest of the story, is, 
 that from this large wound issued the handsomest and most 
 charming Prince that had ever been seen. His dress was of 
 blue cut velvet, with a gold groimd, embroidered with pearls; 
 he had on his head a little Greek morion covered with white 
 feathers. He ran with open arms to embrace Prince Moufy : 
 " How much I am indebted to you, my generous benefactor!" 
 said he; "you have just delivered me from the most frightful 
 prison that a sovereign could have been shut up in. I was 
 condemned to it by the Fairy Lioness. Sixteen years I have 
 been pining therein, and her power was such, that against 
 my inclination she would have compelled me to devour this 
 beautiful Princess; lead me to her feet, that I may explain 
 my misfortunes to her." 
 
 Prince Moufy, surprised and delighted by so astonishing 
 an adventure, paid the Prince the greatest attention. They 
 hastened to join the lovely Moufette, who on her part re- 
 turned the gods a thoiisand thanks for so unexpected a happi- 
 ness. The King and Queen and all the court were already 
 with her ; every one spoke at once, no one was heard, they 
 cried nearly as much for joy as they had done for sorrow. 
 In short, that nothing shovdd be missing at the fete, the good 
 Frog appeared in the air, mounted on a sparrow-hawk, which 
 had golden bells at its feet. When they heard the tinkle, 
 tinkle, they all looked up; they saw the hood of roses, 
 shining like the sun, and the Frog as beautiful as Aurora. 
 The Queen advanced towards her, and took one of her little 
 paws; instantly the wise Frog transformed herself, and 
 appeared as a noble Queen, with the most agreeable counte- 
 nance in the world. " I come," said she, " to crown Princess 
 Moufette's constancy. She preferred sacrificing her life to 
 being unfaithful ; this is a rare example in the age in which 
 we live, but it will be much more so in future times." She 
 then took two myrtle wreaths, which she placed upon the head 
 
 (1) A combustible used iq ancient warfare, which could not be extioguUhed by 
 water. 
 
THE BENEFICENT FKOG. 397 
 
 of the happy lovers, and striking with her wand three times, 
 they saw all the Dragon's bones rise to make a triumphal 
 arch, in commemoration of the great event that had just 
 taken place. At length this beautiful and numerous company 
 advanced towards the city, singing nuptial hymns, as joyfully 
 as they had chanted mournful dirges when proceeding to the 
 sacrifice of the Princess. Their marriage was only deferred 
 till the next day — it is easy to imagine the happiness that 
 accompanied it 
 
 The Queen, whose portrait I have painted here, 
 Amid the liorrors of that gloomy lake, 
 Had for her life but little cause to fear ; 
 Friendship with Love united for her sake. 
 
 The grateful Frog felt, like the monarch, bound 
 To make the greatest efforts in her cause, 
 Despite the cruel Lioness, they found 
 The means to snatch her from her fatal claws. 
 
 Husbands so constant, friends so brave and true, 
 Ages ago were of our sires the glory; 
 And by that little fact, kind reader, you 
 May guess, perhaps, the period of my story. 
 
THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a King and a Queen who were 
 perfectly happy together ; they loved each other most affec- 
 tionately, and their subjects adored them ; but the regret was 
 universal, that there was not an heir to the crown. The 
 Queen, who felt persuaded that the King would love her still 
 more if she brought him one, went in the spring to drink the 
 waters at some baths that were in high estimation. People 
 flocked to them in crowds, and the number of strangei-s was 
 so great, that persons from aU parts of the world were to be 
 found there. 
 
 There were several fountains, in a large wood, that the 
 visitors went to drink from ; they were surrounded by marble 
 and porphyry ; for every one was anxious to ornament 
 them. One day that the Queen was sitting at the edge of 
 one of the fountains, she desired all her ladies to retire and 
 leave her by herself She then began to complain as usual. 
 " Am I not very unfortunate," said she, " to have no off- 
 spring'? The poorest women have some children; it is now 
 five years since I have prayed for one, and I have not yet 
 obtained my wish ! Shall I die without this gratification ! " 
 
 As she thus spoke, she remarked that the water in the 
 fountain was agitated. Presently a large Crab appeared, and 
 said, " Great Queen, you shall have your wish. I must in- 
 form you, that hardby there is a superb palace, which the 
 fairies have built; but it is impossible for you to find it, 
 because it is surrounded by thick clouds, that no mortal 
 eye could penetrate ; however, I am your very humble ser- 
 vant; if you will trust yourself to the conduct of a poor crab, 
 I offer to lead you there." 
 
 The Queen listened without interrupting her, the novelty 
 
THE HIKD IN THE WOOD. 399 
 
 of hearing a crab talk being so surprising. She told her 
 that she would accept her offer with pleasure ; but that she 
 could not walk backwards as she did. The Crab smiled, and 
 immediately took the figure of a handsome little old woman. 
 
 " Very well, Madam," said she, " we will not walk back- 
 wards, I consent to that : but, at all events, look upon me as 
 one of your friends, who would be of service to you." 
 
 She walked out of the foimtain without being wetted. Her 
 dress was white, lined with crimson, and her grey hair was 
 dressed with knots of green riband ; scarcely was ever seen 
 an old woman with so sprightly an air. She saluted the 
 Queen, and was embraced by her ; and, without delaying any 
 longer, she conducted her through a path in the wood, which 
 astonished that princess; for, although she had been in the 
 wood a thousand and a thousand times, she had never en- 
 tered that particular path. How could she have entered it ? 
 It was the road by which the fairies went to the fountain, 
 and was generally closed by brambles and thorns; but when 
 the Queen and her conductress presented themselves, roses 
 immediately appeared upon the brambles, jasmine and orange- 
 trees interlaced their branches, to form an arbour covered by 
 leaves and flowers. The ground was mantled with violets ; 
 a thousand different birds sang in emulation of each other 
 upon the trees. 
 
 The Queen had not recovered from her astonishment, when 
 her eyes were struck by the unequalled lustre of a palace 
 of diamonds, — the walls, the roofs, the platforms, the floors, 
 the stairs, the balconies, even the terraces, were all diamonds. 
 In the excitement of her admiration, she could not help 
 uttering a loud cry ; and asked the fine old lady who accom- 
 panied her, if what she saw was a dream, or reality. " Nothing 
 can be more real. Madam," replied she. Immedifttely the 
 gates of the palace opened, six fairies issued forth, — but what 
 fairies! the most beautiful and the most magnificent that 
 had ever been seen in their empire. They all came and made 
 a profound courtesy to the Queen, and each presented her 
 with a flower of precious stones, to make her a bouquet. 
 There was a rose, a tulip, an anemone, a columbine, a carna- 
 tion, and a pomegranate. " Madam," said they, " we cannot 
 give you a greater mark of our esteem than that of permit- 
 ting you to come here to see us ; but we are delighted to 
 
400 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 announce to you, that you will have a beautiful princess, whom 
 you will call Desiree ; for it must be admitted it is a long time 
 that you have desired her. Do not fail to send for us the 
 moment she is born, for we wish to endow her with all kinds 
 of good qualities ; you have only to hold the bouquet that we 
 have given you, and name each flower, thinking of us, and be 
 sure that we shall be instantly in your chamber. 
 
 The Queen, transported with joy, threw her arms roimd 
 their necks, and embraced them for more than half-an-hour. 
 After which they begged the Queen to enter their palace, 
 the beauty of which it is not possible sufficiently to describe. 
 They had chosen for the builder of it the architect of 
 the sun ; he had executed in miniature all that which is on a 
 grand scale in that luminary. The Queen, who could not 
 support the brilliancy without pain, shut her eyes at every 
 instant. They conducted her to their garden ; there had never 
 been such fine fruit : the apricots were bigger than your head, 
 and they could not, without cutting it in quarters, eat a 
 cherry of such exquisite flavour, that after the Queen had 
 tasted it, she never wished to eat anything else. There was 
 also an orchard of ai-tificial trees, which notwithstanding had 
 life, and grew like the others. 
 
 To relate all the Queen's delight, — how she talked of the 
 little Princess D6siree, how she thanked the kind pei'sous 
 who announced such agreeable news to her, — is more than 
 I can undertake to do ; but, in short, there were no terms of 
 affection and gratitude forgotten. The Faiiy of the Fountain 
 received the full share she deserved of them. The Queen 
 remained in the palace till night ; she loved music, they en- 
 tertained her with voices that seemed celestial, they loaded her 
 with presents, and, after thanking these excellent ladies very 
 much, she returned with the Fairy of the Fountain. 
 
 All her household were in gi-eat distress about her; they 
 sought for her, with much anxiety ; they could not imagine 
 where she could be ; they even feared some audacious stranger 
 had carried her off", for she was young and beautiful ; so that 
 every one was extremely rejoiced at her return : and as she 
 felt on her part an infinite satisfaction at the good news that 
 had just been announced to her, her agreeable and sparkling 
 conversation charmed everj'body. 
 
 The Fairy of the Fountain parted with her close by her 
 
THE HIND IN THE "WOOD. 401 
 
 own home ; compliments and caresses were redoubled at 
 their separation, and the Queen remaining eight days longer 
 at the baths, did not fail to revisit the palace of the fairies 
 with her coquettish old lady, who always appeared first as 
 a crab and then took her natural form. 
 
 The Queen returned to court, and was in due time confined of 
 a Princess, to whom she gave the name of D6sir6e; she imme- 
 diately took the bouquet she had received, and named all the 
 flowers, one after the other, and forthwith all the fairies arrived. 
 Each of them had a different sort of chariot ; one was of ebony 
 drawn by white pigeons, others were of ivory drawn by young 
 ravens, others of cedar and eagle- wood. ^ This was their 
 equipage of alliance and peace ; for, when they were angry, 
 they had nothing but flying-dragons, adders which darted fire 
 from their mouths and eyes, lions, leopards, and panthers, 
 upon which they transported themselves from one end of 
 the world to another, in a shorter time than one could say 
 "Good day," or "Good night;" but at this moment they 
 were in the best possible humour. 
 
 The Queen saw them enter her chamber with a lively and 
 majestic air; their dwarfs followed them, loaded with presents. 
 After they had embraced the Queen, and kissed the little 
 Princess, they displayed the baby's clothes ; the linen of which 
 was so fine and so good, that it might be used for a hundred 
 years without wearing it out — the fairies had spun it them- 
 selves in their leism-e hours. As to the lace, it sui'passed 
 even what I have said of the linen ; all the history of the 
 world was represented either in point or in bone-lace. 
 
 After that, they showed her the blankets and coverlids 
 which they had embroidered expressly for the princess with 
 representations of a thousand different games that children 
 play at. Since the existence of embroiderers and embroi- 
 deresses nothing so wonderful was ever seen ; but, when the 
 cradle appeared, the Queen positively screamed with admi- 
 ration; for it surpassed eveiything they had shown her 
 before : it was made of a wood so rare that it cost a hundred 
 thousand crowns a pound ; four little Cupids supported it ; 
 they were four masterpieces, wherein art had so far surpassed 
 the coaterial, although it was of diamonds and rubies, that no 
 ope could say enough about them. These little Cupids had 
 
 1) Vide note, page 179. 
 D D 
 
402 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 been animated by the fairies, so that when the child cried 
 they rocked it, and made it sleep ; a wonderful convenience 
 for the niirses. 
 
 The fairies themselves took the little Princess upon their 
 knees, they swathed her, and gave her more than a hundred 
 kisses; for she was already so beautiful that no one could look 
 at her without loving her. They said that she was hungry, 
 and instantly they struck the ground with their wands , 
 a nurse appeared — such a one as befitted this lovely babe. 
 It now only remained to endow the infant, and the fairies 
 hastened to do so. One endowed her with virtue, another 
 with wit, a third with wonderful beauty, the next with good 
 fortune, the fifth with continual health, and the l;\st with 
 the gift of doing everything well which she undertook. 
 
 The Queen, enchanted, thanked them a thousand and a 
 thousand times for the fiivours they had just conferred upon 
 the little Princess ; when they perceived, entering the cham- 
 ber, so lai'ge a crab, that the door was scarcely wide enough 
 for her to pass through. " Ah ! too ungrateful Queen," said 
 the Crab, " you have not then deigned to remember me ! 
 Is it possible you have so soon forgotten the Fairy of the 
 Fountain, and the services I rendered you, by introducing 
 you to my sisters ! What ! you have summoned them all — 
 I am alone neglected ! Certainly I had a presentiment of it, 
 and it was that which obliged me to take the form of a crab 
 when I first spoke to you, to signify thereby that your friend- 
 ship, instead of progressing, would retrograde. 
 
 The Queen, inconsolable at seeing the fault she had com- 
 mitted, interrupted her, and asked her pardon. She told her 
 she thought she had named her flower with the others ; that 
 it was the bouquet of precious stones that had deceived her ; 
 that she had not been guilty of forgetting the obligations she 
 was under to her ; that she supplicated her not to deprive her 
 of her friendship, and particularly to befriend the Princess. 
 The fairies, who feared she would but endow the child with 
 misery and misfortune, seconded the Queen's endeavours, to 
 appease her. " My dear sister," said they, " let not your 
 highness be angry with a queen who never had an idea of 
 displeasing you. For mercy's sake quit this form of a crab, 
 and let us behold you with all your charms." 
 
 I have already said that the Fairy of the Fountain was 
 
THE HIND m THE WOOD. 403 
 
 rather a coquette; the praises of her sisters softened her a 
 little. " Very well," said she ; " I will not do all the mischief 
 to D6siree I had intended; for assuredly I had a mind to 
 destroy her, and nothing could have prevented my doing so. 
 However, I give you warning, that if she sees the light of 
 day before she is fifteen years old, it will perhaps cost her 
 her life." The Queen's tears, and the prayers of the illus- 
 trious fairies, could not alter the decree she had just pro- • 
 nounced. She retired, walking backwards, for she had not 
 chosen to put off her crab's dress. 
 
 As soon as she had quitted the chamber, the sorrowful 
 Queen asked the fairies to point out some way of preserving 
 her daughter from the evils that threatened her. They im- 
 mediately consulted together; and at last, after discussing 
 several different opinions, they decided upon this one ; which 
 was, to build a palace without either doors or windows, to 
 make a subterraneous entry to it, and to educate the Princess 
 in this place, till the fatal period during which she was 
 threatened with misfortune should have expired. Three taps 
 of a wand began and finished this grand edifice. The exterior 
 was of white and green marble ; the ceilings and the floors 
 were of diamonds and emeralds, placed in the form of flowers, 
 birds, and a thousand agreeable objects. All the furniture 
 and hangings were of different coloured velvets, embroidered 
 by the hands of the fairies ; and, as they were learned in 
 history, it had been a pleasure to them to work representa- 
 tions of the greatest and most remarkable adventures ; the 
 future was depicted as well as the past. The heroic actions 
 of the greatest king in the world ^ filled many of the pieces. 
 
 Here of the Thracian god he bore the mien ; 
 
 Fierce lightnings flashing from his eyes were seen : 
 
 There over France he ruled in peace profound ; 
 
 Her lot the envy of the world around. 
 
 The arts he fosters, grateful for his care, 
 
 His form august bad pictured everywhere : 
 
 To fierce assaults victorious legions leading, 
 
 Or, generously, peace to vanquished foes conceding. 
 
 These wise fairies had hit upon this mode of making the 
 young Princess more easily acquainted with the different 
 events in the lives of heroes and other celebrated men. 
 
 In her palace there was no light to see by but that of wax 
 
 (1) Louis XIV. 
 
 dd2 
 
404 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 candles ; but of them there was so great a number, that they 
 made it one perpetual day. All the masters whom the Prin- 
 cess required to perfect her education were conducted to this 
 place. Her intelligence, her quickness, and her skill enabled 
 her generally to comprehend beforehand what they intended 
 teaching her; and they were all of them in one continual 
 admiration of the surprising things she said, at an age when 
 ' others were hardly able to pronounce the name of their 
 nurse; but certainly one who is endowed by fairies is not 
 expected to be stupid and ignorant. 
 
 If her wit charmed all who approached her, the effects 
 from her beauty were not less powerful. She enraptured the 
 most insensible people; and the Queen her mother would 
 never have lost sight of her, if her duty had not obliged her 
 to be near the King. The good fairies every now and then 
 went to see the Princess ; they took her matchless rarities — 
 dresses so cleverly invented, so costly, and so elegant, that they 
 seemed to have been made for the nuptials of a young princess^ 
 not less amiable than she of whom I speak. But of all the 
 fiiiries "who protected her, Tulip loved her the most, and most 
 carefully impressed upon the Queen the necessity of not allow- 
 ing her to see daylight before she was fifteen years old. " Our 
 sister of the fountain is vindictive," said she ; " whatever care 
 we may take of this child, she will do it some mischief, if she 
 can. Therefore, Madam, you cannot be too vigilant in that 
 matter." The Queen promised to be incessantly watchful 
 upon such an important affair ; but as the time drew near 
 for her dear daughter to leave the palace, she made her sit for 
 her picture, and her portrait was taken to the greatest com'ts 
 of the universe. There was not a prince who could avoid 
 being struck with admiration at the sight of it; but there 
 was one who was so moved by it that he could never leave it. 
 He placed it in his closet, shut himself up with it, and talked 
 to it, as though it were sensible and could understand him ; he 
 said the most passionate things in the world to it. 
 
 The King, who now hardly ever saw his son, inquired how 
 he was occupied, and what it could be that prevented his 
 appearing as cheerful as usual. Some of the courtiers, too 
 eager to speak, — for there are many of that sort, — told him 
 they feared that the Prince would go out of his mind ; for he 
 
 (1) This allusion is probably explained by the note to p. 413. 
 
THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 405 
 
 remained whole days together shut up alone in his closet, 
 where they could hear him talking, as though he had some 
 lady with him. 
 
 The King received this information with much tineasiness. 
 " Is it possible," said he to his confidants, " that my son has 
 lost his reason 1 he has always evinced so much. You know 
 how greatly he has been admired up to this moment ; and I 
 do not see anything wild in his looks. He appears to me to 
 be only a little melancholy: I must talk to him; I may, 
 perhaps, be able to discover what sort of madness has seized 
 him." 
 
 Consequently he sent for him, ordered every one else to 
 withdraw, and, after several things to which the Prince paid 
 little attention, and to which he answered very indifferently, 
 the King asked him, what was the cause of the alteration in 
 his manner and person. The Prince, believing this to be 
 a favourable opportunity, threw himself at his father's feet, 
 and said : " You have resolved that I shall wed the Black 
 Princess; you will find some great advantages in this alliance 
 that I could not promise from that with the Princess Desir6e ; 
 but. Sire, I discover charms in the latter, that I shall not 
 meet with in the former." " And where have you discovered 
 them?" said the King. "The portraits of the one and the- 
 other have been brought to me," replied Prince Guerrier (for 
 thus he was named after having won three great battles). 
 " I confess that I am desperately in love with Princess D6sir4e ; 
 and, if you do not retract the promise you have given to the. 
 Black Princess, I shall die ! — happy in ceasing to live, losing 
 the hope of being hers I love." 
 
 " It is with her portrait, then," gravely answered the King, 
 *' that you have chosen to hold conversations which have ren- 
 dered you ridiculous in the eyes of all the courtiers ? They 
 believe you to be mad ; and if you knew what has been said 
 to me on the subject, you would be ashamed of showing so 
 much weakness." " I cannot reproach myself for entertaining 
 so worthy a passion," answered the Prince. " When you have 
 seen the portrait of this charming Princess, you will approve 
 of my affection for her." " Go for it, then, directly:" said the 
 King, with an impatient air, which evidently indicated his 
 vexation. The Prince would have been much distressed at it, 
 if he had not felt certain that nothing could be equal to 
 
406 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 D6sir6e's beauty. He ran into his closet for the portrait, and 
 returned with it to the King, who was nearly as much 
 enchanted as his son. " Ah, ah ! my dear Guerrier," said he, 
 " I consent to your wish. I shall become young again, when 
 I shall have so lovely a princess in my court. I shall imme- 
 diately despatch ambassadors to the court of the Black Prin- 
 cess, to retract my word ; though it should occasion a sharp 
 war with her, I prefer that alternative." 
 
 The Prince respectfully kissed his father's hand, and more 
 than once fell at his feet; he was so delighted, they hardly 
 knew him again. He begged the King to hasten the departure 
 of his ambassadors, not only to the Black Princess, but to 
 Princess Dgsir6e ; and desired that he would choose for the 
 latter mission the most able and wealthy person, as it was 
 necessary that he should appear in great state upon so cele- 
 brated an occasion, and possess the power of persuasion in the 
 highest degree. The King fixed upon Becafigue, a very elo- 
 quent young nobleman with a hundred millions a-year. He 
 was exceedingly fond of Prince Guerrier, and, to gratify him, 
 ordered the most magnificent equipage and the richest liveries 
 that could be imagined. His preparations were made with 
 all speed, for the Prince's love increased every day, and 
 incessantly he was imploring the ambassador to set out. 
 "Remember," said he in confidence to him, "that my life 
 depends upon it ; that I am perfectly distracted when I think 
 the father of my princess may enter into engagements with 
 some one else that he would not be inclined to break off" in 
 my favour, and that I may lose her for ever ! " Becafigue 
 endeavoured to encourage him, that he might gain time; 
 for he was exceedingly anxious his appearance should do 
 him honour. He took with him four-and-twenty coaches all 
 blazing with gold and diamonds ; the highest finished minia- 
 ture could not compare to the paintings with which they were 
 ornamented. There were also fifty other coaches ; twenty-four 
 thousand pages on horseback, dressed finer than princes ; and 
 the rest of this grand procession was of equal magnificence. 
 
 When the ambassador took his leave of the Prince, he 
 warmly embraced him. " Remember, my dear Becafigue," 
 said he, " my life depends upon the marriage you are going 
 to negotiate for me. Omit no means of persuading an(i 
 bringing back with you the lovely princess whom I adore." 
 
THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 407 
 
 He loaded him also with a thousand presents for the Princess, 
 the gallantry of which equalled their magnificence. There 
 were quantities of amorous devices engraven upon diamond 
 seals ; watches contained in carbuncles with D6sir6e'8 cypher 
 upon them ; bracelets of rubies cut in the shape of hearts : 
 in short, what had he not thought of to please her ! 
 
 The ambassador took the portrait of this young prince, 
 which had been painted by so skilful an artist, that it spoke, 
 and paid the most charming little compliments. It did not 
 absolutely reply to all that was said to it, but it very nearly 
 did so. Becafigue promised the Prince he would neglect 
 nothing that could give him satisfaction ; and he added, that 
 he had taken so much money with him that, if they refused 
 him the Princess, he would find the means of bribing one of 
 her women, and carry her off". " Ah ! " cried the Prince, " I 
 cannot agree to that ; she would be ofiended by so disrespectful 
 a proceeding." Becafigue made no answer to that remark, 
 and took his departure. The rumour of his voyage preceded 
 his an-ival. The King and Queen were enchanted; they 
 highly esteemed his master, and had heard of Prince Guer- 
 rier's great achievements, but what they were much better 
 acquainted with were his personal merits, so that, had they 
 sought all over the world for a husband for their daughter, 
 they would not have found one more worthy of her. They 
 prepared a palace for Becafigue, and they gave all the neces- 
 sary orders for the court to appear in the greatest splendour. 
 
 The King and Queen resolved that the ambassador should 
 see D6siree, but the Fairy Tulip came to the Queen and said, 
 " Take care, Madam, that you do not introduce Becafigue to 
 our child," — it was thus she called the Princess, — " he must 
 not see her yet ; and do not consent to let her go to the King, 
 who demands her hand for his son, until she is fifteen years 
 old; for I am convinced, if she quit her palace before then, 
 some misfortune will befal her." The Queen embraced the 
 good Tulip, promising to follow her advice, and they went 
 immediately to see the Princess. 
 
 The ambassador arrived ; his procession was twenty-three 
 hours in passing, for he had six hundred thousand great 
 mules, the bells and shoes of which were of gold, their 
 housings of velvet and brocade embroidered with pearls. The 
 confusion it caused in the streets was unequalled ; every one 
 
408 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 was running to look at it. The King and Queen went to 
 meet him, so delighted were they at his coming. It is useless 
 to talk of the speeches that were made, and of the ceremonies 
 which passed on one side and the other. They can be ima- 
 gined well enough; but, when he asked to be allowed to 
 make his bow to the Princess, he was very much surprised to 
 find that favour was denied him. " It is no caprice of our 
 own, my Lord Becafigue," said the King, " that induces us to 
 refuse a request which you are perfectly justified in making; 
 but, in order that you should understand our reasons, I must 
 relate to you our daughter's extraordinary adventvire. 
 
 " A Fairy took an aversion to her from the moment of her 
 birth, and threatened her with some veiy great misfortune if 
 she saw the light of day before the age of fifteen ; we keep 
 her in a palace the most beautiful apartments of which are 
 underground. We had determined to take you there, when 
 the Fairy Tulip forbade our doing so." "Ah, Sire!" re- 
 plied the ambassador, " shall I have the misery of returning 
 without her Highness? You have given her to the King, my 
 master, for his son ; she is waited for with the greatest impa- 
 tience; is it possible that you hesitate on such trifling 
 gi'ounds as the predictions of fairies 1 Here is Prince Guer- 
 rier's portrait that I was desired to present her with, — it is 
 so like him, that I think I see him before me when I look 
 at it." 
 
 He immediately produced it. The portrait, which had 
 only been taught to speak to the Princess, said, " Beautiful 
 Desir6e, you cannot imagine how ardently I await you ; come 
 quickly to our court, and ornament it by those graces which 
 render you incomparable." The portrait ceased speaking. 
 The King and Queen were so perfectly astonished, that they 
 entreated Becafigue to give it them ; he was delighted to do 
 so, and placed it in their hands. 
 
 The Queen had not yet spoken to her daughter of what 
 was passing; she had even forbidden the ladies who were 
 near her to say anything of the ambassador's arrival. They 
 had not however obeyed her, and the Princess knew a great 
 marriage was in agitation for her, but she was so prudent that 
 she took no notice of it to her mother. When she showed 
 her the Prince's portrait, which spoke and paid her a com- 
 pliment as affectionate as it was polite, she was indeed 
 
THE HIND m THE WOOD. 409 
 
 surprised, for she had never seen anything to equal that; 
 and the fine appearance of the Prince, the intellectual expres- 
 sion and regularity of his features, astonished her no less 
 than the words of the portrait. 
 
 " Should you be sorry," said the Queen laughingly, " to 
 have a husband who resembled this Prince?" "Madam," 
 replied she, " it is not for me to choose, therefore I shall be 
 content with whomsoever you please to appoint for me.** 
 *' But in a word," added the Queen, " if the chance fell upon 
 him, would you not esteem yourself very happy I" She 
 blushed, looked down, and said nothing. The Queen em- 
 braced her, and kissed her several times ; she could not help 
 shedding tears, when she thought she was on the point of 
 losing her, for she wanted but three months of being fifteen ; 
 and, concealing her grief, she related all that concerned the 
 Princess in the embassy of the celebrated Becafigue j she even 
 gave her all the rarities he had brought to present to her. 
 She admired them ; she praised with good taste that which 
 was the most curious, but from time to time she turned to 
 gaze upon the portrait of the Prince with a pleasure she had 
 never known till then. 
 
 The ambassador finding that his endeavours to obtain the 
 Princess were useless, and that he must be contented with 
 her parents' solemn promise, which he had no reason to doubt, 
 took leave of the King, and returned post to give an account 
 of his mission to his masters. 
 
 When the Prince found he could not hope to see his dear 
 D6siree for more than three months, he uttered lamentations 
 which distressed the whole court ; he could no longer sleep ; 
 he could eat nothing; he became sad and thoughtful; the 
 brightness of his complexion changed to the pallid hue of 
 care ; he passed whole days, lying on a couch in his cabinet, 
 gazing on the portrait of his princess; he wrote to her con- 
 tinually, and presented the letters to the portrait, as though 
 it was able to read them ; at last, becoming gradually weaker, 
 he fell dangerously iU, and it required neither physicians nor 
 doctors to tell the reason. 
 
 The King was in despair, — he loved his son more tenderly 
 than ever father loved one before. He was on the point of 
 losing him! what an affliction for a parent! He saw no 
 remedy for the malady of the Prince. He languished for 
 
410 THE HIND m THE WOOD. 
 
 D6siree ; without her he must die. The King resolved there- 
 fore, in such an extremity, to go to the King and Queen, who 
 had promised her to him, to entreat them to have pity upon 
 the situation the Prince was reduced to, and defer no longer 
 a marriage which would never happen, if they were deter- 
 mined to wait till the Princess arrived at the age of fifteen. 
 
 This was an extraordinary step to take, but it would have 
 been more extraordinary if he had allowed so amiable and 
 dear a son to perish. Notwithstanding, he met with an in- 
 surmountable difficulty, for his age was so great he could 
 only travel in a litter, and this mode accorded very badly 
 with the impatience of his son ; so that he desired his faithful 
 Becafigue to travel post, and sent by him the most affecting 
 letters in the world, to induce the King and Queen to accede 
 to his wishes. 
 
 During all this time D6sir6e had scarcely less pleasure in 
 looking at the Prince's portrait than he had in gazing at hers. 
 Every instant she sought the room in which it was placed ; 
 and, however careful she was in disguising her feelings, her 
 attendants did not fail to discover them. Amongst others, 
 Giroflee and Longue-6pine, who were her maids of honour, 
 perceived the little anxieties that began to torment her. 
 Giroflee loved her dearly, and was faithful to her. Longue- 
 6pine had always nourished a secret jealousy of her merit 
 and her rank. Her mother had educated the Princess, and 
 after having been her governess, became her first lady-in- 
 waiting; she ought to have loved her better than anything 
 in the world, but she doted on her own daughter ridiculously, 
 and perceiving her hatred to the lovely Princess, she could 
 not wish her well. 
 
 The ambassador who had been despatched to the Black 
 Princess, was not well received when she learned the mes- 
 sage with which he was charged. The Ethiopian was the 
 most vindictive creature in the world ; she thought she was 
 treated very cavalierly, in being thus politely put off, after 
 engagements had been actually entered into with her. She 
 had seen a portrait of the Prince, with which she was in- 
 fatuated, and Ethiopians, when they do love, love to a greater 
 excess than anyone else. " How, Sir!" said she; "does your 
 master think I am neither rich enough, nor beautiful enough? 
 Travel through my dominions, you will find there are few 
 
THE HINT) IN THE WOOD. 411 
 
 more extensive. Visit my royal treasury, and you will see 
 more gold than all the mines of Peru have ever yielded; and 
 then look at the blackness of my complexion — this flattened 
 nose, these thick lips : is it not thus one should be, to be 
 beautiful 1 " " Madam," answered the ambassador, (who feared 
 the bastinado more than any they sent to the Sublime Porte,) 
 " I blame my master as much as a subject is permitted to 
 do ; and, if I had been placed upon the first throne in the 
 universe, I know very well with whom I should have offered 
 to share it." "That speech has saved your life," said she; 
 " I had determined to commence my revenge upon you ; but 
 that would have been unjust, since you are not to blame for 
 the base conduct of your prince. Go and teU him, that I am 
 delighted he has broken off with me, because I abhor dis- 
 honest people." The ambassador, who wished for nothing 
 better than leave to depart, profited by it as soon as he 
 obtained it. 
 
 But the Ethiopian was too much offended with Prince 
 Guerrier to pardon him. She mounted an ivory car drawn 
 by six ostriches that went at the rate of ten leagues an hour; 
 she repaired to the palace of the Fairy of the Fountain, who 
 was her godmother, and her best fiiend ; she gave an accoimt 
 of her adventure, — and entreated her, with the greatest im- 
 portunity, to revenge her. The Fairy felt for her god- 
 daughter's grief — she looked in the book that teUs everything, 
 and she instantly knew that Prince Guerrier had abandoned 
 the Black Princess for the Princess D6sir6e; that he was 
 passionately in love with her; and that he was even ill from 
 his impatience to see her. This knowledge rekindled her 
 anger, which was nearly extinguished ; and, as she had never 
 seen Desiree from the moment of her birth, it is likely that 
 she would not have harmed her, if the vindictive Blackamoor 
 had not induced her to do so. " How!" cried she; "is this 
 miserable Desiree to be always vexing me? No, charming 
 Princess; no^ my darling, I wiU not allow thee to be thus in- 
 sulted. The heavens and all the elements are interested in 
 this affair; return home, and depend upon thy dear god- 
 mother." The Black Princess thanked her, and made her 
 presents of flowers and fruit, which she received with much 
 pleasure. 
 
 The ambassador Becafigue posted with the greatest speed 
 
412 THE HmD IN THE WOOD. 
 
 to the city where Desiree's father resided ; he threw himself 
 at the feet of the King and Queen, he shed many tears, and 
 assured them, in the most affecting terms, that Prince 
 Guerrier would die, if they refused him any longer the 
 pleasure of seeing the Princess their daughter : that she was 
 fifteen years old all but three months, that nothing serious 
 could happen in so short a space of time ; that he took the 
 liberty of making known to them, that so great a belief in 
 these insignificant fairies was an injury to royal majesty; in 
 short, he pleaded so well that he had the gift of persuasion. 
 
 They wept with him at his representation of the sad condi- 
 tion to which the young Prince was reduced, and they then 
 told him, that they must have some days to decide upon their 
 answer. He replied, that he could only give them a few 
 hours; that it was an extreme case with his master; that he 
 imagined the Princess hated him, and that it was she herself 
 who delayed the journey. They then assured him, tliat before 
 evening he should know what could be done in the matter. 
 
 The Queen ran to her dear daughter's palace, and told her 
 all that had passed. Desir6e's grief was unequalled; her 
 heart failed her, she fainted, and the Queen became convinced 
 of her sentiments for the Prince. " Do not distress yourself, 
 my dear child," said she, " you are able to cure him. I am 
 only uneasy on account of the threats of the Fairy of the 
 Fountain at your birth." " I flatter myself. Madam," replied 
 she, " that there are some means by which we could outwit 
 the wicked Fairy ; for instance, could I not go in a coach so 
 closely shut up that I could not see daylight? They might 
 open it at night, to give me something to eat, and I should 
 thus arrive safely at the palace of Prince Guerrier. 
 
 The Queen fancied this expedient very much; she told the 
 King, who approved of it also ; they then sent for Becafigue 
 to come to them directly, and they assured him that the 
 Princess should set out instantly — therefore he had nothing 
 more to do than return with this good news to his master; 
 and that, to expedite the matter, they woiild dispense with the 
 equipage, and the rich dresses suitable to her rank. The 
 ambassador, transported with joy, again threw himself at their 
 Majesties' feet to thank them, after which he departed without 
 having seen the Princess. 
 
 The separation from the King and Queen would have 
 
THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 413 
 
 appeared insupportable to her, if Desiree had been less prepos- 
 sessed in favour of the Prince; but there are some feelings 
 which can stifle nearly all the others. They built her a coach 
 with green velvet outside ornamented with large plates of 
 gold, and lined it with pink and silver brocade embroidered- 
 There were no glass windows in it ; it was very large; it shut 
 closer than a box, and one of the first noblemen in the king- 
 dom had charge of the keys which opened the locks they had 
 placed on the doors. 
 
 Around her were the Graces seen, 
 
 And Love himself was fain 
 
 To follow with respectful mien, 
 
 A vassal in her train. 
 
 With the most majestic air 
 
 Heavenly softness blending, 
 
 All the willing captives were 
 
 Of beauty so transcending. 
 
 In brief, like charms, it may be said. 
 
 Did Adelaide reveal, 
 
 When hither Hymen led the maid, 
 
 The bond of peace to seal. (1) 
 
 They selected but a few officers to accompany her, that a 
 numerous suite might not be a hindrance on the journey, 
 and, after giving her the most beautiful jewellery in the 
 world, and some very rich dresses, — after a leave-taking which, 
 I may say, nearly choked the King, the Queen, and all the 
 court, so violently did they weep — they locked her up in the 
 coach, with her principal lady-in-waiting, Longue-epine and 
 Giroflee. 
 
 Perhaps it has been forgotten that Longue-6pine did not 
 like the Princess at all; but she was much in love with Prince 
 Guerrier, for she had seen his speaking likeness. The shaft 
 of Cupid had wounded her so acutely, that upon the point of 
 setting out she told her mother that she should die if the 
 Princess's marriage took place; and that, if she wished her to 
 live, she must absolutely find out some means to break it off. 
 The lady-in-waiting begged she would not distress herself, that 
 she would endeavour to reheve her pain and make her happy. 
 
 (1) Marie .\del aide, eldest daughter of Victor-Amadeus II., Duke of Savoy. A 
 treaty of peace was concluded between France and Savoy on the 4th of July, 1696 ; one 
 of the conditions of which was the marriage of the Princess Adelaide to the Duke 
 of Burgundy, afterwards the Dauphin. The Princess was recced at Montargis by 
 Louis XIV., on the 5th of November, 1697, and the marriage was celebrated at 
 Versailles on the 7th of December following. This allusion shows that " La Biche 
 au Bois " was not written before the close of that year. 
 
414 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 When the Queen sent her dear child away, she recom- 
 mended her above all things to the care of this ■wicked 
 woman. "With what have I not trusted you!" said she, 
 "with more than my life! Take care of my daughter's 
 health; but, above everything, be careful she does not see 
 dayhght, or all will be lost ; you know with what evils she is 
 threatened, and I have stipulated with Prince Guerrier's 
 ambassador, that until she is fifteen, they will place her in a 
 castle where she will see no light but that from wax candles." 
 The Queen loaded the lady with presents, to ensure her most 
 scrupulous attention. She promised to watch over the 
 Princess's safety, and to send the Queen a good account of 
 her the moment they had arrived at their destination. 
 
 Thus the King and Queen, confiding in her care, felt no 
 uneasiness for their dear daughter, which in some degree mo- 
 derated their grief at her separation from them : but Longue- 
 6pine, who learnt each night from the Princess's ofiicers, 
 who opened the coach to give her her supper, the progi'ess 
 they were making towards the city where they were expected, 
 urged her mother to execute her intentions, fearing the King 
 or the Prince would come to meet the Princess, and that the 
 opportunity would be lost. So about the middle of the day, 
 when the sun's i*ays were at their height, she suddenly cut 
 the roof of the coach in which they were shut with a large 
 knife, made expressly for the purpose, which she had brought 
 with her. Then, for the first time. Princess D^siree saw the 
 light of day. She had scarcely looked at it, and heaved a 
 deep sigh, when she sprang from the coach in the form of a 
 White Hind, and bounded ofi" to the nearest forest, where she 
 hid herself in a dark covert, there to lament unseen the loss 
 of the beautiful form she had so suddenly been deprived of. 
 
 The Fairy of the Fountain, who had brought about this 
 extraordinary event, seeing all those who accompanied the 
 Princess in commotion, some following her, others hastening 
 to the city to announce to Prince Guen-ier the misfortune 
 that had just occurred, seemed bent on the sudden destruc- 
 tion of creation. The thunder and lightning ten'ified the 
 boldest, and by her wonderful skill she transported all these 
 persons to an immense distance from the spot, where their 
 presence was objectionable to her. 
 
 No one remained but the lady-in-waiting, Longue-6pine, 
 
THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 415 
 
 and Girofl^e. The latter ran after her mistress, making the 
 woods and rocks resound with her name and her own lamen- 
 tations. The two others, enchanted at being at hberty, lost 
 not a moment in executing their project. Longue-6pine 
 dressed herself in Desiree's richest apparel. The royal mantle, 
 which had been made for her nuptials, was of unequal costli- 
 ness, and the crown had diamonds in it twice or thrice as big 
 as one's fist ; the sceptre was composed of one single ruby; 
 the globe which she held in her other hand, of a pearl larger 
 than one's head: this was curious, and very heavy to carry; 
 but it was necessary to persuade everybody that she was the 
 Princess, and not omit displaying any one of the royal 
 ornaments. 
 
 In this attire, followed by her mother, who held the train 
 of her mantle, she set forth towards the city. The counterfeit 
 princess walked gravely, not doubting some persons would 
 come to receive them, and indeed they had scarcely made any 
 progress when they perceived a lai*ge body of cavalry, and in 
 the middle two litters glittering with gold and precious 
 fitones, di-awn by mules ornamented with high plumes of 
 green feathers — that was the Princess's favourite colour. 
 The King who was in one, and the sick Prince in the other, 
 knew not what to make of the ladies they perceived approach- 
 ing them. The most eager of the royal train galloped for- 
 ward, and judged by the magnificence of their dress that they 
 ought to be persons of distinction. They alighted, and 
 accosted them respectfully. "Oblige me by informing me," 
 said Longue-^pine to them, "who are in these litters'?" 
 " Ladies," replied they, "it is the King, and the Prince his 
 son, who come to meet the Princess Desiree." " Go, I beg of 
 you, and tell them she is here," continued she; "a feiry 
 jealous of my good fortune, has dispersed all those who 
 accompanied me by a hundred claps of thunder, lightning, 
 and supernatural prodigies ; but here is my lady-in-waiting, 
 who has charge of letters from the King my father, and of my 
 jewellery." 
 
 The cavaliers immediately kissed the hem of her robe, and 
 hastened to inform the King of the Princess's arrival. " How!" 
 cried he, "she comes on foot in broad daylight!" They 
 related all she had told them. The Prince, burning with 
 impatience, called them to him, and without asking them 
 
416 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 any questions, " Acknowledge," said he, " that she is a 
 prodigy of beauty, a miracle, a most accomplished princess." 
 They made no answer, which astonished the Prince. " Having 
 too much to say in praise of her," continued he, " you prefer 
 remaining silent^' "My lord, you will see her yourself," 
 said the boldest among them. "The fatigue of ti-avelling 
 has apparently altered her." The Prince was much surpi'ised; 
 had he not been so weak, he would have precipitated himself 
 from his litter, to satisfy his impatience and his curiosity. 
 The King descended from his litter, and, advancing with aU 
 his court, he joined the false Princess; but, the moment that 
 he cast his eyes upon her, he gave a loud cry, and fell back 
 some paces. "What do I seel" said he; " what perfidy '2 " 
 "Sire," said the lady-in-waiting, boldly advancing, "this is 
 the Princess Desiree with letters from the King and Queen. 
 I also deliver into your hands the casket of jewels which they 
 gave me on setting out." 
 
 The King heard all this in a sullen silence, and the Prince, 
 leaning upon Becafigue, approached Longue-6pine — Oh, ye 
 gods ! what became of him upon seeing this girl, whose extra- 
 ordinary figure frightened himl She was so tall that the 
 Princess's robes scarcely reached to her knees ; she was fright- 
 fully thin; her nose, more hooked than that of a parrot, glowed 
 with a fiery red ; never had any teeth been blacker or more 
 irregular; in short, she was as ugly as Desiree was beautiful. 
 
 The Prince, who was fully possessed with the charming 
 notion of his Princess, was transfixed and immoveable at the 
 sight of this woman — he had no power to speak a word, he 
 looked at her with astonishment, and addressing himself to 
 the King — "I am betrayed!" said he. "The wonderful 
 portrait by which I was captivated is nothing like the person 
 they have sent iis; they have endeavoured to deceive us, and 
 they have so far succeeded that it will cost me my life." 
 "What do you mean, my Lord 1" said Longue-epine ; "they 
 have sought to deceive you] — know that you will never be 
 deceived in man-ying me." Her effrontery and her pride 
 were unexampled. The lady-in-waiting went even beyond 
 this. "Ah! my beautiful Princess!" cried she, "where are 
 we come to? Is this the way to receive a personage of your 
 rank? What inconstancy, what behaviour! the King, your 
 fixther, will have satisfaction for this." " It is we who will 
 
THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 417 
 
 have satisfaction," replied the King; "he promised us a 
 beautiful Princess ; he has sent us a skeleton, a mummy that 
 finghtens us. I am no longer surprised that he has kept this 
 lovely treasure hidden for fifteen years, that he might entrap 
 some dupe. The chance has fallen upon us, but revenge is 
 not impossible." "What outrages!" cried the mock Prin- 
 cess; "am I not unfortunate to have come here upon the 
 word of such people 1 See how very wrong it is to be flattered 
 in one's picture ; yet does it not happen every day 1 If for 
 such absurdities princes sent back their affianced brides, few 
 would marry." 
 
 The King and the Prince, transported with rage, did not 
 deign to answer her ; they each remounted their litters, and 
 without further ceremony, one of the body-guards placed the 
 Princess behind him, and the lady-in-waiting was similarly 
 treated; they carried them into the city by order of the King; 
 they were shut up in the Castle of the Three Points. 
 
 Prince Guerrier was so overwhelmed by the shock he 
 had jvist received, that his affliction could not find vent, 
 though it filled his heart almost to bursting. When he was 
 able to give utterance to it, what did he not say of his cruel 
 destiny ! He was still in love, and the object of his passion 
 was only a picture! His hopes no longer existed; all the 
 charming ideas he had indulged in of the Princess D6sir6e 
 had been destroyed; he would rather have died than have 
 married the person whom he now believed to be that Princess ; 
 in short, no despair had ever equalled his. He coxUd no 
 longer endure the court, and he determined to leave it 
 secretly as soon as his health would permit him, and seek 
 out some solitary place wherein to pass the remainder of his 
 sad life. 
 
 He only communicated his plan to the faithful Becafigue ; 
 he felt persuaded that he would foUow him anywhere, and he 
 preferred talking with him oftener than with any one of the 
 shameful trick they had played him. He scarcely felt better 
 before he departed, and left upon the table in his cabinet a 
 long letter for the King, assuring him that the moment his 
 mind was more at ease he would return to him; but he 
 entreated him in the meantime to think of their mutual 
 revenge, and still to detain the ugly princess a prisoner. 
 
 It is easy to imagine the King's grief when he received thia 
 
 £ £ 
 
418 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 letter. The separation from so dear a son nearly killed him. 
 While everybody was endeavouring to console him, the Pi'ince 
 and Becafigue were speeding away, and at the end of three 
 days they found themselves in a vast forest, so dark from the 
 thickness of the trees, so agreeable from the freshness of the 
 grass, and from the rivulets which flowed in all directions, 
 that the Prince, fatigued by the length of his journey, for he 
 was still ill, dismounted, and threw himself dejectedly upon 
 the ground with his hand under his head, hardly able to 
 speak, he was so weak. " My lord," said Becafigue, " while 
 you are reposing I will seek for fruits to refresh you, and 
 reconnoitre the place a little which we have arrived at." The 
 Prince did not answer, he only acknowledged by a sign that 
 he could do so. 
 
 It is a long time since we left the Hind in the wood ; I 
 will now speak of the incomparable Princess. She wept 
 like a disconsolate hind, when she saw herself in a fountain, 
 which served as a mirror for her. " What! can this be me?" 
 said she. " Now do I find myself subjected to the strangest 
 fate that could happen in aJl Faii-y-land to so innocent a 
 princess as I am. How long will my transformation last? — 
 Where shall I conceal myself from the lions, bears, and 
 wolves, that they may not devoiu* me 1 How can I eat grass V 
 In short, she asked herself a thousand questions, and was in 
 the greatest possible grief. It is true, that if^anything could 
 console her, it was that she was as beautiful a hind as she 
 had been a beautiful princess. 
 
 Becoming very hungry, Desir^e nibbled the grass with a 
 good appetite, and was surprised she could do so. After- 
 wards she laid down on the moss; night overtook herj she 
 passed it in inconceivable alarm. She heard the wild beasts 
 close to her, and often forgetting that she was a hind, she tried 
 to climb some tree. The light of day somewhat reassured 
 her; she admired its beauty, and the sun appeared some- 
 thing so wonderful to her, that she was never wearied with 
 looking at it ; all she had ever heard of it appeared to her 
 much below what she now beheld ; it was the only consola- 
 tion she could find in that desert place ; she remained there 
 for several days quite by herself. 
 
 The fairy Tulip, who had always loved this Princess, deeply 
 felt for her misfortune ; but she was extremely vexed that 
 
THE HIND TN THE WOOD. 419 
 
 both she and the Queen had paid so little attention to her 
 advice ; for she had told them several times, that if the Prin- 
 cess set out before she was fifteen, she would meet with some 
 evil. However, she would not abandon her to the fury of the 
 Fairy of the Fountain ; and it was she who conducted Giro- 
 flee towards the forest, that this faithful confidant might 
 console the Princess in her misfortune. 
 
 This lovely Hind was quietly grazing by the side of a 
 brook, when Giroflee, who could scarcely walk, lay down to 
 rest herself. She was looking very mournfully which way 
 she should go to find her dear Princess. When the Hind 
 Saw her, she suddenly leaped the brook, which was wide and 
 deep, and came and threw herself upon Girofl6e, and caressed 
 her a thousand times. She was quite surprised at it; she 
 did not know whether the animals in this province had any 
 particular friendship for people which humanised them, or 
 whether this one knew her — for in fact it was very singular, 
 that a hind should think of doing the honours of the forest 
 so well. 
 
 . She looked at it earnestly, and saw, with much surprise, 
 large tears falling from its eyes. She no longer doubted that 
 it was her dear Princess ; she took her feet, and kissed them, 
 with as much respect and affection as though she was kissing 
 her hands. She spoke to her, and was convinced that tjie 
 Hind understood her, but that she could not answer her; 
 their tears and sighs were redoubled. Giroflee promised her 
 mistress that she would not leave her any more. The Hind 
 made a thousand little signs with her head and her eyes, 
 which meant, she should be very glad of it, and that it 
 would console her for some of her troubles. 
 
 They remained together nearly all the day. The Hind, 
 fearing that her faithful Giroflee would want something to 
 eat, led her to a place in the forest where she had remarked 
 there was some wild fruit that was very good. Giroflee ate 
 a gi'eat quantity of it, for she was dying with hunger; but 
 after she had finished her meal, she became very uneasy, not 
 knowing where they should retire for the night — for it was 
 impossible to resolve on remaining in the middle of the forest, 
 exposed to all the perils that might overtake them, 
 
 " Are you not afraid, charming Hind," said she, " to pass 
 the night here?" 
 
 E E 2 
 
420 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 The Hind raised her eyes to heaven, and sighed. 
 
 " But," continued Girofl6e, " you have already perambu- 
 lated a part of this vast desert; — Are there no cottages 
 here? — no charcoal-burner] — no wood-cutter] — no her- 
 luitage?" 
 
 The Hind indicated by the movement of her head that she 
 had not seen any. 
 
 " Oh, ye gods ! " cried Girofl6e, " I shall not be alive in the 
 morning : even should I be fortunate enough to escape the 
 tigers and bears, I am certain that fright will be sufficient 
 to kill me ! And do not imagine, either, my dear Princess, 
 that I regret perishing on my own account; it is for your 
 sake. Alas ! to leave you here destitute of all consolation, 
 — what can be more distressing?" 
 
 The little Hind began to weep, she sobbed almost like a 
 human being. 
 
 Her tears affected the fairy Tulip, who loved her tenderly, 
 notwithstanding her disobedience. She had always watched 
 over her preservation, and suddenly appearing, she said to 
 lier, — " I will not scold you, the situation in which I see you 
 distresses me too much." 
 
 The Hind and Giroflee interrupted her, by throwing them- 
 selves at her feet ; the former kissed her hands, and caressed 
 her in the prettiest manner possible ; the other entreated her 
 to have pity upon the Princess, and restore her to her natural 
 form. 
 
 " That does not depend upon me," said Tulip ; ** she who 
 has done her so much mischief is very powerful : but I can 
 shorten her term of punishment ; and to mollify it, as soon as 
 day gives place to night, she shall quit the form of a hind — 
 but, as soon as it is dawn, she must return to it, and roam the 
 plaius and forests like the other animals." 
 
 It was a great relief to cease from being a hind even during 
 the night ; the Princess expressed her joy by leaping and 
 frisking about, which delighted Tulip. " Proceed," said she 
 to them, *' by this little path ; you will come to a hut, as 
 good a one as you could expect to find in such a country." 
 So saying, she disappeared. Giroflee followed her directions ; 
 she entered with the Hind the path before them, and found 
 an old woman seated upon the step • of her door finishing 
 an osier basket. Girofl6e accosted her. " My good mother, 
 
THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 421 
 
 would you let me in here with my hind? — I want a small 
 room." 
 
 " Yes, my pretty girl ;" replied she ; " I will willingly give 
 you shelter here ; come in with your hind." She led them 
 directly into a very pretty room, wainscoted with cherry- 
 tree wood ; in it were two little white dimity beds, and fine 
 sheets, and all appeared so simple and clean, that the Princess 
 has since declared that she never saw anything more to her 
 taste. 
 
 As soon as it was quite dark, D^sir^e ceased to be a hind; 
 she embraced her dear Girofl^e a hundred times ; she thanked 
 her for her affection, which induced her to follow her for- 
 tunes, and promised her, she woidd make her very happy the 
 moment her penance had ended. 
 
 The old woman knocked gently at their door, and without 
 entering, gave Giroflee some excellent fruit, which the Prin- 
 cess ate with a good appetite. They then went to bed, and 
 as soon as daylight appeared D6siree, having become a hind 
 again, began to scratch at the door, that Giroflee might open 
 it for her. They were both very sorry to be separated, 
 although for so short a time ; and the Hind, having plunged 
 into the thickest part of the wood, commenced rimniug about 
 there as usual. 
 
 I have already said that Prince Guerrier had halted in the 
 forest, and that Becafigue was hunting thi-ough it in all 
 directions for some fruit. It was already late when he arrived 
 at the cottage belonging to the good old woman of whom I 
 have spoken. He spoke politely to her, and asked her for 
 several things his master wanted. She hastened to fill a 
 basket, and gave it him. " I fear," said she, " that if you 
 pass the night here without shelter some accident will happen 
 to you. I can offer you a very humble one, but at all events 
 it will save you from the lions." 
 
 He thanked her, and said he was with one of his friends, 
 to whom he would go back and propose their coming to her 
 house. In short, he knew so well how to persuade the Prince, 
 that he allowed himself to be conducted to the old woman's 
 cottage : she was still at the door, and without making any 
 noise, she led them to a room like the one the Princess 
 occupied, and from which it was only separated by a wooden 
 partition. 
 
43J8 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 The Prince passed the night a prey to his usual anxieties. 
 As soon as the first rays of the sun were shining in at his 
 windows, he rose, and to divert his sadness, he went into the 
 forest, telling Becafigue not to follow him. He walked for 
 some time without taking any certain path, at length he 
 arrived at rather a spacious place, thickly covered with trees 
 and moss. Instantly a hind started off. He could not help 
 following it — his dominant passion was the chase, but he 
 cared less for it since love had taken possession of his heart. 
 Notwithstanding that, he pursued the poor Hind, and from 
 time to time he let fly an arrow at her, which frightened her 
 to death, although she was not wounded, for her friend Tulip 
 preserved her from that; and nothing less than the guardian 
 hand of a fairy could have saved her from perishing from 
 shafts so truly aimed. No one had ever felt so tired as the 
 Princess of Hinds ; such exercise was quite new to her. At 
 last she fortunately took a turn by which the dangerous 
 hunter lost sight of her, and being extremely fatigued him- 
 self, gave up the pursuit. 
 
 The day having passed in this manner, the Hind was de- 
 lighted when the hour for retiring drew near. She turned 
 her steps towards the house, where Girofl6e was impatiently 
 awaiting her. As soon as she was in her chamber, she threw 
 herself upon the bed, quite out of breath, and in a great per- 
 spiration. Giroflee caressed her a thousand times, she was 
 dying to hear what had happened to her. The hour for trans- 
 formation had arrived, and the lovely Princess resumed her 
 proper form. "Alas !" said she, "I thought I had nothing to 
 fear but the Fairy of the Fountain, and the cruel inhabitants 
 of the forests ; but to-day I have been pursued by a young 
 hunter, whom I scarcely saw, so hasty was my flight. A 
 thousand arrows, shot after me, threatened me with inevitable 
 death; I am still ignorant by what good foi'tune I could 
 have been able to escape." "You must not go out any more, 
 my Princess," replied Giroflee ; " pass in this chamber the 
 fatal time of your penance. ^ I will go to the nearest city, to 
 purchase books to amuse you, we will read the new stories 
 that have been written about the fairies, we will compose 
 verses and songs." " Peace, dear girl," replied the Princess, 
 "the charming thought of Prince Guerrier is sufficient to oc- 
 cupy me pleasantly; but the same power which reduces me 
 
THE HIND IN THE WOOD, 423 
 
 during the day to the sad condition of a hind, compels me to 
 do as hinds do — I run, I skip, and I eat grass like them. 
 At such times a room would be insupportable to me." She 
 had been so harassed by the chase, that she required some- 
 thing to eat immediately; she then closed her two beauti- 
 ful eyes till the dawn of day. As soon as she perceived it, 
 the usual transformation took place, and she returned to the 
 forest. 
 
 The Prince, on his part, had returned in the evening, and 
 rejoined his favourite. " I have spent my time," said he, " in 
 running after the most lovely hind I ever saw ; she eluded 
 me a hundred times with wonderful dexterity; I took so true 
 an aim at her, that I cannot understand how she could escape 
 untouched. As soon as it is daylight, I shall look for her 
 again, and I will not miss her the next time." In short, the 
 young Prince, who wished to drive from his heart the idea of 
 a being he believed to be imaginary, was not sorry that his 
 love for hunting amused him, and returned betimes to the 
 spot where he had found the Hind ; but she took good care 
 not to go there again, fearing a similar accident to the one 
 she had met with. He looked all around him, and walked 
 about for some time, and, being very much heated, he was 
 delighted to find some apples, the colour of which pleased 
 him; he gathered some, and ate them, and almost imme- 
 diately he fell into a sound sleep, stretched on the cool 
 grass under some trees, which thousands of birds seemed to 
 have fixed on for their assignations. 
 
 While he was sleeping, our timid Hind, eager to find a 
 sequestered spot, came to the one in which he was reposing. 
 Had she perceived him sooner, she would have fled : but she 
 found herself so close to him, that she could not help looking 
 at him; and his heavy sleep so emboldened her, that she stood 
 and contemplated his featui'es at her leisure. Oh, ye gods ! 
 what became of her when she recognised him ! her mind had 
 been too deeply impressed by his charming form for her to 
 have forgotten it in so short a time. Love, Love, what 
 wouldest thou, then? Must the Hind run the risk of being 
 slain by the hand of her lover? Yes, she exposes herself to 
 that peril ; she no longer thinks of her safety. She couched 
 down a little distance from him, with her eyes fixed upon 
 him, not turning them away for an instant. She sighed, she 
 
424 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 uttered some little plaintive sounds, and at last, becoming 
 bolder, she approached still nearer ; she touched him, and he 
 awoke. 
 
 His surprise was excessive ; he saw it was the same hind 
 that had given him so much exercise and that he had been 
 seeking so long a time for; but to find her so familiar appeared 
 most extraordinary to him. She did not wait long enough 
 for him to seize her, but ran off with all her might, and he 
 followed with all his. From time to time they stopped to 
 take breath, for the lovely Hind was tired from having run 
 so much the evening before, and the Prince was not less 
 fatigued thau she was. But what caused the Hind to slacken 
 her flight? Alas! must I own it? It was the fear of separating 
 herself too far from him, who had wounded her much more by 
 his merit than by the arrows which he shot at her. He 
 remarked she very often turned her head, as though to ask 
 him if he wished her to die by his baud ; and when he was 
 on the point of overtaking her, she renewed her efforts to 
 escape, "Ah, if thou couldst understand me, little Hind," 
 cried he, " thou wouldst not shun me; I love thee, and 
 would cherish thee; thou art charming; I will take care 
 of thee." The air carried away his words, they did not reach 
 her. 
 
 At length, after making the round of the forest, our Hind 
 could not run any longer, and slackened her pace. The 
 Prince redoubling his, came up with her with a delight which 
 he could scarcely believe it possible he could feel. He 
 evidently saw she had lost all her strength; she was lying 
 down like a poor half-dead little animal, and only expecting 
 her life to be taken by the hands of her conqueror; but in- 
 stead of being so cruel, he began to caress her, " Beautiful 
 Hind," said he, " do not be afraid ; I will take thee with me, 
 and thou shalt follow me everywhere." He cut some branches 
 from the trees, twisted them skilfully, and covered them 
 with moss; scattered roses upon them, which he gathered 
 from some bushes in full blossom, then took the Hind in his 
 arms, laid her head upon his neck, and placed her gently 
 upon the boughs ; after which he sat down near her, seeking 
 from time to time the finest grass, which he gave to her, and 
 which she ate from his hand. 
 
 The Prince continued to talk to her, although he was per- 
 
THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 425 
 
 suaded she did not understand him. Notwithstanding the 
 pleasure she felt in looking at him, she became very uneasy 
 as night was approaching. "What will be the consequence," 
 said she to herself, " should he see me suddenly change my 
 form ? he will be alarmed and fly from me ; or if he do not 
 fly from me, what have I not to fear then alone in this 
 forest 1 " She could think of nothing but how to escape, 
 when he furnished her with the means himself; for fearing 
 she might want to drink, he went to find some streamlet that 
 he could lead her to. While he was seeking it, she quickly 
 stole away, and safely reached the cottage where Giroflee was 
 waiting for her. She again threw herself upon her bed, night 
 came, her transformation ended, and she appeared in her own 
 form. "Wouldst thou believe it, my dear Giroflee," said she, 
 " my Prince Guerrier is in this forest ; it is he who has been 
 hunting me for the last two days, and who, having caught 
 me, caressed me a thousand times. Ah, how unti'uthful is 
 the portrait they have brought me of him ! he is a hundred 
 times handsomer. All the disorder of an eager huntsman's 
 dress, far from detracting from his appearance, gives a charm 
 to it which I cannot explain. Is it not most unfortunate, 
 that I am compelled to fly from this Prince, — he whom my 
 parents have chosen for me, — he who loves me, and whom I 
 love ? A wicked fairy mvist needs take a dislike to me, from 
 the day I was bom, and afflict me for the rest of my life.' 
 She began to weep; Giroflee tried to console her, and en 
 courage a hope that her sorrow would soon be changed to 
 happiness. 
 
 The Prince returned to his dear Hind, as soon as he had 
 found a spring, but she was no longer where he had left her. 
 He sought for her everywhere, but in vain ; he felt as much 
 vexed with her as though she possessed reason. "What," 
 exclaimed he, " shall I always have cause to complain of this 
 deceitful and unfaithful sex?" He returned to the good 
 woman's cottage very melancholy; he related to his friend 
 the adventure with the Hind, and accused her of ingrati- 
 tude. Becafigue could not help laughing at the Prince's 
 rage; he advised him to punish the Hind when he met with 
 her again, "I shall only remain here for that purpose," 
 replied the Prince ; " we will afterwards continue our 
 journey." 
 
426 THE HIND IN l-HE WOOD. 
 
 Daylight returned, and with it the Princess resumed her 
 form of the White Hind. She knew not what to do, whether 
 to seek the places the Prince generally frequented, or to take 
 an opposite direction and avoid him. She decided upon the 
 latter, and went very far away ; but the young Prince, who 
 was as cunning as she was, did the same thing, firmly believing 
 she would adopt this little ruse, so that he discovered her 
 in the thickest part of the forest. She was just fancying her- 
 self perfectly safe, when she caught sight of him. She in- 
 stancy bounded up, and jumped over the bushes, and, as if 
 she feared him still more on account of the trick she had 
 played him the preceding evening, she flew faster than the 
 winds ; but at the moment she was crossing a path, he took 
 so good an aim at her, that he lodged an arrow in her 
 leg. She was in violent pain, her strength failed her, and 
 she fell. 
 
 Cruel and barbarous Cupid, where wert thou then? What ! 
 couldst thou suffer an incomparable girl to be wounded by 
 her affectionate lover ? The sad catastrophe was inevitable, 
 for the Fairy of the Fountain intended this to be the end of 
 the adventure. The Prince came up ; he was sensibly affected 
 to see the Hind bleeding. He gathered some herbs, bound 
 them round her leg, to alleviate the pain of the wound, and 
 made her a new bed of branches. He placed the Hind's head 
 upon his knees. " Dost thou not deserve what has happened 
 to thee, little runaway 1 " said he. " What did I yesterday, 
 that thou shouldst have abandoned me ? It shall not happen 
 again to-day ; I will take thee with me." The Hind did not 
 answer : what could she say 1 She was wrong, and could not 
 speak ; for it does not always follow that those who are wrong 
 will be silent. The Prince lavished a thousand caresses on 
 her. " How grieved I am that I have wounded thee ! " said 
 he ; " thou wilt hate me, and I would thou shouldst love me." 
 To hear him, it seemed as if some genius secretly inspired him 
 with all he said to the Hind, At last the time arrived for 
 returning to the old woman's ; he lifted up his game, and was 
 much inconvenienced by carrying it, leading it, and some- 
 times by dragging it. 
 
 She had not the slightest wish to go with him. " What 
 will become of me," said she, " alone with this Prince ? Ah ! 
 I would rather die ! " She made herself as heavy as she could 
 
THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 427 
 
 and burdensome to hira : he was streaming with perspiration, 
 from' fatigue; and although he was now not far from the cot- 
 tage, he felt that without assistance he could not get his 
 captive home. He went to seek his faithful Becafigue; but 
 before he quitted the Hind, he tied it by several ribands to 
 the foot of a tree, that it might not get away. 
 
 Alas ! who could have thought that the most beautiful 
 Princess in the world should have been treated thus by a 
 Prince who adored her ! She tried in vain to break the 
 ribands ; her efforts in doing so drew the knots still tighter, 
 and she had nearly strangled herself with a slip-knot he had 
 unluckily made ; when Girofl^e, tired of being so long shut 
 up in her chamber, walked out for a little air, and passed by 
 the spot where the White Hind was struggling. What was 
 her distress when she perceived her dear mistress ! She could 
 not untie the ribands fast enough, which were knotted in 
 different places; and the Prince arrived with Becafigue just as 
 she was about to lead away the Hind. " Whatever respect I 
 may have for you, Madam," said the Prince to her, "you 
 must permit me to object to the robbery you would commit. 
 I have "wounded this Hind; she is my property; 1 love her. 
 I entreat you to leave her to me." " My lord," civilly replied 
 Giroflee (for she was very polite and gi-acious), " this Hind 
 belonged to me before she did to you. I would much sooner 
 give up my life than her ; and if you wovdd be convinced how 
 well she knows me, I only beg of you to give her a little 
 liberty. Come, my little white darling," added she, " embrace 
 me ;" the Hind jumped on her neck. " Kiss my right cheek ;" 
 she obeyed. " Feel my heart ;" she put her foot there. " Sigh ;" 
 she sighed. The Prince could no longer doubt what Girofl6e 
 told him. " I restore her to you," said he, generously, " but, I 
 own, not without much regret." She instantly departed with 
 the Hind. 
 
 They knew not that the Prince lived in their house; he 
 followed them at a distance, and was surprised to see them 
 enter the good old woman's habitation. He went in very 
 shortly after them, and, urged by a movement of curiosity 
 which the White Hind had given rise to, he inquired who the 
 young woman was. The old dame replied, that she did not 
 know ; that she had taken her to lodge there with her Hind ; 
 that she paid her well; and that she lived very retired. 
 
428 THE HIND IN THE "WOOD. 
 
 Becafigue asked, which was her chamber. She told him it was 
 80 close to his, that it was only separated by a partition. 
 
 When the Prince withdrew, his confidant told him he was 
 the most mistaken of men, if that girl had not lived with the 
 Princess D6siree ; that he had seen her at the palace, when he 
 was there as ambassador. " What sad recollections you awake 
 in my mind !" said the Prince; " and by what chance is she 
 here )" "I am ignorant of that, my Lord," added Becafigue ; 
 but I wish to see her again, and as it is merely a slight piece 
 of carpenter's work that separates us, I am going to make 
 a hole in it." " Mere useless curiosity," sadly replied the 
 Prince ; for Becafigue's words had renewed all his grief : and 
 with that he opened the window, which looked into the forest, 
 and sat at it, ruminating. 
 
 In the meanwhile Becafigue set to work, and in a very 
 short time had made a hole sufl&ciently large to perceive the 
 charming Princess, dressed in a robe of silver brocade, with 
 crimson flowers embroidered with gold and emeralds. Her 
 hair fell in large curls upon the most beautiful neck in the 
 world, her complexion was brilliant, and her eyes were en- 
 trancing. Giroflee was on her knees before her, binding up 
 her arm, from which the blood was flowing profusely. They 
 both of them appeared much perplexed by this wound. 
 " Leave me to die," said the Princess ; " death would be 
 sweeter to me than the deplorable life I lead. What ! must 
 I become a Hind every day, to see him to whom I am 
 betrothed, without speaking to him, without informing him 
 of my fatal accident 1 Alas ! if thou knewest all the tender 
 things he said to me while in my other shape ; how sweet the 
 tone of his voice; how noble and fascinating his manners; 
 thou wouldst pity much more than thou dost now my inability 
 to enlighten him as to my fate." 
 
 One may easily imagine Becafigue's astonishment at all 
 that he saw and heard. He ran to the Prince — he dragged 
 him from the window, with inexpressible transports of joy. 
 " Ah ! my Lord," said he, " lose no time in approaching that 
 partition; you will then see the real original of the portrait 
 which charmed you." The Prince looked through the aperture, 
 and immediately recognised the Princess. He would have 
 died with delight, if he had not feared he was deceived by 
 Bome enchantment; for how could he reconcile such a sur- 
 
THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 429 
 
 torising adventure with the existence of Longue-6pine and 
 her mother, who were imprisoned in the Castle of the Three 
 Points, and who had taken the name, one of Desir^e, and the 
 other of her lady-in-waiting. 
 
 His passion, however, flattered him. We are naturally 
 inclined to persuade ourselves of the truth of that which we 
 desire ; and upon such an occasion, one must die with impa- 
 tience, or obtain an explanation. Without a moment's delay, 
 he went and knocked gently at the door where the Princess 
 was. Girofl^e, never doubting but that it was the good old 
 woman, and needing her assistance to bandage her mistress's 
 arm, hastened to open the door ; and was much surprised to 
 see the Prince, who entered, and threw himself at the feet of 
 Desir^e. The transports which excited him interfered so 
 much to prevent his making any connected speech, that, not- 
 withstanding the pains I have taken to ascertain exactly what 
 he said in these first moments, I have found no one who could 
 much enlighten me on the subject. The Princess felt equally 
 perplexed to answer him ; but Love, who often acts as inter- 
 preter to dumb people, became a third in the party, and per- 
 suaded them both that nothing had ever been said so well, or 
 at least nothing so touching and so tender. Tears, sighs, 
 vows, and even some sweet smiles, succeeded. Thus passed 
 the night. Daylight appeared without Desir^e ever think- 
 ing about it; and she did not, as usual, take the form of 
 a Hind. Nothing could equal her joy at this discovery; she 
 was too fond of the Prince not to make him the partaker 
 of her delight. She then recited her history to him, which 
 she did with a natural grace and eloquence that far surpassed 
 that of the most skilful narrator. 
 
 " What ! " exclaimed the Prince, " my charming Princess ! 
 is it you I wounded under the form of a white hind] 
 What can I do to expiate so great a crime? Will it suffice to 
 die with grief before your eyes?" He was so sadly afflicted 
 that his distress was painfully visible in his countenance. 
 Desiree suffered more from that than from her wound. She 
 assured him it was a mere trifle, and that she could not 
 help blessing an accident which procured her so much 
 happiness. 
 
 The manner in which she spoke to him was so kind, that 
 
430 TUE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 he could not doubt of her love for him. To explain every- 
 thing iu his turn, he told her the trick that Longue-^pino 
 and her mother had played him; adding, that he must 
 hasten to send and tell the King his father the happiness 
 that had occurred to him in finding her; for that he was 
 going to war, on account of the insult he believed had been 
 offered him. Desiree begged him to write by Becafigue, 
 — he was about to obey her, when a shrill noise of trumpets, 
 clarions, kettle and other drums, echoed through the forest; 
 they heard also the tramp of many people passing near the 
 cottage. The Prince looked out of the window; he recognised 
 several officers, his own colours and standards. He ordered 
 them to halt and wait for him. 
 
 Never was any surprise more agreeable than that expe- 
 rienced by this army ; they all imagined that their Prince 
 was going to lead them, and be revenged upon Desiree's 
 father. The Prince's father, notwithstanding his gi'eat age, 
 was at their head. He travelled in a litter of velvet em- 
 broidered in gold, followed by an open chariot, in which was 
 Longue-6pine and her mother. Prince Guerrier, catching 
 sight of the litter, ran to it ; and the King, holding out his 
 arms to him, embraced him with a thousand tokens of pater- 
 nal affection. " And whence come you, my dear son ? " cried 
 he. " How could you possibly deliver me up to the grief yom* 
 absence has caused me?" "My Lord," said the Prince, 
 " deign to listen to me." The King immediately descended 
 from his litter, and retiring into a side path, his son told him 
 of his fortunate meeting with the Princess, and Longue- 
 epine's imposture. 
 
 The King, enchanted at this event, raised his hands and 
 eyes gratefully to Heaven ; at the same moment he saw the 
 Princess D6siree, more beautiful and more brilliant than aU 
 the stars together. She was mounted on a superb horse, 
 which curvetted at every step ; a hundred various-coloured 
 feathers adorned her head, and her dress was enriched with 
 the largest diamonds iu the world. She was attired as" 
 a huntress. Giroflee, who followed her, was scarcely less 
 splendid. All this was the effect of the fairy Tulip's protec- 
 tion : she had managed it all with care and success. The 
 pretty house in the wood was built by her, expressly for the 
 
THE HmD IN THE WOOD. 431 
 
 Princess ; and, under the disguise of an old woman, she had 
 entertained her for several days. 
 
 As soon as the Prince had recognised his troops, and gone 
 to seek the King his father, the Fairy entered Desir^e's cham- 
 ber. She breathed upon her arm and cured her wound- She 
 then gave her the rich dress in which she appeared before the 
 King, who was so charmed he could scarcely beheve her to be 
 mortal. He said all that one can imagine most courteous 
 upon such an occasion, and entreated her not to delay 
 making his subjects happy by becoming their Queen. " For," 
 continued he, " I am resolved to give up my kingdom to 
 Prince Guerrier, to render him more worthy of you." Desiree 
 replied with all the politeness that might be expected from so 
 well-bred a person; then, casting her eyes upon the two 
 prisoners who were in the chariot, and who hid their faces 
 with their hands, she had the generosity to ask for their 
 pardon, and that they might be sent in the same chariot 
 wherever they would wish to go. The King consented to her 
 request ; not without admiring and praising her for her kind- 
 ness of heart. 
 
 The army was ordered to march back again. The Prince 
 moimted a horse, that he might accompany his lovely 
 Princess. They were received in the capital city with a thou- 
 sand shouts of joy ; everything was prepared for the nuptials, 
 which were rendered more solemn by the presence of the six 
 benignant fairies who loved the Princess. They made her the 
 richest presents that could possibly be imagined; among 
 others, the magnificent palace, where the Queen had been to 
 see them, appeared suddenly in the air, carried by fifty 
 thousand Cupids, who placed it in a beautiful plain on the 
 bank of the river. No greater gift could possibly be bestowed 
 upon her. 
 
 The faithful Becafigue entreated Ms master to speak to 
 Giroflee for him, that he might be united to her when he 
 married the Princess. The Prince did so willingly ; that 
 amiable girl was very happy to meet with so advantageous an 
 establishment on her arrival in a foreign kingdom. The fairy 
 Tulip, who was even more liberal than her sisters, presented 
 her with four gold mines in the Indies, that her husband 
 should not be able to say he was richer than herself. The 
 
432 THE HIND IN THE WOOD. 
 
 Prince's wedding festivities continued for several months — 
 each day produced a fresh amusement, — and the adventures 
 of the White Hind were sung throughout the world. 
 
 Of the Princess, too much in haste 
 The pleasures of the world to taste, 
 And quit a home sagacious Fays 
 Had built to hide her from its blaze. 
 The troubles and the transformations 
 Prove to what perils and temptations 
 The youthful maid exposed may be, 
 The world too soon allow'd to see. 
 
 And you, to whom Love's liberal hand 
 Has given charms few can withstand. 
 Discreetly use your dangerous pow'r ; 
 For Beauty has its fatal hour. 
 Think not around to scatter darts. 
 And keep unscathed your reckless hearts; 
 A shaft may strike on one of stone, 
 And, g^lancing, wound to death your own. 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a King, who had three brave 
 and handsome sons. He was afraid they might become 
 anxious to reign during his lifetime. There were even some 
 whispers in circulation that they sought to make partizans 
 witli a view of depriving him of his kingdom. The King felt 
 he was gi'owing old; but his mental capacity beiug undi- 
 minished, he had no fancy for vacating in their favour a place 
 he filled so worthily. He thought, therefore, that the best 
 way to live in peace, was by amusing them with promises 
 which he could always elude the performance of. He called 
 them into his closet, and after having spoken veiy kindly to 
 them he added, " You will agree with me, my dear children, 
 that my gi-eat age forbids my applying myself to the business 
 of the State with so much assiduity as formerly, I fear my 
 subjects may suffer from this circumstance. I wish to trans- 
 fer my crown to one of you; but to deserve such a gift, it is 
 but just that you should on your parts seek to please me. 
 Now, as I contemplate retiring into the country, it appears 
 to me that a pretty, faithful, and intelligent little dog would 
 be an excellent companion for me. So in lieu of preferring 
 my eldest to my youngest son, I declare to you, that which- 
 ever of you three shall bring me the handsomest little dog 
 shall forthwith become my heir," 
 
 The Princes were exceedingly surprised at the inclination 
 the King expressed for a little dog ; but the two youngest 
 saw they might find their account in it, and accepted with 
 pleasure the commission to go in search of one. The eldest 
 was too timid or too respectful to urge his own right. They 
 took leave of the King, who distributed amongst them money 
 and jewels, adding that the following year, without fail, on 
 
 F p 
 
434 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 the same day and hour they would return and bring him 
 their little dogs. 
 
 Before setting out, they repaired to a castle within a league 
 of the city, assembled therein their most intimate friends, and 
 gave splendid banquets, at which the three brothers pledged 
 to each other an eternal friendship, and declared that they 
 would act in the affair in question without jealousy or morti- 
 fication, and that the successful candidate would be always 
 ready to share his fortune with the others. At length they 
 departed, agreeing to meet on their return at the same castle, 
 thence to proceed together to the King. They declined 
 having any followers, and changed their names that they 
 might not be known. 
 
 Each took a different road : the two eldest met with many 
 adventures; but I shall only recount those of the youngest. 
 He was well-mannered, of a gay and joyous temperament, had 
 an admirable head, a noble figure, I'egular features, fine teeth, 
 was very skilful in all exercise that became a prince, sang 
 agreeably, touched the lute axid the theorbo with a delicacy 
 tliat charmed every one; could paint; in one word, was 
 highly accomplished ; and as to his courage, it amounted to 
 intrepidity. 
 
 Scarcely a day passed that he did not buy dogs, big or little : 
 greyhounds, mastiffs, bloodhounds, pointers, spaniels, water- 
 dogs, lap-dogs ; the instant he found one handsomer than the 
 other, he let the first go to keep the new purchase ; for it 
 would have been impossible for him to lead about by himself 
 thirty or forty thousand dogs, and he pei-severed in his deter- 
 mination to have neither gentlemen, nor valets de chambre, 
 nor pfiges in his train. He continued his journey without 
 having any fixed point to proceed to, when night, accom- 
 panied with thunder and rain, surprised him in a forest 
 through which he was no longer able to trace a path. 
 
 He took the first he could find, and after having walked a 
 long way, he saw a glimmer of light, which convinced him 
 that there was some habitation near him in which he might 
 find shelter till the morning. Guided by the light he came 
 to the gate of the most magnificent castle that could ever be 
 imagined. This gate was of gold covered with carbuncles, the 
 pure and vivid light of which illuminated all the neighbour- 
 hood. It was this light which the Prince had perceived at 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 435 
 
 a great distance. The walls were of transparent porcelain, 
 of several colours, on which were represented the histories of 
 all the Fairies from the beginning of the world to that day. 
 The famous adventures of Peau d'Ane,^ Finette, the Orange- 
 tree, Gracieuse, the Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, Green 
 Serpent, and a hundred others, were not forgotten. He was 
 delighted to meet amongst them, \s-ith Prince Sprite ; for he 
 was his uncle, according to the fashion of Brittany.^ The 
 rain and storm prevented his staying longer on a spot 
 where he was being wetted to the skin; besides which he 
 could not see anything beyond where the light of the car- 
 buncles extended to. • 
 
 He returned to the golden gate. He saw a kid's foot 
 attached to a chain of diamonds. He admired all this magni- 
 ficence, and the security in which the owners of the castle 
 appeared to live. " For, after all," said he, " what is to pre- 
 vent thieves from coming and cutting down this chain and 
 pulling the cai-buncles off the gate'f They would enrich 
 themselves for ever." 
 
 He pulled the kid's foot and immediately heard a bell ring, 
 which seemed by its sound to be of gold or of silver; a 
 moment after, the gate was opened without his perceiving 
 anything except a dozen of hands in the air, each of which 
 held a flambeau. He was so astonished that he hesitated to 
 advance; when he felt other hands which pushed him for- 
 wards with gentle violence. He moved on, therefore, with 
 Bome distrust, and at all risks, keeping his hand on the hilt of 
 his sword; but on entering a vestibule entirely encrusted 
 with porphyry and lapis lazuli, he heard two enchanting 
 Toices which sang these words : 
 
 " start not at the hands you see, 
 Nor fear in this delightful place 
 Aught, except a lovely face, 
 If from Love your heart would flee." 
 
 He could not believe that he was invited so graciously for 
 the purpose of eventually injiiring him ; so that, feeling him- 
 self pushed towards a large gate of coral, which opened 
 
 (1) A Fairy tale by Perrault, author also of the Sleeping Beauty. The rest are by 
 the Countess herself, and contained in this volume. 
 
 (2) " Au uncle a la mode de Bretagne," is the cousin-german of the father or the 
 mother, but it is used to signify a very distant degree of relationship. 
 
 F F 2 
 
436 TUE WHITE CAT. 
 
 directly that he approached it, he entered a saloon of mother- 
 of-pearl, and afterwards passed through several apartments 
 variously ornamented, and so rich with paintings and jewels, 
 that he was perfectly enchanted with them. Thousands and 
 thousands of lights, from the vaulted roof of the saloon down 
 to the floor, illuminated a portion of the other apartments, 
 which were also filled with chandeliers, girandoles, and stages 
 covered wuth wax-candles; in fact, the magnificence was so 
 great that it was not easy to imagine the possibility of it. 
 
 After having passed through sixty rooms, the hands that 
 conducted him stopped him. He saw a large easy-chair 
 moving by itself towards the fireplace. At the same moment 
 the fire was lighted, and the hands, which appeared to him 
 very handsome, white, small, plump, and well-shaped, began 
 to undress him ; for he was wet through, as I have already 
 told you, and they were afraid he would catch cold. They 
 presented him, still without his seeing any one, with a shirt 
 as fine as if it was for a wedding-day, and a morning gown of 
 some rich stufi" shot with gold, and embroidered with little 
 emeralds in cyphers. The bodiless hands moved a table 
 close to him on which his toilette was set out. Nothing 
 could be more magnificent. They combed him with a light- 
 ness and a skill which was very agreeable to him. Finally, 
 they dressed him again, but not in his own clothes ; they 
 brought him others much richer. He observed with silent 
 wonder all that took place, and occasionally felt some sUght 
 alarm, which he could not altogether conquer. 
 
 After they had powdered, curled, perfumed, adorned, 
 attired, and made him look handsomer than Adonis, the 
 hands led him into a hall superbly gilt and furnished ; around 
 it were represented the stories of all the most famous cats. 
 Rodillardus hung by the heels in the Council of Rats,^ Puss 
 in Boots, Marquis of Carabas,^ The Writing Cat,^ The Cat 
 that became a Woman,^ Witches in the shape of Cats, their 
 Sabbat,* and all its ceremonies. In short, nothing was ever 
 more curious than these paintings. 
 
 (1) La Fontaine, " Le Chat et le Vieux Rat.'' — Fable 18, liv. iii. 
 
 (2) " Le Chat Bottd " of Perrault was then a new story. 
 
 (3) " Le Chat qui ecrit :" a popular exhibition of the period. 
 
 (4) La Fontaine: "La Chatte Metamorphosee en Femme." — Fable 18, liv. ii. 
 
 (5) The Sabbat signifies a nocturnal meeting of witches, wherein the form feline 
 was a favourite assumption. 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 437 
 
 The cloth was laid, and there were two covers, each accom- 
 panied by its golden cadenas} The buffet astonished him, by 
 the quantity of cups upon it of rock crystal and a thousand 
 Tare stones. The Prince could not imagine for whom the 
 two covers were placed, when he saw several cats take their 
 places in a small orchestra, fitted up expressly for them. One 
 held a music-book, the notes in which were of the most 
 extraordinary kind; another a roll of paper to beat time 
 with; and the rest had little guitars. 
 
 Suddenly each began to mew in a different tone, and to 
 scratch the strings of their guitars with their claws. It was 
 the strangest music that had ever been heard. The Prince 
 would have thought himself in the infernal regions if he had 
 not found the palace too marvellously beautiful to permit 
 him to fall into such an error ; but he stopped his ears and 
 laughed heartily at the sight of the various postures and 
 grimaces of these novel musicians. 
 
 He was meditating on the different things that had already 
 happened to him in the chateau, when he saw a little figure 
 enter the hall, scarcely a cubit in height. This poppet was 
 covered with a long black crape veil. Two cats preceded it 
 dressed in deep mourning and wearing cloaks and swords; 
 a numerous train of cats followed, some carrying rat-traps 
 full of rats, and others mice in cages. 
 
 The Prince could not recover from his astonishment; he 
 knew not what to think. The little black figxire approached, 
 and lifting its veil he perceived the most beautiful little white 
 cat that ever was or ever will be. She had a very youthful 
 and very melancholy air, and commenced a mewing so soft 
 and sweet, that it went straight to the heart. " Son of a King," 
 said she to the Prince, " thou art welcome ; my mewing 
 majesty beholds thee with pleasure." " Madam Cat," said the 
 Prince, " it is very generous of you to receive me with so 
 much attention ; but you do not appear to me to be an ordi- 
 nary little animal. The gift you have of speech, and the 
 
 (1) The cadenas was a bos of gold, silver, or silver gilt, standing on three small 
 metal balls, with a case in it which contained the knife, fork, and spoon of the king, 
 or any other royal personage. It was probably so ciUled from the lock under which 
 it was kept as a security against poison. Even the saucepans were sometimes pad- 
 locked for the same reason. Madame d'Aulnoy, in her " Travels in Spain," tells an 
 amusing story of the archbishop of Burgos going to bed supperless, because his 
 cook, to prevent the gallant prelate sharing his O//0 with the Countess, pretended to 
 have lost the key of the silver saucepan in the snow. — Letter vL 13th March, 1679. 
 
438 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 superb castle you inhabit, are sufficient evidence to the con- 
 trary." "Son of a King," rejoined the White Cat, " I pray 
 thee cease to pay me comphments. I am plain in my lan- 
 guage and my manners; but I have a kind heart. Come," 
 continued she, " let them serve supper and bid the concert 
 cease; for the Prince does not understand what they are 
 singing." " And are they then singing any words, Madam ?" 
 inquired he. " Undoubtedly," she answered ; " we have poets 
 here of considerable talent, and if you remain amongst us 
 some little time, you will be convinced of the fact." " It is 
 only for you to say so and to be believed," replied the Prince 
 politely ; " but I must also consider you, Madam, a cat of a 
 very rare description." 
 
 The supper was served up. It was placed on the table by 
 the hands of invisible bodies. First, there were two soups, 
 one of pigeons and the other of very fat mice. The sight 
 of the latter prevented the Prince from touching the 
 former, believing that the same cook had concocted both; 
 but the little cat, who guessed from the face he made, what 
 was passing in his mind, assured him that their meals had 
 been cooked separately, and that he might eat what was set 
 before him with the perfect assurance that there were neither 
 rats nor mice in it. 
 
 The Prince did not wait to be told twice, feeling satisfied 
 that the pretty little cat had no wish to deceive him. He ob- 
 served that she had on her paw a miniature set in a bracelet. 
 This surpi'ised him. He begged her to show it to him ; sup- 
 posing it to be that of Master Minagrobis.^ He was astonished 
 to find it the portrait of a young man so handsome, that it 
 was almost incredible nature could have formed such a being, 
 and who resembled himself so greatly, that he could not have 
 been better painted. The White Cat sighed, and becoming 
 still more melancholy, she observed a profound silence. The 
 Prince saw clearly that there was something extraordinary 
 connected with the portrait, but did not venture to ask any 
 questions, for fear of displeasing the cat or afflicting her. He 
 entertained her with the relation of all the news he was in 
 possession of, and found her intimately acquainted with the 
 various interests of princes and other things passing in the 
 world. After supper the White Cat invited her guest to 
 
 (1) A cat's name derived fiom La Fontaine and Rabelais. 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 439 
 
 enter a saloon, in which there was a theatre, wherein twelve 
 cats and twelve monkeys danced a ballet. One party was 
 dressed as Mooi-s, the other as Chinese. It is easy to imagine 
 the leaps and capers they executed ; and every now and then 
 they gave each other a scratch or two. Thus finished the 
 evening. The White Cat said " Good night" to her guest ; 
 the hands who had been his conductor so far, took hold of 
 him again and led him into an apartment quite different from 
 any he had seen. It was not so magnificent as it was elegant. 
 The hangings were all of butterflies' wings ; the various 
 colours of which formed a thousand different flowers. There 
 were also the feathers of exceedingly rare birds, and which, 
 perhaps, have never been seen elsewhere. The bed-furniture 
 was of gauze, tied up with a thousand bows of riband. There 
 were large min-ors from the ceiling to the floor, with frames 
 of chased gold, representing a thousand little Cupids. 
 
 The Prince went to bed without saying a word, for there 
 were no means of talking with the hands that waited upon 
 him ; he slept little, and was awakened by a confused noise. 
 The hands immediately lifted him out of bed, and dressed him 
 in a hunting habit. He looked into the court-yard of the 
 castle, and perceived more than five hundred cats, some of 
 whom led greyhounds in the slips, others were blowing the 
 horn. It was a gi-and fete-day. White Cat was going to 
 hunt, and wished the Prince to accompany her. The officious 
 hands presented him with a wooden horse, which went full 
 gallop and kept up the pace wonderfully. He made some 
 objection to mounting it, saying that it wanted but little to 
 make him a knight-errant like Don Quixote; but his resist- 
 ance was useless; they placed him on the wooden horse. The 
 housings and saddle of it were embroidered with gold and 
 diamonds. White Cat rode a monkey, the handsomest and 
 proudest that had ever been seen. She had thrown off her 
 long veil, and wore a dragoon's cap, which made her look so 
 bold that she frightened all the mice in the neighbourhood. 
 Never was there a more agreeable hunting party. The cats 
 outran the rabbits and hai-es, and as fast as they caught them 
 White Cat had the curee^ made in her presence, and a thou- 
 sand skilful feats were performed, to the great gratification of 
 
 (1) Making the cur^e is a hunting term, which signifies the rewarding the hawks 
 or hounds with portions of the prey upon the spot. 
 
440 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 the whole company. The birds, on their part, were by no 
 means safe, for the kittens cHmbed the trees, and the great 
 monkey carried White Cat up even to the nests of the eagles, 
 to place at her mercy their little highnesses the eaglets. 
 
 The hunt being over, the White Cat took a horn, about the 
 length of one's finger, but which gave out a tone so clear and 
 loud that it was easily heard ten leagues off. As soon as she 
 had sounded two or three flourishes, she was surrounded by 
 all the cats in the country. Some appeared in the air, riding 
 in chariots; others came in boats by water; in short, so many 
 were never seen together before. They were nearly all dressed 
 in different fashions, and, attended by this splendid train, she 
 returned to the castle, requesting the Prince to accompany 
 her. He was perfectly willing to do so, notwithstanding that 
 so much caterwauling smacked a little of a witch's festival, 
 and that the talking cat astonished him beyond all the rest. 
 
 As soon as she reached home, she put on her great black 
 veil. She supped with the Prince, who was hungry, and did 
 justice to the good cheer. They brought him some liqueurs, 
 which he sipped with much satisfaction, and they immediately 
 effaced all recollection of the little dog he was to find for the 
 King. He no longer thought of anything but mewing with 
 White Cat, that is to say, remaining her kind and faithful 
 companion. He passed his days in agreeable amusements, 
 sometimes fishing, sometimes hunting. After which, there 
 were ballets, carousals,^ and a thousand other things which 
 entertained him exceedingly. Even the beautiful cat herself 
 fi-equently composed verses and sonnets so full of passionate 
 tenderness, that it seemed as if she had a susceptible heart, 
 and that no one could speak as she did without being in love. 
 But her secretary, who was an old cat, wrote such a vile 
 scrawl, that, although her works have been preserved, it is 
 impossible to read them. 
 
 The Prince had forgotten even the land of his birth. The 
 hands, of which I have spoken, continued to wait upon him. 
 He regretted sometimes that he was not a cat, to pass his 
 whole life in such excellent company. "Alas," said he to 
 White Cat, " how wretched it will make me to leave you ! I 
 love you so dearly ! — Either become a woman, or make me a 
 
 1 1 ) These grand equestrian spectacles reached the height of their magnificence 
 and populaiity in the reign of Louis XIV. 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 441 
 
 cat." She was amused by his wish, and returned him some 
 mysterious answers, out of which he could scarcely make 
 anything. A year flies away quickly when one has neither 
 care nor pain, when one is merry and in good health. White 
 Cat knew the time at which the Prince was bound to return, 
 and as he thought no more of it, she reminded him. " Dost 
 know," said she, " that thou hast only three days left to look 
 for the little dog that the King, thy father, wishes for, and 
 that thy brothers have already found several very beautiful V 
 The Prince's memory returned to him, and, astonished at his 
 negligence, " What secret spell," he exclaimed, " could have 
 made me forget a thing, the most important to me in the 
 world? — My honour and my fortune are staked upon it. 
 Where shall I find such a dog as will win a kingdom for me, 
 and a horse swift enough to perform such a journey in so 
 short a time?" He began to be very anxious and sorrowful. 
 
 White Cat said to him, with much sweetness, " Son of a 
 King, do not distress thyself, I am thy friend. Thou mayest yet 
 remain here one day longer ; and, although it is five hundred 
 leagues from this to your countiy, the good wooden horse will 
 carry you there in less than twelve hours." " I thank you, 
 beautiful Cat," said the Prince ; " but it is not sufficient for 
 me merely to return to my father; I must take him a little dog." 
 " Hold," said White Cat, " here is an acorn which contains one 
 more beautiful than the dog-star." " Oh, Madam Cat," cried 
 the Prince, " your majesty jests with me." " Put the acorn 
 to your ear," rejoined she, " and you will hear it bark." He 
 obeyed her, and immediately the little dog went "bow, wow," 
 which transported the Prince with delight, for such a dog as 
 could be contained in an acorn was certain to be very dimi- 
 nutive indeed. 
 
 He was going to open the acorn, so eager was he to see the 
 dog, but White Cat told him that it might catch cold on the 
 journey, and it would be better for him to wait till he was in 
 the presence of his royal father. He thanked her a thousand 
 times, and took a most tender leave of her. " I assure you," 
 he added, " that the days I have passed with you have flown 
 so quickly, that I regret in some measure leaving you behind 
 me ; and although you are a sovereign here, and all the 
 cats that compose yom' court possess much more wit and 
 gallantly than ours, I do not hesitate to invite you to come 
 
442 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 with me." The Cat rephed to this invitation only by a deep 
 sigh. 
 
 They parted ; the Prince was the first to reach the castle 
 where he had appointed to meet his brothers. They arrived 
 shortly after him, and were surprised to see a wooden horse in 
 the court-yard which curvetted with more grace than any one 
 sees in the riding schools. 
 
 The Prince came forward to receive them, they embraced 
 several times, and recounted their travels to each other; but 
 our Prince kept his principal adventures a secret from his 
 brothers, and showed them an ugly turnspit, observing, that 
 he thought it so beautiful that he had selected it for presenta- 
 tion to the King. Notwithstanding the friendship that ex- 
 isted between the brothers, the two eldest felt a secret joy at 
 the bad taste of their younger brother. Being seated at 
 table, they trod on each other's toes, by way of signifying that 
 they had not much to fear on that account. 
 
 The next morning they set out together in the same coach. 
 The King's two eldest sons caiTied in baskets some little dogs, 
 so beautiful and delicate that one could scarcely venture to 
 touch them. The youngest son can-ied the poor turnspit, 
 which was so filthy that nobody could bear the sight of it. 
 As soon as they set foot in the palace, everj-body surrounded 
 them to welcome them back to court. They entered the 
 King's apartment. He was puzzled in whose favour to decide, 
 for the little dogs which were presented to him by the two 
 eldest were so nearly equal to each other in beauty ; and they 
 had already begun to dispute the right of succession, when 
 their younger brother reconciled them by taking out of his 
 pocket the acorn which the White Cat had given him. He 
 opened it immediately, and then everybody beheld a little 
 dog lying upon cotton. It passed through a ring without 
 touching any part of it. The Prince placed it on the floor, 
 and it began directly to dance a saraband with the castagnettes, 
 as lightly as the most celebrated' Spanish dancer. It was of 
 a thousand different colours ; its hair and its ears swept the 
 ground. The King was dumbfounded, for it was impossible 
 to find a word to say against the beauty of Toutou. Never- 
 theless, he was by no means inclined to resign his crown. The 
 smallest fleur-de-lis in its circle was dearer to him than all the 
 Jogs in the universe. He told his children, therefore, that he 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 443 
 
 ^as gratified by the trouble they had taken ; but that they 
 had succeeded so well in fulfilling the first request he had 
 made to them, that he should test their ability again before 
 he performed his promise. He therefore gave them a year to 
 travel over land and sea, in quest of a piece of cloth so fine 
 that it would pass through the eye of a needle used to make 
 Venetian point-lace with. They were all three exceedingly 
 chagrined to be obliged to go upon a new voyage of discovery. 
 The two Princes, whose dogs were less beautiful than that of 
 the youngest, consented. Each took his own way, without so 
 many professions of friendship as before, for the turnspit had 
 rather cooled their ardour. 
 
 Our Prince remounted his wooden horse, and without wishing 
 to find other assistance than he might hope for from the friend- 
 ship of White Cat, he set out at full speed, and returned to the 
 castle where he had been so kindly received by her. He found 
 all the doors open. The windows, the roofs, the towers, and 
 the walls were all illuminated by a hundred thousand lamps, 
 which produced a wonderful effect. The hands which had 
 waited so well upon him advanced to meet him, and took the 
 bridle of the excellent wooden horse, which they led to the 
 stable, while the Prince entered AVhite Cat's apartments. 
 
 She was lying in a little basket on a veiy neat mattrass of 
 white satin. She was in her morning cap, and seemed low- 
 spirited, but when she perceived the Prince she cut a thou- 
 sand capers, and played as many gambols to testify her delight 
 to him. " Whatever reason I had to hope you would return," 
 said she to him, " I confess, Son of a King, that I dared not 
 flatter myself by indulging in it, and I am generally so un- 
 fortunate in matters that concern me that this is an agreeable 
 surprise." The grateful Prince caressed her a thousand 
 times. He recounted to her the success of his journey, 
 which she knew perhaps better than he did, and that the 
 king wanted a piece of cloth which could pass through the 
 eye of a needle; that in truth he believed it was impossiVile 
 to find such a thing, but that he had not hesitated to make 
 the attempt, relying implicitly upon her friendship and assist- 
 ance. Wbite Cat, assuming a more serious air, told him it 
 was a matter that demanded consideration ; that, fortunately, 
 there were some cats in her castle who spun exceedingly well ; 
 that she would put a claw to it herself^ and forward the work 
 
444 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 as much as possible, so that he might rest contented without 
 going further in search of what he would more readily find 
 in her castle than in any other place in the world. 
 
 The hands appeared, bearing flambeaux, and the Prince, 
 following them with White Cat, entered a magnificent gallery 
 running along the side of a large river, on which there was 
 an astonishing display of fireworks. Four cats were to be 
 burnt there, that had been tried and sentenced in due form. 
 They were accused of having eaten the roast meat provided 
 for the White Cat's supper, her cheese, her milk, and even 
 of having conspired against her life with Mailafax and L'Her- 
 mite, two famous rats of that country, and held as such by 
 La Fontaine, a very faithful historian : but with all that, it 
 w;is well known there was a great deal of cabal in the matter, 
 and that the majority of the witnesses had been tampered 
 with. However this might be, the Prince obtained their par- 
 don. The fireworks did no injury to any one, and never yet 
 were seen such splendid sky-rockets. 
 
 After this, a very nice supper was served, which gave the 
 Prince more gratification than the fireworks, for he was very 
 hungry, and the wooden horse had brought him at such 
 a pace that he had never ridden so hard before in his life. 
 The following days were passed like those that had preceded 
 them, in a thousand various entertainments with which the 
 ingenious White Cat regaled her guest. Our Prince is pro- 
 bably the first mortal who ever found so much amusement 
 amongst cats, without any other society. 
 
 It is true that White Cat was possessed of agreeable, 
 sweet, and almost universal talent. She was wiser than a cat 
 is allowed to be. The Prince was sometimes astonished at 
 her knowledge. " No," said he, " it is not natural for you to 
 posses all these wonderful qualities I discover in you. If you 
 love me, charming Pussy, explain to me by what miracle you 
 are enabled to think and speak so perfectly, that you might 
 be elected a member of the most famous Academy of Arts 
 and Sciences?" "Cease to question me, Son of a King," 
 said she to him ; " I am not allowed to answer; and thou 
 mayest carry thy conjectures as far as thou wilt without my 
 contradicting thee. Let it suffice that t have always a velvet 
 paw for thee, and that I take an affectionate interest in all 
 that concerns thee." 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 445 
 
 The second year slipped away as insensibly as the first. 
 The Prince could scarcely think of anything that the diligent 
 hands did not instantly provide him with, whether books, 
 jewels, pictures, antique medals ; in short, he had but to say, 
 1 want a certain gem that is in the cabinet of the Great 
 Mogul or of the King of Pei-sia, or such a statue in Corinth 
 or any part of Greece, and he saw it instantly before him, 
 without knowing how it came or who brought it. This was 
 not without its charms, and as a relaxation, it is sometimes 
 very agreeable to see oneself the possessor of the finest trea- 
 sures in the world. 
 
 White Cat, who was ever watchful for the Prince's welfare, 
 warned him that the hour of departure was approaching, that 
 he might make himself easy about the piece of cloth which 
 he required, and that she had made a most wonderful one 
 for him. She added, that it was her intention, this time, to 
 furnish him with an equipage worthy his birth ; and, without 
 waiting for his reply, she compelled him to look into the 
 great court-yard of the castle. He saw in it an open caleche, 
 of gold, enamelled flame-colour, with a thousand gallant 
 devices, which satisfied the mind as much as the eye. It was 
 drawn by twelve horses as white as snow, four-and-four 
 abreast, their harness being _ of flame-coloured velvet em- 
 broidered with diamonds and plated with gold. The caleche 
 was lined to match, and a hundred coaches, each with eight 
 horses, filled with noblemen of high bearing, very superbly 
 attired, followed the caleche. There was also an escort of 
 a thousand body-guards, whose uniforms were so covered 
 with embroidery that you could not see the stuff" they were 
 made of. It was a remarkable feature of this cavalcade that 
 the portrait of White Cat was to be observed in every part 
 of it, either in the devices on the caleche or on the uniforms 
 of the body-guard, or attached by a riband to the doublets of 
 those who formed the train, as if it were a new order with 
 which she had decorated them. 
 
 " Go," said she to the Prince, " go and appear at the court 
 of the king, thy father, in such sumptuous state, that thy 
 magnificence may make an impression upon him and prevent 
 his again refusing to bestow on thee the crown thou desei'vest. 
 Here is a walnut. Crack it but in his presence, and thou 
 wilt find in it the piece of cloth thou hast asked me for." 
 
446 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 "Amiable White Cat," said he to her, " I protest to you that 
 I am so penetrated by your bounties, that, if you would con- 
 Bent, T should prefer passing my life here with you to all the 
 grandeur which I have reason to expect elsewhere." " Son of 
 a King," replied she, *' I am convinced of the kindness of thy 
 heart. It is a rare article amongst princes. They would be 
 loved by everybody, yet not love any one themselves. But 
 thou art a proof that the rule has its exception. I give thee 
 credit for the affection thou displayest for a little White Cat 
 that after all is good for nothing but to catch mice." The 
 Prince kissed her paw and departed? We should have some 
 difficulty in believing the speed with which he travelled if we 
 were not already aware of the way in which the wooden 
 horse had earned him in less than two days a distance of five 
 hundred leagues from the castle; so that, impelled by the 
 same power, these other steeds travelled so swiftly that they 
 were only four and twenty hours on the road, stopping 
 nowhere till they reached the King's palace, to which the two 
 elder brothers had already repaired, and, not seeing their 
 youngest, congratulated themselves on his negligence, and 
 whispered to each other, " Here's a piece of good luck ! He 
 is either dead or very ill. He will not be our rival in the 
 important business which is about to be decided." They im- 
 mediately displayed their cloths, which were, in truth, so 
 fine, that they could pass them through the eye of a lai'ge 
 needle, but not through that of a small one ; and the King, 
 very glad of this pretext for refusal, produced the needle he 
 had previously selected, and which the magistrates, by his 
 order, had brought out of the City Treasury, wherein it had 
 been carefully kept in the meanwhile. 
 
 There was much murmuring at this objection. The friends 
 of the Princes, and particularly those of the eldest, for his 
 cloth was of the finest texture, protested that it was a down- 
 right piece of chicanery, in which there was equal ingenuity 
 and Normanism.^ The King's parasites contended that he 
 was only bound by the conditions he had proposed. At length, 
 to settle the matter, a fine flourish was heard of trumpets, kettle- 
 drums, and hautbois : it announced the aiTival of our Prince 
 in all his pomp and paraphernalia. The King and his two other 
 sons were all equally astonished at such great magnificence. 
 
 (1) See Note to p. 79. 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 447 
 
 After the Pi-iace had respectfully saluted his father and 
 embraced his brothers, he took out of a box covered with 
 rubies, the walnut, which he cracked, expecting to find in it 
 the boasted piece of cloth; but in lieu of it there w^as a hazel 
 nut. He cracked that also, and was surprised to see in it a 
 cherry stone. Everybody looked at one another, and the King 
 laughed in his sleeve, and jeered at the notion of his sou being 
 credulous enough to believe he could bring a whole piece of 
 cloth in a waluut; but why should he not have believed it, 
 when he had already given him a little dog that had come 
 out of an acorn? He therefore cracked the cherry-stone, 
 which was filled with its kernel. A great murmur then arose 
 in the apartment. Nothing was heard but the opinion that 
 the young Prince had been duped in this adventure. He 
 made no answer to the raillery of the courtiers: he opened 
 the kernel and found in it a grain of wheat, and in the grain 
 of wheat a millet seed. Ah ! In truth, he began to doubt, and 
 muttered between his teeth, "White Cat, White Cat, thou hast 
 fooled me!" At that moment he felt a cat's claw upon his 
 hand, which gave him such a scratch that the blood came. 
 He knew not whether this scratch was given to encourage or 
 to dishearten him; nevertheless, he opened the millet seed, 
 and great was the astonishment of the whole company when 
 he drew out of it a piece of cloth four hundred ells in length, 
 so wonderfully wrought, that all the birds, beasts, and fishes 
 were seen in their natural colours, with the trees, fruits, and 
 plants of the earth ; the rocks, curiosities, and shells of the 
 ocean; the sun, the moon, the great and lesser stars and 
 planets of the sky. There were also the portraits of all the 
 kings and other sovereigns at that time reigning in the 
 world, with those of their wives, of their mistresses, of their 
 children, and of all their subjects, not forgetting the 
 tiniest little urchin; — every one, in his particular class of 
 life, accurately represented, and dressed in the habit of his 
 country. 
 
 When the King saw this piece of cloth, he became as pale 
 as the Prince had become red with confusion at having been 
 so long finding it. The needle was produced, and the Prince 
 passed and repassed the cloth through the eye of it six times. 
 The King and the two eldest Princes looked on in sullen 
 silence, except when the beauty and curiosity of the cloth 
 
448 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 forced them occasionally to acknowledge there was nothing 
 that could be compared to it in the universe. 
 
 The King heaved a deep sigh, and, turning towards his 
 children, " Nothing," said he, " could give me so much con- 
 solation in my old age as observing the deference paid by you 
 to my wishes. I am therefore desirous to put your obedience 
 to a new test. Go and tmvel for another year, and he who, 
 at the end of it, brings back with him the most beautiful 
 maiden, shall marry her, and be crowned King on his wedding 
 day. It is, besides, necessary that my successor should mairy, 
 and I swear, I pledge my honour, that I will no longer defer 
 bestowing the reward I have promised." 
 
 All the injustice of this proceeding fell upon our Prince. 
 The little dog and the piece of cloth were worth ten kingdoms 
 rather than one, but lie was so well bred that he would not 
 dispute the will of his father, and without hesitation he 
 reentered his caleche. All his train followed him, and he 
 took the road back to his dear White Cat. She knew the 
 day and the moment he woixld ai-rive. All the way was 
 strewn with flowers; thousands of vases of perfume smoked 
 on all sides, and particularly within the castle. White Cat 
 was seated on a Persian carpet, under a pavilion of cloth of 
 gold, in a gallery, from whence she could see him approach. 
 He was received by the hands that had always attended upon 
 him. All the cats climbed up into the gutters to welcome 
 him with a desperate squalling. 
 
 " So, Son of a King," said White Cat to him, " thou hast 
 returned once more without the crown." "Madam," he replied, 
 " your boxxnties placed me in a position to gain it ; but I am 
 convinced that it would have given the King more pain to 
 part with it than I could have received pleasure from its 
 possession." " No matter," said she, " thou must neglect 
 nothing to deserve it. I will assist thee in this matter, and 
 as thou art bound to take back with thee a beautiful maid to 
 thy father's court, I will find one for thee who shall gain thee 
 the prize. In the meanwhile let us be merry. I have 
 ordered a naval combat between my cats and the terrible rats 
 of this country. My cats will perhaps be a little embarrassed, 
 for they are afraid of the water; but otherwise they would 
 have had too much the advantage, and one ought, as much 
 aa possible, to equalize matters." The Prince admired the 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 449 
 
 prudence of Madam Puss. He praised her exceedingly, and 
 accompanied her to a terrace which overlooked the sea. 
 
 The ships in which the cats were embarked were large 
 pieces of cork, on which they sailed conveniently enough. 
 The rats had joined together several egg-shells, and of these 
 tlieir navy consisted. The battle was cruelly obstinate. The 
 rats flung themselves into the water, and swam much better 
 than the cats, so that they were victors and vanquished alter- 
 nately twenty times ] but Minagrobis, admiral of the feline 
 fleet, reduced the rattish race to the <?reatest despair. He 
 devoured the general of their forces, an old rat, of great 
 experience, who had been round the world three times, in 
 capital ships, in which he was neither captain nor common 
 sailor, but simply a lickspit. 
 
 White Cat would not permit the utter destiniction of all 
 these poor unfortunate creatures. She was an acute politician, 
 and calculated that if there were no more rats or mice left in 
 the countiy, her subjects would live in a state of idleness, 
 which might become highly prejudicial to her. The Prince 
 passed this year as he had the two preceding, that is to say, 
 in hunting, fishing, or chess, at which White Cat played 
 exceedingly well. He could not help occasionally questioning 
 her anew as to the miraculous power by which she was 
 enabled to speak. He asked her whether she was a Fairy, or 
 whether she had been transformed into a Cat; but as she 
 never said anything but what she chose, she also never made 
 answers that were not perfectly agreeable to her, and conse- 
 quently her replies consisted of a number of little words which 
 signified nothing particular, so that he clearly perceived she 
 was not inclined to make him a partaker of her secret. 
 
 Nothing runs away faster than time passed without trouble 
 or sorrow, and if the Cat had not been careful to remember 
 the day when it was necessary the Prince should return to 
 Court, it is certain that he woiild have absolutely forgotten it. 
 She informed him on the evening preceding it that it only 
 depended on himself to take home with him one of the most 
 beautiful Princesses in the world : that the hour to destroy 
 the fatal work of the Fairies had at length arrived, and for 
 that purpose he must resolve to cut off her head and her 
 tail, and fling them quickly into the fire. "I!" exclaimed 
 the Prince, " Blanchette ! — My love ! — I be so barbarous as t© 
 
 00 
 
450 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 kill yoii! Ah! you would doubtless tiy my heart; but rest 
 assured it is incapable of forgetting the love and gratitude it 
 owes you." " No, Son of a King," continued she, " I do not 
 suspect thee of ingratitude. I know thy worth. It is 
 neither thou nor I who in this affair can control our destiny. 
 Do as I bid thee. We shall both of us begin to be happy, 
 and, on the faith of a Cat of reputation and honour, thou wilt 
 acknowledge that I am truly thy friend." 
 
 The tears came several times into the eyes of the young 
 Prince, at the mere thought of being obliged to cut off the 
 head of his little kitten, so pretty and so amiable. He con- 
 tinued to say all the most tender things that he could think 
 of, in order to induce her to spare him such a trial. She per- 
 sisted in replying that she desired to die by his hand, and that 
 it was the only means of preventing his brothers' obtaining 
 the crown. In a word, she pressed him so earnestly, that all 
 in a tremble he drew his sword, and, with a faltering hand, 
 cut off the head and tail of his dearly beloved Cat. The 
 next moment he beheld the most charming transformation 
 that can be imagined. The body of White Cat increased in 
 size and changed suddenly into that of a young maiden — one 
 that cannot be described ; there has never been any so perfect. 
 Her eyes enraptured all hearts, and her sweetness held them 
 captive. Her form was majestic, her carriage noble and 
 modest, her spirit gentle, her manners engaging ; in fact, 
 she exceeded eveiything that was ever most amiable. 
 
 The Prince, at her sight, was so stnick with surprise, and 
 that surprise was so agreeable, that he fancied himself en- 
 chanted. He could not speak nor open his eyes wide enough 
 to look at her. Tongue-tied, he was unable to express his 
 astonishment ; but it was still greater when he saw an extra- 
 ordinary number of lords and ladies enter the apartment, 
 who, each having his or her cat's skin flung over the 
 shoulders, advanced, and threw themselves at the feet of their 
 Queen, and testified their delight at beholding her restored to 
 her natural form. She received them with marks of affection 
 that sufficiently indicated the goodness of her heart, and 
 after passing a short time in the circle, she desired them to 
 leave her alone with the Prince, to whom she spoke as follows. 
 
 " Think not, my Lord, that I have been always a Cat, nor 
 that my birth is an obscure one in the eyes of men. My 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 451 
 
 father was king of six kingdoms ; he loved my mother ten- 
 derly, and allowed her full liberty to do whatever she liked. 
 Her ruling passion was travelling, and shortly before I was 
 bom she imdertook a journey to a certain mountain of which 
 she had heard a most surprising account. Whilst on her road 
 thither she was told that near the spot she was then passing 
 there was an old Fairy Castle, the most beautiful in the 
 world ; — at least so it was believed to be, from a tradition con- 
 cerning it ; for as no one entered it, they could not form an 
 opinion; but they knew for certain that the Fairies had in 
 their garden the finest, the most delicious and most delicate 
 fruit that was ever eaten. 
 
 " The Queen, my mother, immediately took such a violent 
 feincy to taste it, that she turned her steps towards the Castle. 
 She aiTived at the gate of that superb edifice, which blazed 
 with gold and azure on all sides : but she knocked in vain. 
 Nobody appeared to answer her ; it seemed as if everybody 
 in the Castle was dead. Her desire was increased by the 
 difficulty. She sent for ladders in order that her attendants 
 might get over the garden walls, and they would have suc- 
 ceeded in doing so if the said walls had not visibly increased 
 in height though no one was seen to work at them. They 
 lengthened the ladders by tying two or three together, but 
 they broke under the weight of those who mounted them, and 
 who either lamed or killed themselves. 
 
 " The Queen was in despair. She saw the great trees laden 
 with fruit which looked delicious. She was determined to eat 
 some, or die. She therefore had some very splendid tents 
 pitched before the Castle, and remained there six weeks with 
 all her court. She neither slept nor ate; she sighed un- 
 ceasingly, she talked of nothing but the fruit of the inacces- 
 sible garden. At length she fell dangerously ill, without any 
 one soever being able to find the least remedy for her com- 
 plaint, for the inexorable Fairies had never so much as even 
 appeared since she had established herself in front of the 
 Castle. All her officers afflicted themselves exceedingly. 
 Nothing was to be heard but sobs and sighs, while the dying 
 Queen kept asking for fruit from her attendants, but cared 
 for none except that which was denied her. 
 
 '•' One night, having felt a little drowsy, she saw on re-open- 
 ing her eyes, a little old woman, ugly and decrepit, seated in 
 og2 
 
"452 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 an arm-chair at the head of her bed. She was surprised that 
 her women had suffered a stranger to come so near her, when 
 the old woman said to her, ' We think thy majesty very 
 obstinate in persisting in thy desire to eat of our fruit : but 
 since thy precious life depends upon it, my sisters and I 
 consent to give thee as much as thou canst carry away with 
 thee, as well as what thou mayest eat upon the spot, pro- 
 vided thou wilt give us something in exchange.' ' Ah ! my 
 good mother,' exclaimed the Queen ; ' speak ! I will give 
 you my kingdoms, my heart, my soul! I cannot purchase 
 such fruit at too high a price.' ' We wish,' said the Fairy, 
 ' for the daughter that thou art about to bring into the 
 world. As soon as she is born, we will come and fetch 
 her: she will be brought up amongst us. There are no 
 virtues, no charms, no accomplishments, with which we will 
 not endow her. In a word, she will be our child ; we will 
 make her hpippy : but observe, that thy majesty will see her 
 no more until she be married. If this proposal is agreeable 
 to thee, I will cure thee instantly, and lead thee into our 
 orchard. Notwithstanding that it is night, thou wilt be able 
 to see well enough to pick the fruit thou mayest fancy. If 
 what I have said do not please thee, good night, Queen; I 
 am going to bed.' 
 
 " ' Hard as the condition may be which you impose upon 
 me,' replied the Queen, ' I will accept it sooner than die, 
 for I am satisfied I could not live another day, and my infant 
 would therefore perish with me. Cure me, wise Fairy,' con- 
 tinued she, ' and delay not a moment my enjoyment of the 
 privilege you have promised to grant me.' 
 
 " The Fairy touched her with a little golden wand, saying, 
 * Let thy majesty be free from all the ills that confine thee 
 to this bed ! ' It seemed immediately to the Queen as if 
 some one were divesting her of a heavy and stiff robe which 
 had oppressed her, and that some portions of it clung to her 
 still. This was apparently in the places most aflfected by her 
 disorder. She sent for all her ladies, and told them, with 
 a smiling countenance, that she was quite well, that she was 
 going to get up, and that at length the gates, so well bolted 
 and barred, of the Fairy Palace, would be opened for her to 
 enter and eat the fine fruit, and take away with her as much 
 as she liked. 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 453 
 
 " There was not one of her ladies who did not believe the 
 Queen to be delirious, and that her mind was at that moment 
 running on the fruit she had so much wished for, so that 
 instead of answering her, they began to weep, and went and 
 woke all the physicians, that they might come and see the 
 state her majesty was in. » 
 
 " This delay exasperated the Queen. She ordered them to 
 bring her clothes to her directly. They refused. She flew 
 in a passion, and became scarlet with rage. They attributed 
 it to the effect of fever: but the physicians having arrived, 
 after feeling her pulse and going through the visual ceremo- 
 nies, could not deny that she was in perfect health. Her 
 women, who perceived the error into which their zeal had 
 betrayed them, endeavoured to atone for it by dressing her 
 as quickly as possible. Each of them asked her majesty's 
 pardon ; peace was restored, and the Queen hastened to follow 
 the old Fairy, who was still waiting for her. 
 
 " She entered the palace, which required no addition to 
 make it the most beautiful place in the world. 
 
 " You will easily believe it, my lord," added Queen White 
 Cat, " when I tell you it was that in which we are at present : 
 two other Fairies, a little younger than the one who conducted 
 my mother, received her at the gate, and welcomed her very 
 graciously. She begged they would lead her directly into the 
 garden, and to those espaliers where she would find the best 
 fruit. * It is all equally good,' said they to her, 'and if it 
 were not that you desired to have the pleasure of picking 
 it yourself, we have only to call the fruit we wish for, and it 
 would come to us here.' ' I implore you, ladies,' said the 
 Queen, * to gi*atify me by so extraordinary a sight.' The 
 eldest Fairy put her finger into her mouth and whistled three 
 times, then cried, ' Apricots, peaches, nectarines, brunions,^ 
 cherries, plumbs, pears, begaroons, melons, muscatel grapes, 
 apples, oranges, lemons, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries, 
 come at my call !' ' But,' said the Queen, * all the fruit you 
 have summoned is not to be found at the same season.' 
 ' In our orchard,' they replied, ' we have all the fruits of 
 the earth, always ripe, always excellent, and they never spoil 
 or rot.' 
 
 " Meanwhile the fruit came rolling in over the floor pell-mell, 
 
 (1) A suit of peach. 
 
454 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 but without being bruised or dirtied; so that the Queen, 
 impatient to satisfy her longing, threw herself upon it, and 
 took the first that came to hand, devouring rather than 
 eating it. 
 
 " 2Vfter having partly satisfied her appetite, she begged the 
 Fairies to let her proceed to the espaliers, that she might 
 have the pleasure of choosing the fruit on the tree, and thou 
 gathering it. * We give thee free permission,' said they, ' but 
 remember the promise thou hast made us, thou wilt not be 
 allowed to recall it ! ' * I am convinced, said she, ' that you 
 live so well here, and this palace appears to me so handsome, 
 that if 1 did not love the King my husband dearly, I should 
 propose to remain here wath you as well as my daughter; 
 you need have no fear, therefore, of my retracting my word.' 
 
 " The Fairies, perfectly satisfied, opened all their gardens 
 and enclosures to her; she remained in them three days and 
 three nights without wishing to go out again ; so delicious 
 did she find them. She gathered fruit to take home with 
 her, and as it would not spoil, she had four thousand mules 
 laden with it. The Fairies, in addition to the fruit, gave her 
 golden baskets of the most exquisite make to put it in, and 
 many rarities of exceeding value. They pi'omised her that 
 I should be educated like a princess, that they would make 
 me perfection, and choose a husband for me ; that she should 
 receive notice of the nuptials, and that they hoped for her 
 pi-esence at them. 
 
 " The King was enraptured at the return of the Queen. 
 All the Court testified its delight to her. Thei'e were 
 nothing but balls, masquerades, runnings at the ring, and 
 banquets, at which the Queen's fruit was served as a delicious 
 treat. The King ate of it in preference to anything that 
 could be presented to him. He knew not of the bargain the 
 Queen had made with the Fairies, and often asked her into 
 what country she had travelled to find such good things. 
 
 " At one time she told him they were found on an almost 
 inaccessible mountain ; at another she said they grew in some 
 valleys ; and at others, again, in a garden or in a great forest. 
 The King was surprised at so many contradictions. He 
 questioned those who had accompanied her : but she had so 
 strictly forbidden them to tell any one of her adventure, that 
 they dared not speak of it. At length theQueen, becoming 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 455 
 
 uneasy respecting her promise to the Fairies, as the time ap- 
 proached for her confinement, fell into an alarming melan- 
 choly. She sighed eternally, and looked daily worse and 
 ■worse. The King grew anxious; he pressed the Queen to 
 reveal to him the cause of her sadness, and after a great deal 
 of trouble she informed him of all that had passed between 
 her and the Fairies, and how she had promised to give them 
 the daughter she was about to bring into the world. ' What ! ' 
 said the King, ' we have no children, you know how much 
 I desire to have some, and for the sake of eating two or three 
 apples you are capable of having given away your daughter? 
 You can have no affection for me ! ' Thereupon he over- 
 whelmed her with a thousand reproaches, which were almost 
 the death of my poor mother; but that did not satisfy him, 
 he had her locked up in a tower, and surrounded it with 
 soldiers to prevent her having communication with anybody 
 in the world except the officers of her household, and of these 
 he changed such as had been with her at the Fairy Castle. 
 
 " The misunderstanding between the King and the Queen 
 threw the whole Court into infinite consternation. Everybody 
 changed their fine clothes for such as were more suitable to 
 the general sorrow. The King, on his part, appeared in- 
 exorable. He never saw his wife, and as soon as I was bom 
 he had me brought into the palace to be nursed, while she 
 remained a most unhappy prisoner. The Fairies knew all that 
 took place ; they became irritated, they would have me, they 
 looked upon me as their property and my detention as a theft. 
 
 " Before they sought for a vengeance proportionate to their 
 vexation, they sent a grand embassy to the King to warn him 
 to set the Queen at liberty, to restore her to his favour, and 
 to beg him also to deliver me up to their ambassadors ia 
 order that I might be nursed and brought up by the Fairies. 
 The ambassadors were so little and so deformed (for they 
 were hideous dwarfs) that they had not the power of per- 
 suading the King to comply with their request. He refused 
 bluntly, and if they had not taken their departure instantly 
 something worse might have happened to them. When the 
 Fairies heard of my father's conduct, they were indignant to 
 the greatest degree, and after having desolated his six king- 
 doms by the infliction of every ill they could think of, they 
 let loose a terrific Dragon, that poisoned the air wherever he- 
 
456- THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 passed, devoured man and child, and killed all the trees and 
 plants he breathed on. 
 
 " The King was in the deepest despair. He consnlted all the 
 wise men in his dominions, as to what he ought to do to pro- 
 tect his subjects from the misfortunes with which he saw them 
 overwhelmed. They advised him to seek throughout the 
 world for the best physicians and the most excellent remedies ; 
 and on the other hand, to offer a free pardon to all male- 
 factors under sentence of death who would undertake to fight 
 the Dragon. The King, approving this advice, acted upon it 
 directly; but without success, for the mortality continued, 
 and the Dragon devoured all who attacked him : so that at 
 last the King had recourse to a Fairy who had been his friend 
 from his earliest infancy. She was very old, and scarcely 
 ever left her bed. He went to see her, and reproached her 
 a thousand times over for permitting Fate to persecute him 
 without coming to his assistance. ' What would you have 
 me do 1 ' said she. ' You have irritated my sisters. They are 
 as powerful as I am, and we rarely act against one another. 
 Try to appease them by giving up your daughter to them. 
 The little Princess belongs to them of right. You have put 
 the Queen into prison. What has that amiable woman done 
 to you that you should treat her so severely '? Make up your 
 mind to redeem her pledge to the Fairies; I assure you, you 
 will be greatly rewarded for it.' 
 
 "The King my father loved me dearly; but seeing no other 
 mode of saving his kingdoms and delivering himself from 
 the fatal Dragon, he told his friend he would take her advice ; 
 that he was willing to give me up to the Fairies, as she had 
 assured him that I should be cherished and treated as a 
 princess of my rank ought to be ; that he would also take the 
 Queen back to Court, and that she had only to name the 
 person to whom he should confide the task of carrying me to 
 the Fairy Castle. ' You must take her,' she said, ' in her cradle, 
 to the top of the Mountain of Flowers. You may even re- 
 main in its vicinity, if you please, to witness the entertainment 
 that will take place there.' The King told her that in the 
 course of a week he would proceed thither with the Queen, 
 and begged she would give notice to her sister Fairies of his 
 intention, that they might make whatever arrangements they 
 considered necessary. 
 
THE WHITE CAT, 457 
 
 " As soon as he returned to the palace he sent for the Queen, 
 aiad received her with as much affection and distinction as he 
 had exhibited haste and anger in her imprisonment. She was 
 so wasted and depressed that he would scarcely have recognised 
 her, had not his heart assured him she was the same pereon 
 he had formerly loved so tenderly. He implored her, with 
 tears in his eyes, to forget the misery he had caused her, 
 assuring her it was the last she should ever experience on his 
 account. She replied that she had brought it upon herself 
 by her imprudence in promising her daughter to the Fairies, 
 and if anything could plead in her favour it was only the 
 condition to which she was reduced. The King then informed 
 her that he had determined to place me in the hands of the 
 Fairies. The Queen, in her turn, opposed this intention. It 
 seemed as if some fatality attended the affair, and that I was 
 doomed to be always a subject of dissension between my father 
 and mother. After she had groaned and wept for a consider- 
 able time without obtaining her object, (for the King saw too 
 clearly the fatal consequences of hesitating, and our subjects 
 continued to perish as if they were answerable for the faults 
 of our family,) she consented to all he desired, and every pre- 
 paration was made for the ceremony. 
 
 . " I was placed in a cradle of mother-of-pearl, ornamented 
 with everything art could imagine that was most elegant. It 
 was himg round with garlands and festoons of flowers, com- 
 posed of jewels, the different colours of which reflected the 
 rays of the sun with such dazzling splendour, that you could 
 scarcely look at them. The magnificence of my clothing sur- 
 passed, if it could be possible, that of the cradle. All the bands 
 of my swaddling clothes were formed of large pearls. Four- 
 and-twenty princesses of the blood-royal carried me on a sort 
 of very light litter. Their dresses were all different, but they 
 were not allowed to wear any colour but white, in token of 
 my innocence. All the Court accompanied me according to 
 the order of precedence. 
 
 " While we were ascending the mountain a melodious sym- 
 phony was heard more and more distinctly. At length the 
 Fairies appeared to the number of thirty-six. They had in- 
 vited their friends to accompany them. Each was seated in 
 a pearly shell, larger than that in which Venus arose out of 
 the ocean. Sea-horses, that seemed rather awkward in getting 
 
458 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 over the ground, drew these pearly cars, the occupants more 
 sumptuous in appearance than the greatest queens in tl»e 
 universe, but at the same time excessively old and ugly. They 
 carried olive branches, to signify to the King that his submis- 
 sion had found favour with them; and when I was presented 
 to them, their caresses were so extraordinary, that it seemed 
 as if they had no object in living, except to make me happy. 
 The Dragon they had made the instrument of their vengeance 
 on my father followed them in chains of diamonds. They 
 took me in their ai*ms, kissed me a thousand times, endowed 
 me with various qualifications, and then began to dance the 
 Fairy Brawl.^ It is a very lively dance, and you would 
 scarcely believe how well these old ladies jumped and capered. 
 After this, the Dragon that had devoured so many people 
 crawled forward. The three Fairies to whom my mother had 
 promised me seated themselves on it, placed my cradle be- 
 tween them, and striking the Dragon with a wand, it imme- 
 diately spread its great scaly wings, finer than gauze, and 
 glittering with all sorts of extraordinary colours, and in this 
 way they returned to their castle. My mother, on seeing me 
 in the air, upon this terrible Dragon, could not help scream- 
 ing loudly. The King consoled her with the assurance his 
 friend the old Fairy had given him, that no accident would 
 happen to me, and that I should be taken as much care of as 
 if I had remained in his own palace. She was pacified by 
 this assurance, though she felt much distressed at the idea of 
 being separated from me for so long a time, and having only 
 herself to blame for it ; for if she had not iufsisted on eating 
 the fruit of that garden, I should have been brought up in 
 my father's dominions, and never have sufiered the misfortunes 
 which I have still to relate to you. 
 
 " Know then, Son of a King, that my guardians had built a 
 tower, expressly for my habitation, in which there were a 
 thousand beautiful apartments suitable for each season of the 
 year, magnificent furniture, and amusing books ; but without 
 a door, so that it could only be entered by the windows, which 
 were placed prodigiously high. On the top of the tower was 
 a beautifiil garden, ornamented with flowers, foimtains, and 
 
 (1) In French branle. The brawl was the dance with which balls were generally 
 opened. The company took hands in a circle, and gave each other continual shakes:, 
 the steps changing with the time. 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 459 
 
 green arbours, where you might be cool in the hottest of the 
 dog-days. In this place I was brought up by the Fairies with 
 a care even beyond all they had promised the Queen. My 
 dresses were made in the highest fashion, and so magnificent 
 that any one to see me would have thought it was my wed- 
 ding day. I was taught everything befitting my age and my 
 rank. I did not give them much trouble, for there were few 
 things I did not learn with the greatest ease. My docility 
 was very agreeable to them, and as I had never seen any 
 other persons, I might have lived there in perfect tranquillity 
 all the rest of my life. 
 
 " They always came to see me, mounted on the terrible 
 Dragon I have already spoken of They never talked to me 
 about the King or the Queen. They called me their daughter, 
 and I believed myself to be so. Nobody lived with me in 
 the tower, but a parrot and a little dog, which they had given 
 me to amuse me ; for the creatures were endowed with reason, 
 and spoke admirably. 
 
 " On one side of the tower was a hollow way, full of deep 
 ruts and trees which choked up the road, so that I had not 
 seen any one pass by since I had been shut up there. But 
 one day that I was at the window, talking with my parrot 
 and my dog, I heard a noise; I looked all about, and perceived 
 a young cavalier who had stopped to hsten to our convei-sa- 
 tiou. I had never seen a young man before but in a painting. 
 I was not sorry that an unlooked-for accident had afforded 
 me this opportunity; so that, not dreaming of the danger that 
 attends the gratification of contemplating a charming object, 
 I came forward to gaze upon him, and the more I looked at 
 him the more was I delighted. He made me a profound bow, 
 fixed his eyes on me, and appeared greatly embarrassed to find 
 some way of conversing with me, for my window was very 
 high, and he feared being overheard, for he knew well enough 
 that I was in the Fairies' Castle. 
 
 " The night came suddenly upon us, or, to speak more cor- 
 rectly, it came without our perceiving it ; he blew his horn 
 twice or thrice, and entertained me with a few flourishes upon 
 it, and then took his departure without my being able to 
 ascertain which way he went — so dark was the night. I re- 
 mained very thoughtful ; I no longer felt the same pleasure 
 in talking to my parrot and my dog that I had been wont to 
 
460 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 do. They said the prettiest things in the world to me, for 
 fairy creatures are very witty; but my mind was preoccupied, 
 and I was too artless to conceal it. Perroquet remarked it. 
 He was a shrewd bird; he betrayed no sign of what was 
 running in his head. 
 
 " I did not fail being up as soon as it was light. I ran to 
 my window, and was most agreeably surprised to perceive the 
 young knight at the foot of the tower. He was magnificently 
 attired, I flattered myself it was partly on my account, and 
 I was not mistaken. He addressed me through a sort of 
 speaking trumpet, by the aid of which he informed me, that 
 having been up to that time insensible to the charms of all 
 the beauties he had seen, he suddenly felt himself so strongly 
 smitten by mine, that he could not imagine it was possible 
 for him to live without seeing me every day of his life. 
 I was mightily pleased with this compliment, and very much 
 vexed that I did not dare reply to it, for I should have been 
 compelled to bawl with all my might, and still run the risk 
 of being better heard by the Fairies than by him. I threw 
 him some flowers I had in my hand, which he received as a 
 signal favour, kissing them several times, and thanking me. 
 He then asked me if I should approve of his coming every 
 day at the same hour under my windows, and if so, to throw 
 him something else. I had a turquoise ring on my finger, 
 which I pulled off instantly, and flung to him in all haste, 
 making signs to him to decamp as quickly as possible, for I 
 heard on the other side of the tower the Faiiy Violent, who 
 was mounting her Dragon to bring me my breakfast. 
 
 " The first words she uttered on entering my apartment were, 
 * I smell the voice of a man here. Search, Dragon ! ' Oh, 
 what a state was I in ! I was sinking with fear that the mon- 
 ster would fly out at the opposite window, and follow the 
 cavalier, for whom I ah-eady felt deeply interested. ' Indeed, 
 my good Mamma,' said I, (for the old Fairy would have me 
 call her so,) ' you are jesting, surely, when you say you smell 
 the voice of a man. Is it possible to smell a voice? And if 
 80, what mortal would be rash enough to venture climbing 
 this tower?' 'What you say is true, daughter,' replied she; 
 'I am delighted to hear you argue so nicely, and I fancy 
 it is the hatred I have of all men that makes me sometimes 
 imagine they are near me.' She gave me my breakfast and 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 461 
 
 my spindle. 'When you have breakfasted do not forget 
 to spin,' said she, 'for you did nothing yesterday, and my 
 sisters will be angry with you.' In fact, I had been so oc- 
 cupied with the stranger that I had found it quite impossible 
 to spin. 
 
 " As soon as the Fairy was gone, I flung away my spindle 
 •with a little rebellious air, and ascended the terrace to look 
 out as far as I could. I had an excellent telescope; there 
 was nothing to interrupt the view. I looked in every direc- 
 tion, and discovered my cavalier on the summit of a moun- 
 tain. He was reposing beneath a rich pavilion of cloth of 
 gold, and surrounded by a very numerous Court. I felt 
 satisfied he was the son of some king who reigned in the 
 vicinity of the Fairies' Palace. As I feared that if he retunied 
 to the tower he would be discovered by the terrible Dragon, 
 I went and fetched my parrot, and told him to fly to that 
 mountain, where he would find the person who had spoken to 
 me, and beg him in my name never to come again, as I was 
 alarmed at the vigilance of my guardians, and the probability 
 of their doing him some mischief Perroquet executed his 
 commission like a parrot of sense. Tiie courtiers were all 
 surj»rised to see him come flying at full speed, perch upon 
 their master's shoulder and whisper in his ear. The King (for 
 such he proved to be) was both delighted and troubled by this 
 message. My anxiety on his accoimt was flattering to his heart ; 
 but the many difficulties there were in the way of his speaking 
 with me, distressed without being able to dissuade him from 
 the attempt to make himself agreeable to me. He asked Per- 
 roquet a hundred questions, and Perroquet asked him as many 
 in return, for he was naturally inquisitive. The King gave 
 him a ring to bring me in return for my turquoise. It was a 
 turquoise also ; but much finer than mine, and cut in the shape 
 of a heart, and surrounded with diamonds. ' It is fit,' said 
 he to the parrot, ' that I should treat you as an ambassador. 
 I therefoi'e present 3'ou with my portrait. Show it to no 
 one Vjut your charming mistress.' He tied the miniature 
 nnder the bird's wing, who brought the ring to me in his 
 beak. 
 
 " I awaited the return of my little green courier with an 
 impatience I had never known before. He told me that the 
 personage to whom I had sent him was a great king; that he 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 had been most kindly received by him, and that I might rest 
 assured he only lived for my sake ; that, notwithstanding 
 there was much danger in coming to the foot of the tower, 
 he was resolved to brave everything sooner than renounce the 
 pleasure of seeing me. These tidings perplexed me sadlj-, 
 and I began to weep. PeiToquet and my little dog Toutou 
 did their best to console me, for they loved me tenderly; and 
 then Perroquet gave me the King's ring, and showed me his 
 portrait I confess I had never been so delighted as I was 
 by being thus enabled to contemplate closely the image of 
 him I had only seen at a distance. He appeared to me much 
 more charming than I had supposed. A hundred ideas rushed 
 into my mind, some agreeable, some distressing, and gave an 
 expression of great anxiety to my features. The Fairies who 
 came to see me perceived it. They observed to each other 
 that I was no doubt tired of my dull life, and that it was 
 time for them to find a husband for me of Fairy race. They 
 named several, and fixed at last upon little King Migonnet, 
 whose kingdom was about five hundred leagues off; but that 
 was a trifle. Perroquet overheard this fine council. He 
 flew to give me an account of it, and said to me, ' Ah, how 
 I pity you, my dear mistress, if you should become the Queen 
 of Migonnet ! He is a monkey that would frighten you ! I 
 am sorry to say so ; but in truth, the King who loves you 
 would not condescend to have him for his footman!' ' Have 
 you seen him, Perroquet?' 'I believe so, indeed!' continued 
 the bird; ' I was brought up on the same branch with him.' 
 ' How ! on a branch ! ' I exclaimed. ' Yes,' said he, ' he has 
 feet like an eagle.' 
 
 " Such an account as this afflicted me extremely. I gazed 
 on the charming portrait of the young King. I felt sure he 
 had only bestowed it on Perroquet to give me the opportunity 
 of seeing it, and when I compared it with the description of 
 Migonnet, I felt I had nothing more to hope for in life, and 
 I resolved to die rather than many the latter. 
 
 " I had no sleep all night. PeiToquet and Toiitou talked 
 matters over with me. I dozed a little towards daybreak, 
 and as my dog had a good nose he smelt that the King 
 was at the foot of the tower. He woke Perroquet ; * I will 
 lay a wager,' said he, ' the King is below.' Perroquet re- 
 plied, 'Hold thy peace, babbler; because thine own eyes and 
 
THE "WHITE CAT. 4G3 
 
 ears are almost always open, thou enviest the repose of others.' 
 'But bet something, then,' insisted the good Toutou; 'I am 
 sure he is there.' * And I am sure he is not there,' replied 
 Perroquet. ' Have I not forbidden him to come here in my 
 mistress's name?' *0h! truly thou art amusing, with thy 
 forbiddings,' exclaimed my dog ; ' a man in love consults 
 only his heart;' and therewith he began to pull Perroquet by 
 the wings so roughly that he made him angiy. The noise 
 they both made woke me ; they acquainted me with the cause 
 of it. I ran, or rather flew, to my window. I saw the King, 
 who extended his arms towards me, and said through his 
 trumpet that he could no longer live without me; that he 
 implored me to find means to escape from my tower, or to 
 enable him to enter it. That he called all the gods and 
 all the elements to witness that he would marry me imme- 
 diately, and that I should be one of the greatest queens in 
 the world. 
 
 '•I ordered Perroquet to go and tell him that what he 
 desired appeared to me an impossibility; but, nevertheless, 
 relying on the word he had pledged to me, and the oath he 
 had taken, I would endeavour to accomplish his wishes. That 
 I conjured him not to come every day, as he might at length 
 be observed, and that the Fairies would have no mercy upon 
 him. 
 
 "He retiredfulLof joy at the hope I had flattered him with, 
 and I found mysllf in the greatest embarrassment when I 
 began to reflect on the promise I had made to him. How 
 was I to escape from that tower in which there were no 
 doors 1 And to have no one to help me but Perroquet and 
 Toutou ! I, so young, so inexperienced, so timid ! I resolved 
 therefore not to make an attempt I could never succeed in, 
 and I sent word to that effect by Perroquet to the King. He 
 was at fii*st about to kill himself before the bird's eyes ; but 
 at length he charged him to persuade me either to come and 
 witness his death or to bring him some comfort. ' Sire,' 
 exclaimed my feathered ambassador, 'my mistress is suflB- 
 ciently willing : she only lacks the power.' 
 
 " When the bird repeated to me all that had passed, I felt 
 more wretched than ever. The Fairy Violente came to see 
 me. She found me with my eyes red and swollen ; she 
 observed that I had been crying, and said, that unless I told 
 
464 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 her the cause she would bum me alive : her threats were 
 always terrible. I replied, trembling, that I was tired of 
 spinning, and that I wanted to make some little nets to catch 
 the young birds in that came and pecked the fruit in my 
 garden. ' Thou shalt cry no longer for that, daughter,' said 
 she, ' I will bring thee as much twine as thou needest;' and in 
 truth I received it that very evening ; but she advised me to 
 think less of working than of attending to my personal 
 appearance, as King Migonnet was shortly expected. I shud- 
 dered at those fatal tidings, and made no reply. 
 
 " As soon as she was gone, I began to make two or three 
 pieces of net ; but my object was to construct a rope ladder, 
 which I succeeded in doiug very well, though I had never 
 seen one. The Fairy, in fact, did not furnish me with as 
 much twine as I wanted, and continually said to me, ' Why 
 daughter, thy work is like that of Penelope ; it never pro- 
 gresses, and yet thou art still asking for more material.' 
 ' Oh, my good Mamma,' I replied, ' it is easy for you to 
 talk. Don't you see that I am very awkward at my work, 
 and bum a gi-eat deal of it. Are you afraid I shall ruin you 
 in packthread 1 ' My air of siniplicity amused her, though 
 she was a very ill-tempered and cruel creature. 
 
 " I sent PeiToquet to tell the King to come on a certain 
 evening under the window of the tower, where he would find 
 the ladder, and that he would learn the rest when he anived. 
 In fact, I fastened it as securely as possible, being determined 
 to make my escape with him; but the moment he saw it, 
 without waiting for me to descend, he mounted it eagerly, and 
 jumped into my apartment just as I was preparing everything 
 for my flight. 
 
 " The sight of him delighted me so much that I forgot the 
 peril in which we were placed. He I'enewed all his vows, and 
 implored me not to delay becoming his wife. "We took Per- 
 roquet and Toutou as witnesses of our marriage. Never was 
 a wedding between two persons of such exalted rank cele- 
 brated with less publicity or noise, and never were two hearts 
 so perfectly happy as ours. 
 
 "Day had not dawned when the King left me. I had related 
 to him the dreadful intention of the Fairies to marry me to 
 little Migonnet. I described to him his pei-son, which horri- 
 fied him as much as it had me. The hours seemed long years 
 
The White Cat— p. 466. 
 
TILE WHITE CAT. 465 
 
 to me after the King's departure. I ran to the window, and 
 followed him with my eyes, notwithstanding the darkness; 
 but what was my astonishment at seeing iu the air a fiery 
 chariot drawn by winged salamanders, whose flight was so 
 rapid the eye could scarcely follow them. The chariot was 
 escorted by several soldiers mounted on ostriches. I had not 
 time enough to distinguish who the ugly creature was thus 
 posting through the sky; but I readily imagined that it must 
 be either a fairy or an enchanter. 
 
 " Shortly afterwards, the Fairy Violent entered my apart- 
 ment. ' I bring thee good news,' said she to me. ' Thy 
 lover has arrived within these few hours ; prepare to receive 
 him. Here are dresses and jewels for thee!' 'And who 
 has told you,' I exclaimed, ' that I desire to be married? It 
 is very far from my intention. Send King Migonnet away 
 again, I will not add a pin to my dress ; let him think me 
 handsome or ugly, I am not going to be his.' ' Hey day ! 
 Hey day ! ' rejoined the Fairy, ' Here's a little rebel ! Here's 
 a head without any brains in it ! I am not to be trifled with, 
 and I warn thee — ' 'What will you do to me,' cried I, 
 reddening at the names she had called me; 'can I be more 
 miserably situated than I am already in this tower, with only 
 a dog and a parrot, and seeing several times a day the horrible 
 form of a dreadful Dragon ! ' ' Hah, thou ungrateful little 
 wretch,' said the Fairy, * dost thou deserve so much care and 
 pains as we have taken with thee? I have too often told my 
 sisters we should reap a sorry reward for it.' She departed 
 to seek them ; she related to them our quarrel ; they were 
 as much surprised at it as she was. 
 
 " Perroquet and Toutou remonstrated with me, and assured 
 me, that if I continued refractory, they foresaw that I should 
 suffer some terrible misfortunes. I felt so proud of possessing 
 the heai*t of a great king, that I despised the Fairies and the 
 advice of my poor little companions. I did not dress myself, 
 and I took pleasure in combing my hair the wrong -way, iu 
 order that Migonnet might think me ugly. Our interview 
 took place on the terrace. He came in his fiery chariot. 
 Never since dwarfs have existed has there been seen one so 
 diminutive. He walked upon his eagle's feet and on his 
 knees at the same time, for he had no bones in his legs, so 
 that he was obliged to support himself on a pair of diamond 
 
 H H 
 
466 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 crutches. His royal mautle was only half an ell long, and 
 yet more than a third of it dragged on the ground. His head 
 was as large as a peck measure, aud his nose was so big, that 
 a dozen birds sat upon it, whose warbling entertained him. 
 He had such a bushy beard, that canary-birds made their 
 nests in it, and his ears rose a cubit higher than his head ; but 
 they were not very perceptible, in consequence of the high- 
 pointed crown that he wore to make him appear taller. The 
 flames of his chariot roasted the fruit, scorched the flowers, 
 and dried up the fountains in my garden. He approached 
 with open arms to embrace me, I held myself bolt upright, 
 and his principal equerry was compelled to lift him ; but as 
 soon as he was brought near me, I fled into my apartment, 
 and fastened the door and the windows, so that Migonnet 
 returned to the Fairies highly incensed against me. 
 
 " They begged his pardon a thousand times for my rudeness, 
 and to appease him, for he was much to be feared, they de- 
 termined to bring him into my chamber at night while I slept, 
 to tie me hand and foot, and place me in his fieiy chariot, 
 to be taken away by him. Having decided on this plan, they 
 scarcely said a cross word to me about my rude behaviour to 
 him, but merely advised me to think of making amends for it. 
 Perroquet and Toutou were astonished at such great kindness. 
 ' Do you know, Mistress,' said my dog, ' my heart misgives 
 me. My lady Fairies are strange personages, and particularly 
 Violent.' ' I laughed at these fears, and awaited my dear 
 husband's arrival with the greatest anxiety. He was too 
 impatient to see me, to keep me long waiting. T threw him 
 the rope-ladder, fully resolved to fly with him. He mounted 
 it lightly, and said such tender things to me, that I dare not 
 even now recal them to mind. 
 
 " While we were conversing together as calmly as if we had 
 been in his own palace, the windows of my room were sud- 
 denly burst in. The Fairies entered upon their terrible 
 Dragon. Migonnet followed them in bis fiery chariot, attended 
 by all his guards on their ostriches. The King fearlessly di-ew 
 his sword, and only thought of saving me from the most 
 dreadful fate that ever awaited mortal ; for, in short, must I 
 speak it, my Lord, those barbarous creatures urged their 
 Dragon upon him, which devoured him before my eyes. 
 
 " Distracted at his fate and my own, I flung myself iuto the 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 467 
 
 jaws of the horrible monster, hoping he would swallow me, 
 as he had already swallowed all I loved in the world. He was 
 equally willing to do so ; but the Fairies, still more cruel than 
 the Dragon, would not permit it. * She must be reserved, 
 they cried, ' for more protracted agony ; a speedy death is too 
 mild a punishment for this unworthy creature!' 'They 
 touched me, and I immediately found myself assume the 
 form of a AVliite Cat. They conducted me to this superb 
 palace, which belonged to my father.^ They transformed all 
 the lords and ladies of the kingdom into cats, left only the 
 hands visible of the rest of his court, and reduced me to the 
 deplorable condition in which you found me, after informing 
 me of my birth, the death of my father and mother, and that 
 I could only be released from my cat-like form by a prince, 
 who should perfectly resemble the husband they had deprived 
 me of. It is you, my Lord, who bear that resemblance," 
 continued she ; " you have the same features, the same air, 
 the same voice. I was struck by it the moment I saw you. 
 I was aware of all that has happened, and I am equally so of 
 all that will happen. My troubles are about to end." " And 
 mine, lovely Queen," said the Prince, flinging himself at her 
 feet; "how long are they to last?" "I already love you 
 more than my life, my Lord," said the Queen ; " you must 
 return to your father; we will ascertain his sentiments 
 respecting me, and whether he will consent to what you 
 desire." 
 
 She went out of the castle, the Prince gave her his hand ; 
 she got into a chariot with him. It was much more mag- 
 nificent than those she had previously provided for him. The 
 rest of the equipage corresponded with it to such an extent, 
 that the horses were all shod with emeralds, the nails being 
 diamonds ; such a thing has perhaps never been seen except 
 on that occasion. I shall not repeat the agreeable conversa- 
 tion that took place between the Queen and the Prince on 
 their journey. If her beauty was matchless, her mind was no 
 less so, and the young Prince was equally perfect, so that 
 they interchanged all sorts of charming ideas. 
 
 When they reached the neighbourhood of the castle, in 
 which the Prince was to meet his two elder brothers, the 
 
 (1) This is a singular oversight. The White Cat has previously told the Prince, 
 that the castle they are in is identical with the Fairy Castle. See page 453 
 HH 2 
 
468 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 Queen entered a little rock of crystal, the points of which 
 were ornamented with gold and rubies. It was completely 
 surrounded by curtains, in order that no one should see it, 
 and carried by some very handsome young men superbly 
 attired. The Prince remained in the chariot. He perceived 
 his brothers walking with two Princesses, who were exceed- 
 ingly beautiful. As soon as they recognised him, they ad- 
 vanced to receive him, and inquired, if he had brought a lady 
 with him. He replied, that he had been so unfortunate 
 throughout his journey as to have met with none but very ugly 
 ones, and that the only rarity he had brought back with 
 him was a little white cat. They began to laugh at his sim- 
 pUcity. " A cat ! " they exclaimed ; " are you afraid the 
 mice wiU eat up our palace?" The Prince admitted that he 
 had been rather unwise in selecting such a present for his 
 father; and thereupon they each took their road to the 
 city. 
 
 The elder Princes rode with their Princesses in open car- 
 riages, all of gold and azure. Their horses' heads were adorned 
 with plumes of feathers and aigrettes. Nothing could be 
 more brilliant than this cavalcade. Our young Prince fol- 
 lowed them, and behind him came the crystal rock, which 
 everybody gazed at with wonder. 
 
 The courtiers hastened to inform the King, that the three 
 Princes were coming. " Do they bring with them beautiful 
 ladies?" asked the King. "It is impossible to find any that 
 could surpass them,"was the answer, which appeared to dis- 
 please him. The two Princes eagerly ascended the palace- 
 stairs with their wonderful Princesses. The King received 
 them graciously, and could not decide which deserved the 
 prize. He looked at his youngest son, and said to him, 
 "Have you returned alone this time?" "Your majesty 
 will perceive in this rock a little white cat," replied the 
 Prince, " that mews so sweetly, and has such velvet paws, 
 you will be delighted with it." The King smiled, and went 
 to open the rock himself : but as soon as he approached it, 
 the Queen, by means of a spring, made it fly in pieces, and 
 appeared like the sun after it had been some time hidden in 
 the clouds. Her fair hair fell in loose ringlets over her 
 shoulders down to her very feet ; she was crowned with 
 flowers; her gown was of thin white gauze lined with rose- 
 
THE WHITE CAT. 469 
 
 coloured taflfety. She rose, and made a profound curtsy to 
 the King, who could not resist exclaiming in the excess of 
 his admiration, " Behold the incomparable beauty -who 
 deserves the crown !" 
 
 " My Liege," said she to him, " I come not to deprive you 
 of a throne you fiU so worthily. I was bom the heiress to 
 six kingdoms; permit me to oflFer one to you, and to give 
 one to each of your eldest sons. I ask of you no other re- 
 compense than your friendship and this young Prince for my 
 husband. Tliree kingdoms will be quite enough for us." 
 The King and all the court joined in shouts of joy and asto- 
 nishment. The marriage was celebrated immediately, as well 
 as those of the other two Princes, and the court consequently 
 passed several months in entertainments and pleasures of 
 every description. Finally, each couple departed to reign 
 over their own dominions. The beautiful White Cat immor- 
 talized herself in her's, as much by her goodness, and liberality, 
 as by her rare talent and beauty. 
 
 The youthful Prince was fortunate to find 
 Beneath a cat's skin an illustrious fair, 
 Worthy of adoration, and inclined 
 The throne, her friendship won for him, to share. 
 
 By two enchanting eyes, on conquest bent, 
 Tlie willing heart is easily suhdued ; 
 And still more power to the charm is lent, 
 When Love's soft flame is fann'd by gratitude. 
 
 Shall I in silence pass that parent o'er. 
 Who for her folly paid so dear a price ; 
 And for some tempting fruit— as Eve before — 
 The welfare of her race could sacrifice ? 
 
 Mothers, beware ! nor like that selfish Queen, 
 Venture to cloud a lovely daughter's lot 
 To gratify some appetite as mean. 
 Detest such conduct : imitate it not. 
 
BELLE-BELLE; 
 
 THE CHEVALIER FORTUNfi. 
 
 Ojtce upon a time, there was a very good, very mild, and 
 very powerful King; but the Emperor Matapa, his neigh- 
 bour, was still more powerful than he. They had waged 
 great wars with one another. The Emperor had gained a 
 considerable battle in the last war; and after killing or taking 
 prisoners the greater portion of the King's officers and soldiers, 
 he besieged his capital city, and took it thereby, making him- 
 self master of all the treasures in it. The King had scarcely 
 time to save himself with the Dowager Queen, his sister. 
 This Princess became a widow at a very early age ; she was 
 clever and beautiful ; it is true she was proud, violent, and 
 difficult of access. 
 
 The Emperor transported all the jewels and furniture 
 belonging to the King to his own palace; he carried away 
 an extraordinary number of soldiers, women, horses, and 
 eveiythiug else that would be useful or agreeable to him : 
 after he had depopulated the greater part of the kingdom, he 
 returned triumphant to his own, — where he was received by 
 the Empress and the Princess, his daughter, with a thousand 
 demonstrations of joy. In the meantime, the defeated King 
 was not inclined to sit down patiently under his misfortunes. 
 He called round him a few troops, and formed by degrees 
 a small army, to increase which as quickly as possible, he 
 issued a proclamation, requiring all the gentlemen of his 
 kingdom to come and serve in person, or to send one of their 
 sons well mounted and armed, and disposed to second all his 
 enterprises. 
 
BELLE-BELLE ; OR, THE CHEVALIER FORTUNfi. 471 
 
 There lived on the frontier an old nobleman, eighty yeara 
 of age, a clever and prudent man, but so ill-used by fortune, 
 that after having possessed much wealth, he found himself 
 reduced almost to poverty, which he would have endured 
 patiently, had it not been shared with him by three beautiful 
 daughters. They were so sensible, that they never mur- 
 mured at their misfortunes; and if by chance they spoke of 
 them to their father, it was more to console him than to add 
 to his troubles. 
 
 They lived with him free from ambition imder a rustic 
 roof When the King's proclamation reached the ears of the 
 old man, he called his daughters to him, and looking at them 
 sorrowfully, said, " What can we do 1 The King orders all 
 the distinguished people of his kingdom to join him, to fight 
 against the Emperor, or condemns them to a very heavy fine, 
 if they fail to do so. I am not in a position to pay the tax, and 
 am therefore in a terrible dilemma; between death and ruin !" 
 His three daughtei*s were as much distressed as himself, but 
 they entreated him to have a little courage, as they felt per- 
 suaded they should find some remedy for his affliction. 
 
 The next morning, the eldest daughter went to seek her 
 father, who was walking sorrowfully in an orchard, which he 
 attended to himself. " Sire," said she, " I am come to entreat 
 you to permit me to set out for the army. I am of a good 
 height, and strong enough ; I will dress myself in male attire, 
 and pass for your son ; if I do not perform any heroic actions, 
 I. shall at least save you the journey, or the tax, and that is 
 a great deal in our situation." The Count embraced her 
 affectionately, and at first objected to so extraordinary a pro- 
 position, but she told him so decidedly that she could see 
 no other resource, that he at last consented. 
 
 There was nothing to be done now, but to provide clothes 
 suitable to the personage she was to represent. Her father 
 furnished her with arms, and gave her the best out of four 
 of the horses he used to plough with. The adieus and regrets 
 ■were affecting on each side. After travelling some days, she 
 passed through a meadow, bordered by a quickset hedge. 
 She saw a shepherdess in gi-eat trouble, who was endeavouring 
 to drag one of her sheep out of a ditch, into which it had 
 fallen. " What are you about there, good shepherdess?" said 
 she. " Alas!" replied the shepherdess, " I am trying to save 
 
472 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 my sheep, which is nearly drowned, and I am so weak that 
 I have not the strength to drag it out." " I am sorry for 
 you," said she, and without offering her any assistance rode 
 off. The shepherdess immediately cried out — " Good-bye, 
 disguised beauty !" The surprise of our lovely heroine is not 
 to be expressed. " How ! is it possible," said she, " that I could 
 be so easily detected? This old shepherdess scarcely saw me 
 for a moment, and she knows that I am disguised ! Whither 
 am I about to go, then? I shall be found out by everybody, 
 and if by the King, what will be my shame, and his anger? 
 — He will think my father is a cowai'd, who shrinks from 
 danger." After much reflection, she determined that she 
 would return home. 
 
 The Count and his daughters were talking of her, and count- 
 ing the days of her absence, when they saw her enter. She 
 related to them her adventure. The good man told her that 
 he had warned her of it, and that if she had believed him, she 
 would never have set out, because it was impossible not to 
 discover a girl in man's clothes. All this little family was 
 throwu into fresh embarrassment, not knowing what to do, 
 when the second daughter, in her turn, came to seek the 
 Count. " My sister," said she, " had never been on horse- 
 back, it is not surprising that she was discovered; with 
 respect to myself, if you will permit me to go in her place, 
 I dare promise that you will be satisfied with me." 
 
 All the old man could say in opposition to her intention 
 had no effect upon her; he was forced to consent to her 
 going; she put on another dress, took other arms, and an- 
 other hoi-se. Thus equipped, she embraced her father and 
 sisters a thousand times, resolving to serve the King bravely : 
 but in passing through the same meadow, where her sister 
 had seen the shepherdess and her sheep, she perceived it at 
 the bottom of the ditch, and the shepherdess occupied in 
 getting it out. 
 
 " Unfortunate creature that I am," cried the old woman, 
 " half my flock perish in this manner; if any one would but 
 help me, I could save this animal, but everybody flies from 
 me." " How is it, shepherdess, that you take so little care 
 of your sheep, that you let them fall into the water?" said 
 the fair cavalier, and without giving her any other consolation, 
 she spurred her hoi-se, and rode on. The old woman called 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 473 
 
 out after her -with all her might, " Good-bye, disguised 
 beauty!" These few words distressed our Amazon very much. 
 " What a fatality," said she, " that I also should be recog- 
 nised! What happened to my sister has occurred to me. 
 I am not more fortunate than she was ; and it would be ridi- 
 culous for me to join the army with so eflfeminate an appear- 
 ance that everybody will know what I am ! " She immediately 
 returned to her father's house, much vexed at having made so 
 ^ unsuccessful a journey. 
 
 Her father received her affectionately, and praised her for 
 having had the prudence to return ; but that did not prevent 
 the renewal of his grief, with the additional reason, that he 
 had already been put to the expense of two useless suits of 
 clothes, and several other things. The good old man, however, 
 kept his sorrow to himself, that he might not add to that of 
 his daughters. 
 
 At last the youngest girl begged him in the most urgent 
 manner to grant her the same favour he had to her sisters. 
 " Perhaps," said she, " it is presumption in me to hope I shall 
 succeed better than they have ; but notwithstanding I should 
 like to try. I am taller than they are ; you know that I go 
 every day hunting; this exercise qualifies one in some degree 
 for war ; and the great desire I feel to relieve you in your 
 distress inspires me with extraordinary courage." The Count 
 loved her much better than he did either of her sisters ; she 
 was so attentive to him that he looked upon her as his chief 
 consolation. She read interesting stories to amuse him, 
 nursed him in his illness, and all the game she killed was 
 for him ; so that he did all he could to change her determina- 
 tion, and much more so than he had done with her sisters. 
 " Would you leave me, my dear child 1 " said he. " Your 
 absence will be the death of me: if fortune should really 
 favour you, and you should return covered with laurels, I 
 shall not have the pleasure of witnessing them ; my advanced 
 age, and your absence, will terminate my existence." " No, 
 my dear father," said Belle-belle, (it was thus she was named :) 
 *' do not think I shall be long away : the war will soon be 
 over; and if I find any other means of fulfilling the King's 
 orders, I shall not neglect them, for 1 venture to assert, if 
 my absence distress you, it will be still more distressing to 
 me." He at last consented to her request She made herself 
 
474 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 a very plain suit of clothes, for those of her sisters cost so 
 much, and the poor old Count's finances could not allow of 
 much more expense ; she was compelled also to take a veiy 
 bad horse, because her two sisters had nearly crippled the 
 two others; but all this did not discourage her. She em- 
 braced her father; respectfully received his blessing; and 
 mingling her tears with his, and those of her sisters, she 
 departed. 
 
 In passing through the meadow I have already mentioned, 
 she found the old shepherdess, who had not yet recovered her 
 sheep, or was trying to pull another out of the middle of 
 a deep ditch. "What are you doing there, shepherdess?" 
 said Belle-belle, stopping. " I cannot do anything more, my 
 Lord," replied the shepherdess. " Ever since daylight I have 
 been trying to save this sheep ; my labour has been in vain : 
 I am so weary, I can scarcely breathe ; there is hardly a day 
 that some new misfortune does not happen to me, and I find 
 no one to assist me." 
 
 " I am truly sorry for you," said Belle-belle ; " and to prove 
 that I pity you, I will help you." She dismounted instantly 
 from her horse, which was so quiet, that she did not take the 
 trouble to fasten it to anything to prevent its running away ; 
 and jumping over the hedge, after receiving a few scratches, 
 she plunged into the ditch, and worked so well, that she suc- 
 ceeded in recovering the favourite sheep. " Do not cry any 
 more, my good mother," said she to the shepherdess : "there is 
 your sheep ; and considering the long time it has been in the 
 water, I think it is very lively." 
 
 " You have not obliged an ungrateful person," said the 
 shepherdess. "I know you, charming Belle-belle. I know 
 where you are going, and all your intentions. Your sisters 
 have passed through this meadow. I knew them also, and 
 I was not ignorant of what was passing in their minds; but 
 they appeared so heartless, and their conduct to me was so 
 ungracious, that I took means to interrupt their journey. 
 The case is very different with you. I will prove it to you, 
 Belle-belle; for I am a fairy, and take pleasure in heaping 
 benefits upon those who deserve them. You have a miser- 
 ably poor horse; I will give you one." She struck the 
 ground as she spoke with her crook, and immediately Belle- 
 belle heard a neighing behind a bush; she turned quickly, 
 

 Belle-Belle, or tte Chevalier Fortune.— p. 474. 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 475 
 
 and saw tbe most beautiful horse m the world: it began to 
 run and bound about in the meadow. 
 
 Belle-belle, who was fond of horses, was delighted to see 
 one so perfect. The Faiiy called this fine courser to her, and 
 touching it with her crook, she said, " Faithful Comrade, be 
 better harnessed than the Emperor Matapa's best horse." 
 Instantly Comrade had on a saddle-cloth of green velvet, 
 embroidered with pearls and rubies, a saddle to match, and 
 a bridle of pearls, with a bit and studs of gold : in short, there 
 was nothing to be found so magnificent, " What you see," 
 said the Fairy, "is the least thing to admire in this horse. 
 He has many other qualities which I will detail to you. In 
 the first place, he only eats once in eight days. You need 
 not be at the trouble of looking after him; he knows the 
 present, the past, and the future. I have had him a long 
 time, and I have trained him as for myself. Whatever you 
 wish to know, or whenever you need advice, you have but to 
 address yourself to him ; he will give you such good counsel, 
 that sovereigns would be happy to have ministers like him ; 
 you must therefore consider him more as your friend than 
 your horse. Lastly, your dress is not to my liking ; I will 
 give you one more becoming." 
 
 She struck the ground with her crook, and there appeared 
 a large trunk covered ^vith Turkey leather, studded with gold 
 nails : Belle-beUe's initials were upon it. The Fairy sought 
 amongst the grass for a golden key made in England.^ She 
 opened the trunk ; it was lined with Spanish leather, pro- 
 fusely embroidered. There were twelve suits of clothes in it, 
 twelve cravats, twelve swords, twelve feathers, — and so on, 
 everything in dozens. The coats were so covered with em- 
 broidery and diamonds, that Belle-belle could scarcely hft 
 them. " Choose the suit that pleases you the most," said the 
 Fairy, "and the others shall follow you everywhere. You 
 have only to stamp your foot, saying, ' Turkey-leather trunk, 
 come to me full of linen and lace; Turkey-leather trunk, 
 come to me full of jewels and money : ' it will instantly be 
 before you, whether you are out-of-doors or in your chamber. 
 You must also assume a name, for Belle-belle will not suit the 
 profession you are about to enter. It strikes me you might 
 call yourself the Chevalier Fortune. But you ought to know 
 
 (1) A testimony to the superiority of our locktuiiths, even in those days. 
 
<^476 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 who I am ; I shall therefore appear to you in my usual form." 
 At the same moment her old woman's skin fell from her, and 
 she appeared so wonderfully beautiful, that she dazzled the 
 eyes of Belle-belle. Her dress was of blue velvet, trimmed 
 with ermine ; her hair entwined with pearls, and on her head 
 was a superb crown. 
 
 Belle-belle, transported with admiration, threw herself at 
 her feet, testifying by that attitude her respect and unutter- 
 able gratitude. The Fairy raised her up, and embraced her 
 affectionately. She told her to put on a suit of gi-eeu and gold 
 brocade. She obeyed her orders, and mounting her horse, 
 continued her joiu-ney, so overwhelmed by all the extraordi- 
 nary things that had just happened, that she could think of 
 nothing else. 
 
 At length she began to ask herself, by what unlooked-for 
 good fortune she could have attracted the kindness of so 
 powerful a fairy, " Because really," said she, " I was not 
 required to recover the sheep, for a simple stroke of her 
 wand would have brought a whole flock back from the 
 antipodes, had it gone there. It was very lucky I was so 
 disposed to oblige her. The trifling service I did her is the 
 cause of all she has done for me ; she knew my heart, and 
 approved of my sentiments. Ah ! if my father could see me 
 now, so magnificent and so rich, how delighted he would be ! 
 but at all events, I shall have the pleasure of sharing with 
 my family the fortune she has given me." 
 
 As she finished making these various reflections, she arrived 
 in a fine and very populous city. She drew all eyes upon 
 her ; they followed her and surrounded her, and every one 
 cried out, " Was there ever seen a cavalier more handsome, 
 better made, or more beautifully dressed? How gracefully 
 he manages that superb horse 1" They saluted him most 
 respectfully, which he returned with a kind and courteous 
 air. As soon as he entered the inn, the governor, who was 
 walking, and had admired him in passing, sent a gentleman 
 to say, that he hoped he would come and take up his lodgings 
 in his castle. The Chevalier Fortune (for in short we must 
 henceforth speak of Belle-belle as such) replied, that not 
 having the honour of being known by him, he would not take 
 that liberty ; that he would go and pay his respects to him, and 
 begged he would give him one of his people, whom he could 
 
THE CHEVALIEE FORTUNE. 477 
 
 entrust with something of consequence he wished to send to 
 his father. The governor sent him immediately a very trusty 
 messenger, and Fortune desired him to come again, as hia 
 despatches were not yet ready. 
 
 He shut himself in his chamber ; then, stamping with hia 
 foot, said, "Turkey-leather trunk, come to me hlled with 
 diamonds and pistoles!" It appeared that instant ; but there 
 was no key, and where was he to find it? What a pity to 
 break a lock of enamelled gold of several colours ; and more- 
 over, was there not much to fear from the indiscretion of 
 a locksmith ] He would scarcely have spoken of the Clievalier'a 
 treasures before thieves would assemble to rob him, and 
 perhaps they might kill him. 
 
 He then looked for the key everywhere, and the more he 
 sought it the less he could find it. "How troublesome!" 
 cried he ; "I shall not be able to make use of the Fairy's 
 bounty, nor send my father any of the property she has 
 given me." While he was thus musing, it occurred to him, 
 that the best thing to do Would be to consult his horse ; he 
 went into the stable, and said in a whisper, " I entreat you. 
 Comrade, tell me where I shall find the key of the Turkey- 
 leather trunk." "In my ear," replied the horse. Fortune 
 looked in the horse's ear; he espied a green ribbon, — he drew 
 it out, and saw the key he wished for ; he opened the Turkey- 
 leather trunk, wherein were more diamonds and pistoles than 
 would fill a bushel. The Chevalier filled three caskets^-one 
 for his father, and two others for his sisters; he then gave 
 them to the man the governor had sent to him, and begged 
 him not to stop, either night or day, until he arrived at the 
 Count's house. 
 
 This messenger made the greatest speed, and when he told 
 the old man that he came from his son, the Chevalier, and 
 that he had brought him a very heavy casket, he wondered 
 what could be in it ; for he had started with so little money, 
 that he did not think he was in a condition to buy anything, 
 nor even to pay the journey of the man who had charge of 
 his pi-esent. He firet of all opened his letter, and when he had 
 read all that his dear daughter had written, he thought ho 
 should die with joy; the sight of the jewels and gold still 
 further confirmed the truth of the story; the most extra- 
 ordinary thing was, that when Belle-belle's two sisters opened 
 
478 BELLE-BELLE; OK, 
 
 their caskets, they found bita of glass instead of diamonds, 
 and false pistoles, — the Fairy not choosing that they should 
 partake of her kindness ; they therefore tliought their sister 
 was laughing at them, and they felt extremely vexed at her; 
 but the Count, perceiving how angry they were with her, 
 gave them the greater part of the jewels he had just received. 
 As soon as they touched them they changed like the others; 
 they concluded, therefore, that an unknown power was 
 working against them, and begged their father to keep the 
 remainder for himself. The handsome Fortune did not wait 
 the return of his messenger before he quitted the city — his 
 business was too urgent ; he was bound to obey the King's 
 orders. He paid his visit to the governor, at whose house all 
 the people had assembled to see him. There was in his 
 person and all his actions such an air of goodness, that they 
 could but admire and love him. He said nothing but what 
 was pleasant to hear; and the crowd was so great around 
 him, he did not know how to account for so extraordinary 
 a circumstance ; for, having lived always in the country, he 
 had seen very few people. 
 
 He continued his journey on his excellent horse, which 
 amused him with a thousand stories, or by recounting to 
 him the most remarkable events in ancient and modem 
 history. " My dear Master," said he, " I am delighted to be 
 your property. I know you possess much frankness and 
 honour. I am disgusted with certain people with whom 
 I have lived a long time, and who made me weary of my hfe, 
 their society was so insupportable. Among them was a man 
 who professed great friendship for me, who ranked me above 
 Pegasus and Bucephalus when he spoke in my presence; 
 but as soon as I was out of sight, he treated me as a jaded 
 and sorry horse ; he affected an admiration of my faults, in 
 order to induce me to commit greater. It is true, that 
 one day, being tired of his caresses, which properly speaking 
 were treacheries, I gave him so severe a kick, that I had the 
 pleasure of knocking out nearly all his teeth; and I have 
 never seen him since, that I do not tell him with great 
 sincerity, it is not right that a mouth that is opened so often 
 to abuse those who do you no harm, should be as handsome 
 as others." " Ho! ho!" cried the Chevalier; " thou art very 
 mettlesome; dost thou not fear that this man will some day 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 479 
 
 in a passion pass his sword through yoiir bodyl" " It would 
 not signify, my Lord," replied Comrade; " besides, I should 
 know his intention as soon as he could form it." 
 
 They were thus talking when they approached an extensive 
 forest. Comrade said to the Chevalier, " Master, there is 
 a man who lives here that may perhaps be of great service 
 to us; he is a woodcutter, and one who has been gifted." 
 What dost thou mean by that t.erm?" interrupted Fortune. 
 " Gifted means, that he has received one or more gifts from 
 fairies," added the horse ; " you must engage him to go with 
 us." At the same time, advancing to where the woodcutter 
 was at work, the young Chevalier accosted him with a gentle 
 and winning air, and asked him several questions about the 
 place they were in ; whether there were any wild beasts in the 
 forest, and if he would be permitted to hunt in it The 
 woodcutter replied to everything like an intelligent man. 
 Fortune then inquired, where the men were gone, who had 
 been helping him to fell so many trees. The woodcutter 
 replied that he had felled them all by himself, that it had 
 been the work of a few hours, and that he must cut down 
 many others to make a load for himself. " What ! Do you 
 pretend you will carry all this wood to-day?" said the Che- 
 valier. " Oh, my Lord," replied Strong-back^ (for thus people 
 called him,) " my strength is extraordinary." " You make a 
 great deal of money, then," said Fortun6. " Very little," 
 replied the woodcutter, "for they are poor in this place; 
 here every one works for himself, without begging his neigh- 
 bour's assistance." " Since you live in so poor a country," 
 added the Chevalier, "you have only to choose, to go to 
 another. Come with me, you shall not want for anything, 
 and when you would wish to retmn, I will give you money 
 for your journey." The woodcutter thought he could not do 
 better ; he forsook his axe and followed his new master. As 
 soon as they had passed through the forest, they saw a man 
 in the plain, who appeared to be tying his legs together with 
 some riband so closely, that he would scarcely be able to 
 walk. Comrade stopped, and said to his master, " My Lord," 
 
 (1 ) Forte-^hine, literally " strong ekitiey I have translated the names of the seven 
 gifted servants: Forte-ichine, L6ger, le bon Tireur, Fine-oreille, I'lmp^tneux, 
 Trinquet and Grugeon, as they are supposed to be nicknames bestowed upon them 
 by the people of the country, and not their proper appellations. 
 
480 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 here is another gifted man : you will want him ; you must 
 take him with you." Fortune drew near him, and with his 
 usual grace, asked him, " Why he was thus tying his legs." 
 " I am going to hunt," said he. " How?" said the Chevalier, 
 smiling, " Do you mean to say you can run better when you 
 are thus fettered?" '• No, my Lord," replied he, " I am aware 
 that my speed will not be so great, but that is my object; for 
 there is not a stag, roebuck, or hare, that I do not outrun 
 when my legs are at liberty, so that by leaving them con- 
 tinually behind me they escape, and I scarcely ever have the 
 pleasure of catching them ! " " You seem an extraordinary 
 man," said Fortune; "what is your name?" "They have 
 given me the name of Swift," said the hunter, " and I am well 
 known in this country." " If you would like to see another," 
 added the Chevalier, " I shoiild be very happy for you to go 
 with me ; you will not have so much fatigue, and I will treat 
 you well." Swift was not particularly well off, so he willingly 
 accepted the offer proposed to him; and Fortun6, followed 
 by his new servants, continued his journey. 
 
 The next morning he saw a man on the border of a marsh, 
 binding his eyes. The horse said to his master, " My Lord, I 
 advise you to take this man also into your service." Fortun6 
 immediately asked him, why he bound his eyes. " I see too 
 clearly," said he ; "I spy the game more than four leagues 
 off, and I never shoot withotit killing more than I wish. I 
 am therefore obliged to bind my eyes; for, though I got but 
 a glimpse, there would be neither partridges nor any other 
 little birds left in the country in less than two houi-s." 
 " You are very clever," repUed Fortune. " They call me the 
 Good-marksman," said the man ; " and I would not leave this 
 occupation for anything in the world." " I have, notwith- 
 standing, a great inclination to propose to you to travel with 
 me," said the Chevalier ; " it will not prevent your exercising 
 your talent." The Good-marksman made some objections, and 
 the Chevalier had more difficulty in winning him over than 
 with the others ; for sportsmen are generally fond of liberty. 
 However, he at length succeeded, and left the marsh in which 
 he had halted with his additional attendant. 
 
 Some days after this, he passed by a meadow, in which he 
 saw a man lying on his side. Commde said, " Master, this 
 man is gifted; I foresee that he will be very necessary to 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 481 
 
 you." Fortune entered the meadow, and desired to know 
 what he was doing. " I want some simples," replied he ; 
 "and I am listening to the grass as it grows, to find out 
 those which I require." " How !" said the Chevalier, " have 
 you ears so quick, that you can hear the grass grow, and 
 guess that which will come up?" "It is for that reason," 
 said the listener, " they call me Fine-ear." "Very well. Fine- 
 ear," continued Fortune, " are you inclined to follow me ? I 
 will give you such high wages, that you will have no reason 
 to regret it." The man, delighted at so agreeable a proposi- 
 tion, joined without hesitation the other followers. 
 
 The Chevalier, continuing his journey, saw by the side of a 
 high-road a man whose cheeks were so inflated that it had a 
 very droll effect ; he was standing with his face towards a lofty 
 mountain, two leagues off, upon which were fifty or sixty 
 windmills. The horse said to his master, " There is another 
 of our gifted ones; do all you can to take him with you." 
 Fortune, who had the power of fascinating eveiy one he saw 
 or spoke to, accosted this man, and asked him, what he was 
 doing there. " I am blowing a little, my Lord," said he, " to 
 set all those mills at work." " It appears to me, you are too 
 far off," replied the Chevalier. " On the contrary," replied 
 the blower, " I find I am too near; and if I did not retain 
 the half of my breath, I should upset the mills, and perhaps 
 the mountains they stand on. I do a great deal of mischief 
 in this way without intending it; and I can tell you, my 
 Lord, that, having been very ill-treated once by my mistress, 
 as I went into the woods to indulge my sorrow, my sighs tore 
 the trees up by the root, and created great confusion ; so that 
 in this province they never call me anything but Boisterous." 
 " If they are tired of you," said Fortune, " and you would 
 come with me, here are some who will keep you company ; 
 they also possess extraordinary talent." " I have so natural a 
 curiosity for everything that is uncommon," replied Boisterous, 
 " that I accept your offer." 
 
 Fortun6, much pleased, proceeded ; and, after passing 
 through a well- wooded country, came to a large lake, fed by 
 several springs ; at the side of it was a man, who looked at it 
 very attentively. " My Lord," said Comrade to his master, 
 " this man is wanting to complete your train. If you could 
 induce him to follow you, it would be as well." The Chevalier 
 
 1 1 
 
48^ BELLE-BELLE ; OR, 
 
 approached him immediately. " Will you tell me," said he, 
 " what you are doing there V J,' My Lord," replied the man, 
 " you shall see as soon as this lake is full ; I shall drink it at 
 one draught, for I am still thirsty, although I have already 
 twice emptied it." And accordingly he stooped down, and in 
 a few minutes left scarcely sufficient water for the smallest 
 fish to swim in. Fortxme was not more surprised than all his 
 followers. "What!" said he, "are you always so thirsty?" 
 " No," said the water-drinker ; I only drink like this when 
 I have eaten anything too salt, or in case of some wager. I 
 have been known for some time past by the name of the 
 Tippler." " Come with me, Tippler," said the Knight; " I 
 will give you wine to tipple, which you will find better than 
 spring-water." This promise pleased the man very much, and 
 he forthwith took service with the others. 
 
 The Chevalier had now arrived within sight of the place 
 fixed on for the general rendezvous of the King's forces, when 
 he perceived a man eating so greedily, that, although he had 
 more than sixty thousand loaves of Gonesse bread ^ before 
 him, he seemed resolved not to leave the smallest morsel of 
 it. Comrade said to his master, " My Lord, you want but 
 this man; pray make him come with you." The Chevalier 
 accosted him, and, smiling, said to him, " Are you deter- 
 mined to eat all this bread for your breakfast?" "Yes," 
 
 (1) Gonesse is a little village in the neighbourhood of Paris, which was celebrated 
 for its very white and delicate bread. During the wars of the Fronde, the pain de 
 Gonesse was the luxury the deprivation of which was most regretted by the 
 Parisians. Guy Patin, writing to his friend Spon at that period, when the Prince 
 de Conde had cut off the supplies of the city by taking possession of the principal 
 entrances to it, says, "Corbeil is of importance to us. It will be the first town we 
 shall try to take. After that Lagny ; after that we must take St. Denys, in order 
 to get le pain de Gonetse for those who have delicate stomachs, and have been 
 accustomed to it." Gonesse formed a portion of the ancient county of Paris, and was 
 united with the domains of the Crown by Hugh Capet. Even in that early period, it 
 was famed for its granaries. ', The principal inhabitants of the village were bound to 
 watch "the King's Grange," by turns, every night during the month of August; 
 but this service being construed into a species of serfdom which prevented them 
 from marrying free women, they petitioned Louis IX., who affranchised them. 
 The great King, Philippe Auguste, was bom in this village, and was in consequence 
 sometimes called De Gonesse ; and Francis I., writing to Charles V. during their 
 quarrels, styled himself ironically, "Par la grace de Dieu, Roi de France; et pre- 
 mier citoyen de Gonesse et de Vanves." So much wealth was amassed by the 
 bakers of Gonesse, that marble monuments were frequently raised to the memor>' cf 
 the men as well as the masters ; but very little bread has been made there during 
 the present century, and what is still so called comes mostly from the Faubourgs of 
 St. Denis and St. Martin. I trust the details of this note are sufficiently curious to 
 excuse the length of it. 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 483 
 
 replied he: '"'all T regret is, that there is so little; but the 
 bakers ai-e arrant lazy fellows, and give themselves very little 
 trouble, whether you are hungry or not." " If you require so 
 much every day," added Fortune, " there is hardly a country 
 you would not put in a state of starvation." " Oh ! my 
 Lord," replied Eater (as the people called him), " I should be 
 very sorry to have always so great an appetite ; neither my 
 l)roperty nor that of my neighbours would be sufficient to 
 satisfy it. It is true that now and then I take a fancy to 
 feast in this fashion." " My friend Eater," said Fortim^, 
 " follow me ; I will give you good cheer, and you wiU not be 
 dissatisfied with having chosen me for a master." 
 
 Comrade, who wanted neither for sense nor forethought, 
 warned the Chevalier to forbid all these people from boasting 
 of the extraordinary gifts which they possessed. He lost no 
 time in calling them to him, and said : " Listen to me, Strong- 
 back, Swift, Good-marksman, Fine-ear, Boisterous, Tippler, 
 and Eater. I give you notice, that, if you would please me, 
 you will keep as an inviolable secret the talents you possess ; 
 and I assure you I shall endeavour to make you so happy, 
 that you will be perfectly satisfied." Each bound himseljf by 
 an oath to obey his orders implicitly; and, soon after, the 
 Chevalier, more adorned by his beauty and his graceful 
 demeanour than by his magnificent dress, entered the capital 
 city, mounted upon his excellent horse, and followed by the 
 finest serving-men in the world. He lost no time in procuring 
 liveries for them, laced all over with gold and silver ; he gave 
 them horses : and, having taken apartments in the best inn, 
 he awaited the day fixed for the review. Nothing, however, 
 was talked of but him in the city ; and the King, prepossessed 
 in his favour by the general rumour, was very anxious to 
 see liim. 
 
 All the troops assembled in a great plain. The King came 
 there, with the Queen-dowager his sister, and all their court. 
 The Queen abated no jot of her pomp, notwithstanding the 
 misfortunes of the kingdom ; and Fortune was dazzled by so 
 much splendour. But if they attracted his attention, their 
 observation was equally drawn towards his incomparable 
 beauty. Every one was asking, who that handsome and 
 graceful young gentleman could be; and the King, passing 
 close by him, made him a sign to approach. 
 
 ii2 
 
484 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 Fortun6 instantly alighted from his horse to make the King 
 a low bow; he could not help blushing at being looked at so 
 earnestly ; this additional colour heightened the brilliancy of 
 his complexion. " I should be glad," said the King, " to learn 
 from yourself who you are, and what is your name?" " Sire," 
 replied he, " I call myself Fortune, without having, xip to the 
 present moment, any reason for bearing this name ; for my 
 father, who is a count of the frontier, passes his life in great 
 poverty, although he was born of a rich and noble family." 
 " Fortune, who has been your godmother," replied the King, 
 " has not done so badly for you in bringing you hither; I feel 
 a particular affection for you, and 1 remember that your 
 father rendered mine great service. I will reward him by my 
 fiivour to his son." " That is quite just, brother," said the 
 Queen-dowager, who had not yet spoken; "and as I am your 
 elder, and know more particularly than you do all the service 
 that the Count of the Frontier has rendered the state, I beg 
 you will enti'ust to me the care of rewarding this young 
 Chevalier." 
 
 Fortune, enchanted at his reception, could not sufiBciently 
 thank the King and Queen ; he did not, however, venture to 
 enlarge greatly upon his feeling of gratitude, believing it to 
 be more respectful to be silent, than to talk too much. The 
 little he did say was so correct, and so much to the purpose, 
 that every one applauded him. He afterwards remounted 
 his horse, and mixed among the noblemen, who accompanied 
 the King; but the Queen called him away every minute, to 
 ask him a thousand questions, and, turning herself towards 
 Floride, who was her favourite confidant, said to her softly, 
 "What dost thou think of this Chevalier? Could any one 
 display a more noble air, or more regular features? I own 
 to thee I never saw anything more charming." Floride 
 quite agreed with the Queen, adding much encomium upon 
 him, for the Chevalier was no less charming to her than to 
 her mistress. 
 
 Fortune could not help fixing his eyes from time to time 
 upon the King. He was the handsomest prince in the world, 
 and his manners were most fascinating. Belle-belle, who had 
 not renounced her sex with her dress, felt a sincere attachment 
 for him. 
 
 The King told Fortune, after the review, that he feared the 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 485 
 
 war would be a very sanguinary one, and that he had determmed 
 to keep him close to his own pei*son. The Queen-dowager, 
 who was present, exclaimed, " She had also been thinking the 
 same thing, that he ought not to be exposed to a long cam- 
 paign, that the place of premier maitre d'hotel was vacant in 
 her household, and that she would give it to him." " No," 
 said the King, " I shall make him grand equerry to myself." 
 They tlms disputed one with the other for the pleasure of 
 advancing Fortune, and the Queen, afraid of making known 
 the secret emotions that were ah-eady agitating her heart, 
 acceded to the King the gi*atification of appropriating the 
 services of the Chevalier. 
 
 Hardly a day passed that he did not call for his Turkey- 
 leather trunk, and take out a new dress. He was certainly 
 the most magnificent prince at court, insomuch that the 
 Queeu asked him sometimes, by what means his father could 
 be at such an expense for him; at other times she would 
 banter him, " Own the truth," she said, " you have a mistress ; 
 it is she who sends you all the beautiful things we see." 
 Fortune blushed, and respectfully replied to all the various 
 questions the Queen put to him. 
 
 On the other hand, he 'acquitted himself of his duties 
 admirably. Sensibly alive to the King's merits, he attached 
 himself more to him than he wished to do. " What is my 
 fate?" said he, " I love a great King, without any hope of his 
 loving me, or that he will ever know what I suffer." The 
 King, on his part, loaded him with favours ; nothing was well 
 done that was not done by the handsome Chevalier. The 
 Queen, deceived by his dress, seriously thought of the means 
 of contracting a secret mamage witfi him. The inequality 
 of their birth was the only thing which troubled her. 
 
 She was not the only one entertaining such feelings for 
 Fortune ; the handsomest women of the court were taken 
 with him. He was overwhelmed with tender epistles, with 
 assignations, with presents, and a thousand gallantries, to all 
 of which he replied with so much indifference, that they 
 doubted not he had a mistress in his own country. It was in 
 vain that, at the great entei*tainments of the court, he took 
 no pains to distinguish himself. He canned away the prize at 
 all the tournaments ; in hunting, he killed more game than 
 any one else ; he danced at all the balls with more grace and 
 
486 BELLE-BELLE; Oil, 
 
 skill than any of the courtiers ; in short, it was delightful to 
 see or to hear him. 
 
 The Queen, anxious to be spared the confusion of de- 
 claring her sentiments to him heraelf, desired Floride to 
 make him understand, that so many mai-ks of kindness from 
 a young and beautiful queen ought not to be a matter of 
 indifference to him. Floride was very much embarrassed by 
 this commission, for she had been unable to avoid the fate of 
 all who had seen the ChevaUer, and she thought it would be 
 too amiable on her part to prefer her mistress's interests to 
 her own ; so that, at each opportunity the Queen gave her of 
 talking to him, instead of speaking of the beauty and great 
 qualifications of that princess, she told him only of her ill- 
 humour, and of what her women endured from her; of the 
 injustice she did them, of the bad use she made of the power 
 she usm'ped in the kingdom ; and, finally, drawing a comparison 
 between their sentiments, she said, " I am not born a queen, 
 but really I ought to have been one. I have so much gene- 
 rosity in my nature, that I am anxious to do good to everybody. 
 Ah! if' I were in that high station," continued she, "how happy 
 would I make the handsome Fortune. He would love me out 
 of gratitude, if he could not love me from inclination." 
 
 The young Chevalier was quite dismayed at this conversation, 
 and knew not what to answer, and therefore carefully avoided 
 these tete-^tetes with her ; and the impatient Queen never 
 failed to ask her, what impression she had made for her upon 
 Fortune. " He thinks so little of himself," said she, " and is so 
 bashful, that he will not believe anything I tell him of you, or 
 he pretends not to believe it, because he is preoccupied by some 
 other passion." " I believe bo too," said the alarmed Queen; 
 "but is it possible he will not yield to his ambition]" "And 
 is it possible," replied Floride, " tliat you would owe his heart 
 to youi- crown? so young and beautiful as you are, possessing 
 a thousand attractions ; is it necessary to have recourse to the 
 splendour of a diadem?" " One has recourse to everything," 
 replied the Queen, "when it is to subdue a rebellious heart." 
 
 Floride saw cleai'ly that it was impossible to cm'e her 
 mistress of her infatuation for him. The Queen each day 
 expected some happy result from the labours of her confidant, 
 but she made so little progress with Fortune, that she was at 
 length compelled to seek the means of obtaining a personal 
 
THE CHEVALIER FOETUS fi. 4-87 
 
 interview with him. She knew that he was accustomed very 
 early everj' morning to walk in a little wood in front of the 
 windows of her apartment. She arose at daybreak, and, 
 watching the path he was likely to take, saw him approaching 
 with a melancholy and abstracted air. She instantly called 
 Floride. " Thou hast spoken too truly," said she; " Fortun6 
 is without doubt in love with some lady in this court, or in 
 his own country — see how sad he looks." " I have observed 
 this sadness in all his conversations," replied Floride ; " and if 
 it were possible for you to forget him, you would do well." 
 " It is too late," exclaimed the Queen, sighing deeply; "but, 
 as he has entered that green arbour, let us go there; I will 
 have thee only to follow me." The girl did not dare to stop 
 the Queen, however much she wished to do so ; for she feared 
 she would induce Fortune to fall in love with her, and a rival 
 of such exalted rank is always very dangerous. As soon as 
 the Queen had taken a few steps in the wood, she heard the 
 Chevalier singing; his voice was very sweet; he had com- 
 posed these words to a new air : — 
 
 " How rare a thing it is for Love and Peace 
 To dwell together in the same fond heart ! 
 For ever with ray joys, my fears increase, 
 To see them, like a morning dream, depart ! 
 Dread of the future robs my soul of rest. 
 Then most unhappy when it most is blest ! " 
 
 Fortune had made these verses in consequence of his senti- 
 ments for the King, the favour he had shown him, and from 
 the fear he was in of being recognised, and forced to leave a 
 court he preferred living in to any other in the world. The 
 Queen, who stopped to listen, was extremely distressed, 
 "What am I going to attempt?" said she softly to Floride. 
 " This ungrateful young man despises the honour of pleasing 
 me ; he thinks himself happy — he seems satisfied with his 
 conquest — and he sacrifices me to another." " He is at that 
 age," replied Floride, " when reason has not yet established 
 its rights; if I dared advise your Majesty, it would be to 
 forget a giddy little fellow, who is not capable of appreciating 
 his good fortune." The Queen would much rather her con- 
 fidant had spoken to her in a different manner; she cast an 
 angry look at her, and, hastily advancing, she quickly entered 
 the arbour where the knight was; she pretended to be sur- 
 prised to find him there, and to be vexed at his seeing her in 
 
488 ■ BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 deshabille, although she had taken great pains to make herself 
 magnificent and attractive. 
 
 As soon as she appeared, from respect to her, he wonld 
 iiave retired, but she desired him to remain, that he might 
 assist her in -walking, " I -was awoke this morning, most 
 agreeably, by the singing of the birds. The fine weather, and 
 the pure air, invited me to hear them warbling nearer. How 
 happy they are ; alas ! they know nought but pleasure : 
 grief does not trouble them!" "It appears to me, Madam," 
 replied Fortun6, " that they are not entirely exempt from 
 pain and sorrow ; they are always in danger of the murderous 
 shot, or the deceitful snares of spoi-tsmen, besides the birds of 
 prey which war against these little innocent ones. When a 
 hard winter comes, and freezes the ground, and covers it with 
 snow, they die for want of hemp or millet-seed, and every 
 year they have the trouble of seeking a fresh mistress." 
 
 "You think, then. Chevalier," said the Queen, smiling, 
 " that it is a trouble 1 There are men who have a fresh one 
 each month in the year ; but you appear surprised at it," she 
 continued, " as if your heart was not of the same stamp, and 
 that you have not yet been given to change ! " "I am not 
 able, Madam, to know of what I should be guilty," said the 
 Chevalier, " for I have never yet loved ; but I dare believe, 
 if I had an attachment, it would end but with my life." 
 "You have never loved?" cried the Queen, looking so 
 earnestly at him, that the poor Chevalier changed colour 
 several times ; " you have never been in love 1 Fortune, can 
 you assert this to a Queen, who reads in your face and your 
 eyes the passion that occupies your heart? and who has heard 
 the words which you sang to the new aii", which is just now 
 so popular." " It is true. Madam," replied the Chevalier, 
 " that those lines are my own ; but it is likewise true, that I 
 made them without any particular design ; my friends ask 
 me eveiy day to write drinking-songs for them, although I 
 never drink anything but water ; there are others who prefer 
 love-songs: thus I sing of Love, and of Bacchus, without being 
 a lover or a drinker." 
 
 The Queen listened to him with so much emotion that^he 
 could scarcely support herself; that which he had told her, 
 rekindled the hope in her bosom that Floride would have 
 deprived her of. " If I could think you sincere," said she, " I 
 
THE CHEVALIER rORTt'Nfi. 489 
 
 should indeed be surprised, that you have not seen a lady in 
 this court sufficiently lovely for you to fix upon." " Madam," 
 replied Fortune, " I endeavour so earnestly to fulfil the duties 
 of my office, that I have no time for sighing." " You love 
 nothing, then ?" added she, with vehemence. " No, Madam," 
 said he ; " I have not a heart of so gallant a character; I am 
 a kind of misanthrope, who loves his liberty, and who would 
 not lose it for all the world." The Queen sat down, and 
 fixing upon him the kindest of looks — " There are some 
 chains, so beautiful and glorious," replied she, " that anyone 
 might feel happy to wear them ; if Fortune has destined such 
 to you, I would advise you to renounce your liberty." In 
 speaking thus, her eyes explained her meaning too intelligibly, 
 for the Chevalier, who had already very strong suspicions, not 
 to be now entirely confirmed in them. Fearing the conver- 
 sation might go still further, he looked at his watch, and 
 setting the hand on a little — " I must beg your Majesty," 
 said he, " to allow me to go to the palace; it is time for the 
 King to arise, and he desired me to be in attendance." " Go, 
 indifierent youth," said she, sighing profoundly; "you are 
 right to pay court to my brother, but remember you would not 
 have done wrong^to dedicate some of your attentions to me." 
 
 The Queen followed him with her eyes, then let them fall, 
 and reflecting upon what had just passed, blushed with shame 
 and rage. -That which added still more to her grief, was that 
 Floride had witnessed it all, and she remarked upon her face 
 an expression of joy, which seemed to tell her, she would have 
 done better had she taken her advice instead of speaking to 
 Fortun6; she meditated sometime, and taking her tablets, 
 she wrote these lines, which she caxised to be set to music by 
 the Lully ^ of the court : — 
 
 " Behoid ! behold ! the torment I endure ! 
 The victor knows it : but it moves him not. 
 My heart displays the wound no time can cure, 
 Still rankling with the shaft too truly shot. 
 
 " As unconceal'd, his coldness, his disdain, 
 He hates me, and his hate I would return ; 
 But ah ! my foolish heart essays in vain 
 With aught but fondest love for him to bum ! " 
 
 (1) The celebrated composer, Lully, was, at the time these stories were written, in 
 the zenith of his popularity ; both at the court of Versailles, and with the public at 
 large. He died in 1C86. 
 
490 BELLE-BELLE ; OR, 
 
 Floride played her part very well with the Queeu ; she con- 
 soled her as much as she could, and gave her some few flat- 
 tering hopes, which she needed to support her. " Fortun6 
 thinks himself so beneath you. Madam," said she, " that he 
 did not perhaps understand what you meant; and it appeara 
 to me that he has already said much in assuring you that he 
 loves no one." It is so natural for us to flatter ourselves, that 
 the Queen at length took heart a little. She was ignorant 
 that the malicious Floride, aware of the Chevalier's indifference 
 for her, wished to induce him to speak still more explicitly, 
 that he might offend her by his cool answers. 
 
 He was, on his part, in the greatest perplexity. His situa- 
 tion appeared cruel to him ; he would not have hesitated to 
 leave the court, if his love for the King had not detained him 
 in spite of himself. He never went near the Queen but when 
 she held her court, and then always in the King's suite : she 
 perceived this alteration in his conduct instantly; she several 
 times gave him the opportunity of paying attentions to her, 
 without his profiting by it ; but one day, as she descended 
 into her gardens, she saw him cross one of the gi-and avenues, 
 and suddenly enter the little wood. She called to him ; he 
 feared to displease her in pretending not to hear her, and 
 approached her respectfully. 
 
 " Do you remember. Chevalier," said she, " the conversation 
 we had together some time ago in the green arbour?" " I am 
 not capable. Madam," answered he, "of forgetting that 
 honour." " No doubt the questions I put to you then," said 
 the Queen, " were distressing; for since that day you have not 
 placed yourself in a situation for me to ask you any more." 
 " As chance alone procured me that favour," said he, " I 
 thought it would be presuming to seek any other." " Rather 
 say, ungrateful man," continued she, blushing, " that you have 
 avoided my presence; you know too well my sentiments." 
 Fortune cast down his eyes in an embarrassed and modest 
 manner, and as he hesitated to reply to her, she continued — 
 " You seem very much disconcerted — go, do not endeavour to 
 answer me ; I understand you better than though I heard you 
 speak." She would perhaps have said more, but she per- 
 ceived the King coming that way. She advanced towards 
 him, and seeing him look very melancholy, she begged him to 
 tell her the reason, " You know," said the King, " that about 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 491 
 
 a month ago tidings were brought me that a dragon of pro- 
 digious size was ravaging the country. I thought they could 
 kill him, and issued for that purpose the necessary orders ; but 
 they have tried every means in vain. He devours my sub- 
 jects, their flocks, and all that he meets with ; he poisons all 
 the rivers and springs wherever he quenches his thirst, and 
 withers the grass and the herbs that he lies down upon." 
 While the King was talking to her, it entered the mind of the 
 in'itated Queen, that there was an opportunity afforded to her 
 of sacrificing the Chevalier to her resentment. " I am not 
 ignorant," said she, "of the bad news you have received. 
 Fortune, whom you saw with me, has just given me an 
 account of it ; but, brother, you will be surprised at what I 
 have to tell you, — he has entreated me, with the greatest im- 
 portunity, to ask you to permit him to go and fight this 
 terrible dragon ; he is indeed so skilled in the use of arms, 
 that I am not surprised he presumes so much; besides, he 
 has told me he has a secret, by which he can put the most 
 wakeful dragon to sleep, but that must not be mentioned, 
 because it does not show much courage in the action." " In 
 whatever manner he may do it," replied the King, " it will be 
 very glorious for him, and of great service to us, if he could 
 succeed ; but I fear this proceeds from an indiscreet zeal, and 
 that it will cost him his life." " No, brother," added the 
 Queen, " fear not ; he has related very surprising things on 
 this subject. You know that he is naturally very sincere, 
 and then what honour can he hope for, in dying so i-ashly. In 
 short," said she, " I have promised to obtain for liim what he 
 so much desires, that if you refuse him, it will kill him." 
 
 " I consent to what you wish," said the King, *' but I own 
 to you, not without much repugnance : but let us call him." 
 He then made a sign for Fortune to approach, and said 
 kindly to him, "I have just learnt from the Queen the desire 
 you have to fight the dragon that is devastating our coimtry. 
 It is so bold a resolution, that I can scarcely believe you have 
 considered all the danger." "I have represented this to 
 him," said the Queen ; " but he is so zealous in your service, 
 and so desirous to signalize himself, that nothing can dissuade 
 him from it; and I foresee that he will be successful," For- 
 tune was much surprised at what the King and Queen said 
 to him. He had sense enough to penetrate the wicked 
 
49^ BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 intentions of this princess, but liis timidity would not permit 
 him to explain it; and, without answering, he let her con- 
 tinue to talk, contenting himself with making low bows, so 
 that the King imagined he was renewing his entreaties to 
 grant him what he so much desired. " Go, then," said he, 
 sighing, "go where glory calls you. I know you are so 
 skilful in all you do, and more particularly in the use of 
 weapons, that, perhaps this monster will have much difficulty 
 in avoiding your blows." " Sire," replied the Chevalier, " what- 
 ever may be the issue of this combat, I shall be satisfied ; I 
 shall deliver you from a terrible scourge, or I shall die for 
 you ; but honour me with one favour, which will be infinitely 
 dear to me." " Ask for w'hatever you wish," said the King. 
 " I am bold enough.," continued Fortune, " to ask for your 
 portrait." The King was much pleased he should think of 
 his portrait at a time when he might have been occupied 
 with other things, and the Queen was grieved afresh, that he 
 had not made the same request of her, but he must have had 
 a superabundance of goodnature, to wisli for the portrait of 
 so wicked a woman. 
 
 The King returned to his palace, and the Queen to her's : 
 Fortune, much embarrassed by the promise he had made, went 
 to seek his horee, and said, "My dear Comrade, there is a gi'eat 
 deal of news for you." "I know it already, my Lord," replied 
 he. "What shall we do, then?" added Fortun6. "We must 
 set off directly," said the horse ; " get the King's order, by 
 which he desires you to go and fight the dragon, we will then 
 do our duty." These few words consoled our young Chev- 
 alier; he failed not the next morning to wait on the King, in 
 a riding-dress, as handsome as the others that he had taken 
 from the Turkey-leather trunk. 
 
 As soon as the King saw him, he exclaimed, "What! you 
 are ready to go 1 " " Yoiir commands cannot be too quickly 
 executed, Sire;" replied he, "I come to take my leave of 
 your Majesty." The King could not help relenting, seeing so 
 young, so handsome, so accomplished a gentleman, upon the 
 eve of exposing himself to the greatest danger man could 
 ever place himself in. 
 
 He embraced him, and gave him his portrait surrounded 
 by large diamonds. Fortune received it with extraordinary 
 joy, for the King's noble qualities had made such an im- 
 
TUE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 493 
 
 pression on him, that he could not imagine anything in the 
 world more charming'; and if he suffered at leaving him, it was 
 much less from the fear of being devoured by the dragon, than 
 from being deprived of the presence of one so dear to him. 
 
 The King would have a general order included in Fortune's 
 commission, for all his subjects to aid and assist him when- 
 ever he should stand in need ; after which he took leave of the 
 King, and that nothing might be remarked in his behaviour, 
 he went to the Queen, who was sitting at her toilette, sur- 
 rounded by several of her ladies. She changed colour when 
 he appeared ; what had she not to reproach herself with on 
 his account? He saluted her respectfully, and asked her, if 
 she would honour him with her commands, as he was on the 
 point of departing. These last words completely disconcerted 
 her; and Floride, who knew not what the Queen had plotted 
 against the Chevalier, was thunderstruck. She would wil- 
 lingly have had some private conversation with him, but he 
 avoided carefully so embarrassing an interview. 
 
 " I pray the gods," said the Queen, "that you may conquer, 
 and return triumphant." " Madam," replied the Chevalier, 
 " your Majesty does me too much honour, and is sufficiently 
 aware of the danger to which I shall be exposed ; however, I 
 am full of conBdence — perhaps, upon this occasion, I am the 
 only one who does hope." The Queen understood very well 
 what he meant; no doubt she wovdd have replied to this 
 reproach, had there been fewer persons present. 
 
 The Chevalier returned to his lodgings, and ordered his 
 seven excellent servants to take horse, and follow him, as the 
 time had arrived to prove what they could do. There was 
 not one who did not rejoice at being able to serve him. In 
 less than an hour everything was ready, and they set out 
 with him, assuring him they would do their utmost to fulBl 
 his command. In short, as soon as they had reached the 
 open country, and had no fear of being seen, each one gave 
 proof of his address. Tippler drank the .water from the 
 lakes, and caught the finest fish for his master's dinner. 
 Swift, on his part, hunted the stags, and caught the hares 
 by their ears, whatever doubles they made. The Good-marks- 
 man gave no quarter to either partridges or pheasants ; and 
 when the game was killed by one party, the venison by 
 another, and the fish taken out of the water, Strong-back 
 
494 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 • 
 
 carried it all cheerfully. Even Fine-ear made himself useful; 
 he found truffles, morelles, mushrooms, salads, and fine herbs, 
 by hearing them grow in the ground. So Fortune hardly 
 ever, had occasion to draw his purse-strings, to defray the 
 expenses of his journey. He would have been very much 
 amused at the sight of so many extraordinary things, if his 
 heart, had not been so full of all that he had just left. The 
 King's merit was ever present to him, and the Queen's malice 
 appeared to him so gi'eat, that he could not help hating her. 
 He was riding along lost in thought, when he was aroused 
 from his reverie by the piercing ciies of several people. They 
 were those of the poor peasants, whom the dragon was devour- 
 ing. He saw some, who having escaped, were running away with 
 all their might : he called to them, but they would not stop ; 
 he followed, and spoke to them, and he learnt from them 
 that the monster was not far off. He asked them, how they 
 had managed to escape ; they told him that water was very 
 scarce in the country, that they had only rain-water to 
 drink, to preserve which, they had made a pond — that the 
 dragon, after going his rounds, went to drink there — that he 
 uttered such tremendous yells when he arrived at it, he 
 might be heard a league off, and that then everybody was so 
 alarmed that they hid themselves, and fastened their doors 
 and windows. 
 
 The Chevalier entered an inn, not so much to rest himself, 
 as to get some good advice from his pretty horse. When 
 every one had retired, he went into the stable, and said, 
 " Comrade, how shall we conquer this dragon?" " My Lord," 
 said he, " I will dream of it to-night, and tell you what I think 
 about it to-morrow morning." Accordingly, the next morning 
 when the Chevalier came again, the horse said, " Let Fine- 
 ear listen if the dragon is near at hand." Fine-ear laid 
 himself down on the ground, and heard the yells of the 
 dragon, who was about seven leagues off. AYhen the horse 
 was informed of this, he said to Fortune, " Desire Tippler to 
 go and drink up all the water out of the great pond, and 
 make Strong-back carry wine enough there to fill it. You 
 must put around the pond dried raisins, pepper, and several 
 things that will make the dragon thii-sty; order all the inha- 
 bitants to shut themselves up in their houses; and you, my 
 Lord, must not leave the one you may choose to lay Avait in 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNfi. 4C5 
 
 ■with your attendants. The dragon will not fail to go and 
 drink at the pond, the wine he will like very much, and you 
 will then see what will be the end of it all." 
 
 As soon as Comrade had arranged what was to be done, 
 everybody set about what they had to do. The Chevalier 
 went into a house which overlooked the pond. He had 
 scarcely done so, when the frightful dragon came and drank 
 a little, then he ate some of the breakfast they had prepared 
 for him, and then he drank more and more, till he became 
 quite intoxicated. He was unable to move, he laid upon his 
 side, his head hanging down, and his eyes closed. When 
 Fortun6 saw him in this state, he felt he had not a moment 
 to lose, he issued forth, sword in hand, and attacked him 
 most courageously. The dragon, finding himself wounded 
 on all sides, would have got up and fallen upon the Chevalier, 
 but he had not the strength, he had lost so much blood. The 
 Chevalier, oveijoyed that he had reduced him to this extre- 
 mity, called his attendants to bind the monster with cords 
 and chains, that the King might have the pleasure and glory 
 of ending his life ; so that, having nothing more to fear from 
 the beast, they dragged him into the city. 
 
 Fortun6 marched at the head of his little troop. On 
 approaching the palace, he sent Swift to the King with good 
 news of his great success ; but it seemed incredible, till they 
 actually saw the monster fast bound upon a machine con- 
 structed for the pui-pose. 
 
 The King descended, and embraced Fortun6. " The gods 
 have reserved this victory for you," said he, " and I feel much 
 less joy at the sight of this horrible dragon reduced to this 
 condition, than at your safe return, my dear Chevalier." " Sire," 
 replied he, " may it please your Majesty to give the monster 
 his death-blow; I brought him here to receive it at your 
 hand." The King drew his sword, and terminated the exist- 
 ence of one of his most cruel enemies. Everybody uttered 
 shouts of joy at such uiJioped-for success. 
 
 Floride, who had been in continual anxiety, was not long 
 before she heard of the return of her handsome ChevaUer. 
 She ran to tell the Queen of it, who was so astonished and 
 confounded by her love and her hatred, that she could return 
 no answer to what her confidant told her; and she reproached 
 herself a hundi-ed and a hundred times for the malicious 
 
-^96 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 trick she had played him, but she would rather have seen 
 him dead than so indifferent to her. She knew not whether 
 to be pleased or sorry that he had returned to the court, 
 "where his presence would again disturb her peace. 
 
 The King, impatient to impart to his sister the success of 
 such an extraordinary event, entered her chamber, leaning on 
 the Chevalier's arm. " Here is the conqueror of the dragon," 
 said he, " who has rendered me the greatest service I could 
 have received from a faithful subject-; it was to you, Madam, 
 he first expressed his desire to fight this monster; I hope 
 you will appreciate the courage with which he exposed him- 
 self to the greatest danger. The Queen, composing her coun- 
 tenance, honoured Fortune with a gracious reception, and 
 a thousand praises ; she thought him handsomer than when 
 he went away, and her earnest look at him was to make him 
 understand that her heart was not ciu-ed of its wound. 
 
 She would not trust to her eyes alone the task of expla- 
 nation ; and one day that she was hunting with the King, 
 she gave up following the hounds on the plea of sudden' 
 indisposition; then, turning to the young ChevaUer, who 
 was near her, " You will do me the pleasure," said she, " of 
 remaining with me ; I wish to alight, and rest a little while. 
 Go," she continued, to those who accompanied her, " do not 
 leave my brother!" She alighted instantly with Floride, 
 and seated herself by the side of a stream, where she remained 
 for some time in profound silence, thinking how she could 
 best commence the conversation. 
 
 At length, raising her eyes, she fixed them upon the Che- 
 valier, and said, " As good intentions are not always obvious, 
 I fear you have not been able to penetrate the motives which 
 induced me to press the King to send you to fight the dragon; 
 I felt sure, from a presentiment that never deceives me, 
 that you would acquit yourself like a brave man ; and your 
 enemies thought so lightly of your corn-age, because you did 
 not go to the army, that it was necessaiy you should perform 
 some such action to stop their mouths. I should have in- 
 formed you of what they said upon this subject," continued 
 she, "and ought perhaps to have done so, but I feared the 
 consequences which might result from your resentment, and 
 thought it would be better for you to silence such ill- 
 intentioned people by your intrepid conduct in danger, than 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 497 
 
 by the exertion of an influence which would rather mai-k the 
 favourite than the soldier. You perceive now, Chevalier," 
 added she, " that I took a lively interest in all that could 
 conduce to our glory, and that you would be very wrong 
 were you to judge otherwise." " The distance is so great 
 between us, Madam," replied he, modestly, " that I am not 
 worthy of the explanation you have been so good as to give 
 me, nor the care you took to imperil my life for the sake of 
 my honour. The gods protected me with more beneficence 
 than my enemies hoped for, and I shall esteem myself always 
 happy to employ in the King's service, or in yours, a 
 life, the loss of which is a matter of more indifference to 
 me than may be imagined." This respectful reproach from 
 Fortune perplexed the Queen : she perfectly comprehended 
 the meaning of his words : but he was still too agreeable to 
 her to be got rid of entirely by too sharp a reply; on the 
 contrary, she pretended to enter completely into his feelings, 
 and made him again relate to her how skilfully he had con- 
 quered the dragon. 
 
 Fortune had taken good care not to tell any one it was 
 through the assistance of his attendants he had done^o; he 
 boasted of having faced this redoubtable enemy alone, and 
 that his own skill, and his courage, even to rashness, had 
 secured his victory; but the Queen, scarcely thinking of 
 what he was saying to her, interrupted him, to ask him if 
 he was now convinced of the interest she felt in all that 
 related to him; and would have pressed the subject further 
 upon him, when he said : " Madam, I hear the sound of the 
 horn, the King is approaching; will your Majesty mount 
 your horse to go and meet him?" " No," said she, spitefully; 
 " it is sufficient for you to do so." " The King would blame 
 me. Madam," added he, " should I leave you by yourself in 
 a place exposed to danger." " I will dispense with your 
 attention," replied she, in an imperative tone, " Begone ! — 
 Your presence annoys me ! " 
 
 At this command, the Chevalier made her a profound bow, 
 mounted his horse, and disappeared from her sight, very un- 
 easy at what might be the resiilt of this fresh offence. He 
 thereupon consulted his fine horse — " Let me know, comrade," 
 said he, " if this too loving, too angry Queen, will find 
 another monster to give me up to?" " No other but herself," 
 
 K E 
 
498 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 replied the pretty horse ; " but she is more of a dragon than 
 the one you have killed, and wiU sufficiently put your patience 
 and your virtue to the test," " Will she not cause me the 
 loss of the kings favour 1" cried he; "that is all I fear." '• I 
 will not reveal the future to you," said Comrade ; " you must 
 be satisfied that I am always on the watch." He said no 
 more, for the King appeared at the end of an avenue. Fortune 
 joined him, and told him the Queen was not weU, and had 
 commanded him to Stay near her. " It appears to me," said 
 the King, smiling, " you are very much in her good graces, 
 and that it is to her you speak your mind, in preference to 
 me, for I have not forgotten that you entreated her to pro- 
 cui'e you the glory of going to .fight the dragon." " I dare 
 not contradict you, Sire," replied the Chevalier ; " but I 
 assure your Majesty I make a great distinction between your 
 favours and those of the Queen, and if a subject were permitted 
 to make a confidant of his sovereign, it would be a most 
 delightful pleasure to me to declare my sentiments to you." 
 The King interrupted him by asking him where he had left 
 the Queen. 
 
 Meanwhile, the Queen was comj)laining to Floride of For- 
 tune's iudifference to her — " The sight of him becomes hateful 
 to me," cried she ; " he must quit the Court, or I must retire 
 from it ; I can no longer suffer the presence of an ungrateful 
 youth, who dares show me so much contempt. What other 
 human being would not esteem himself happy to please a 
 Queen, all-powerful in this kingdom ? He is the only one in 
 the world. Ah ! the gods have reserved him to disturb the 
 repose of my life ! " 
 
 Floride was not at all sorry that her mistress was so dis- 
 pleased with Fox-tune, and far from endeavouring to oppose 
 her displeasure, she increased it by recalling to her mind many 
 little circumstances, that perhaps she would not have chosen 
 to remark. Her rage thus augmented, made her think of 
 some new device to ruin the poor Chevalier. 
 
 As soon as the King had rejoined her, and expressed his 
 concern for her health, she said, " I own I was very ill, but it 
 is difficult to remain so with Fortune, he is so cheerful, and 
 his ideas so amusing ; you must know," continued she, " he 
 has entreated me to obtain another favour from your Ma- 
 jesty. He has asked, with the gi-eatest confidence of success, 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 499 
 
 to be allowed to undertake the rashest enterprise in the 
 ■world." "What, sister," cried the King, "does he wish to 
 fight with a fresh dragon?" "With several at once," said she, 
 " and is sure of conquering — shall I tell you? Well, then, he 
 boasts he will compel the Emperor to restore all our treasures; 
 and to effect this, he does not require an army." " What a 
 pity," replied the King, " that this poor boy should be guilty 
 of so much extravagance ! " " His fight with the dragon," 
 added the Queen, " has caused him to think of nothing but 
 great adventures ; and what hazard do you run in permitting 
 him again to expose himself in your service?" " I hazard his 
 life, which is dear to me," replied the King. " I should 
 be extremely sorry to see him throw it away so wantonly." 
 " Decide as you may, he is certain to die," said she ; "for I assure 
 you his desire is so strong to go and recover your treasiires, 
 that he will pine to death if you refuse him permission." 
 
 The King felt deeply distressed. " I cannot imagine," said 
 he, " what has fiUed his head with all these chimeras ; it pains 
 me exceedingly to see him in this condition." " The fact is," 
 replied the Queen, " he has fought with the dragon ; he has 
 vanquished him, perhaps he will be equally successful in this 
 adventure. I am seldom deceived by my presentiments ; my 
 heart teUs me his enterprise will be fortunate : pray, brother, 
 do not oppose his zeal." "Let him be called," added the 
 King ; " at all events I must represent to him the risk he 
 runs." " That is just the way to exasperate him," replied the 
 Queen ; " he will think you will not let him go, and T assure 
 you he will not be deterred by any consideration for himself, 
 for I have already said all that can be thought of on the 
 subject." "Well," cried the King, " let him go then : I con- 
 sent." The Queeu, delighted with this permission, sent for 
 Fortung. " Chevalier," said she, " thank the king ; he grants 
 you the permission you so much desire, — to seek the Emperor 
 Matapa, and by fair words, or by force, recover from him 
 the treasures which he has despoiled us of. Prepare to de- 
 part with as much expedition as when you went to fight 
 the dragon," 
 
 Fortune, much surprised, recognised in this piece of malice, 
 
 the excess of the Queen's fury against him. However, he 
 
 felt pleasure in being able to lay down his life for a King 
 
 who was so dear to him ; and without making any objectioa 
 
 E E 2 
 
600 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 to this extraordinary commission, he knelt, and kissed the 
 King's hand, who, on his part, -was very much affected. The 
 Queen felt a degree of shame to witness with what respect 
 he received this order to encounter certain death. " Is it 
 possible," said she, " that he has some affection for me, and 
 that rather than contradict what I have advanced, he suffers 
 the injury I have done him without a complaint ? Ah ! if 
 I could so flatter myself, how much mischief would I wish 
 myself for having caused so much to him ! " The King said 
 but little to the Chevalier. He I'emounted his horse, and the 
 Queen entered her chariot again, feigning a return of her 
 indisposition. 
 
 Fortune accompanied the King to the end of the forest : 
 then re-entering it to have some conversation with his 
 horse, " My faithful Comrade," said he, " it is all over. I 
 must die ; the Queen has contrived it in a manner I should 
 never have expected." " My charming master," replied the 
 horse, " do not alarm yourself: although I was not present 
 at all that passed, I have known it for some time ; the em- 
 bassy is not so terrible as you imagine." " Thou dost not 
 then know," continued the Chevalier, " that this Emperor 
 is the most passionate of men, and that if I suggest he should 
 restore all that he has taken from the King, he would answer 
 me only by having me strangled and thrown into the river." 
 " I have been told of his violent conduct," said Comrade ; 
 " but let not that prevent your taking your attendants with 
 you, and departing. If you perish there, we will all perish 
 together; I hope, however, for better fortune." 
 
 The Chevalier, a little consoled, returned home, issued the 
 necessary orders, and afterwards went and received those of 
 the King, together with his credentials. " You will tell the 
 Emperor from me," he said, "that I demand my subjects whom 
 he holds in bondage, my soldiers who are prisoners, my horses 
 which he rides, my goods, and my treasures." " What shall 
 I offer him in exchange for all these things 1 " said Fortune. 
 " Nothing," replied the King, " but my friendship." The 
 young ambassador's memory was not overburthened by his 
 instructions. He departed without seeing the Queen. She 
 was offended at it ; but he had little occasion to regard that. 
 What could she do more in her greatest rage than she had 
 already accomplished in the transports of her greatest love 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 501 
 
 for him. An affection of this kind appeared to him the most 
 dreadful thing in the world. Her confidant, who knew the 
 whole secret, was exasperated with her mistress, for striving 
 to sacrifice the flower of all chivalry. 
 
 Fortune took in the Turkey-leather trunk all that was ne- 
 cessary for his joximey. He was not satisfied with dressing 
 himself magnificently; he wished his seven attendants who 
 accompanied him to make as good an appearance: and as 
 they had all of them excellent horses, and Comrade seemed 
 rather to fly through the air, than to gallop over the ground, 
 they arrived in a very little time at the capital city in which, 
 the Emperor Matapa resided. It was larger than Paris, 
 Constantinople, and Rome put together, and so populated, 
 that all the cellars, garrets, and lofts were inhabited. 
 
 Fortune was surprised to see a city of such a prodigious 
 extent. He demanded an audience of the Emperor ; but 
 when he announced the subject of his embassy, although 
 with a grace which added much to the effect of his arguments, 
 the Emperor could not help smiling. " If you were at the 
 head of five hundred thousand men," said he, " one might 
 listen to you ; but they tell me you have but seven." " I 
 never undertook, my Lord," said Fortun6, "to make you 
 restore what my master wishes by force, but by my very 
 humble remonstrances." " Neither one way nor the other," 
 added the Emperor. "You will never succeed, unless you 
 can accomplish something that has just occurred to me. It 
 is, that you should find a man who has so good an appetite, 
 that he can eat for his breakfast all the hot bread baked for 
 the inhabitants of this great city." 
 
 The Chevalier was most agreeably surprised at this propo- 
 sition ; but as he did not answer directly, the Emperor burst 
 into a fit of laughter. " You see," said he, " it is natural to 
 return a ridiculous answer to a ridiculous request." " Sire," 
 said Fortune, '• I accept your offer. To-morrow I will bring 
 a man who shall eat all the new bread, and likewise all the 
 stale bread in this city. 0)'der it to be brought into the great 
 square, and you will have the pleasure of seeing him demolish 
 it all, to the very crumbs." The Emperor gave his assent. 
 Nothing was talked of for the rest of the day, but the folly 
 of the new ambassador; and ^Matapa swore he would put 
 him to death, if he did not keep his word. 
 
502 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 Fortune, having returned to the ambassador's hotel, where 
 he had taken up his abode, called Eater to him, and said, 
 " Now is the time for thee to prepare thyself to eat bread : 
 everything depends upon it." He thereupon told him what 
 he had promised the Emperor. " Do not make yourself un- 
 easy, master," said Eater ; " I shall eat till they will be tired 
 of feeding me." Fortun6, however, could not help fearing the 
 result of his exertions, and forbade them to give him any 
 supper, that he might eat his breakfast the better; but this 
 precaution was useless. 
 
 The Emperor, the Empress, and the Princess, placed them- 
 selves in a balcony, that they might better see all that took 
 place. Fortune arrived with his little retinue; and he perceived 
 in the great squai'e six large mountains of bread, higlier than 
 the Pyrennees : he could not avoid turning pale. With Eater 
 it had a contrary effect; for the anticipation of eating so 
 much good bread delighted him : he begged they would not 
 keep the smallest moi-sel from him, declaring he would not 
 leave a bit for a mouse. The Emperor and all the Court 
 amused themselves at the expense of Fortune and his atten- 
 dants; but Eater, becoming impatient, demanded the signal 
 to commence. It was given to him by a flourish of drums 
 and trumpets : at the same instant he threw himself upon 
 one of the mountains of bread, which he devoui-ed in less 
 than a quarter of an houi*, and gulped down all the rest at 
 the same rate. Never was greater astonishment. Everybody 
 asked if their eyes had not deceived them, and went, to 
 satisfy themselves, by touching the place where they had placed 
 the bread. Eveiy creature that day, from the Emperor to the 
 cat, was compelled to dine without bread. 
 
 Fortune, delighted with his great success, approached the 
 Emperor, and very respectfully asked if it was agreeable for 
 him to keep his word with him. The Emperor, rather irri- 
 tated at being so duped, said, " Mr. Ambassador, it will not 
 do to eat so much without drinking, therefore you, or some 
 one of your people, must drink all the water out of the 
 fountains, aqueducts, and reservoirs that are in the city, and 
 all the wine that can be found in the cellars." " Sire," said 
 Fortim6, " you are endeavouring to make it impossible for 
 me to obey your orders: however, I would not mind at- 
 tempting the adventure, if I might flatter myself you would 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE. 503 
 
 restore to the King, my master, what I have asked for him." 
 " I will do it," said the Emperor, " if you succeed in your 
 undertaking." The Chevalier asked the Emperor if he would 
 be present; he replied, it would be so extraordinary a thing, 
 that it deserved his attention, and getting into a magnificent 
 chariot, he drove to the Fountain of Lions: there were 
 seven marble lions, which threw from their mouths torrents 
 of. water, which formed a river, upon which the inhabitants 
 traversed the city in gondolas. Tippler approached the great 
 bason, and without taking breath, he drained it as dry as 
 though there had never been any water in it. The fish in 
 the river cried vengeance against him, for they knew not 
 what had happened ; in like manner he did by all the other 
 fountains, aqueducts, and reservoirs; in fact, he could have 
 drunk the sea, he was so thirsty. After such an example the 
 Emperor did not doubt but that he could drink the wine as 
 easily as the water, and everybody was too much provoked to 
 be willing to give him their own. But Tippler complained of 
 the great injustice they were doing him; he said he should 
 have the stomach-ache, and that he not only expected the 
 wine, but that the spirits were also his due ; so that Matapa, 
 fearing he might appear covetous, consented to Tippler's 
 request. Fortune took his opportunity of beting the Em- 
 peror to recollect his promise. At these words he looked 
 very stem, and told him he would think of it. In fact he 
 called his council together, and expressed his extreme vex- 
 ation at having promised this young ambassador to return 
 all he had won from his master; that he had considered the 
 conditions he had attached thereunto were impossible to be 
 accomplished, and quite sufficient to prevent his compliance. 
 The Princess, his daughter, who was one of the most lovely 
 creatures in the world, having heard him speak thus, said, 
 " You are aware. Sire, that up to the present moment I have 
 beaten all those who have dared to dispute the prize in a race 
 with me. You must tell the ambassador that if he can 
 reach before me a certain spot that shall be marked out, you 
 will no longer hesitate to keep your word with him." The 
 Emperor embraced his child, thought her advice admirable, 
 and the next morning received Fortun6 very graciously, 
 
 " I have one more condition to make," said he, " which is, 
 that you, or one of your people, should run a race with the 
 
504 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 Princess, my daughter. I swear by all the elements, that if 
 she be beaten I will give every satisfaction to your master." 
 Fortune did not refuse this challenge ; he told the Emperor 
 that he accepted it, and Matapa immediately added that it 
 should be in two hours. He sent to his daughter to get 
 ready — it was an exercise she was accustomed to from her 
 earliest infancy ; she appeared in an avenue of orange-trees 
 three leagues long, and which was so beautifully gravelled, 
 that not a stone the size of a pin's head could be seen in it : 
 she had on a light rose-coloured talFety dress, embroidered 
 down the seams with gold and silver spangles ; her beautiful 
 hair was tied by a ribbon at the back, and fell carelessly upon 
 her shoulders ; she wore extremely pretty little shoes without 
 heels, and a girdle of jewels, which displayed her figure suffi- 
 ciently to prove there had never been seen one more beautiful 
 — the young Atalanta could never have disputed it with her. 
 
 Fortune arrived, followed by the faithful Swift, and his 
 other attendants. The Emperor took his seat with all his 
 Court, The ambassador announced that Swift would have the 
 honour of running against the Princess. The Turkey-leather 
 trunk had furnished him with a Holland cloth suit trimmed 
 with English lace, flame-coloured silk stockings, feathers to 
 match, and some beautiful linen. In this dress he looked 
 very handsome ; the Princess accepted him as her competitor, 
 but before they set off she had some sort of liqueur brought 
 her, which would strengthen, and give her additional speed. 
 Swift said he ought to have some as well, and that the advan- 
 tages ought to be equal. " Willingl}^," said she, " I am too 
 just to refuse you." She immediately poured some out for 
 him, but as he was not accustomed to this water, which was 
 very strong, it mounted suddenly into his head; he made two 
 or three turns, and falling down at the foot of an orange-tree, 
 went fast asleep. 
 
 In the meanwhile the signal was given for starting. They 
 had already given it three times ; the Princess kindly waited 
 for Swift to awake ; she thought at last that it was of great 
 consequence to free her father from the perplexity he was in, 
 and accordingly she set off with wonderful grace and speed. 
 As Fortune was at the other end of the avenue, with all his 
 people, he knew nothing of what was passing, till he saw the 
 Princess running alone, and hardly half a league from 
 
THE CIIEVALIEIL fOBTUKfi. 505 
 
 the winning place. "Ye gods!" cried he, speaking to his 
 horse, "we are lost; I see nothing of Swift." "My lord," 
 said Comrade, " Fine- Ear must listen, perhaps he will be 
 able to teU us what he is about." Fine-Ear threw himself 
 upon the ground, and although he was two leagues from him, 
 he could hear him snoring. " Truly," said he, " he has no 
 thoughts of coming; he deeps as though he was in bed," 
 "Ah! what shall we do then?" again cried Fortune. 
 " Master," said Comrade, " the good Marksman must let fly 
 an arrow at the tip of his ear, to awake him." The good 
 Marksman took his bow, and aimed so truly, that he pierced 
 Swift's ear : the pain woke him, he opened his eyes, he saw 
 the Princess nearly at the goal, and heard nothing but shouts 
 of joy, and great applause. He was at first astonished, but 
 he soon regained the ground he had lost by sleeping. It 
 appeared as though the winds were carrying him along, and 
 they could not follow him with their eyes — in short, he 
 an-ived first, with the arrow still in his ear, for he had not 
 had the time to take it out. 
 
 The Emperor was so astonished at the three events which 
 had come to pass since the arrival of the ambassador, that he 
 believed the gods favoured him, and that he could no longer 
 defer keeping his word. " Approach," said he to Fortune, 
 " that you may learn from my own lips, that I consent that 
 you shall take from hence as much as you, or one of your 
 men can carry, of your master's treasures; for you cannot 
 suppose I would ever do more than that, nor that I would let 
 either his soldiers, his subjects, or his horses go." The 
 ambassador made him a profound bow ; he told him that he 
 was much obliged to him, and that he begged he would give 
 his orders thereupon. 
 
 Matapa, excessively mortified, spoke to his treasurer, and 
 then went to a palace that he had just without the walls of 
 the city. Fortune and his attendants immediately asked for 
 admission into all the places where the king's furniture, curi- 
 osities, money, and jewels were deposited. They hid nothing 
 from him, but it was on condition that but one man should 
 be laden with them. Strongback made his appearance, and 
 with his assistance the ambassador carried off" all the furniture 
 that was in the Emperor's palace, five hundred statues of 
 gold taller than giants, coaches, chariots, and all sorts of 
 
506 BELLE-BELLE; OE, 
 
 things, without exception, with which Strongback walked 
 so swiftly, it seemed as though he had not a pound weight upon 
 his back. 
 
 When the Emperor's ministers saw that the palace was 
 dismantled to such an extent that there were neither chairs, 
 nor chests, nor saucepans, nor a bed to lie upon, they hastened 
 to warn him of it — and one may judge of his surprise, when 
 he learned that one man carried everything. He exclaimed 
 that he would not suffer it, and commanded his guards and 
 musqueteers to mount, and speedily follow the robbers. 
 Although Fortune was more than ten leagues off, Fine-Ear 
 told him that he heard a large body of cavalry galloping 
 towards them, and the good Marksman, who had an excellent 
 sight, saw them at that distance. Fortune, who with his 
 men had just ai'rived on the banks of a river, said to Tippler, 
 " We have no boats; if thou couldst drink some of this water, 
 we might be able to ford the river." Tippler instantly per- 
 formed his duty. The ambassador was anxious to make the 
 best use of his time, and get away; his horse said to him, 
 "Do not be uneasy, let our enemies approach." They 
 appeared upon the opposite bank, and knowing where the 
 fishermen moored their boats, they speedily embarked in 
 them, and rowed with all their might, when Boistei'ous in- 
 flated his cheeks, and commenced blowing ; the river became 
 agitated, the boats were upset, and the Emperor's little army 
 perished, without a single man escaping to tell the news. 
 
 Rejoiced at so favourable an event, each thought only of 
 demanding the reward he considered he had deserved. They 
 wanted to make themselves masters of all the treasures they 
 had brought away, and a great dispute arose between them 
 upon the division. 
 
 " If I had not won the prize," said the runner, " you 
 would have had nothing." " And if I had not heard you 
 snoring," said Fine-ear, " where should we have been then 1 " 
 "Who would have awakened thee without me?" responded 
 the Good Marksman. " Tn truth," added Strongback, " I 
 admire your arguments ; who ought to dispute the right of 
 first choice with me, since I have had the trouble of carrying 
 it all ? Without my assistance, you would not have had the 
 opportunity of sharing it." " Say, rather, without mine," 
 rejoined Tippler; "the river that I drank like a glass of 
 
THE CHEVALIEK FOETUN^. 507 
 
 lemonade would have puzzled you a little." "You would 
 have been much more puzzled, if I had not upset the boats," 
 said Boisterous. " I have been silent till now," inten-upted 
 Eater, " but I must remark that it was I who opened the ball 
 in the great events which have passed ; and that if I had left 
 but a crust of bread, all would have been lost," 
 
 " My friends," said Fortune, with a commanding air, " you 
 have all done wonders ; but we ought to leave it to the King 
 to acknowledge our services. I should be very sorry to be 
 rewarded by any other hand than his. Believe me, let us 
 leave all to his will ; he sent us to recover his treasures, and 
 not to steal them. The thought of it even is so shameful, 
 that I am of opinion it should never be mentioned again; 
 and I assure you, I myself will do so much for you, that you 
 will have nothing to regret, if it be possible the King should 
 neglect you." 
 
 The seven gifted men, deeply penetrated by their master's 
 remonstrance, fell at his feet, and promised him that his will 
 should be theirs ; and with this determination they finished 
 their journey. But the charming Fortune, as he approached 
 the city, felt agitated by a thousand various anxieties ; — the 
 joy at having rendered such a considerable service to the 
 King, — to him for whom he felt so much affection, — the hope 
 of seeing him — of being favourably received, — all this flattered 
 him delightfully. On the other hand, the fear of again irri- 
 tating the Queen, and experiencing renewed persecutions 
 from her, and from Floride, distressed him very much. At 
 length he arrived; and all the people, overjoyed to see the 
 immense quantity of valuables he had brought back with 
 him, followed him with a thousand acclamations, the noise of 
 which reached the palace. 
 
 The King could not believe in so extraordinary an event, 
 and ran to the Queen, to inform her of it. She was at first 
 quite thunderstruck, but afterwards recovered herself a little. 
 "You see," said she, "that the gods protect him: he has 
 fortunately succeeded, and I am not surprised that he under- 
 takes that which appears impossible to others." As she 
 uttered these words, she saw Fortune enter. He informed 
 their majesties of the success of his journey, adding that the 
 treasiu-es were in the park, as there was so much gold, jewels, 
 and furniture, there were no places sufficiently large to put 
 
508 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 them in. It is easy to believe that the King evinced much 
 affection for so faitliful, zealous, and charming a subject. 
 
 The presence of the Chevalier, and all the successes he had 
 achieved, reopened the wound in the Queen's heart, that had 
 never been quite healed. She thought him more charming 
 than ever; and as soon as she was at liberty to speak to 
 Floride, she recommenced her complaints. " Thou hast seen 
 what I have done to ruin him," said she ; " I thought it the 
 only means of forgetting him. An unequalled fatality brings 
 him back to me again ; and whatever reasons I had to despise 
 a man so much my inferior, and who returned my affections 
 with the blackest ingratitude, I cannot help loving him still, 
 and I am resolved to marry him privately." " To marry 
 him !" cried Floride ; " is it possible 1 — have I heard rightly?" 
 " Yes," replied the Queen, " thou hast heard my intentions ; 
 thou must aid me. I desire thee to bring Fortun6 this 
 evening to my chamber; I will myself declare to what extent 
 my love for him will caiTy me." Floride, in despair at being 
 chosen to assist in forwarding the marriage of her mistress 
 and her lover, tried every means to dissuade the Queen from 
 seeing him ; she represented the King's anger, if he came and 
 discovered this intrigue ; that perhaps he would order the Che- 
 valier to be executed, or at least condemn him to perpetual 
 imprisonment, and she would never see him more. All her 
 eloquence was in vain; she saw the Queen was beginning to 
 be angry ; — she had nothing, therefore, to do but obey her. 
 
 She found Fortune in the gallery of the palace, where he 
 was having the golden statues arranged that he had brought 
 from Matapa. She told him to come in the evening to the 
 Queen. This order made him tremble. Floride perceived his 
 distress. " Oh," said she, " how I pity you ! By what unlucky 
 fate did the Princess lose her heart to you ! Alas ! I know 
 one less dangerous than hers, that dare not declare itself" 
 The Chevalier was not anxious for another explanation, — he 
 had already too much to endure ; and as he did not seek to 
 j)lease the Queen, he dressed himself very plainly, that she 
 might not imagine he endeavoured to set himself off; but 
 though he could dispense with his diamonds and his em- 
 broideries, he could not get rid of his personal charms — he was 
 still lovely, still admirable, whatever humour he was in. 
 There was no one to be compared to him. 
 
THE CHEVALIER FORTUNE 509 
 
 The Queen took great pains to heighten the lustre of her 
 appearance by an extraordinary display of dress; she saw 
 with pleasure that Fortune was astonished. " Appearances," 
 said she, " are sometimes so deceitful, that I am delighted to 
 justify myself from the charges you no doubt brought against 
 me in your heai-t. When I induced the King to send you to 
 the Emperor, it seemed as though my object was to destroy 
 you. Nevertheless, depend upon it, handsome Chevalier, that 
 I knew all that would happen, and that I had no other view 
 than your immortal honour." " Madam," said he, " you are 
 too much above me to render it necessary you should con- 
 descend to any explanation. I do not presume to inquire 
 into the motives that induced you to act thus ; it was suffi- 
 cient for me that I should obey the King." " You set too 
 light a value on the explanation I wish to give you," added 
 she ; " but the time has arrived to convince you of my 
 favour. Approach, Fortun6, approach; receive my hand as a 
 pledge of my faith." 
 
 The poor Chevalier was more thunderstruck than anybody 
 had ever been in the world. Twenty times he was on the 
 point of declaring his sex to the Queen, but durst not do so, 
 and only responded to her tokens of love by an excessive 
 coldness of manner. He pointed out to her the numberless 
 reasons for the King's anger, when he should hear that a sub- 
 ject, in the midst of his Court, should have ventured to con- 
 tract so important a marriage without his sanction. After the 
 Queen had vainly endeavoured to remove the obstacles that 
 appeared to alarm him, she all at once assumed the voice and 
 countenance of a fury ; she flew into the most violent passion ; 
 she threatened him with a thousand punishments ; she loaded 
 him with abuse; she fought and scratched him; and then, 
 turning her rage upon herself, she tore her hair, made her 
 fiice and throat bleed, rent her veil and her lace ; then crying 
 out, " Help, guards ! — help !" called them into her chamber, 
 and commanded them to fling that wretch into some dungeon ; 
 and ran herself to the King, to demand reparation for the 
 violence of that young monster. 
 
 She told her brother, that for some time past he had had 
 the audacity to declare his passion for her, that in the hope 
 that absence, and her severity towards him, might have cured 
 him, she had allowed no opportunity to pass of having him 
 
510 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 removed from the Court, as the King might have observed ; 
 but that he was a villain that nothing could alter, that the 
 King could see the extremities to which he had proceeded 
 against her, that she insisted on his being brought to justice ; 
 and that if that satisfaction was denied her she would know 
 the reason of it. 
 
 The manner in which she spoke to the King alarmed him, 
 for he knew her to be one of the most violent women in the 
 world; she had much power, and she was quite capable of 
 overturning the kingdom. Fortune's boldness merited an 
 exemplary punishment ; everybody was already awai'e of what 
 had occurred, and his own feelings ought to prompt him to 
 avenge his sister. But, alas ! upon whom was this vengeance 
 to alight? — upon a gentleman who had exposed himself to 
 so many perils in his service, to whom he was indebted for 
 peace, and all his treasures, and for whom he had a particular 
 affection, — he would have given half his life to have saved 
 his dear favourite. He represented to the Queen how useful 
 he had been to him, the services he had rendered the king- 
 dom, his youth, and everything that might induce her to 
 pardon him. She would not hear of it, — she demanded his 
 death. The King, finding he could not possibly avoid having 
 him tried, appointed the mildest and most tender-hearted 
 judges, in hopes they would visit the offence as light as 
 possible. 
 
 But he was mistaken in his conjectures; the judges were 
 for establishing their reputation at the expense of this unfor- 
 tunate prisoner; and as it was an affair that would make 
 much noise in the world, they armed themselves with the 
 utmost severity, and condemned Fortune without deigning 
 to hear him. His sentence was, that he should be stabbed 
 three times to the heart with a poignard, because it was his 
 heart that was guilty. 
 
 The King trembled at this sentence as though it had been 
 passed upon himself; he banished all the judges who had 
 pronounced it, but could not save his beloved Fortune ; ^ and 
 
 (1) This punishment of the judges without respiting the accused, is an incident 
 which appears to have been founded on a strange story of Arragonese justice, told 
 by the Countess in her Travels into Spain, " Yet what is no less singular," she 
 says, " is, that justice remains always sovereign ; and though the unjust judge be 
 punished severely for his wrong decree, yet it subsists in its ftxll force and is fully 
 
TUE CHEVALIER FORTU.N^. 511 
 
 the Queen triumphed in the punishment he was to suffer — 
 her eyes thirsting for blood demanded that of her illustrious 
 victim. The King renewed his intercessions, but they only 
 served to exasperate her. At length, the day fixed for this 
 terrible execution arrived. They came to lead the Chevalier 
 from the prison in which they had placed him, and where he 
 had been living without a single person in the world to speak 
 to. He was therefore ignorant of what crime the Queen had 
 accused him, and merely imagined it some new persecution 
 his indifference to her had brought upon him; and that 
 which distressed him the most was, that he believed the 
 King participated with the Princess in her rage against him. 
 Floride, inconsolable at seeing the situation in which her lover 
 was placed, took a most violent resolution, which was to poison 
 the Queen and herself if Fortune should be doomed to a cruel 
 death. From the moment she knew the sentence, despair 
 seized' her; she thought but of how to put her intentions 
 into effect. The poison she procured, however, was not as 
 powerful as she desired, for although she had given it to the 
 Queen, that Princess, not feeling the effects of it, caused the 
 charming ChevaUer to be brought into the great square of 
 the palace, that the execution might take place in her pre- 
 sence. The executioners brought him from his dungeon 
 according to their custom, and led him like a tender lamb 
 to the slaughter. The first object that struck his sight was 
 the Queen in her chariot, who could not be too near him, 
 wishing if possible that his blood might spurt out upon her. 
 The King shut himself up in his chamber, that he might 
 lament unchecked the fate of his beloved favourite. 
 
 When they had tied Fortune to the stake, they tore off 
 his robe and his vest to pierce his heart, but what was the 
 astonishment of this numerous assembly, when they unco- 
 vered the alabaster bosom of Belle-belle ! Everybody saw it 
 was an innocent girl, unjustly accused. The Queen was so 
 agitated and confused at such a sight that the poison begau 
 to take extraordinary effect. She fell into long convulsions, 
 from which she only recovered to utter agonising lamenta- 
 
 executed. If, then, any unhappy wretch is sentenced to death he i» not spared, 
 though his innocency be discovered, and made as clear as noonday; but his judges 
 are executed too, btfore his face, tcbich in my mind it a poor con«o/o/ion."— Letter 
 IV., dated Lerma, March 5, 1679. 
 
512 BELLE-BELLE; OR, 
 
 tions. The people who loved Fortun6 had already given her 
 her liberty. They ran to announce this wonderful news to 
 the King, who had abandoned himself to the deepest grief. 
 Joy now took the place of sorrow; he ran into the square, 
 and was delighted to perceive Fortune's transformation. 
 
 The last sighs of the Queen somewhat subdued his i-aptures, 
 but when he reflected upon her malice he could not regret 
 her. He resolved to marry Belle-belle, to repay her for the 
 great obligations he was under to her, and declared his in- 
 tentions to her. It is easy to believe she was at the height 
 of her wishes, not so much for the sake of the crown as for 
 the sake of so worthy a monarch, and one for whom she had 
 so long entertained the greatest affection. 
 
 The day being fixed for celebrating the King's marriage. 
 Belle-belle reassumed her female attire, and appeared a thou- 
 sand times more ch-^miug than in the gai'b of the Chevalier. 
 She consulted her horse, as to her future adventures, and 
 he promised her nothing but what would be agreeable; and 
 in gratitude for all the good services he had done her, she 
 had a stable built for him of ebony and ivory, and there was 
 nothing meaner than a satin mattrass for him to lie down on. 
 As for her seven followers, they were rewarded in proportion 
 to their services. Comrade, however, disappeared; they 
 came and told Belle-belle. This loss distressed the Queen, 
 for she adored him ; she ordered her horse to be sought for 
 in every direction, which they did in vain for three whole 
 days ; the fourth day she was so uneasy, she was obliged to 
 rise before it was light. She descended into the garden, tra- 
 versed the wood, and entered a large meadow, calling, from 
 time to time, " Comrade ! my dear Comrade ! what has be- 
 come of you? — have you deserted mel I still require your 
 sage advice; come back, come back, and give it me!" As 
 she thus spoke, she suddenly perceived a second sun rising 
 in the west, she stopped to admire this prodigy; her astonish- 
 ment was without bounds to see it advancing towards her by 
 degi'ees, and in the course of a few minutes, to recognise 
 her horse, whose trappings were all covered with jewels, and 
 who pranced before a chariot of pearls and topazes, which was 
 drawn by twenty-four sheep ; their wool was of gold thread 
 and purl,^ exceedingly brilliant ; their traces were of crimson 
 
 1 Cunetille, Purl, is a sort of gold or silver lace or fringe. 
 
l-HE CHEVALIEE FOETTJN:^. 513 
 
 satin, covered with emeralds ; and their horns and ears were 
 ornamented with carbuncles. Belle-belle recognised in the 
 chariot the Fairy her protectress, accompanied by the Count, 
 her father, and her two sisters, who called out to her, clapping 
 their hands, and making affectionate signs to her intimating 
 that they had come to her wedding. She thought she should 
 die with joy j she knew not what to do, or to say, to prove her 
 delight. She placed herself in the chariot, and this pompous 
 equipage entered the palace, where everything had already 
 been prepared to celebrate the grandest ceremony which 
 could take place in the kingdom. Thvis the enamoured 
 King united his fate to that of his mistress, and this charm- 
 ing adventure has passed from age to age down to the one we 
 live in. 
 
 The lion upon Lybia's burning plain, 
 Press'd by the hunter, gall'd by countless darts, 
 May less be dreaded than that woman vain, 
 Who sees her charms despised, and foil'd her arts. 
 
 Poison and steel are trifles in her eyes, 
 As agents of her vengeance and her hate ; 
 The dire effects that from such passions rise 
 You have beheld in Fortunfe's strange fate. 
 
 The change to Belle-belle saved the guiltless fair, 
 And struck her royal persecutor down. 
 Heaven makes the innocent its special care, 
 And vice defeating, virtue loves to crown. ■• 
 
 (1) Madame D'Atilnoy has in this instance certainly appended a very common-place 
 moral to a \ery original story. The first four lines are a ^cak elaboration of the 
 well-known English couplet— 
 
 " Heaven has no rage like love to hatred tum'd, 
 Kor Hell a fury like a woman scom'd." 
 
 CoMGREVE. — Mourning Bridt, 
 
 LL 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a King and a Queen, who 
 loved each other so dearly, that they served as an example to 
 all their wedded subjects; and it would have surprised any 
 one to find a disunited family in their kingdom, which was 
 called the Kingdom of Deserts. 
 
 The Queen had had several children, but they had all died 
 except a daughter, whose beauty was so gi-eat, that if any- 
 thing could have consoled her for the loss of the othei-s, it 
 would have been the charms that distinguished the suiwivor. 
 The King and Queen educated her as their only hope ; but 
 the happiness of the royal family was of short duration. The 
 King being out hunting one day on a skittish horse, the 
 animal took fright at some shots that were fired, and started 
 off with him like lightning. The King endeavoured to pull 
 him up as he was approaching the brink of a precipice ; he 
 reared and fell with the King under him, who received such 
 severe injury, that he died before any of his suite could 
 come up to his assistance. 
 
 The fatal intelligence reduced the Queen to the greatest 
 extremity. She could not control her grief; she felt it was 
 too violent for her to attempt resisting its effects ; and thought 
 only of settling the affiiirs of the kingdom in such a manner, 
 that she might die in peace as far as regarded the future 
 welfere of her daughter. She had a friend who was called 
 the Sovereign Fairy, because she had great authority over all 
 empires, and was exceedingly skilful. She wrote to her, with 
 her dying hand, to express her dusire to breathe her last in 
 the Fairy's arms; to tell her that she must come quickly if 
 she wished to see her once more alive, and that she had 
 something of consequence to say to her. 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 515 
 
 Though the Fairy was extremely busy, she left everything 
 she was about, and, getting into her fiery chariot, which went 
 faster than the sun, she came to the Queen, who was im- 
 patiently awaiting her. She consulted the Fairy on several 
 matters touching the regency of the kingdom, begging her 
 to accept it, and take charge of the little Princess Constancia. 
 " If anything," she added, " can calm the anxiety I feel at 
 leaving her an orphan at so early an age, it is the hope that 
 you will prove the friendship which you have always mani- 
 fested for me by extending it to my child ; that she will find 
 in you a mother, who has the power of rendering her much 
 more happy and perfect than I could have done, and that 
 you will select a husband for her so charming, that she will 
 never love anybody but him." " Great Queen," said the 
 Fairy, " thou desirest nothing that thou art not justified in 
 desiring, and I will neglect no means of befriending thy 
 daughter ; but I have cast her nativity, and it appears as if 
 Fate, angry with Nature for having exhausted all her trear • 
 sures in the formation of the Princess, had resolved to 
 make her suffer ; and thy royal Majesty must be aware, that 
 Destiny pronounces some sentences so imperatively, that it 
 is impossible to evade their execution." " At least," rejoined 
 the Queen, " alleviate her misfortunes, and do all in your 
 power to prevent them. By vigilant attention, the greatest 
 evils may sometimes be avoided." The Sovereign Fairy 
 promised to do all she desired; and the Queen, having em- 
 braced her dear Constancia a hundred times over, expired in 
 tolerable tranquillity. 
 
 The Fairy read the stars as easily as we do the new stories 
 that every day issue from the press. She saw that the Prin- 
 cess was threatened with the fatal love of a giant, whose 
 dominions were not far distant from the Kingdom of Deserts. 
 She was fully aware that it was above all things necessary to 
 avoid him, and she saw no better mode of doing so, than by 
 concealing her dear ward at some extreme comer of the earth, 
 so far distant from the territory over which the Giant ruled, 
 that there would be little probability of his coming to trouble 
 their repose. 
 
 As soon as the Sovereign Fairy had selected ministers 
 capable of governing the state she intended to confide to 
 them, and had established such excellent laws, that all the 
 ll2 
 
516 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 gages of Greece could not have devised any comparable to 
 them, she entered, one night, the chamber of Constaucia, 
 and without waking her, cairied her off on her fiery camel to 
 a fertile country, where people lived without ambition or 
 trouble ; it was a real valley of Ternp^, where no one was to 
 be found but shepherds and shepherdesses, who dwelt in 
 cottages of their own construction. 
 
 The Fairy was aware, that if the Princess passed sixteen 
 years without seeing the Giant, she had only to return in 
 triumph to her kingdom: but that if he set eyes on her 
 sooner, she would be exposed to great sufferings. The Fairy, 
 therefore, took every precaution to conceal the Princess from 
 the sight of everybody, and that she might appear less hand- 
 some, she dressed her like a shepherdess, with coarse caps 
 always pulled over her forehead ; but as the sun darts its 
 long rays of light through the cloud that envelopes it, this 
 lovely princess could not be so shrouded but that some of 
 her charms must be observable ; and notwitbstatiding all the 
 Fairy's care, Constancia was spoken of as a master-piece of 
 the gods, that enchanted all hearts. Her^beauty was not the 
 only thing that rendered her a wonder ; the Sovereign Fairy 
 had endowed her with so admirable a voice, and such skill 
 in touching any instrument she fancied playing on, that 
 without having ever been taught music, she was capable of 
 giving lessons to the Muses, and even to celestial Apollo him- 
 self : she was not dull, therefore, in her solitude. The Fairy 
 had explained to her the reasons she had for bringing her up 
 in such obscurity. As she had great good sense, she compre- 
 hended them so perfectly, that her protectress was astonished 
 that any one so young could display so much docility and 
 intelligence. She had not visited the Kingdom of Deserts 
 for some months, as it was always painful for her to leave the 
 Princess; but her presence there had become necessary, as 
 they only acted by her orders, and the ministers were not 
 equally attentive to their duties. She departed, therefore, 
 strictly advising Constancia to lock herself up until she 
 should return.. 
 
 The fair Princess had a little ram she was very fond of. 
 She amused herself with making garlands of flowers for him, 
 or sometimes with dressing him up with bows of riband ; she 
 called him Ruson. He was more intelligent than any of his 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE BOTE. 517 
 
 companions. He knew the voice, and undei-stood the com- 
 mands of his mistress, and obeyed her implicitly. " Ruson," 
 she would say to him, " fetch me my spindle;" he would run 
 into her room, and bring it to her immediately, cutting a 
 thousand capers. He frisked about her, he would eat 
 nothing but the herbs she gathered for him, and would rather 
 have died with thirst, than drink anywhere except out of the 
 hollow of her hand. He would shut the door, beat time 
 when she sang, and bleat in tune. Ruson was charming; 
 Ruson was beloved; Constancia talked to him eternally, and 
 lavished on him a thousand caresses. 
 
 Notwithstanding all this, a pretty ewe in the neighbour- 
 hood was not less agreeable to Ruson than his mistress. 
 Sheep are but sheep, and the meanest ewe was, in Ruson's 
 eyes, more beautiful than the mother of love. Constancia 
 often reproached him for his gallantries. " Little libertine," 
 said she to him, " canst thou not stay with me ? Thou art so 
 dear to me that I neglect all my flock for thee, and yet thou 
 wilt not forsake that sorry ewe to please me." She tied him 
 up with a chain of flowers, at which he seemed very much 
 vexed, and pulled and pulled till he broke it. " Ah !" said 
 Constancia, angrily, to him, " The Fairy has often told me 
 that men are wilful as thou art; that they cannot endure the 
 slightest constraint, and are the most refractory creatures in 
 the world. Since thou wouldst be like them, naughty Ruson, 
 Go, find thy beautiful beast of a ewe ! If the wolf devour 
 thee, devoured thou must be; I may not be able to help 
 thee." 
 
 The amorous ram paid no attention to the advice of Con- 
 stancia. Having been all day long with his dear ewe, close 
 by the cottage in which the Princess sat alone at her work, 
 she suddenly heard him bleat so loudly and pitifully, that 
 she felt sure some fatal accident had happened to him. She 
 rose in great agitation, looked out, and saw a wolf carrying 
 off" poor Ruson. She no longer thought of all the Feiry had 
 said to her at parting. She ran after the robber, crying, 
 "A wolf! A wolf!" She pursued him, flinging stones, and 
 even her crook, at him without making him quit his prey ; 
 but alas ! in passing near a wood, there came out of it another 
 sort of wolf — a horrible giant ! At the sight of this dreadful 
 colossus, the Princess, paralyzed with fright, raised her eyes 
 
518 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 to heaven for succour, and prayed the earth to open and 
 swallow her. Neither earth nor heaven listened to her 
 prayer ; she deserved to be punished for not having obeyed 
 the Sovereign Fairy. 
 
 The Giant spread out his arms to prevent her passing, but 
 ten-ible and furious as he was, he felt the eflfect of her beauty. 
 " What rank boldest thou amongst the goddesses?" said he, 
 in a voice louder than thunder. " For think not I can be 
 mistaken ; — thou art no mortal. Tell me but thy name, 
 and if thou art the daughter or the wife of Jupiter? Who 
 are thy brothere ? What are thy sisters ? I have long sought 
 for a goddess to make her my wife, and happily I have now 
 met with thee ! " The Princess felt tongue-tied with terror : 
 the accents died away upon her lips. 
 
 As he found she made no answer to his gallant questions. 
 "For a divinity," said he, " thou hast but little wit;" and 
 without more words he opened a great sack and flung her 
 into it. 
 
 The first thing she saw at the bottom of it was the wicked 
 ■wolf and the poor ram; the giant had amused himself by 
 catching them. " Thou wilt die with me, my dear Ruson," 
 said she, kissing him. " 'Tis a poor consolation ; it would be 
 much better if we could escape together." 
 
 This sad reflection made her weep bitterly ; she sobbed and 
 sighed aloud. Ruson bleated; the wolf howled; this noise 
 awoke a dog, a cat, a cock, and a parrot, who had been 
 all asleep, and they began in their turn to make a frantic noise. 
 Here was a strange uproar in the Giant's game-bag. At last, 
 being tired with hearing them, he determined to kill them all ; 
 but on second thoughts, contented himself with tying the 
 mouth of the sack and throwing it on the top of a tree, after 
 having marked it, that he might know where to look for his 
 spoil again. He was on his road to fight a duel with another 
 giant, and all this outcry displeased him. 
 
 The Princess felt sure that, let him but have taken a step or 
 two, he was already a long way ofi"; for a horse at full speed 
 could not overtake him when he was but sauntering. She 
 drew out her scissors and cut the cloth of the sack, then let 
 out her dear Ruson, the dog, the cat, the cock, and the 
 parrot ; and lastly got out herself, leaving the wolf behind, 
 to punish him for eating poor little sheep. The night was veiy 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 519 
 
 dark; it was strange for her to find herself alone, in the midst 
 of a forest, without knowing which way to turn her steps; 
 not being able to catch a glimpse of earth or sky, and dr^id- 
 ing every instant to meet the Giant again. 
 
 She walked as fast as she could, and would have &llen 
 a hundred times over, but the animals she had set at liberty, 
 grateful for the favour they had received at her hands, would 
 not forsake her, and were very serviceable to her on her 
 journey. The cat's eyes were so bright that they lighted her 
 like a flambeau ; the dog by his barking acted as sentinel ; 
 the cock crowed to frighten the lions ; ^ the parrot chattered 
 so loudly, that, to hear him, you would have thought twenty 
 people were talking together — so that the robbers slunk away 
 and left the road free for the passage of our fair traveller ; and 
 the ram, walking a little in advance of her, preserved her from 
 tumbling into some great holes, which he had considerable 
 difficulty himself in scrambling out of. 
 
 Constancia walked at random, recommending herself to 
 her good friend the Fairy, from whom she hoped to receive 
 some assistance, although she reproached herself severely for 
 not having obeyed her commands ; but sometimes she feared 
 she was forsaken by her. She would have been very glad if 
 chance coxild have led her back to the cottage in which, 
 she had been secretly brought up ; but, as she knew not the 
 way, she did not venture to flatter herself that anything but 
 an especial interposition of Providence could procure her that 
 happiness. 
 
 She found herself at daybreak on the bank of a river that 
 watered one of the most agreeable meadows in the world. She 
 looked about her, and saw neither dog, nor cat, nor cock, nor 
 parrot ; Ruson was her sole remaining companion. 
 
 "Alas ! where am I?" said she: "This beautifol spot is un- 
 known to me. What wiU become of me? "^Tio will protect me? 
 Ah ! little ram, how dearly hast thou cost me ! If I had not 
 run after thee, I should still be with the Sovereign Fairy, 
 I should neither be in fear of the Giant nor of any unfortunate 
 adventure." Ruson seemed to tremble as he listened to her, 
 and to be aware of his fault. At last the Princess, weary and 
 depressed, left off chiding him, and seated herself beside the 
 
 (I) Ancient naturalists entertained the idea that the lion vas excessively teuified 
 by the crowing of a cock. 
 
520 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 water; and as she was very tired, and the shade of several 
 trees protected her from the heat of the sun, her eyes closed 
 gently, her head sank on the grass, and she fell into a deep 
 slumber. 
 
 She had no one to guard her but the faithful Ruson. Sud- 
 denly he trod upon her, and pulled her; and what was her 
 astonishment on waking, to perceive, about twenty paces from 
 her, a young man behind some bushes, where he had hidden 
 himself to see without being seen. The beauty of his form 
 and face, the nobleness of his manner, and the magnificence of 
 his dress so surprised the Princess, that she rose hastily, with 
 the intention of hurrying away. I know not what secret spell 
 arrested her flight. She cast a timid glance on the stranger; 
 the Giant had scarcely caused her so much alarm ; but fear 
 arises from various causes. The looks and actions of this 
 youthful pair sufficiently indicated the sentiments with which 
 they had already inspired each other. 
 
 They would have remained, perhaps, a long time without 
 speaking, except with their eyes, if the Prince had not heard 
 the sound of horns, and the cry of the hounds approaching. He 
 saw that the Princess was astonished at it. " Fear nothing, 
 beautiful shepherdess," said he to her ; " you are safe in this 
 spot: would to Heaven those who see you here were equally so." 
 
 " My Lord," said she, " I implore your protection. I am a 
 poor orphan, who has no other course left her but to become 
 a shepherdess. Obtain for me the charge of a flock ; I will 
 tend it most carefully." " Happy will be the sheep," said he 
 smiling, " that you lead to the pastures ; but in shoi't, lovely 
 shepherdess, if you desire it, I will speak to the Queen, my 
 mother, and shall feel delighted to begin from this day to 
 render you all the service in my power." " Ah, my Lord," 
 said Constancia, " I crave your pardon for the liberty I have 
 taken ; I should not have dared so much had I known your 
 rank." 
 
 The Prince heard her with the utmost astonishment. He 
 discovered in her, great intelligence and polished manners. 
 Nothing could accord better with her exquisite beauty ; but 
 nothing could be less expected from the plainness of her attire, 
 and her condition of a shepherdess. He even endeaivoured to 
 induce her to make choice of some other employment. " Have 
 you reflected," said he, " that you expose yourself to pass the 
 
The Pigeon and the Dove.— p. 650. 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 521 
 
 day all alone in a wood, or on some downs, with no company 
 but your simple sheep 1 Will the delicate bearing I remark in 
 you accommodate itself to such solitude'? Who knows, be- 
 sides, if the fcime of your charms, when it shall spread through 
 the coimtry, will not attract to you a thousand importunate 
 lovers? I, myself, adorable shepherdess, will leave the court 
 to follow you, and what I do, others will do also." 
 
 '•' Cease, my Lord," said she, " to flatter me by praises so far 
 beyond my desert. I was bom in a village ; I have never 
 known any other than a rustic life, and I hope you will allow 
 me quietly to keep the Queen's sheep, if she wiU deign to confide 
 them to my care. I would even beseech her to place me under 
 some more experienced shepherdess, and then, as I should be 
 always with her, it is quite certain I should never feel dull." 
 
 The Prince was prevented from replying; his attendants 
 appeared on the brow of a little hill. " I leave you, charming 
 creature," he cried, huniedly ; " I cannot allow so many to 
 share the happiness I enjoy in beholding you. Go to the end 
 of this meadow ; you will find a house there, in which you 
 may dwell in safety, if you say you come from me." Con- 
 stancia, who would have been much troubled at finding 
 herself in such a numerous company, hastened towards the 
 spot to which Constancio (such was the Prince's name) had 
 directed her. 
 
 He followed her with his eyes; he sighed tenderly, and, 
 mounting his horse, placed himself at the head of his com- 
 pany, and discontinuing the chace, returned to the palace. 
 He found the Queen exceedingly irritated against an old 
 shepherdess, who had given her a very bad accoimt of her 
 lambs. After the Queen had well scolded her, she ordered 
 her never to appear in her presence again. 
 
 This was a fiivourable opportunity for Constancio ; he told 
 his mother he had met a young girl who was very desirous of 
 entering her service, that she looked like a careful person, 
 and did not seem mercenarj'. The Queen was much pleased 
 with her son's account of this shepherdess ; she accepted her 
 ofier without seeing her, and desired the Prince to give orders 
 for her to be sent, with the rest, to the pastures belonging to 
 the crown. He was enchanted that the Queen dispensed with 
 the appearance of the shepherdess at the palace. Certain busy 
 and jealous feelings made him apprehensive of rivals, notwith- 
 
522 THE PIGEON AND TirE DOVE. 
 
 standing there were none who coiild dispute with him, either 
 in rank or in merit. In point of fact, he was less afraid of 
 the nobles than of the humbler persons about the court, and 
 imagined her more likely to take a fancy to a simple shepherd 
 than to a prince who was so near to the throne. It would be 
 difficult to recount all the reflections to which this gave rise. 
 How he reproached his heart — that heart which till now had 
 never loved, which had never thought any one worthy of 
 him, had now bestowed itself on a girl of such obscure origin, 
 that he could never own his passion without a blush. He 
 determined to struggle with it ; and, persuading himself that 
 absence was an unfailing remedy, particularly in the case of 
 a dawning affection, he avoided the sight of the shepherdess. 
 He followed his favourite amusement of hunting, and other 
 sports. Wherever he caught sight of sheep, he turned from 
 them as though they had been serpents; so that, after some 
 little time, the wound he had received appeared less painful 
 to him. But on one of the hottest of the dog-days, Con- 
 stancio, fatigued by a long run with the hounds, finding him- 
 self on the banks of the river, followed its course under the 
 shade of the lote-trees,^ that mixed their branches with the 
 willows, and rendered this spot as cool as it was lovely. He 
 fell into a profound reverie ; he was alone, and he thought no 
 longer of all those who were waiting for hira ; when suddenly 
 he was struck by the charming tones of a voice, which seemed 
 to him celestial. He stopped to listen, and was not a little 
 surprised to hear these words : — 
 
 " Alas ! I had vowed I would live without Love, 
 But perjured the God has resolved I should prove, 
 I feel in my bosom his torturinjf dart, 
 Constancio, master he makes of my heart ! 
 
 " When weary with hunting, oppress'd by the heat. 
 He sought the cool shade of this tranquil retreat, 
 Methought, as I breathlessly gazed on him there. 
 My eyes ne'er had feasted on vision so fair. 
 
 " Mute, motionless, lost, in that moment of bliss. 
 The treacherous archer his mark could not miss ; 
 Toe sweet is the pain that I since have endured, 
 I joy in a wound that can never be cured." 
 
 His curiosity prevailed over the pleasure he experienced in 
 listening to so sweet a voice ; he advanced quickly. He had 
 
 (1) See note, page 28. 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 523 
 
 caught tlie name of Constancio; but though it was his own, 
 it might be that of a shepherd as well as of a prince ; and he 
 was therefore uncertain, whether it was for him, or for some 
 other, those verses had been composed. He had scarcely 
 mounted a little eminence, covered with trees, when he per- 
 ceived, at the foot of it, the lovely Constancia; she was seated 
 by the side of a streamlet, the rapid fall of which caused so 
 agreeable a sound, that it appeared as if intended to har- 
 monise with her voice. Her faithful ram crouched on the 
 grass, kept, like the favourite of the flock, much closer to her 
 than any of the others. Constancia gave him occasionally 
 little taps with her crook, caressing him with childish affec- 
 tion ; and every time she touched him, he kissed her hand, 
 and looked up in her face with eyes beaming with intelli- 
 gence. " Ah ! how happy wouldst thou be," said the Prince, 
 in an undertone, " if thou didst but know the value of the 
 caresses lavished on thee !" Surely, this shepherdess is more 
 beautiful than when I first saw her. Love ! Love ! what 
 wouldst thou with me ? Ought I to love her? or, rather, am 
 I longer in a condition to resist it ? I have studiously avoided 
 her, because I knew full weU the danger of seeing her. Ye 
 gods ! what emotions did I not suffer from the first ! Reason 
 essayed to help me, and I fled so enchanting an object. Alas ! 
 I meet with her but to hear her sing of the happy youth she 
 has chosen ! " 
 
 Whilst he thus meditated, the shepherdess rose to collect 
 her flock, and drive them into another meadow, where she 
 had left her companions. The Prince feared to lose this 
 opportunity of speaking to her; he advanced towards her 
 eagerly. " Charming shepherdess," said he to her, " will you 
 not allow me to ask, if the little service I have rendered you 
 has given you- some gratification 1" At the sight of the Prince, 
 Constancia blushed ; her cheeks became tinged with the 
 deepest crimson. " My Lord," said she to him, " I shoiild 
 have taken care to offer you my very humble thanks, if it 
 could have befitted a poor girl like me to approach a Prince 
 like you ; but though I have not done so, heaven is my wit- 
 ness that I am not ungrateful for your kindness, and that I 
 pray the gods to crown your days with happiness." " Con- 
 stancia," replied he, " if it be true that my endeavours to 
 serve you have inspired you with so much gratitude as you 
 
524 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 profess, it is easy for you to prove it to me." " Ah, what 
 can I possibly do for you, my Lord?" inquired Constancia, 
 eagerly. " You can tell me," added he, " to whom the words 
 applied which I have just heard you sing." " As they are not 
 mine," she answered, " it would be difficult for me to give 
 you any information on that subject." While she spoke, he 
 examined her countenance narrowly; he saw she blushed, 
 that she was confused, and kept her eyes fixed on the ground. 
 " Why would you conceal your feelings from me, Constancia?" 
 said he. " Your face betrays the secret of your heart — ^you 
 love !" He paused, and riveted his glances still more earnestly 
 upon her. " My Lord," said she, " that which interests me so 
 little 'deserves the attention of a great Prince; and I am so 
 unused to talking while I tend my dear sheep, that I be- 
 seech you to pardon me if I do not answer your questions." 
 She made so hasty a retreat, that he had not time to stop her. 
 
 Jealousy will sometimes rekindle the torch of Love. The 
 Prince's passion at this moment burst into such a flame, that 
 nothing could ever extinguish it. He discovered a thousand 
 graces in that young maiden which he had not remarked the 
 first time he saw her. The manner in which she had left him, 
 convinced him as much as her words that she was partial to 
 some shepherd ; a deep melancholy took possession of his 
 soul. He dared not follow her, great as was his anxiety 
 to renew the conversation. He flung himself upon the spot 
 she had just quitted, and after recalling to his memory the 
 verses he had heard her sing, he wrote them down in his 
 tablets, and examined them carefully. " It is only within 
 these few days," said he, " she has seen this Constancio, who 
 so occupies her thoughts. Must I bear the same name, and 
 be so far from his good fortune 1 How coldly she looked on 
 me! she seemed more indifierent to-day than when I first 
 met with her. Her chief care was to find some pretext for 
 leaving me." These thoughts afflicted him deeply, for he 
 could not comprehend how a simple shepherdess could be so 
 indifierent to a powerful prince. 
 
 As soon as he returned to the palace, he sent for a youth 
 who was his companion in all his pleasures; he was of high 
 birth, and very amiable. He ordered him to assume the 
 dress of a shepherd, obtain a flock, and lead it every day to 
 the Queen's pastures, in order to observe Constancia without 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 525 
 
 being suspected by her. Mirtain (so was the young igentle- 
 man named) was too anxious to please his master to neglect 
 an opportunity of so doing in a matter which appeared so 
 much to interest him. He promised to obey his commands 
 to the best of his ability ; and the very next morning he was 
 ready to proceed to the pastures. The keeper of them would 
 not have admitted him, had he not produced an order from 
 the Prince, in which it was stated that he was the Prince's 
 shepherd, and had charge of his flock. 
 
 He was immediately permitted to mix with the rural com- 
 pany. He was very gallant, and easily succeeded in making 
 himself agreeable to the shepherdesses generally ; but with 
 regard to Constancia, he found she possessed a spirit so far 
 above what she appeared to be, that he could not reconcile 
 the existence of so much beauty, wit, and merit with the rude 
 and countiy life she led. It was in vain he followed her ; he 
 always found her alone iu the depths of the forest, singing 
 abstractedly. He observed no shepherd venture to attempt 
 to please her; it seemed to be too difficult a task. Mirtain 
 made that great attempt himself; he courted her assiduously, 
 and learned from his own experience that she declined form- 
 ing any engagement. Every evening he reported to the 
 Prince the state of affairs ; aJl the information he gave him 
 had only the effect of distracting him. " Do not deceive 
 yourself, my Lord," said Mirtain one day to him ; " if this 
 beautiful girl does love, it must be some one in her own 
 country." " If that were the case," said the Prince, " would 
 she not return to it 1" " How do we know," rejoined Mirtain, 
 " that she has not some reasons which prevent her returning 
 to her native land? She may have quarrelled with her 
 lover." " Alas ! " exclaimed the Prince, " she sang with too 
 much tenderness the words I heard." " It is a fact," con- 
 tinued Mirtain, "that all the trees are covered with the 
 initials of their names ; and as no one seems to please her in 
 these parts, some one undoubtedly must have done so else- 
 where." "Ascertain," said the Prince, "her sentiments for 
 me. Speak well or ill of me, thou mayest in some measure 
 arrive at what she thinks of me." 
 
 Mirtain failed not to find an opportunity to speak to Con- 
 stancia. " What ails you, fair shepherdess 1" said he to her ; 
 " you appear melancholy, notwithstanding all the reasons you 
 
526 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 have to be more joyous tnan any other." " And what reasons 
 do you consider I have for being joyous?" she inquired. " I 
 am reduced to tend sheep, far from my own land, hearing 
 nothing of my relations: is all this so very agreeable?" 
 " No," replied Mirtain ; " but you are the most charming 
 pei-son in the world : you have much wit, you sing ex- 
 quisitely, and nothing can be compared to your beauty." 
 " Supposing I possessed all these advantages, they would be 
 of little value to me," said she, heaving a deep sigh. " Nay, 
 then," said Mirtain, "you are ambitious; you believe one 
 must be born to a throne, or descended from the gods, to 
 live happily. Ah ! undeceive yourself ; I serve Prince Con- 
 stancio, and, notwithstanding the disparity of our rank, I am 
 frequently permitted to approach him. I have studied him ; 
 I can see what is passing in his mind, and I know that he is 
 far from happy." " And what disturbs his peace ?" said the 
 Princess. " A fatal passion," continued Mirtain. " He is in 
 love !" exclaimed Coustancia, with an air of anxiety. Alas I 
 how I pity him ! But what am I saying?" she continued, 
 blushing deeply : " he is too amiable not to be beloved." 
 "He dares not so much flatter himself, fair shepherdess," 
 said Mirtain ; " but if you would kindly assure him of that 
 fact, he would have more faith in your words than in those of 
 any other." " It would not befit me," said she, " to meddle 
 in the affairs of a great prince. Those of which you speak 
 are too delicate for me to think of entering upon. Adieu, 
 Mirtain," she added, quitting him hastily : " if you would 
 oblige me, you will speak no more to me about your Prince, 
 or his amours." 
 
 She hurried away, gi*eatly agitated. She could not have 
 been insensible to the merits of the Prince ; her first meeting 
 with him had never been effaced from her mind, and but for 
 the secret spell which detained her despite herself, it is 
 certain she would have risked everything to find once more 
 the Sovereign Fairy. We might, indeed, feel surprised that 
 that skilful person, who knew everything, did not fly to her 
 assistance ; but it no longer depended upon her to do so. 
 From the moment the Giant had met the Princess, the latter 
 was subjected to the influence of the stars for a certain period: 
 her destiny had to be fulfilled; so that the Fairy was 
 obliged to be contented with going to see her occasionally in 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 a sunbeam. Constancia's eyes were not able to look at it 
 steadily enough to discover her protectress in it. 
 
 The charming girl had observed, with some mortification, 
 that the Prince had neglected her so completely, that he 
 might never have seen her again, had not chance led him to 
 the spot where she was singing. She endeavoured to stifle 
 her inclination for him ; and if it be possible to love and hate 
 a person at the same time, I may say she hated him because 
 she loved him too well ! How many tears did she shed in 
 secret ! Rusou was the only witness of them ; to him she 
 frequently confided her sorrows, as if he were capable of 
 understanding her; and when he frisked about the fields 
 with the ewes, she would say to him," Beware, Ruson ! — 
 beware ! Let not love inflame thy heart ; of all evils, 'tis the 
 greatest: and shouldst thou love, and not be loved in return, 
 poor little ram, what wouldst thou do !" 
 
 These reflections were followed by a thousand reproaches, 
 which she heaped upon herself for cherishing an affection for 
 a Prince who manifested so much indifference for her. She 
 had determined to forget him, when she accidentally found 
 him in that pleasant spot, to which he had retired to muse 
 uninterruptedly on the lovely shepherdess he avoided. Sleep 
 had stolen upon him, and he had stretched himself on the 
 grass. She saw him, and her affection for him received fresh 
 force. She could not resist stringing together the words 
 which had caused so much anxiety to the Prince; but what 
 did she not suffer in her turn, when Mirtain informed her 
 that Constancio was in love ! All the command she could 
 exercise over herself could not prevent her frequently chang- 
 ing colour. Mirtain, who had his reasons for observing her, 
 noticed and was delighted at it, and hastened to report what 
 had passed to his master. 
 
 The Prince was much less inclined to flatter himself than 
 his confidant was. He saw nothing but indifference in the 
 conduct of the shepherdess. He attributed it to the happy 
 Constancio whom she loved, and the next morning he went in 
 search of her. The instant she perceived him, she flew from 
 him as though she had seen a tiger or a lion. Flight was the 
 only remedy she could imagine for her pain. Ever sincQ»Jier 
 conversation with Mirtain she felt she ought to neglect no 
 
528 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 means of tearing the Prince from her heart, and that the only 
 hope of doing so lay in her avoiding the sight of him. 
 
 What were the feeUngs of Constancio when his shepherdess 
 fled from him so abruptly. Mirtain was with him. " Thou 
 seest," said the Prince to him, " thou seest the effect of thy 
 labours. Constancia hates me : I dai'e not foUow her to obtain 
 an explanation from her myself" 
 
 " You have too much consideration, my Lord, for a mere 
 country girl," replied Mirtain ; " and if you will permit me, 
 I will go and order her, in your name, to come back to you." 
 " Ah ! Mirtain," exclaimed the Prince, " What a difference 
 exists between the lover and the confidant! I think only of 
 doing everything to please this charming girl ; I have observed 
 in her a sort of refinement, which would ill accord with the 
 rough measures thou art for adopting. I had rather continue 
 to suffer than offend her." As he uttered these words, he 
 turned his steps in another direction, with so melancholy 
 an air, that one who was much less interested in him than 
 Constancia might have pitied him. 
 
 As soon as he was out of sight, she retraced her steps to 
 have the pleasure of being on the spot he had just quitted. 
 " 'Tis here," said she, " he stood ; 'twas from thence he looked 
 at me : but, alas ! in eveiy place I find how little he thinks of 
 me. He comes hither but to muse in freedom upon her he 
 loves ; and yet," continued she, " have I a right to complain ? 
 What chance was there that he should attach himself to a girl 
 he thinks so much beneath himl" She felt disposed sometimes 
 to relate her adventures to him; but the Sovereign Fairy had 
 so strictly forbidden her to speak of them, that her duty 
 always prevailed over her inclination, and she eventually 
 determined to keep her secret. 
 
 In the course of a few days, the Prince again made his 
 appearance. She avoided him carefully. He was much dis- 
 tressed at it, and desired Mirtain to reproach her with her 
 behaviour. She pretended she had acted unconsciously ; but 
 as the Prince had condescended to remark it, she would not do 
 so in future. Mirtain, much gratified by having obtained this 
 promise from her, informed his master, and the next morning 
 he went in search of her. On his accosting her she appeared 
 speechless and motionless; and her confusion if possible in- 
 creased when he declared his passion. Much as she desired to 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 529 
 
 believe him, she was afraid of being deceived, and that forming 
 his opinion of her from appearances, be only sought to amuse 
 himself by dazzling her with professions which would not be 
 seriously addressed to a poor shepherdess. Nettled by this 
 idea, her pride restored her composure, and she received the 
 assurances of his aflFection with so much coldness, that it con- 
 firmed all his suspicions. 
 
 " Your heart is gone ! " said he ; " another has succeeded in 
 charming you. But I call the gods to witnes.s, that if I can 
 discover him, he shall feel the full effects of my wrath ! " "I ask 
 no favour for any one, my Lord," she replied. " If you should 
 ever know my sentiments, you wiU find they are far different 
 from those you attribute to me." The Prince at these words 
 felt his hopes revive, but they were soon destroyed by the con- 
 versation that followed; for she protested to him, that her 
 indifference was not to be overcome, and that she felt 
 convinced she should never love any one. These last words 
 cast him into inexpressible grief; he exercised the greatest 
 constraint over himself to prevent her observing the extent of 
 his affliction. Either from the violence he thus did to his 
 feelings, or from the excess of his passion, which was only in- 
 creased by the obstacles which presented themselves to it, he 
 fell so dangerously ill that the physicians, not knowing the 
 cause of his disorder, soon began to despair of his recovery. 
 Mirtain, who by his orders still remained in attendance on 
 Constancia, communicated to her the sad tidings. She listened 
 to them with a confusion and agitation difficult to describe. 
 " Do you know any remedy," he asked her, " for fever, and 
 violent pains in the head and heart f " I know one," she 
 rephed ; " it consists of simples and flowers ; but everything 
 depends on the manner in which they are applied." '• WiU you 
 not go to the palace and apply them yom-self?" added 
 Mirtain. " No ;" said she, blushing, " I should be too much 
 afinid of not succeeding." " How !" continued he ; " is it 
 possible you will neglect anything that might restore him to 
 us? I believed you to be very hard-heai*ted ; but you are 
 a hundi'ed times more so than I had imagined." Mirtain's 
 reproaches gratified Constancia. She was delighted to be 
 pressed by him to see the Prince. It was only to obtain that 
 satisfaction that she had boasted of being acquainted with a 
 remedy for his complaint; for the truth is, that she knewof none. 
 
530 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 Mirtain went and told the Prince all that the shepherdess 
 had said, and how ardently she desired the restoration of his 
 health. " Thou seekest to flatter me," said Constancio to him ; 
 " but I forgive thee, — and I would fain, even though I should 
 deceive myself, endeavour to fancy that this lovely girl has 
 some affection for me. Go to the Queen ; tell her that one 
 of her shepherdesses possesses a wonderful secret which may 
 cure me. Obtain permission to bring her hither. Eun, fly, 
 Mirtain ! minutes will appear ages to me ! " 
 
 The Queen had never seen the shepherdess of whom 
 Mirtain spoke; and answered that she had no faith in the 
 knowledge affected by such ignorant little girls ; and that it 
 was mere folly to think of it. " It is certain. Madam," said he, 
 "that one may sometimes find more relief from the applica- 
 tion of simples than from all that is contained in the pages of 
 Esculapius. The Prince suffers so much that he is anxious to 
 test the effect of what this young girl proposes." " Be it so," 
 said the Queen ; " but if she do not cure him, I will punish 
 her so severely, that she will never have the audacity to boast 
 of her pretended remedies again." Mirtain returned to his 
 master, and informed him of the Queen's ill-humour, and that 
 he feared the result of it to Constancia. " I would rather die ! " 
 exclaimed the Prince. "Return instantly; tell my mother, 
 I entreat her to let that lovely girl remain with her innocent 
 sheep. What a recompense is this," he continued, " for the 
 trouble she would take ! The very idea of it redoubles my 
 disorder." 
 
 Mirtain ran to the Queen, to beg her, in the Prince's name, 
 not to send for Constancia; but as she was naturally very 
 hasty, she flew into a passion at his vacillation. " I have 
 already sent for her," said the Queen : " if she cure my son 
 I will make her some present ; if she fail, I know what I 
 have to do. Return to him, and endeavour to amuse him ; 
 the state of melancholy he is in distracts me." Mirtain obeyed 
 her commands, and took care not to tell his master the tem- 
 per the Queen was in, for his anxiety about his shepherdess 
 might have killed him. 
 
 The royal pastures were so near the city that she was not 
 long coming, let alone the impulse she received from a passion 
 which generally increases one's speed. As soon as she reached 
 the palace, the Queen was informed of her arrival ; but she 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 531 
 
 did not condescend to see her ; she contented herself with 
 ordering her to be told to take care what she was about : for 
 that if she failed to cure the Prince, she would have her 
 sown up in a sack and flung into the river. At this threat, 
 the beautiful Princess turned pale, and felt her blood run 
 cold. " Alas," said she to herself, " I well deserve this punish- 
 ment ! I spoke falsely when I boasted of my skill ; and my 
 desire to see Constancio was too unreasonable to secure mo 
 the protection of the gods." She hung her head, and her 
 tears flowed down her cheeks in silence. 
 
 The standers-by admired her greatly. She appeared to 
 them more like an angel from Heaven than a mortal maiden. 
 " What are you afraid of, lovely shepherdess?" said they to 
 her. "Your eyes have in them the power of life and death; 
 one glance of them may preserve our young Prince. Come 
 to his apartment, dry your tears, and administer your remedy 
 without alarm." 
 
 The manner in which they spoke to her, and the extreme 
 desire she had to see the Prince, gave her fresh confidence. 
 She begged to be allowed to go into the garden, that she 
 might herself cvdl the simples she required. She gathered 
 myrtle, trefoil, and other herbs and flowers, some of which 
 are dedicated to Cupid, and some to his mother; and added 
 to them some doves' feathers, and a few drops of pigeons' 
 blood. She invoked the aid of all the gods and fairies, then, 
 trembling more than a turtle-dove at the sight of a falcon, 
 she told them she was ready to be led to the Prince's cham- 
 ber. He was in bed ; his face palid, and his sight feeble ; 
 but the moment he saw her, his complexion improved ; which 
 she observed to her great joy. 
 
 " My Lord," said she, " I have for many days past offered 
 up my prayers for the restoration of your health. My anxiety 
 even indiiced me to tell one of your shepherds that I knew 
 some little remedies, and that I would most willingly en- 
 deavour to assuage your pains : but the Queen has sent me 
 notice, that if Heaven does not assist my undertaking, and 
 you should not be cured, I am to be drowned. Imagine, 
 my Lord, the alarming situation I am placed in; but be 
 assured that I am interested in your preservation more on 
 your account than on mine." " Fear nothing, charming 
 shepherdess," said he ; " the kind interest you take in nay 
 M m2 
 
532 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 life will render it so dear to me, that I -will take greater 
 care for it. I had ceased to prize existence : alas! could I 
 be happy under the recollection of the sentiments I heard 
 you express for Constanciol Those fatal verses, and your 
 coldness, have reduced me to the wretched state in which 
 you see me; but, lovely shepherdess, you have desired me 
 to live ! Let me live then, and live but for you ! " 
 
 Constancia had much difficulty in concealing the pleasure 
 this flattering declaration gave her. Fearing that somebody 
 might be listening to what the Prince was saying to her, she 
 interrupted him by asking, if he would permit her to put on 
 some bandages of the herbs she had gathered. He stretched 
 his arms out to her with so much tenderness of expression, 
 that she hastily bound on one of the bandages, in order that 
 nobody should perceive what was passing between them, and 
 having gone through several little ceremonies, the better to 
 impose on the Prince's attendants, he exclaimed, after a few 
 minutes, that he felt in less pain. It was quite time ; he did. 
 The physicians were summoned, and were surprised at the 
 efficacy of the remedy and the promptitude of its effects ; but 
 when they saw the shepherdess who had applied it, they 
 ceased to wonder at anything, and said to one another in 
 their own jargon, that one of her looks was a more powerful 
 dose than any in the whole Pharmacopoea. 
 
 The shepherdess was so little affected by all the praises 
 they lavished on her, that those who did not know her, took 
 for stupidity what arose from a very different cause. She 
 crept into a comer of the room, concealing herself from every- 
 body but her patient, whom she approached occasionally to 
 press his forehead or feel his pulse ; and in these brief mo- 
 ments they said to each other a thousand charming things 
 with which the heart ^ad much more to do than the head. 
 " I trust, my Lord," said she, " that the sack which the Queen 
 has ordered for me to be drowned in, will not be required 
 for so fatal a purpose. Your health, which is so precious to 
 me, is undoubtedly improving." " It depends wholly upon 
 you, lovely Constancia !" he replied ; " a share in your heart 
 can do everything for my peace, and the preservation of my 
 Hfe." 
 
 The Prince arose, and repaired to the Queen's apartment. 
 When he was announced, she would not believe it; she 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. SSS^ 
 
 advanced hastily, and was struck with astonishment at seeing 
 him at her chamber-door. " What ! Is it you, my son ] my 
 dear son!" she exclaimed. "To whom am I indebted for 
 this marvellous resurrection?" " You owe it to your own 
 kindness, Madam," said the Prince ; " you have sent to me 
 the most skilful person in the world, I beseech you to reward 
 her in proportion to the service she has rendered me!" 
 " There is no hurry for that," said the Queen, sharply; "she 
 is a poor shepherdess, who will think herself too happy in 
 being still permitted to tend my sheep." 
 
 At this moment the King arrived. They had been to tell 
 him the good news of the Prince's recovery ; and as he was 
 proceeding towards the Queen's apartments, he caught sight 
 of Constancia : her beauty, brilliant as the sun with its count- 
 less rays, dazzled him to such an extent, that he stood some 
 few moments without the power of asking those who were 
 near him, who that wonderful creature was, and how long 
 goddesses had taken up their abode in his palace. At length, 
 recovering himself, he approached her, and learning that she 
 was the enchantress who had cured his son, he embraced her, 
 and politely said that he felt very ill himself, and requested 
 she would cure him also. 
 
 He entered the Queen's apartments followed by Constancia, 
 The Queen had never seen her before. Her astonishment 
 cannot be described. She uttered a loud shriek and fainted ; 
 casting, as she fell, a look of fury on the shepherdess. Con- 
 stancio and Constancia were terrified at this event ; the King 
 knew not how to account for so sudden a seizure ; all the 
 court was in consternation. At length the Queen returned to 
 herself; and the King pressed her to tell him what she had seen 
 to affect her in so extraordinary a manner. She dissembled her 
 vexation, and said it was a fit of the vapours ; but the Priuce, 
 who knew her well, was exceedingly uneasy. She spoke to the 
 shepherdess with some degree of kindness ; telling her that she 
 would retain her near her person, and give her the care of 
 the flowers in her private garden. The Princess was delighted 
 to think she should remain where she could see Constancio 
 every day. 
 
 The King, however, induced the Queen to enter his cabinet, 
 and then tenderly inquired what had occurred to vex her. 
 *' Ah, Sire," she exclaimed, "I have had a frightful di-eam.. 
 
534 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 I had never seen this yonng shepherdess, when my imagination 
 portrayed her to me so faithfully, that the instant I cast my 
 eyes upon her I recognised the features. I thought she was 
 married to my son, I am much deceived if this wretched 
 country girl does not cause me a great deal of sorrow." " You 
 place too much trust in things the most delusive in the 
 world," said the King. " I advise you not to act from such 
 motives. Send this shepherdess back to tend your flocks again, 
 and do not afflict yourself unseasonably." 
 
 The King's advice was by no means agreeable to the Queen; 
 far from following it, she thought of nothing but how to dis- 
 cover her son's sentiments for Constancia. 
 
 The Prince lost no opportunity of seeing her. As she had 
 charge of the flowers, she was frequently in the garden, water- 
 ing them ; and it seemed as if they became more brilliant and 
 beautiful when she touched them. Ruson was still her com- 
 panion; she talked to him sometimes about the Prince, al- 
 though he could not understand her; and when Constancio 
 himself accosted her, she was so eiiibarmssed, that her eyes 
 sufficiently betrayed to him the secret of her heart. He was 
 enchanted, and said everything to her that the tenderest 
 passion could dictate. 
 
 The Queen, on the strength of her dream, and still more on 
 account of Constancia's incomparable beauty, became so 
 uneasy she could no longer sleep in peace. She rose before 
 daybreak ; she hid herself behind the palisades, sometimes in 
 the recesses of a grotto, to overhear what her son said to 
 that beautiful girl; but they were both prudent enough 
 to speak so low, that she could only act upon suspicion. This 
 but increased her anxiety ; she looked on the Prince with 
 perfect contempt, thinking day and night that he would place 
 that shepherdess on the throne. 
 
 Constancio was as guarded as he possibly could be ; but in 
 spite of all he could do, everybody perceived he loved Con- 
 stancia; and whether he praised her naturally because he 
 admired her, or pretended to find fault with her, in either 
 case he spoke like an interested pei-son. Constancia, on her 
 side, could not refrain from talking of the Prince to her com- 
 panions, and as she often sang songs which she had made 
 about him, the Queen, who heard her, was no less sui-prised at 
 her admirable voice than at the subject of the verses. " Just 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 535 
 
 Heaven !" she exclaimed; "what have I done, that I should 
 be punished in the most cruel way to me in the world ? Alas ! 
 I had intended my son for my niece; and to my desperate 
 annoyance, I perceive he has attached himself to a wretched 
 shepherdess, who will, perhaps, excite him to rebel against my 
 pleasure." 
 
 While she was thus distressing herself and forming a 
 thousand schemes in her fury to punish Constancia for being 
 so beautiful, so charming; love was unremittingly making 
 fresh progress in the hearts of the young couple. Constancia, 
 convinced of the Prince's sincerity, could no longer conceal 
 from him her rank or her aflFection. So tender an avowal, and 
 such a proof of confidence, enraptured him to such an extent, 
 that anywhere but in the Queen's garden he would have cast 
 himself at her feet to thank her. It was not without diffi- 
 culty he restrained himself even there. He ceased to struggle 
 with his passion. He had loved the shepherdess Constancia : 
 it is easy to imagine that he adored her when he was in- 
 formed of her rank, and if he was easily persuaded of the 
 truth of so extraordinary a thing (as it appears to us,) of 
 a great princess wandering about the world, by turns a shep- 
 herdess and a gardener, it was simply because, in those days, 
 such adventures were common enough; and that he discovered 
 something in her air and manners that warranted to him the 
 truth of her story. Constancio, moved by love and respect, 
 swore eternal fidelity to the Princess, and she vowed no less to 
 him. They agreed that their marriage should take place as 
 soon as they could obtain the consent of the persons on whom 
 they depended. The Queen observed their growing passion; 
 her confidante, who sought as eagerly as herself to discover 
 something which might gain her favour with her mistress, 
 came to her one day with the information, that Constancia 
 sent Ruson every morning to the Prince's apartment. That 
 the little ram carried two baskets which she had filled with 
 flowers, and that Mirtain was his conductor. The Queen at 
 this news lost all patience ; she saw Ruson pass ; she ran and 
 laid wait for hira herself, and despite the prayers of Mirtain, 
 she dragged the ram to her own chamber, tore the baskets and 
 flowers to pieces, and examined them so narrowly that she dis- 
 covered, in a large carnation that was not fully blown, a little 
 scrap of paper which Constancia had inserted with much 
 
536 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 ingenuity. In it she had reproached the Prince tenderly with 
 the perils to which he daily exposed himself in hunting. The 
 note contained these verses : 
 
 " 'Midst all ray joy, I tremble with alarm 
 
 To see thee dafly to the chace repair. 
 ■ O Heaven ! wherein consists the wondrous charm 
 
 Of tracking savage monsters to their lair? 
 
 Leave the gaunt lion, and the grisly bear, 
 
 And turn to conquer in a s-weeter field, — 
 
 The tender heart that but desires to jield." 
 
 "Whilst the Queen was raving against the shepherdess, 
 Mirtain had hastened to inform his master of the unfortunate 
 adventure of the ram. The Prince very uneasy ran to his 
 mother's apartment, but she had already gone to the King's. 
 " Behold, my Liege," said she, " behold the noble inclinations of 
 yoiu* son ; he loves this miserable shepherdess, who persuaded 
 us she knew a certain cure for his malady. Alas ! she knew 
 one but too well. In short," continued she, " it is love that 
 instructed her. She has restored him to health only to inflict 
 on him greater evils ; and if we do not take immediate steps 
 to ward off the misfortunes that threaten us, my dream will 
 prove but too true." " You are naturally severe," said the 
 King, " you expected that your son would think of no one but 
 the Princess you had selected for him. It was not so easy a 
 thing to do. You must make some allowance for his youth." 
 " I cannot endure your prepossession in his favour," cried the 
 Queen; " you can never find fault with him. All I ask of 
 you. Sir, is to consent to his being removed from court for a 
 short time. Absence will have more effect on him than all 
 my arguments." 
 
 The King hated contention ; he acceded to everything his 
 wife desired, and she returned immediately to her own 
 apartments. 
 
 She found the Prince there; he was awaiting her in the 
 utmost anxiety. " My son," said she to him, before he could 
 say a word to her, "the King has just shown me letters from 
 the King my brother, begging him to send you to his court, 
 in order that you may become acquainted with the Princess 
 who has been destined to you from infancy, and also that she 
 may have a similar advantage. Is it not just that you should 
 be allowed an opportunity of forming your own oijiuion of 
 her merits, and that you should love her before you are 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 united to each other for ever 1" "I have no right to desire 
 that special rules should be made in my favour," said the 
 Prince. " It is not customary for royal personages to visit 
 each other, and consult their own hearts in preference to the 
 reasons of state which render it necessary for them to con- 
 tract a certain alliance. The lady you have selected for me 
 may be beautiful or ugly, intelligent or stupid ; I shall obey 
 you in either case." " I understand thee, wretch !" cried the 
 Queen, flying out suddenly ; " I understand thee ! Thou 
 adorest a worthless shepherdess; thou fearest leaving her. 
 Thou shalt leave her, or I wiU have her dispatched before 
 thine eyes ! But if thou wilt depart without hesitation, and 
 strive to forget her, I will retain her near my person, and 
 love her as much as I now hate her." 
 
 The Prince, as pale as if he were about to die, consulted in 
 his own mind what course he should take. On either hand 
 he could see nothing but frightful agony. He knew his 
 mother to be the most cniel and vindictive Princess in the 
 world. He feared resistance would imtate her, and that the 
 consequences would fall upon his dear mistress. At length, 
 pressed by the Queen to say whether he would go or not, he 
 consented to do so, with the same feeling that a man consents 
 to drink the glass of poison that is to destroy him. 
 
 He had scarcely given her his word that he woiild depart, 
 when, leaving his mother's chamber, he entered his own, his 
 heart so wrung, that he thought it would break. He con- 
 fided his affliction to the faithful Mirtain ; and, impatient to 
 inform Constancia, he went in search of her. She was in the 
 deepest part of a grotto, where she occasionally took refuge, 
 when the heat of the sun was too powerful for her in the 
 garden. There was a little bank of turf by the side of a 
 streamlet, which fell from the top of a rock of shell-work. In 
 this peaceful retreat she unbound the tresses of her hair; 
 they were fair as silver, finer than silk, and all in wavy curls. 
 She sat with her naked feet in the water, the agreeable 
 murmur of which, together with the fatigue of gardening, 
 insensibly lulled her into a sweet sleep. Though her eyes 
 were closed, they had still a thousand attractions ; their long 
 black lashes gave more brilliancy to the whiteness of her 
 skin ; the Loves and Graces seemed to hover around her, and 
 modesty and gentleness added to the charm of her beauty. . 
 
538 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 'Twas there the enamoured Prince found her. He recol- 
 lected that the first time he had seen her she was thus asleep ; 
 but the sentiments she had since inspired him Avith had 
 become so tender, that he would willingly have given half his 
 life to pass the other half beside her. He gazed on her some 
 time with a pleasure that suspended his gz'ief ; his eyes, run- 
 ning eagerly over her charms, rested on her foot, whiter than 
 snow : he felt he could never cease admiring it. He knelt, 
 and took her hand ; she woke instantly, appeared vexed that 
 he had seen her foot, and hid it, blushing like a rose, as it 
 opens to the dawning day. 
 
 Alas ! how soon did that beautiful colour fade ! She re- 
 marked an unwonted melancholy in the countenance of the 
 Prince. " What ails you, my Lord V she inquired, with much 
 alarm. " I can tell by your eyes that you are in some afflic- 
 tion." " Ah, who would not be so, dearest Princess," said he 
 to her, shedding tears which he had not the power to sup- 
 press; "they are about to part us ! T must either leave, or 
 expose you to all the fuiy of the Queen. She knows cf my 
 attachment to you; she has even seen the note you wrote to 
 me — one of her women assures me so — and without the least 
 consideration for my anguish, she cruelly insists on my 
 immediate departure for the court of the King her brother." 
 "What do you tell me. Prince 1" exclaimed Constancia; "you 
 are on the point of forsaking me, and you believe that to be 
 necessary for the preservation of my life ! Can you possibly 
 entertain such an idea ? Let me perish before your eyes ; I 
 shall be less to be pitied than if I am condemned to live 
 without you," 
 
 So affecting a conversation could not fail of being often 
 interrupted by sobs and tears. Those young lovers had never 
 yet endured the pangs of absence ; they had never foreseen 
 such a misfortune, and this gave additional weight to the 
 blow which had fallen upon them. They exchanged a thou- 
 sand vows of eternal fidelity. The Prince promised Con- 
 stancia to return with the greatest speed. " I go," said he, 
 " but to affront my uncle and his daughter, so that they 
 shall abandon all idea of giving her to me for a wife. I will 
 do everything to disgust the Princess, and I shall succeed in 
 my object." " You must not show yourself, then," said Con- 
 stancia, " or you will please her, do what you will to prevent 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 539 
 
 it." They both wept so bitterly, gazed on each other so 
 mournfully, interchanged such passionate promises, that their 
 only consolation was the perfect confidence they had in each 
 other's affection, and that nothing could ever alter such deep 
 and tender feelings. 
 
 The time had passed so rapidly in this sweet conversation, 
 that night had already closed around them before they 
 thought of separating; but the Queen, wishing to consult the 
 Prince respecting the equipage he would require, Mirtain 
 hastened in search of him. Ho found him still at the feet of 
 his mistress, holding her hand in both of his. When they 
 perceived him, they were seized with such apprehensions that 
 they could scarcely speak. He told his master that the 
 Queen was asking for him. Her commands might not be 
 disobeyed. The Princess retix'ed alone through another part 
 of the gardens. 
 
 The Queen found the Prince so melancholy and altered, 
 that she easily divined the cause. She would not speak to 
 him any more on the subject; it was enough that he should 
 depart. In short, everything was prepared with so much 
 diligence, that it seemed as if the fairies had had a hand in it. 
 As to the Prince, he occupied himself only with what related 
 to his passion. He desired Mirtain to remain |at court, and 
 send him daily news of the Princess. He left with him his 
 finest jewels, in case he should be in want of funds ; and his 
 foresight neglected nothing in a matter of such moment 
 to him. 
 
 At last he was compelled to go. The despair of our young 
 lovers cannot be described. Constancia then first compre- 
 hended the whole extent of her misfortune. To be a king's 
 daughter, rightful owner of immense dominions, and to lan- 
 guish in the power of a cruel queen, who banished her son 
 for fear of his affection for her — a princess who was his equal 
 every way, and whose hand would be ardently desired by the 
 greatest sovereigns in the world ! But her star had decided 
 it should be so. 
 
 The Queen, dehghted at the absence of her son, thought 
 only of intercepting the letters that might be written to him. 
 She succeeded, and discovered that Mirtain was his confidant. 
 She had him arrested on some false pretence, and sent to 
 a fortress, where he was subjected to a strict imprisonment. 
 
540 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 The Prince was greatly incensed at this news. He wrote to 
 the King and Queen demanding the release of his favourite. 
 His applications had no effect : but it was not only by this 
 that they sought to distress him. 
 
 One morning that the Princess had risen with the dawn, 
 and gone into the garden to gather flowers as usual for the 
 Queen's toilette, she saw the faithful Ruson, who was pre- 
 ceding her at some distance, suddenly run back in great 
 alarm. As she advanced to see what had frightened him so 
 much, he pulled her by the skirt of her gown in order to 
 prevent her, for he was a most intelligent animal, and she 
 suddenly heard the sharp hissing of a number of serpents, 
 and found herself almost immediately beset by toads, vipers, 
 scorpions, asps, and snakes, that encircled, without stinging 
 her. They raised themselves to dart at her, but invariably 
 fell back on the spot without power to touch her. 
 
 Notwithstanding tlie terror she was in, she could not fail 
 to notice this prodigy, and she could attribute it to nothing 
 except the virtue of a ring made under the influence of cer- 
 tain constellations, and given to her by her lover. Which- 
 ever way she turned, she saw these venomous reptiles running 
 towards her. The walks were full of them, and they swarmed 
 upon the flowers and under the trees. The lovely Coustancia 
 knew not what to do. She perceived the Queen at her 
 window, laughing at her alarm. She knew directly that she 
 had no hope of being saved by her orders. " I must die," 
 said she, nobly ; " those horrid monsters that surround me 
 came not here of their own accord. The Queen has had 
 them brought hither, and there she stands to be the specta- 
 tress of this miserable termination to my existence. It has 
 certainly been so sad a one up to this very houi', that I have 
 no reason to cling to it; and if I regret its loss, the gods, the 
 just gods, can testify why I do so at this moment." 
 
 Having thus spoken, she advanced, and all the snakes and 
 their companions retreated as fcist as she approached them. 
 She quitted the garden in this way unhurt, as much to her 
 own astonishment as to the Queen's, who had for a long time 
 past been collecting these dangerous reptiles with the inten- 
 tion of having the shepherdess stung to death by them. She 
 imagined such a circumstance would not arouse the suspicions 
 of her son ; that he would attribute Constancia's death to 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOTE. 541 
 
 a natural cause, and that she should escape his reproaches : 
 but her project having failed, she had recourae to another 
 expedient. 
 
 At the other end of the forest there dwelt a Fairy whose 
 abode was inaccessible, for she was guarded by elephants 
 that unceasingly roamed round the forest, and devoured the 
 poor travellers, their horses, and even the iron the latter 
 were shod with, so insatiable was their appetite. The Queen 
 had come to an agreement with her, that if by some un- 
 heard-of chance, any one in the Queen's name should reach 
 the Fairy's palace alive, she would give the messenger some- 
 thing fatal to take back to her. 
 
 The Queen sent for Constancia : gave her her orders, and 
 told her to set out immediately. She had heard all her com- 
 panions talk of the danger there was in passing through that 
 forest; and an old shepherdess had even told her how she 
 had fortunately escaped by the aid of a little sheep she had 
 taken with her, for, furious as the elephants may be, the mo- 
 ment they see a lamb they become as gentle themselves. 
 The same shepherdess had also told her, that being ordered 
 to take a burning girdle back to the Queen, under the appre- 
 hension that she would make her put it on, she put it round 
 several trees which were all consumed by it, so that the girdle 
 at last had no power to hurt her, as the Queen had hoped it 
 would. 
 
 When the Princess listened to this story she little thought 
 it would be, one day, of such service to her : but when the 
 Queen had issued her commands with so imperative an air 
 that the sentence was evidently irrevocable, she prayed the 
 gods to assist her. She took Ruson with her, and departed 
 for the perilous forest. The Queen was enchanted : " We 
 shall see her no more ! " said she to the King, " This odious 
 object of our son's attachment! — I have sent her to a spot 
 where a thousand such as she would not be sufficient to 
 make a quarter of a breakfast for the elephants." Tne King 
 told her she was too vindictive, and that he could not help 
 regretting the destruction of the most beautiful girl he had 
 ever seen. " Indeed !" replied the Queen. " I advise you to 
 fall in love with her then, and weep for her death as the un- 
 worthy Constancio does for her absence!" 
 
 Constancia had scarcely entered the forest when she saw 
 
542 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 heraelf surrounded by elephants. These colossal monsters, 
 delighted at the sight of the beautiful ram, who walked with 
 a much bolder step than his mistress, caressed him as gently 
 with tlieir formidable trunks as a lady could have done with 
 her hand. The Princess was so afraid that the elephants 
 would make a distinction between her and Ruson, that she 
 took him up in her arms, although he had already become 
 rather heavy, and whichever way she turned took care to 
 present him to the monsters, and in this manner made the 
 best of her way towards the palace of the inaccessible old 
 Fairy. 
 
 She reached it at length, after much alarm and trouble : 
 the place seemed very untidy; the Fairy who inhabited it 
 was no less so. She could not entirely conceal her astonish- 
 ment at seeing Constancia, for it was a long time since any 
 living creature had succeeded in arriving there. " What is 
 your will, fair child?" said the Fairy to her. The Princess 
 humbly presented to her the Queen's compliments, accom- 
 panied by the request that she would send her the Girdle of 
 Friendship. " She shall not be denied," said the Fairy ; " no 
 doubt it is for you she desires it." " I do not know that, 
 Madam," replied Constancia. " Oh, but I know it well 
 enough," said the Fairy; and taking out of her casket a 
 girdle of blue velvet, with long cords attached to it, on which 
 to hang a purse, a knife, and a pair of scissors, she presented 
 her with the handsome ornament. " Take it," said she, " this 
 girdle will render you perfectly charming, provided you put 
 it on as soon as you ai"e in the forest." 
 
 After Constancia had thanked, and taken leave of her, she 
 caught up Ruson in her arms again, who was of more con- 
 sequence to her than ever. The elephants made much of 
 him, and let her pass freely, notwithstanding their voracious 
 propensities. She did not forget to put the girdle round 
 a tree, which began to burn immediately, as if it had been in 
 the fiercest fire in the world. She took the girdle off again, 
 and put it on another tree, and so, from tree to tree, until it 
 ceased to ignite them. At length she reached the palace very 
 much fatigued. 
 
 When the Queen saw her, she was so struck with astonish- 
 ment that she could not hold her peace. " You are a cheat I " 
 she cried; "you have not been to my friend, the Fairy?" 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 543 
 
 " Pardon me, Madam ! " replied the fair Constancia. " I am 
 the bearer of the Girdle of Friendship, which I requested her 
 to give me in your name." " Have you not put it on ?" 
 asked the Queen. " It is too fine for a poor shepherdess like 
 me," replied Constancia. " No, no," said the Queen, " I give 
 it you, for your trouble; do not omit to wear it: but, tell me, 
 what did you see on your road?" " I saw," she replied, 
 " some elephants, who were so intelligent, and displayed so 
 much ingenuity, that there is not a country in the world 
 where they would not excite admiration. It seems that forest 
 is their kingdom, and that there are in it some that rule the 
 rest." The Queen was greatly mortified, and did not say all 
 she thought, but she was still in hopes that nothing on 
 earth would prevent the girdle from burning the Princess. 
 " Though the elephants have spared thee," ^e muttered to 
 herself, " the girdle will avenge me ! Thou shalt see, wretch, 
 the friendship I bear thee, and the reward due to thee for 
 having fascinated my son." 
 
 Constancia had retired to her little chamber, where she 
 wept the absence of her dear Prince. She dared not write 
 to him, for the Queen had spies abroad who stopped the 
 coiu-iers, and she had already, by these means, intercepted 
 her son's letters. " Alas ! Constancio," said she, " you will 
 shortly receive sad tidings of me. You ought not to have 
 gone and abandoned me to the fury of your mother ! — you 
 might have protected me, or you would have received my 
 last sigh in Ueu of my being delivered over to her tyrannical 
 power, and bereft of every consolation!" She went to her 
 work in the garden at day-break as usual ; she found in it 
 still a thousand venomous reptiles, from which, however, her 
 ring preserved her. She had put on the blue velvet girdle, 
 and when the Queen saw her gathering flowers as calmly as 
 if she had only a thread round her waist ; nothing had ever 
 equalled her vexation. "What mysterious power interests 
 itself for this shepherdess ! " cried she ; " she bewitches my 
 son by her beauty, and restores him to health by the appli- 
 cation of innocent simples. Snakes and asps crawl at her 
 feet without stinging her. The wild elephants become gentle 
 and kind at her sight. The fairy-girdle, which should have 
 reduced her to ashes, serves but to adorn her. I must have 
 recourse, then, to more certain remedies." 
 
544 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 She sent immediately the captain of her guard, in whom 
 she placed great confidence, down to the harbour, to see 
 if there were not any ships ready to sail for very distant 
 parts. He , found one that was to sail at nightfaL The 
 Queen was greatly delighted at this, and had a proposal made 
 to the master, to sell him the most beautiful slave in the 
 world. The merchant was enchanted ; he came to the palace 
 and was shown poor Constancia in the garden without her 
 being in the least aware of it. He was struck with astonish- 
 ment at the beauty of that incomparable girl ; and the Queen, 
 who knew well how to make a good bargain, for she was very 
 avaricious, sold her to him at an exceedingly high price. 
 
 Constancia, ignorant of the fresh misfortunes that were 
 in store for her, retired early to her little chamber to 
 have the pleasure of thinking undisturbed of Constancio, 
 and of answering one of his letters which she had at last con- 
 trived to receive. She was reading it over and over again, 
 unable to desist from so agreeable an occupation, when she 
 saw the Queen enter the room. She had a key which opened 
 all the locks in the palace. She was followed by two mutes 
 and the captain of the guard. The mutes stuffed a handker- 
 chief into Constancia's mouth, bound her hands, and carried 
 her off. Ruson tried to follow his dear mistress ; the Queen 
 flung herself on him and held him fast ; for she feared his 
 bleating would be heard, and she wished the whole affair to 
 be conducted with the greatest silence and secresy. Con- 
 stancia, therefore, finding no help, was carried on board the 
 vessel ; and, as they only waited for her, they put to sea 
 immediately. 
 
 We must leave her on her voyage. Such was her sad 
 fate, for the Sovereign Fairy had not been able to move 
 destiny in her favour, and all she could do was to follow her 
 everywhere in a thick cloud, invisible to mortal eyes. In the 
 meanwhile, Prince Constancio, engi'ossed by his passion, kept 
 no terms with the princess they had chosen for him. Though 
 he was naturally the most courteous of men, he was con- 
 tinually so rude to her that she often complained of him 
 to her father, who could not avoid quarrelling with his 
 nephew about it, so that the marriage was postponed almost 
 indefinitely. When the Queen thought proper to ■vsTite to the 
 Prince that Constancia was dangerously ill, his anguish was 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 545 
 
 inexpressible. He could not stand any longer on ceremony 
 in a matter which afifected his life as much as that of his 
 mistress, and therefore returned home with the speed of 
 lightning. Notwithstanding all his exertion, however, he 
 arrived too late. The Queen, who had foreseen his return, had 
 circulated a report some days previously that Constancia was 
 ill. She placed in her apartments women who knew when to 
 speak and when to be silent according to their instructions. 
 The rumour of Constancia's death was then spread abroad, 
 and a wax figure was finally buried as the body of that 
 unfortunate girl The Queen, who left no means unemployed 
 to convince the Prince of the truth of this story, released 
 Mil-tain from prison, that he might attend the funeral ; so that 
 the day for that ceremony being publicly announced, every- 
 body came to lament the loss of that charming girl, and the 
 Queen, who could throw any expression into her features she 
 chose, pretended to feel this loss deeply on her son's account. 
 
 He reached the city in the greatest anxiety that can be 
 imagined, and on entering it, could not resist asking the first 
 persons he met, the news about his beloved Constancia. Those 
 who answered him did not know who he was, and without the 
 slightest preparation told him she was dead. At these fatal 
 words he was no longer master of his emotion. He fell from 
 his horse speechless, pulseless. A crowd gathered round him — 
 they discovered that it was the Prince; everybody pressed to 
 assist him, and they carried him almost dead to the palace. 
 
 The King was greatly affected by the deplorable state of his 
 Bon. The Queen had prepared herself for such an event, and 
 thought that time and the extinction of his fond hopes would 
 cure him ; but he was too deeply smitten to be so easily con- 
 soled. His distress, far from diminishing, increased every 
 minute. He passed two days without seeing or speaking to 
 any one. He then went to the Queen's apartments, his eyes 
 full of tears, his looks wild, his face pale. He told her it was 
 she who had been the death of his dear Constancia ; but that 
 she would be speedily punished, as he could not survive the 
 loss of his beloved, and that he desired to be shown the place 
 where they had buried her. 
 
 The Queen, not being able to combat this resolution, deter- 
 mined to conduct him herself to a cypress grove, in which she 
 had caused a tomb to be erected. When the Prince fancied 
 
 N N 
 
546 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 himself at the spot where his mistress reposed in death, he 
 uttered such tender and passionate expressions that no one 
 has ever spoken so touchingly. Even the hard-hearted Queen 
 could not help melting into tears. Mirtain was as much 
 afficted as his master ; and all who heard him sympathised in 
 his despair. All on a sudden, in a fit of frenzy he drew his 
 sword, and approaching the mai'ble which he believed covered 
 the beautiful body of Constancia, he would have slain himself 
 if the Queen and Mirtain had not caught his arm, " No!" 
 said he, " nothing in the world shall prevent my rejoining in 
 death my dear Princess ! " The title of Princess which he gave 
 to the shepherdess surprised the Queen. She fancied her son 
 was raving, and would have thought he had lost his senses 
 completely if in all other respects he had not expressed him- 
 self rationally. 
 
 She asked him wherefore he called Constancia a Princess. 
 He replied, that she was so ; that her kingdom was called 
 the Kingdom of Deserts; that she was the sole heir to it; 
 and that he should never have named it but that there were 
 no longer any reasons for secrecy. " Alas, my son !" said the 
 Queen, " since Constancia is of equal rank with yourself, be 
 comforted, for she is not dead. I will confess to you, in 
 order to appease your sorrow, that I sold her to some mer- 
 chants, who have carried her off as a slave." " Ah ! " said the 
 Prince, " you tell me this to shake the resolution I have made 
 to die, but my mind is made up, and nothing can change it." 
 " Then," said the Queen, " your own eyes must convince you;" 
 and thereupon she ordered them to dig up the waxen figure. 
 As at first sight he took it to be the body of his charming 
 Princess, he fell into a deep swoon, from which they had great 
 difficulty in recovering him. The Queen in vain assured him 
 that Constancia was not dead. After the wicked trick she 
 had played him he would not believe her : but Mirtain suc- 
 ceeded in persuading him of the fact. He knew his attach- 
 ment to him, and that he was not capable of telliug him a 
 falsehood. 
 
 He felt in some degree relieved, for of all misfortunes her 
 death appeared to him the most terrible, and he could now 
 flatter himself with the hope of seeing his mistress once again. 
 But where should he seek herl — the merchants who had 
 bought her were strangers ; they had not said whither they 
 
THE HGEGN AND THE DOVE. 547 
 
 were bound. These were great difficulties: but there are few 
 which true love cannot surmount. He preferred perishing 
 in the attempt to recover his mistress to living without her. 
 
 He heaped a thousand reproaches on the Queen for her 
 implacable hatred. He added that she would have time to 
 repent the cruel trick she had played him ; that he was about 
 to leave her, never to return ; so that in plotting the loss of 
 one she had lost both. The aJfflicted mother threw herself on 
 her son's neck, bathed him with her tears, and conjured 
 him by the grey hairs of his father, and the love that she 
 bore him, not to abandon them ; that if he deprived them of 
 the consolation of seeing him he would be the cause of their 
 death; that he was their only hope, and if he failed them, 
 the neighbouring princes, who were their enemies, would 
 seize upon the kingdom. The Prince listened to her coldly 
 and respectfully: but he had always before his eyes her harsh 
 treatment of Constancia, without whom all the kingdoms of 
 the earth had no temptations for him : so that he persisted 
 with astonishing firmness in his resolution, to depart the fol- 
 lowing morning. 
 
 The King strove in vain to detain him. He passed the 
 night in giving directions to Mirtain; he confided to his care 
 the faithful ram. He took a great number of jewels, and 
 told Mirtain to keep the rest, and that he would be the only 
 person to whom he would write, and that only on condition 
 that he spoke of him to no one, as he was determined to make 
 his mother sufier all the anxiety about him that was possible. 
 
 Day had not dawned before the impatient Constancio was 
 on horseback, trusting to Fortune, and praying her to assist 
 him to recover his mistress. He knew not what road to take, 
 but as he understood she had been carried ofi" in a ship, he 
 thought the best way to find her was to go on board one also. 
 He made all speed, therefore, to the most noted port, and 
 without a single attendant, and imknown to every one, he 
 set about informing himself which was the most distant coun- 
 try he could get a passage to, and what coasts, roads, and 
 harbours the vessel could touch at or put into on its voyage. 
 After which he embarked with the hope, that so strong and 
 pure a passion as that which he cherished could not always 
 be an unfortunate one. As soon as they saw land, he took 
 , the ship's boat and rowed along the coast, shouting, " Con- 
 
 NN 2 
 
548 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 stancia! Fair Constancia! where are you? — I seek for you, 
 and call ou you in vain! — How much longer must we be 
 separated?" His lamentations and complaints were wasted 
 on the empty air. He returned to the ship, his heart pierced 
 "with grief, and his eyes full of tears. 
 
 One evening, that they had cast anchor under a great rock, 
 he landed as usual on the beach; but as the country was 
 unknown, and the night very dark, those who accompanied 
 him refused to advance far inland, fearing they might perish 
 there. The Prince, who cared little for his life, however, set 
 forward, falling and scrambling up again a hundred times ; 
 at length he perceived a great light, which appeared to pro- 
 ceed from some fire. As he approached he heard much noise;, 
 and the sound of hammers, which seemed to be giving tre- 
 mendous blows. Far from feeling alarmed, he hastened 
 onwards, aiid came to a large forge, open on all sides, and in 
 which there was a furnace glowing so intensely, that it seemed 
 as if the sun was blazing in the centre of it ; thirty giants, 
 each with only one eye in the middle of their foreheads, were 
 at work fabricating armour and weapons. 
 
 Constancio approached, and said to them, " If you can feel 
 compassion, amongst all the iron and fire that surround you; 
 if, by accident, yo\i have seen the fair Constancia, who haa 
 been carried off as a slave by some merchants, land on this 
 coast, tell me where I can find her, and ask all I possess in 
 the world, I will give it you with pleasure." He had scarcely 
 finished his little oration, when the noise, which had ceased 
 on his appearance, recommenced louder than ever. " Alas ! " 
 said he, " my sorrow moves ye not ! Barbarians ! — I have 
 nothing to hope from you !" 
 
 He was turning away, when he heard a sweet symphony 
 which enchanted him; and looking towards the furnace he 
 saw, issuing from it, the most beautiful Boy that imagination 
 could picture ; he was more brilliant than the fire out of which 
 he came. As soon as Constancio had remarked his charms, 
 the bandage that covered his eyes, the bow and arrows that 
 he bore, he felt sure it was Cupid; and so, in fact, it was, 
 who called to him : " Stay, Constancio ! thou burnest with 
 too pure a flame for me to refuse thee my assistance. I am 
 Virtuous Love. It was I who wounded thee for the fair 
 Constancia, and it is I who now defend her from the Giant 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 549 
 
 who persecutes her. The Sovereign Fairy is my most inti- 
 mate friend : we have combined our powers to preserve Con- 
 Btancia for thee, but I must try the strength of thy passion 
 before I reveal to thee where she is." " Command, Love ! 
 Command what thou wilt," exclaimed the Prince ; " there is 
 nothing in which I will not obey thee." " Fling thyself into 
 this fire," replied the Boy, " and remember, that if thou lovest 
 not truly, and one alone, thou art lost." " I have no reason 
 to fear," said Constancio ; throwing himself instantly into 
 the furnace. All sensation left him; he knew not where or 
 what he was. 
 
 He remained in this trance for thirty hours, and on awaking 
 found himself the most beautiful Pigeon in the world. In- 
 stead of being in a horrible furnace, he was lying in a little 
 nest of roses, jasmines, and honeysuckles. He was as much 
 surprised as anybody could be ; his rough feet, the various 
 colours of his feathers, and his fiery-red eyes, astonished him 
 exceedingly. He saw himself in a rivulet ; and when he 
 attempted to complain of his sad fate, he found he had 
 lost the use of speech, though he had retained the power of 
 thought. 
 
 He looked upon this transformation as the greatest of all 
 misfortunes. " Oh, perfidious Love!" said he, in his own 
 mind; " is this the reward thou hast bestowed on the truest 
 of lovers? — must one be fickle, treacherous, and perjured, to 
 find favour in thy sight? I have seen many such whom thou 
 hast crowned with triumph, whilst thou heapest affliction on 
 the really faithful. What hope remains for me under such 
 a form as this 1 — Behold me, a Pigeon ! Could I but speak 
 as the Blue Bird did of yore, and whose story I have always 
 delighted in, I would fly high and low, near and far, through 
 every region, in search of my beloved mistress, and question 
 every mortal creature till I found her ; but I have not the 
 power even to pronounce her name, and the only remedy 
 left me for my misfortunes is to precipitate myself into some 
 abyss, and end them with my life." Full of his fatal design, he 
 flew to the top of a high mountain, from which he endea- 
 voured to cast himself down : but his wings sustained him m 
 spite of himself. He was astonished at this; for, having 
 never been a Pigeon before, he was not aware of the undesired 
 help his pinions wovild afibrd him. He took the resolution. 
 
550 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 therefore, of pulling out all his feathers, and began at once to 
 phick himself without mercy. 
 
 In this bare state he was about to try another somerset 
 from the crest of a rock, when two girls came suddenly upon 
 him. The moment they saw this unfortunate bird, one said 
 to the other, " Where can this unhappy pigeon have come 
 from? Has it just escaped from the sharp talons of some bird 
 of prey, or out of the jaws of a weasel?" " I don't know 
 where it comes from," replied the younger girl ; " but I know 
 where it will go to;" and advancing upon the quiet little 
 creature, " it will go," she continued, " to keep company with 
 five others that I mean to make a pie of for the Fairy 
 Sovereign." Prince Pigeon, hearing her speak thus, far from 
 attempting to escape, came towai'ds her in the hope that she 
 would do him the favour to kill him directly : but, instead 
 of causing his death, it saved his life ; for the gii'ls found him 
 so tame and prettily mannered, that they determined to make 
 a pet of him. The handsomest put him into a covered basket, 
 in which she usually carried her work, and they continued 
 their walk. 
 
 " For some days past," said one of them, " our mistress 
 has seemed to be very busy; she is continually mounting 
 her Fiery Camel, and flies night and day from pole to pole 
 without stopping." " If thou wert to be trusted with a 
 secret," replied her companion, " I would tell thee the reason, 
 for she has chosen to make me her confidant." " Do, and 
 I will be dumb," cried she who had fii-st spoken ; " rest assured 
 of my keeping the secret." " Know, then," rejoined the 
 other, " that her Princess Constancia, that she is so fond of, 
 is persecuted by a giant who would marry her. He has shut 
 her up in a tower, and to prevent his forcing her into this 
 match, the Fairy must do some wonderful things." 
 
 The Prince listened to their conversation as he sat in the 
 bottom of the basket. He had thought, up to that moment, 
 nothing could increase his misfortunes; but he felt, with the 
 keenest grief, that he had much deceived himself; and one 
 can easily imagine so after all I have said of his passion, and 
 from the position in which he found himself. To have be- 
 come a pigeon at the very moment when his assistance was 
 80 necessary to the Princess, plunged him into perfect despair. 
 His imagination, ingenious in tormenting him, pictured to 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 551 
 
 him Constancia in the fatal tower, subjected to the importu- 
 nities, the violences, and the fury, of a dreadful giant ; he 
 feared her courage would fe,il her, and that she would give 
 her consent to the marriage. The next moment, his fear was, 
 that she would brave him and lose her life from the rage of 
 such a lover! It woidd be difl&cult to describe the condition 
 the poor Prince was in. 
 
 The young person, who carried him in her little basket, 
 having returned with her companion to the palace of the 
 Fairy, whose servants they were, found their mistress walking 
 in a shady avenue in her garden. They first knelt at her 
 feet, and then said, " Great Queen, here is a pigeon we have 
 found : it is gentle and tame, and if it had feathers would be 
 very handsome j we have determined to bring it up in our 
 own room; but if agreeable to you it shall be sent occasionally 
 to yours, to amuse you." The Fairy took the basket in which 
 the bird was confined, drew it out, and made some serious 
 observations on worldly grandeur : for it was extraordinary 
 to see such a prince as Constancio under the form of a pigeon 
 ready to be stewed or roasted ; and, although it was she her- 
 self, who had up to that time arranged the whole afiair, and 
 that nothing had happened but by her orders, she was ad- 
 dicted to moralizing on all that occurred, and this incident 
 made a great impression upon her. She caressed the little 
 pigeon, and he neglected nothing, on his part, to attract her 
 attention in order to induce her to alleviate the misery he 
 suffered from this sad adventure. He made her a low bow, 
 after the fashion of a pigeon, drawing back one of his feet 
 a little. He billed and cooed affectionately, and tliough but 
 a novice, proved himself already as clever at it as the oldest 
 ring-dove or wood-pigeon in the country. 
 
 The Sovereign Fairy carried him into her cabinet, shut the 
 door, and said to him, " Prince, the sad condition in which 
 I now see thee does not prevent my recognising and loving 
 thee for the sake of my daughter Constancia, who fully returns 
 thy affection. Blame no one but me for thy transformation. 
 I caused thee to enter the furnace to try the truth of thy 
 love ; it is pure — it is ardent. I give thee full credit for an 
 act that redovmds to thine honour." The Pigeon bowed three 
 times in token of his gratitude, and listened attentively to 
 what the Fairy said to him. 
 
552 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 " The Queen, thy mother," continued she, "had scarcely 
 received the money and jewels given her in exchange for the 
 Princess, than she had her taken by force to the merchants, 
 who had bought her, and as soon as they had her on board they 
 set«sail for the Indies, where they were certain to make a fine 
 profit by the precious gem they had obtained possession of. 
 Her tears and prayers could not alter their determination. 
 In vain she assured them that Prince Constancio would ran- 
 som her with all he possessed in the world; the more she 
 convinced them of the value he set upon her, the greater was 
 the speed they made in the fear that he would be informed of 
 her abduction, and that he would overtake and snatch from 
 them their prey. At length, after having sailed half over 
 the globe, they encountered a teiTific storm: the Princess, 
 overwhelmed by her grief, and the effects of her voyage, was 
 almost dying. They feared they should lose her, and took 
 refuge in the nearest port; but as they were landing they 
 saw approaching them, a Giant of the most tremendous size. 
 He was followed by several others, who all cried out in a 
 breath, that they wanted to see what curiosities were on board 
 the ship. The first thing that struck the giant's sight, on 
 stepping aboard, was the young Princess. They knew each 
 other again immediately. ' Hah ! little wretch,' exclaimed 
 the monster, * the just and merciful gods have placed thee 
 again in my power ! Dost thou remember the day I found 
 thee, and that thou didst cut open my sack? I am much 
 mistaken if thou playest me such a trick this time.' So 
 saying, he pounced on her as an eagle would on a chicken, 
 and, despite the resistance and entreaties of the merchants, 
 carried her off" in his arms, running as fast as he could to his 
 great tower. This tower is on a high mountain. The En- 
 chanters, who built it, have neglected nothing that could 
 make it beautiful and curious. It has no door ; it is entered 
 by the windows, which are placed very high ; the walls are 
 of diamonds, which sparkle like the sun, and are impei-vious 
 to any force. In short, all that art and nature combined 
 could display of splendour, is outshone by what is to be seen 
 there. When the furious giant had secured Constancia, he 
 told her that he would marry her, and render her the happiest 
 creature in the universe; that he would make her mistress 
 of all his treasures ; that he would do her the favour to love 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 553 
 
 her, and that he did not doubt but that she would be en- 
 chanted at her good fortune in meeting with him. She gave 
 him to understand, by her tears and her lamentations, the 
 excess of her despair ; and as in secret I was exerting all my 
 power in her favour, I inspired the Giant with a feeling of 
 compassion, which he had never known in his life before; so 
 that in lieu of growing angry, he told the Princess he would 
 give her a year, during which time he would use no violence j 
 but that, if at the end of that period she did not consent to 
 his proposal, he would marry her in spite of herself and kill 
 her afterwards, so that she might consider which course 
 would be the best for her to take. 
 
 " After this fatal declai'ation, he shut up with her some of 
 the most beautiful girls in the world, that they might be her 
 companions, and wile away the profound sorrow in which 
 she was plunged. He posted giants all round the tower, to 
 prevent any one whatever from approaching it ; and in fact, 
 should any one have the temerity to do so, they would speedily 
 meet the reward of their rashness, for the giant sentinels are 
 merciless as they are mighty. 
 
 " At length, the poor Princess, not seeing the least prospect 
 of relief, and knowing that the year has expired all but one 
 day, has resolved to throw herself from the battlements of the 
 tower into the sea. Such, my Lord Pigeon, is the state to 
 which she is reduced. The only remedy I can see for this 
 evil is, that you should fly to her, carrying in your beak a 
 little ring I have here. The moment she puts it on her 
 finger, she will become a Dove, and you can then fly away 
 together." 
 
 The little Pigeon was in the greatest hurry to be off: he 
 did not know how to make her understand him ; he pulled 
 the ruffles, and the flounced apron ^ of the Fairy; he then 
 moved to the window, and tapped the panes two or three 
 times with his beak. All this meant, in pigeon tongue, 
 *' I beseech thee. Madam, to send me instantly with the en- 
 chanted ring to comfort our lovely Princess!" The Fairy 
 
 (1) Tablier en falbala. The aprons of that day were ornamented with flounce!) or 
 furbelows (falbalas), with a profusion of which the gowns were also trimmed. 
 Farquhar, in the Inconstant, makes young Mirabel say whimsically, "'I had the 
 oddest dream last night of the Duchess of Burgundy ; methouglit the furbelowi 
 of her gown were pinned up so high behind, that I couldn't see her head for her 
 tail."— Act iii. Scene 1. 
 
B54 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 understood his language, and, responding to his wislies^ 
 " Go ! Fly, chiarming Pigeon," said she to him. " Here is 
 the ring, which will be your guide ; take great care not to 
 lose it, for you alone can extricate Constancia from the sti-ait 
 she is in." 
 
 Prince Pigeon, as I have already told you, had not left 
 himself a single feather. He had torn them all out in his 
 extreme despair. The Fairy rubbed him all over with 
 a wonderful essence, that clothed him immediately with 
 plumage so beautiful and extraordinaiy that the doves of 
 Venus were not worthy to be compared to him. He was 
 delighted to see himself in such fine feathers again, and taking 
 wing directly, he reached by break of day the top of the tower, 
 the diamond walls of which glittered so brightly that the 
 sun in his splendour could not outshine them. On the 
 summit of the keep there was an extensive garden, in the 
 midst of which rose an orange-tree laden with flowers and 
 fruit. The rest of the garden was very curious, and Prince 
 Pigeon would have taken considerable pleasure in its con- 
 templation had not his mind been occupied by more impor- 
 tant matters. 
 
 He perched on the orange-tree, holding the ring in his 
 claw, and was getting terribly anxious, when the Princess 
 entered the garden. She wore a long white robe, her head 
 was covered with a great black veil embroidered with gold. 
 It was drawn close over her face, and trailed on the ground 
 all around her. The enamoured Pigeon could not doubt that 
 it was she, had it been possible even for another to possess a 
 form so fine, or an air so majestic. She advanced and seated 
 herself under the orange-tree; and suddenly throwing up 
 her veil, the Pigeon was for a few minutes perfectly dazzled 
 with her beauty. 
 
 " Sad regrets, melancholy thoughts ! " she exclaimed, " ye 
 are now useless. My woeful heart has passed a whole twelve- 
 month between hope and fear; but the fatal period has 
 arrived. To-day — in a few hours — I must die, or marry the 
 giant. Alas! is it possible that the Sovereign Fairy and 
 Prince Constancio can have so utterly abandoned me 1 What 
 have I done to them to deserve it? But to what end are 
 these reflections? Is it not better for me to take at once the 
 great step I have resolved on 1" She rose with a determined 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 6W. 
 
 air, to precipitate herself from the battlements ; but as the 
 slightest noise alarmed her, and she heard the young Pigeon 
 flutter in the tree, she looked up to ascertain the cause, and 
 the bird at the same moment alighted on her shoulder and 
 dropped the important ring into her bosom. The Princess, 
 surprised at the caresses of this beautiful bird and his 
 charming plumage, was equally so at the present he had made 
 her. She examined the ring: she observed upon it some 
 mysterious characters, and was still holding it in her hand 
 when the giant, unobserved by her, entered the garden. 
 
 One of the women who waited on her had informed this 
 dreadful lover of the despair of the Princess, and that she had 
 resolved to kill herself rather than marry him. When he heard 
 that she had ascended to the top of the tower so early in the 
 morning, he anticipated some fatal catastrophe. His heart, 
 which till then had never been agitated by any but the most 
 barbarous passions, was so enchanted by the beautiful eyes of 
 that amiable maiden that he loved her tenderly. Ye gods ! 
 what were her feelings -at the sight of him. She dreaded that 
 he would deprive her of the opportunity of destroying herself. 
 The poor Pigeon was not a little alarmed at this formidable 
 Colossus. In her confusion the Princess slipped the ring on 
 her finger, and, oh, wonderful to relate, she was instantly 
 changed into a dove, and flew ofi" with the faithful Pigeon as 
 fast as her wings could carry her. 
 
 Never was anybody so astonished as the Giant. After 
 staring at his mistress, who in the form of a dove was 
 cleaving the vast expanse of air, he stood for some time per- 
 fectly motionless. Then uttered such yells and howls that 
 the very mountains shook with them. They ended only with 
 his life, which he terminated by flinging himself into the sea, 
 wherein it was much fitter he should be drowned than that 
 charming Princess. She, in the meanwhile, was flying far 
 away with her guide ; but when they had got to a sufficient 
 distance to feel out of danger, they alighted gently in a 
 woodland spot, shaded with many trees, and cai-peted with 
 grass and flowers. 
 
 Constancia was still ignorant that the Pigeon was her lover. 
 He was exceedingly distressed that he could not inform her 
 of the fact by word of .mouth, when suddenly he felt an 
 invisible hand loosen his tongue. In great delight at this, he 
 
556 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 said directly to the Princess, " Has not your heart told you, 
 charming Dove, that you are with a Pigeon who still burns 
 with the flame you kindled 1 " " My heart sighed for such a 
 happiness," replied she, " but dared not flatter itself with 
 the hope of obtaining it. Alas ! who could have imagined it ! 
 I 'was on the point of perishing under the blow of my strange 
 destiny. You came to snatch me from the arms of death, or 
 those of a monster which I still more dreaded." 
 
 The Prince, delighted to hear his dove talk, and to find 
 her still as affectionate as he could desire, said to her every- 
 thing the most tender and ardent passion could suggest. He 
 related to her all that had happened since the sad moment 
 when they parted, particularly his wonderful meeting with 
 Love at the forest, and the Fairy in her palace. She 
 was much delighted to hear that her best friend still took an 
 interest in her. " Let us seek her, dear Prince," said she to 
 Constancio, " and thank her for all the favour she has shown 
 us. She will restore us to our proper forms, and we will 
 return to your kingdom or to mine." 
 
 " If you love me as much as I love you," replied the 
 Prince, " I will make a proposal to you in which love alone is 
 concerned; but, charming Princess, you will say I am a 
 madman." " Do not struggle to preserve your reputation for 
 sense at the expense of your heart," replied she; "speak 
 boldly, I shall listen to you with pleasure." " I am for 
 retaining our present forms — you as a Dove, and I as a Pigeon, 
 may still burn with the same flames as Constancia and Con- 
 stancio. I am convinced that, free from the cares of an empire, 
 having neither council to hold, nor war to wage, nor audience 
 to give, exempted from acting everlastingly an important part 
 on the great stage of the world, it will be delightful to live 
 solely for each other in this charming retreat." " Ah !" ex- 
 claimed the Dove, " how much grandeur and tenderness is 
 there in that idea ! Young as I am, alas ! I have seen much 
 sorrow! Fortune, jealous of my innocent beauty, has so ob- 
 stinately persecuted me, that I should be enchanted to 
 renounce all the wealth she could give me for the happiness 
 of living only for you. Yes, my dear Prince, I consent. Let us 
 fix on some pleasant place, and pass our best days under this 
 transformation. Let us lead an innocent life without ambi- 
 tion, without a wish, beyond that which virtuous love inspires." 
 
THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 557 
 
 " I will be your guide !" exclaimed Love, descending from 
 the summit of Olympus ; " so fond a design deserves my pro- 
 tection." " And mine also," said the Sovereign Fairy, appear- 
 ing suddenly ; " I came to seek you in order to anticipate 
 by some few moments the pleasure cf beholding you." 
 
 The Pigeon and the Dove were as much delighted as sur- 
 prised by this new event. " We place ourselves under yotir 
 guidance," said Constancia to the Fairy. " Do not abandon 
 us," said Constancio to Cupid. " Come, then," said the latter, 
 "to Paphos; my mother is still honoured there — and they 
 continue to love the birds that were consecrated to her." 
 " No," said the Princess, " we desire not the society of man- 
 kind ; happy are those who can renounce it ! We ask but 
 for a beautiful solitude." 
 
 The Fairy immediately struck the ground with her wand, 
 and Love touched it with a golden arrow. At the same 
 moment they beheld the most exquisite wilderness in Nature, 
 richly adorned with groves, flowers, meadows, and fountains. 
 " Live here millions of yeara," cried Love. " Swear to each 
 other eternal fidelity in presence of this great Fairy." " I 
 swear it to my Dove," said the Pigeon ; " I swear it to my 
 Pigeon," said the Dove. " Your marriage," said the Fairy, 
 " could not be blest by a divinity more competent to render 
 you happy. In addition, I promise, that if you should grow 
 weary of this metamorphosis, I will not forsake you; but 
 restore you to your original forms." The Pigeon and the 
 Dove both thanked the Fairy ; but assured her they should 
 not invoke her with that object; that they had known too 
 much sorrow as human beings ; they only requested her to 
 send to them Ruson, if he were still alive. " He has changed 
 his condition," said Love; "it was I who had condemned 
 him to take the form of a ram; I have had compassion on 
 him, and replaced him on the throne I tore him from." 
 Constancia no longer wondered that she had seen Ruson 
 display so much grace and intelligence. She entreated Love 
 to relate to her the adventures of an animal that had been 
 so dear to her. " I will tell you some day," said Cupid, 
 kindly ; " but at this moment I am wanted and wished for 
 in so many places, that I hardly know where to fly first. 
 Farewell!" he continued, " fond and happy pair; you may 
 boast of being the wisest couple in my empire." 
 
558 THE PIGEON AND THE DOVE. 
 
 The Sovereign Fairy remained some time with the newly 
 married birds. She could not sufficiently applaud the con- 
 tempt they had shown for worldly grandeur. It cannot be 
 doubted that they took the surest means to enjoy a peaceful 
 existence. At length she took her leave of them, and it is 
 well known from her account, and from Cupid's, that Prince 
 Pigeon and Princess Dove loved each other &ithfully for 
 ever. 
 
 Of faithftil love behold the destiny, 
 Cares still tormenting — Hopes but bom to die ; 
 Stem trials, sad reverses — 'Neath the sun 
 The course of true love never smooth did run.' 
 Cupid, who links us by such charming ties, 
 Can lead to happiness in various wise ; 
 The god by troubles oft ensures our bliss. 
 Young hearts, who sigh o'er such a tale as this, 
 Know that when Love is pure, suspense and pain 
 Are but the heralds of bis happy reign. 
 
 (1) The Countess does not actually paraphrase Shakspeare, but the sense of the 
 passages is so similar, that, as in a former instance, p. 104, 1 felt I could not render 
 the original more faithfully than by availing myself of a popular quotation. 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 Once upon a time there was a Princess, of whose past gran- 
 deur nothing remained but her canopy and her cadenas} The 
 one was of velvet, embroidered with pearls, the other of gold, 
 enriched with diamonds. She kept them as long as she could; 
 but the extreme necessity to which she found herself reduced 
 obliged her, every now and then, to take oflf a pearl, a dia- 
 mond, or an emerald, and sell it privately for the support of 
 her attendants. She was a widow, left with three daughters 
 very young, and very amiable. She considered, that if she 
 brought them up with the grandeur and magnificence befitting 
 their birth, they would feel the inevitable alteration in their 
 circumstances more keenly ; she therefore took the resolution 
 to sell what little property she had left, and to go and settle 
 with her three daughters in some country house a long way 
 off, where they might manage to live within their slender 
 income. In passing through a forest infested with thieves, 
 she was robbed, and left all but destitute. The poor Princess, 
 more afflicted by this last misfortune than by aU that she had 
 before experienced, saw plainly that she must either work for 
 her bread, or perish with hunger. She had formerly taken 
 pleasure in keeping a good table, and knew how to make 
 excellent sauces. She never went anywhere without her 
 little golden spice-box,^ which people came to see from a great 
 distance. That which used -to be her amusement now fur- 
 nished her with the means of subsistence. She settled herself 
 in a very pretty house near a large city, and made wonderftd 
 
 . (1) A case for knife, fork, spoon, &c.; see note, page 437. 
 
 (2) " Petite cuitine d'or." Cuisine in this sense signifies " a long box with several 
 Compartments, which contain everything requisite for making ragouts, and -which 
 can be carried about when travelling." — LandaU. It has been previously translated, 
 *' A small kitchen, furnished with golden plate." 
 
560 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 ragouts. The people in those parts were fond of good living, 
 BO everybody flocked to her establishment. Nothing was 
 talked of but the excellent cook : they scarcely allowed her 
 time to breathe. In the meanwhile her three daughters grew 
 up, and their beauty would have been no less talked of than 
 the Princess's sauces, if she had not kept them in their 
 chamber, out of which they were rarely allowed to go. 
 
 On one of the finest days in the year, there came in a little 
 old woman, who seemed very weary. She leaned upon her 
 stick, her body was almost bent double, and her face full of 
 wrinkles. " I come," said she, " to eat one of your good 
 dinners, for I wish, before I go to another world, to be able 
 to boast of something I have enjoyed in this." She took 
 a straw chair, seated herself near the fire, and told the Prin- 
 cess to make haste. As she could not do everything herself, 
 she called her three daughters ; the first was named Roussette, 
 the second. Brunette, and the third, Blondine. She had named 
 each after the colour of her hair. They were dressed like 
 country girls, in boddices and petticoats of different colours. 
 The youngest was the handsomest, and the most gentle. 
 Their mother ordered one to fetch some young pigeons out of 
 the dove-cot, another to kill some chickens, and the third to 
 make the pastry. In short, they quickly set before the old 
 woman a nice clean table-cloth, a very white napkin, highly 
 polished earthenware, and a good dinner of several courses. 
 The wine was good, there was no lack of ice, the glasses were 
 rinsed every moment by the fairest hands in the world ; all this 
 whetted the appetite of the good little old woman. She got 
 a little merry, and said a thousand things, in which the 
 Princess, who appeared to be taking no notice, discovered 
 considerable wit. 
 
 The meal, being finished as gaily as it began, the old woman 
 arose, and said to the Princess, " My very good friend, if I 
 had money I would pay you : but I have been long a beggar. 
 I could have found no such good cheer elsewhere, and all 
 I can promise you is, that I will send you better customers 
 than myself." The Princess smiled, and said to her kindly, 
 " Go, my good mother, do not trouble yourself, I am always 
 paid when I have gratified any one." " We are delighted to 
 have waited on you," said Blondine ; " and if you will stay 
 supper, we shall be still more so." " How happy are they," 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHEKI. 561 
 
 said the old woman, "who are bom with such benevolent 
 hearts ! But do you imagine you will not be rewarded 1 Be 
 assured," continued she, " that the first wish you make with- 
 out thinking of me, will be fulfilled." At the same moment 
 she disappeared, and they had not the least doubt of her being 
 a fairy. 
 
 They were astonished at this adventure. They had never 
 seen a fairy before. They were frightened, and talked of her 
 constantly for five or six months, so that, whenever they 
 wished for anything she came immediately into their minds. 
 Nothing, therefore, came to pass, which greatly incensed them 
 against the Fairy. But one day, that the King was going out 
 hunting, he called in passing at the celebrated Cook's, to ascer- 
 tain if she were really as clever as report asserted, and as he 
 approached the garden, in which the three sisters were 
 gathering strawberries, they heard the noise, and Roussette 
 exclaimed, " Ah ! if I were fortunate enough to marry my 
 Lord Admiral, I venture to say, that, with my spindle and 
 distaff, I would spin so much thread, and with that thread 
 make so much cloth, that he would never want to purchase 
 any more for the sails of his vessels." " And I," said Brunette, 
 " if Fortune were suflBciently favourable to me to make me 
 the wife of the King's brother; 1 venture to say, that, with 
 my needle, I would make him so much lace that his palace 
 would be filled with it." " And I," said Blondine, " I ven- 
 ture to say, that if the King married me, I would bring him 
 two handsome boys, and a beautiful girl, whose hair should 
 fall in ringlets, out of which should come fine jewels, and 
 each should have a brilliant star on the forehead, and a rich 
 chain of gold around the neck." 
 
 One of the king's favourites who had preceded him to 
 inform the mistress of the house of his majesty's approach, 
 having heard voices in the garden, stopped and listened 
 quietly, and was greatly surprised at the conversation of these 
 three handsome girls. He went in all haste to amuse the 
 King by its repetition. The King laughed at it, and ordered 
 the girls to be brought before him. 
 
 They quickly presented themselves with wonderful grace 
 and good manners. They saluted the King with much 
 respect and modesty, aud when he inquired if it were true that 
 they had been holding such a conversation respecting the 
 
 
 
552 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERT. 
 
 husbands they desired, they blushed and cast down their 
 eyes. He pressed them still further to acknowledge it. They 
 did so, and he immediately exclaimed, " I certainly do not 
 know what power is influencing me, but I will not leave this 
 house until I have married the beautiful Blondine." " Sire," 
 said the King's brother, " I crave your permission to marry 
 this lovely Brunette." " Grant me a similar favour, Sire," 
 said the Admiral, " for this golden-haired girl pleases me 
 greatly." 
 
 The King, much gratified at being thus imitated by the 
 chief persons in his dominions, told them he approved of their 
 choice, and asked the mother of the young women if she con- 
 sented. She replied that it gave her the greatest joy she 
 could ever hope to experience. The King embraced her, and 
 the Prince and the Admiral followed his example. 
 
 When the King was ready for dinner, there came down the 
 chimney a table laid for seven with gold plate and everything 
 that could be imagined most delicate to pi'ovoke the appetite. 
 The King, however, hesitated to taste anything; he feared 
 the witches had cooked the viands at one of their festivals, and 
 this mode of serving it by the chimney appeared to him 
 rather suspicious. The buffet was also set out. Nothing was 
 to be seen but basins and vases of gold, the workmanship of 
 which surpassed the material. At the same time a swarm of 
 bees appeared in crystal hives, and commenced the most 
 charming music that can possibly be imagined. The whole 
 dining-room was filled with hornets, bees, wasps, gnats, and 
 other insects of that description, which waited on the Kiug 
 with supernatural ability. Three or four thousand flies 
 helped him to wine, without one of them daring to drown 
 itself in it, which evinced a moderation and a discipline per- 
 fectly astonishing. The Princess and her daughters saw 
 clearly enough that all this could only be attributed to the 
 little old woman, and they blessed the hour they had known 
 her. 
 
 After the banquet, which lasted so long that night sur- 
 prised the company at table, (of which his majesty was rather 
 ashamed, for it appeared as if Bacchus had taken the place of 
 Cupid at this marriage,) the King rose and said, " Let us 
 finish this ceremony as we ought to have begun it." He 
 drew his ring from his finger, and placed it on that of Blon- 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 563 
 
 dine : the Prince and the Admiral imitated their sovereign. 
 The bees sang with redoubled vigour as the company danced, 
 and made very merry, and all those who came in the King's 
 train advanced, and saluted the Queen and the Princess her 
 sister. As to the wife of the Admiral they treated her with 
 less ceremony, which annoyed her excessively, for she was the 
 elder sister of Brunette and Blondine, and had made the least 
 brilliant match of the three. 
 
 The King sent his grand Equerry to inform the Queen, his 
 mother, of what had taken place, and to order out his most 
 magnificent coaches to fetch Blondine and her two sisters. 
 The Queen-Mother was the most cruel and passionate woman 
 in the world. When she heard that her son had married 
 without consulting her, and moreover a girl of obscure birth, 
 and that the Prince, his brother, had done the same thing, 
 she flew into such a rage that she frightened the whole Coxui;. 
 She asked the Grand Equerry what motive could possibly 
 have induced the King to make so degrading a match. He 
 answered, the hope of becoming the father of two boys and a 
 girl who should be bom with long curly hair, stars on their 
 foreheads, and gold chains round their necks, and that the 
 idea of such wonderful things had enchanted him. The 
 Queen-Mother smiled contemptuously at the credulity of her 
 son, and made several offensive observations upon it, which 
 sufficiently evinced the fury she was in. 
 
 The coaches had already arrived at the little country house. 
 The King invited his mother-in-law to follow him, and pro- 
 mised that she should be treated with the greatest distinction ; 
 but she reflected that the Court was like a sea in constant 
 motion, and said, " Sire, I have had too much experience of 
 the world to quit the quiet retreat it has cost me such trouble 
 to obtain." "What!" said the King, "will you continue to 
 keep an eating-house?" "No," she replied; "you will allow 
 me something to live on." " At least permit me," added the 
 King, " to give you an establishment and officers to attend on 
 you." "I thank you. Sire," said the Princess: "while I live 
 by myself I shall have no enemies to trouble me ; but if I 
 had a train of domestics I fear I might find some amongst 
 them." The King admired the sense and discretion of a 
 woman who thought and spoke like a philosopher. 
 
 While he was pressing his mother-in-law to accompany 
 o o 2 
 
564 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 him, Roussette, the Admiral's lady, contrived to hide in the 
 bottom of her coach all the fine basins and gold vases from 
 the buffet, determined not to lose one of them ; but the Fairy, 
 •who saw everything though nobody saw her, changed them 
 into earthenware. When Roussette arrived at Court, and 
 would have carried them into her cabinet, she found nothing 
 that was worth the trouble. The King and Queen tenderly 
 embraced the prudent Princess, and assured her that she 
 might command whatever lay in their power. They quitted 
 the rural abode, and repaired to the city, preceded by trum- 
 pets, hautbois, kettle and other drums, which made noise 
 enough to be heard a long way off. The confidants of the 
 Queen-Mother had advised her to conceal her displeasure, as 
 it would offend the King, and the consequences might be 
 disagreeable. She constrained herself, therefore, and received 
 her two daughters-in-law with apparent kindness, making 
 them presents of jewels, and praising whatever they did, 
 whether it was good or bad. 
 
 The fair Queen and Princess Brunette were united by a 
 strict friendship ; but Roussette hated them both mortally — 
 ** Only see," said she, " the good luck of my two sisters ; one 
 is a Queen, the other wife of a Prince of the blood-royal. 
 Their husbands adore them ; and I, who am the eldest, and 
 who consider myself an hundred times handsomer than either 
 of them, I have only married an admiral, who doesn't care for 
 me half as much as he ought." The jealousy she entertained 
 of her sisters soon made her one of the party of the Queen- 
 Mother, for it was well known that the affection she displayed 
 for her daughters-in-law was but feigned, and that nothing 
 would give her more pleasure than an opportunity to do them 
 some mischief. The Queen and the Princess were both 
 approaching the period for their confinement, when unfortu- 
 rately a serious war broke out, and the King was compelled 
 to depart to place himself at the head of his army. The 
 young Queen and the Princess being obliged to remain 
 behind in the power of the Queen-Mother, beseeched the 
 King to permit them to return to their own mother, and 
 seek consolation with her during the cruel absence of their 
 husbands. The King could not consent to this; he conjured 
 his wife to remain in the palace; he assured her that his 
 mother would use her well, and indeed he implored her most 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERT. 565 
 
 earnestly to love and cherish her daughter-in-law, adding 
 that she could not oblige him more than by so doing ; that he 
 anticipated being the father of beautiful children, and that he 
 should look with the greatest anxiety for the news of their 
 birth. The wicked old Queen, enchanted that her son con- 
 fided his wife to her care, promised him she would think of 
 nothing but Blondine's safety, and assured him he might 
 make himself perfectly easy on that score. He therefore took 
 his departure, but with so much desire to return quickly, that 
 he risked his troops iu every encounter, and fortune con- 
 tinually favoured his rashness, and crowned all his plans with 
 success. The Queen was confined, however, before the cam- 
 paign was ended, and the Princess her sister gave birth the same 
 day to a beautiful boy, but died almost immediately after. 
 
 Roussette, the admiral's wife, was very busy in forming 
 plans to injure the young Queen. When she saw her the 
 mother of such lovely children, and had none herself, her rage 
 increased. She determined to speak at once to the Queen- 
 Mother, for there was no time to lose. " Madam," said she 
 to her, " I am so deeply sensible of the honour your nlajesty 
 has done me in looking on me with some little favour, that I 
 would willingly sacrifice my interests to further yours. I can 
 comprehend all the vexation that you must have endured 
 since the King and the Prince formed such degrading alliances. 
 Here are now four children bom to perpetuate the errors of 
 their fathera. Our mother is a poor villager, who was in want 
 of bread, when it occurred to her to tuni cook and make 
 fricassees. Take my advice, Madam, let us make a fricassee of 
 these little brats, and send them out of the world before they 
 cause you to blush at them." " Ah, my dear lady Admiral," 
 cried the Queen, embracing her ; " how I love thee for thy 
 sense of justice, and for sharing as thou dost in my well- 
 founded indignation ! I had already resolved to do what tbpu 
 hast suggested. I am only perplexed as to the mode of 
 operation." " Give yom*self no trouble about it. Madam," 
 replied Roussette ; " my lap-dog has just had three puppies, 
 two male and one female; they have each a star on their 
 forehead, and a mark round their necks, which has the effect 
 of a chain. We must make the Queen believe that she has 
 been brought to bed of these little brutes, and take the two 
 boys, the girl, and the son of the Princess, and have them 
 
566 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PfilNCE CHERI. 
 
 made away -with." " Thy project pleases me vastly," exclaimed 
 the Queen-Mother. " I have already given some orders to 
 Feintise, the Queen's Lady-in-Waitiug, on this subject, so 
 that we have only to send for the little dogs." " Here they 
 are," said the Admiral's wife, " I brought them with me j" so 
 saying she opened a large purse which she always carried at 
 her side, and pulled out of it three blind puppies, which the 
 Queen-Mother and she swaddled in fine linen, embroidered 
 with gold, and ornamented with lace, as the royal children 
 should have been. They placed them in a covered basket, 
 and then the wicked old Q^^en, followed by Roussette, pro- 
 ceeded to the young Queen's apartment. " I come to thank 
 you," said the Queen- Mother, " for the beautiful heii^s you 
 have presented to my son. Here are heads well formed to 
 wear a crown. I am not surprised that you promised your 
 husband two sons and a daughter, with stai's on their fore- 
 heads, flowing locks and chains of gold round their necks. 
 Take them and nurse them yourself, for you will find no 
 woman who will suckle puppies." 
 
 The poor Queen, who was well-nigh exhausted with the 
 sufferings she had undergone, was ready to die with grief 
 when she saw the three little beasts of dogs, and the sort of 
 kennel they made of her bed, in which they lay yelping des- 
 perately. She began to weep bitterly, then clasping her 
 hands, she said, " Alas ! Madam, add not to my affliction by 
 your reproaches; I could scarcely have had a greater one 
 befall me. I should have thought myself too happy if the 
 gods had permitted me to die before I had known the disgi-ace 
 of being mother to these little monsters. The King will hate 
 me as much as he loved me." Her voice was stifled with 
 sighs and sobs. She had not strength to say more, and the 
 Queen-Mother, continuing to load her with abuses, had the 
 pleasure of passing three hours at the head of her bed as she 
 lay in that wretched condition. At last she left her, and the 
 Queen's sister, who pretended to sympathise with her sorrow, 
 told her that she was not the first who had met with such a 
 misfortune; that it was clearly a trick of the old Fairy who 
 bad promised to work such wonders for them ; but that as it 
 might be dangerous for her to see the King, she advised her 
 to go to her poor mother with her three little brats ot 
 puppies. The Queen answered only with tears.- The heart 
 
PBINCESS BELLE-ETOELE AND PRINCE CHERI. 567 
 
 must have been hard indeed that was not moved by the state 
 she was reduced to, suckUng those filthy whelps under the 
 impi'ession that she was their mother. 
 
 The old Queen ordered Feintise to strangle the Queen's 
 three children and the son of the Princess, and bury them so 
 secretly that no one should ever be the wiser. As she was 
 about to execute this order, and held already in her hand the 
 fatal cord, she cast her eyes on the poor infants, and was so 
 struck by their beauty and the extraordinary appearance of 
 the stars that sparkled on their foreheads, that she shrank 
 from dipping her hands in such illustrious blood ! 
 
 She had a boat brought round to the sea-beach. They put 
 the four babes into the same cradle with some strings of 
 jewels, so that if fortune should cast them into the hands of 
 some one charitable enough to bring them up they would be 
 rewarded for their trouble. 
 
 The boat driving before a stiff breeze was soon so for out at 
 sea that Feintise could no longer distinguish it. At the . 
 same time the waves began to rise, the sun was shrouded, 
 the clouds broke into torrents of rain, and a thousand claps 
 of thunder woke the echoes all around. She could not doubt 
 that the boat would be swamped, and she felt relieved by the 
 thought that the poor little innocents would perish, for she 
 would otherwise be always haunted by the fear that some 
 extraordinary event would occur in their favour, and betray 
 the share she had had in their preservation. 
 
 The King, incessantly occupied with the thoughts of his 
 dear wife, and of the state in which he had left her, having 
 agreed to a short ti-uce, came back post haste to the city. 
 He reached the palace twelve hours after the Queen's confine- 
 ment. When the Queen-Mother heard of his arrival, she 
 went to meet him with a well put on air of grief. She held 
 him for a long time clasped to her bosom, bathing his face 
 with her tears. It appeared as if her sorrow bad deprived 
 her of words. The King, trembling ft-om hand to foot, 
 dreaded to ask what had happened, for he could not doubt 
 that some great disaster had befallen him. At length she 
 made a great effort, and told him that his wife bad given 
 birth to three puppies. They were immediately produced by 
 Feintise ; and the Admiral's wife, all in tears, flinging herself 
 at the King's feet, implored him not to put the Queen to 
 
668 PJIINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PR1^'CE CHEUI. 
 
 death, but to content himself with sending her back to her 
 mother; that she was already resigned to such a fia,te, and 
 that she would consider that sentence a great mercy. 
 
 The King was so thunderstnick he could scarcely breathe. 
 He gazed on the puppies, and observed with astonishment 
 the star which each had in the middle of its forehead, and the 
 different colour of the hair which formed a ring round each 
 of their necks. He sank into a chair, revolving a thousand 
 fancies in his mind, and unable to come to any resolution ; 
 but the Queen-Mother pressed him so strongly that at length 
 he pronounced the sentence of banishment upon the innocent 
 Queen. She was immediately placed in a litter with her 
 three dogs, and carried without the least mark of respect to 
 her mother's house, where she arrived all but dead. 
 
 The gods had looked with compassion on the barque in 
 which the three princes and the princess had been sent to sea. 
 The Fairy who protected them caused milk instead of rain to 
 fall into their little mouths. They suffered nothing from the 
 terrible storm which had risen so suddenly, for seven days 
 and seven nights they had floated on a sea as smooth as a 
 canal, when they were met by a Corsair. The Captain having 
 been struck, although at a great distance, by the brilliancy of 
 the stars upon their foreheads, boarded the boat, believing it 
 to be full of jewels. He found some, sure enough; but what 
 moved him still more was the beauty of these four wonderful 
 children. The desire to preserve them induced him to alter 
 his course, and make all sail home in order to give them to 
 his wife who had no children, and had long wished for some. 
 
 His speedy return alarmed her, for he had sailed on a very- 
 long voyage ; but she was transported with joy when he placed 
 in her hands so great a treasure. They admired together the 
 wonderful stars, the chains of gold that could not be taken off 
 their necks, and their long ringlets. Much greater was the 
 woman's astonishment when she combed them, for at every 
 instant there rolled out pearls, rubies, diamonds, and emeralds 
 of various sizes and exceedingly fine. She told her husband 
 of it, who was not less surprised than herself. 
 
 " I am very tired," said he, " of a Corsair's life, and if the 
 locks of those little children continue to supply us with such 
 treasures, I will give up roaming the seas, ft)r my wealth will 
 be as great as that of our most celebrated captains. The 
 
raiNCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERT. 569 
 
 Corsair's wife, whose name was Corsine, was enchanted at the 
 resohition her husband had come to, and loved the four infants 
 80 much the more for it. She named the Princess Belle- 
 Etoile, her eldest brother Petit-Soleil, the second Heureux, and 
 the son of the Princess, Cheri. The latter was much hand- 
 somer than either of the other two boys, so that, although he 
 had neither star nor chain, Corsine loved him more than she 
 did his cousins. 
 
 As she could not bring them all up without the aid of a 
 nurse, she requested her husband, who was exceedingly fond 
 of hunting, to catch her some very young fawns. This he 
 soon found means of doing, as the forest in wJiich they lived 
 was extensive and well stocked with deer. Corsine, having 
 acquired the fawns, tied them up to windward, and the Hinds 
 smelling them, came to suckle them. Corsine then hid the 
 fawns and put the infants in their place, who thrived admi- 
 rably on the milk of the hinds. Four of them came twice a 
 day to Corsine's dwelling, in search of the Princes and Princess, 
 whom they took for fawns. 
 
 Thus passed the early infancy of these royal children. The 
 Corsair and his wife were so passionately fond of them that 
 they lavished upon them every attention. The man had been 
 well educated. It was less from inclination than the caprice 
 of fortune that he had become a Corsair. He had married 
 Corsine when she was in the service of a Princess, in whose 
 court she had happily cultivated her natural talents. She had 
 excellent manners, and though she resided in a sort of wilder- 
 ness, where she and her husband subsisted only on the plunder 
 he brought home from his cruises, she had not forgotten the 
 usages of polite society. They were highly delighted at being 
 no longer obliged to expose themselves to the peril attending 
 the trade of a Corsair. They had become sufficiently rich to 
 discontinue it, for every three days there dropped, as I have 
 already said, from the beautiful hair of the Princess and her 
 brothers, jewels of great value, which Corsine disposed of in 
 the nearest town, and always brought back from it a thousand 
 pretty things for her four babies. 
 
 As they grew older, the Corsair applied himself seriously 
 to the cultivation of the fine natural abilities with which 
 heaven had endowed them, and as he felt convinced there 
 were some great mysteries attached to their birth, and the 
 
570 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERT. 
 
 accident by ■which he had met with them, he desired, by his 
 care of their education, to prove his gratitude to the gods for 
 the present they had made him. So having rendered his 
 dwelling more habitable, he attracted to it persons of talent, 
 who taught the children various sciences, which they acquired 
 with a facility surprising to all their gi-eat mastere. 
 
 The Corsair and his wife had never told the story of the 
 four children. They passed for their own, although they gave 
 evidence by all their actions that they came of more illustrious 
 blood. They were exceedingly united, unaffected, and cour- 
 teous ; but Prince Cheri entertained for Princess Belle-Etoile 
 a more ardent and devoted affection than the other two. The 
 moment she expressed a wish for anything, he would attempt 
 even impossibilities to gratify her ; he scarcely ever quitted 
 her side. When she went hunting, he accompanied her: 
 when she stayed at home he always found some excuse for not 
 going out himself. Petit -Soleil and Heureux, who were her 
 brothers, addressed her with less tenderness and less respect. 
 She remarked the difference, and doing justice to Cheri, she 
 loved him better than she did the others. As they gi-ew up, 
 their mutual affection increased with their age. At first it 
 was productive of unalloyed pleasure. " ^ly gentle brother," 
 said Belle-Etoile to him, "if my wishes could render you 
 happy, you should be one of the greatest kings on earth." 
 " Alas, sister !" replied he, " do not begrudge me the happiness 
 I enjoy in your society. I prefer passing one hour where you 
 are to all the grandeur you desire for me." When she made 
 a similar speech to her brothers, they answered frankly that 
 they should be delighted, and when to prove them she added, 
 "Yes, I would that ye sat on the highest thrones in the 
 world, though I should never see ye more." They imme- 
 diately answered, " You are right, sister, it would be well worth 
 the sacrifice." " You would consent then, in that case," said 
 she, "not to see me again?" " Certainly," they replied, "we 
 should be satisfied with occasionally hearing of you." 
 
 When she was alone she reflected on these various modes 
 of loving, and she found her own feelings corresponded 
 exactly to theirs, for though Petit-Soleil and Heureux were 
 dear to her, she had no desire to pass her life continually with 
 them, while with regard to Cheri, she burst into tears when- 
 ever she contemplated the probability that their father might 
 
PEINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 571 
 
 send him to sea or carry him to the wars. It was then 
 that love, disguised under the specious form of natural affec- 
 tion, established itself in these young hearts. At fourteen, 
 Belle-Etoile began to reproach herself with the injustice she 
 felt she was doing her brothers by not loving them all equally 
 well. She imagined that the attentions and caresses of Cheri 
 were the cause of it. She forbade him to seek more oppor- 
 tunities of pleasing her. " You have already found but too 
 many," said she to him graciously ; " and you have suc- 
 ceeded in causing me to make a great difference between our 
 brothers and yourself." What joy did he not feel at hearing 
 her speak thus? Far from relaxing in his assiduities, he 
 redoubled them, and every day paid her some new and gallant 
 attention. 
 
 They were as yet ignorant both of the extent and of the 
 nature of their affection, when one day some new books were 
 brought to Belle-Etoile. She took up the first that came to 
 hand. It was the history of two young lovers, whose passion 
 had commenced whilst they considered themselves brother 
 and sister. They had afterwards been discovered by their 
 families, and eventually, after passing through infinite troubles, 
 espoused each other. ^ As Cheri read remarkably well, and not 
 only understood what he read, but had the faculty of convey- 
 ing the full sense of it to others, the Princess requested him 
 to read to her, while she finished some work in flock-silk 
 which she was anxious to complete. He read, therefore, the 
 above story, and it was not without much emotion that he 
 discovered in it a perfect description of all his feelings. Belle- 
 Etoile was not less surprised. It seemed as though the author 
 had read all that was passing in her soul. The more Cheri 
 read the more he was agitated. The more the Princess 
 listened, the more was she affected. Despite of all her efforts 
 her eyes filled with tears, and they ran down her cheeks. 
 Cheri, also, struggled in vain against his feelings. He turned 
 pale, his voice faltered. Each of them suffered all that can 
 be imagined under such circumstances. "Ah, sister," he 
 exclaimed, gazing on her sadly and dropping the book, " how 
 happy was Hippolyte in not being the brother of Julie !" "We 
 are not so fortunate," replied she; "alas, do we less deserve 
 
 (1) The names of Hippolyte and Julie which follow, show that Madame d'Aulnoy 
 here alludes to her own novel, " liistoire d'Hippolyte, Comte de Duglas." 
 
572 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERL 
 
 to be 80?" As she uttered these words, she felt she had said 
 too much. She stopped in great confusion, and if anything 
 could have crushed the Prince, it was the state in which he 
 saw her. 
 
 From that moment, they both fell into a profound melan- 
 choly, without further explanation. They partly perceived 
 what was passing in their souls, and studied to conceal from 
 every one the secret which they would willingly have been 
 ignorant of themselves, and which they never spoke of to each 
 other. StiU it is so natural to flatter oneself, that the 
 Princess built much upon the feet that Cheri alone had 
 neither a star on his forehead nor a chain round his neck, 
 although he had long ringlets, out of which jewels fell when 
 they were combed, the same as his cousins. 
 
 The three Princes having one day gone out hunting 
 together, Belle-Etoile shut herself up in a small cabinet 
 which she was partial to because it was gloomy and she 
 could muse in it at more liberty than elsewhere. She sate 
 there perfectly still and silent. This cabinet was divided 
 from Corsine's chamber only by the wainscot, and she imagined 
 that the Princess was out walking. The latter, therefore, 
 heard her say to the Corsair, " BeUe-Etoile is now of an age 
 to be married. If we knew who she was we would endeavour 
 to provide a suitable match for her; or if we could ascertain 
 that those who pass for her brothers were not so, we would 
 give her to one of them, for where could she ever find any so 
 perfectly handsome f 
 
 " When I fell in with them," said the Corsair, " I saw 
 nothing that coidd give me any idea of their birth. The 
 jewels that were tied to their cradle showed that they be- 
 longed to wealthy people. What was most singular, they 
 appeared from their ages to have been all bom at the same 
 time, and four at a birth is by no means a common occur- 
 rence." " I suspect also," said Corsine, " that Cheri is not 
 their brother, he has neither star nor neck-chain." " That's 
 true," replied her husband; " but diamonds fall from his hair, 
 as they do from that of the others. After all the wealth we have 
 amassed through the means of these dear children, the only 
 wish I have left is to discover their origin." " We must leave 
 it to the gods," said Corsine ; " they gave them to us, and in 
 their own good time they will no doubt develop the mystery." 
 
PKTNCJiSS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHEBI. 573 
 
 Belle-Etoile listened attentively to this conversation. It is 
 impossible to describe her delight at the hope she was thereby 
 led to entertain that she was of some illustrious race; for, 
 though she had always respected those whom she had con- 
 sidered her parents, she could not help feeling some pain at 
 being the daughter of a Corsair; but what still more en- 
 chanted her was, the thought that Chen might not be 
 her brother. She was all impatience to talk to him about it, 
 and to relate to the whole party the extrardinary adventure 
 she had become acquainted with. 
 
 She mounted an Isabella-coloured horse ;^ the black mane 
 of which was dressed with rows of diamonds ; for she had only 
 to pass a comb once through her hair, to obtain jewels enough 
 to decorate an entire hunting equipage. The green velvet 
 housings of her steed were covered with diamonds and 
 embroidered with rubies. She was quickly in the saddle, 
 and away to the forest in search of her brothers. The sound 
 of horns and hounds sufficiently indicated their whereabouts, 
 and she joined them in a few minutes. At the first sight of 
 her, Cheri left the chase and advanced to meet her much 
 quicker than the others. " What an agreeable surprise, 
 Belle-Etoile!" he cried; "you at length out himting; who 
 could not be diverted for an instant from the pleasure you 
 derive from music, and the sciences, which you make your 
 study." 
 
 " I have so much to tell you," replied she, " that wishing 
 to see you alone, I came to seek you." " Alas, sister ! " said 
 he sighing, " what would you with me to-day ? It appears to 
 me, you long ago determined not to require anything at 
 my hands." She blushed, and casting down her eyes, sat 
 upon her horse, sad and thoughtful, without replying to him. 
 At length her two brothers came up, she roused herself at 
 sight of them, as though she had been in a deep sleep, and 
 jumped to the ground, leading the way; they all followed her, 
 and when she reached the middle of a little piece of mossy 
 ground, shaded by trees, " Sit down here," said she, " and 
 learn what I have just heard." She related to them exactly 
 the conversation the Corsair had with his wife, and how 
 it appeared that they were not their children. Nothing could 
 exceed the surprise of the three Princes ; they consulted among 
 
 (1) Dun-eolouied, see note, page 222. 
 
574 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE ClIERI. 
 
 themselves what they ought to do. One was for setting off with- 
 out saying anything ; the other, was for remaining ; and the 
 third, wished to depart, and to say so. The fii-st maintained, 
 that his was the surest way, because the money the Corsair 
 and his wife made by combing them, would induce them 
 to retain them. The other replied, it would be well to qtiit 
 them, if they knew what place to fix upon to go to, and what 
 would be their condition ; but to be called vagrants in the 
 world was not an agreeable thing: the last added, that it 
 would be very ungrateful to abandon their preservers, without 
 their consent ; but that it would be equally stupid to wish to 
 remain longer with them in the middle of a forest, where they 
 could not learn who they were ; and that, therefore, the best 
 thing would be to speak to them, and make them consent to 
 their departure. They all approved of this advice, and imme- 
 diately mounted their horses to seek the Corsair and Corsine. 
 
 Cheri's heart was flattered by all that hope could suggest 
 most agreeable, to console an afflicted lover; his love enabled 
 him to divine some portion of the future ; he did not believe 
 he was Belle-Etoile's brother : his long-constrained passion 
 finding some little vent inspired him with a thousand tender 
 thoughts which charmed him. They accosted the Corsair 
 and Corsine with looks of mingled joy and anxiety. " We do 
 not come," said Petit-Soleil, (for he was spokesman,) to deny 
 the affection, and gratitude, and the respect we owe you : 
 although we are informed of the way in which you found us 
 at sea, and that you are neither our father nor mother, your 
 compassion in saving us, the excellent education you have 
 given us, the care and kindness you have manifested, are such 
 indisputable obligations, that nothing in the world can free 
 us from our duty to you. We come, then, to repeat to you 
 our sincere thanks, to entreat you to relate to us the par- 
 ticulars of so extraordinary an incident, and to counsel us, so 
 that, acting upon your sage advice, we should have nothing 
 wherewith to reproach ourselves." 
 
 The Corsair and Corsine were much surprised at the dis- 
 covery of what they had so carefully concealed. " You have 
 been informed too truly," said the Corsair, " and we cannot hide 
 from you, that you are indeed not our children, and that 
 fortune alone threw you into our hand. We have no insight 
 as to your birth, but the jewels which were in your cradle 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 575 
 
 indicated that your parents were either great lords, or very 
 rich people, — as to the rest, — what advice can we give you? 
 If you consult our affection for you, certainly you would 
 remain with us, and console our old age by your charming 
 company. If the mansion we have built here does not please 
 you, or that living in this retirement distresses you, we will 
 go wherever you wish, provided it is not to Court ; long ex- 
 perience has given us a distaste to it ; and you would be 
 disgusted also, perhaps, if you were made acquainted with the 
 continual troubles, dissimulations, jealousies, caprices, real 
 evils, and imaginary benefits that are to be met with there : 
 we could tell you still more about it ; but you would think 
 that our counsels were interested. Indeed, they are so, my 
 children, for we would wish you to remain in this peaceful 
 retreat, although you are your own masters to leave it when- 
 ever you like. At the same time remember you are at 
 present in port, and you would venture on a tempestuous 
 ocean ; that the troubles of it nearly always surpass the plea- 
 sures ; that life is short, that it is often quitted in the midst of 
 our career, that the grandeursof the world are as false brilliants, 
 which by a strange fatality we permit to dazzle us, and that the 
 most sterling happiness is to know how to Umit our desires, 
 to love peace, and to seek wisdom." 
 
 The Corsair would not have ended his remonstrances so 
 soon, had he not been interrupted by Prince Heureux. " My 
 dear father," said he, " we are too anxious to discover some- 
 thing of our birth, to bury ourselves in the depths of a desert; 
 the moral you teach is excellent, and I wish we were able to 
 profit by it, but some strange fatality calls us elsewhere; allow 
 us to fulfil the course of our destiny — we will come again to 
 see you, and give you an account of our adventures." 
 
 At these words the Corsair and his wife shed tears. The 
 Princes were very much affected, and Belle-Etoile particu- 
 larly so, who was of an admirable disposition, and who would 
 never have thought of quitting the desert if she had been sure 
 that Cheri would have always remained with her. 
 
 This resolution having been taken, they thought of nothing 
 else, but preparing for their embarkation; for having been 
 found upon the sea, they had some hope it would enhghteu 
 them on the matter they were so anxious about. They had 
 a horse for each of them put on board their little vessel, and 
 
576 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 after combing their heads till they were sore in order to leave 
 as many jewels as they could to Corsine, they begged her to 
 give them in return the strings of diamonds that were in their 
 cradle. She went to fetch them from her cabinet, where she 
 had kept them very carefully, and she fastened them all upon 
 Belle-Etoile's dress, whom she embraced incessantly, bathing 
 her face with her tears. 
 
 Never was there so sad a separation ; the Corsair and his 
 wife thought it would kill them. Their grief did not arise 
 from interested motives, for they had amassed so much trea- 
 sure, that they did not wish for any more. Petit-Soleil, 
 Heureux, Cheri, and Belle-Etoile, went on board the vessel. 
 The Corsair had had one built for the voyage, and fitted up 
 very magnificently; the mast was of ebony and cedar-wood, 
 the ropes were of green silk mixed with gold, the sails of gold 
 and green cloth, and the paintings were beautiful. As it 
 sailed out of port, Cleopatra, with her Antony, and even the 
 whole crew of Venus's Galley, would have lowered their flag 
 to it. The Princess was seated under a rich canopy near the 
 poop ; her two brothers and her coiisin stood close by her, 
 looking more brilliant than the planets, and their stars threw 
 out long dazzling rays of light. They determined to sail to 
 the very spot where the Corsair had found them, and accord- 
 ingly they did so. They made preparations for a grand sacri- 
 fice there to the gods and to the fairies, to obtain their pro- 
 tection and guidance to their birth-place. They were 
 about to immolate a turtle-dove, but the compassionate 
 Princess thought it so beautiful that she saved its life, and to 
 preserve it from such a fate in future she let it fly : — " De- 
 part," said she, "little bird of Venus; and if, some day, I 
 should have need of thee, forget not the kindness I have 
 shown thee." The turtle-dove flew away. 
 
 The sacrifice ended, they commenced so charming a con- 
 cert, that it seemed as though all nature kept profound 
 silence to listen to them : the waves were still ; there was not 
 a breath of wind ; Zephyr alone dallied with the Princess's 
 hair, and disarranged her veil slightly. At this moment 
 a syren issued from the water, who sang so well, that the 
 Princess and her brothers were charmed with her. After 
 singing several airs, she turned towards them, and said, 
 ** Cease your anxiety, let your vessel go where it will ; land 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERL 577 
 
 ■where it stops, and let all those who are in love continue to 
 love each other." 
 
 Belle-Etoile and Cheri felt an extraordinary delight at 
 ■what the syren had just told them. They were convinced 
 it was intended for them, and, exchanging signs of intelli- 
 gence, their hearts conversed in silence, without Petit-Soleil 
 and Heureux perceiving it. The vessel sailed at the pleasure 
 of the wind and the tide ; nothing very extraordinary oc- 
 curred in their navigation, save that the weather was always 
 beautiful, and the sea always calm, Tliey were three whole 
 months on their voyage, during which time the enamoured 
 Prince Cheri and the Princess often conversed together, 
 " What flattering hopes I feel," said he, one day, " charming 
 Etoile ! I am not your brother ; this heart, which knows 
 your power, and will never acknowledge another, is not born 
 for crimes ; and it would be one to love you as I do, if you 
 were my sister, but the charitable syren, who came to counsel 
 us, confirmed me in my opinion upon that subject." " Ah, 
 brother!" replied she, "do not rely on indicatior. which 
 are still too obscure for our comprehension. What would be 
 our fate if we irritated the gods by encouraging feelings which 
 were displeasing to them? The syren spoke so vaguely, that 
 one must have a great fancy for giiessing, to apply what she 
 said to ourselves." " You refuse to do so, cruel one," said 
 the afflicted Prince, " much less from the respect you owe 
 the gods, than from your aversion to me!" Belle-Etoile did 
 not answer him, and raising her eyes to heaven, heaved 
 a deep sigh, which he could not help interpreting favour- 
 ably. 
 
 It was at the time of year when the days were long and 
 sultry : towai'ds the evening the Princess and her brothers 
 ■went upon deck to see the sun set in the bosom of the 
 ■\vaters — she stit down; the Princes placed themselves near 
 her, they took their instruments, and commenced their 
 charming concert. In the meantime, the vessel driving be- 
 fore a fresh gale, sailed more quickly, and shortly rounded a 
 small promontory, which concealed a portion of the most 
 beautiful city in the world. Suddenly it came in sight, and 
 its appearance astonished our charming young travellers. 
 All tlie palaces were of marble, with gilded roofs; and the 
 rest of the houses were of very fine porcelaio, several ever- 
 
 p p 
 
678 PIONCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHEET. 
 
 green trees mingled the enamel of their leaves with the 
 various colours of the marble, the gold and the porcelain, so 
 that they were anxious their vessel should enter the port — 
 but they doubted whether they should be able to find room ; 
 there were so many others, that the masts seemed like a 
 floating forest. 
 
 Their wishes were accomplished, they landed, and the shore 
 in a moment was crowded with people, who had observed the 
 magnificence of the ship. That which the Argonauts con- 
 structed for the capture of the Golden Fleece, was not more 
 brilliant — the stars, and the beauty of these wonderful 
 children enchanted all who beheld them ; they ran and told 
 the King the news; as he could not believe it, and as the 
 grand terrace of the Palace looked out upon the sea-shore, 
 he speedily repaired thither. He saw the Princes, Petit-Soleil 
 and Cheri, take the Princess in their arms and carry her 
 ashore — then get their horses out, their rich harness corre- 
 sponding perfectly with everything else about the vessel. 
 Petit-Soleil mounted one that was blacker than jet. That 
 which Heureux rode was gvej, Cheri's was as white as snow, 
 and the Princess was on her Isabella barb.' The King 
 admired them all four seated upon their horses, which cur- 
 vetted so proudly, that they kept at a distance all who would 
 have pressed too near them. The Princes hearing the people 
 say, "There is the King," looked up, and, struck by his 
 majestic appearance, made a profound obeisance, and passed 
 slowly, fixing their eyes upon him. He also looked earnestly 
 at them, and was as much charmed by the Princess's beauty, 
 as by the handsome mien of the young Princes. He ordered 
 his equerry to offer them his protection, and everything that 
 they might require in a country, where they were evidently 
 strangers. They received the honour the King conferred on 
 them with much respect and gratitude, and said they only 
 required a house, where they could be alone, and that they 
 should be glad, if it were one or two leagues from the 
 city, as they were very fond of walking. The principal 
 equerry immediately gave them one of the most magni- 
 ficent, wherein they and all their train were commodiously 
 lodged. 
 
 The King was so interested about these four children that 
 
 (1) See note, page 222. 
 
PKINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AKD PRINCE CHERI. 579 
 
 he had just seen, that he immediately went into the chamber 
 of the Queen, his mother, to tell her of the -wonderful stars 
 which shone upon their foreheads, and everything that he 
 admired in them. She was thunderstruck at it. She asked 
 him directly, how old they might be — he replied fifteen or 
 sixteen ; she showed no signs of uneasiness, but she was 
 terribly afraid that Feintise had betrayed her. In the mean- 
 time, the King kept walking to and fro, and said, "How 
 happy a father must be to possess such handsome sons, and 
 such a beautiful daughter ! Unfortimate sovereign that I 
 am, for I am the father of three dogs. There are illus- 
 trious heirs ! The succession to my crown is certainly well 
 secured." 
 
 The Queen-Mother listened to these words with dreadful 
 uneasiness. The brilliant stars and the age of these strangers, 
 agreeing so well with the peculiarities and date of birth of 
 the Priuces and their sister, that she strongly suspected she 
 had been deceived by Feintise, and that instead of killing the 
 King's children she had saved them. As she had great self- 
 possession, she gave no sign of what was passing in her mind ; 
 she would not even send that day to inquire about several 
 things she was anxious to ascertain ; but the next morning 
 she desired her secretary to go to the strangers, and under 
 the pretext of giving orders in the house for their accom- 
 modation, examine everything, and observe whether they 
 really had stars upon their foreheads. 
 
 The secretary departed early in the morning; he arrived 
 as the Princess was at her toilet : in those days they did not 
 purchase their complexions at shops — those who were fair, 
 remained fair, those who were black did not become white, 
 so that he saw her having her hair dressed. They were 
 combing it; her fair tresses, finer than gold thread, fell in 
 ringlets to the ground. There were several baskets round 
 her, to prevent the jewels, which fell from her hair, being 
 lost: the star upon her forehead threw out so much brilliancy 
 they could scarcely bear it, and the gold chain round her 
 neck was as wonderful as the precious diamonds which rolled 
 from the crown of her head. The secretary, with difficulty, 
 believed his eyes; but the Princess, selecting the largest peai-1, 
 begged him to accept it, in remembrance of her; it was the 
 one that the kings of Spain esteem so much, and is called 
 pp2 
 
580 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 Peregrina,^ that is to say, Pilgrim, because it came from a 
 traveller. 
 
 The secretary took leave of her, confused by such great 
 liberality, and paid his respects to the three Princes, with 
 whom he remained some time, in order to gain such informa- 
 tion as he could about them. He returned to make his re- 
 port to the Queen-Mother, who was confirmed by it in her 
 suspicions. He told her, that Cheri had no star, but that 
 jewels fell from his hair, as from that of his brothei's, and 
 that in his opinion he was the handsomest. That they came 
 from a great distance; that their father and mother had given 
 them only a certain time to see foreign countries. This latter 
 point rather staggered the Queen, and she fancied sometimes, 
 that they were not the King's children. She was thus waver- 
 ing between fear and hope, when the King, who was very 
 fond of hunting, rode by their house. The grand equerry, 
 who accompanied him, told him in passing, that it was there, 
 by his orders, he had lodged Belle- Etoile and her brothers. 
 " The Queen has advised me," replied the King, " not to see 
 them ; she fears that they come from some country where the 
 plague rages, and that they might have brought the infection 
 with them." " The fair young stranger," replied the grand 
 equerry, "is indeed very dangerous; but. Sire, I should fear 
 her eyes more than the plague." " In sooth," said the King, 
 " I agree with you," and immediately putting spurs to his 
 horse, he heard the soiuid of instruments and of voices; he 
 drew up near a large saloon, the windows of which were open, 
 and after having listened with great pleasure to a sweet 
 symphony, he advanced again. 
 
 The sound of horses induced the Princes to look out : as 
 soon as they saw the King, they saluted him respectfully, and 
 hastening to the door, received him with joyful countenances 
 and many marks of reverence, falling at his feet and embrac- 
 ing his knees, while the Princess kissed his hands as though 
 she recognised him as their father. He embraced them fer- 
 vently, and his heart was so agitated, he could not imagine 
 the cause of it. He told them, that they must come to the 
 Palace, that he wished them to be his guests, and to present 
 
 (1) An amusing derivation for this celebrated jewel, which Madame d'Aulnoy saw 
 Marie d'Orleans, queen of Charles the Second of Spain, wear on her entry into 
 Madrid, January 13, 1680. Vide Appendix, page 609. 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 581 
 
 them to his mother. They thanked him for the honour he 
 had done them, and assured him that as soon as their dresses 
 and their equipages were ready they would not fail to come 
 to the Court. 
 
 The King quitted them to finish the chase which he had 
 begun ; he kindly sent them half the game, and took the rest 
 to the Queen. "How," said she, "is it possible you have had 
 so little sport? you generally kill three times as much game." 
 " Very true," replied the King, " but I have presented some 
 to the handsome strangers. I feel so much affection for 
 them, that it quite surprises me, and if you had not been so 
 alarmed at the idea of contagion, I should have invited them 
 to the Palace before this." The Queen-Mother was very angry ; 
 she accused him of failing in respect to her, and repx'oached 
 him for having so carelessly exposed himself 
 
 As soon as he had left her, she sent for Feiutise to come 
 and speak to her; she shut herself in her closet with her, 
 and seized her by the hair, putting a dagger to her throat : 
 " Wretched woman," said she, " I know not what should pre- 
 vent my sacrificing thee to my just resentment, — thou hast 
 betrayed me ; thou hast not killed the four children I placed 
 in thy hands to make away with. Confess thy crime, and 
 perhaps I may forgive thee." Feintise, half dead with teri'or, 
 threw herself at her feet, and told her all that had taken 
 place ; that she thought it impossible that the children were 
 still alive, for so frightful a tempest had arisen, that she had 
 herself been nearly killed by the hail; but at all events 
 she prayed for time, and she would find means to do away 
 with them, one after the other, without any one suspect- 
 ing it. 
 
 The Queen, who sought but their death, was slightly 
 appeased: she told her not to lose a moment about it; and 
 indeed, old Feintise, who found herself in great danger, did 
 all that depended upon her ; she watched for the opportunity 
 when the Princes went hunting, and taking a guitar under 
 her arm, she went and sat down opposite the Princess's win- 
 dows, and sang the following words : — 
 
 " Beauty hath o'er all things sway, 
 Profit by it while you may ; 
 Youth soon flies. 
 Beauty dies, 
 And frosty age blights every flower. 
 
583 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE, AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 Ah, what woe, 
 
 It is to know, 
 
 I'hat we to please have lost the power! 
 
 In despair we rail at Fate, 
 
 And strive to charm when all too late. 
 
 " Youthful hearts, your time improve, 
 Yours the season is for love ; 
 Youth soon flies, 
 Beauty dies, 
 
 And frosty age blights every flower. 
 Ah what woe. 
 It is to know, 
 
 That we to please have lost the power ! 
 In despair we rail at Fate, 
 And strive to charm, when all too late." 
 
 Belle-Etoile thought the words were very pretty ; she went to 
 the balcony to see who it was singing. As soon as she ap- 
 peared, Feintise, who had dressed herself very neatly, made 
 her a low curtsey ; the Princess bowed in her turn, and as 
 she was in a lively humour, asked her if the words she had 
 just heard were made upon herself. "Yes, charming young 
 lady," replied Feintise, " they were made upon me ; but that 
 such may never be made upon you, I come to give you some 
 advice, that you ought to profit by." "And what is if?" 
 said Belle-Etoile. " If you will permit me to ascend to your 
 chamber," added she, " you sliall know." " You can come 
 up," replied the Princess. The old woman immediately pre- 
 sented herself with a certain courtly air that is never lost, 
 when once acquired. 
 
 " My fair child," said Feintise, not losing a moment, (for 
 she was afraid some one might come and interrupt her,) 
 " Heaven has made you very lovely — you are endowed with 
 a brilliant star on your forehead; and they tell me many 
 other wonderful things of you ; but you yet want one thing 
 which is essentially necessary to you ; if you have it not, I 
 pity you." "And what is it I need?" replied she. "The 
 dancing water," added our malicious old woman ; " if I had 
 possessed it, you would not have seen a white hair upon my 
 head, nor a wrinkle on my face. I should have had the most 
 beautiful teeth in the world, with the most charming infantile 
 manner. Alas ! I knew this secret too late, my charms had 
 already faded ; profit by my misfortune, my dear child, it 
 will be a consolation to me, for I feel a most extraordinary 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 583 
 
 affection for you." "But -where shall I find this dancing 
 water?" replied Belle-Etoile. " It is in the luminous forest," 
 said Feintise ; " you have three brothers ; does not any one of 
 them love you sufficiently to go and fetch some? truly they 
 must have very little affection for you — in fact, it is a matter 
 of no less consequence to you, than the preservation of your 
 beauty for ever." " My brothers all love me," said the 
 Princess, " but there is one of them who would not refuse 
 me anything. Certainly if this water possesses all the power 
 you describe, I will reward you according to its value." The 
 perfidious old woman retired in haste, enchanted at having 
 been so successful. She told Belle-Etoile that she should be 
 sure to come and see her. 
 
 The Princes returned from the chase, one brought a young 
 wild boar, another a hare, and the third a stag ; they laid all 
 the spoil at their sister's feet, but she looked upon this homage 
 with a sort of disdain, she was engrossed by the advice of 
 Feintise. Her anxiety about it was even apparent, and^Cheri, 
 who had no other occupation than studying her humour, was 
 not a quarter-of-an-hour in her company, without remarking 
 it. " What is the matter, my dear Etoile 1 "' said he ; " the 
 country we are in is not perhaps to your liking. If such is 
 the case, let us depart immediately ; or perhaps our equipage 
 is not grand enough, the furniture not sufficiently beautiful, 
 or the table as delicately served as you like — speak, I entreat 
 you, that I may have the pleasure of being the first to obey 
 you. and making the others do so likewise." 
 
 " The encouragement you give me to tell you what is pass- 
 ing in my mind," replied she ; " induces me to declare to you, 
 that I can no longer exist, without the dancing water. It is 
 in the luminous forest — possessing it, I shall have nothing to 
 dread from the ravage of years." " Do not grieve yourself, 
 my charming Etoiie," said he ; "I will go and bring you some 
 of this water, or you will know by my death that it was im- 
 possible to obtain it." " No," said she, " I would rather 
 renounce all the advantages of beauty — I would much rather 
 be frightful, than hazard so precious a life — I entreat you not 
 to think of the dancing water any more, and indeed, if I have 
 any power over you, I forbid you to go." 
 
 The Prince pretended to obey her; but as soon as he per- 
 ceived she was engaged, he mounted his white horse, which 
 
584 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERT. 
 
 bounded and curvetted continually. He provided himself 
 with money, and a rich dress; as for diamonds, his hair coxild 
 furnish him with enough, and passing the comb through it 
 thrice would sometimes produce a million; for the supply 
 was not always the same : they were aware even that the 
 state of their mind, or that of their health, regulated the 
 quantity of the jewels. He took no one with him, that he 
 might feel more at liberty, and that, if the adventure should 
 prove a perilous one, he could hazard its accomplishment, 
 without exposing himself to the remonstrances of a zealous 
 and timid attendant. 
 
 When supper time arrived, and the Princess did not see 
 her brother Cheri, she felt so uneasy, she could neither eat 
 nor drink; she desired he might be sought for everywhere. 
 The two Princes, knowing nothing of the dancing water, 
 begged her not to distress herself so much ; that he could not 
 be far off, that she knew he was fond of indulging in 2:)rofound 
 reveries, and that he was no doubt in the forest. She was 
 therefore comparatively easy till midnight, but after that she 
 lost all patiencCj and, with tears in her eyes, told her brothers 
 that she was the cause of Cheri's absence, that she had ex- 
 pressed a great wish to have some of the dancing water from 
 the luminous forest, and that certainly he had gone there. 
 At this intelligence they determined to send several persons 
 after him, and she charged them, to tell him she implored 
 him to return. 
 
 In the meantime, the wicked Feintise was very anxious to 
 know the result of her advice ; when she heard that Cheri 
 had already set out, she was delighted, not doubting that he 
 would make more speed than those who followed him, and 
 that some mischief would befal him. She ran to the palace, 
 full of this hope, and reported to the Queen-Mother all that 
 had passed. " I admit. Madam," said she, " that I can no 
 longer doubt that they are the three Princes, and their sister. 
 They have stare upon their foreheads, chains of gold round 
 their necks, their hair is most beautiful, and jewels continually 
 fall from it. I have seen the Princess adorned with some 
 which I put into her cradle, although not so valuable as those 
 that fall from her hair. I no longer therefore doubt their 
 return, notwithstanding the care I had taken to prevent it ; 
 but, Madam, I will rid you of them, and as it is the only 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 585 
 
 means of repairing my fault, I entreat you to give me but 
 time : one of the Princes is already gone to seek the dancing 
 water; he will no doubt perish in the attempt, and I shall 
 find similar means to do away with all of them." " We shall 
 see," said the Queen, " whether the success will answer your 
 expectations; but rely upon it, by that alone will you escape 
 my just rage." Feintise returned more alarmed than ever, 
 racking her brain to think how she could destroy them. 
 
 The plan she had adopted with regard to Prince Cheri, was 
 one of the most certain — for the dancing water was not easily 
 to be obtained; it was so notorious from the misfortunes which 
 occurred to all who sought it, that every one knew the road 
 to jit. His white horse went astonishingly fast, and he did 
 not spare it, as he was so anxious to return quickly to Belle- 
 Etoile, and gratify her by fhe successful result of his joux-ney. 
 He was eight days and nights without taking any repose but 
 in the woods, under the first tree he came to, without eating 
 anything but the wild fruit he found in his road, scarcely 
 allowing his horse time to graze. At the end of this period, 
 he arrived in a country where he began to suffer very much 
 from the heat; but it was not that the sun was more power- 
 ful, and he did not know to what cause to attribute it. when 
 from the top of a mountain he perceived the luminous forest; 
 all the trees were burning without being consumed, and cast- 
 ing out flames to such a distance, that the country around 
 was a dry desert. In this forest was to be heard the hissing 
 of serpents, and the roaring of lions, which astonished the 
 Prince excessively, for it appeared to him impossible that any 
 animal but a salamander could live in this sort of furnace. 
 
 After contemplating for some time this terrible scene, he 
 descended, ruminating on what was to be done, and more 
 than once gave himself up for lost. As he approached this 
 great fire he was ready to die with thirst; he perceived a 
 spring issuing from a mountain, and falling into a marble 
 basin ; he alighted from his hoi-se, approached it, and stooped 
 to take up some water in a little golden vase which he had 
 brought with him, intending to fill it with some of that which 
 the Princess wished for, when he perceived a turtle-dove 
 drowning in the fountain ; its feathers were quite wet, it had 
 lost all power, and was sinking to the bottom of the basin. 
 Cheri took pity cu it, and saved it. At first, he held it by 
 
586 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERT. 
 
 its feet, for it had swallowed so much water, it was quite 
 swollen ; he then warmed it in his bosom, dried its wings 
 with a fine handkerchief, and treated it with such skill that 
 the poor dove, in a few minutes, was more gay than she had just 
 been sorrowful. 
 
 " My Lord Cheri," she said, in sweet and gentle accents, 
 " you never obliged a more grateful little creature than I am ; 
 this is not the first time I have received essential favours 
 from your family. I am enchanted, that, in my turn, I can 
 be of service to you. Think not that I am ignorant of the 
 cause of your journey, — you have undertaken it a little 
 rashly, for it would be impossible to say how many have 
 perished here ! The dancing water is the eighth wonder in 
 the world for ladies ; it beautifies them, makes them young 
 again, and enriches them ; but if I, were not to be your guide, 
 you would never arrive at it, for the spring rises in the middle 
 of the forest, and gushing out violently, precipitates itself into 
 a deep chasm, the path down to which is covered by branches 
 of trees, so twined and twisted together, that I scarcely see 
 any way of getting thither but by going underground. Rest 
 yourself here, and do not be uneasy ; I will go, and order 
 whatever may be required." 
 
 At the same moment the Dove rose up in the air, went 
 away, returned, alighted, and flew backwards and forwards so 
 often, that by the end of the day she was able to inform the 
 Prince that everything was ready. He took the friendly bird, 
 kissed it, caressed it, thanked it, and followed it upon his 
 white horse. He had scarcely gone a hundred yards before 
 he saw two long files of foxes, badgers, moles, snails, ants, 
 and all sorts of creatures that burrow in the earth; there 
 was such an enormous quantity that he could not conceive 
 by what power they were thus assembled. " It is by my 
 order," said the Dove, " you see all these little subterranean 
 people here ; they have been working for you with the great- 
 est diligence, and you will do me the favour to thank them." 
 The Prince saluted them, and told them, he would fain see 
 them in a less barren place, where he should be happy to 
 entertain tliem. Each animal appeared gratified by this 
 compliment. 
 
 Cheri got off his horse at the entrance of the subterranean 
 passage they had made for him, and stooping till he was 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CIIERI. 587 
 
 nearly double, gi'oped his way after the kind Dove, which 
 safely conducted him to the fountain : it made so much noise, 
 that he would have been deafened, had not the Dove given 
 him two of her white feathers, with which he stopped up his 
 ears. He was wonderfully surprised to see this water dance 
 as con-ectly as though Favier and Pecourt^ had taught it. 
 It is true they were but old dances, such as the Bocane, the 
 Mariee, and the Saraband.^ Several birds, flying about, sang 
 the airs the water wished to dance to. The Prince filled his 
 golden vase ; he took two draughts of it, which made him 
 a hundred times handsomer than he was previously, and which 
 refreshed him so much, that he scarcely felt that the luminous 
 forest was the hottest place in the world. 
 
 He returned the same way he came. His horse had strayed, 
 but, knowing his voice, returned at full gallop as soon as he 
 called to him. The Prince leapt lightly upon his back, quite 
 proud at possessing the dancing water. " Gentle Dove," said 
 he, as he held her, " I know not by what miracle you have so 
 much authority in this place, but I am very grateful for the 
 benefit I have received from it ; and as liberty is the greatest 
 of blessings, I restore you to yours, in return for the favours 
 you have conferred on me." So saying, he let her go. She 
 flew away with an air as fierce as though he had detained her 
 against her will. " How capricious ! " exclaimed he, mentally. 
 " Thou resemblest a human being more than a turtle-dove, — 
 the one is inconstant, the other is not." The Dove replied to 
 him, although high in air, " Ah ! do you know who I am 1" 
 
 Cheri was astonished that the Dove had thus answered his 
 thoughts ; he was convinced she was very clever, and was 
 sorry he had let her go. " She would have been useful to 
 me," said he ; " and I might have learnt from her many 
 things that would have contributed to my happiness " How- 
 ever, he considered within himself that one should never 
 regret doing a good action ; and he felt he was much indebted 
 
 (1) Celebrated dancers of that day. The names of Favier and Pecourt both appear 
 in the lists of the dancers in the tragic ballet of Psyche ; and Favier sustained several 
 characters in the magnificent Fete de Versailles, July 18, 1668. There were two 
 Faviers, " I'ainfe," and " le cadet ;" the senior is most probably the one alluded to. 
 
 (2) The Bocane was a stately kind of dance, so called from Bocan, the dancing 
 master of Anne of Austria, queen of Louis XIII., who invented it. La Mariee, wag 
 a branle or brawl (see p. 457) so called ; it is mentioned by Madame d'Aulnoy in her 
 story of " Le Gentilhomme Bourgeois." The Saraband has been described, note, 
 p. 65. It was generally accompanied by the castagnets. 
 
588 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 to her, when he reflected on the diflBculties she had enabled 
 him to surmount in obtaining the dancing water. The mouth 
 of the golden vase was so perfectly secured, that he could not 
 spill the water, nor would it evaporate. He was amusing 
 himself by thinking how delighted Belle-Etoile would be to 
 receive it, and what joy it would be to him to see her again, 
 when he saw coming at full speed several cavaliers, who no 
 sooner perceived him than they uttered loud shouts, pointing 
 him out to one another. He was void of fear — his soul was 
 of that intrepid character, it could not easily be shaken by 
 any danger ; still he was annoyed to be stopped by anything. 
 He spurred his horse towards them, and was agreeably sur- 
 prised to recognise some of his domestics, who presented him 
 with several little notes — or, I should rather say, orders — the 
 Princess had given them for him, to tell him not to expose 
 himself to the dangers of the luminous forest. He kissed 
 Belle-Etoile's writing ; he sighed more than once, and hastened 
 to return to her, to relieve her from further anxiety. 
 
 On his arrival, he found her seated under some trees, where 
 she had abandoned herself to her soitow. When she saw him 
 at her feet, she knew not how to welcome him : she wanted 
 to scold him for acting contrary to her orders; she wished to 
 thank him for the charming present he had made her: in 
 fine, her affection prevailed. She embraced her dear brother, 
 and her reproaches were not very severe. 
 
 The old Feintise, who was always on the watch, knew by 
 her spies that Cheri had returned, handsomer than he was 
 before he went away ; and that the Princess, having washed 
 her face with the dancing water, had become so excessively 
 lovely, one could scarcely look at her without dying half-a- 
 dozen deaths. 
 
 Feintise was much astonished and much afflicted, for she 
 had made up her mind that the Prince would perish in so 
 great an enterprise; but it was no time to be discouraged. 
 She watched the moment when the Princess went to a little 
 temple of Diana, with few attendants. She accosted her, and, 
 with an air of great friendship, said : " How delighted I am, 
 Madam, at the happy effect of my advice I One might know, 
 by looking at you, that you at present use the dancing water; 
 but if I dare counsel you further, you ought to make yourself 
 mistress of the singing apple. It Ls quite a dififerent thing ; 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 589 
 
 for it embellishes the wit so much, that it enables you to do 
 anything. If you wish to persuade any one you have only to 
 smell the singing apple: would you speak in public, make 
 verses, write prose, be amusing, draw tears, or cause laughter, 
 the apple has all these virtues; and it sings so well and so 
 loud, that one can hear it eight leagues off, without being 
 stunned by it." 
 
 " I will have none of it," cried the Princess; *'you thought 
 to kill my brother by your dancing water : your advice is too 
 dangerous." " What, Madam !" replied Feintise, "would you 
 be soiTy to become the wisest and wittiest person in the 
 world 1 Truly, you cannot mean that." " Ah ! what should 
 I have done," continued Belle-Etoile, " if they had brought 
 me my dear brother, dead or dying?" "He should not go 
 any more," said the old woman ; " the others ought to oblige 
 you in their turn, and the enterprise is not so dangerous." 
 " Never mind," said the Princess, " I do not feel inclined to 
 expose them." " Indeed, I pity you," said Feintise, " to lose 
 so advantageous an opportunity ; but you will reflect upon it. 
 Adieu, Madam ! " She then retired, very anxious about the 
 success of her argument ; and Belle-Etoile remained at the 
 feet of the statue of Diana, irresolute what to do. She loved 
 her brothers; she loved hei-self also: she felt that nothing 
 would give her so much pleasure as to possess the singing 
 apple. 
 
 She sighed for some time, and then she began to weep. 
 Petit-Soleil, returning from the chase, heard a noise in the 
 temple ; he entered it, and saw the Princess, who covered her 
 face with her veil, for she was ashamed to be seen with tears 
 in her eyes ; and, approaching her, he entreated her to tell 
 him instantly why she was ciying. She refused to do so, 
 saying she was ashamed of herself; but the more she refused, 
 the more desirous he was to know. 
 
 At last she told him, that the same old woman who had 
 advised her to send for the dancing water, had just told her 
 that the singing apple was still more wonderful, as it would 
 give her so much wit, she would become a sort of prodigy, 
 and that she really would almost give her life for such an 
 apple; but she feared there would be too much danger in 
 getting it. " You will have no fear for me, I assure you," 
 said her brother, smiling ; " for I am not at aU anxious to 
 
590 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 render you this good service ! What ! have you not wit 
 enougli ? Come, come, my sister/' continued he, " and do not 
 distress yourself about it ! " 
 
 Belle-Etoile followed him, as much distressed by the man- 
 ner in which he had received her confidence, as by the impos- 
 sibility there appeared of her possessing the singing apple. 
 Supper was served ; they all four sat down to table : she could 
 not eat. Cheri, — the amiable Cheri, — who had no thought 
 but for her, helped her to the nicest morsels, and pressed her 
 to taste them. Her heart was full — tears came to her eyes — 
 she left the table, weeping. Belle-Etoile weeping ! Ye gods, 
 what unhappiness for Cheri ! He asked what was the matter 
 with her? Petit-Soleil told him in a jeering manner, which 
 was very offensive to his sister; she was so hurt, that she 
 retired to her room, and would not speak to any one all the 
 evening. 
 
 As soon as Petit-Soleil and Heureux were gone to bed, 
 Cheri mounted his excellent horee, without saying a word to 
 any one ; he left only a letter for Belle-Etoile, with an order 
 that it might be given to her when she awoke ; and, dai-k as 
 the night was, he rode at random, not in the least knowing 
 where to find the singing apple. 
 
 As soon as the Princess arose, they delivered the letter to 
 her — it is easy to imagine all the anxiety and tenderness she 
 felt upon such an occasion. She ran into her brothers' 
 chamber to read the letter to them ; they shared her grief, for 
 they were a very united family ; and they immediately sent 
 nearly all their people after hitn to induce him to return, 
 without attempting the adventure which doubtless would be 
 terrible. 
 
 In the meanwhile, the King did not forget the lovely 
 children of the forest; his walk was always directed towards 
 their abode, and when he passed by it and saw them, he 
 reproached them for never going to the palace. They excused 
 themselves, by saying, they had not completed their equipage ; 
 that their brother's absence prevented them, and assuring him 
 that at his return they should profit by the permission he 
 had given them, of paying their respects to him. 
 
 The Prince Cheri was too much urged by his passion not to 
 make all possible speed ; at break of day he perceived a hand- 
 some young man, who, reclining under some trees, was reading 
 
PRINXESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 591 
 
 a book; he addressed him, very civilly, and said, " Give me 
 leave to interrupt you : to ask you, if you know in what place 
 I shall find the singing apple ?" The young man raised his 
 eyes, and smiling graciously, said, " Do you wish to obtain 
 iti" "Yes, if it be possible," replied the Prince. "Ah! my 
 Lord," replied the stranger, " you are not aware, then, of the 
 dangei-s attending the undertaking ; here is a book that men- 
 tions it ; it makes one tremble to read it." " No matter for 
 that," saidCheri, "the danger w^ill not dismay me, — only inform 
 me where I shall find it." " This book indicates," continued the 
 young man, " that it is in a vast desert in Lybia; that one can 
 hear it sing eight leagues off; and that the dragon, which guards 
 it, has already devoured five hundred thousand persons, who 
 have had the temerity to go there." " I shall make the number 
 five hundred thousand and one," replied the Prince smiling; 
 and saluting him, set forward towards the deserts of Lybia ; 
 his fine horse, which was of the Zephyrine race, for Zephyr 
 ■was his grandsire, went like the wind ; so that the Prince's 
 progress was incredibly swift. He listened in vain ; he could 
 not hear the singing of the apple anywhere ; he was distressed 
 at the length of the way and the inutility of his journey, 
 when he perceived a poor turtle-dove fall at his feet ; it was 
 not dead, but very nearly so. As he saw no one who could 
 have wounded it, he thought, perhaps, it belonged to Venus, 
 and having escaped from its dovecot, little mischievous Love, 
 to try his arrows, had let fly at it. He had pity on it, and 
 alighted from his horse ; he took it and wiped its white wings 
 stained with blood, and taking from his pocket a little gold 
 bottle which contained an admirable balsam for wounds, he 
 had scarcely applied some of it to that of the poor dove, when 
 it opened its eyes, raised its head, stretched out its wings and 
 plumed itself, then looking at the Prince, said, " Good day, 
 handsome Cheri, you are destined to save my life, and I to do 
 you signal service. 
 
 " You are come to seek for the singing apple, — the enter- 
 pi-ise is difficult and worthy of you, for it is guarded by 
 a terrible dragon which has twelve feet, three heads, six wings, 
 and a brazen body." " Ah ! my dear dove," said the Prince, 
 " how happy I am to see you again, and at a time when your 
 assistance is so necessary to me. Do not refuse it to me, my 
 lovely little creature ; for I should die of grief, if I should 
 
592 PKINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERT. 
 
 have to return without the singing-apple ; and as I obtained 
 the dancing water through your means, I hope that you will 
 find some other that will enable me to succeed in my present 
 enterprise." " You touch me nearly," replied the Dove, 
 " follow me — I will fly before you — I hope all will be well." 
 
 The Prince let her go. After travelling all day long, they 
 arrived close to a mountain of sand. '' You must dig here," 
 said the Dove. The Prince, without any demur, immediately 
 began digging, sometimes with his hands, sometimes with his 
 sword. After working for several hours, he found a helmet, 
 a cuirass, and the rest of a suit of armour, with harness for 
 his horse, all of glass. " Arm yourself, and fear nothing from 
 the dragon," said the Dove : " when he sees himself in all 
 these mirrors, he will be so frightened, that, believing they 
 are monsters like himself, he will take flight." 
 
 Cheri very much approved of this expedient. He put on 
 the glass armour, and taking the Dove again, they proceeded 
 all through the night together. At break of day they heard 
 a most enchanting melody. The Prince begged the Dove to 
 tell him what it was. " I am persuaded," s<\id she, " that 
 nothing else but the apple could be so melodious ; for it 
 plays all the different parts of music of itself, and without 
 touching any instrument, it appears to perform on them in 
 a most enchanting manner." They approached nearer to it. 
 The Prince thought within himself, how he wished the apple 
 would sing something applicable to his own situation. Afr 
 the same moment he heard these words : — 
 
 " Love can the most rebellious heart subdue, 
 Then struggle not to drive him from thy breast ; 
 However cruel she whom you pursue, 
 Love on, still bravely, and you will be blest." 
 
 " Ah ! " cried he, answering these lines, " what a charming 
 prediction ! I may then hope to be one day happier than 
 I am now; I have just been assured so." The Dove made 
 no reply to this ; it was not born a prattler, and never spoke 
 but when absolutely necessary. As he advanced, the beauty 
 of the music increased; and notwithstanding the haste the 
 Prince was in, he was sometimes so delighted, that he stopped 
 to listen, not thinking of anything else; but the sight of the 
 teiTible dragon, which suddenly appeared, with Ms twelve 
 

Princess Belle Etoile and Prince Cheri.— p- 593. 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 593 
 
 feet, and more than a hundred talons, his three heads, and 
 his brazen body, aroused him from this sort of lethargy. He 
 had smelt the Prince from afar off, and expected to devour 
 him, as he had every one who had preceded him, and upon 
 whom he had made some excellent meals. Their bones were 
 piled around the apple-tree, upon which was the beautiful 
 apple, and they were heaped up so high, that it was not 
 possible to see it. 
 
 The frightful animal came bounding along, covering the 
 ground with a froth which was very poisonous: out of his 
 infernal throat issued fire, and young dragons, which he 
 hurled like darts in the eyes and ears of the knights-errants 
 who wished to carry away the apple. But when he saw his 
 alarming figure multiplied a hundred and a hundred times in 
 the Prince's mirrors, it was he that was frightened in his turn. 
 He stopped, and looking fiercely at the Prince laden with 
 dragons, he took flight. Cheri, perceiving the happy effect 
 of his armour, pursued him to the eutraiace of a deep chasm, 
 into which the monster precipitated himself to avoid him. 
 The Prince closed up the aperture securely, and returned 
 with all speed to the singing apple. After mounting upon 
 the top of all the bones that surrounded it, he looked with 
 admiration upon the beautiful tree; it was of amber, the 
 apples being topazes, and the most beautiful of all, which he 
 sought so carefully and at so much peril, appeared at the top, 
 composed of a single ruby, with a crown of diamonds upon it. 
 The Prince, transported with joy at being able to give Belle- 
 Etoile so perfect and rare a treasure, quickly broke the 
 amber branch, and, quite pi'oud of his good fortune, mounted 
 his white horse ; but he could nowhere see the Dove, — she 
 had flown away as soon as there was no further need of her 
 assistance. Without losing any more time in unavailing 
 regrets, and as he feared the dragon, whose hissings he heard, 
 would find some means of getting back to the apples, he 
 returned with his prize to the Princess. 
 
 She had never slept during his absence; she incessantly 
 reproached herself for wishing to possess greater wit than 
 others; she feared for Cheri's life more than her own. "Ah! 
 imfortunate being that I am," cried she, sighing heavily, 
 "why was I so conceited 1 was it not sufficient that I could 
 think and speak well enough, not to do or say anything 
 
594 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOTLE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 absurd ? I shall be well punished for my pride, if I lose him 
 I love. Alas ! " continued she, " the gods, displeased per- 
 haps at my love for Cheri, will take him from me by some 
 tragical end." 
 
 There was no evil that her afflicted heart did not imagine 
 would befal him, when in the middle of the night she heard 
 Buch lovely music, that she could not resist rising and going 
 to the window, to hear it better ; she knew not what to think 
 of it. At one time she believed it must be Apollo and the 
 Muses; at another, Venus, the Graces, and the Loves. The 
 symphony approached nearer, and Belle- Etoile continued to 
 listen. At length the Prince arrived. It was beautifully 
 moonlight. He stopped beneath the Princess's balcony, who 
 had retired upon seeing a cavalier in the distance. The apple 
 immediately sang, " Awake, lovely sleeper." ^ The Princess, 
 from curiosity, looked out instantly to see who was singing 
 so well; and, recognising her beloved brother, was ready to 
 throw herself from the window, to be sooner beside him. 
 She spoke so loud, that every body was awakened, and they 
 went to let Cheri in. One may imagine the haste with which 
 he entered. He held in his hand the amber bi-anch, at the 
 end of which was the wonderful fruit ; and as he had often 
 smelt it, his wit was increased so much that nothing in the 
 world could compare to him. 
 
 Belle-Etoile ran to meet him eagerly. " Do you believe 
 that I thank you, my dear brother?" said she, crying with 
 joy. " No, there is nothing that T do not buy too dearly 
 when I expose you to obtain it for me." "There are no 
 dangers," replied he, " I would not brave to give you the 
 slightest gratification. Accept, Belle-Etoile," he continued, 
 "accept this singular fruit; no one in the world deserves it 
 so much as you do ; but what can it bestow on you more 
 than you already possess?" Petit-Soleil and his brother came 
 and interrupted this conversation. They were delighted to 
 see the Prince again. He gave them an account of his 
 journey, which lasted till the morning. 
 
 (I) " Reveillez-vous, belle endormie." There is an old French song quoted by 
 Dryden, in his comedy, The Assignation, Act ii. Scene 3, which runs thus — 
 " Eveillez-vous, belles endormies, 
 Eveillez-vous, car il est jour ; 
 Mettez la tete a la fenestre, 
 Vous entrendrez parlez d'amour." 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 595 
 
 The wicked Feintise had just returned to her little cottage 
 after discoursing with the Queen-Mother upon her projects. 
 She was too uneasy to sleep quietly. She heard the sweet 
 singing of the apple, that nothing in nature could equal. She 
 felt sure that it had been obtained ! She cried, she -gi'oaned, 
 she scratched her face, she tore her hair ; her grief was exces- 
 sive, for instead of doing harm to these lovely children, as 
 she intended, she did them good by all her perfidious counsels. 
 As soon as it was day she learned but too truly that the 
 Prince had returned. She went to the Queen-Mother. "Well, 
 Feintise," said this Princess, " dost thou bring me good news? 
 have the children perished 1 " " No, Madam," said she, throw- 
 ing herself at her feet ; " but let not your Majesty be impa- 
 tient, I have yet left an infinite number of means by which 
 I may yet get rid of them." " Ah ! wretched creature," said 
 the Queen, " thou livest but to betray me ; thou sparest 
 them." The old woman protested to the contrary; and when 
 she had appeased her slightly, she returned home, to consider 
 what was to be done. 
 
 She allowed some days to pass by without showing herself; 
 and at the end of that time, she watched so well, that she 
 encountered the Princess walking in the forest alone, waiting 
 for her brothers. " Heaven crowns you with blessings, charm- 
 ing Etoile," said this wicked woman, accosting her. '• I have 
 heard that you are in possession of the singing apple. I could 
 not have been more delighted had such good fortune hap- 
 pened to myself, for I must own I feel a great interest in all 
 that tends to your advantage ; but," continued she, " I must 
 now give you another piece of advice." " Ah ! keep your 
 advice to yourself," said the Princess, hurrying away from 
 her, " for whatever good it may bring me, it does not recom- 
 pense me for the anxiety I suffer in consequence of it." 
 
 " Anxiety is not so gi-eat an evil," replied Feintise, smiling. 
 " There are sweet and tender anxieties." " Say no more," 
 added Belle-Etoile ; " I tremble when I think of it." " Truly," 
 said the old woman, " you are much to be pitied, for being 
 the loveliest and most intellectual girl in the world." " I must 
 entreat your pardon, once for all," replied the Princess. " I 
 know too well the state my brother's absence reduced me to." 
 " I must, notwithstanding, assure you," continued Feintise, 
 " that you still need the little green bird, which tells everj- 
 
 QQ2 
 
596 PEINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 thing : he would inform you of your birth, of your good and 
 ill fortune; there is nothing, however secret, that he will not 
 find out for you; and when the world says, ' Belle-Etoile 
 possesses the dancing water and the singing apple,' it will say 
 at the same time, ' but she has not the little green bird which 
 tells everything, and without that slie might almost as well 
 have nothing.' " 
 
 Having thus said all she intended, she retired. The 
 Princess, sad and thoughtful, began to sigh bitterly. " This 
 woman is right," said she; "what advantage can arise from 
 my possessing the water and the apple, if I know not who 
 I am, who are my parents, and by what fatality my brothers 
 and I were exposed to the fury of the waves? There must 
 be something very extraordinary in our births that we should 
 have been thus abandoned; and the interposition of Provi- 
 dence alone could have preserved us in such perils. What 
 delight it would be to know my father and mother, to cherish 
 them if they are still living, and to honour their memory if 
 dead ! " Upon which tears rolled down her cheeks, like drops 
 of morning dew bathing the lilies and roses. 
 
 Cheri, who was always more impatient to see her than 
 either of the others, hurried back as soon as the chase was 
 over. He was on foot ; his bow hung negligently by his side ; 
 he had some arrows in his hand; his long hair confined by 
 a riband. In this guise he had a martial air, which was in- 
 finitely charming. As soon as the Princess saw him she 
 turned into a dark walk, that he might not observe the traces 
 of grief upon her face, which a lover would be sure to detect. 
 The Prince joined her. He scarcely looked at her before he 
 knew she was in some trouble. He was greatly distressed at 
 it. He begged, he implored her to tell him what was the 
 matter. She obstinately refused to do so. At last, he turned 
 the point of one of the arrows to his heart, saying, " You do 
 not love me, Belle-Etoile, and I have nothing to do but to 
 die." The manner in which he spoke alarmed her so des- 
 perately, that she could no longer refuse to tell him her 
 secret; but she revealed it only on condition that he would 
 not again risk his life by endeavouring to satisfy her desires. 
 He promised all she exacted of him, and betrayed no intention 
 of undertaking this last journey. 
 
 As soon as Belle-Etoile had retired to her room, and the 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERT. 597 
 
 Princes to theirs, Cheri descended, took his horse out of the 
 stable, mounted him, and set out without saying a word to 
 any one. This news threw the charming family into great 
 consternation. The King, who could not forget them, sent 
 to beg they would come and dine with him ; they replied 
 that their brother had just left them, that they should feel 
 neither happy nor comfortable without him; and that when 
 he returned they would not fail to pay their duty at the 
 palace. The Princess was inconsolable; the dancing water 
 and the singing apple had no longer any charms for her; 
 nothing was amusing to her while Cheri was absent. The 
 Prince went wandering through the world, asking eveiy one 
 he met if they could tell him where he could find the little green 
 bird that told everything : the greater number knew nothing 
 about it, but he met with a venerable old man, who took 
 him home with him and kindly examined a globe, the study 
 of which was part of his profession as well as his amusement. 
 He then told him it was in a frozen climate, situated upon 
 the top of a frightful rock, and showed him the route he 
 must take. The Prince, in gratitude for this information, 
 gave him a little bag, full of large pearls, that had fallen 
 from his hair; and, taking leave of him, continued his 
 journey. 
 
 At length, at dawn of day, he perceived the rock, which 
 was very high and very steep, and upon the summit of it 
 was the bird, speaking like an oracle, telling wonderful 
 things. He thought that with a little dexterity it would be 
 easy to catch it, for it seemed very tame. It went and came, 
 hopping lightly from one point of the rock to another. The 
 Prince got off his horse, and climbed up very quietly, not- 
 withstanding the roughness of the ascent, promising himself 
 the pleasure of gratifying extremely his dear Belle-Etoile. 
 
 He was so close to the green bird, that he thought he 
 could lay hands on it, when suddenly the rock opened, and 
 he fell into a spacious hall as motionless as a statue ; he 
 could neither stir, nor utter a complaint of his deplorable 
 situation. Three hundred knights who had made the same 
 attempt were in the same state. To look at each other was 
 the only thing permitted them. 
 
 The time seemed so long to Belle-Etoile, and still no signs 
 of her beloved Cheri, that she fell dangerously ill. The 
 
598 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 physicians saw plainly that she was being destroyed by a deep 
 melancholy ; her brothers loved her dearly ; they asked her 
 the reason of her illness ; she acknowledged that she re- 
 proached herself night and day, with being the cause of 
 Cheri's absence, and that she felt she should die if she did not 
 hear some tidings of him. They were affected by her tears ; 
 and in the hopes of curing her, Petit-Soleil resolved to seek 
 his brother. 
 
 The Prince set out ; he ascertained where this famed bird 
 was to be found; he flew there; he saw it — he approached 
 it, with the same hopes as the others had done — at the same 
 moment was swallowed up by the rock; he fell into the great 
 hall; the first person he saw was Cheri, but he could not 
 speak to him. 
 
 Belle-Etoile recovered her health a little; each moment 
 she hoped to see her two brothers return, but her hopes dis- 
 appointed, her distress was renewed — night and day she 
 never ceased lamenting ; she accused herself of her brothers' 
 misfortunes; and Prince Heureux, having no less pity for 
 her than anxiety about his brothers, resolved in his turn to 
 go and seek them. He acquainted Belle-Etoile with his 
 intention ; at first she opposed it, but he told her it was but 
 just that he should encounter any peril in trying to find 
 those he so dearly loved, — thereupon he departed, having 
 taken the most affectionate farewell of the Princess; she re- 
 mained alone, a prey to the deepest sorrow. 
 
 When Feintise was aware that the third prince was gone, 
 she was exceedingly delighted; she told the Queen-Mother of 
 it, and promised her, more confidently than ever, that she 
 would destroy the whole of this unfortunate family! Heureux 
 shared the same fate as Cheri and Petit-Soleil, — he found the 
 rock, he saw the bird, he fell like a statue into the hall, where 
 he recognised the princes he was seeking without being able 
 to speak to them; they were all arranged in crystal niches; 
 they never slept, they never ate, but remained in a miserable 
 state of enchantment, for they were only at liberty to think 
 upon, and in silence deplore, their fate. 
 
 Belle-Etoile, inconsolable at finding not one of her brothers 
 return, reproached herself for having so long delayed to 
 follow them. Without further hesitation she gave orders to 
 all her household to wait for six months, when, if neither 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 599 
 
 her brothers nor herself had returned during that time, they 
 were to go and acquaint the corsair and his wife of their 
 death ; she then dressed hei-self in male attire, believing she 
 would be less exposed to danger in travelling thus disguised, 
 than if she roamed the world as an adventurer of her own 
 sex. Feintise saw her depart upon her beautiful horse ; she 
 was overjoyed, and ran to the palace, to delight the Queen- 
 Mother with this good news. 
 
 The Princess had no other armour than a helmet, the vizor 
 of which she scarcely ever raised, for her beauty was of so 
 delicate and perfect a description that no one would have 
 believed (as she wished they should) that she was a cavalier. 
 It was a very sevei'e winter, and the country in which the 
 talking bird was, never, in any season, felt the happy influence 
 of the sun ! 
 
 Belle-Etoile was dreadfully cold, but nothing could deter 
 her progress when she saw a turtle-dove, scarcely less whita 
 or colder than the snow upon which it lay extended. Not- 
 withstanding her impatience to arrive at the rock, she could 
 not leave it thus to die, and getting off her hoi-se, she took it 
 up, warmed it with her breath, and then put it into her 
 bosom : the poor little thing never moved, Belle-Etoile 
 thought it was dead, which she was very sorry for; she took 
 it out again, and looking at it, said, as though it coiild under- 
 stand her, " What shall I do, sweet dove, to save thy life ? " 
 " Belle-Etoile," replied the bird, " one sweet kiss from your 
 lips, will complete the charitable work you have begun." 
 " Not only one," said the Princess, " but a hundred, if they 
 are needed." She kissed it, and the dove reviving, gaily said, 
 " I know you, in spite of your disguise ; learn that you have 
 undertaken a tiling it would be impossible for you to succeed 
 in, without my assistance, — follow, therefore, my advice : as 
 soon as you have arrived at the rock, instead of trying to 
 ascend it, remain at the bottom of it, and begin to sing the 
 best and sweetest song you know; the green bird that 
 tells everything, will listen to you, and observe from whence 
 the voice proceeds ; you must then pretend to go to sleep ; I 
 wall be near you; when it sees me, it will come down from the 
 point of the rock to peck me, at that moment you will be 
 able to seize it." 
 
 The Princess, enchanted at this hope, speedily arrived at 
 
600 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 the rock; she recognised her brothers' horses grazing; at sight 
 of them her grief was renewed, she sat down, and cried 
 bitterly for some time; but the little green bird said so 
 many beautiful things, so consolatory to the imfortunate, 
 that there was no afflicted heart it did not relieve. She 
 therefore dried her tears, and began to sing so loud, and so 
 well, that the Princes had the pleasure of hearing her in their 
 enchanted hall. 
 
 From that moment they felt there was some hope. The 
 green bird that tells everything listened, and looked about 
 to find where the voice came from; it perceived the Princess, 
 who had taken off her helmet, that she might sleep more 
 comfortably, and the dove, who kept flying around her. At 
 this sight it gently descended, and came to peck it, but it 
 had not torn out three feathers, before it was taken itself 
 
 " Ah! what would you do with me?" it said; "what have I 
 done to you, that you should come from such a distance to 
 render me miserable? Grant me my liberty, I entreat you, 
 and I will do anything you wish in exchange." " I wish," 
 said Belle-Etoile, " that thou wouldst restore my three bro- 
 thers to me. I know not where they are, but as their horses 
 are feeding near this rock, I am sure thou detainest them 
 somewhere hereabouts." " Under my left wing there is a red 
 feather, pull it out," said the bird, "and touch the rock with 
 it." The Princess hastened to do as it instructed her ; at the 
 JSame instant she saw such lightning, and heard such a roar 
 of thunder and wind together, that she was dreadfully 
 frightened. Notwithstanding her alarm she still kept tight 
 hold of the green bird, thinking it might escape her; she 
 touched the rock again with the red feather, and the third 
 time it split from the top to the bottom : she entered with 
 a victorious air the hall in which stood the three Princes with 
 many others ; she ran towards Cheri, — he did not know her 
 in her helmet and male attire, and as the enchantment was 
 not yet ended, he coiild neither speak nor move. The Prin- 
 cess, seeing this, put fresh questions to the green bird, to 
 which it replied that she must rub the eyes and mouth of all 
 those she wished to disenchant with the red feather, which 
 good office she did to several kings and sovereign personages, 
 and especially to our three Princes. 
 
 Grateful for so important a benefit, they all threw them- 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 601 
 
 selves at her feet, calling her the Liberator of Kings. She 
 then discovered that her brothers, deceived by her dress, did 
 not at all recognise her; she instantly took off her helmet, 
 held out her arms to them, and embraced them a hundred times: 
 she then asked the other princes with much kindness who they 
 were; each of them told her their own adventure, and offered 
 to accompany her wherever she wished to go : she replied, 
 that though the laws of chivalry might give her a right over 
 the liberty she had just restored to them, she should not 
 think of taking advantage of it. She then retired with the 
 Princes, that they might relate to each other what had hap- 
 pened to them since their separation. 
 
 The little green bird that tells everything interrupted 
 them, to entreat Belle-Etoile to set him free ; she immediately 
 sought the dove to ask her advice, but she could not find her 
 anywhere ; she told the bird that she had suffered too much 
 trouble and anxiety on his account to enjoy her conquest for 
 so short a time. All four then mounted their horses, leaving 
 the emperors and kings to walk, for as they had been there 
 between two and three hundred years, their horses had 
 perished. 
 
 The Queen-Mother, relieved from all the anxiety that the 
 return of her lovely children had given her, renewed her 
 attempts to persuade the King to marry again, and urged him 
 80 strongly, that she at last induced him to make choice of a 
 princess of his own family. As it would be necessary to dis- 
 solve his marriage with the poor Queen Blondine, who had 
 lived at her mother's country-house, with the three dogs, 
 which she had named Chagrin, Mouron,^ and Douleur, in 
 consequence of all the misery they had caused her, the 
 Queen-Mother sent for her ; she got into the carriage, taking 
 the whelps with her; she was di-essed in black, with a long 
 veil which fell down to her feet. 
 
 In this apparel she looked more beautiful than the sun, 
 although she had become pale and thin, for she scarcely ever 
 slept, and never ate but from complaisance, and every one 
 pitied her poor mother; the King was so much affected that 
 
 (1) Mouron is the herb called Pimpernel or Burnet. I have not been able to 
 find any property attributed to it, or superstition attached to it, that would account 
 for Blondine's so naming one of her dogs. It may be simply from its similarity 
 in sound to mourrant. 
 
603 PBINCESS BELLE-ETOUE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 he dared not look at her, but when he remembered that he 
 ran the risk of having no other heirs but these whelps, he 
 consented to everything. 
 
 The marriage-day being fixed, the Queen-Mother, at the 
 suggestion of the admii-al's wife, (who always hated her 
 unfortunate sister,) commanded the Queen Blondine to appear 
 at the ceremony. Everything was done to make it grand 
 and sumptuous, and as the King wished the strangers to wit- 
 ness this magnificence, he ordered his principal equeny to 
 go and invite the beautiful children, and commanded him, iu 
 case they were not yet come back, to leave strict orders, that 
 they should be informed of his wish on their return. 
 
 The principal equerry went to seek them, but did not find 
 them; but knowing the pleasure the King would have in 
 seeing them, he left one of his gentlemen to wait for them, 
 to conduct them to the palace without delay. The happy 
 day — the day of the grand banquet, arrived, Belle-Etoile and 
 the Princes had returned ; the gentleman related the King's 
 history to them, that he had married a poor girl who was 
 perfectly beautiful and virtuous, who had the misfortune to 
 bring into the world three dogs; that he had sent her away, 
 never to see her again, but that he loved her dearly; that he 
 had passed fifteen years without listening to any proposition 
 of marriage, but that the Queen-Mother and her subjects 
 having urged him strongly, he had at length determined to 
 marry a princess of the blood-royal, and that it was necessary 
 they should repair immediately to the palace to assist at the 
 ceremony. Belle-Etoile put on a rose-coloured velvet dress, 
 trimmed with brilliants, her hair fell in large curls upon her 
 shoulders, ornamented with knots of ribands ; the star upon 
 her forehead shone splendidly, and the chain of gold around 
 her neck, which could not be taken ofi^, seemed to be of a 
 metal more precious even than gold. Nothing to mortal 
 eyes would have appeared more beautiful. Her brothers 
 were attired with equal splendour, particulai-ly Prince Cheri ; 
 there was something in his appearance which distinguished 
 him especially. They all four went in a coach made of ebony 
 and ivory; the inside was lined with cloth of gold, the 
 cushions were of the same, embroidered with jewels; it was 
 drawn by twelve white horses, the remainder of their equipage 
 was incomparably beautiful. When Belle-Etoile and her 
 
PKINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PBINCE CHERI. 603 
 
 brothers arrived, the delighted King went with all his court 
 to receive them, at the top of the stairs. The apple sang 
 wonderfully well, the water danced, and the little bird that 
 told everything spoke better than an oracle. All four 
 knelt to the King, took his hand, and kissed it with a3 
 much respect as aii'ection. He embraced them, and said, " I 
 am much obliged to you, lovely strangers, for coming here 
 to-day ; your presence gives me great pleasure." With these 
 words he conducted them into a grand saloon, where several 
 musicians were performing, and various tables, splendidly 
 furnished, left nothing to be desired in the way of good 
 cheer. 
 
 The Queen-Mother arrived, accompanied by her future 
 daughter-in-law, the admiral's wife, and a great number of 
 ladies, and among them the poor Queen, who had a long strap 
 of leather round her neck, which also linked the three dogs 
 to her. They conducted her into the middle of the saloon, 
 where they had placed a cauldron filled with bones and bad 
 meat, which the Queen had ordered for their dinner. 
 
 When Belle-Etoile and the Princes saw this unhappy 
 Princess, though they knew her not, teai-s rushed into their 
 eyes, either from reflections upon the vicissitudes of this life, 
 which affected them, or that they were touched by an instinct 
 of nature, which will often make itself felt. But what did 
 the wicked Queen think of a return so unexpected, and so 
 contrary to her wishes? She cast so furious a look at Fein- 
 tise, that she sincerely desired the earth would open and 
 swallow her up. 
 
 The King presented the beautiful children to his mother, 
 saying a thousand kind things of them; and in spite of the 
 uneasiness she endured, she received them graciously, and 
 looked upon them as favourably as though slie loved them, 
 for dissimulation was in vogue even at that time. The feast 
 passed off very gaily, although the King was very much dis- 
 tressed to see his wife eating with the whelps, as the meanest 
 of all creatures ; but having resolved to be as complaisant as 
 possible to his mother, who obliged him to re-marry, he left 
 everything to her orders. 
 
 At the end of the repast, the King addressed himself to 
 Belle-Etoile. " I know," said he, " you are in possession of 
 three treasures which are unequalled. I congratulate you, 
 
604 PEINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERL 
 
 and I entreat you to relate to us how you acquired them." 
 " Sire," replied she, " I shall obey you with pleasure ; they 
 told me the dancing water would make me beautiful, that 
 the singing apple would give me wit. I wished to possess 
 them, for these two reasons. With respect to the little gi-een 
 bird that tells everything, I had a different one ; we know 
 nothing of our fatal birth — we are children who have been 
 abandoned by our relatives — we know of none that exist. 
 I hoped that this wonderful bird would enlighten us upon 
 a matter which we think of night and day." " Judging of 
 your birth by yourself," said the King, " it ought to be most 
 illustrious; but in truth, who are youl" "Sire," she said, 
 "my brothers and myself deferred asking the bird that 
 question till our return; when we arrived we received your 
 commands to come to your wedding ; all that I could do was 
 to bring you these three curiosities to amuse you." 
 
 " I am very glad of that," said the King ; " do not let us 
 defer anything that will be so entertaining." " You amuse 
 yourself with every foolish thing that is proposed to you," 
 said the Queen- Mother angrily. "Here are pleasant mar- 
 mosets indeed with their rarities! truly the very name is 
 enough to prove that nothing could be more ridiculous. 
 Fye, fye. I do not choose that these petty strangers, appa- 
 rently the dregs of the people, should have the power of 
 abusing your credulity. The whole of this is but an affair of 
 juggling with sacks and cups, and but for you they would 
 never have had the honour of sitting at my table." 
 
 Belle-Etoile and her brothers, hearing this offensive lan- 
 guage, knew not what to imagine; their faces flushed with 
 confusion and despair at being thus insulted before all this 
 grand Court. But the King, telling his mother that this pro- 
 ceeding was an outrage to him, begged the beautiful children 
 not to feel hurt at it, and held out his hand in token of 
 friendship. Belle-Etoile took a glass basin, and poured all 
 the dancing water into it; immediately they perceived the 
 water was agitated, it skipped about to and fro, heaving like 
 an angry little sea ; it varied its colour, and made the basin 
 move the length of the King's table ; then suddenly it spurted 
 out and sprinkled the chief equerry's face, to whom the 
 children were under obligations. He was a man of great 
 merit, but he was very ugly, and he had likewise lost an eye. 
 
TRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PKINCE CHERI. 605 
 
 As soon as the water touched him he became so handsome, 
 no one recognised him, and his eye was restored. The King, 
 ■who loved him dearly, was as much delighted at this occur- 
 rence as the Queen-Mother was displeased to hear the applause 
 that was bestowed upon the Princes. After silence was re- 
 stored, Belle-Etoile placed the singing apple upon the water ; 
 it was made out of a single ruby, surrounded by diamonds, 
 ■with a branch of amber; it commenced so harmonious a 
 concert, that a hundred musicians would have been less 
 effective. This enchanted the King and all his Court, whose 
 admiration increased when Belle-Etoile drew from her muff 
 a little golden cage, of beautiful workmanship, in which was 
 the green bird that told everything ; it was fed upon diamond 
 dust, and drank only the water from distilled pearls. She 
 took it very gently and placed it on the apple, which was 
 silent out of respect, and to give the bird the opportunity 
 of talking; its feathers were so beautifully delicate, that they 
 ■were ruffled by people even shutting and opening their eyes 
 near it. They were of all the shades of green that could be 
 imagined. The bird addressed itself to the King, and asked 
 him what he would like to know 1 " We should like to learn," 
 said the King, "who this beautiful girl and these three cavaliers 
 arel" "Oh, King," answered the green bird, -with a loud 
 and intelligible voice ; " she is thy daughter, and two of these 
 princes are thy sons, the third, called Cheri, is thy nephew;" 
 and it then related with wonderful eloquence the whole his- 
 tory, without omitting the least circumstance. The King 
 wept, and the afflicted Queen, who had quitted the cauldron, 
 the bones, and the dogs, approached gently, ■weeping for joy 
 and love for her husband and her children ; for could she doubt 
 the truth of this statement, when she perceived all the tokens 
 by which they could be recognised. The three Princes and 
 Belle-Etoile rose up at the end of their history, they threw 
 themselves at the King's feet — they embraced his knees, they 
 kissed his hands; he stretched out his arms to them, he 
 pressed them to his heart; there was nothing heard but 
 sighs and exclamations of joy. The King arose, and seeing 
 the Queen, his wife, standing timidly close to the wall, in 
 a most humble posture, ran to her, and bestowing on her a 
 thousand caresses, placed a chair for her himself close to his, 
 and made her sit down in it. 
 
606 PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 
 
 Her children kissed her hands and feet a thousand times; 
 never had there been a more tender and touching sight; 
 every one wept and raised their hands and eyes to heaven, to 
 return thanks for having permitted such important circum- 
 stances to be brought to light. The King thanked the 
 princess, who had intended to many him, and presented her 
 with a large quantity of jewels. But for the Queen-Mother, 
 the admiral's wife, and Feintise, what could he not have 
 done to them, if he had only been counselled by his indigna- 
 tion! The tempest of his rage began to lower, when the 
 generous Queen, his children, and Cheri entreated him to be 
 appeased, and to inflict a judgment upon them more for the 
 sake of example than severity : he imprisoned the Queen- 
 Mother in a tower, but for the admiral's wife and Feintise, 
 they threw them together into a dark loathsome dungeon, 
 where they fed with the three dogs called Chagrin, Mouron, 
 and Douleur; and as they no longer saw their good mistress, 
 they bit those they were with every instant. In this dungeon 
 they ended their days, which were sufficiently protracted to 
 give them time to repent of all their crimes. 
 
 As soon as the Queen- Mother, the admiral's wife, and 
 Feintise, were led away to the several places appointed 
 for them by the King, the musicians began to sing and to 
 play. The joy was unequalled; Bello-Etoile and Cheri felt 
 more than everybody besides ; they knew they were on the 
 eve of being made happy. In short, the King, who thought 
 his nephew the handsomest and most accomplished man at 
 Court, told him he could not let such a grand day pass without 
 a wedding, and that he presented him with his daughter. 
 The Prince, transported with joy, threw himself at his feet, 
 and Belle-Etoile was equally delighted. 
 
 It was but just that the old Princess, who had lived in soli- 
 tude for so many years, should quit it to partake of the pub- 
 lic rejoicing. The same little fairy, who came to dine with 
 her, and whom she received so well, entered suddenly to 
 relate to her all that had passed at Court. '• Let us go there," 
 continued she, " I will inform you as we go along of the care 
 I have taken of your family." The grateful Princess ascended 
 the Fairy's chariot, which was brilliant with gold and azure, 
 and preceded by a military band, and followed by a hundred 
 body-guards, consisting of the first noblemen in the kingdom. 
 
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE AND PRINCE CHERI. 607 
 
 The Fairj related to the Princess the history of her grand- 
 children, and told her she had never forsaken them ; that 
 under the form of a syren, of a turtle-dove, in short, in a 
 thousand various ways, she had protected them. " You see," 
 said she, " a good action always meets return." 
 
 The good Princess kept incessantly kissing her hand, to 
 show her gratitude, and knew not in what terms to express 
 the extent of her joy. At length they arrived at the palace. 
 The King received them with a thousand expressions of 
 friendship. The Princess Blondine and the beautiful chil- . 
 dren were eager (as might be expected) to testify their love 
 for this illustrious lady; and when they knew what the 
 Fairy had done for them, and that she was the kind Dove 
 who had guided them, they could not find words to thank 
 her. To add to the King's satisfaction, she told him, that his 
 mother-in-law, whom he had al'.-ays considered to be a poor 
 peasant, was born a sovereign princess. It was perhaps the 
 only thing wanting to complete the happiness of this monarch. 
 The fete was finished by the marriage of Belle-Etoile with 
 Prince Cheri. The Corsair and his wife were sent for, that 
 they might be still further rewarded for the admirable edu- 
 cation they had given the beautiful children. And, to con- 
 clude, after having suffered years of trouble and anxiety, 
 everybody was made perfectly happy. 
 
 Love, mighty Love ! let not the censor frown, 
 
 The origin is often of Renown. 
 
 What can like Love the youthful breast inspire, 
 
 Danger to scorn, or honour to dssire? 
 
 'Tis he who fiU'd the world with Chen's name, 
 
 And prompted him to deeds of deathless fame. 
 
 When once for Woman truly sighs the heart, 
 
 E'en her capricfs Man must needs obey ; 
 
 And backward from no precipice will start, 
 
 If o'er it Love, to Glory, point the way. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 Gracieuse et PERCTjnsT. — This story bears to me internal 
 evidence of being a coup d'essai. It is slighter in plot, and 
 the repetition of incident weakens the interest of what there 
 is of it. Several English versions of it have been pub- 
 lished under the title of " Graciosa and Percinet." In this 
 very first story the effects of Madame d'Aulnoy's residence at 
 the court of Madrid is to be seen. She tells us that Grognon. 
 " determined to make her entree on horseback, because she 
 had heard it was the custom of the Queens of Spain." 
 Madame d'Aulnoy was present at the entree of Marie d'Orleans, 
 queen of Charles II. of Spain, into Madrid, January 13th, 
 1680. The Queen, she tells us, rode on a fine Andalusian horse, 
 which the Marquis de Villa Mayna, her first gentleman-usher, 
 led by the reins. Her clothes were so richly embroidered 
 that you could not see the stuff they were made of. She 
 wore a hat trimmed with white and scarlet feathers, and the 
 pearl called the Peregrina,^ which is as big as a small pear, 
 and of inestimable value, hanging from the agraffe of dia- 
 monds which looped up her hat. Her hair hung loose upon 
 her shoulders and forehead : her neck was a little bare, and 
 she wore a farthingale. She had upon her finger the king's 
 large diamond, which it is pretended is the finest in Europe. — 
 " Travels in Spain," and " Memoirs of the Court of Spain." 
 
 La Belle aux Cheveux d'Or. — The Fair with Golden 
 Hair, is one of the most popular tales in the collection, and 
 
 (1) See page 580 of this volume. 
 BB 
 
610 APPENDIX. 
 
 deservedly so. The sweet lesson of kindness to animals, 
 which is a peculiar feature in these charming fictions, is 
 herein most agreeably impressed on the youthful mind. 
 Many English versions of it have been published, and it 
 has sufiered less, perhaps, than any other in the series; 
 bnt in this story the confusion arising from translating 
 proper names begins to be evident. Avenant is in some 
 versions called Graceful, while in others the French name is 
 retained; now as Avenant signifies also, handsome, proper, 
 comely, decent, neat, well-fashioned, well-behaved, well-be- 
 seeming, and half-a-dozen other things, it might consequently 
 be rendered differently by as many translators, till the gentle 
 page would cease to be recognised under such a multitude of 
 aliases. Surely Avenant is as pretty a name as Graceful, 
 and, what is of more consequence, it is that which the 
 authoress gave him, and any translation, in my opinion, 
 destroys his identity. 
 
 The confusion of Bologna in Italy with Boulogne (sur-Mer) 
 in France, was an easy mistake for any uninterested translator 
 to fall into. Had I not felt that Madame d'Aulnoy never men- 
 tions a place or a person without some particular motive, 
 I might not have troubled myself to ascertain which place 
 she really did mean by Boulogne. The fashion mentioned 
 by Evelyn, appears not to have been of long duration, for in 
 "An Agreeable Criticism of the City of Paris," (London, 
 1706,) we are told, "The Bolonia dogs are now laid aside as 
 ugly and unsupportable, and none are caressed but those with 
 the snout of a wolf, and cut ears ; and the more they are 
 deformed, the more they are honoured with kisses and 
 embraces." 
 
 L'OiSEAU Bleu. — The Blue Bird is another of the most 
 popular of these stories, and has escaped with better treat- 
 ment than many. The display made by Truitonne of her 
 marriage presents (p. 45), appears to have been suggested by 
 a similar exhibition made by the young Princess of Monteleon 
 to the Countess at Madrid. "They brought thirty silver 
 baskets full, which were as deep and as wide as table-baskets; 
 they were so heavy that there were four women to carry one 
 basket. In them there was whatever is possible to be seen 
 that is fine and rich, according to the fashion of the country. 
 
APPENDIX. 611 
 
 Amongst other things, there were six of a certain sort of close 
 coat of gold and silver brocade, made like vests, to wear in a 
 morning, with buttons some of diamonds and others of eme- 
 ralds, and of these every one had six dozen." — (Travels in 
 Spain, Letter VIII.) The freedom with which Florine, in her 
 assumed character of Mie Souillon, perambulates the royal 
 palace and gardens with her toys for sale, would not have 
 appeared improbable to a French cotemporary reader. In 
 "A View of Paris," (London, 1701,) the English traveller 
 says, " I was not a little surprised to see people sell things 
 about in the Court, (at Fontainbleau,) as if it had been a 
 market-place." — P. 62. 
 
 Prince Lutin. — This is also a general favourite, and has 
 appeared in English as " The Hobgoblin Prince," " Prince 
 Elfin," and " The Invisible Prince." As Lutin is not the 
 proper name of the hero, but his quality, I have translated 
 it Sprite ; for Elfin it certainly is not. An elf is a fairy, 
 which Leander himself disclaims being. (See page 96.) He 
 possesses no magic power over others; he is simply en- 
 dowed with the faculty of rendering himself invisible, and of 
 transporting himself with the speed of thought wherever he 
 pleases. He is rendered ethereal. Shakespere has described 
 the very being — 
 
 " And I will purge thy mortal grossness, so 
 That thou shalt like an airy spirit go." — Midiummer Night't Dream. 
 
 Titania herein makes exactly the same offer to the Athenian 
 Clown that the Fairy Gentille does to Leander. Lutin is 
 literally a sprite, or goblin ; but a goblin with us conveys the 
 idea of something frightful, or at least gi'otesque, in appear- 
 ance, and generally mischievous in character; and I have 
 therefore preferred the former title. " The Invisible Prince " 
 is not the name of this story, and it is the name of another 
 fairy tale by Madame I'Eveque; and though I felt justified 
 in using it for the title of my extravaganza founded on 
 " Prince Lutin," as the story had been popularized under that 
 name in the nursery, I did not conceive myself authorized to 
 retain it under the present circumstances, although certainly 
 a more attractive one than the original. 
 
 I have explained who Brioche, the puppet-showman, was, in 
 br2 
 
612 APPENDIX. 
 
 a note to " The Blue Bird " (page 65) ; but I may add here, 
 that the two monkeys, Briscarabille and Perceforet, -which 
 Leander buys of him, were named after a celebrated droll, and 
 the hero of a popular romance. Briscambille, or Bruscam- 
 bille, was a comic actor. He appears to have been a sort of 
 French Joe Miller, as I find in the " Dictionnaire Bibliogra- 
 phique, etc., des Livres Rares," (Paris, 1790,) the following 
 work : " Fac6tieuses Paradoxes de Bruscambille, et autres 
 discours comiques, le tout nouvellement tire de I'escarcelle 
 des ses imaginations. Rouen: Malliart, 1615." "Le Roman de 
 Perceforet" is a work of the 15th century. Perceforet is a name 
 now generally given to a great hunter. The allusion to the 
 bad faith and chicanery of the Normans, as I have shown, is 
 not peculiar to Madame d'Aulnoy ; but we may presume that 
 the fact of her husband having been falsely accused of treason 
 by two natives of that province had not disposed her to spare 
 them ; though, if not a native herself, her father was, we are 
 told, connected with the first families in Normandy. I must 
 plead guilty to the anachronism in the concluding verses. 
 Madame d'Aulnoy could not, of course, have quoted Gray; 
 but " Heureux ceux qui sent ignorants," must have recalled 
 the well-known phrase, " Ignorance is bliss," to the reader, 
 render it as I might. 
 
 The two following stories, La Princesse Printaniere and 
 La Princesse Rosette are less known, and I have seen but 
 two English versions of them ; the former appeared first 
 under the title of " Princess Verenata," and recently as 
 " Princess Maia ;" the latter was dramatized by me under that 
 of " The King of the Peacocks:" They are both of them 
 agreeable stories, inculcating, the one, filial duty; the other, 
 forgiveness of injuries : but call for no additional remarks 
 here. 
 
 Le Rameau d'Or. — " The Golden Branch " appeared in 
 English, in a book entitled, "The Diverting Works of 
 the Countess d'Anois," London, 1717, It is one of the 
 most elaborate and original of the series. The corresponding 
 adventures of Torticoli and Trognon in the tower have an 
 oriental air about them, and are agreeably contrasted by the 
 pastoral scenes that follow their transformation. 
 
APPENDIX. 613 
 
 L'Oranger et l'Abeille was also first published in " The 
 Diverting Works." I have given a note in explanation of the 
 word Canamhour, "Eagle wood," which occurs in the ori- 
 ginal ; and in Madame d'Aulnoy's " Travels in Spain," she 
 mentions her first acquaintance with the material. " The 
 Princess of Monteleon," she tells us, " presented me with 
 a pair of beads of Palo d'Aguila, which is a ciu-ious sort of 
 wood that comes from the Indies." 
 
 La Bonxe Petite Souris concludes the first portion of 
 " Contes des F4es." As " The Good Little Mouse," a mo- 
 dernised version appeared in the "Child's Fairy Library." 
 The story is by no means equal to its predecessors. 
 
 Le Mouton is the first fairy tale in " Les F6es k la Mode," 
 which are a series of stories, the first three supposed to be 
 told by the personages in a Spanish novel, which Madame 
 d'Aulnoy, in a fanciful introduction, says she has joined to 
 them to make them more agreeable. " Le Mouton " is an 
 old acquaintance with English juvenile readera, to whom 
 several abridgments have been furnished, under the title of 
 " The Royal Ram ; " a more captivating one, I admit, but 
 not the author's, which is simply " The Ram," It appears 
 to have suggested to Madame de Villeneuve her charming 
 story of " La Belle et la BSte " — " Beauty and the Beast." 
 She has rendered the lover more hideous, and altered the 
 tragical termination; but the general idea is too similar to 
 be accidental. 
 
 FiNETTE Cendron exposcs Madame d'Aulnoy to a similar 
 charge of imitation. This story is a cmious compound of 
 Perrault's " Petit Poucet," and his " Cendi'illon," so fami- 
 liarized to us as " Hop o' my Thumb," and " Cinderella." 
 As the fair Countess does not neglect any opportunity of 
 testifying to the popularity of Perrault, it is singular that 
 she should have so boldly appropriated two of the best stories 
 of a living author at a time when they were in everybody's 
 hands, and his fame in its zenith. The pasticcio is still more 
 remarkable, from the fact that in the title of Madame 
 d'Aulnoy's story we find the name of Finette, also rendered 
 celebrated by Perrault, as that of his " Adroite Princesse," 
 
614 APPENDIX. 
 
 believed, by the way, and with good reason, to be the first 
 Fairy Tale of this class ever written. The occurrence of the 
 actual name of Cendrillon towards the close of the story, 
 (see page 243, note,) completes the mystification, and induces 
 one almost to imagine that the authorc had a common original, 
 which has hitherto escaped notice. 
 
 FoRTUNEE is a pleasant little story, which the translators of 
 "The Collection" thought proper to omit, substituting in its 
 place, without a word of explanation, " Le Palais de Ven- 
 geance," by the Countess de Murat. Fortunee, I believe, 
 has not been previously translated. 
 
 Babiole has been published with some little compression 
 in the " Child's Fairy Library." In this story the author's 
 Spanish reminiscences are particularly obvious. There is 
 more fancy than intention in the plot, and it conveys no 
 particular moral. It is altogether more like an Arabian 
 Nights' tale, and may indeed have had an eastern original. 
 In " The Collection" this story is supplanted by the Countess 
 de Murat's " Anguillette," the name being coolly substituted 
 for that of Babiole in the paragraph which precedes it, with- 
 out the slightest explanation. 
 
 Le Nain Jaunb, the " Yellow Dwarf," is a more popular 
 story, and though as tragical in its termination as " The 
 Ram," has been more frequently presented to the English 
 public in one shape or another, and especially in a di-amatic 
 form. The genius of Mr. Robson is, at the moment I write, 
 illustrating it at the Olympic Theatre, in a most remarkable 
 manner. This story is introduced by Madame d'Aulnoy in 
 a novel called " Don Ferdinand de Toledo." 
 
 Serpentix Vert is a story that has been altogether ne- 
 glected by English translators; and, substituted for it in "The 
 Collection," we find '' Young and Handsome," the '•' Jeune et 
 Belle" of Madame de Murat. "Serpentin Vert," which I could 
 only render in English " Green Serpent," is a singular story, 
 and were it not for the incongruous and rather clumsy em- 
 ployment of mythological machinery in the working out of 
 its denoument, might rank with the happiest of Madame 
 
APrENDIX. 615 
 
 d'Aulnoy's inspirations. We might tolerate Cupid, but 
 Proserpine and the Infernal Regions are too much out of 
 keeping with the rest of the picture, and there is something 
 altogether " lame and impotent" in the conclusion. The idea 
 of the effect produced by Love, although " hidden in the 
 hearts of the young people," upon the Fairy Magotine, is 
 poetical enough, but it does not harmonize with the subject, 
 Madame de Beaumont has a story entitled " Bellotte and 
 Laidronette," names which I presume she must have taken 
 from this tale. " Serpentin Vert" will be recognised per- 
 haps by some of our readers as the foundation of my extra- 
 vaganza, " The Island of Jewels." In the portrait of Madame 
 d'Auluoy, affixed to this volume, wUl be found a pictorial 
 illustration of the bow of riband worn on the muff at that 
 period, and mentioned at page 305. 
 
 La Prinxesse Carpillon. — A version of this story is to 
 be found in " The Collection." It is one of the best in the 
 book, but calls for no observation here. 
 
 La Grenouillb Bientaisante was omitted by the col- 
 lectors, and I believe first appeared in English in the "Child's 
 Fairy Library," with the usual abbreviations and alterations. 
 It is very original in its plot, and amusingly extravagant in 
 its details. 
 
 La Biche au Bois. — This charming story was likewise 
 most unaccountably discarded by the collectors; but as " The 
 Hind in the Forest," two or three English versions have 
 appeared in other publications, and it has been more than 
 once dramatized. My own version was entitled " The Prince 
 of Happy Land, or the Fawn in the Forest ;" "The Hind in 
 the Wood," as I have here translated it, is nearer to the 
 original. Its commencement slightly reminds us of the 
 Princesse Printaniere, but the story is a much more agi-eeable 
 one. 
 
 La Chatte Blanche. — The White Cat is one of the best 
 known, and most popular of all Madame d'Aulnoy's stories, 
 and few collections of Fairy Tales are to be found without 
 a version of it. In the present translation, however, will be 
 
616 APPENDIX. 
 
 found many interesting passages, illustrative of manners and 
 customs of the period, which have been omitted by previous 
 editors. The plot has a strong resemblance to part of that 
 of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Pai-i-Banou, in the Arabian 
 Nights' Entertainments. Madame d'Aulnoy's story is, how- 
 ever, by fiir the best of the two. 
 
 Belle-Belle, ou lb Chevalier FoRTONi. — This is another 
 great favourite, but it has been always called in English ver- 
 sions, " Fortunio, or the Fortunate Knight." Now there is 
 a story in " The Collection," " Les lUustres Fees," entitled, 
 " Fortunio," and the appropriation is more reprehensible on 
 that account. " Le Chevalier Fortune," also, does not mean 
 the fortunate knight. Fortun6 is the name by which Belle- 
 Belle passes at the court of King Alfourite, Chevalier being 
 the title prefixed to it. 
 
 Le Pigeon et la Colombe. — This appears in " The Collec- 
 tion," but I am not aware that there has been any other version 
 of it. It is feebler in plot than many of the others, but there 
 is considerable grace and feeling in the treatment of it. 
 There seems to be no reason for Constancio's concealment 
 from the Queen of the fact of Constancia's being a Princess, 
 and consequently a fitting match for him, except the one that 
 has been urged on another occasion, and of which I cannot 
 dispute the importance, namely, that the revelation of it 
 would immediately put a stop to the story. 
 
 La Princesse Belle-Etoile et le Prince Chert. — This 
 Fairy Tale, which has acquired so much popularity in every 
 form, is substantially the same with that of " Les deux Soeurs 
 Jalouses de leur Cadette," in Galland's version of " Les 
 Milles et vme Nuits." Where Madame d'Aulnoy found the 
 original story, if it be indeed, of eastern origin, (which, how- 
 ever, admits of a doubt,) does not appear; not that she gives 
 any hint that she is indebted for it to anything but her own 
 fertile imagination. That the story has been embellished by 
 that imagination will be admitted by all who compare the 
 two. The stars on the forehead, and the gold chains round 
 the neck are fancied in the true spirit of Fairy Tale telling ; 
 and very superior to the ugly notion of a prince with silver 
 
APPENDIX. 617 
 
 hair on one side of his head and gold on the other, which 
 reminds one of the advertising pictures inscribed " No more 
 grey hair," lately made so familiar to the London Public; 
 and the introduction of Prince Cheri (the Prince Cherry of 
 the stage) is a vast improvement in the plot, giving a lover 
 to the Princess, and increasing the interest of the story as 
 well as the point of the dialogue. The translators have 
 Englished Belle-Etoile into Fair Star, and Latinized Heureux 
 into Felix. Cheri is spelt with a y instead of an i, and left 
 untranslated to be corrupted into Cherry ; while Petit-Soleil 
 is changed into Bright Sun. It would have been more con- 
 sistent, and scarcely more destructive of their identity, to 
 have renamed them altogether. 
 
 PRINCE MARCASSm. 
 
 The felicity of a King and Queen is clouded by their having 
 no family. The Queen, sleeping one day in a garden, dreams 
 that three fairies appear in the air above her head, and, ex- 
 pressing their concern for her, determine that she shall have 
 a son, whom the first two endow with all the graces of form, 
 feature, and intellect. The third, however, merely laughs 
 and mutters some words between her teeth, which are not 
 intelligible to the Queen. She wakes, sees no one, returns to 
 the palace in great agitation, and reveals her dream to the 
 King, expressing her alarm at the intentions of the third fairy. 
 In due time, the promised heir to the throne makes his appear- 
 ance ; but, instead of a beautiful boy, he is a horrible wild 
 boar-pig, called in French, Marcassin, The terrible misfor- 
 tune is concealed for some time from the Queen; but when 
 they are compelled to tell her the truth, her distress is, of 
 course, ovenvhelming. She, however, resists the King's pro- 
 posal to destroy the little monster, and by degrees becomes 
 attached to it. Prince Marcassin, as he is named, grows up, 
 and exhibits considerable capacity and coiirage ; but has 
 much of the ferocity, as well as all the appearance, of a 
 wild-boar. His manners and dress are described with some 
 humour. A lady of quality, reduced in circumstances, ap- 
 plies to the Queen for protection for herself and her three 
 
618 APPENDIX. 
 
 daughters, Ismen6, Zelonide, and Marthesie. Prince Marcassin 
 sees and falls in love with the eldest. She is attached 
 and contracted to a young nobleman, named Coridon; but 
 the mother, dazzled by the prospect of seeing her daughter 
 the wife of the heir apparent, insists upon Ismene resigning 
 Coridon, and accepting Prince Marcassin. The wedding takes 
 place, and on the bridal night Marcassin sees Ismene and 
 Coridon fall by their own hands. He has scarcely recovered 
 from the shock of this catastrophe, when he falls in love with 
 the second daughter, Zelonide, who is also compelled to 
 marry him, but determines to destroy him by strangling him 
 when he is asleep. He discovers her intention, and kills her 
 with two blows of his terrific tusks. Disgusted with the 
 world, and also with himself, he flies from the palace, and 
 lives in the woods with other wild boars. One day he en- 
 counters by accident Marthesie, the third sister, and proposes 
 to her. She is not so much startled by the offer as the reader 
 may imagine ; she asks only for time for consideration. 
 Another meeting takes place, and she is persuaded to visit 
 his cavern, under a promise to be allowed to leave it again, 
 which he breaks, and makes her first his prisoner, and then 
 his wife. After residing with him some time, she discovers 
 that he has the power of divesting himself of his boar's skin ; 
 which she seizes and hides, to his great alarm, as he has 
 received this benefit from the Fairies only on condition of 
 inviolable secresy. Six distaffs, three with white silk and 
 three with black, fall through the roof of the cavern, and 
 commence dancing. This whimsical event is followed by 
 a voice declaring that Marcassin and Marthesie shall be made 
 happy, if they can guess what the distaffs signify. Marcassin 
 guesses that the three white distaffs are the three Fairies, and 
 Marthesie divines that the three black are her two sisters and 
 Coridon. The conjectures prove correct — the transformations 
 take place. The suicide of Ismene and her lover, and the 
 murder of Zelonide, turn out to be merely delusions practised 
 by the third Fairy upon Marcassin ; who, restored to human 
 shape of the most approved pattern, returns to polite society, 
 in company of his third wife, Marthesie, and lives happy 
 ever afterwards. 
 
APPENDIX. 619 
 
 LE DAUPHIN. 
 
 This story details the adventures of an exceedingly ugly 
 prince named Alidor, who, travelling in disguise, falls in love 
 with a beautiful princess named Livorette, and by the assist- 
 ance of a dolphin, the life of which he preserves while fishing, 
 acquires the power of assuming at pleasure the form of 
 a canaiy-bird. Under this form he becomes a favourite with 
 Livorette, who had laughed at his atteutions as Alidor. A 
 mock marriage with the canary-bird leads to a real scandal 
 through the instrumentality of a spiteful fairy accidentally 
 offended by Alidor ; and the prince, his wife, and infant are 
 thrown into the sea in a tub by order of the infuriated father 
 of Livorette, and are only saved from destruction by the 
 intervention of the friendly dolphin, who conveys them to his 
 own island, and ultimately restores the princess to the arms 
 of her relenting parents, and Alidor to the crown of his father. 
 There is nothing in the purport of the story to cause the 
 reader to regret, while there is suflBcient in its details to 
 justify its omission. 
 
 These latter stories are introduced by Madame d'Aulnoy 
 in one called *' Le Nouveau Gentilhomme Bourgeois f avow- 
 edly suggested by the Gentilhomme Bourgeois of Moliere, 
 and not a little indebted to the author's recollections of 
 " Don Quixote." Although not without humour and cha- 
 racter, it is, like the two Spanish novels before it, a mere vehicle 
 for the " Fairy Tales," and, as I have previously remarked, 
 quite imnecessary. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 K. CLAY, PRINTER, BRSAD STREET HILL* 
 
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University of California 
 
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