The Hope of the Katzekopfs

ing of t

all that ch

hat have

d keep them

them saf

ery

PTE

assion, indeed, and called her husband an old goose, and told him that if he had as much sense in his whole body as a m

excuse, my dear?” asked

hat but mischief can come of offending her? Will she not vent her spite on me, or the Arch-duchess? Or may not she make the poor dear baby a victim? May she not dart through the keyhole, and carry him off to Fairy-land, a

st their effect. Nobody thought much about them; and besides, King Katzekopf was trying to take out the sta

e a note to her “dearest Lady Abracadabra,” expressing the intensity of her satisfaction at th

she must immediately anoint him all over with an unguent, made of three black spiders, the gall of a brindled cat, the fat of a white hen, and the blood of a screech owl; and that his cradle must

hite cockatrices from the mountains of Samarcand; and there was the flight of birds of Paradise that accompanied her, each bearing round its neck a chain of gold and diamonds, from which depended a casket, containing some costly offering for the Hope of the House of Katzekopf. And there was the Lady Abracadabra herself, no longer stamping the floor with anger, and wearing that frightful, unbecoming, ill-tempered dress of yellow and black, but arrayed in the most delicate fabrics of the fairy-loom, and bearing upon 29her

inswoman, and gently whispered in an appealing tone, “Have you really any obj

he word “Eigenwillig” in so decided a tone, that the prince was

nd then the town was illuminated, and at midnight the fêt

zekopf, if ever I saw a father who was likely to 31let his son lead him by the nose, you are that man. But attend to what I say,” continued the Fairy, with a look of great severity, “I don’t intend to have my godchild a selfish little brat, who shall be a bad man, and a bad king, and a bad son, whom everybody shall dislike, and whose faults shall be all attributed to his having a Fairy godmother. No: I have named the child according to his natural temper. I have called him Eigenwillig, because his disposition is to be self-willed. And of this it is fit that you should be reminded continually, even by his name, in order that you may discipline his mind, and make him the reverse of what he is now called. Poor child! he has everything around him to make him selfish. Let

oud of lantern flies, each insect sparkling with a different coloured flame, blue, or crimson, or violet, or green, and followed by myriads of elves, each crowned with asteroids of lambent light, she wended on her way to Fairy

t the notion of being watched by a Fairy, and still more so at the possibility of incurring that Fairy’s vengeance. So, as usual, she vented all her anger on her husband, and then went to bed and sobbed herself to sleep. King Katzekopf was not easily disturbed; and the chronicles of the kingdom assure us that he slept as well as usual on the night aft

om should be charged with the prince’s education until such time as he should exchange his petticoats for jacket and trousers. So the Lady Brigida was appointed to teach him how to feed himself, and to instruct him in Belles Lettres

g a 35preceptress, who should instruc

ourable light as a wise and discreet mother. She, therefore, after much careful consideration, drew up the following rules for the nursery, which were immediately printed in an Extraordinary Gazette, and which were received with so much app

OR THE

to be contradicted; for contradic

everything he cries for; else he

t, and as much he pleases; hunger being a call of

ing to any one below the rank of Baron; as it is hi

ually that he is an object of the first consequence, a

eyes; insomuch that at three, when the Ladies Brigida, Frigida, and Rigida commenced the task of tuition, he contrived to inspire them with the notion that their office, for the present, at least, was likely to be a sinecure. He even re

father, just as the King was about to sit down, whereby his Majesty got a tumble, and the Prince got his ears boxed; he had killed nurse Yellowlily’s cockatoo by endeavouring t

made your d

ducks to die

y-wigs! Eating

itted to have his own way in everything. For, indeed, it might be said, that this spoilt child was the person who ruled the entire kingdom. The prince rule

those folks who are too indolent to exert themselves about anything which is likely to be troublesome or unpleasant; and you must have been quite sure that the nurses and governesses were all

s object was to convince both parties of this fact by actual experienc

y, and self-willed, and obstinate. It is very shocking to think of so young a child having even the seeds of such evil tempers; but how could it be otherwise, when he was taught to think only of himself, and when he was allowed to have his own way in all things? Unhappy chil

Highness her cleverest theory on the subject of the Hyscos, or Shepherd Kings (he, meanwhile, being intently absorbed in a game of b

rprise, as he entered the apartment, “what a beautiful creature

lied his mother, “so you

coat! what strange, orange-coloured eyes! what curious

Queen, “your papa has just made me a 41present o

rt,” observed the Prince. “Let it out,” conti

Puffendorf, “that it might do misc

a; she’ll tame it directly, I’m sure. Lady Rigida, here’s a mon

drew up with o

laughing, “you mustn’t be angry with these

the cage?” asked the boy impatientl

is. 42You’ll frighten me to death, if y

hrew himself down on the

the Baron shall see if he can’t hold it while you look at it. Wrap

mmediately darted at his hand, bit it with all its strength, and dashed out of the cage in an instant. “Sess! sess! sess!” cried Prince Eigenwill

reaming out of the apartment, and the author of all the mischief stood in the midst, laughing with all his might. In another moment, the agile monkey had scrambled up the Lady Rigida’s back, and, having half stra

the opportunity of terrifying and tormenting the Lady Rigida, to allow it to remain long at the top of the cabinet.

ulations, for the animal, irritated by the blow, 44now turned on the naughty bo

st at the critical moment, when he had fallen to the ground, the sound of many voices was heard outside the door, which was immediately flung open, and, together with a number o

geons and physicians; and even King Katzekopf, who had now grown so fat, that he never left his a

soon as he had recovered sufficient presenc

cellor, with the air of one who c

never allowed his countenance to indulge itself in any particular expression, shrugge

his grace the Keeper of the Records) were,

it would be!

ed as much,” re

from the first,” e

odmothers,” groaned fo

ious prank of hers!” said Nur

ceforth the poor child were poss

blear-eyed,” con

, and turned into pigs’ f

, present, and to come, are owing to my peevish, spiteful, malicious, capricious, old, ugly witch of an aunt, Lady Abracadabra

een assured by the medical attendants that the Prince’s wound was by no means serious, and the child hims

g is it?”

come from?”

en his Majesty looked as wisely as ever he could (how could he do less?) at the dog. But what was the King’s amazement, when, all of a sudden, he perceived the tan portion of the glossy hide changing into a yellow satin petticoat, a

rave, and angry. Her eyes gleamed like coals of fire, her wrinkles were deeper than ever, and gave her face a most harsh and severe expres

and thwarted all my benevolent intentions, but now, when you are reaping the fruit o

yship of anything but good will towards the prince; and had

to himself and everybody else? Why is he impatient, and greedy, and wilful, and ill-tempered, and selfish? Is it not because Queen Ninnilinda encourages him in all these vices, and because King Katzekopf, though he knows that eve

d the Queen angrily. “He has instructors in all the different branches of useful knowled

of it? And how is he likely to make a right use of it, if he be mischievous and self-willed? And 50how can you expect h

his propensities,” reto

Abracadabra quietly, “for you have not

oloured and

ne, “since you thought the Prince was being so ill brou

n’t believe that you will listen to me now. No, no, when I promised to befriend your child, I ought to have taken

s before her aunt, exclaiming—“Nay, Lady Abracadabra, anything but that! anything but that! I kno

osition to submit to any conditions which might be im

ou from your child, if only

nything you

Abracadabra. “If you really are in earnest, I will g

fly in a spider’s web; that the Lady Abracadabra was spreading toils for

him not to be selfish

ng him to bear contradiction, and to yield up his own wishes a

prince, Lady,” repli

y. “A prince may have his equals

on the head. I’ve often wished the boy could have had somebody to play with,—somebody

him,” said the Fairy, “would you befriend h

not bring herself to say that she would do it gladly

tion the Prince will do well to imitate. His father, foolish man! is anxious to get him a place at court,—little knowing what he desires for h

faded away, or at any rate seemed to do so,