The Blue Fairy Book

ded by a spacious garden. But, though the gardeners were many and the soil was go

r about it, when a wis

an you expect of men whose fathers were cobblers and carpent

te right,” c

and grandfather have been gardeners before him, and very soon your garden will

et in his dominions, to look for a gardener whose forefather

gardener to the Kin

ng,” said the gardener,

hey answered. “Here are new cl

oney to seve

your debts,

lighted to have found a real gardener, entrusted him with the care of his garden. The man found no difficulty in making the royal garden p

day he carried the best fruit of the garden to the King, and all the prettiest flowers to his daughter. Now this princess was

to take a husband, therefore I am thinking of

ncess, “I will never marr

?” asked

gardener’s son,” a

and declared that such a husband was not worthy of his daughter; but the youn

said. “To get rid of the gardener you must send both suitors to a very d

nd a purse full of gold pieces, while the gardener’s son had only an old lame horse and a p

rted the Princess met h

purse full of jewels and make the best use you can of them

d horse, and very soon was lost to sight behind the most distant hills. He traveled on for som

ou, young trav

ster’s son m

am dying of hunger, as you see, and three days h

young man; “I can do nothing for yo

er’s son rode up to the foun

oung traveler,” sai

ood woman,”

ler, have pi

d he, “and mount behind me, for

e they reached the chief city of a powerful kingdom. The minister’s son was lodged in

oise in the street, and the King’s heralds pass

ll give a great reward to whoever will cure hi

gar-woman said t

in Albania. He alone can cure the King and give him back the strength of his youth.’ The King’s physicians will say, This is an impostor, and not a learned man,’ and they will make all sorts of difficulties, but you will overcome them all at last, and will present yourself before the sick King. You must then demand as much wood as three mules can carry, and a great cauldron, and must shut yourself up in a room with the Sultan, and when the cauldron bo

the town he found the white, red, and black dogs, and killed and burnt the

anina in Albania. He alone can cure the King

ht the cauldron and the loads of wood, and very soon the King was boiling away. Toward mid-day the gardener’s son arranged the bones in

enefactor?” he cried. “Will

the garde

ghter’s

N

alf my

ring which can instantly gr

e by that marvelous ring; nevertheless,

ay good-by to the old beggar-woma

ver, the sails of brocade; let the crew consist of twelve young men of noble appearance, dressed like kings

continued his journey. Presently he arrived at a great town and established himself in a wonderful palace. After several days he met his rival, the min

is your family, and from

f a great nation, and yet see what a

you, I am willing to help you. I will give you a ship t

ay be, I accep

me to my

recognized. When they reached the palace the gardener’s son mad

manded the master, “and mark

ves obe

, “I am going to give you a vessel which

he took the bron

in rags, and the sailors infirm and sickly. One shall have lost a leg, another an arm, the third shall be a hunchback, anot

orable winds, at length reached his own country. In spite of the

to the King; now fulfil your promise,

dding festivities. As to the poor princess,

every sail set came to anchor before the town. The Ki

en sails, and who are the young men like princes who man it? And do I not see St. Nich

n enchantingly handsome young prince, dressed in

, whoever you may be. Do me the favor to be

replied the captain,

e married,” said the King;

be charme

the Princess a

captain; “would you marry this charm

y prime mini

e your daughter away. The man she is

serv

o carrying away dust and rubbish from the houses. I h

ssible!” cr

a vessel which I fitted out for him, an unseaworthy ship with

e true,” sa

he minister’s son. “I

ghter’s betrothed to be stripped, and see if th

he minister’s son, to save himself from such

the young captain, “do

u are the gardener’s son whom I have alwa

e King. “The marriage festivities are already beg

e gardener’s son marrie

as the day was long, and the King was more and more pl

found it necessary to take a long voyage, and

ack arts — alchemy, astrology, magic, and enchantment. This man found out that the gardener’s son

nd caught some little red fishes. Really, they were quite wonderfully pretty. T

e pretty littl

sent out one of her slaves,

you take fo

onze

simpleton! And whe

hion in the Pr

nt back to h

take neither gold no

es he wa

that is hidden

give it to him,”

aptain of the golden ship had accidentally left behind a

master. I desire that the golden ship shall turn to black wood, and the crew to hideous n

of the bronze

aptain understood that some one must have stolen the bronze ring from

everybody was laughing at him, and very soon his poverty was so great that he and his crew and the poor black cats had nothing to eat but herbs and roots. After wandering about a long time he reached an island inhabited by mice. The captain landed

of the mice h

aptain of the ship does not shut the ferocious animals up.

es for this mission and set o

quickly from our island, or we

rst bring me back a bronze ring which some clever magician has stolen from me. If you

d a new council, calling in mice from every quarter of the globe, but nobody knew where the bronze ring was. Suddenl

ew-comers. “We come from

he bronze ring is wh

ken possession of it, and now he keeps it in

him, and come back

anded and ran to the palace, leaving only the blind mouse on the shore to take care of the boat. Then they waited till

?” said the two little

a bottle full of pepper. So she dipped her tail first in the

ck made the bronze ring jump out of his mouth. Quick as thought the lam

cian when he awoke and the bron

ng breeze was carrying them toward the island where the queen of the mi

the most credit?” th

ithout my watchfulness our boat woul

ped ears; “the credit is mine. Did I not ca

d the lame one, “for I

ows, and, alas! when the quarrel was fie

d our people to be utterly exterminated? We cannot go back to our country; let us land on this desert island

ies, but as she wandered sadly along the shore she found a dead fish, and was eat

t again, they soon reached the mouse island. It was time they did, for the captain was just g

ung man, “obey thy master. Let

more the wonderful golden ship with sails of brocade; the handsome sailors ran to

ilors sang as they fle

he port w

d man asleep. The Princess clasped her husband in a long embrace. The

avage mule loaded with nuts, was broken into as ma