The Blue Fairy Book

uld not marry anyone, because she was under an enchantment. So the King set out to see

is very fond of. Whoever is clever enough to tread o

fficult, and he left the Fairy, determined to grind the

ing took a long step, and quite thought he had the tail under his foot, but the cat turned round so sharply that he only trod on air. And s

t asleep and with his tail conveniently spread out. So the

nd instantly changed into a tall man, who,

shall have a son, who will never be happy until he finds out that his nose is too long, and if you ever tell anyone

aid of the enchanter, he could n

d to himself, “he must always see it or feel it;

alled Hyacinth. The little Prince had large blue eyes, the prettiest eyes in the world, and a sweet little mouth, but, alas! his nose was so enormous that it covered half his face. The Queen was inconsolable when she saw this great nose, but her ladies assured her that it was not really as l

s. No one was allowed to come near him whose nose did not more or less resemble his own, and the courtiers, to get into favor with the Queen, took to

ny great prince or beautiful princess was spoken of, his

nd the Prince grew up so convinced that a long nose was a great beauty,

be married, so she commanded that the portraits of several princesses should be br

ming, had, however, a little saucy nose, which, in her face, was the prettiest thing possible, but it was a cause of great embarrassment to the courtiers, who had got into such a habit of laughing at little noses that they sometimes found themselves

gh it was quite true that no man could be worth anything unless he had a long nose, still, a woman’s beauty was a different thing; and he

gave his consent; and Prince Hyacinth, who, in his anxiety to see the Princess, had gone three leagues to meet her was just advancing to kiss her hand when, to the h

k to his kingdom until he had found her again, and refusing to allow any of his courtiers to

ong without seeing a single house, and horse and rider were terribly hungry, when, as

tle old woman, who appeared to

h, but it was quite a long time before she could fi

ooner looked at one another than they went into fits of laug

g you to leave the consideration of our noses — such as they are — and to be goo

ous you are, nevertheless, the son of my best friend. I loved your f

oes mine lack?”

man though his nose is too long. I was telling you that I was your father’s friend; he often came to see me in the old times, and you must know th

ive me the greatest pleasure to hear it; but consider, m

few words — for I don’t like endless tales myself. Too long a tongue is worse than too long a nose, and I remember when I was young that I was so much admired for no

something to eat when he was h

“and you also shall have supper direc

,” cried the Prince, who was getting quite angry; but then, remembering t

u I should quite forget my own hunger; but my h

ered by this compliment, and

so polite, and in spite of the enormous size

th that hers lacks! If I were not so hungry I would soon have done with this chatterpie who thinks she talks very little! How stupid people are not to s

Fairy who asked them a thousand questions simply for the pleasure of hearing herself speak; especially h

een in never listening to flatterers. People of that sort praise us to our faces without shame, and hide our f

o had praised his nose were laughing at him, just as the Fairy’s maid was laughing at her; f

resently, when his hunger began

your father. When I went to his Court he was only a little boy, but that is forty years ago, and I have been in this desolate place ever since. Tell me what goes on nowadays; are

y nose. It cannot matter to you what it is like. I am quite satisfied with

, I wished to do you a service. However, though I really cannot help your nose being a shock to me, I will try not to say anyth

upon his horse and rode hastily away. But wherever he came in his journeyings he thought the people were mad, for they all talked of h

was extreme, and he set to work with all his might to try to break her prison; but in spite of all his efforts he failed utterly. In despair he thought at least that he would try to get near enough to speak to the Dear Little Princess, w

admitted that my

sand splinters, and the old Fairy, taking the Dea

how extraordinary it was if it hadn’t hindered you from doing what you wanted to. You see how self-love keeps us from knowing our own def

id not fail to profit by the lesson he had received. He marrie