The Green Fairy Book

the Queen, his wife, was dead. He shut himself up in a little room and knocked his head against the walls for grief, until his courtiers were really afraid that he would hurt him

attracted; and when she said that, far from coming to try and diminish his grief, she, who had just lost a good husband, was come to add her tears to his, since she knew what he must be feeling, the King redoubled his lamentations. Then he told the sorrowful lady long stories about the good qualities of his departed Queen, and she in her turn recounted all the virtues of her departed husband; and this p

s her name, had been brought up by her godmother, the Fairy Mazilla, but in spite of all the care bestowed upon her, she was neither beautiful nor gracious. Indeed, when the Queen saw how ill-tempered and ugly she appeared beside Fiordelisa she was in despair, and did everything in h

irst to be married; she is older than yo

id, ‘Very well, it’s no affair o

llers, tailors, weavers, and embroiderers to work upon splendid dresses and ornaments for Turritella, but she told the King that Fiordelisa had no need of anything new, and the night before the King was to arrive

little white frock she had been wearing the day before; and dressed in that, she went down when the time of the King’s arrival came, and sat in a corner hoping to escape notice. The Queen received her guest with great ceremony, and presented him to her daughter, who was gorgeously attired, but s

er finger, ‘there she is, trying to kee

and so lovely, that the King was fairly astoni

mparable beauty n

habit of wearing dresses as crumpled and untidy as this one, so

ever such a marvellously beautiful Princ

n broke in, s

sa is vain enough already. Pray ma

did not matter to him, so he admired Fiordelisa to his heart’

er in the deepest dejection. She easily guessed that she was to be kept out of sight for fear the King should fall in love with her; but then, how disappointing that was, for she already liked him very much, and would have been quite willing to be chosen for his bride! As King Charming did not know what had happened to the Princess, he looked forward impatiently to meeting her again, and he tried to talk about her with the courti

ccustomed to be so. I cannot believe that with that lovely face she can be as ill-tempered and contemptible as they say. N

did not please him, and one of them cunningly began to praise Fiordel

admired the Princess. So when the Queen sent for the courtiers and questioned them about all they had found out,

r before I had ever seen King Charming,’ she said; ‘but now when he is

nd was surrounded by several diamond arrows, and pierced by one. A golden true-lover’s knot above the heart bore the motto, ‘But one can wound me,’ and the whole jewel was hung upon a chain of immense pearls. Never, s

incess Fiordelisa deign to think of m

id the page hastily. ‘I come on b

treated. As soon as he possibly could, King Charming went to see the King and Queen, and as he entered the hall he looked for Fiordelisa, and every time anyone came in he started round to see who it was, and was altogether so uneasy and dissatisfie

ther has ordered that she shall not leave her

that lovely Princess a prisoner?’

he Queen; ‘and even if I did, I

er he abruptly took leave of the Queen, and returned to his own apartments. There he said to a young squire whom he had brought with him: ‘I w

e must take very great care not to be seen, as it would be as much as her place was worth to be caught helping King Charming to see the Princess. The squire was delighted, and promised all she asked; but the moment he had run off to announce his success to the

d her to marry him; and thereupon he drew his ring from his finger and put it upon Turritella’s, and she answered him as well as she could. The King could not help thinking that she did not say exactly what he would have expected from his darling Fiordelisa, but he persuaded himself that the fear of being surprised by the Queen was making her awkward and unnatural. He would not leave her until she had promised to see him again the next night, which Turritella did

e; where will it please you th

ole world in their heads, and very soon he and Turritella were set down at the castle of the Fairy Mazilla. The King would certainly have found out his mistake the moment they stepped into the brilliantly

t be easily pacified. I feel sure he will defy us!’ Meanwhile the King was waiting in a splendid room with diamond wal

enemy here? She must be plotting to prevent our marriage. Why

ined when the Fairy Mazilla entered, leadi

rritella to whom you have plighted your

little creature! What do you take m

no respect for a Fair

d to respect you as much as a Fairy can be res

is the ring you gave me. With whom did you ta

altogether deceived and deluded? Where is my

ched his feet, which instantly became as firmly f

d the King; ‘you may turn me to stone,

wenty days and twenty nights. At last the Fairy Mazilla said furiously (for she was quite tired out by his obst

o whatever you like with me, as long a

, that you dare to call me a scold? A miserable King who breaks his wo

spoke the King’s face altered, his arms turned to wings, his feet to little crooked black claws. In a moment he had a slender body like a bir

illa. He flew on until he reached the thickest part of the wood, and there, perched upon a cypress tree, he bewailed his miserable fate. ‘Alas! in seven years who knows wha

r heart sank when the Queen said: ‘My daughter is come to show you some of her wedding presents, for she is King Charming’s bride, and they are the happiest pair in the world, he loves her to distraction.’ All this time Turritella was spreading out lace, and jewels, and rich brocades, and ribbons before Fiordelisa’s unwilling eyes, and taking good care to display King Charming’s ring, which she wore upon her thumb. The Princess recognised it as soon as her eyes fell upon it, and after that she could no longer doubt that he had indeed married Turritella. In despair she cried, ‘Take aw

ever, and all night long she sat at her open window sighing and lamenting; but when it was dawn she crept away into the darkest corner of her little roo

fear of being seen and recognised by Turritella. When night fell he had not succeeded in discovering where Fiordelisa was imprisoned, and, weary and sad, he perched upon a branch of a tal

s I not unhappy enough before, that you must needs come and taunt me with

it could have been who spoke thus. But he found the window shut, and could see no one. The next night, however, h

nd you at last?’ said he

me?’ cried the Princ

know me, Fiordelisa,’ said he sadly. ‘But no wonder, since I am

eally the powerful King Charming?’

I am thus punished. But believe me, if it were for twice

urritella, just visited me, wearing the royal mantle and the diamond crow

d, how he had been deceived into carrying off Turritella, and how, for refusing to

he sun rose, and they had to part lest the Blue Bird should be discovered. After promising to come again to the Princess’s window as soon as it was dark, he flew

and there he found the cabinet where his jewels were kept, and chose out a splendid diamond ring as a present for the Princess. By the time he got back, Fi

night. They talked all night long, and the next morning the Blue Bird flew off to his kingdom, and crept into his palace through the broken window, and chose

little that I need all these

e ans

s trifles to show that I have not ceased to think of you, though I have been obliged to leave you for a time.’ The foll

the power of measuring time. The hours you spend with me pass like min

he sun shone the Blue Bird, hidden in the tall fir-tree, sang to her so sweetly that all the passersby wondered, and said that the wood was inhabited by a spirit. And so two years slipped away, and still the Princess was a prisoner, and Turritella was not married. The Queen had offere

ked with jewels, was sitting at the window with the Blue Bird, and as the Queen paused outside the door to listen

luckless p

ison, and o

ouble and

lness spoiling o

y practice the

sever our two

m gaily enough, and the Queen burst open the door, crying,

ut her little window, that the Blue Bird might have time to escape, and the

uriously; ‘and you need not hope that your high ra

d the Princess. ‘Have I not been your prisoner these two y

her in the greatest surprise, perfectly dazzled by her be

ese diamonds? Perhaps you mean to tell me that y

ind them here,’ an

whose admiration are you decked out like this, since I have often

have had plenty of time on my hands, so you cannot be su

Queen suspiciously. ‘I think I wi

ere amazed, and could not tell what to think. But the Queen resolved to hide somewhere a packet of false letters to prove that the Princess had been conspiring with the King’s enemies, and she chose the chimne

Your false enemy is p

ns of finding out what Fairy or Enchanter was favouring the Princess. At last they sent one of the Queen’s maids to wait upon Fiordelisa, and told her to pre

r, and cried bitterly that she dared not see her dear Blue Bird f

for a whole month she never went near her little

r night, was so overcome with weariness that she fell into a deep sleep, and

d, blue a

ow, there’s

n, came in an instant. They had so much to say, and were so overjoyed to meet once more, that

hink they were perfectly safe, and to make all sorts of plans for being happy as they were before the Queen’s visit.

d, blue a

w, there’s n

resently she heard voices, and peeping cautiously, she saw by the moonlight the most lovely blu

e day dawned, and the Blue Bird had reluctantly said good-bye to the Prin

it over, and very soon came to the conclusion than t

supposed her to be so miserable, she was all the while as happy as p

ever, and indeed she went to bed earlier than usual, and snored as na

d, blue a

ow, there’s

ears, bill-hooks, and sickles, so that when the Blue Bird heard the Princess call, and flew towards her, his wings were cut, and his little black feet clipped off, and all pierced and stabbed in tw

t his friend the Enchanter had been very much alarmed at seeing the Frog chariot come back to him without King Charming, and had been round the world eight times seeking him, bu

ng Charming!

sed his friend’s voice,

m he

d him, but could see nothing,

a Blue

hither and thither without a word, until he had collected a handful of magic herbs,

ll about it. There must be a P

swered King Charmin

ings about her fickleness and her deceitful beauty, and so on. The Enchanter quite agreed with him, and even went further, declaring that all Princesses were alike, excep

e Enchanter, ‘since you still have

King; ‘there you can at least keep me

’ said his friend. ‘But I am not an Enchanter for nothing

things that could have happened to him, until she grew quite pale and thin. As for the Queen and Turritella, they were triumphant; but their triumph was short, for t

e nobles of the kingdom fetched the Princess Fiordelisa from her prison in the tower, and made her Queen. Very soon, with all the care and attention they bestowed upon her, she recovered from the effects of her long captivity and looked more beautiful

ny kind of terms with her for his friend; for you see, Fairies and Enchanters are cousins in a sort of way, after all; and after knowing one another for five or six hundred years and f

;’ he answered. ‘A King, who is a friend o

Gossip, but he need expect no mercy from me unless he will marry my goddaughter, w

fered much from the fall, while Madam Puss, who happened to be in the room at the time, had given him a scratch in the eye which came very near blinding him. Another time they had forgotten to give him any water to drink, so that he was nearly dead with thirst; and the worst thing of all was that he was in danger of losing his kingdom, for he had been absent so long tha

y mounted together upon a flying Dragon, and very soon reached King Charming’s p

and delightful as ever, but he considered that he paid dearly for his restoration wh

d sometimes by land; sometimes on foot, and sometimes on horseback, but not knowing which way to go. She feared all the time that every step she took was leading her farther from her lover. One day as she sat, quite tired and sad, on th

ty child, are

to care for company,’ she answered;

‘but tell me truly what is the

Blue Bird. Thereupon the little old woman suddenly stood up straight, and grew t

m back to him, and he is in his own kingdom. Do not be afraid, you will reach him, and will prospe

hese fastened to her feet and hands, she mounted the ivory hill without further trouble, for the little hooks saved her from slipping. As soon as she reached the top a new difficulty presented itself, for all the other side, and indeed the whole valley, was one polished mirror, in which thousands and thousands of people were admiring their reflections. For this was a magic mirror, in which people saw themselves just as they wished to appear, and pilgrims came to it from the four corners of the world. But nobody had ever been able to reach the top of the hill, and when they saw Fiordelisa standing there, they raised a t

n about her eyes, that no one might know her. As they would not tell her, she went on farther, and presently asked again, and this time the people answered that to-morrow she might see the King driving through the streets with the

As soon as it was light she hastened to the palace, and after being sent away fifty times by the guards, she got in

y dressed, but as ugly as ever, and with her came the King, more handsome and splendid even than Fiord

y high-mightiness, upon my golden throne?’

er some precious things for sale,’ and with that she searched in her ol

pretty bits of glass. I suppose you w

ch things, Madam,’ answered the Queen; ‘

the bracelets, asking how much he considered them worth. As soon as he saw them he remembered those he had given to Fiordelisa, and turned very pale an

my kingdom. I thought there was only one such pa

ueen, and asked her what was the l

ed she; ‘but if you will manage for me to sleep one nigh

kitchen-maid,’ said Tur

ibly avoid it. It was he who had told Fiordelisa about the Chamber of Echoes, when he was a Blue Bird. It was a little room below the King’s own bed-chamber, and was so ingeniously built that the softest whisper in it was plainly heard

g and sighing they had heard, and she asked Fiordelisa what it was a

this, for he took a sleeping draught every night before

d the day in gr

f he did not hear me, what can I do to get another chance? I have plenty of j

e carriage was occupied by the tiniest and most charming figures, who could dance and do wonderful tricks. Fiordelisa clapped her hands and danced for joy when she saw this triumph of magic art, and as soon as it was even

kitchen-maid, what will you t

Queen

ce more in the C

st, poor creature,’ said T

rned to her lad

now how to profit by her chanc

think of, but alas! with no better success than before, for t

must be crazy;’ b

ys sounds very s

ight that it contained a more marvellous thing than ever. It was a pie made of six birds, cooked to perfection, and yet they were all alive, and singing and talking, and they answered questions and told fortunes in

King always takes a sleeping draught, for if not he woul

arls and diamonds out of her sack, she said, ‘If you can promise me that to-nigh

that willingly,

rst sight of the savoury pie, with the pretty lit

little kitchen-maid. Pray

wered. ‘To sleep once more

when night was come, Queen Fiordelisa waited until she thought every

ld forsake me and marry Turritella? If you could only know all

ead of his usual sleeping draught, so there he lay wide awake, and heard every word Fior

ld you betray me to our cruel ene

rd him, and an

itchen-maid, and she w

great hurry sent fo

ittle kitchen-maid, br

re,’ they answered, ‘for she

asked her a thousand questions without giving her time to answer one. Fiordelisa was equally happy to be with him once more, and nothing troubled them but the remembrance of the Fairy Mazilla. But at this moment in came the Enchanter, and with him a famous Fairy, the same in fact who had given Fiordelisa the eggs. After greeting the King and Queen, they said that as they were united in wishing to help King Charming, the Fairy Mazilla had no longer any power against him, and he might marry Fiordelisa as soon as he pleased. The King’s joy m

eu. Par Mme