The Green Fairy Book

their subjects want for anything. The consequence was that they gradually gave away all their treasures, till they positively had nothing l

so charmed with it that she declared nothing was lacking to complete her happiness but a flock of sheep, which she and the little Prince might tend while the King fished. They soon found that the fish were not only abundant and easily caught, but also very beautiful, with glittering scales of every imaginable hue; and before long the King discovered that he could teach them to talk and whistle better than any parrot. Then he determined to carry some to the nearest town and try to sell them; and as no one had ever before seen any like them the people flocked about him eagerly and bought all he had caught, so that presently not a house in the city was considered complete without a crystal bowl full of fish, and the King’s customers were very particular about having them to match the rest of the furniture, and gave him a vast amount of trouble in choosing them. However, the money he obtained in this way enabled him to buy the Queen her flock of sheep, as well as many of the other things which go to make life pleasant, so that they never once regretted their lost kingdom. Now it happened that the Fairy of the Beech-Woods lived in the lovely valley to which chance had led the poor fugitives, and it

t from an old friend of hers called Saradine, who rushed into

atter?’ said the Fairy of

more nor less than a request that I will take back all my gifts —“since,” says my young madam, “if I have the good fortune to please you, how am I to know that it is really I, myself? And that’s how it will be all my life long, whenever I meet anybody. You see what a weariness my life will be to me under these circumstances, and yet I assure you I am not ungrateful to you for all your kindness!” I did all I could,’ continued Saradine, ‘to make her think better of it,

’t think so very badly of her after all. I’ll just cure her vanity by making her love someone better than herself. Really, when I c

ay all the difficulties which surrounded the Princess, and lead her by the mossy path overhung wi

on their compassion; they recognised her as a companion in misfortune, and the Queen welcomed her heartily, and begged her to share their simple repast. Celandine gracefully accepted the

ss, ‘I cannot regret the step I have taken, and if you

se himself from morning to night. So Celandine stayed, and helped the Queen to keep house, and very soon they loved her dearly. When the Fairy of the Beech-Woods came to them, they presented the Princess to her, and told her story, little thinking that the Fairy knew more about

r wonderful thing they might happen to be looking at. It is true that she never said so positively, but she certainly allowed the Princess to believe it, because she thought a little disappointment would be good for her. But the person she really relied upon for curing Celandine of her vanity was Prince Featherhead. The ol

all his attention upon the old Fairy, to whom he seemed to have a hundred things to say. The Princess was immensely astonished at his indifference, and put on a cold and offended air, which, however, he did not seem to observe. Then as a last resource she exerted all her wit and gaiety to amuse him, but with no better success, for he was of an age to be more attracted by beauty than by anything else, and though he responded politely enough, it was evident that his thoughts were elsewhere. Celandine was deeply mortified, since for her part the Prince pleased her very well, and for the first time she bitterly regretted the fairy gifts she had been anxious to get rid of. Prince Featherhead was almost equally puzzled, for he had heard nothing

amiable than of yore, and were not sorry when he declared that, after all, a country life suited him best, and went back to the Leafy Palace. Meanwhile, the Princess Celandine had been finding the time pass but slowly with the King and Queen, and was only too pleased when Featherhead reappeared. She at once noticed the change in him, and was deeply curious to find the reason of it. Far from avoiding her, he now sought her company and seemed to take pleasure in talking to her, and yet the Princess did not for a moment flatter herself with the idea that he was in love with her, though it did not take her

n I tell you?

Princess timidly. ‘Surely the

have failed to discover the lovely original. Should I be so

rtrait, and after examining it for a few minutes returned it, remarking

‘Really, Celandine, I thought better of you, and should have expected

t it was a good likeness,

owing himself on his knees beside her. ‘Pray tell m

hat it is meant for

pose she resembled the lovely portrait even in the slightest degree; and after gazing at her for an instant with

and Queen, she left the valley behind her, and wandered sadly away, not caring whither. After walking until she was weary, she saw before her a tiny house, and turned h

ggars who are too idle to do any

tears in her pretty eyes, ‘a sad fat

head was as soft as his heart, I wouldn’t wish for a more agreeable life myself! But I have worked hard to build my house and secure a morsel to eat, and I suppose you think that I am to give away everything to the first

‘I only wish I had. I would give it t

sed for the kind of life you l

cess, ‘do you think I

s it that you do want? Shelter? Well, that does not cost much; but after that comes supper, and that I can’t hear of.

red the poor Princess, ‘I

on being sad, you may stay for the

p, lace underneath! This must have cost you a pretty penny! It would have been better to save enough to feed yourself, a

incess, ‘I did not buy them, a

, if I may ask?’

’ cried Celandine, bursting into tears,

sly. ‘One has to pay for services, a

whose spirits were sinking lower and lower. ‘I will do anything

at you should be so much better dressed I am? If I keep you, will you give me your clothes and wear some that

you please with my clothes,’ c

g a wretched dress, such as the Princess had never even seen before, and nimbly skipped

four dresses at least. Why, child, I wonder you could walk under such a we

e, and put it by with great care

suits you to a marvel; be su

ing all the Princess’s offers of assistance, and shor

let u

piece of black bread and uncovered th

be very careful that you don’t swallow it, for I keep them against the winter, and you have no idea what a good fire they make. Now, you

dent counsel, and quite forgot to eat her share of the plum, which deli

h people don’t generally know. For instance, look at my house! It is built entirely of the seeds of all the pears I have eaten in my lif

advice. And the old woman soon sent her to bed, for fear the night air might give he

y household tasks you had better stay in bed, since the more one sleeps the less one need eat;

er sad fate. However, the good Fairy of the Beech-Woods did not want her to be starved, so she sent her an unlooked for relief i

perceiving her at the same moment, rushed towards her with every demonstration of joy: for he had recognised her, not as the Celandine whom he had slighted, but as the lovely Princess whom he had sought vainly for so long. The fact was that the Fairy of the Beech-Woods, thinking she had been punished enough, had withdrawn the enchantment from her, and transferred it to Featherhead, thereby in an instant depriving him of the good looks which had done so much towards making him th

, frivolous, proud, incapable of caring for anyone but himself, who h

ely you cannot care for so contemptib

re,’ answered the

ce I have possessed your portrait I have wandered over the whole world to find you, and, now we have met, I

den interest. ‘Is it possible that Prin

ly Princess,’ answered he; ‘I can assure

love for each other. You may imagine how perfectly happy they were, and how much they had to hear and to tell. But at length it was time to go back to the little house, and as they went along Celandine remembered for the first time what a

may be sure that a young man will appear before long! But don’t imagine that

ally too happy to care much, so he only demanded, on Celandine’s behalf, that the ol

mewhat mollified her, however, and after making them both promise faithfully that on no consideration would they ask for the gold back again, she took the Princess into the house and grudgingly doled out to her just enough of her gay attire to make her presentable, while the rest s

ey really did not know what they were eating. It seemed as if they would go on for ever with their reminiscences, the Prince telling how he had wandered all over the world from beauty to beauty, always to be disappointed when h

you, and love makes everything right! But we ca

ng into them, they were whirled away to the Leafy Palace. Just before they lost sight of the little house they heard loud cries and lamentations from the miserly old dame, and, looking round, perceived that the beautiful cow was vanishing in spite of her frantic efforts

ndeed the Princess was so charming she could refuse her nothing. She also restored to her the Summer Islands, and promised her protection in all things. The Fairy of the Beech-Woods then informed the King and Queen that their subjects had chased King Bruin from the throne, and were waiting to welcome them back again; but they at once abdicated in f

guet et la P