Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 03 (33 page)

'Now you have had plenty of time to recover your wits, and you
have nothing more to fear, so tell me who you are, and what this
horrible Giant, with his lion and his serpent, have to do with you
and for pity's sake be quick about it.'

'I will tell you with pleasure,' she answered, 'but where is the
hurry? I want you to come back with me to the Green Castle, but I
don't want to walk there, it is so far, and walking is so
fatiguing.'

'Let us set out at once then,' replied the Prince severely, 'or
else really I shall have to leave you where you are. Surely a
young and active gazelle like you ought to be ashamed of not being
able to walk a few steps. The further off this castle is the
faster we ought to walk, but as you don't appear to enjoy that, I
will promise that we will go gently, and we can talk by the way.'

'It would be better still if you would carry me,' said she
sweetly, 'but as I don't like to see people giving themselves
trouble, you may carry me, and make that snail carry you.' So
saying, she pointed languidly with one tiny foot at what the
Prince had taken for a block of stone, but now he saw that it was
a huge snail.

'What! I ride a snail!' cried the Prince; 'you are laughing at me,
and beside we should not get there for a year.'

'Oh! well then don't do it,' replied the gazelle, 'I am quite
willing to stay here. The grass is green, and the water clear. But
if I were you I should take the advice that was given me and ride
the snail.'

So, though it did not please him at all, the Prince took the
gazelle in his arms, and mounted upon the back of the snail, which
glided along very peaceably, entirely declining to be hurried by
frequent blows from the Prince's heels. In vain did the gazelle
represent to him that she was enjoying herself very much, and that
this was the easiest mode of conveyance she had ever discovered.
Prince Vivien was wild with impatience, and thought that the Green
Castle would never be reached. However, at last, they did get
there, and everyone who was in it ran to see the Prince dismount
from his singular steed.

But what was his surprise, when having at her request set the
gazelle gently down upon the steps which led up to the castle, he
saw her suddenly change into a charming Princess, and recognized
in her his pretty cousin Placida, who greeted him with her usual
tranquil sweetness. His delight knew no bounds, and he followed
her eagerly up into the castle, impatient to know what strange
events had brought her there. But after all he had to wait for the
Princess's story, for the inhabitants of the Green Lands, hearing
that the Giant was dead, ran to offer the kingdom to his
vanquisher, and Prince Vivien had to listen to various
complimentary harangues, which took a great deal of time, though
he cut them as short as politeness allowed—if not shorter. But at
last he was free to rejoin Placida, who at once began the story of
her adventures.

'After you had gone away,' said she, 'they tried to make me learn
how to govern the kingdom, which wearied me to death, so that I
begged and prayed Lolotte to take me away with her, and this she
presently did, but very reluctantly. However, having been
transported to her grotto upon my favourite couch, I spent several
delicious days, soothed by the soft green light, which was like a
beech wood in the spring, and by the murmuring of bees and the
tinkle of falling water. But alas! Lolotte was forced to go away
to a general assembly of the Fairies, and she came back in great
dismay, telling me that her indulgence to me had cost her dear,
for she had been severely reprimanded and ordered to hand me over
to the Fairy Mirlifiche, who was already taking charge of you, and
who had been much commended for her management of you.'

'Fine management, indeed,' interrupted the Prince, 'if it is to
her I owe all the adventures I have met with! But go on with your
story, my cousin. I can tell you all about my doings afterwards,
and then you can judge for yourself.'

'At first I was grieved to see Lolotte cry,' resumed the Princess,
'but I soon found that grieving was very troublesome, so I thought
it better to be calm, and very soon afterwards I saw the Fairy
Mirlifiche arrive, mounted upon her great unicorn. She stopped
before the grotto and bade Lolotte bring me out to her, at which
she cried worse than ever, and kissed me a dozen times, but she
dared not refuse. I was lifted up on to the unicorn, behind
Mirlifiche, who said to me—

'"Hold on tight, little girl, if you don't want to break your
neck."

'And, indeed, I had to hold on with all my might, for her horrible
steed trotted so violently that it positively took my breath away.
However, at last we stopped at a large farm, and the farmer and
his wife ran out as soon as they saw the Fairy, and helped us to
dismount.

'I knew that they were really a King and Queen, whom the Fairies
were punishing for their ignorance and idleness. You may imagine
that I was by this time half dead with fatigue, but Mirlifiche
insisted upon my feeding her unicorn before I did anything else.
To accomplish this I had to climb up a long ladder into the
hayloft, and bring down, one after another, twenty-four handfuls
of hay. Never, never before, did I have such a wearisome task! It
makes me shudder to think of it now, and that was not all. In the
same way I had to carry the twenty-four handfuls of hay to the
stable, and then it was supper time, and I had to wait upon all
the others. After that I really thought I should be allowed to go
peaceably to my little bed, but, oh dear no! First of all I had to
make it, for it was all in confusion, and then I had to make one
for the Fairy, and tuck her in, and draw the curtains round her,
beside rendering her a dozen little services which I was not at
all accustomed to. Finally, when I was perfectly exhausted by all
this toil, I was free to go to bed myself, but as I had never
before undressed myself, and really did not know how to begin, I
lay down as I was. Unfortunately, the Fairy found this out, and
just as I was falling into a sweet slumber, she made me get up
once more, but even then I managed to escape her vigilance, and
only took off my upper robe. Indeed, I may tell you in confidence,
that I always find disobedience answer very well. One is often
scolded, it is true, but then one has been saved some trouble.

'At the earliest dawn of day Mirlifiche woke me, and made me take
many journeys to the stable to bring her word how her unicorn had
slept, and how much hay he had eaten, and then to find out what
time it was, and if it was a fine day. I was so slow, and did my
errands so badly, that before she left she called the King and
Queen and said to them:

'"I am much more pleased with you this year. Continue to make the
best of your farm, if you wish to get back to your kingdom, and
also take care of this little Princess for me, and teach her to be
useful, that when I come I may find her cured of her faults. If
she is not—"

'Here she broke off with a significant look, and mounting my enemy
the unicorn, speedily disappeared.

'Then the King and Queen, turning to me, asked me what I could do.

'"Nothing at all, I assure you," I replied in a tone which really
ought to have convinced them, but they went on to describe various
employments, and tried to discover which of them would be most to
my taste. However, at last I persuaded them that to do nothing
whatever would be the only thing that would suit me, and that if
they really wanted to be kind to me, they would let me go to bed
and to sleep, and not tease me about doing anything. To my great
joy, they not only permitted this, but actually, when they had
their own meals, the Queen brought my portion up to me. But early
the next morning she appeared at my bedside, saying, with an
apologetic air:

'"My pretty child, I am afraid you must really make up your mind
to get up to-day. I know quite well how delightful it is to be
thoroughly idle, for when my husband and I were King and Queen we
did nothing at all from morning to night, and I sincerely hope
that it will not be long before those happy days will come again
for us. But at present we have not reached them, nor have you, and
you know from what the Fairy said that perhaps worse things may
happen to us if she is not obeyed. Make haste, I beg of you, and
come down to breakfast, for I have put by some delicious cream for
you."

'It was really very tiresome, but as there was no help for it I
went down!

'But the instant breakfast was over they began again their cuckoo-
cry of "What will you do?" In vain did I answer—

'"Nothing at all, if it please you, madam."

'The Queen at last gave me a spindle and about four pounds of hemp
upon a distaff, and sent me out to keep the sheep, assuring me
that there could not be a pleasanter occupation, and that I could
take my ease as much as I pleased. I was forced to set out, very
unwillingly, as you may imagine, but I had not walked far before I
came to a shady bank in what seemed to me a charming place. I
stretched myself cosily upon the soft grass, and with the bundle
of hemp for a pillow slept as tranquilly as if there were no such
things as sheep in the world, while they for their part wandered
hither and thither at their own sweet will, as if there were no
such thing as a shepherdess, invading every field, and browsing
upon every kind of forbidden dainty, until the peasants, alarmed
by the havoc they were making, raised a clamour, which at last
reached the ears of the King and Queen, who ran out, and seeing
the cause of the commotion, hastily collected their flock. And,
indeed, the sooner the better, since they had to pay for all the
damage they had done. As for me I lay still and watched them run,
for I was very comfortable, and there I might be still if they had
not come up, all panting and breathless, and compelled me to get
up and follow them; they also reproached me bitterly, but I need
hardly tell you that they did not again entrust me with the flock.

'But whatever they found for me to do it was always the same
thing, I spoilt and mismanaged it all, and was so successful in
provoking even the most patient people, that one day I ran away
from the farm, for I was really afraid the Queen would be obliged
to beat me. When I came to the little river in which the King used
to fish, I found the boat tied to a tree, and stepping in I
unfastened it, and floated gently down with the current. The
gliding of the boat was so soothing that I did not trouble myself
in the least when the Queen caught sight of me and ran along the
bank, crying—

'"My boat, my boat! Husband, come and catch the little Princess
who is running away with my boat!"

'The current soon carried me out of hearing of her cries, and I
dreamed to the song of the ripples and the whisper of the trees,
until the boat suddenly stopped, and I found it was stuck fast
beside a fresh green meadow, and that the sun was rising. In the
distance I saw some little houses which seemed to be built in a
most singular fashion, but as I was by this time very hungry I set
out towards them, but before I had walked many steps, I saw that
the air was full of shining objects which seemed to be fixed, and
yet I could not see what they hung from.

'I went nearer, and saw a silken cord hanging down to the ground,
and pulled it just because it was so close to my hand. Instantly
the whole meadow resounded to the melodious chiming of a peal of
silver bells, and they sounded so pretty that I sat down to
listen, and to watch them as they swung shining in the sunbeams.
Before they ceased to sound, came a great flight of birds, and
each one perching upon a bell added its charming song to the
concert. As they ended, I looked up and saw a tall and stately
dame advancing towards me, surrounded and followed by a vast flock
of every kind of bird.

'"Who are you, little girl," said she, "who dares to come where I
allow no mortal to live, lest my birds should be disturbed? Still,
if you are clever at anything," she added, "I might be able to put
up with your presence."

'"Madam," I answered, rising, "you may be very sure that I shall
not do anything to alarm your birds. I only beg you, for pity's
sake, to give me something to eat."

'"I will do that," she replied, "before I send you where you
deserve to go."

'And thereupon she despatched six jays, who were her pages, to
fetch me all sorts of biscuits, while some of the other birds
brought ripe fruits. In fact, I had a delicious breakfast, though
I do not like to be waited upon so quickly. It is so disagreeable
to be hurried. I began to think I should like very well to stay in
this pleasant country, and I said so to the stately lady, but she
answered with the greatest disdain:

'"Do you think I would keep you here?
You
! Why what do you
suppose would be the good of you in this country, where everybody
is wide-awake and busy? No, no, I have shown you all the
hospitality you will get from me."

'With these words she turned and gave a vigorous pull to the
silken rope which I mentioned before, but instead of a melodious
chime, there arose a hideous clanging which quite terrified me,
and in an instant a huge Black Bird appeared, which alighted at
the Fairy's feet, saying in a frightful voice—

'"What do you want of me, my sister?"

'"I wish you to take this little Princess to my cousin, the Giant
of the Green Castle, at once," she replied, "and beg him from me
to make her work day and night upon his beautiful tapestry."

'At these words the great Bird snatched me up, regardless of my
cries, and flew off at a terrific pace—'

'Oh! you are joking, cousin,' interrupted Prince Vivien; 'you mean
as slowly as possible. I know that horrible Black Bird, and the
lengthiness of all his proceedings and surroundings.'

'Have it your own way,' replied Placida, tranquilly. 'I cannot
bear arguing. Perhaps, this was not even the same bird. At any
rate, he carried me off at a prodigious speed, and set me gently
down in this very castle of which you are now the master. We
entered by one of the windows, and when the Bird had handed me
over to the Giant from whom you have been good enough to deliver
me, and given the Fairy's message, it departed.