The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang (e novels for free .txt) 📖
- Author: Andrew Lang
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your sorrow, but this seems to be another of the tricks of the Fairy
Carabosse. The Princess’s twenty unlucky years were not quite
over, and really, if the truth must be told, I noticed that Fanfaronade
and the Princess appeared to admire one another greatly. Perhaps
this may give some clue to the mystery of their disappearance.’
Here the Queen interrupted him, saying, `Take care what you
say, sir. Believe me, the Princess Mayblossom was far too well
brought up to think of falling in love with an Ambassador.’
At this the nurse came forward, and, falling on her knees,
confessed how they had made the little needle-hole in the tower, and
how the Princess had declared when she saw the Ambassador that
she would marry him and nobody else. Then the Queen was very
angry, and gave the nurse, and the cradle-rocker, and the nursery-maid such a scolding that they shook in their shoes. But the
Admiral Cocked-Hat interrupted her, crying:
`Let us be off after this good-for-nothing Fanfaronade, for with
out a doubt he has run away with our Princess.’
Then there was a great clapping of hands, and everybody
shouted, `By all means let us be after him.’
So while some embarked upon the sea, the others ran from
kingdom to kingdom beating drums and blowing trumpets, and
wherever a crowd collected they cried:
`Whoever wants a beautiful doll, sweetmeats of all kinds, a
little pair of scissors, a golden robe, and a satin cap has only to
say where Fanfaronade has hidden the Princess Mayblossom.’
But the answer everywhere was, `You must go farther, we have
not seen them.’
However, those who went by sea were more fortunate, for after
sailing about for some time they noticed a light before them which
burned at night like a great fire. At first they dared not go near
it, not knowing what it might be, but by-and-by it remained
stationary over Squirrel Island, for, as you have guessed already,
the light was the glowing of the carbuncle. The Princess and
Fanfaronade on landing upon the island had given the boatman
a hundred gold pieces, and made him promise solemnly to tell no
one where he had taken them; but the first thing that happened
was that, as he rowed away, he got into the midst of the fleet, and
before he could escape the Admiral had seen him and sent a boat
after him.
When he was searched they found the gold pieces in his pocket,
and as they were quite new coins, struck in honour of the Princess’s
wedding, the Admiral felt certain that the boatman must have
been paid by the Princess to aid her in her flight. But he would
not answer any questions, and pretended to be deaf and dumb
Then the Admiral said: `Oh! deaf and dumb is he? Lash
him to the mast and give him a taste of the cat-o’-nine-tails. I
don’t know anything better than that for curing the deaf and
dumb!’
And when the old boatman saw that he was in earnest, he told
all he knew about the cavalier and the lady whom he had landed
upon Squirrel Island, and the Admiral knew it must be the
Princess and Fanfaronade; so he gave the order for the fleet to
surround the island.
Meanwhile the Princess Mayblossom, who was by this time
terribly sleepy, had found a grassy bank in the shade, and throwing
herself down had already fallen into a profound slumber, when
Fanfaronade, who happened to be hungry and not sleepy, came
and woke her up, saying, very crossly:
`Pray, madam, how long do you mean to stay here? I see
nothing to eat, and though you may be very charming, the sight
of you does not prevent me from famishing.’
`What! Fanfaronade,’ said the Princess, sitting up and rubbing
her eyes, `is it possible that when I am here with you you can
want anything else? You ought to be thinking all the time how
happy you are.’
`Happy!’ cried he; `say rather unhappy. I wish with all my
heart that you were back in your dark tower again.’
`Darling, don’t be cross,’ said the Princess. `I will go and see
if I can find some wild fruit for you.’
`I wish you might find a wolf to eat you up,’ growled Fanfaronade.
The Princess, in great dismay, ran hither and thither all about
the wood, tearing her dress, and hurting her pretty white hands
with the thorns and brambles, but she could find nothing good to
eat, and at last she had to go back sorrowfully to Fanfaronade.
When he saw that she came empty-handed he got up and left her,
grumbling to himself.
The next day they searched again, but with no better success.
`Alas!’ said the Princess, `if only I could find something for
you to eat, I should not mind being hungry myself.’
`No, I should not mind that either,’ answered Fanfaronade.
`Is it possible,’ said she, `that you would not care if I died of
hunger? Oh, Fanfaronade, you said you loved me!’
`That was when we were in quite another place and I was not
hungry,’ said he. `It makes a great difference in one’s ideas to be
dying of hunger and thirst on a desert island.’
At this the Princess was dreadfully vexed, and she sat down
under a white rose bush and began to cry bitterly.
`Happy roses,’ she thought to herself, `they have only to blossom
in the sunshine and be admired, and there is nobody to be unkind
to them.’ And the tears ran down her cheeks and splashed on to
the rose-tree roots. Presently she was surprised to see the whole
bush rustling and shaking, and a soft little voice from the prettiest
rosebud said:
`Poor Princess! look in the trunk of that tree, and you will
find a honeycomb, but don’t be foolish enough to share it with
Fanfaronade.’
Mayblossom ran to the tree, and sure enough there was the
honey. Without losing a moment she ran with it to Fanfaronade,
crying gaily:
`See, here is a honeycomb that I have found. I might have
eaten it up all by myself, but I had rather share it with you.’
But without looking at her or thanking her he snatched the honey
comb out of her hands and ate it all up—every bit, without offering
her a morsel. Indeed, when she humbly asked for some he said
mockingly that it was too sweet for her, and would spoil her teeth.
Mayblossom, more downcast than ever, went sadly away and
sat down under an oak tree, and her tears and sighs were so
piteous that the oak fanned her with his rustling leaves, and said:
`Take courage, pretty Princess, all is not lost yet. Take this
pitcher of milk and drink it up, and whatever you do, don’t leave a
drop for Fanfaronade.’
The Princess, quite astonished, looked round, and saw a big
pitcher full of milk, but before she could raise it to her lips the
thought of how thirsty Fanfaronade must be, after eating at least
fifteen pounds of honey, made her run back to him and say:
`Here is a pitcher of milk; drink some, for you must be thirsty
I am sure; but pray save a little for me, as I am dying of hunger
and thirst.’
But he seized the pitcher and drank all it contained at a single
draught, and then broke it to atoms on the nearest stone, saying
with a malicious smile: `As you have not eaten anything you cannot
be thirsty.’
`Ah!’ cried the Princess, `I am well punished for disappointing
the King and Queen, and running away with this Ambassador
about whom I knew nothing.’
And so saying she wandered away into the thickest part of the
wood, and sat down under a thorn tree, where a nightingale was
singing. Presently she heard him say: `Search under the bush
Princess; you will find some sugar, almonds, and some tarts there
But don’t be silly enough to offer Fanfaronade any.’ And this
time the Princess, who was fainting with hunger, took the nightingale’s
advice, and ate what she found all by herself. But Fanfaronade,
seeing that she had found something good, and was not
going to share it with him, ran after her in such a fury that she
hastily drew out the Queen’s carbuncle, which had the property of
rendering people invisible if they were in danger, and when she
was safely hidden from him she reproached him gently for his
unkindness.
Meanwhile Admiral Cocked-Hat had despatched Jack-the-Chatterer-of-the-Straw-Boots, Courier in Ordinary to the Prime
Minister, to tell the King that the Princess and the Ambassador
had landed on Squirrel Island, but that not knowing the country
he had not pursued them, for fear of being captured by concealed
enemies. Their Majesties were overjoyed at the news, and the
King sent for a great book, each leaf of which was eight ells long.
It was the work of a very clever Fairy, and contained a description
of the whole earth. He very soon found that Squirrel Island was
uninhabited.
`Go,’ said he, to Jack-the-Chatterer, `tell the Admiral from me
to land at once. I am surprised at his not having done so sooner.’
As soon as this message reached the fleet, every preparation was
made for war, and the noise was so great that it reached the ears of
the Princess, who at once flew to protect her lover. As he was not
very brave he accepted her aid gladly.
`You stand behind me,’ said she, `and I will hold the carbuncle
which will make us invisible, and with the King’s dagger I can
protect you from the enemy.’ So when the soldiers landed they
could see nothing, but the Princess touched them one after another
with the dagger, and they fell insensible upon the sand, so that at
last the Admiral, seeing that there was some enchantment, hastily
gave orders for a retreat to be sounded, and got his men back into
their boats in great confusion.
Fanfaronade,being once more left with the Princess,
began to think that if he could get rid of her, and possess
himself of the carbuncle and the dagger, he would be
able to make his escape. So as they walked back over
the cliffs he gave the Princess a great push, hoping she
would fall into the sea; but she stepped aside so quickly that
he only succeeded in overbalancing himself, and over
he went, and sank to the bottom of the sea like a lump of
lead, and was never heard of any more. While the Princess
was still looking after him in horror, her attention was attracted
by a rushing noise over her head, and looking up she saw two chariots
approaching rapidly from opposite directions. One was bright and
glittering, and drawn by swans and peacocks, while the Fairy who sat
in it was beautiful as a sunbeam; but the other was drawn by bats and
ravens, and contained a frightful little Dwarf, who was dressed in a
snake’s skin, and wore a great toad upon her head for a hood. The
chariots met with a frightful crash in mid-air, and the Princess
looked on in breathless anxiety while a furious battle took place
between the lovely Fairy with her golden lance, and the hideous little
Dwarf and her rusty pike. But very soon it was evident that the
Beauty had the best of it, and the Dwarf turned her bats’ heads and
flickered away in great confusion, while the Fairy came down to
where the Princess stood,
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