第10章 THE PRINCESS MAYBLOSSOM(5)

`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.'