第33章 PRINCESS ROSETTE(1)

ONCE upon a time there lived a King and Queen who had two beautiful sons and one little daughter, who was so pretty that no one who saw her could help loving her.When it was time for the christening of the Princess, the Queen--as she always did--sent for all the fairies to be present at the ceremony, and afterwards invited them to a splendid banquet.

When it was over, and they were preparing to go away, the Queen said to them:

`Do not forget your usual good custom.Tell me what is going to happen to Rosette.'

For that was the name they had given the Princess.

But the fairies said they had left their book of magic at home, and they would come another day and tell her.

`Ah!' said the Queen, `I know very well what that means--you have nothing good to say; but at least I beg that you will not hide anything from me.'

So, after a great deal of persuasion, they said:

`Madam, we fear that Rosette may be the cause of great misfortunes to her brothers; they may even meet with their death through her; that is all we have been able to foresee about your dear little daughter.We are very sorry to have nothing better to tell you.'

Then they went away, leaving the Queen very sad, so sad that the King noticed it, and asked her what was the matter.

The Queen said that she had been sitting too near the fire, and had burnt all the flax that was upon her distaff.

`Oh! is that all?' said the King, and he went up into the garret and brought her down more flax than she could spin in a hundred years.But the Queen still looked sad, and the King asked her again what was the matter.She answered that she had been walking by the river and had dropped one of her green satin slippers into the water.

`Oh! if that's all,' said the King, and he sent to all the shoe-makers in his kingdom, and they very soon made the Queen ten thousand green satin slippers, but still she looked sad.So the King asked her again what was the matter, and this time she answered that in eating her porridge too hastily she had swallowed her wedding-ring.But it so happened that the King knew better, for he had the ring himself, and he said:

`Oh I you are not telling me the truth, for I have your ring here in my purse.'

Then the Queen was very much ashamed, and she saw that the King was vexed with her; so she told him all that the fairies had predicted about Rosette, and begged him to think how the misfortunes might be prevented.

Then it was the King's turn to look sad, and at last he said:

`I see no way of saving our sons except by having Rosette's head cut off while she is still little.'

But the Queen cried that she would far rather have her own head cut off, and that he had better think of something else, for she would never consent to such a thing.So they thought and thought, but they could not tell what to do, until at last the Queen heard that in a great forest near the castle there was an old hermit, who lived in a hollow tree, and that people came from far and near to consult him; so she said:

`I had better go and ask his advice; perhaps he will know what to do to prevent the misfortunes which the fairies foretold.'

She set out very early the next morning, mounted upon a pretty little white mule, which was shod with solid gold, and two of her ladies rode behind her on beautiful horses.When they reached the forest they dismounted, for the trees grew so thickly that the horses could not pass, and made their way on foot to the hollow tree where the hermit lived.At first when he saw them coming he was vexed, for he was not fond of ladies; but when he recognised the Queen, he said:

`You are welcome, Queen.What do you come to ask of me?'

Then the Queen told him all the fairies had foreseen for Rosette, and asked what she should do, and the hermit answered that she must shut the Princess up in a tower and never let her come out of it again.The Queen thanked and rewarded him, and hastened back to the castle to tell the King.When he heard the news he had a great tower built as quickly as possible, and there the Princess was shut up, and the King and Queen and her two brothers went to see her every day that she might not be dull.The eldest brother was called `the Great Prince,' and the second `the Little Prince.' They loved their sister dearly, for she was the sweetest, prettiest princess who was ever seen, and the least little smile from her was worth more than a hundred pieces of gold.When Rosette was fifteen years old the Great Prince went to the King and asked if it would not soon be time for her to be married, and the Little Prince put the same question to the Queen.

Their majesties were amused at them for thinking of it, but did not make any reply, and soon after both the King and the Queen were taken ill, and died on the same day.Everybody was sorry, Rosette especially, and all the bells in the kingdom were tolled.

Then all the dukes and counsellors put the Great Prince upon a golden throne, and crowned him with a diamond crown, and they all cried, `Long live the King!' And after that there was nothing but feasting and rejoicing.

The new King and his brother said to one another:

`Now that we are the masters, let us take our sister out of that dull tower which she is so tired of.'

They had only to go across the garden to reach the tower, which was very high, and stood up in a corner.Rosette was busy at her embroidery, but when she saw her brothers she got up, and taking the King's hand cried:

`Good morning, dear brother.Now that you are King, please take me out of this dull tower, for I am so tired of it.'

Then she began to cry, but the King kissed her and told her to dry her tears, as that was just what they had come for, to take her out of the tower and bring her to their beautiful castle, and the Prince showed her the pocketful of sugar plums he had brought for her, and said:

`Make haste, and let us get away from this ugly tower, and very soon the King will arrange a grand marriage for you.'