[Illustration: HE FLUNG HUGE MASSES OF ROCK AFTER THE VESSEL]

 _Laboulaye's_ FAIRY BOOK

 _Illustrated by_

 Edward G. McCandlish

 _Translated by_

 Mary L. Booth

 _Introduction by_

 Kate Douglas Wiggin

 HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK _and_ LONDON

 LABOULAYE'S FAIRY BOOK

 Copyright, 1866, 1920, by Harper & Brothers

 * * * * *

CONTENTS

 PAGE

INTRODUCTION ix

YVON AND FINETTE 3

THE CASTLE OF LIFE 46

DESTINY 79

THE TWELVE MONTHS 86

SWANDA, THE PIPER 96

THE GOLD BREAD 102

THE STORY OF THE NOSES 109

THE THREE CITRONS 115

THE STORY OF COQUERICO 137

KING BIZARRE AND PRINCE CHARMING 145

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ILLUSTRATIONS

HE FLUNG HUGE MASSES OF ROCK AFTER THE VESSEL _Frontispiece_

HE WAS SOON SNORING SO LOUDLY THAT IT SEEMED LIKE THUNDERSHAKING THE MOUNTAINS _Facing p. _ 16

SHE FOUND HERSELF IN FRONT OF A WRETCHED HUT AT THE DOOR OFWHICH STOOD AN OLD WOMAN, OF WHOM SHE BEGGED SHELTER FORTHE NIGHT " 26

AT NIGHT THE GRANDMOTHER ALWAYS GAVE HIM GOOD COUNSELSFOR HIM TO FOLLOW WHEN SHE WAS GONE " 48

PRETTY DOBRUNKA WAS OBLIGED TO DO ALL THE WORK OF THEHOUSE " 88

TURNED OUT BY HER MOTHER, DOBRUNKA WENT UNHAPPILY INTOTHE FOREST " 92

HE BEGAN TO PLAY, AND NEVER HAD HIS MUSIC PRODUCED SUCH ANEFFECT " 100

AS THE MOTHER GAZED LOVINGLY AT HER BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, MARIENKA LAUGHED IN HER SLEEP " 106

HE RAN TO THE TREE AND SHOOK IT WITH ALL HIS MIGHT, WHEN, BEHOLD! A YOUNG GIRL FELL FROM THE BRANCHES " 112

HE INSTANTLY GAVE HER THE WATER, WHEN, LO! A BEAUTIFUL, SLENDER YOUNG GIRL STOOD BEFORE HIM " 126

PAZZA, THOUGH SHE LOVED THE PRINCE, WAS A VERY STERN " 154SCHOOLMISTRESS

THE MOST RENOWNED PHYSICIANS OF THE FACULTY MET ONE EVENINGIN CONSULTATION AT THE PALACE " 178

 * * * * *

INTRODUCTION

By KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN

There was once a green book, deliciously thick, with gilt-edged pagesand the name of the author in gilt script on the front cover. 

Like an antique posy ring, it was a "box of jewels, shop of rarities";it was a veritable Pandora's box, and if you laid warm, childish handsupon it and held it pressed close to your ear, you could hear, asPandora did, soft rustlings, murmurings, flutterings, and whisperingsfrom the fairy folk within. For this was a fairy book--EdouardLaboulaye's "Tales, " and its heroes and heroines became first thedaily companions, and then the lifetime possession, of the two littlegirls to whom it belonged. 

From the New England village where it was originally given to them, ittraveled to the far West and its tales were told to countlessimmigrant children of San Francisco, whose great eyes opened widerstill as they listened, breathless, to stories beloved by theirancestors. In later years the green volume journeyed by clumsy, rattling stage and rawboned nags to Mexico, and the extraordinaryadventures of "Yvon and Finette, " "Carlino, " and "Graceful" wererepeated in freshly learned Spanish, to many a group of brown-cheekedlittle people on the hillsides of Sonora. 

And now, long, long afterward, there stands on a shelf above my deskthe very selfsame worn green volume, read and re-read a hundred times, but so tenderly and respectfully that it has kept all its pages andboth its covers; and on this desk itself are the proofs of a newedition with clear, beautiful print and gay pictures by EdwardMcCandlish!

To be asked to write an introduction to this particular book seemsinsufferable patronage; yet one would do it for love of Laboulaye, orfor the sake of one's own "little past, " or to draw one more youngreader into the charmed circle that will welcome these pages. 

The two children who adored Laboulaye's "Tales" possessed many anotherfairy book, so why did this especial volume hold a niche apart in thegallery of their hearts?

Partly, perhaps, because of the Gallic wit and vivacity with which thetales are told, for children are never too young to appreciate thecharms of style. 

You remember, possibly, the French chef who, being imprisoned with nomaterials save the tools of his trade, and commanded on pain of deathto produce an omelette, proudly emerged at last, bearing a savory dishmade out of the sole of his shoe?

Of even such stuff Laboulaye could have concocted a delectable tale;but with Brittany, Bohemia, Italy, Dalmatia, Hungary, and Spain forhis storehouses, one has only to taste to know how finely flavored arethe dishes he sets forth. 

In his preface to the first American edition Laboulaye writes a letterto Mlle. Gabrielle Laboulaye, aged two! In it he says: "When you throwaway this book with your doll, do not be too severe with your oldgrandfather for wasting his time on such trifles as fairy stories. Experience will teach you that the truest and sweetest things in lifeare not those which we see, but of which we dream. " Happy the childrenwho have this philosophy set before them early in life. 

Like the fairy tales Robert Louis Stevenson remembered, these ofLaboulaye's have "the golden smell of broom and the shade of pine, "and they will come back to the child whenever the Wind of Memoryblows. 

In common with the stories of Charles Perrault, literary parent of thefairy tale, Laboulaye's charming narratives have a certain uniquequality due to the fact that they were intended and collected for theauthor's own children, were told to them round the fireside in theevening, and so received at first hand the comment and suggestion of abevy of competent, if somewhat youthful, critics. 

It is said that there is a great scarcity of fairy folk in modernFrance; and that, terrified by the thunders of the Revolution, theyleft their unhappy country in a body during its stormy years, firstassembling in grateful concourse around the tomb of Perrault, uponwhose memory they conferred the boon of immortality. 

If this story is true--and the last reported act of the fairies onleaving France makes it appear so--then we may be sure that a few ofthe more hardy and adventurous fays skipped back again across theborder and hid themselves in Laboulaye's box of jewels, where theygive to each gem an even brighter sheen and a more magical luster. 

"QUILLCOTE, " HOLLIS, MAINE. 

_August, 1920. _

LABOULAYE'S FAIRY BOOK

On the Kerver

YVON _and_ FINETTE

_A Tale of Brittany_

[Illustration: ]

I

Once upon a time there lived in Brittany a noble lord, who was calledthe Baron Kerver. His manor-house was the most beautiful in theprovince. It was a great Gothic castle, with a groined roof and walls, covered with carving, that looked at a distance like a vine climbingover an arbor. On the first floor six stained-glass balcony windowslooked out on each side toward the rising and the setting sun. In themorning, when the baron, mounted on his dun mare, went forth into theforest, followed by his tall greyhounds, he saw at each window one ofhis daughters, with prayer-book in hand, praying for the house ofKerver, and who, with their fair curls, blue eyes, and clasped hands, might have been taken for six Madonnas in an azure niche. At evening, when the sun declined and the baron returned homeward, after ridinground his domains, he perceived from afar, in the windows lookingtoward the west, six sons, with dark locks and eagle gaze, the hopeand pride of the family, that might have been taken for six sculpturedknights at the portal of a church. For ten leagues round, all whowished to quote a happy father and a powerful lord named the BaronKerver. 

The castle had but twelve windows, and the baron had thirteenchildren. The last, the one that had no place, was a handsome boy ofsixteen, by the name of Yvon. As usual, he was the best beloved. Inthe morning, at his departure, and at evening, on his return, thebaron always found Yvon waiting on the threshold to embrace him. Withhis hair falling to his waist, his graceful figure, his wilful air, and his bold bearing, Yvon was beloved by all the Bretons. At twelveyears of age he had bravely attacked and killed a wolf with an ax, which had won him the name of _Fearless_. He deserved the title, fornever was there a bolder heart. 

One day, when the baron had stayed at home, and was amusing himself bybreaking a lance with his squire, Yvon entered the armory in atraveling dress, and, bending one knee to the ground, "My lord andfather, " said he to the baron, "I come to ask your blessing. The houseof Kerver is rich in knights, and has no need of a child; it is timefor me to go to seek my fortune. I wish to go to distant countries totry my strength and to make myself a name. "

"You are right, Fearless, " replied the baron, more moved than hewished to appear. "I will not keep you back; I have no right to do so;but you are very young, my child; perhaps it would be better for youto stay another year with us. "

"I am sixteen, my father; at that age you had already fought one ofthe proudest lords of the country. I have not forgotten that our armsare a unicorn ripping up a lion, and our motto. Onward! I do not wishthe Kervers to blush for their last child. "

Yvon received his father's blessing, shook hands with his brothers, embraced his sisters, bid adieu to all the weeping vassals, and setout with a light heart. 

Nothing stopped him on his way. A river appeared, he swam it; amountain, he climbed it; a forest, he made his way through it with thesun for a guide. "_On--the Kerver!_" he cried, whenever he met with anobstacle, and went straight forward in spite of everything. 

For three years he had been roaming over the world in search ofadventures, sometimes conquering, sometimes conquered, always bold andgay, when he received an offer to go to fight the heathen of Norway. To kill unbelievers and to conquer a kingdom was a double pleasure. Yvon enlisted twelve brave comrades, freighted a ship, and hoistedfrom the mainmast a blue standard with the unicorn and motto of theKervers. 

The sea was calm, the wind fair, and the night serene. Yvon, stretched on the deck, watched the stars, and sought the one whichcast its trembling light on his father's castle. All at once thevessel struck upon a rock; a terrible crash was heard; the sails felllike tinder; and an enormous wave burst over the deck and swept awayeverything upon it. 

"_On--the Kerver!_" cried Yvon, as soon as his head appeared above thewater, and he began to swim as tranquilly as if he had been bathing inthe lake of the old castle. Happily the moon was rising. Yvon saw, ata little distance, a black speck among the silvery waves--it was land. He approached it, not without difficulty, and finally succeeded ingaining a foothold. Dripping wet, exhausted with fatigue, and out ofbreath, he dragged himself on the sand, then, without more anxiety, said his prayers and went to sleep. 

II

In the morning, on awaking, Yvon tried to discover in what country hehad been cast. He saw in the distance a house as large as a church, with windows fifty feet in height. He walked a whole day beforereaching it, and at last found himself in front of an immense door, with a knocker so heavy that it was impossible for a man to lift it. 

Yvon took a great stone and began to knock. "Come in, " cried a voicethat sounded like the roar of a bull. At the same instant the dooropened, and the little Breton found himself in the presence of agiant not less than forty feet in height. 

"What is your name, and what do you want here?" said the giant, takingup Yvon between his thumb and finger and lifting him from the groundso as to see him better. 

"My name is Fearless, and I am seeking my fortune, " answered Yvon, looking at the monster with an air of defiance. 

"Well, brave Fearless, your fortune is made, " said the giant, in amocking tone. "I am in need of a servant and I will give you theplace. You can go to work directly. This is the time for leading mysheep to the pasture; you may clean the stable while I am gone. Ishall give you nothing else to do, " added he, bursting into a laugh. "You see that I am a good master. Do your task, and, above all things, don't prowl about the house, or it will cost you your life. "

"Certainly I have a good master; the work is not hard, " thought Yvon, when the giant was gone. "I have plenty of time to sweep the stable. What shall I do meanwhile to amuse myself? Shall I look about thehouse? Since I am forbidden to do so, it must be because there issomething to see. "

He entered the first room, and saw a large fireplace in which a greatpot was hanging, suspended from a hook. The pot was boiling, but therewas no fire on the hearth. 

"What does this mean?" thought Yvon; "there is some mystery here. " Hecut off a lock of his hair, dipped it into the pot, and took it outall coated with copper. 

"Oh, oh!" cried he, "this is a new kind of soup; anybody that swallowsit must have an iron-clad stomach. "

He went into the next room; there also a pot was suspended from ahook, and boiling without fire. Yvon dipped a lock of hair into it, and took it out all coated with silver. 

"The broth is not so rich as this in the Kerver kitchen, " thought he, "but it may have a better taste. "

Upon this, he entered the third room. There also a pot was suspendedfrom a hook, and boiling without fire. Yvon dipped a lock of hair intoit, and took it out all coated with gold. It shone so brightly that itmight have been mistaken for a sunbeam. 

"Good!" cried he. "In our country the old women have a saying, 'Everythinggets worse and worse'; here it is just the contrary--everything getsbetter and better. What shall I find in the fourth room, I wonder--diamondsoup?"

He pushed open the door and saw something rarer than precious stones. This was a young woman of such marvelous beauty that Yvon, dazzled, fell on his knees at the sight. 

"Unfortunate youth!" cried she, in a trembling voice, "what are youdoing here?"

"I belong to the house, " answered Yvon; "the giant took me into hisservice this morning. "

"His service!" repeated the young girl. "May Heaven preserve you fromit!"

"Why so?" said Yvon. "I have a good master; the work is not hard. Thestable once swept, my task is finished. "

"Yes, and how will you set to work to sweep it?" said the lady. "Ifyou sweep it in the usual way, for every forkful of dung that youthrow out of the door, ten will come in at the window. But I will tellyou what to do. Turn the fork and sweep with the handle, and the dungwill instantly fly out of itself. "

"I will obey, " said Yvon; upon which he sat down by the young girl andbegan to talk with her. She was the daughter of a fairy, whom thewretched giant had made his slave. Friendship soon springs up betweencompanions in misfortune. Before the end of the day Finette (for thatwas the lady's name) and Yvon had already promised to belong to eachother if they could escape from their abominable master. Thedifficulty was to find the means. 

Time passes quickly in this kind of talk. Evening was approaching whenFinette sent away her new friend, advising him to sweep the stablebefore the giant came home. 

Yvon took down the fork and attempted to use it as he had seen itdone at his father's castle. He soon had enough of it. In less than asecond there was so much dung in the stable that the poor boy knew notwhich way to turn. He did as Finette had bid him; he turned the forkand swept with the handle, when, behold! in the twinkling of an eyethe stable was as clean as if no cattle had ever entered it. 

The task finished, Yvon seated himself on a bench before the door ofthe house. As soon as he saw the giant coming he lolled back in hisseat, crossed his legs, and began to sing one of his native airs. 

"Have you cleaned the stable?" asked the giant, with a frown. 

"Everything is ready, master, " answered Yvon, without troublinghimself to move. 

"I am going to see for myself, " howled the giant. He entered thestable grumbling, found everything in order, and came out furious. 

"You have seen my Finette, " cried he; "this trick did not come fromyour own head. "

"What is myfinette?" asked Yvon, opening his mouth and shutting hiseyes. "Is it one of the animals that you have in this country? Show itto me, master. "

"Hold your tongue, fool, " replied the giant; "you will see her soonerthan you will want to. "

The next morning the giant gathered his sheep together to lead themto the pasture, but before setting out he ordered Yvon to go in thecourse of the day in search of his horse, which was turned out tograze on the mountain. "After that, " said he, bursting into a laugh, "you can rest all day long. You see that I am a good master. Do yourtask; and, above all things, don't prowl about the house or I will cutoff your head. "

Yvon winked his eye as the giant left. "Yes, you are a good master, "said he, between his teeth. "I understand your tricks; but, in spiteof your threats, I shall go into the house and talk with your Finette. It remains to be seen whether she will not be more mine than yours. "

He ran to the young girl's room. "Hurrah!" cried he; "I have nothingto do all day but to go to the mountain after a horse. "

"Very well, " said Finette. "How will you set to work to ride him?"

"A fine question, " returned Yvon. "As if it was a difficult thing toride a horse! I fancy that I have ridden worse ones than this. "

"It is not so easy as you think, " replied Finette; "but I will tellyou what to do. Take the bit that hangs behind the stable door, and, when the animal rushes toward you breathing fire and smoke from hisnostrils, force it straight between his teeth; he will instantlybecome as gentle as a lamb, and you can do what you please with him. "

"I will obey, " said Yvon; upon which he sat down by the side ofFinette and began to talk with her. They talked of everything; but, however far their fancy strayed, they always came back to the pointthat they were promised to each other and that they must escape fromthe giant. Time passes quickly in this kind of talk. The evening drewnigh. Yvon had forgotten the horse and the mountain, and Finette wasobliged to send him away, advising him to bring back the animal beforehis master's arrival. 

Yvon took down the bit that was hidden behind the stable door andhastened to the mountain, when, lo! a horse almost as large as anelephant rushed toward him at full gallop, breathing fire and smokefrom his nostrils. Yvon firmly awaited the huge animal, and, themoment he opened his enormous jaws, thrust between them the bit; when, lo! the horse instantly became as gentle as a lamb. Yvon made himkneel down, sprang on his back, and tranquilly returned home. 

His task finished, Yvon seated himself on the bench before the door ofthe house. As soon as he saw the giant coming, he lolled back in hisseat, crossed his legs, and began to sing one of his native airs. 

"Have you brought back the horse?" asked the giant, with a frown. 

"Yes, master, " answered Yvon, without taking the trouble to move. "Heis a fine animal and does you credit. He is gentle, well trained, andas quiet as a lamb. He is feeding yonder in the stable. "

"I am going to see for myself, " howled the giant. He entered thestable, grumbling, found everything in order, and came out furious. 

"You have seen my Finette, " he said; "this trick did not come fromyour own head. "

"Oh, master, " returned Yvon, opening his mouth and shutting his eyes, "it is the same story over again. What is this myfinette? Once forall, show me this monster. "

"Hold your tongue, fool, " returned the giant; "you will see her soonerthan you will want to. "

The third day at dawn the giant gathered his sheep together to leadthem to the pasture; but, before setting out, he said to Yvon:

"To-day you must go to the bottomless pit to collect my rent. Afterthat, " continued he, bursting into a laugh, "you may rest all daylong. You see that I am a good master. "

"A good master, so be it, " murmured Yvon, "but the task is none theless hard. I will go and see my Finette, as the giant says; I havegreat need of her help to get through to-day's business. "

When Finette had learned what was the task of the day, "Well, " saidshe, "how will you go to work to do it?"

"I don't know, " said Yvon, sadly; "I have never been to the bottomlesspit, and, even if I knew the way there, I should not know what to askfor. Tell me what to do. "

"Do you see that great rock yonder?" said Finette; "that is one of thegates of the bottomless pit. Take this stick, knock three times on thestone, and a demon will come out all streaming with flames, who willask you how much you want. Take care to answer, 'No more than I cancarry. '"

"I will obey, " said Yvon; upon which he took a seat by the side ofFinette and began to talk with her. He would have been there till thistime if the young girl had not sent him to the great rock, when theevening drew nigh, to execute the giant's commands. 

On reaching the spot pointed out to him, Yvon found a great block ofgranite. He struck it three times with the stick, when, lo! the rockopened and a demon came forth all streaming with flames. 

"What do you want?" he cried. 

"I have come for the giant's rent, " answered Yvon, calmly. 

"How much do you want?"

"I never want any more than I can carry, " replied the Breton. 

"It is well for you that you do not, " returned the man in flames. "Enter this cavern and you will find what you want. "

Yvon entered, and opened his eyes wide. Everywhere he saw nothing butgold, silver, diamonds, carbuncles, and emeralds. They were asnumerous as the sands on the seashore. The young Kerver filled a sack, threw it across his shoulder, and tranquilly returned home. 

His task finished, our Breton seated himself on the bench before thedoor of the house. As soon as he saw the giant coming he lolled backin his seat, crossed his legs, and began to sing one of his nativeairs. 

"Have you been to the bottomless pit to collect my rent?" asked thegiant, with a frown. 

"Yes, master, " answered Yvon, without taking the trouble to stir. "Thesack is right there before your eyes; you can count it. "

"I am going to see for myself, " howled the giant. He untied thestrings of the sack, which was so full that the gold and silver rolledin all directions. 

"You have seen my Finette, " he cried; "this trick did not come fromyour own head. "

"Don't you know but one song?" said Yvon, opening his mouth andshutting his eyes. "It is the old story, myfinette, myfinette. Oncefor all, show me this thing. "

"Well, well, " roared the giant, with fury, "wait till to-morrow andyou shall make her acquaintance. "

"Thank you, master, " said Yvon. "It is very good of you; but I seefrom your face that you are laughing at me. "

III

The next morning the giant went out without giving Yvon any orders, which troubled Finette. At noon he returned without his flock, complaining of the heat and fatigue, and said to the young girl:

"You will find a child, my servant, at the door. Cut his throat, puthim into the great pot to boil, and call me when the broth is ready. "Saying this, he stretched himself on the bed to take a nap, and wassoon snoring so loudly that it seemed like thunder shaking themountains. 

Finette prepared a log of wood, took a large knife, and called Yvon. She pricked his little finger; three drops of blood fell on the log. 

"That is enough, " said Finette; "now help me to fill the pot. "

They threw into it all that they could find--old clothes, old shoes, old carpets, and everything else. Finette then took Yvon by the handand led him through the three antechambers, where she ran in a moldthree bullets of gold, two bullets of silver, and one bullet ofcopper, after which they quitted the house and ran toward the sea. 

[Illustration: HE WAS SOON SNORING SO LOUDLY THAT IT SEEMED LIKETHUNDER SHAKING THE MOUNTAINS]

"_On--the Kerver!_" cried Yvon, as soon as he saw himself in thecountry. "Explain yourself, dear Finette; what farce are we playingnow?"

"Let us run--let us run!" she cried; "if we do not quit this wretchedisland before night, it is all over with us. "

"_On--the Kerver!_" replied Yvon, laughing, "and down with the giant!"

When he had snored a full hour, the giant stretched his limbs, halfopened one eye, and cried, "Is it ready?"

"It is just beginning to boil, " answered the first drop of blood onthe log. 

The giant turned over, and snored louder than ever for an hour or twolonger. Then he stretched his limbs, half opened one eye, and criedout: "Do you hear me? Is it almost ready?"

"It is half done, " answered the second drop of blood on the log. 

The giant turned over, and slept an hour longer. Then he yawned, stretched his great limbs, and cried out, impatiently:

"Isn't it ready yet?"

"It is ready now, " answered the third drop of blood on the log. 

The giant sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes, and looked around to see whohad spoken; but it was in vain to look; he saw nobody. 

"Finette, " howled he, "why isn't the table set?"

There was no answer. The giant, furious, sprang out of bed, seized aladle, which looked like a caldron with a pitchfork for a handle, andplunged it into the pot to taste the soup. 

"Finette!" howled he, "you haven't salted it. What sort of soup isthis? I see neither meat nor vegetables. "

No; but, in return, he saw his carpet, which had not quite all boiledto pieces. At this sight he fell into such a fit of rage that he couldnot keep his feet. 

"Villains!" said he, "you have played a fine trick on me; but youshall pay for it. "

He rushed out with a stick in his hand, and strode along at such arate that in a quarter of an hour he discovered the two fugitivesstill far from the seashore. He uttered such a cry of joy that theearth shook for twelve leagues around. 

Finette stopped, trembling. Yvon clasped her to his heart. 

"_On--the Kerver!_" said he; "the sea is not far off; we shall bethere before our enemy. "

"Here he is! here he is!" cried Finette, pointing to the giant not ahundred yards off; "we are lost if this charm does not save us. "

She took the copper bullet and threw it on the ground, saying, "Copper bullet, save us, pray; Stop the giant on his way. "

And behold, the earth cracked apart with a terrific noise, and anenormous fissure, a bottomless pit, stopped the giant just as he wasstretching out his hand to seize his prey. 

"Let us fly!" cried Finette, grasping the arm of Yvon, who was gazingat the giant with a swaggering air, defying him to come on. 

The giant ran backward and forward along the abyss, like a bear in hiscage, seeking a passage everywhere and finding none; then, with afurious jerk, he tore up an immense oak by the roots and flung itacross the gap. The branches of the oak nearly crushed the children asit fell. The giant seated himself astride the huge tree, which bentunder his weight, and crept slowly along, suspended between heaven andearth, entangled as he was among the branches. When he reached theother side, Yvon and Finette were already on the shore, with the searolling before them. 

Alas! there was neither bark nor ship. The fugitives were lost. Yvon, always brave, picked up stones to attack the giant and to sell hislife dearly. Finette, trembling with fear, threw one of the silverbullets into the sea, saying, "Silver bullet, bright and pliant, Save us from this frightful giant. "

Scarcely had she spoken the magic words when a beautiful ship rosefrom the waves like a swan spreading its white wings. Yvon and Finetteplunged into the sea; a rope was thrown them by an invisible hand, and when the furious giant reached the shore the ship was recedingrapidly at full sail, leaving behind it a long furrow of shining foam. 

Giants do not like the water. This fact is certified to by old Homer, who knew Polyphemus; and the same observation will be found in allnatural histories worthy of the name. Finette's master resembledPolyphemus. He roared with rage when he saw his slaves about to escapehim. He ran hesitatingly along the shore; he flung huge masses of rockafter the vessel, which happily fell by the side of it and only madegreat black holes in the water; and, finally, mad with anger, heplunged head foremost into the sea and began to swim after the shipwith frightful speed. At each stroke he advanced forty feet, blowinglike a whale, and like a whale cleaving the waves. By degrees hegained on his enemies; one more effort would bring him within reach ofthe rudder, and already he was stretching out his arm to seize it, when Finette threw the second silver bullet into the sea and cried, intears, "Silver bullet, bright and pliant, Save us from this frightful giant. "

Suddenly from the midst of the foam darted forth a gigantic swordfish, with a sword at least twenty feet in length. It rushed straight towardthe giant, who scarcely had time to dive, chased him under the water, pursued him on the top of the waves, followed him closely whicheverway he turned, and forced him to flee as fast as he could to hisisland, where he finally landed with the greatest difficulty, and fellupon the shore dripping, worn out, and conquered. 

"_On--the Kerver!_" cried Yvon; "we are saved. "

"Not yet, " said Finette, trembling. "The giant has a witch for agodmother; I fear that she will revenge on me the insult offered toher godson. My art tells me, my dear Yvon, that if you quit me asingle instant until you give me your name in the chapel of theKervers I have everything to dread. "

"By the unicorn of my ancestors, " cried Yvon, "you have the heart of ahare and not of a hero! Am I not here? Am I going to abandon you? Doyou believe that Providence has saved us from the fangs of thatmonster to wreck us in port?"

He laughed so gaily that Finette laughed in turn at the terror thathad seized her. 

IV

The rest of the voyage passed off admirably. An invisible hand seemedto impel the ship onward. Twenty days after their departure the boatlanded Yvon and Finette near Kerver Castle. Once on shore, Yvon turnedto thank the crew. No one was there. Both boat and ship had vanishedunder the waves, leaving no trace behind but a gull on the wing. 

Yvon recognized the spot where he had so often gathered shells andchased the crabs to their holes when a child. Half an hour's walkwould bring him in sight of the towers of the old castle. His heartbeat; he looked tenderly at Finette and saw, for the first time, thather dress was fantastic and unworthy of a woman about to enter thenoble house of Kerver. 

"My dear child, " said he, "the baron, my father, is a noble lord, accustomed to be treated with respect. I cannot introduce you to himin this gipsy dress; neither is it fitting that you should enter ourgreat castle on foot like a peasant. Wait for me a few moments, and Iwill bring you a horse and one of my sister's dresses. I wish you tobe received like a lady of high degree. I wish my father himself tomeet you on your arrival, and hold it an honor to give you his hand. "

"Yvon, Yvon, " cried Finette, "do not quit me, I beg you. Once returnedto your castle, I know that you will forget me. "

"Forget you!" exclaimed Yvon. "If any one else were to offer me suchan insult I would teach him with my sword to suspect a Kerver. Forgetyou, my Finette! You do not know the fidelity of a Breton. "

That the Bretons are faithful no one doubts; but that they are stillmore headstrong is a justice that none will deny them. It was uselessfor poor Finette to plead in her most loving tones; she was forced toyield. She resigned herself with a heavy heart, and said to Yvon:

"Go without me, then, to your castle, but only stay long enough tospeak to your friends; then go straight to the stable, and return assoon as possible. You will be surrounded by people; act as if you sawno one, and, above all, do not eat or drink anything whatever. Shouldyou take only a glass of water, evil would come upon us both. "

Yvon promised and swore all that Finette asked, but he smiled in hisheart at this feminine weakness. He was sure of himself; and hethought with pride how different a Breton was from those fickleFrenchmen whose words, they say, are borne away by the first breath ofthe wind. 

On entering the old castle he could scarcely recognize its dark walls. All the windows were festooned with leaves and flowers within andwithout; the courtyard was strewn with fragrant grass; on one side wasspread tables groaning under their weight; on the other, musicians, mounted on casks, were playing merry airs. The vassals, dressed intheir holiday attire, were singing and dancing and dancing andsinging. It was a great day of rejoicing at the castle. The baronhimself was smiling. It is true that he had just married his fifthdaughter to the Knight of Kervalec. This marriage added anotherquartering to the illustrious escutcheon of the Kervers. 

Yvon, recognized and welcomed by all the crowd, was instantlysurrounded by his relatives, who embraced him and shook him by thehand. Where had he been? Where did he come from? Had he conquered akingdom, a duchy, or a barony? Had he brought the bride the jewels ofsome queen? Had the fairies protected him? How many rivals had heoverthrown? All these questions were showered upon him without reply. Yvon respectfully kissed his father's hand, hastened to his sisters'chamber, took two of their finest dresses, went to the stable, saddleda pony, mounted a beautiful Spanish jennet, and was about to quit thecastle, when he found his relatives, friends, and vassals all standingin his way, their glasses in their hands, ready to drink their younglord's health and his safe return. 

Yvon gracefully thanked them, bowed, and made his way by degreesthrough the crowd, when, just as he was about to cross the drawbridge, a fair-haired lady, with a haughty and disdainful air, a stranger tohim, a sister of the bridegroom, perhaps, approached him, holding apomegranate in her hand. 

"My handsome knight, " said she, with a singular smile, "you surelywill not refuse a lady's first request. Taste this pomegranate, Ientreat you. If you are neither hungry nor thirsty after so long ajourney, I suppose at least that you have not forgotten the laws ofpoliteness. "

Yvon dared not refuse this appeal. He was very wrong. Scarcely had hetasted the pomegranate when he looked round him like a man waking froma dream. 

"What am I doing on this horse?" thought he. "What means this ponythat I am leading? Is not my place in my father's house at my sister'swedding? Why should I quit the castle?"

He threw the bridle to one of the grooms, leaped lightly to theground, and offered his hand to the fair-haired lady, who accepted himas her attendant on the spot, and gave him her bouquet to hold as aspecial mark of favor. 

Before the evening was over there was another betrothed couple in thecastle. Yvon had pledged his faith to the unknown lady and Finette wasforgotten. 

V

Poor Finette, seated on the seashore, waited all day long for Yvon, but Yvon did not come. The sun was setting in the fiery waves whenFinette rose, sighing, and took the way to the castle in her turn. Shehad not walked long in a steep road, bordered with thorn-trees inblossom, when she found herself in front of a wretched hut at the doorof which stood an old woman about to milk her cow. Finette approachedher and, making a low courtesy, begged a shelter for the night. 

The old woman looked at the stranger from head to foot. With herbuskins trimmed with fur, her full red petticoat, her blue jacketedged with jet, and her diadem, Finette looked more like an Egyptianprincess than a Christian. The old woman frowned and, shaking her fistin the face of the poor forsaken girl, "Begone, witch!" she cried;"there is no room for you in this honest house. "

"My good mother, " said Finette, "give me only a corner of the stable. "

"Oh, " said the old woman, laughing and showing the only tooth she hadleft, which projected from her mouth like a bear's tusk, "so you wanta corner of the stable, do you! Well, you shall have it if you willfill my milk-pail with gold. "

"It is a bargain, " said Finette, quietly. She opened a leather pursewhich she wore at her belt, took from it a golden bullet, and threw itinto the milk-pail, saying, "Golden bullet, precious treasure, Save me, if it be thy pleasure. "

And behold! the pieces of gold began to dance about in the pail; theyrose higher and higher, flapping about like fish in a net, while theold woman, on her knees, gazed with wonder at the sight. 

[Illustration: SHE FOUND HERSELF IN FRONT OF A WRETCHED HUT AT THEDOOR OF WHICH STOOD AN OLD WOMAN, OF WHOM SHE BEGGED SHELTER FOR THENIGHT]

When the pail was full the old woman rose, put her arm through thehandle, and said to Finette, "Madam, all is yours, the house, the cow, and everything else. Hurrah! I am going to the town to live like alady with nothing to do. Oh dear, how I wish I were only sixty!" And, shaking her crutch, without looking backward, she set out on a runtoward Kerver Castle. 

Finette entered the house. It was a wretched hovel, dark, low, damp, bad-smelling, and full of dust and spiders' webs--a horrible refugefor a woman accustomed to living in the giant's grand castle. Withoutseeming troubled, Finette went to the hearth, on which a few greenboughs were smoking, took another golden bullet from her purse, andthrew it into the fire, saying, "Golden bullet, precious treasure, Save me, if it be thy pleasure. "

The gold melted, bubbled up, and spread all over the house likerunning water, and behold! the whole cottage, the walls, the thatch, the wooden rocking-chair, the stool, the chest, the bed, the cow'shorns--everything, even to the spiders in their webs, was turned togold. The house gleamed in the moonlight, among the trees, like a starin the night. 

When Finette had milked the cow and drank a little new milk, she threwherself on the bed without undressing, and, worn out by the fatigueof the day, fell asleep in the midst of her tears. 

Old women do not know how to hold their tongues, at least in Brittany. Finette's hostess had scarcely reached the village when she hastenedto the house of the steward. He was an important personage, who hadmore than once made her tremble when she had driven her cow into herneighbor's pasture by mistake. The steward listened to the old woman'sstory, shook his head, and said it looked like witchcraft; then hemysteriously brought a pair of scales, weighed the guineas, which hefound to be genuine and of full weight, kept as many of them as hecould, and advised the owner to tell no one of this strange adventure. "If it should come to the ears of the bailiff or the seneschal, " saidhe, "the least that would happen to you, mother, would be to loseevery one of these beautiful bright guineas. Justice is impartial; itknows neither favor nor repugnance; it takes the whole. "

The old woman thanked the steward for his advice, and promised tofollow it. She kept her word so well that she only told her story thatevening to two neighbors, her dearest friends, both of whom swore onthe heads of their little children to keep it secret. The oath was asolemn one, and so well kept that at noon the next day there was not aboy of six in the village that did not point his finger at the oldwoman, while the very dogs seemed to bark in their language, "Here isthe old woman with her guineas!"

A girl that amuses herself by filling milk-pails with gold is not tobe found every day. Even though she should be something of a witch, such a girl would none the less be a treasure in a family. Thesteward, who was a bachelor, made this wise reflection that night ongoing to bed. Before dawn he rose to make his rounds in the directionof the stranger's cottage. By the first gleam of day he spiedsomething shining in the distance like a light among the woods. Onreaching the place, he was greatly surprised to find a golden cottageinstead of the wretched hut that had stood there the day before. But, on entering the house, he was much more surprised and delighted tofind a beautiful young girl, with raven hair, sitting by the windowand spinning on her distaff with the air of an empress. 

Like all men, the steward did himself justice, and knew, at the bottomof his heart, that there was not a woman in the world that would notbe too happy to give him her hand. Without hesitating, therefore, hedeclared to Finette that he had come to marry her. The young girlburst out laughing, upon which the steward flew into a passion. 

"Take care!" said he, in a terrible voice. "I am the master here. Noone knows who you are or whence you came. The gold that you gave theold woman has raised suspicions. There is magic in this house. If youdo not accept me for a husband this very instant, I will arrest you, and before night, perhaps, a witch will be burned before KerverCastle. "

"You are very amiable, " said Finette, with a charming grimace; "youhave a peculiar way of paying court to ladies. Even when they havedecided not to refuse, a gallant man spares their blushes. "

"We Bretons are plain-spoken people, " replied the steward; "we gostraight to the point. Marriage or prison, which do you choose?"

"Oh!" cried Finette, laying down the distaff, "there are thefirebrands falling all over the room. "

"Don't trouble yourself, " said the steward; "I will pick them up. "

"Lay them carefully on the top of the ashes, " returned Finette. "Haveyou the tongs?"

"Yes, " said the steward, picking up the crackling coals. 

"_Abracadabra!_" cried Finette, rising. "Villain, may the tongs holdyou, and may you hold the tongs till sunset!"

No sooner said than done. The wicked steward stood there all day withthe tongs in his hand, picking up and throwing back the burning coalsthat snapped in his face and the hot ashes that flew into his eyes. Itwas useless for him to shout, pray, weep, and blaspheme; no one heardhim. If Finette had stayed at home, she would doubtless have takenpity on him; but after putting the spell upon him, she hastened tothe seashore, where, forgetting everything else, she watched for Yvonin vain. 

The moment that the sun set, the tongs fell from the steward's hands. He did not stop to finish his errand, but ran as if the devil orjustice were at his heels. He made such leaps, he uttered such groans, he was so blackened, scorched, and benumbed, that every one in thevillage was afraid of him, thinking that he was mad. The boldest triedto speak to him, but he fled without answering, and hid himself in hishouse, more ashamed than a wolf that has left his paw in the trap. 

At evening, when Finette returned home in despair, instead of thesteward she found another visitor little less formidable. The bailiffhad heard the story of the guineas and had also made up his mind tomarry the stranger. He was not rough, like the steward, but a fat, good-natured man that could not speak without bursting into a laugh, showing his great yellow teeth, and puffing and blowing like an ox, though at heart he was not less obstinate or less threatening than hispredecessor. Finette entreated the bailiff to leave her alone. Helaughed, and hinted to her, in a good-natured way, that, by right ofhis office, he had the power to imprison and hang people withoutprocess of law. She clasped her hands and begged him with tears to go. For his only answer, he took a roll of parchment from his pocket, wrote on it a contract of marriage, and declared to Finette that, should he stay all night, he would not leave the house till she hadsigned the promise. 

"Nevertheless, " said he, "if you do not like my person, I have anotherparchment here on which I will write an agreement to live apart; andif my sight annoys you you have only to shut your eyes. "

"Why, " said Finette, "I might decide to do as you wish if I were sureof finding a good husband in you; but I am afraid. "

"Of what, my dear child?" asked the bailiff, smiling, and already asproud as a peacock. 

"Do you think, " said she, with a pettish air, "that a good husbandwould leave that door wide open and not know that his wife wasfreezing with cold?"

"You are right, my dear, " said the bailiff; "it was very stupid in me. I will go and shut it. "

"Have you hold of the knob?" asked Finette. 

"Yes, my charmer, " answered the happy bailiff; "I am just shutting thedoor. "

"_Abracadabra!_" cried Finette. "May you hold the door, villain, andmay the door hold you till daybreak. "

And behold! the door opened and shut, and slammed against the wallslike an eagle flapping its wings. You may judge what a dance the poorcaptive kept up all night. Never had he tried such a waltz, and Iimagine that he never wished to dance a second one of the same sort. Sometimes the door swung open with him in the street; sometimes itflew back and crushed him against the wall. He swung backward andforward, screaming, swearing, weeping, and praying, but all in vain;the door was deaf, and Finette asleep. 

At daybreak his hands unclasped and he fell in the road head foremost. Without waiting to finish his errand, he ran as if the Moors wereafter him. He did not even turn round, for fear that the door might beat his heels. Fortunately for him, all were still asleep when hereached the village, and he could hide himself in bed without any oneseeing his deplorable plight. This was a great piece of good fortunefor him, for he was covered with whitewash from head to foot, and sopale, haggard, and trembling that he might have been taken for theghost of a miller escaped from the infernal regions. 

When Finette opened her eyes she saw by her bedside a tall man dressedin black, with a velvet cap and a sword. It was the seneschal of thebarony of Kerver. He stood with his arms folded, gazing at Finette ina way that chilled the very marrow of her bones. 

"What is your name, vassal?" said he, in a voice of thunder. 

"Finette, at your service, my lord, " replied she, trembling. 

"Is this house and furniture yours?"

"Yes, my lord, everything, at your service. "

"I mean that it shall be at my service, " returned the seneschal, sternly. "Rise, vassal! I do you the honor to marry you, and to takeyourself, your person, and your property under my guardianship. "

"My lord, " returned Finette, "this is much too great an honor for apoor girl like me, a stranger, without friends or kindred. "

"Be silent, vassal!" replied the seneschal. "I am your lord andmaster; I have nothing to do with your advice. Sign this paper. "

"My lord, " said Finette, "I don't know how to write. "

"Do you think that I do, either?" returned the seneschal, in a voicethat shook the house. "Do you take me for a clerk? A cross--that isthe signature of gentlemen. "

He made a large cross on the paper, and handed the pen to Finette. 

"Sign, " said he. "If you are afraid to make a cross, infidel, you passyour own death sentence, and I shall take on myself to execute it. " Hedrew his heavy sword from the scabbard as he spoke, and threw it onthe table. 

For her only answer, Finette leaped out of the window and ran to thestable. The seneschal pursued her thither, but, on attempting toenter, an unexpected obstacle stopped him. The frightened cow hadbacked at the sight of the young girl, and stood in the doorway, withFinette clinging to her horns and making of her a sort of buckler. 

"You shall not escape me, sorceress!" cried the seneschal, and, with agrasp like that of Hercules, he seized the cow by the tail and draggedher out of the stable. 

"_Abracadabra!_" cried Finette. "May the cow's tail hold you, villain, and may you hold the cow's tail till you have both been around theworld together. "

And behold! the cow darted off like lightning, dragging the unhappyseneschal after her. Nothing stopped the two inseparable comrades;they rushed over mountains and valleys, crossed marshes, rivers, quagmires, and brakes, glided over the seas without sinking, werefrozen in Siberia and scorched in Africa, climbed the Himalayas, descended Mont Blanc, and at length, after thirty-six hours of ajourney, the like of which had never been seen, both stopped out ofbreath in the public square of the village. 

A seneschal harnessed to a cow's tail is a sight not to be seen everyday, and all the peasants in the neighborhood crowded together towonder at the spectacle. But, torn as he was by the cactuses ofBarbary and the thickets of Tartary, the seneschal had lost nothing ofhis haughty air. With a threatening gesture he dispersed the rabble, and limped to his house to taste the repose of which he began to feelthe need. 

VI

While the steward, the bailiff, and the seneschal were experiencingthese little unpleasantnesses, of which they did not think it properto boast, preparations were being made for a great event at KerverCastle, namely, the marriage of Yvon and the fair-haired lady. Twodays had passed in these preparations, and all the friends of thefamily had gathered together for twenty leagues round, when, one finemorning Yvon and his bride, with the Baron and Baroness Kerver, tooktheir seats in a great carriage adorned with flowers, and set out forthe celebrated church of St. Maclou. 

A hundred knights in full armor, mounted on horses decked withribbons, rode on each side of the betrothed couple, each with hisvizor raised and his lance at rest in token of honor. By the side ofeach baron, a squire, also on horseback, carried the seigniorialbanner. At the head of the procession rode the seneschal, with agilded staff in his hand. Behind the carriage gravely walked thebailiff, followed by the vassals, while the steward railed at theserfs, a noisy and curious rabble. 

As they were crossing a brook, a league from the castle, one of thetraces of the carriage broke, and they were forced to stop. Theaccident repaired, the coachman cracked his whip, and the horsesstarted with such force that the new trace broke in three pieces. Sixtimes this provoking piece of wood was replaced, and six times itbroke anew, without drawing the carriage from the hole where it waswedged. 

Every one had a word of advice to offer; even the peasants, aswheelwrights and carpenters, were not the last to make a show of theirknowledge. This gave the steward courage; he approached the baron, took off his cap, and, scratching his head, "My lord, " said he, "in the house that you see shining yonder amongthe trees there lives a woman who does things such as nobody else cando. Only persuade her to lend you her tongs, and, in my opinion, theywill hold till morning. "

The baron made a sign, and ten peasants ran to the cottage of Finette, who very obligingly lent them her gold tongs. They were put in theplace of the trace; the coachman cracked his whip, and off went thecarriage like a feather. 

Every one rejoiced, but the joy did not last long. A hundred stepsfarther, lo! the bottom of the carriage gave way; little more, and thenoble Kerver family would have sunk quite out of sight. Thewheelwrights and the carpenters set to work at once; they sawedplanks, nailed them down fast, and in the twinkling of an eye repairedthe accident. The coachman cracked his whip and the horses started, when, behold! half of the carriage was left behind; the BaronessKerver sat motionless by the side of the bride, while Yvon and thebaron were carried off at full gallop. Here was a new difficulty. Three times was the carriage mended, three times it broke anew. Therewas every reason to believe that it was enchanted. 

Every one had a word of advice to offer. This gave the bailiffcourage. He approached the baron and said, in a low tone:

"My lord, in the house that you see shining yonder among the treesthere lives a woman who does things such as nobody else can do. Onlypersuade her to lend you her door for the bottom of the carriage, and, in my opinion, it will hold till morning. "

The baron made a sign, and twenty peasants ran to the cottage ofFinette, who very obligingly lent them her gold door. They put it inthe bottom of the carriage, where it fitted as if it had been madeexpressly for it. The party took their seats in the carriage, thecoachman cracked his whip, the church was in sight, and all thetroubles of the journey seemed ended. 

Not at all! Suddenly the horses stopped and refused to draw. Therewere four of them. Six, eight, ten, twenty-four more were put to thecarriage, but all in vain; it was impossible to stir them. The morethey were whipped the deeper the wheels sunk into the ground, like thecoulter of a plow. 

What were they to do? To go on foot would have been a disgrace. Tomount a horse and ride to the church like simple peasants was not thecustom of the Kervers. They tried to lift the carriage, they pushedthe wheels, they shook it, they pulled it, but all in vain. Meanwhilethe day was declining and the hour for the marriage had passed. 

Every one had a word of advice to offer. This gave the seneschalcourage. He approached the baron, alighted from his horse, raised hisvelvet cap, and said:

"My lord, in the house that you see shining yonder among the treesthere lives a woman who does things such as nobody else can do. Onlypersuade her to lend you her cow to draw the carriage, and, in myopinion, she will draw it till morning. "

The baron made a sign, and thirty peasants ran to the cottage ofFinette, who very obligingly lent them her golden-horned cow. 

To go to church drawn by a cow was not, perhaps, what the ambitiousbride had dreamed of, but it was better than to remain unmarried inthe road. The heifer was harnessed, therefore, before the four horses, and everybody looked on anxiously to see what this boasted animalwould do. 

But before the coachman had time to crack his whip, lo! the cowstarted off as if she were about to go around the world anew. Horses, carriage, baron, betrothed, coachman, all were hurried away by thefurious animal. In vain the knights spurred their horses to follow thepair; in vain the peasants ran at full speed, taking the cross-roadand cutting across the meadows. The carriage flew as if it had wings;a pigeon could not have followed it. 

On reaching the door of the church, the party, a little disturbed bythis rapid journey, would not have been sorry to alight. Everythingwas ready for the ceremony and the bridal pair had long been expected;but, instead of stopping, the cow redoubled her speed. Thirteen timesshe ran round the church like lightning, then suddenly made her way ina straight line across the fields to the castle, with such force thatthe whole party were almost shaken to pieces before their arrival. 

VII

No more marriage was to be thought of for that day; but the tableswere set and the dinner served, and the Baron Kerver was too noble aknight to take leave of his brave Bretons until they had eaten anddrunk according to custom--that is, from sunset till sunrise, and evena little later. 

Orders were given for the guests to take their seats. Ninety-sixtables were ranged in eight rows. In front of them, on a largeplatform covered with velvet, with a canopy in the middle, was a tablelarger than the rest, and loaded with fruit and flowers, to saynothing of the roast hares, and the peacocks smoking beneath theirplumage. At this table the bridal pair were to have been seated infull sight, in order that nothing might be lacking to the pleasuresof the feast, and that the meanest peasant might have the honor ofsaluting them by emptying his cup of hydromel to the honor andprosperity of the high and mighty house of Kerver. 

The baron seated the hundred knights at his table, and placed theirsquires behind their chairs to serve them. At his right he put thebride and Yvon, but he left the seat at his left vacant, and, callinga page, "Child, " said he, "run to the house of the stranger lady whoobliged us only too much this morning. It was not her fault if hersuccess exceeded her good will. Tell her that the Baron Kerver thanksher for her help and invites her to the wedding feast of his son, LordYvon. "

On reaching the golden house, where Finette, in tears, was mourningfor her beloved, the page bent one knee to the ground and, in thebaron's name, invited the stranger lady to the castle to do honor tothe wedding of Lord Yvon. 

"Thank your master for me, " answered the young girl, proudly, "andtell him that if he is too noble to come to my house, I am too nobleto go to his. "

When the page repeated this answer to his master the Baron Kerverstruck the table such a blow that three plates flew in the air. 

"By my honor, " said he, "this is spoken like a lady, and for the firsttime I own myself beaten. Quick, saddle my dun mare, and let myknights and squires prepare to attend me. "

It was with this brilliant train that the baron alighted at the doorof the golden cottage. He begged Finette's pardon, held the stirrupfor her, and seated her behind him on his own horse, neither more norless than a duchess in person. Through respect, he did not speak asingle word to her on the way. On reaching the castle he uncovered hishead and led her to the seat of honor that he had chosen for her. 

The baron's departure had made a great excitement, and his returncaused still greater surprise. Every one asked who the lady could bethat the baron treated with such respect. Judging from her costume, she was a foreigner. Could she be the Duchess of Normandy or the Queenof France? The steward, the bailiff, and the seneschal were appealedto. The steward trembled, the bailiff turned pale, and the seneschalblushed, but all three were as mute as fishes. The silence of theseimportant personages added to the general wonder. 

All eyes were fixed on Finette, who felt a deadly chill at her heart, for Yvon saw, but did not know her. He cast an indifferent glance ather, then began again to talk in a tender tone to the fair-hairedlady, who smiled disdainfully. 

Finette, in despair, took from the purse the golden bullet, her lasthope. While talking with the baron, who was charmed with her wit, sheshook the little ball in her hand, and repeated, in a whisper, "Golden bullet, precious treasure, Save me, if it be thy pleasure. "

And behold! the bullet grew larger and larger, until it became agoblet of chased gold, the most beautiful cup that ever graced thetable of baron or king. 

Finette filled the cup herself with spiced wine, and, calling theseneschal, who was cowering behind her, she said, in her gentlesttones, "My good seneschal, I entreat you to offer this goblet to LordYvon. I wish to drink his health, and I am sure that he will notrefuse me this pleasure. "

Yvon took the goblet, which the seneschal presented to him on a salverof enamel and gold, with a careless hand, bowed to the stranger, drankthe wine, and, setting the cup on the table before him, turned to thefair-haired lady who occupied all his thoughts. The lady seemedanxious and vexed. He whispered a few words in her ear that seemed toplease her, for her eyes sparkled, and she placed her hand again inhis. 

Finette cast down her head and began to weep. All was over. 

"Children, " cried the baron, in a voice of thunder, "fill yourglasses. Let us drink to the noble stranger who honors us with herpresence. To the noble lady of the golden cottage!"

All began to huzzah and drink. Yvon contented himself with raising hisgoblet to a level with his eyes. Suddenly he started and stood mute, his mouth open and his eyes fixed, like a man that has a vision. 

It was a vision. In the gold of the goblet Yvon saw his past life asin a mirror: the giant pursuing him; Finette dragging him along; bothembarking in the ship that saved them; both landing on the shore ofBrittany; he quitting her for an instant; she weeping at hisdeparture. Where was she? By his side, of course. What other womanthan Finette could be by the side of Yvon?

He turned toward the fair-haired lady and cried out like a mantreading on a serpent. Then, staggering as if he were drunk, he roseand looked around him with haggard eyes. At the sight of Finette heclasped his trembling hands and, dragging himself toward her, fell onhis knees and exclaimed, "Finette, forgive me!"

To forgive is the height of happiness. Before evening Finette wasseated by the side of Yvon, both weeping and smiling. 

And what became of the fair-haired lady? No one knows. At the cry ofYvon she disappeared; but it was said that a wretched old hag was seenflying on a broomstick over the castle walls, chased by the dogs; andit was the common opinion among the Kervers that the fair-haired ladywas none other than the witch, the godmother of the giant. I am notsure enough of the fact, however, to dare warrant it. It is alwaysprudent to believe, without proof, that a woman may be a witch, but itis never wise to say so. 

What I can say on the word of a historian is that the feast, interrupted for a moment, went on gayer than ever. Early the nextmorning they went to the church, where, to the joy of his heart, Yvonmarried Finette, who was no longer afraid of evil spirits; after whichthey ate, drank, and danced for thirty-six hours, without any onethinking of resting. The steward's arms were a little heavy, thebailiff rubbed his back at times, and the seneschal felt a sort ofweariness in his limbs, but all three had a weight on theirconsciences which they could not shake off, and which made themtremble and flutter, till finally they fell on the ground and werecarried off. Finette took no other vengeance on them; her only desirewas to render all happy around her, far and near, who belonged to thenoble house of Kerver. Her memory still lives in Brittany; and amongthe ruins of the old castle, any one will show you the statue of thegood lady, with five bullets in her hand. 

_The_ Castle _of_ Life

[Illustration:]

Once upon a time there lived at Salerno a poor old woman who earnedher bread by fishing, and whose only comfort and stay in life was hergrandson, a boy twelve years of age, whose father had been drowned ina storm and whose mother had died of grief. Graceful, for this was thechild's name, loved nobody in the world but his grandmother; hefollowed her to the shore every morning before daybreak to pick up theshell-fish or draw the net to the beach, longing for the time when heshould be strong enough to go to sea himself and brave the waves thathad swallowed up all his kindred. He was so handsome, so well made, and so promising, that no sooner had he entered the town with hisbasket of fish on his head than every one ran after him, and he soldthe whole before he reached the market. 

Unfortunately, the grandmother was very old; she had but one fronttooth left, her head shook with age, and her eyes were dim. Everymorning she found it harder to rise than the day before. Feeling thatshe had but a few days longer to live, at night, before Gracefulwrapped himself in his blanket and lay down on the ground to sleep, she always gave him good counsels for him to follow when she was gone;she told him what fishermen to avoid, and how, by being good andindustrious, prudent and resolute, he would make his way in the worldand finally have a boat and nets of his own. The poor boy paid littleheed to all this wisdom. As soon as his grandmother began to put on agrave air he threw his arms around her neck and cried: "Grandmamma, grandmamma, don't leave me. I have hands, I am strong, I shall soon beable to work for us both; but if you were not here at night when Icame home from fishing, what would become of me?"

"My child, " said the old woman one day to him, "I shall not leave youso much alone as you think; when I am gone you will have two powerfulprotectors whom more than one prince might envy you. A long time ago Idid a favor to two great ladies, who will not forget you when the timecomes to call them, which will be very soon. "

"Who are these two ladies?" asked Graceful, who had never seen anywomen but fishermen's wives in the hut. 

"They are two fairies, " replied his grandmother--"two powerfulfairies--the Fairy of the Woods and the Fairy of the Waters. Listen tome, my child; I am going to intrust you with a secret--a secret whichyou must keep as carefully as I have done, and which will give youwealth and happiness. Ten years ago, the same year that your fatherdied and your mother also left us, I went out one morning beforedaybreak to surprise the crabs asleep in the sand. As I was stoopingdown, hidden by a rock, I saw a kingfisher slowly floating toward thebeach. The kingfisher is a sacred bird which should always berespected; knowing this, I let it alight and did not stir, for fear offrightening it. At the same moment I saw a beautiful green adder comefrom a cleft of the mountain and crawl along the sand toward the bird. When they were near each other, without either seeming surprised atthe meeting, the adder coiled itself around the neck of thekingfisher, as if tenderly embracing it; they remained thus entwinedfor a few moments, after which they suddenly separated, the adder toreturn to the rock, and the kingfisher to plunge into the waves whichbore it away. 

[Illustration: AT NIGHT THE GRANDMOTHER ALWAYS GAVE HIM GOOD COUNSELSFOR HIM TO FOLLOW WHEN SHE WAS GONE]

"Greatly astonished at what I had seen, I returned the next morning atthe same hour, and at the same hour the kingfisher also alighted onthe sands and the adder came from its retreat. There was no doubt thatthey were fairies, perhaps enchanted fairies, to whom I could render aservice. But what was I to do? To show myself would have been todisplease them and run into danger; it was better to wait for afavorable opportunity which chance would doubtless offer. For a wholemonth I lay in ambush, witnessing the same spectacle every morning, when one day I saw a huge black cat arrive first at the place ofmeeting and hide itself behind a rock, almost under my hand. A blackcat could be nothing else than an enchanter, according to what I hadlearned in my childhood, and I resolved to watch him. Scarcely had thekingfisher and the adder embraced each other when, behold! the catgathered itself up and sprang upon these innocents. It was my turn tothrow myself upon the wretch, who already held his victims in hismurderous claws; I seized him, despite his struggles, although he toremy hands in pieces, and without pity, knowing with whom I had to deal, I took the knife which I used to open shell-fish, and cut off themonster's head, claws, and tail, confidently awaiting the success ofmy devotion. 

"I did not wait long; no sooner had I thrown the body of the animalinto the sea than I saw before me two beautiful ladies, one crownedwith white plumes, the other with a serpent's skin thrown like a scarfacross her shoulder. They were, as I have already told you, the Fairyof the Waters and the Fairy of the Woods, who, enchanted by a wretchedgenie who had learned their secret, had been forced to remain akingfisher and an adder until freed by some generous hand, and whoowed me their power and freedom. 

"'Ask of us what you will, ' said they, 'and your request shall beinstantly granted. '

"I reflected that I was old, and had suffered too much in life to wishto begin it anew, while the day would come, my child, when nothingwould be too great for your desires; when you wish to be rich, noble--a general, a marquis, a prince, perhaps! When that day comes, thought I, I can give him everything, and a single moment of suchhappiness will repay me for eighty years of pain and misery. I thankedthe fairies, therefore, and entreated them to keep their good willtill the day when I should have need of it. The Fairy of the Waterstook a small feather from her crown, and the Fairy of the Woodsdetached a scale from her scarf. 

"'My good woman, ' said they, 'when you wish for us, place this featherand this scale in a vessel of pure water and call on us, making awish. Should we be at the end of the world, we will be at your side inan instant, ready to pay the debt we owe you. '

"I bowed my head in token of gratitude. When I raised it all hadvanished; even the wounds and blood had disappeared from my hands, andI should have thought that I had been dreaming, had not the scale ofthe serpent and the feather of the kingfisher remained in my hand. "

"And where are these treasures, grandmamma?" asked Graceful. 

"My child, I have carefully concealed them, " answered the old woman, "not wishing to show them to you till you were a man and able to makeuse of them; but since death is about to separate us, the moment hascome to give you these precious talismans. You will find at the backof the cupboard a wooden chest hidden under some rags; in the chest isa little pasteboard box, wound about with tow; open this box and youwill find the scale and the feather carefully wrapped in cotton. Takecare not to break them; handle them respectfully, and I will tell youwhat next to do. "

Graceful brought the box to the poor woman, who was no longer able toquit her pallet, and she herself took from it the two articles. 

"Now, " said she, giving them to her grandson, "put a bowlful of waterin the middle of the room; place the scale and the feather in thewater, and make a wish--wish for fortune, nobility, wit, power, whatever you please; only, as I feel that I am dying, kiss me oncemore, my child, before speaking the words that will separate usforever, and receive my last blessing; it will be another talisman tobring you happiness. "

But, to the old woman's surprise, Graceful did not come near her, either to kiss her or to receive her blessing. He quickly placed thebowl in the middle of the room, threw the feather and scale into thewater, and shouted at the top of his voice, "Appear, Fairy of theWaters! I wish that my grandmother may live forever. Appear, Fairy ofthe Woods! I wish that my grandmother may live forever. "

And behold! the water bubbled, bubbled, bubbled; the bowl grew to agreat basin, which the walls of the hut could scarcely hold, and fromthe bottom of the basin Graceful saw two beautiful young women rise, whom he knew directly from their wands to be fairies. One wore a crownof holly leaves mixed with red berries, and diamond ear-ringsresembling acorns in their cups; she was dressed in a robe of olivegreen, over which a speckled skin was knotted like a scarf across theright shoulder--this was the Fairy of the Woods. As to the Fairy ofthe Waters, she wore a garland of reeds on her head, with a white robetrimmed with the feathers of aquatic birds, and a blue scarf, whichnow and then rose above her head and fluttered like the sail of aship. Great ladies as they were, they looked smilingly at Graceful, who had taken refuge in his grandmother's arms, and trembled with fearand admiration. 

"Here we are, my child, " said the Fairy of the Waters, who spokefirst, as the eldest. "We have heard what you said, and your wish doesyou honor; but, though we can help you in the plan which you haveconceived, you alone can execute it. We can, indeed, prolong yourgrandmother's life for some time, but, for her to live forever, youmust go the Castle of Life, four long days' journey from here, on thecoast of Sicily. There you will find the Fountain of Immortality. Ifyou can accomplish each of these four days' journey without turningaside from the road, and, on reaching the castle, can answer threequestions that will be put to you by an invisible voice, you willobtain what you desire. But, my child, reflect well before undertakingthis adventure, for you will meet more than one danger on the way; andif you fail a single time to reach the end of your day's journey youwill not only miss the object of your pursuit, but you will never quitthe country, from which none has ever returned. "

"I will go, madam, " returned Graceful. 

"But you are very young, my child, " said the Fairy of the Woods, "andyou do not even know the way. "

"No matter, " replied Graceful. "I am sure, beautiful ladies, that youwill not forsake me, and to save my grandmother I would go to the endof the world. "

"Wait, " said the Fairy of the Woods. Then separating the lead from abroken window-pane, she placed it in the hollow of her hand. 

And behold! the lead began to melt and bubble without seeming to burnthe fairy, who threw the metal on the hearth, where it cooled in athousand different forms. 

"What do you see in all that?" said the fairy to Graceful. 

"It seems to me, madam, " said he, after looking attentively, "that Isee a spaniel with a long tail and large ears. "

"Call him, " said the fairy. 

A barking was instantly heard, and forth from the metal sprang a blackand flame-colored spaniel, which began to gambol and leap aroundGraceful. 

"This will be your companion, " said the fairy. "His name is Fido. Hewill show you the way; but I warn you that it is for you to directhim, and not for him to lead you. If you make him obey, he will serveyou; if you obey him, he will destroy you. "

"And I, " said the Fairy of the Waters, "have I nothing to give you, mypoor Graceful?"

Then, looking around her, the lady saw on the ground a bit of paper, which she tossed into the fire with her tiny foot. The paper caughtfire, and as soon as the blaze had died away thousands of littlesparks were seen chasing one another about. The fairy watched thesesparks with a curious eye; then, as the last one was about to go out, she blew upon the cinders, when, lo! the chirp of a bird was heard, and a swallow rose, which fluttered, terrified, about the room andfinally alighted on Graceful's shoulder. 

"This will be your companion, " said the Fairy of the Waters. "Her nameis Pensive. She will show you the way; but I warn you it is for you todirect her, and not for her to lead you. If you make her obey, shewill serve you; if you obey her, she will destroy you. "

"Stir the black ashes, " added the good Fairy of the Waters, "andperhaps you will find something there. "

Graceful obeyed. Under the ashes of the paper he found a vial of rockcrystal, sparkling like a diamond. This, the fairy said, was to holdthe water of immortality, which would break any vessel made by thehand of man. By the side of the vial Graceful found a dagger with atriangular blade--a very different thing from the stiletto of hisfather the fisherman, which he had been forbidden to touch. With thisweapon he could brave the proudest enemy. 

"My sister, you shall not be more generous than I, " said the otherfairy; then, taking a rush from the only chair in the room, she blewupon it, when, lo! the rush instantly swelled, and in less time thanit takes to tell it became a beautiful musket, inlaid withmother-of-pearl. A second rush produced a cartridge-box, whichGraceful slung around his body and which became him marvelously. Onewould have thought him a prince setting out for the chase; he was sohandsome that his grandmother wept for joy and emotion. 

The two fairies vanished; Graceful kissed the good old woman, urgingher to await his return, and knelt before her to receive her blessing. She entreated him to be patient, just, and charitable, and, above all, not to wander from the right path. "Not for my sake, " added the oldwoman, "for I would gladly welcome death, and I regret the wish thatyou have made, but for your own, my child, that you may return to meand that I may not die without your being here to close my eyes. "

It was late. Graceful threw himself on the ground, too agitated, itseemed, to sleep. But slumber soon overtook him, and he slept soundlyall night, while his poor grandmother watched the face of her dearchild lighted by the flickering lamp, and did not weary of mournfullyadmiring him. 

II

Early in the morning, when dawn was scarcely breaking, the swallowbegan to twitter, and Fido to pull the blankets. "Let us go, master--let us go, " said the two companions, in their language, whichGraceful understood by the gift of the fairies; "the tide is alreadyrising on the beach, the birds are singing, the flies are humming, andthe flowers are opening in the sun. Let us go; it is time. "

Graceful kissed his grandmother for the last time, and took the roadto Pæstum, Pensive fluttering to the right and the left in pursuit ofthe flies, and Fido fawning on his young master or running before him. 

They had gone two leagues from the town when Graceful saw Fido talkingwith the ants, who were marching in regular troops, carrying all theirprovisions with them. 

"Where are you going?" asked he. 

"To the Castle of Life, " they answered. 

A little farther on Pensive encountered the grasshoppers, who had alsoset out on a journey, together with the bees and the butterflies; allwere going to the Castle of Life, to drink of the Fountain ofImmortality. They traveled in company, like people following the sameroad. Pensive introduced Graceful to a young butterfly that chattedagreeably. Friendship springs up quickly in youth; in an hour the twocomrades were inseparable. 

To go straight forward does not suit the taste of butterflies, andGraceful's friend was constantly losing himself among the grass. Graceful, who had never been free in his life, nor had seen so manyflowers and so much sunshine, followed all the windings of hiscompanion, and troubled himself no more about the day than if it werenever to end; but, after a few leagues' journey his new friend beganto be weary. 

"Don't go any farther, " said he to Graceful. "See how beautiful isthis landscape, how fragrant these flowers, and how balmy thesefields. Let us stay here; this is life. "

"Let us go on, " said Fido; "the day is long, and we are only at thebeginning. "

"Let us go on, " said Pensive; "the sky is clear and the horizonunbounded. Let us go on. "

Graceful, restored to his senses, reasoned sagely with the butterfly, who fluttered constantly to the right and the left, but all in vain. "What matters it to me?" said the insect. "Yesterday I was acaterpillar, to-night I shall be nothing. I will enjoy to-day. " And hesettled on a full-blown Pæstum rose. The perfume was so strong thatthe poor butterfly was suffocated. Graceful vainly endeavored torecall him to life; then, bemoaning his fate, he fastened him with apin to his hat like a cockade. 

Toward noon the grasshoppers stopped in turn. "Let us rest, " saidthey; "the heat will overpower us if we struggle against the noondaysun. It is so pleasant to live in sweet repose! Come, Graceful, wewill divert you and you shall sing with us. "

"Listen to them, " said Pensive; "they sing so sweetly!" But Fido wouldnot stop; his blood seemed on fire, and he barked so furiously thatGraceful forgot the grasshoppers to follow his importunate companion. 

At evening Graceful met the honey-bee loaded with booty. "Where areyou going?" said he. 

"I am returning home, " said the bee; "I shall not quit my hive. "

"What!" rejoined Graceful; "industrious as you are, will you do likethe grasshoppers and renounce your share in immortality?"

"Your castle is too far off, " returned the bee. "I have not yourambition. My daily labor suffices for me; I care nothing for yourtravels; to me work is life. "

Graceful was a little moved at losing so many of his fellow-travelerson the first day; but when he thought with what ease he hadaccomplished the first day's journey his heart was filled with joy. Hecaressed Fido, caught the flies which Pensive took from his hand, andslept full of hope, dreaming of his grandmother and the two fairies. 

III

The next morning, at daybreak, Pensive called her young master. 

"Let us go, " said she; "the tide is already rising on the shore, thebirds are singing, the bees are humming, and the flowers are openingin the sun. Let us go; it is time. "

"Wait a moment, " said Fido. "The day's journey is not long; beforenoon we shall be in sight of the temples of Pæstum, where we are tostop for the night. "

"The ants are already on the way, " returned Pensive; "the road isharder than yesterday, and the weather more uncertain. Let us go. "

Graceful had seen his grandmother smiling on him in his dreams, and heset out on his way with even greater ardor than the day before. Themorning was glorious; on the right the blue waves broke with a gentlemurmur on the strand; on the left, in the distance, the mountains weretinged with a roseate hue; the plain was covered with tall grasssprinkled with flowers; the road was lined with aloes, jujubes, andacanthuses, and before them lay a cloudless horizon. Graceful, ravished with hope and pleasure, fancied himself already at the end ofhis journey. Fido bounded over the fields and chased the frightenedpartridges; Pensive soared in the air and sported with the light. Allat once Graceful saw a beautiful doe in the midst of the reeds, looking at him with languishing eyes as if she were calling him. Hewent toward her; she bounded forward, but only a little way. Threetimes she repeated the same trick, as if to allure him on. 

"Let us follow her, " said Fido. "I will cut off the way and we willsoon catch her. "

"Where is Pensive?" said Graceful. 

"What does it matter?" replied Fido; "it is the work of an instant. Trust to me--I was born for the chase--and the doe is ours. "

Graceful did not let himself be bid twice. While Fido made a circuithe ran after the doe, which paused among the trees as if to sufferherself to be caught, then bounded forward as soon as the hand of thepursuer touched her. "Courage, master!" cried Fido, as he came uponher. But with a toss of the head, the doe flung the dog in the air, and fled swifter than the wind. 

Graceful sprang forward in pursuit. Fido, with burning eyes anddistended jaws, ran and yelped as if he were mad. They crossedditches, brakes, and hedges, unchecked by nothing. The wearied doelost ground. Graceful redoubled his ardor, and was already stretchingout his hand to seize his prey when all at once the ground gave waybeneath his feet and he fell, with his imprudent companion, into apit covered over with leaves. He had not recovered from his fall whenthe doe, approaching the brink, cried, "You are betrayed; I am thewife of the King of the Wolves, who is coming to eat you both. " Sayingthis, she disappeared. 

"Alas! master, " said Fido, "the fairy was right in advising you not tofollow me. We have acted foolishly and I have destroyed you. "

"At all events, " said Graceful, "we will defend our lives"; and, taking his musket, he double-loaded it, in readiness for the King ofthe Wolves; then, somewhat calmed, he examined the deep ditch intowhich he had fallen. It was too high for him to escape from it; inthis hole he must await his death. Fido understood the look of hisfriend. 

"Master, " said he, "if you take me in your arms and throw me with allyour might, perhaps I can reach the top; and, once there, I can helpyou. "

Graceful had not much hope. Three times he endeavored to throw Fido, and three times the poor animal fell back; finally, at the fourtheffort, he caught hold of some roots, and aided himself so well withhis teeth and paws that he escaped from the tomb. He instantly threwinto the ditch the boughs which he found about the edge. 

"Master, " said he, "plant these branches in the earth and makeyourself a ladder. Quick! quick!" he added. "I hear the howls of theKing of the Wolves. "

Graceful was adroit and agile. Anger redoubled his strength; in amoment he was outside. Then he secured his dagger in his belt, changedthe powder in the pan of his musket, and, placing himself behind atree, awaited the enemy with firmness. 

Suddenly a frightful cry was heard, and an animal, with tusks likethose of the wild boar, rushed on him with prodigious bounds. Gracefultook aim and fired. The bullet hit the mark and the animal fell backhowling, but instantly sprang forward anew. "Load your musket again!Make haste!" cried Fido, springing courageously in the face of themonster and seizing his throat with his teeth. 

The wolf had only to shake his head to fling the poor dog to theground. He would have swallowed him at one mouthful had not Fidoglided from his jaws, leaving one of his ears behind. It wasGraceful's turn to save his companion; he boldly advanced and firedhis second shot, taking aim at the shoulder. The wolf fell; but, rising, with a last effort he threw himself on the hunter, who fellunder him. On receiving this terrible shock, Graceful thought himselflost; but without losing courage, and calling the good fairies to hisaid, he seized his dagger and thrust it into the heart of the animal, which, ready to devour his enemy, straightened his limbs and died. 

Graceful rose, covered with blood and froth, and seated himself, trembling, upon a fallen tree. Fido crept painfully to his feet, without daring to caress him, for he felt how much he was to blame. 

"Master, " said he, "what will become of us? Night is approaching andwe are so far from Pæstum!"

"We must go, " said the child, and he rose; but he was so weak that hewas obliged to sit down again. A burning thirst devoured him; he wasfeverish and everything whirled before his eyes. He thought of hisgrandmother, and began to weep. What was poor Graceful's remorse forhaving so soon forgotten such fair promises, and condemned himself todie in a country from which there was no return, and all this for thebright eyes of a doe! How sadly ended the day so well begun!

Sinister howls were soon heard; the brothers of the King of the Wolveswere calling him and coming to his aid. Graceful embraced Fido, hisonly friend, and forgave him the imprudence for which they were bothabout to pay with their lives; then loaded his musket, offered up aprayer to the good fairies, commended his grandmother to them, andprepared to die. 

"Graceful! Graceful! where are you?" cried a little voice that couldbe none other than Pensive's, and the swallow alighted on the head ofher master. 

"Courage!" said she; "the wolves are still far off. There is a springclose by where you can quench your thirst and stanch your bleedingwounds, and I have found a hidden path which will lead us to Pæstum. "

Graceful and Fido dragged themselves along to the brook, tremblingwith hope and fear; then entered the obscure path, a little reanimatedby the soft twittering of Pensive. The sun had set; they walked in thetwilight for some hours, and, when the moon rose, they were out ofdanger. They had still to journey over a painful and dangerous roadfor those who no longer had the ardor of the morning. There weremarshes to cross, ditches to leap, and thickets to break through, which tore Graceful's face and hands; but at the thought that he couldstill repair his fault and save his grandmother his heart was so lightthat his strength redoubled at every step with his hope. At last, after a thousand obstacles, they reached Pæstum just as the starsmarked midnight. 

Graceful threw himself on the pavement of the temple of Neptune, and, after thanking Pensive, fell asleep, with Fido at his feet, wounded, bleeding, and silent. 

IV

The sleep was not long. Graceful was up before daybreak, which seemedlong in coming. On descending the steps of the temple he saw the ants, who had raised a heap of sand and were bringing grain from the newharvest. The whole republic was in motion. The ants were all going orcoming, talking to their neighbors, and receiving or giving orders;some were dragging wisps of straw, others were carrying bits of wood, others conveying away dead flies, and others heaping up provisions; itwas a complete winter establishment. 

"What!" said Graceful to the ants, "are you not going to the Castle ofLife? Do you renounce immortality?"

"We have worked long enough, " answered one of the laborers; "the timefor harvest has come. The road is long and the future uncertain, andwe are rich. Let fools count on to-morrow; the wise man uses to-day. When a person has hoarded riches honestly it is true philosophy toenjoy them. "

Fido thought that the ant was right; but, as he no longer daredadvise, he contented himself with shaking his head as they set out. Pensive, on the contrary, said that the ant was a selfish fellow, andthat, if life were made only for enjoyment, the butterfly was wiserthan he. At the same time, and with a lighter wing than ever, theswallow soared upward to lead the way. 

Graceful walked on in silence. Ashamed of the follies of the daybefore, although he still regretted the doe, he resolved that on thethird day nothing should turn him aside from the road. Fido, with hismutilated ear, limped after his master and seemed not less dreamy thanhe. At noon they sought for a shady place in which to rest for a fewmoments. The sun was less scorching than the day before. It seemed asif both country and season had changed. The road lay through meadowslately mown for the second time, or beautiful vineyards full ofgrapes, and was lined with great fig-trees laden with fruit, in whichthousands of insects were humming; golden clouds were floating in thehorizon, the air was soft and gentle, and everything tempted torepose. 

In the most beautiful of the meadows, by the side of a brook whichdiffused its coolness afar, Graceful saw a herd of buffaloes chewingthe cud under the shade of the ashes and plane-trees. They were lazilystretched on the ground, in a circle around a large bull that seemedtheir chief and king. Graceful approached them, and was received withpoliteness. They invited him by a nod to be seated, and pointed out tohim great bowls full of milk and cheese. Our traveler admired thecalmness and gravity of these peaceful and powerful animals, whichseemed like so many Roman senators in their curule chairs. The goldring which they wore in their noses added still more to the majesty oftheir aspect. Graceful, who felt calmer and more sedate than the daybefore, thought, in spite of himself, how pleasant it would be to livein the midst of this peace and plenty; if happiness were anywhere, itmust surely be found here. 

Fido shared his master's opinion. It was the season of the southwardmigration of the quails; the ground was covered with tired birds, resting to regain strength before crossing the sea, and Fido had onlyto stoop down to find game worthy of a prince. Satiated with eating, he stretched himself at Graceful's feet and slept soundly. 

When the buffaloes had finished chewing their cud, Graceful, who hadhitherto feared to disturb them, entered into conversation with thebull, who showed a cultivated mind and wide experience. 

"Are you the masters of this rich domain?" asked he. 

"No, " replied the old buffalo; "we belong, with all the rest, to theFairy Crapaudine, the Queen of the Vermilion Towers, the richest ofall the fairies. "

"What does she require of you?" asked Graceful. 

"Nothing, except to wear this gold ring in the nose and to pay her atribute of milk, " returned the bull, "or, at most, to give her one ofour children from time to time to regale her guests. At this price weenjoy our plenty in perfect security, and we have no reason to envyany on earth, for none are so happy as we. "

"Have you never heard of the Castle of Life and the Fountain ofImmortality?" asked Graceful, who, without knowing why, blushed as heput the question. 

"There were some old men among our ancestors who still talked of thesevisions, " replied the bull; "but we are wiser than our fathers; weknow that there is no other happiness than to chew the cud andsleep. "

Graceful rose sadly to resume his journey, and asked what were thosereddish square towers which he saw in the distance. 

"They are the Vermilion Towers, " returned the bull; "they bar the way;and you must pass through the castle of the Fairy Crapaudine in orderto continue your road. You will see the fairy, my young friend, andshe will offer you hospitality and riches. Take my advice and do likethose that have gone before you, all of whom accepted the favors ofour mistress, and found that they had done well to abandon theirdreams in order to live happy. "

"And what became of them?" asked Graceful. 

"They became buffaloes like us, " rejoined the bull, who, not havingfinished his afternoon nap, closed his eyes and fell asleep. 

Graceful started and awakened Fido, who rose, grumbling. He calledPensive. Pensive did not answer; she was talking with a spider thathad spun a great web between the branches of an ash-tree, which wasglittering in the sun, full of flies. "Why take this long journey?"said the spider to the swallow. "What is the use of changing yourclimate and putting your life at the mercy of the sea, the weather, ora master? Look at me; I depend on nobody, and have everything formyself. I am my own mistress; I enjoy my art and genius; I bring theworld to me; nothing can disturb either my calculations, or aserenity which I owe to myself alone. "

Graceful called Pensive three times without making her hear, socompletely was she engrossed in admiration of her new friend. Everyinstant some giddy fly fell into the web, and each time the spider, like an attentive hostess, offered the prey to her astonishedcompanion, when suddenly a breeze passed--a breeze so light that itdid not ruffle a feather of the swallow's wing. Pensive looked for thespider; the web had been swept away by the winds, and the poor insectwas clinging by one foot to the last thread, when a bird seized it andbore it away. 

V

Setting out again on their way, they proceeded in silence to thepalace of Crapaudine. Graceful was introduced with great ceremony bytwo beautiful greyhounds, caparisoned with purple and wearing on theirnecks broad collars sparkling with rubies. After crossing a greatnumber of halls, all full of pictures, statues, gold, and silver, andcoffers overflowing with money and jewels, Graceful and his companionsentered a circular temple, which was Crapaudine's drawing-room. Thewalls were of lapis-lazuli, and the ceiling, of sky-blue enamel, wassupported by twelve chiseled pillars of massive gold, with capitals ofacanthus leaves of white enamel edged with gold. A huge frog, aslarge as a rabbit, was seated in a velvet easy-chair. It was the fairyof the place. The charming Crapaudine was draped in a scarlet mantlecovered with glittering spangles, and wore on her head a ruby diademwhose luster lighted up her fat cheeks mottled with green and yellow. As soon as she perceived Graceful she extended to him her fingers, covered with rings, which the poor boy was obliged respectfully toraise to his lips as he bowed. 

"My friend, " said the fairy to him, in a hoarse voice, which shevainly tried to soften, "I was expecting you, and I will not be lessgenerous to you than my sisters have been. On the way here you haveseen but a small part of my riches. This palace, with its pictures, its statues, and its coffers full of gold, these vast domains, andthese innumerable flocks, all may be yours if you wish; it dependsonly on yourself to become the richest and happiest of men. "

"What must I do for this?" asked Graceful, greatly excited. 

"Less than nothing, " replied the fairy; "chop me up into little piecesand eat me. It is not a very disagreeable thing to do, " addedCrapaudine, looking at Graceful with eyes redder than usual. 

"Can I not season you, at least?" said Graceful, who had been unableto look without envy at the beautiful gardens of the fairy. 

"No, you must eat me without seasoning; but walk about my palace, seeand handle all my treasures, and reflect that, by giving me this proofof devotion, they will all be yours. "

"Master, " sighed Fido, in a supplicating voice, "a little courage! Weare so comfortable here!"

Pensive said nothing, but her silence was consent. As to Graceful, whoremembered the buffaloes and the gold ring, he distrusted the fairy. Crapaudine perceived it. 

"Do not think, my dear Graceful, that I wish to deceive you, " shesaid. "In offering you all that I possess, I also demand of you aservice which I will reward as it deserves. When you have done what Ipropose I shall become a young girl, as beautiful as Venus, exceptthat my hands and feet will remain like those of a frog, which is verylittle when one is rich. Ten princes, twenty marquises, and thirtycounts have already begged me to marry them as I am; when I become awoman, I will give you the preference, and we will enjoy my vastfortune together. Do not blush for your poverty; you have about you atreasure that is worth all mine, the vial which my sister gave you. "Saying this, she stretched out her slimy fingers to seize thetalisman. 

"Never!" cried Graceful, shrinking back, "never! I wish neither reposenor fortune; I wish to quit this place and to go to the Castle ofLife. "

"You shall never go there!" exclaimed the fairy, in a rage. The castleinstantly disappeared, a circle of fire surrounded Graceful, and aninvisible clock began to strike midnight. At the first stroke thechild started; at the second, without hesitating, he plunged headlonginto the flames. To die for his grandmother seemed to him the onlymeans of showing his love and repentance. 

VI

To Graceful's surprise, the flames parted without touching him, and hesuddenly found himself in a new country, with his two companions byhis side. This country was no longer Italy, but Russia, the end of theearth. He was wandering on a mountain covered with snow. Around him hesaw nothing but great trees, coated with hoar-frost and dripping waterfrom all their branches; a damp and penetrating mist chilled him tothe bones; the moist earth sank under his feet; and, to crown hiswretchedness, it was necessary to descend a steep precipice, at thebottom of which a torrent was breaking noisily over the rocks. Graceful took his dagger and cut a branch from a tree to support hisfaltering steps. Fido, with his tail between his legs, barked feebly;and Pensive, her ruffled feathers covered with icicles, clung to hermaster's shoulder. The poor bird was half dead, but she encouragedGraceful and did not complain. 

When, after infinite pains, he reached the foot of the mountain, Graceful found a river filled with enormous icebergs, striking againstone another and whirling in the current, and this river he mustcross, without bridge, without boat, and without aid. 

"Master, " said Fido, "I can go no farther. Accursed be the fairy thatdrew me from nothingness to place me in your service. " Saying this, helay down on the ground and would not stir. Graceful vainly tried torestore his courage, and called him his companion and friend. All thatthe poor dog could do was to answer his master's caresses for the lasttime by wagging his tail and licking his hands; then his limbsstiffened and he expired. 

Graceful took Fido on his back in order to carry him to the Castle ofLife, and boldly climbed one of the icebergs, still followed byPensive. With his staff he pushed this frail bark into the middle ofthe current, which bore it away with frightful rapidity. 

"Master, " said Pensive, "do you hear the roaring of the waters? We arefloating toward a whirlpool which will swallow us up! Give me a lastcaress and farewell!"

"No, " said Graceful. "Why should the fairies have deceived us? Theshore may be close by; perhaps the sun is shining behind the clouds. Mount, mount, my good Pensive; perchance above the fog you will findlight and will see the Castle of Life!"

Pensive spread her half-frozen wings, and courageously soared amid thecold and mist. Graceful listened for a moment to the sound of herflight; then all was silent, while the iceberg pursued its furiouscourse through the darkness. Graceful waited a long time; at last, when he felt himself alone, hope abandoned him, and he lay down toawait death on the tottering iceberg. Livid flashes of lightning shotthrough the clouds, horrible bursts of thunder were heard, and the endof the world and of time seemed approaching. All at once, in the midstof his despair, Graceful heard the cry of the swallow, and Pensivefell at his feet. "Master, master, " cried she, "you were right. I haveseen the shore; the dawn is close at hand. Courage!" Saying this, sheconvulsively spread her tired wings and lay motionless and lifeless. 

Graceful started up, placed the poor bird that had sacrificed itselffor him next his heart, and, with superhuman ardor, urged the icebergon to safety or destruction. Suddenly he heard the roaring of thebreakers. He fell on his knees and closed his eyes, awaiting death. 

A wave like a mountain broke over his head and cast him fainting onthe shore, which no living person had touched before him. 

VII

When Graceful recovered his senses, the ice, clouds, and darkness haddisappeared. He was lying on the ground in the midst of a charmingcountry, covered with trees bathed in a soft light. In front of himwas a beautiful castle, from which bubbled a brook that flowed into asea as blue, calm, and transparent as the sky. Graceful looked abouthim; he was alone--alone with the remains of his two companions, whichthe waves had washed on the shore. Exhausted with suffering andexcitement, he dragged himself to the brook and bent over the water torefresh his parched lips, when he shrank back with affright. It wasnot his face that he saw in the water, but that of an old man withsilvery locks who strongly resembled him. He turned round; there wasno one behind him. He again drew near the fountain; he saw the oldman, or rather, doubtless, the old man was himself. "Great fairies, "he cried. "I understand you. If it is my life that you wish inexchange for that of my grandmother, I joyfully accept the sacrifice. "And without troubling himself further about his old age and wrinkles, he plunged his head into the water and drank eagerly. 

On rising, he was astonished to see himself again as he was when heleft home, only more beautiful, with blacker hair and brighter eyesthan ever. He picked up his hat, which had fallen near the spring, andwhich a drop of water had touched by chance, when what was hissurprise to see the butterfly that he had pinned to it fluttering itswings and seeking to fly. He gave it its liberty, and ran to the beachfor Fido and Pensive, then plunged them both into the blessedfountain. Pensive flew upward with a joyful cry and disappeared amidthe turrets of the castle. Fido, shaking the water from both ears, ran to the kennels of the palace, where he was met by magnificentwatch-dogs, which, instead of barking and growling at the new-comer, welcomed him joyfully like an old friend. Graceful had at last foundthe Fountain of Immortality, or rather the brook that flowed fromit--a brook already greatly weakened, and which only gave two or threehundred years of life to those that drank of it; but nothing preventedthem from drinking anew. 

Graceful filled his vial with this life-giving water and approachedthe palace. His heart beat, for a last trial remained. So nearsuccess, he feared the more to fail. He mounted the steps of thecastle. All was closed and silent; no one was there to receive thetraveler. When he had reached the last step and was about to knock atthe door, a voice, rather gentle than harsh, stopped him. 

"Have you loved?" said the invisible voice. 

"Yes, " answered Graceful; "I have loved my grandmother better than anyone in the world. "

The door opened a little way. 

"Have you suffered for her whom you have loved?" resumed the voice. 

"I have suffered, " replied Graceful; "much through my own fault, doubtless, but a little for her whom I wished to save. "

The door opened half-way and the child caught a glimpse of woods, waters, and a sky more beautiful than anything of which he had everdreamed. 

"Have you always done your duty?" said the voice, in a harsher tone. 

"Alas! no, " replied Graceful, falling on his knees; "but when I havefailed I have been punished by my remorse even more than by the hardtrials through which I have passed. Forgive me, and punish me as Ideserve, if I have not yet expiated all my faults; but save her whom Ilove--save my grandmother. "

The door instantly opened wide, though Graceful saw no one. Intoxicated with joy, he entered a courtyard surrounded with arborsembowered in foliage, with a fountain in the midst, spouting from atuft of flowers larger, more beautiful, and more fragrant than any hehad seen on earth. By the side of the spring stood a woman dressed inwhite, of noble bearing, and seemingly not more than forty years old. She advanced to meet Graceful, and smiled on him so sweetly that thechild felt himself touched to the heart, and his eyes filled withtears. 

"Don't you know me?" said the woman. 

"Oh, grandmother! is it you?" he exclaimed. "How came you in theCastle of Life?"

"My child, " said she, pressing him to her heart, "He who brought mehere is an enchanter more powerful than the fairies of the woods andthe waters. I shall never more return to Salerno. I shall receive myreward here for the little good I have done by tasting a happinesswhich time will not destroy. "

"And me, grandmother!" cried Graceful, "what shall become of me? Afterseeing you here, how can I return to suffer alone?"

"My dear child, " she replied, "no one can live on earth after he hascaught a glimpse of the celestial delights of this abode. You havelived, my dear Graceful; life has nothing more to teach you. You havepassed in four days through the desert where I languished eightyyears, and henceforth nothing can separate us. "

The door closed, and from that time nothing was heard of Graceful orhis grandmother. It was in vain that search was made for the palaceand enchanted fountain; they were never more discovered on earth. Butif we understood the language of the stars, if we felt what theirgentle rays tell us every evening, we should long ago have learnedfrom them where to look for the Castle of Life and the Fountain ofImmortality. 

Destiny

_A Dalmatian Tale_

[Illustration:]

Once upon a time there were two brothers, who lived together in onefamily. One did everything, while the other was an idle fellow whotroubled himself about nothing but eating and drinking. The harvestswere always magnificent; they had cows, horses, sheep, pigs, bees, andeverything else in plenty. 

The elder brother, who did everything, said to himself, one day, "Whyshould I work for this idler? It is better for us to separate; I willwork for myself alone, and he can do as he likes. " He said to hisbrother, therefore:

"Brother, it is not just for me to do everything, while you troubleyourself about nothing but eating and drinking; we must separate. "

His brother tried to dissuade him from his plan, saying:

"Brother, don't do this, we are so well off as we are. You haveeverything in your own hands; what is mine is yours; and you know thatI am always satisfied with what you do or order done. "

The elder, however, persisted in his resolution till the younger wasforced to yield. "Since it must be so, " said he, "I am not angry. Divide the property as you like. "

The division made, each took his share. The idler hired a drover forhis cattle, a groom for his horses, a shepherd for his sheep, agoatherd for his goats, a swineherd for his hogs, and a keeper for hisbees, and said to them all, "I intrust my property to you. May Godhave you in His keeping. " And he continued to stay at home, with nomore care than before. 

The elder, on the contrary, labored for himself as he had done for thecommon good: he kept his own flocks and had an eye to everything; yet, in spite of all this, he found bad luck and misfortune everywhere;everything went wrong with him, until at last he was so poor that hehad not even a pair of shoes, but was forced to go barefoot. He saidto himself, "I will go to my brother's house and see how affairs areprospering with him. "

His road lay through a pasture in which a flock of sheep was feeding. On approaching them he saw that they had no shepherd. A beautifulyoung girl was seated near them, with her distaff, spinning goldthread. 

He saluted the young girl and asked her to whom the flock belonged. 

"To him to whom I belong belong also these sheep, " answered she. 

"And who are you?" said he. 

"I am your brother's fortune?" she replied. 

"And where is my fortune?" he exclaimed, seized with anger and envy. 

"Ah! she is far from you, " said the young girl. 

"Can I find her?" asked he. 

"You can, " she replied, "if you only look yonder. "

On hearing these words, and seeing that the sheep were the finest thatcould be imagined, he had no wish to see the other flocks, but wentstraight to his brother, who, as soon as he saw him, burst into tears, moved with pity. 

"Where have you been so long?" asked he. And, seeing him clothed inrags and barefooted, he gave him a pair of shoes and some money. 

After staying three days in his brother's house, the poor man set outfor home. No sooner had he reached his house than he threw a bagacross his shoulder, with a piece of bread in it, took a staff in hishand, and set out to seek his fortune. 

After walking for some time he found himself in a great forest, wherehe saw a wretched old hag asleep under a tree. He gave her a blow onthe back with his staff to awaken her. She moved with difficulty, and, half opening her bleared eyes, said to him, "Thank God that I wasasleep, for if I had been awake you would not have had those shoes. "

"Who are you, then, " asked he, "that would have prevented my havingthese shoes?"

"I am your fortune, " answered the old woman. 

"What! are you my fortune?" cried he, striking his breast. "May Godexterminate you! Who gave you to me?"

"It was Destiny, " replied the old woman. 

"Where is Destiny?" he asked. 

"Go and find him, " said the old woman, lying down to sleep again. 

He set out in search of Destiny. After a long, long journey, at lengthhe reached a wood, where he found a hermit, of whom he asked the wayto the abode of Destiny. 

"Go straight up yonder mountain and you will find his castle, "answered the hermit; "but when you find him take care not to speak tohim, but only do all that you see him do. "

The traveler thanked the hermit and took his way to the mountain. Whenhe reached the abode of Destiny he saw a magnificent palace full ofservants constantly bustling about and doing nothing. As to Destiny, he was supping at a table bountifully served. When the stranger sawthis he also sat down at the table and supped with the master of thehouse. After supper Destiny went to bed, and his guest did the same. 

At midnight a terrible noise was heard in the castle, and a voicecried, "Destiny, Destiny, such a number of souls have come into theworld this night; give them something according to thy good pleasure. "

And behold! Destiny rose, and opened a golden chest filled withshining guineas, which he scattered by handfuls about the room, saying, "Such as I am to-day, such shalt thou be all thy life!"

At daybreak the beautiful castle had vanished, and in its place stoodan ordinary house, in which, however, nothing was wanting. Whenevening came Destiny sat down to supper. His guest did the same, butno one spoke a word. Supper over, they went to bed. At midnight aterrible noise was heard, and a voice cried, "Destiny, Destiny, such anumber of souls have come into the world this night; give themsomething according to thy good pleasure. "

And behold! Destiny rose, and opened a silver chest, but this timethere were no guineas in it, but only silver coin, with a few smallpieces of gold, which Destiny scattered on the floor, saying, "Such asI am to-day, such shalt thou be all thy life!"

At daybreak this house had also disappeared, and a smaller one stoodin its place. The same thing happened every night, and every morningthe house was smaller, until finally there was nothing but a wretchedhut. Destiny now took a spade and began to dig the ground. His guestdid the same, and both worked all day. When night came, Destiny tooka crust of bread and, breaking it in two, gave half to his companion. This was all his supper. When they had eaten it they went to bed. 

At midnight a terrible noise was heard, and a voice cried out, "Destiny, Destiny, such a number of souls have come into the worldthis night; give them something according to thy good pleasure. "

And behold! Destiny rose, and opened a wooden chest filled withpebbles mixed with a few copper coins, which he scattered on theground, saying, "Such as I am to-day, such shalt thou be all thylife!"

When morning dawned the cabin was changed into a splendid palace, ason the first day. Then, for the first time, Destiny spoke to hisguest. "Why did you come here?" asked he. 

The poor man told him the whole story of his wretchedness, and how hehad come to ask Destiny himself why he had given him such a badfortune. 

"You saw what I was the first night, when I scattered guineas, andwhat followed, " replied Destiny. "Such as I am on the night that a manis born, such will that man be all his life. You were born on a nightof poverty; you will always be poor. Your brother, on the contrary, came into the world on a lucky night; he will always be fortunate. But, since you have taken so much trouble to find me, I will tell youhow to help yourself. Your brother has a daughter by the name ofMiliza, who is as fortunate as her father. Take her for your wife whenyou return home, but be careful always to say that all that you havebelongs to her. "

The poor man thanked Destiny again and again, and set out for home. Assoon as he arrived he went straight to his brother's house and said, "Brother, give me Miliza for a wife; you see that I am all alone inthe world. "

"I am willing, " answered his brother; "Miliza is yours. "

The bridegroom carried Miliza to his house. He soon became very rich, but he always took good care to say, "All that I have belongs toMiliza. "

One day, however, as he was admiring his wheat, which was the mostbeautiful that ever was seen, a stranger passed by and asked, "Whosewheat is this?"

"It is mine, " answered he, without thinking. But scarcely had hespoken when, behold! the wheat took fire, and the flames spread allover the field. Without stopping to put it out, he ran after thetraveler, crying, "Stop, sir, I was mistaken; it belongs to Miliza, mybrother's daughter. "

The fire went out at once of its own accord. He had learned a goodlesson which he never forgot, and from that time thenceforth he wasfortunate, thanks to Miliza. 

The Twelve Months

_A Bohemian Tale_

[Illustration:]

There was once a woman who was left a widow with two children. Theelder, who was only her stepdaughter, was named Dobrunka; the younger, who was as wicked as her mother, was called Katinka. The motherworshiped her daughter, but she hated Dobrunka, simply because she wasas beautiful as her sister was ugly. Dobrunka did not even know thatshe was pretty, and she could not understand why her stepmother flewinto a rage at the mere sight of her. The poor child was obliged to doall the work of the house; she had to sweep, cook, wash, sew, spin, weave, cut the grass, and take care of the cow, while Katinka livedlike a princess--that is to say, did nothing. 

Dobrunka worked with a good will, and took reproaches and blows withthe gentleness of a lamb; but nothing soothed her stepmother, forevery day added to the beauty of the elder sister and the ugliness ofthe younger. "They are growing up, " thought the mother, "and suitorswill soon appear, who will refuse my daughter when they see thishateful Dobrunka, who grows beautiful on purpose to spite me. I mustget rid of her, cost what it may. "

One day in the middle of January, Katinka took a fancy for someviolets. She called Dobrunka and said, "Go to the forest and bring mea bunch of violets, that I may put them in my bosom and enjoy theirfragrance. "

"Oh, sister, what an idea!" answered Dobrunka; "as if there were anyviolets under the snow!"

"Hold your tongue, stupid fool, " returned her sister, "and do as I bidyou. If you do not go to the forest and bring me back a bunch ofviolets I will beat you to a jelly. " Upon this the mother tookDobrunka by the arm, put her out of the door, and drew the bolt onher. 

The poor girl went to the forest weeping bitterly. Everything wascovered with snow; there was not even a footpath. She lost her way andwandered about till, famishing with hunger and perishing with cold, she entreated God to take her from this wretched life. 

All at once she saw a light in the distance. She went on, climbinghigher and higher, until at last she reached the top of a huge rock, upon which a great fire was built. Around the fire were twelve stones, and on each stone sat a motionless figure, wrapped in a large mantle, his head covered with a hood which fell over his eyes. Three of thesemantles were white like the snow, three were green like the grass ofthe meadows, three were golden like the sheaves of ripe wheat, andthree were purple like the grapes of the vine. These twelve figures, gazing at the fire in silence, were the Twelve Months of the year. 

Dobrunka knew January by his long white beard. He was the only onethat had a staff in his hand. The poor girl was terribly frightened. She drew near, saying, in a timid voice, "My good sirs, please to letme warm myself by your fire; I am freezing with cold. "

January nodded his head. "Why have you come here, my child?" he asked. "What are you looking for?"

"I am looking for violets, " replied Dobrunka. 

"This is not the season for them; there are no violets in the time ofsnow, " said January, in his gruff voice. 

"I know it, " replied Dobrunka, sadly; "but my sister and mother willbeat me to a jelly if I do not bring them some. My good sirs, pleaseto tell me where I can find them. "

Old January rose, and, turning to a young man in a green mantle, puthis staff in his hand, and said to him, "Brother March, this is yourbusiness. "

March rose in turn, and stirred the fire with the staff, when, behold!the flames rose, the snow melted, the buds put forth on the trees, thegrass turned green under the bushes, the flowers peeped through theverdure, and the violets opened--it was spring. 

"Make haste, my child, and gather your violets, " said March. 

[Illustration: PRETTY DOBRUNKA WAS OBLIGED TO DO ALL THE WORK OF THEHOUSE]

Dobrunka gathered a large bouquet, thanked the Twelve Months, andjoyfully ran home. You can imagine the astonishment of Katinka and thestepmother. The fragrance of the violets filled the whole house. 

"Where did you find these fine things?" asked Katinka, in a disdainfulvoice. 

"Up yonder, on the mountain, " answered her sister. "It looked like agreat blue carpet under the bushes. "

Katinka put the bouquet in her bosom and did not even thank the poorchild. 

The next morning the wicked sister, as she sat idling by the stove, took a fancy for some strawberries. 

"Go to the forest and bring me some strawberries, " said she toDobrunka. 

"Oh, sister, what an idea! as if there were any strawberries under thesnow!"

"Hold your tongue, stupid fool, and do as I bid you. If you don't goto the forest and bring me back a basket of strawberries, I will beatyou to a jelly. "

The mother took Dobrunka by the arm, put her out of the door, and drewthe bolt on her. 

The poor girl returned to the forest, looking with all her eyes forthe light that she had seen the day before. She was fortunate enoughto spy it, and she reached the fire trembling and almost frozen. 

The Twelve Months were in their places, motionless and silent. 

"My good sirs, " said Dobrunka, "please to let me warm myself by yourfire; I am almost frozen with cold. "

"Why have you returned?" asked January. "What are you looking for?"

"I am looking for strawberries, " answered she. 

"This is not the season for them, " returned January, in his gruffvoice; "there are no strawberries under the snow. "

"I know it, " replied Dobrunka, sadly; "but my mother and sister willbeat me to a jelly if I do not bring them some. My good sirs, pleaseto tell me where I can find them. "

Old January rose and, turning to a man in a golden mantle, he put hisstaff in his hand, saying, "Brother June, this is your business. "

June rose in turn, and stirred the fire with the staff, when, behold!the flames rose, the snow melted, the earth grew green, the trees werecovered with leaves, the birds sang and the flowers opened--it wassummer. Thousands of little white stars enameled the turf, then turnedto red strawberries, looking, in their green cups, like rubies set inemeralds. 

"Make haste, my child, and gather your strawberries, " said June. 

Dobrunka filled her apron, thanked the Twelve Months, and joyfullyran home. You may imagine the astonishment of Katinka and thestepmother. The fragrance of the strawberries filled the whole house. 

"Where did you find these things?" asked Katinka, in a disdainfulvoice. 

"Up yonder on the mountain, " answered her sister; "there were so manyof them that they looked like blood poured on the ground. "

Katinka and her mother devoured the strawberries without even thankingthe poor child. 

The third day the wicked sister took a fancy for some red apples. Thesame threats, the same insults, and the same violence followed. Dobrunka ran to the mountain, and was fortunate enough to find theTwelve Months warming themselves, motionless and silent. 

"You here again, my child?" said old January, making room for her bythe fire. Dobrunka told him, with tears, how, if she did not bringhome some red apples, her mother and sister would beat her to death. 

Old January repeated the ceremonies of the day before. "BrotherSeptember, " said he to a gray-bearded man in a purple mantle, "this isyour business. "

September rose and stirred the fire with the staff, when, behold! theflames ascended, the snow melted, and the trees put forth a few yellowleaves, which fell one by one before the wind--it was autumn. The onlyflowers were a few late pinks, daisies, and immortelles. Dobrunka sawbut one thing, an apple-tree with its rosy fruit. 

"Make haste, my child; shake the tree, " said September. 

She shook it, and an apple fell; she shook it again, and a secondapple followed. 

"Make haste, Dobrunka, make haste home!" cried September, in animperious voice. 

The good child thanked the Twelve Months, and joyfully ran home. Youmay imagine the astonishment of Katinka and the stepmother. 

"Red apples in January! Where did you get these apples?" askedKatinka. 

"Up yonder on the mountain; there is a tree there that is as red withthem as a cherry-tree in July. "

"Why did you bring only two? You ate the rest on the way. "

"Oh, sister, I did not touch them; I was only permitted to shake thetree twice, and but two apples fell. "

"Begone, you fool!" cried Katinka, striking her sister, who ran awaycrying. 

The wicked girl tasted one of the apples; she had never eaten anythingso delicious in her life, neither had her mother. How they regrettednot having any more!

[Illustration: TURNED OUT BY HER MOTHER, DOBRUNKA WENT UNHAPPILY INTOTHE FOREST]

"Mother, " said Katinka, "give me my fur cloak. I will go to the forestand find the tree, and whether I am permitted or not I will shakeit so hard that all the apples will be ours. "

The mother tried to stop her. A spoiled child listens to nothing. Katinka wrapped herself in her fur cloak, drew the hood over her head, and hastened to the forest. 

Everything was covered with snow; there was not even a footpath. Katinka lost her way, but she pushed on, spurred by pride andcovetousness. She spied a light in the distance. She climbed andclimbed till she reached the place, and found the Twelve Months eachseated on his stone, motionless and silent. Without asking theirpermission, she approached the fire. 

"Why have you come here? What do you want? Where are you going?" askedold January, gruffly. 

"What matters it to you, old fool?" answered Katinka. "It is none ofyour business where I came from or whither I am going. " She plungedinto the forest. January frowned and raised his staff above his head. In the twinkling of an eye the sky was overcast, the fire went out, the snow fell, and the wind blew. Katinka could not see the way beforeher. She lost herself, and vainly tried to retrace her steps. The snowfell and the wind blew. She called her mother, she cursed her sister, she cursed God. The snow fell and the wind blew. Katinka froze, herlimbs stiffened, and she fell motionless. The snow still fell and thewind still blew. 

The mother went without ceasing from the window to the door, and fromthe door to the window. The hours passed and Katinka did not return. 

"I must go and look for my daughter, " said she. "The child hasforgotten herself with those hateful apples. " She took her fur cloakand hood, and hastened to the mountain. Everything was covered withsnow; there was not even a footpath. She plunged into the forest, calling her daughter. The snow fell and the wind blew. She walked onwith feverish anxiety, shouting at the top of her voice. The snowstill fell and the wind still blew. 

Dobrunka waited through the evening and the night, but no onereturned. In the morning she took her wheel and spun a whole distafffull; there was still no news. "What can have happened?" said thegirl, weeping. The sun was shining through an icy mist and the groundwas covered with snow. Dobrunka prayed for her mother and sister. Theydid not return; and it was not till spring that a shepherd found thetwo corpses in the forest. 

Dobrunka remained the sole mistress of the house, the cow, and thegarden, to say nothing of a piece of meadow adjoining the house. Butwhen a good and pretty girl has a field under her window, the nextthing that follows is a young farmer who offers her his heart andhand. Dobrunka was soon married. The Twelve Months did not abandontheir child. More than once, when the north wind blew fearfully andthe windows shook in their frames, old January stopped up all thecrevices of the house with snow, so that the cold might not enter thispeaceful abode. 

Dobrunka lived to a good old age, always virtuous and happy, having, according to the proverb, winter at the door, summer in the barn, autumn in the cellar, and spring in the heart. 

Swanda the Piper

_A Bohemian Tale_

[Illustration:]

Swanda, the Piper, was a jolly companion. Like every true musician, hewas born with an unquenchable thirst; besides, he was madly fond ofplay, and would have risked his soul at strajak, the favorite game atcards in Bohemia. When he had earned a little money he would throwaside his pipes, and drink and play with the first comer till hereturned to his home as light in pocket as when he had left it. But hewas always so merry, witty, and good-natured that not a drinker everleft the table while the piper was there, and his name still lives inBohemia as the prince of good fellows. 

One day there was a festival at Mokran, and no merry-making was evercomplete without the piper. Swanda, after blowing his pipe tillmidnight and earning twenty zwanzigers, determined to amuse himself onhis own account. Neither prayers nor promises could persuade him togo on with his music; he was determined to drink his fill and toshuffle the cards at his ease; but, for the first time in his life, hefound no one to play with him. 

Swanda was not the man to quit the inn so long as he had a kreutzer inhis pocket, and on that day he had many of them. By dint of talking, laughing, and drinking he took one of those fixed ideas which are notuncommon among those who look too often in the bottom of their glass, and determined to play at any price; but all his neighbors refused hischallenge. Furious at finding no partner, he rose with an unsteadystep, paid for what he had drank, and left the inn. 

"I will go to Drazic, " said he; "the schoolmaster and the bailiffthere are honest people who are not afraid of play, and I shall findpartners. Hurrah!"

The night was clear and the moon shone like a fish's eye. On reachinga cross-road Swanda raised his eyes by chance, and stopped, mute andmotionless. A flock of ravens were croaking over his head, and infront of him rose four posts, standing like pillars, and connected atthe top by cross-beams, from each of which swung a half-devouredcorpse. It was a robbers' gallows, a spectacle by no means amusing toa less stoical spirit than that of Swanda. 

He had not recovered from the first shudder when suddenly thereappeared before him a man dressed in black, with pale and hollowcheeks, and eyes that glittered like carbuncles. 

"Where are you going so late, friend Piper?" asked he, in a softvoice. 

"To Drazic, Mr. Black Coat, " answered the intrepid Swanda. 

"Would you like to earn something by your music?"

"I am tired of blowing, " returned Swanda. "I have some silver in mypocket, and wish to amuse myself. "

"Who talks to you of silver? It is with gold that we pay. "

Saying this, the stranger flashed before his eyes a handful of shiningducats. The piper was the son of a thrifty mother; he knew not how toresist such an invitation, and followed the black man and his gold. 

How the time passed he never could remember. It is true that his headwas a little heavy. The only thing that he recollected was that theblack man warned him to accept whatever was offered him, whether goldor wine, but never to return thanks except by saying "Good luck, brother!"

Without knowing how he had entered, he found himself in a dark roomwhere three men, dressed in black like his guide, were playing atstrajak by no other light than their glittering eyes. On the tablewere piles of gold, and a jug from which each one drank in his turn. 

"Brothers, " said the black man, "I bring you friend Swanda, whom youhave long known by reputation. I thought to please you on thisfeast-day by giving you a little music. "

"A good idea!" said one of the players. Then, taking the jug, hehanded it to Swanda, saying, "Here, piper, drink and play. "

Swanda had some scruples; but, after all, it is impossible to havecharcoal without putting your finger into the ashes. The wine, thoughrather warm, was not bad. He replaced the jug on the table, andraising his hat, said, "Good luck, brother!" as he had been advised. 

He began to play, and never had his music produced such an effect. Each note made the players leap for joy. Their eyes shot forth flames;they moved about uneasily in their chairs; they staked the ducats byhandfuls; they shouted and burst into loud fits of laughter withoutstirring a muscle of their pallid faces. The jug passed from hand tohand, always full, though replenished by no one. 

As soon as Swanda finished an air they handed him the jug, from whichhe never failed to drink deeply, and threw handfuls of gold into hishat. "Good luck, brother!" he repeated, astounded at hisfortune--"good luck!"

The feast lasted a long time. At last, the piper having struck up apolka, the black men, in a transport of mirth, quitted the table anddanced and waltzed with an ardor and frenzy which ill accorded withtheir icy faces. One of the dancers gathered up all the gold that washeaped on the table, and, pouring it into Swanda's hat, "Here, " saidhe, "take this for the pleasure that you have given us. "

"God bless you, my good lords!" said the dazzled piper. Scarcely hadhe spoken when men, room, and cards vanished. 

In the morning a peasant on his way to the fields heard the sound of apipe as he approached the cross-road. "It is Swanda, " said he. Butwhere was the piper? Seated on a corner of the gallows, he was blowingwith all his might, while the corpses of the robbers danced in thewind to his music. 

"Halloo, comrade!" cried the peasant. "How long have you been playingthe cuckoo up there?"

Swanda started, dropped his pipe, opened his eyes, and glided, bewildered, down the gallows. His first thought, however, was for hisducats. He rummaged his pockets and turned his hat inside out, but allin vain; there was not even a kreutzer!

"My friend, " said the peasant, making the sign of the cross, "God haspunished you by giving you the devil for a partner; you love cards toowell. "

"You are right, " said Swanda, trembling; "I will never touch themagain in my life. "

[Illustration: HE BEGAN TO PLAY AND NEVER HAD HIS MUSIC PRODUCED SUCHAN EFFECT. ]

He kept his word; and, to thank Heaven for having preserved himfrom such peril, he took the fatal pipe to which the devil had danced, and suspended it as a votive offering in the church of Strakonic, hisbirthplace, where it may be seen to this day. The pipe of Strakonichas become a proverb, and it is even said that its sound is heardevery year at the day and hour when Swanda played for Satan and hisfriends. 

_The_ Gold Bread

_A Hungarian Tale_

[Illustration:]

Once upon a time there was a widow who had a beautiful daughter. Themother was modest and humble; the daughter, Marienka, was prideitself. She had suitors from all sides, but none satisfied her; themore they tried to please her the more she disdained them. 

One night, when the poor mother could not sleep, she took her beadsand began to pray for her dear child, who gave her more than one care. Marienka was asleep by her side. As the mother gazed lovingly at herbeautiful daughter, Marienka laughed in her sleep. 

"What a beautiful dream she must have to laugh in this way!" said themother. Then she finished her prayer, hung her beads on the wall, laidher head on the same pillow with her daughter, and fell asleep. 

"My dear child, " said she in the morning, "what did you dream lastnight that you laughed so?"

"What did I dream, mamma? I dreamed that a nobleman came here for mein a copper coach, and that he put a ring on my finger set with astone that sparkled like the stars. And when I entered the church thepeople had eyes for no one but the blessed Virgin and me. "

"My daughter, my daughter, that was a proud dream!" said the mother, shaking her head. But Marienka went out singing. 

The same day a wagon entered the yard. A handsome young farmer in goodcircumstances came to ask Marienka to share a peasant's bread withhim. The mother was pleased with the suitor, but the proud Marienkarefused him, saying, "Though you should come in a copper coach, andput a ring on my finger set with a stone that sparkled like the stars, I would not have you for a husband. " And the farmer went away stormingat Marienka's pride. 

The next night the mother waked, took her beads, and prayed still moreearnestly for her daughter, when, behold! Marienka laughed again asshe was sleeping. 

"I wonder what she is dreaming, " said the mother, who prayed, unableto sleep. 

"My dear child, " she said the next morning, "what did you dream lastnight that you laughed aloud?"

"What did I dream, mamma? I dreamed that a nobleman came here for mein a silver coach, and that he offered me a golden diadem. And when Ientered the church the people looked at me more than they did at theblessed Virgin. "

"Hush! you are blaspheming. Pray, my daughter, pray that you may notfall into temptation. "

But Marienka ran away to escape her mother's sermon. 

The same day a carriage entered the yard. A young lord came to entreatMarienka to share a nobleman's bread with him. 

"It is a great honor, " said the mother; but vanity is blind. 

"Though you should come in a silver coach, " said Marienka to the newsuitor, "and should offer me a golden diadem, I would not have you fora husband. "

"Take care, my child, " said the poor mother; "pride is a device of theEvil One. "

"Mothers never know what they are saying, " thought Marienka, and shewent out shrugging her shoulders. 

The third night the mother could not sleep for anxiety. As she layawake, praying for her daughter, behold! Marienka burst into a loudfit of laughter. 

"Oh!" said the mother, "what can the unhappy child be dreaming now?"And she continued to pray till daylight. 

"My dear child, " said she in the morning, "what did you dream lastnight?"

"You will be angry again if I tell you, " answered Marienka. 

"No, no, " replied the mother. "Tell me. "

"I dreamed that a noble lord, with a great train of attendants, cameto ask me in marriage. He was in a golden coach, and he brought me adress of gold lace. And when I entered the church, the people lookedat nobody but me. "

The mother clasped her hands. Marienka, half dressed, sprang from thebed and ran into the next room, to avoid a lecture that was tiresometo her. 

The same day three coaches entered the yard, one of copper, one ofsilver, and one of gold; the first drawn by two horses, the second byfour, and the third by eight, all caparisoned with gold and pearls. From the copper and silver coaches alighted pages dressed in scarletbreeches and green jackets and cloaks, while from the golden coachstepped a handsome nobleman all dressed in gold. He entered the house, and, bending one knee on the ground, asked the mother for herdaughter's hand. 

"What an honor!" thought the mother. 

"My dream has come to pass, " said Marienka. "You see, mother, that, asusual, I was right and you were wrong. "

She ran to her chamber, tied the betrothal knot, and offered itsmilingly as a pledge of her faith to the handsome lord, who, on hisside, put a ring on her finger set with a stone that sparkled like thestars, and presented her with a golden diadem and a dress of goldlace. 

The proud girl ran to her room to dress for the ceremony, while themother, still anxious, said to the bridegroom, "My good sir, whatbread do you offer my daughter?"

"Among us, " said he, "the bread is of copper, silver, and gold. Shecan take her choice. "

"What does this mean?" thought the mother. But Marienka had noanxiety; she returned as beautiful as the sun, took her lover's arm, and set out for the church without asking her mother's blessing. Thepoor woman was left to pray alone on the threshold; and when Marienkareturned and entered the carriage she did not even turn round to lookat her mother or to bid her a last farewell. 

The eight horses set off at a gallop, and did not stop till theyreached a huge rock in which there was a hole as large as the gate ofa city. The horses plunged into the darkness, the earth trembled, andthe rock cracked and crumbled. Marienka seized her husband's hand. 

"Don't be alarmed, my fair one; in a moment it will be light. "

All at once a thousand lights waved in the air. The dwarfs of themountain, each with a torch in his hand, came to salute their lord, the King of the Mines. Marienka learned for the first time herhusband's name. Whether he was a spirit of good or of evil, at leasthe was so rich that she did not regret her choice. 

[Illustration: AS THE MOTHER GAZED LOVINGLY AT HER BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, MARIENKA LAUGHED IN HER SLEEP]

They emerged from the darkness, and advanced through bleachedforests and mountains that raised their pale and gloomy summits to theskies. Firs, beeches, birches, oaks, rocks, all were of lead. At theend of the forest stretched a vast meadow the grass of which was ofsilver; and at the bottom of the meadow was a castle of gold, inlaidwith diamonds and rubies. The carriage stopped before the door, andthe King of the Mines offered his hand to his bride, saying, "My fairone, all that you see is yours. "

Marienka was delighted. But it is impossible to make so long a journeywithout being hungry; and it was with pleasure, therefore, that shesaw the mountain dwarfs bring in a table, everything on whichglittered with gold, silver, and precious stones. The dishes weremarvelous--side-dishes of emeralds, and roasts of gold on silversalvers. Every one ate heartily except the bride, who begged herhusband for a little bread. 

"Bring the copper bread, " said the King of the Mines. 

Marienka could not eat it. 

"Bring the silver bread, " said he. 

Marienka could not eat it. 

"Bring the gold bread, " said he, at length. 

Marienka could not eat it. 

"My fair one, " said the King of the Mines, "I am very sorry; but whatcan I offer you? We have no other bread. "

The bride burst into tears. Her husband laughed aloud; his heart wasof metal, like his kingdom. 

"Weep, if you like, " he cried; "it will do you no good. What youwished for you possess. Eat the bread that you have chosen. "

It was thus that the rich Marienka lived in her castle, dying ofhunger, and seeking in vain for a root to allay the torture that wasconsuming her. God had humbled her by granting her prayer. 

Three days in the year, the Rogation Days, when the ground half opensto receive the fruitful rain sent by the Lord, Marienka returns to theearth. Dressed in rags, pale and wrinkled, she begs from door to door, too happy when any one throws her a few crusts, and when she receivesas alms from the poor what she lacks in her palace of gold--a littlebread and a little pity. 

The Story _of the Noses_

_A Bohemian Tale_

[Illustration:]

At Dewitz, in the neighborhood of Prague, there once lived a rich andwhimsical old farmer who had a beautiful daughter. The students ofPrague, of whom there were at that time twenty-five thousand, oftenwalked in the direction of Dewitz, and more than one of them offeredto follow the plow in hopes of becoming the son-in-law of the farmer. The first condition that the cunning peasant set on each new servantwas this: "I engage you, " he would say, "for a year--that is, till thecuckoo sings the return of spring; but if, from now till then, you sayonce that you are not satisfied, I will cut off the end of your nose. I give you the same right over me, " he added, laughing. And he did ashe said. Prague was full of students with the ends of their nosesglued on, which did not prevent an ugly scar, and, still less, badjokes. To return from the farm disfigured and ridiculed was wellcalculated to cool the warmest passion. 

A young man by the name of Coranda, somewhat ungainly in manner, butcool, adroit, and cunning, which are not bad aids in making one'sfortune, took it in his head to try the adventure. The farmer receivedhim with his usual good nature, and, the bargain made, sent him to thefield to work. At breakfast-time the other servants were called, butgood care was taken to forget Coranda. At dinner it was the same. Coranda gave himself no trouble about it. He went to the house, andwhile the farmer's wife was feeding the chickens unhooked an enormousham from the kitchen rafters, took a huge loaf from the cupboard, andwent back to the fields to dine and take a nap. 

"Are you satisfied?" cried the farmer, when he returned at night. 

"Perfectly satisfied, " said Coranda; "I have dined better than youhave. "

At that instant the farmer's wife came rushing in, crying that her hamwas gone. Coranda laughed, and the farmer turned pale. 

"Are you not satisfied?" asked Coranda. 

"A ham is only a ham, " answered his master. "Such a trifle does nottrouble me. " But after that time he took good care not to leave thestudent fasting. 

Sunday came. The farmer and his wife seated themselves in the wagon togo to church, saying to Coranda, "It is your business to cook thedinner. Cut up the piece of meat you see yonder, with onions, carrots, leeks, and parsley, and boil them all together in the great pot overthe kitchen fire. "

"Very well, " answered Coranda. 

There was a little pet dog at the farm-house by the name of Parsley. Coranda killed him, skinned him, cut him up with the meat andvegetables, and put the whole to boil over the kitchen fire. When thefarmer's wife returned she called her favorite; but, alas! she sawnothing but a bloody skin hanging by the window. 

"What have you done?" said she to Coranda. 

"What you ordered me, mistress. I have boiled the meat, onions, carrots, and leeks, and parsley in the bargain. "

"Wicked wretch!" cried the farmer, "had you the heart to kill theinnocent creature that was the joy of the house?"

"Are you not satisfied?" said Coranda, taking his knife from hispocket. 

"I did not say that, " returned the farmer. "A dead dog is nothing buta dead dog. " But he sighed. 

A few days after, the farmer and his wife went to market. Fearingtheir terrible servant, they said to him, "Stay at home and do exactlywhat you see others do. "

"Very well, " said Coranda. 

There was an old shed in the yard the roof of which was falling topieces. The carpenters came to repair it, and began, as usual, bytearing down the roof. Coranda took a ladder and mounted the roof ofthe house, which was quite new. Shingles, lath, nails, and tiles, hetore off everything, and scattered them all to the winds. When thefarmer returned the house was open to the sky. 

"Villain!" said he, "what new trick have you played me?"

"I have obeyed you, master, " answered Coranda. "You told me to doexactly what I saw others do. Are you not satisfied?" And he took outhis knife. 

"Satisfied!" returned the farmer; "why should I not be satisfied? Afew shingles more or less will not ruin me. " But he sighed. 

Night came, the farmer and his wife said to each other that it washigh time to get rid of this incarnate demon. As is always the casewith sensible people, they never did anything without consulting theirdaughter, it being the custom in Bohemia to think that children alwayshave more wit than their parents. 

"Father, " said Helen, "I will hide in the great pear-tree early in themorning, and call like the cuckoo. You can tell Coranda that the yearis up, since the cuckoo is singing; pay him and send him away. "

Early in the morning the plaintive cry of the cuckoo was heard throughthe fields. The farmer seemed surprised. "Well, my boy, spring iscome, " said he. "Do you hear the cuckoo singing yonder? I will pay youand we will part good friends. "

[Illustration: HE RAN TO THE TREE AND SHOOK IT WITH ALL HIS MIGHT, WHEN, BEHOLD! A YOUNG GIRL FELL FROM THE BRANCHES]

"A cuckoo!" said Coranda; "that is a bird which I have always wantedto see. "

He ran to the tree and shook it with all his might, when, behold! ayoung girl fell from the branches, fortunately more frightened thanhurt. 

"Villain!" cried the farmer. 

"Are you not satisfied?" said Coranda, opening his knife. 

"Wretch! you kill my daughter and you think that I ought to besatisfied! I am furious. Begone, if you would not die by my hand!"

"I will go when I have cut off your nose, " said Coranda. "I have keptmy word. Do you keep yours. "

"Stop!" cried the farmer, putting his hand before his face. "You willsurely let me redeem my nose?"

"It depends on what you offer, " said Coranda. 

"Will you take ten sheep for it?"

"No. "

"Ten cows?"

"No; I would rather cut off your nose. " And he sharpened his knife onthe door-step. 

"Father, " said Helen, "the fault was mine; it belongs to me to repairit. Coranda, will you take my hand instead of my father's nose?"

"Yes, " replied Coranda. 

"I make one condition, " said the young girl. "We will make the samebargain; the first one of us that is not satisfied after marriageshall have his nose cut off by the other. "

"Good, " replied Coranda. "I would rather it was the tongue; but thatwill come next. "

Never was a finer wedding seen at Prague, and never was there ahappier household. Coranda and the beautiful Helen were a model pair. The husband and wife were never heard to complain of each other; theyloved with drawn swords, and, thanks to their ingenious bargain, keptfor long years both their love and their noses. 

_The Three Citrons_

A Neapolitan Tale

[Illustration: ]

Once upon a time there lived a king who was called the King of theVermilion Towers. He had but one son, whom he loved as the apple ofhis eye, and who was the only hope of a royal line about to becomeextinct. The old king's whole ambition was to marry this illustriousprince--to find him a princess at once handsome, noble, young, andrich. He could think of nothing but this wished-for marriage. 

Unhappily, among all the virtues in which the heir to a crown is neverlacking, Carlino, for that was the young prince's name, had thetrifling fault of being shyer than a deer. He shook his head and fledto the woods at the mere sound of a woman's name, to the great griefof his father, who was in despair at seeing his family about to dieout. But his grief was in vain; nothing touched the heart of Carlino. The tears of a father, the prayers of a whole people, the interest ofthe state, nothing could melt this stony heart. Twenty preachers hadwasted their eloquence and thirty senators their Latin in reasoningwith him. To be stubborn is one of the privileges of royalty, asCarlino had known from his birth, and he would have thought himselfdishonored by being second to a mule in obstinacy. 

But more things often happen in an hour than in a hundred years, andno one can say with safety, "This is a road that I shall nevertravel. " One morning at breakfast, as Carlino, instead of listening tohis father's sermon, was amusing himself by watching the flies buzzingin the air, he forgot that he had a knife in his hand, and pricked hisfinger in a gesture of impatience. The blood gushed forth and fellinto a plate of cream that had just been handed to him, where it madea curious mixture of white and red. Either by chance or by thepunishment of Heaven, the prince was instantly seized with the maddestcaprice that could be imagined. 

"Sir, " said he to his father, "if I do not soon find a woman as whiteand red as this cream dyed with my blood, I am lost. This wonder mustexist somewhere. I love her; I am dying for her; I must have her; Iwill have her. To a resolute heart nothing is impossible. If you wouldhave me live, let me go in search of her, or before to-morrow I shallbe dead of loneliness. "

The poor King of the Vermilion Towers was thunderstruck at this folly. It seemed to him that his palace was crumbling over his head; heturned red and pale by turns, stammered, wept, and finally cried, ina voice broken with sobs:

"Oh, my child, the staff of my old age, my heart's blood, the life ofmy soul, what an idea have you taken into your head! Have you lostyour reason? Yesterday you almost made me die of sorrow by refusing tomarry; to-day you are about to drive me from the world by anotherpiece of folly. Whither would you go, unhappy boy? Why leave yourhome, where you have been born and bred? Do you know to what dangerand suffering the traveler exposes himself? Drive away these perilousfancies, and stay with me, my child, if you would not deprive me oflife and destroy your kingdom and house at one blow. "

All these words, and others equally wise, had no more effect than anofficial harangue. Carlino, his eye fixed and his brow bent, listenedto nothing but his passion. All that was said to him went in at oneear and out at the other; it was eloquence cast to the winds. 

When the old king, worn out with prayers and tears, perceived that itwas easier to melt a leaden weathercock on its steeple than a spoiledchild in pursuit of his whim, he heaved a deep sigh and determined tolet Carlino go; and giving him counsels to which he scarcely listened, several bags filled with guineas, which were rather better receivedthan the counsels, and two trusty servants, the good king clasped hisrebellious son to his heart and bade him adieu, then mounted to thetop of the great tower to follow the ungrateful boy with his eyes asfar as he could see. When Carlino at last disappeared in the distance, the poor monarch thought that his heart was breaking. He buried hisface in his hands and wept, not like a child, but like a father. Thetears of a child are like the summer rain, large drops that are soondried up; the tears of a father are like the autumnal rain, whichfalls slowly and soaks into the ground. 

While the king wept, Carlino, mounted on a fine horse, rode on gaily, his plume waving in the wind, like a hero about to conquer the world. To find what he sought was not an easy task, however, and his journeylasted more than one day. He crossed mountains and valleys, traversedkingdoms, duchies, earldoms, and baronies, and visited cities, villages, castles, and cottages, gazing at all the women, and gazed atby them in turn; but all in vain: the treasure that he sought was notto be found in old Europe. 

At the end of four months he reached Marseilles, resolved to embarkfor the Indies. At the sight of the raging sea, however, his brave andfaithful servants were seized with an epidemic, called by thephysicians stay-at-homeativeness in Hebrew, and the headache in thefeet in Latin. To the great regret of these honest people, they wereforced to quit their good master and remain quietly on shore, wrappedin their warm blankets, while Carlino, embarked on a frail bark, braved the winds and waves. 

Nothing can stop a heart hurried away by passion. The prince roamedover Egypt, India, and China, going from province to province, fromcity to city, from house to house, and from cabin to cabin, everywhereseeking the original of the fair image that was engraved on his heart, but in vain. He saw women of all colors and shades, brown, blond, olive, sandy, white, yellow, red, and black, but he did not see herwhom he loved. 

Always seeking and never finding, Carlino at last reached the end ofthe world. There was nothing more before him but the ocean and thesky. His hopes were at an end; his dream had vanished. As he waswalking despairingly up and down the seashore, he spied an old manwarming himself in the sun. The prince asked him if there was nothingbeyond these waves that stretched as far as the eye could reach. 

"No, " said the old man; "no one has ever discovered anything in thisshoreless ocean, or, at least, those who have ventured on it havenever returned to tell the story. I remember, however, having heardthe old men among us say, when I was a child, " he added, "that theirfathers had told them that yonder, a long, long way off, far beyondthe horizon, was the Island of the Fates; but woe to the imprudent manwho approaches these merciless fairies: he is struck with death attheir sight. "

"What does that matter?" cried Carlino. "I would face death itself togain my wishes. "

A bark lay by the strand. The prince sprang on board and unfurled thesail. The wind, which blew off the shore, hurried forward the frailcraft, the land disappeared, and Carlino found himself in the midst ofthe ocean. In vain he gazed about him; there was nothing but thesea--the sea everywhere; in vain the bark bounded over the foamingwaves with the speed of lightning, like a steed with mane floating onthe wind; there was nothing but the sea--the sea everywhere. Billowsfollowed billows, the hours passed one after another, the daydeclined, and the solitude and silence seemed to deepen aroundCarlino, when all at once he uttered a cry; he saw a black speck inthe distance. At the same instant the bark, shooting ahead like anarrow, struck upon the sand at the foot of huge rocks, which raisedtheir dark summits, notched and worn by time, to the skies. Fate hadthrown Carlino upon that strand from which none had ever returned. 

To climb this wall was not an easy matter; there was neither road norpath; and when Carlino, after long efforts, with torn hands andwearied limbs, at last succeeded in reaching a level spot, what hefound was not calculated to reassure him. He saw nothing but glacierspiled upon one another--black, damp rocks rising from the midst of thesnows--not a tree, not a blade of grass, not a bit of moss; it was thepicture of winter and death. The only sign of life in this desert wasa wretched hovel, the roof of which was loaded with great stones inorder to resist the fury of the winds. The prince approached the hut, and was about to enter it, when he stopped short, struck with surpriseand terror at the spectacle which presented itself. 

At the end of the room was a great web of cloth, on which werepictured all the conditions of life. There were kings, soldiers, farmers, and shepherds, with ladies richly dressed, and peasant womenspinning by their side. At the bottom boys and girls were dancinggaily, holding each other by the hand. Before the web walked themistress of the house--an old woman, if the name woman can be given toa skeleton with bones scarcely hidden by a skin yellower and moretransparent than wax. Like a spider ready to pounce upon its prey, theold woman, armed with a great pair of shears, peered at all thefigures with a jealous eye, then suddenly fell upon the web and cut itat random, when, lo! a piercing wail rose from it that would havemoved a heart of stone. The tears of children, the sobs of mothers, the despair of lovers, the last murmurs of old age, all human sorrowseemed mingled in this wail. At the sound the old woman burst into aloud laugh, and her hideous face lighted up with ferocious delight, while an invisible hand mended the web, eternally destroyed andeternally repaired. 

The hag, again opening her shears, was already approaching the webanew, when she saw the shadow of Carlino. 

"Fly, unhappy man, " cried she, without turning round; "I know whatbrings you here, but I can do nothing for you. Go to my sister;perhaps she will give you what you desire. She is Life--I am Death. "

Carlino did not wait for a second bidding. He rushed onward, too happyto escape this scene of horror. 

The landscape soon changed. Carlino found himself in a fertile valley. On every side were harvests, blossoming fields, vines loaded withgrapes, and olive-trees full of fruit. In the thick shade of afig-tree, by a running spring, sat a blind woman unrolling the lastgold and silver thread from a spindle. Around her lay severaldistaffs, full of different kinds of materials ready forspinning--flax, hemp, wool, silk, and others. 

When she had finished her task the fairy stretched out her tremblinghand at random, took the first distaff that came, and began to spin. 

Carlino bowed respectfully to the lady, and began with emotion to tellher the story of his pilgrimage, when the fairy stopped him at thefirst word. 

"My child, " said she, "I can do nothing for you. I am only a poorblind woman that does not even know herself what she is doing. Thisdistaff, which I have taken at random, decides the fate of all who areborn while I am spinning it. Riches or poverty, happiness ormisfortune, are attached to this thread that I cannot see. The slaveof destiny, I can create nothing. Go to my other sister; perhaps shewill give you what you desire. She is Birth; I am Life. "

"Thanks, madam, " answered Carlino; and with a light heart he ran tofind the youngest of the Fates. He soon discovered her, fresh andsmiling as the spring. Everything about her was taking root andgerminating; the corn was bursting through the earth and putting forthits green blades from the brown furrows; the orange-blossoms wereopening; the buds on the trees were unfolding their pink scales; thechickens, scarcely feathered, were running round the anxious hen, andthe lambs were clinging to their mother. It was the first smile oflife. 

The fairy received the prince with kindness. After listening to himwithout laughing at his folly, she asked him to sup with her, and atdessert gave him three citrons, and a beautiful knife with amother-of-pearl handle. 

"Carlino, " said she, "you can now return to your father's house. Theprize is gained; you have found what you have been seeking. Go, then, and when you have reached your kingdom, stop at the first fountainthat you see and cut one of these citrons. A fairy will come forth, who will ask you for a drink. Give her the water quickly, or she willslip through your fingers like quicksilver. If the second escapes youin the same way, have an eye to the last; give her a drink instantly, and you will have a wife according to your heart. "

Intoxicated with joy, the prince kissed again and again the charminghand that crowned his wishes. He was more happy than wise, and littledeserved to succeed; but fairies have their caprices, and Fortune isalways a fairy. 

It was a long distance from the end of the world to the kingdom of theVermilion Towers. Carlino experienced more than one storm and bravedmore than one danger on his way across land and sea, but at last, after a long voyage and a thousand trials, he reached his father'scountry with his three citrons, which he had treasured like the appleof his eye. 

He was not more than two hours' journey from the royal castle when heentered a dense forest where he had hunted many a time. A transparentfountain, bordered with wild flowers and shaded by the tremblingleaves of the aspen, invited the traveler to repose. Carlino seatedhimself on a carpet of verdure enameled with daisies, and, taking hisknife, cut one of the citrons. 

All at once a young girl as white as milk and as red as a strawberrydarted past him like lightning. "Give me a drink!" said she, pausingan instant. 

"How beautiful she is!" cried the prince, so ravished by her charmsthat he forgot the advice of the Fate. He paid dearly for it; in asecond the fairy had disappeared. Carlino smote his breast in despair, and stood as astonished as a child that sees the running water slipthrough his fingers. 

He tried to calm himself, and cut the next citron with a tremblinghand, but the second fairy was even more beautiful and more fleetingthan her sister. While Carlino admired her, wonder-struck, in thetwinkling of an eye she took flight. 

This time the prince burst into tears and wept so bitterly that heseemed a part of the fountain. He sobbed, tore his hair, and calleddown all the maledictions of Heaven on his head. 

"Fool that I am!" he cried; "twice I have let her escape as though myhands were tied. Fool that I am, I deserve my fate. When I should haverun like a greyhound I stood still like a post. A fine piece ofbusiness! But all is not lost; the third time conquers. I will try themagic knife once more, and if it deceives me this time I will use iton myself. "

He cut the last citron. The third fairy darted forth and said, likeher companions, "Give me a drink!" But the prince had learned alesson. He instantly gave her the water, when, lo! a beautiful, slender young girl, as white as milk, with cheeks like roses, stoodbefore him, looking like a freshly opened rosebud. She was a marvel ofbeauty such as the world had never seen, as fresh as a lily and asgraceful as a swan; her hair was of brighter gold than the sun, herclear blue eyes revealed the depths of her heart, her rosy lips seemedmade only to comfort and charm; in a word, from head to foot she wasthe most enchanting creature that had ever descended from heaven toearth. It is a great pity that we have no likeness of her. 

At the sight of his bride the prince almost lost his reason from joyand surprise. He could not understand how this miracle of freshnessand beauty had sprung from the bitter rind of a citron. 

"Am I asleep?" he cried. "Am I dreaming? If I am the sport of adelusion, for pity's sake do not awaken me. "

The fairy's smile soon reassured him. She accepted his hand, and wasthe first to ask to repair to the good king of the Vermilion Towers, who would be so happy to bless his children. 

"My love, " answered Carlino, "I am as impatient as you to see myfather and to prove to him that I was right; but we cannot enter thecastle arm in arm like two peasants. You must go like a princess; youmust be received like a queen. Wait for me by this fountain; I willrun to the palace, and return in two hours with a dress and equipageworthy of you. " Saying this, he tenderly kissed her hand and left her. 

The young girl was afraid, on finding herself alone; the cry of araven, the rustling of the trees, a dead branch broken by the wind, everything frightened her. She looked tremblingly about her, and sawan old oak by the side of the fountain whose huge trunk offered her ashelter. She climbed the tree and hid herself in it, all but herlovely face, which, encircled by the foliage, was reflected in thetransparent fountain as in a clear mirror. 

[Illustration: HE INSTANTLY GAVE HER THE WATER, WHEN, LO! A BEAUTIFUL, SLENDER YOUNG GIRL STOOD BEFORE HIM]

Now there was a negress, by the name of Lucy, who lived in theneighborhood, and who was sent every day by her mistress to thefountain for water. Lucy came, as usual, with her pitcher on hershoulder, and just as she was about to fill it, she spied the image ofthe fairy in the spring. The fool, who had never seen herself, thoughtthat the face was her own. "Poor Lucy!" she cried. "What! you, sofresh and beautiful, are forced by your mistress to carry water like abeast of burden! No, never!" And in her vanity she dashed the pitcherto the ground and returned home. 

When her mistress asked her why she had broken the pitcher, the slaveshrugged her shoulders and said, "The pitcher that goes often to thewell is soon broken. " Upon this her mistress gave her a little woodencask and ordered her to go back immediately and fill it at thefountain. 

The negress ran to the spring, and, gazing lovingly at the beautifulimage in the water, sighed and said, "No, I am not an ape, as I am sooften told; I am more beautiful than my mistress. Mules may carrycasks--not I!" She dashed the cask on the ground, broke it in athousand pieces, and returned to her mistress, grumbling. 

"Where is the cask?" asked her mistress, who was waiting impatientlyfor the water. 

"A mule ran against me and knocked it down, and it is all broken topieces. "

At these words her mistress lost patience. Seizing a broom, she gavethe negress one of those lessons that are not soon forgotten; then, taking down a leathern bottle that was hanging on the wall, "Run, wretched ape, " she said; "and if you do not instantly bring this backto me full of water, I will beat you within an inch of your life. "

The negress took to her heels in terror, and filled the bottleobediently; but when it was filled she stopped to look once more inthe fountain; and seeing the lovely face reflected there, "No!" shecried, in a burst of anger--"no, I will not be a water-carrier; no, Iwas not made to serve my mistress like a dog. "

Saying this, she took from her hair the great pin that held it, andpierced the bottle through and through. The water spouted out in everydirection. At the sight the fairy in the tree burst into a fit oflaughter. The negress looked up, saw the beautiful stranger, andunderstood the whole. 

"Oh!" said she to herself, "so you are the cause of my beating; nomatter, you shall pay me well for it. " Then, raising her voice, shecalled, in her sweetest tones, "What are you doing up there, lovelylady?"

The fairy, who was as good as she was beautiful, tried to comfort theslave by talking with her. The acquaintance was soon made; an innocentsoul is unsuspicious in friendship. The fairy, without distrust, toldthe negress all that had happened to her and the prince, why she wasalone in the forest, and how she was every instant expecting Carlinowith a grand equipage to conduct his bride to the king of theVermilion Towers, and to marry her there in the presence of all thecourt. 

On hearing this story, the wicked and envious negress conceived anabominable idea. "Madame, " said she, "if the prince is coming with allhis suite, you must be ready to meet him. Your hair is all indisorder; let me come to you, and I will comb it. "

"With pleasure, " answered the fairy, with a gracious smile, as shestretched out a little white hand, which looked, in Lucy's great blackpaw, like a crystal mirror in an ebony frame. 

No sooner had she climbed the tree than the wicked slave untied thefairy's hair and began to comb it; then, all at once, taking her greathair-pin, she pierced her to the brain. Feeling herself wounded, thefairy cried, "Palomba! Palomba!" when she instantly turned to awood-pigeon and flew away. The horrible negress took her victim'splace, and stretched out her neck among the foliage, looking like astatue of jet in a niche of emerald. 

Meanwhile the prince, mounted on a magnificent horse, was ridingthither at full speed, followed by a long cavalcade. Poor Carlino wasastonished to find a crow where he had left a swan. He almost lost hisreason, his voice was choked with tears, and he gazed in alldirections, hoping to see his bride among the foliage. But thenegress, putting on a suffering air, said to him, casting down hereyes, "Look no farther, my prince; a wicked fairy has made me hervictim, and a wretched fate has changed your lily to charcoal. "

Though he cursed the fairies who had played on his credulity, Carlino, like a true prince, would not break his word. He gallantly gave hishand to Lucy and helped her to descend from the tree, all the whileheaving sighs that would have melted a heart of stone. When thenegress was dressed like a princess, and covered with lace anddiamonds that adorned her as the stars adorn the night, by renderingthe darkness still more visible, Carlino seated her at his right hand, in a magnificent carriage lined with plate-glass and drawn by sixwhite horses, and took his way to the palace, as happy as a criminalwith the rope about his neck. 

The old king came to meet them a league from the castle. The wonderfulstories of his son had turned his brain. In spite of etiquette andagainst the remonstrances of his courtiers, he hastened to admire theincomparable beauty of his daughter-in-law. "Upon my word, " heexclaimed, at the sight of a crow instead of the dove that had beenpromised him--"upon my word, this is too much. I knew that my son wasmad, but I did not know that he was blind. Is this the spotless lilythat he has been to the end of the world to seek? Is this the rosefresher than the morning dew, the miracle of beauty that has come fromthe rind of a citron? Does he think that I will bear this new insultto my gray hairs? Does he think that I will leave to mulatto childrenthe empire of the Vermilion Towers, the glorious inheritance of myancestors? This baboon shall never enter my palace. "

The prince fell at his father's feet and tried to move him. The primeminister, a man of great experience, remonstrated with his masterthat, at court, black often becomes white and white black in the spaceof twenty-four hours; and that there was no reason to be astonished atsuch a very natural metamorphosis. What was the king of the VermilionTowers to do? He was a king and a father, and by this double titlealways accustomed to do the will of others. He yielded and consentedwith a bad grace to this strange union. The court gazette announced tothe whole kingdom the happy choice that the prince had made, andordered the people to rejoice. The wedding was postponed for a week;it was impossible to make the preparations for the ceremony in lesstime than this. 

The negress was lodged in a magnificent suite of apartments;countesses disputed with one another the honor of putting on herslippers; and duchesses obtained, not without difficulty, the gloriousprivilege of handing her her nightgown. The town and castle wereadorned with flags of all colors; walls were thrown down, yews wereplanted, walks were graveled, old speeches were furbished up, stalecompliments were newly framed, and poems and sonnets that had doneduty everywhere were patched up anew. There was but one idea in thekingdom--that of thankfulness to the prince for having chosen a wifeso worthy of him. 

The kitchen was not forgotten. Three hundred scullions, a hundredcooks, and fifty stewards set to work, under the superintendence ofthe famous Bouchibus, the chief of the royal kitchens. Pigs werekilled, sheep cut up, capons larded, pigeons plucked, and turkeysspitted; it was a universal massacre. It is impossible to have a feastworthy of the name without the help of the poultry-yard. 

In the midst of this bustle a beautiful wood-pigeon, with blue wings, perched on one of the kitchen windows, and cooed, in a plaintivevoice, "Bouchibus, tell me, for you must know, sure, What has Carlino to do with the Moor?"

The great Bouchibus was at first too busy with public affairs toattend to the cooing of a pigeon; but after a while he began to beastonished at understanding the language of birds, and thought it hisduty to inform his new mistress of the wonder. The negress did notdisdain to go to the kitchen. As soon as she heard the song, with acry of affright, she ordered Bouchibus to catch the pigeon and make astew of it. 

No sooner said than done. The poor bird suffered itself to be caughtwithout resistance. In an instant Bouchibus, armed with his greatknife, cut off its head and threw it into the garden. Three drops ofblood fell on the ground; and three days after there sprang from theearth a beautiful citron-tree, which grew so fast that before night itwas in blossom. 

The prince, while taking the air in his balcony, chanced to spy acitron-tree which he had never seen before. He called the cook andasked him who had planted this beautiful tree. The story of Bouchibusperplexed him greatly. He at once commanded, under penalty of death, that no one should touch the citron-tree, and that the greatest careshould be taken of it. 

The next morning, as soon as he awoke, the prince hastened to thegarden. There were already three citrons on the tree--three citronsexactly like those which the Fate had given him. Carlino gatheredthem, hastened to his apartments, and shut himself up under lock andkey. With a trembling hand he filled a golden cup, set with rubies, which had belonged to his mother, with water, and opened the magicknife, which had never left him. 

He cut a citron, and the first fairy came forth. Carlino scarcelyglanced at her, and suffered her to take flight. It was the same withthe second; but as soon as the third appeared he gave her the cup, from which she drank with a smile, and stood before him more gracefulthan ever. 

The fairy then told Carlino all that she had suffered from the wickednegress. The prince, beside himself with mingled joy and anger, laughed and wept, sang and raved. The king, hearing the noise, ran tosee what was the matter, and you may judge of his surprise. He dancedabout like a madman, with his crown on his head and his scepter in hishand. All at once he stopped short, bent his brow, which was a signthat a thought had struck him, threw a large veil over the princesswhich covered her from head to foot, and taking her by the hand, ledher to the dining-room. 

It was the hour for breakfast. The ministers and courtiers were rangedround a long table, magnificently served, waiting for the entrance ofthe royal family to be seated. The king called the guests one afteranother, and, raising the veil as each approached the fairy, asked:

"What shall be done to the person who sought to destroy this marvel ofbeauty?"

And each one, wonder-struck, answered in his own way. Some said thatthe author of such a crime deserved a hempen cravat; others thoughtthat the wretch should be thrown into the water with a stone to hisneck. Beheading seemed to the old minister too mild a punishment forsuch a villain; he was in favor of flaying him alive, and all presentapplauded his humanity. 

When the negress's turn came she approached without suspicion, and didnot recognize the fairy. "Sire, " said she, "a monster capable ofinjuring this charming creature deserves to be roasted alive in anoven, and to have his ashes thrown to the winds. "

"You have pronounced your own sentence, " cried the king of theVermilion Towers. "Wretch, behold your victim and prepare to die. Leta funeral pile be built in the square in front of the castle. I willgive my good people the pleasure of seeing a witch burn; it willoccupy them for an hour or two. "

"Sire, " said the young fairy, taking the king's hand, "Your Majestysurely will not refuse me a wedding gift?"

"No, indeed, my child, " replied the old king. "Ask what you will;should it be my crown, I will gladly give it to you. "

"Sire, " continued the fairy, "grant me this wretched creature'spardon. An ignorant and miserable slave, life has taught her nothingbut hatred and malice; let me render her happy and teach her that theonly happiness on earth consists in loving others. "

"My daughter, " said the king, "it is very evident that you are afairy; you know nothing of human justice. Among us, we do not reformthe wicked, we kill them; it is sooner done. But I have given my word. Tame this serpent at your own risk and peril; I am willing. "

The fairy raised the negress, who kissed her hands, weeping; then theyall sat down to the table. The king was so happy that he ate enoughfor four. As for Carlino, who kept his eyes fixed on his bride, he cuthis thumb five or six times in a fit of absent-mindedness, which eachtime put him in the best humor imaginable. Everything gives uspleasure when the heart is happy. 

When the old king died, full of years and honor, Carlino and hislovely wife ascended the throne in turn. For half a century, ifhistory is to be believed, they neither raised the taxes, shed a dropof blood, nor caused a tear to fall; and although more than a thousandyears have passed since then, the good people of the Vermilion Towersstill sigh at the mention of this distant age, and little children arenot the only ones to ask when the fairies will reign again. 

Story of

Coquerico

_A Spanish Tale_

[Illustration:]

Once upon a time there was a handsome hen who lived like a great ladyin the poultry-yard of a rich farmer, surrounded by a numerous familywhich clucked about her, and none of which clamored more loudly orpicked up the corn faster with his beak than a poor little deformedand crippled chicken. This was precisely the one that the mother lovedbest. It is the way with all mothers; the weakest and most unsightlyare always their favorites. This misshapen creature had but one eye, one wing, and one leg in good condition; it might have been thoughtthat Solomon had executed his memorable sentence on Coquerico, forthat was the name of the wretched chicken, and cut him in two with hisfamous sword. When a person is one-eyed, lame, and one-armed, he mayreasonably be expected to be modest; but our Castilian ragamuffin wasprouder than his father, the best spurred, most elegant, bravest, andmost gallant cock to be seen from Burgos to Madrid. He thought himselfa phoenix of grace and beauty, and passed the best part of the dayin admiring himself in the brook. If one of his brothers ran againsthim by accident, he abused him, called him envious and jealous, andrisked his only remaining eye in battle; if the hens clucked on seeinghim, he said it was to hide their spite because he did not condescendto look at them. 

One day, when he was more puffed up with vanity than usual, heresolved no longer to remain in such a narrow sphere, but to go outinto the world, where he would be better appreciated. 

"My lady mother, " said he, "I am tired of Spain; I am going to Rome tosee the pope and cardinals. "

"What are you thinking of, my poor child!" cried his mother. "Who hasput such a folly into your head? Never has one of our family beenknown to quit his country, and for this reason we are the honor of ourrace, and are proud of our genealogy. Where will you find apoultry-yard like this--mulberry-trees to shade you, a whitewashedhenroost, a magnificent dunghill, worms and corn everywhere, brothersthat love you, and three great dogs to guard you from the foxes? Doyou not think that at Rome itself you will regret the ease and plentyof such a life?"

Coquerico shrugged his crippled wing in token of disdain. "You are asimple woman, my good mother, " said he; "everything is accountedworthy of admiration by him who has never quitted his dunghill. But Ihave wit enough to see that my brothers have no ideas and that mycousins are nothing but rustics. My genius is stifling in this hole; Iwish to roam the world and seek my fortune. "

"But, my son, have you never looked in the brook?" resumed the poorhen. "Don't you know that you lack an eye, a leg, and a wing? To makeyour fortune, you need the eyes of a fox, the legs of a spider, andthe wings of a vulture. Once outside of these walls, you are lost. "

"My good mother, " replied Coquerico, "when a hen hatches a duck she isalways frightened on seeing it run to the water. You know me nobetter. It is my nature to succeed by my wit and talent. I must have apublic capable of appreciating the charms of my person; my place isnot among inferior people. "

"My son, " said the hen, seeing all her counsels useless--"my son, listen at least to your mother's last words. If you go to Rome, takecare to avoid St. Peter's Church; the saint, it is said, dislikescocks, especially when they crow. Shun, moreover, certain personagescalled cooks and scullions; you will know them by their paper caps, their tucked-up sleeves, and the great knives which they wear at theirsides. They are licensed assassins, who track our steps without pityand cut our throats without giving us time to cry mercy. And now, mychild, " she added, raising her claw, "receive my blessing. May St. James, the patron saint of pilgrims, protect thee!"

Coquerico pretended not to see the tear that trembled in his mother'seye, nor did he trouble himself any more about his father, whobristled his plumage and seemed about to call him back. Without caringfor those whom he left behind, he glided through the half-open doorand, once outside, flapped his only wing and crowed three times, tocelebrate his freedom--"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

As he half flew, half hopped over the fields, he came to the bed of abrook which had been dried up by the sun. In the middle of the sands, however, still trickled a tiny thread of water, so small that it waschoked by a couple of dead leaves that had fallen into it. 

"My friend, " exclaimed the streamlet at the sight of our traveler--"myfriend, you see my weakness; I have not even the strength to carryaway these leaves which obstruct my passage, much less to make acircuit, so completely am I exhausted. With a stroke of your beak youcan restore me to life. I am not an ingrate; if you oblige me, you maycount on my gratitude the first rainy day, when the water from heavenshall have restored my strength. "

"You are jesting, " said Coquerico. "Do I look like one whose businessit is to sweep the brooks? Apply to those of your own sort. " And withhis sound leg, he leaped across the streamlet. 

"You will remember me when you least expect it, " murmured the brook, but with so feeble a voice that it was lost on the proud cock. 

A little farther on, Coquerico saw the wind lying breathless on theground. 

"Dear Coquerico, come to my aid, " it cried; "here on earth we shouldhelp one another. You see to what I am reduced by the heat of the day;I, who in former times uprooted the olive-trees and lashed the wavesto frenzy, lie here well-nigh slain by the dog-star. I suffered myselfto be lulled to sleep by the perfume of the roses with which I wasplaying; and, lo! here I am, stretched almost lifeless upon theground. If you will raise me a couple of inches with your beak and fanme a little with your wing, I shall have the strength to mount toyonder white clouds which I see in the distance, where I shall receiveaid enough from my family to keep me alive till I gain fresh strengthfrom the next whirlwind. "

"My lord, " answered the spiteful Coquerico, "Your Excellency has morethan once amused himself by playing tricks at my expense. It is not aweek since your lordship glided like a traitor behind me and divertedhimself by opening my tail like a fan and covering me with confusionin the face of nations. Have patience, therefore, my worthy friend;mockers always have their turn; it does them good to repent and tolearn to respect those whose birth, wit, and beauty should screen themfrom the jests of a fool. " And Coquerico, bristling his plumage, crowed three times in his shrillest voice and proudly struttedonward. 

A little farther on he came to a newly mown field where the farmershad piled up the weeds in order to burn them. Coquerico approached asmoking heap, hoping to find some stray kernels of corn, and saw alittle flame which was charring the green stalks without being able toset them on fire. 

"My good friend, " cried the flame to the new-comer, "you are just intime to save my life; I am dying for want of air. I cannot imaginewhat has become of my cousin, the wind, who cares for nothing but hisown amusement. Bring me a few dry straws to rekindle my strength, andyou will not have obliged an ingrate. "

"Wait a moment, " said Coquerico, "and I will serve you as you deserve, insolent fellow that dares ask my help!" And behold! he leaped on theheap of dried weeds, and trampled it down till he smothered both flameand smoke; after which he exultingly shouted three times, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" and flapped his wings, as if he had done a greatdeed. 

Proudly strutting onward and crowing, Coquerico at last arrived atRome, the place to which all roads lead. Scarcely had he reached thecity when he hastened to the great Church of St. Peter. Grand andbeautiful as it was, he did not stop to admire it, but, plantinghimself in front of the main entrance, where he looked like a flyamong the great columns, he raised himself on tiptoe and began toshout, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" only to enrage the saint and disobey hismother. 

He had not yet ended his song when one of the pope's guard, whochanced to hear him, laid hands on the insolent wretch who dared thusto insult the saint, and carried him home in order to roast him forsupper. 

"Quick!" said he to his wife on entering the house, "give me someboiling water; here is a sinner to be punished. "

"Pardon, pardon, Madame Water!" cried Coquerico. "Oh, good and gentlewater, the best and purest thing in the world, do not scald me, I prayyou!"

"Did you have pity on me when I implored your aid, ungrateful wretch?"answered the water, boiling with indignation. And with a single gushit inundated him from head to foot, and left not a bit of down on hisbody. 

The unhappy Coquerico stripped of all his feathers, the soldier tookhim and laid him on the gridiron. 

"Oh, fire, do not burn me!" cried he, in an agony of terror. "Oh, beautiful and brilliant fire, the brother of the sun and the cousin ofthe diamond, spare an unhappy creature; restrain thy ardor, and softenthy flame; do not roast me!"

"Did you have pity on me when I implored your aid, ungrateful wretch?"answered the fire, and, fiercely blazing with anger, in an instant itburnt Coquerico to a coal. 

The soldier, seeing his roast chicken in this deplorable condition, took him by the leg and threw him out of the window. The wind bore theunhappy fowl to a dunghill, where it left him for a moment. 

"Oh, wind, " murmured Coquerico, who still breathed, "oh, kindlyzephyr, protecting breeze, behold me cured of my vain follies. Let merest on the paternal dunghill. "

"Let you rest!" roared the wind. "Wait, and I will teach you how Itreat ingrates. " And with one blast it sent him so high in the airthat, as he fell back, he was transfixed by a steeple. 

There St. Peter was awaiting him. With his own hand he nailed him tothe highest steeple in Rome, where he is still shown to travelers. However high placed he may be, all despise him because he turns withthe slightest wind; black, dried up, stripped of his feathers, andbeaten by the rain, he is no longer called Coquerico, but Weathercock, and thus expiates, and must expiate eternally, his disobedience, vanity, and wickedness. 

KING BIZARRE and PRINCE CHARMING

OR, THE ART OF GOVERNING MEN

A TALE OF ALL NATIONS

[Illustration:]

I

KING BIZARRE AND PRINCE CHARMING

In the kingdom of Wild Oats, a happy country, a land blessed ofHeaven, where the men are always right and the women never wrong, there lived long ago a king who thought of nothing but the happinessof his kingdom, and who, it is said, never was dull for lack ofamusement. Whether he was beloved by his people is doubtful; it iscertain that the courtiers had little esteem and less love for theirprince. For this reason, they had given him the surname of KingBizarre, the only title by which he is known in history, as is seen inthe _Great Chronicles of the Kingdoms and Principalities of the WorldWhich Have Never Existed_, a learned masterpiece which hasimmortalized the erudition and criticism of the reverend father, Dr. Melchisedec de Mentiras y Necedad. 

Left a widower after a year's marriage, Bizarre had fixed his wholeaffections on his son and heir, who was the most beautiful childimaginable. His complexion was as fresh as a rose; his beautiful hairfell in golden curls on his shoulders; add to his clear blue eyes astraight nose, a small mouth, and a dimpled chin, and you have theportrait of a cherub. At twelve years of age this young marvel dancedenchantingly, rode like a riding-master, and fenced to perfection. Noone could have helped being won by his smile and the truly royalmanner in which he saluted the crowd in passing when he was in goodhumor. For this reason, the voice of the people, which is nevermistaken, had christened him Prince Charming, and his name alwaysclung to him. 

Charming was as beautiful as the day; but the sun itself, it is said, has spots, and the princes do not disdain to resemble the sun. Thechild dazzled the court with his fine mien; but there were shadowshere and there which did not escape the piercing eye of love or envy. Supple, agile, and adroit in all kinds of bodily exercises, Charminghad an indolent mind. He lacked application, and had taken a fancythat he ought to know everything without studying. It is true thatgovernesses, courtiers, and servants had continually repeated to himthat work was not made for kings, and that a prince always knowsenough when he lavishes on poets, writers, and artists, with aprodigal and disdainful hand, a little of the money which the peopleare too happy to offer him. 

These maxims tickled Charming's pride; and at twelve years of age thebeautiful child, with precocious firmness, had steadily refused tolearn the alphabet. Three teachers, chosen from the most able andpatient instructors, a priest, a philosopher, and a colonel, hadattempted in turn to bend his youthful obstinacy; but the priest hadwasted his philosophy, the philosopher his tactics, and the colonelhis Latin. Left master of the field of battle, Charming listened tonothing but his caprice, and lived lawless and unconstrained. Asstubborn as a mule, as irascible as a turkey-cock, as dainty as a cat, and as idle as an adder, but an accomplished prince withal, he was thepride of the beautiful country of Wild Oats, and the hope and love ofa people that esteemed nothing in their kings but grace and beauty. 

II

PAZZA

Notwithstanding he had been brought up at court, King Bizarre was aman of sense. Charming's ignorance was far from pleasing to him, andhe often asked himself with anxiety what would become of his kingdomin the hands of a prince whom the basest of flatterers might easilydeceive. But what was he to do, what means could he employ with achild that a worshiped wife had bequeathed to him in dying? Ratherthan see his son weep, Bizarre would have given him his crown; hisaffection rendered him powerless. Love is not blind, whatever thepoets may say; alas! it would be too happy not to see a jot. It is thetorment of him who loves to become, despite himself, the slave andaccomplice of the ingrate who feels himself beloved. 

Every day, after the council, the king went to spend the evening withthe Countess of Castro, an old lady who had dandled him on her kneeswhen an infant, and who alone could recall to him the sweet memoriesof his childhood and youth. She was very ugly, and something of awitch, it is said; but the world is so wicked that we must neverbelieve more than half its scandal. The countess had large featuresand luxuriant gray hair, and it was easy to see that she had beenbeautiful in former times. 

One day, when Charming had been more unreasonable than usual, the kingentered the countess's house with an anxious air, and seating himselfbefore the card-table, began to play a game of Patience. It was hisway of diverting his thoughts and forgetting for a few hours the caresof royalty. Scarcely had he ranged sixteen cards in a square when heheaved a deep sigh. 

"Countess, " he cried, "you see before you the most wretched of fathersand kings. Despite his natural grace, Charming is every day becomingmore wilful and vicious. Must I leave such an heir after me, andintrust the happiness of my people to a crowned fool?"

"That is the way with Nature, " replied the countess; "she alwaysdistributes her gifts with an impartial hand. Stupidity and beauty gohand in hand, and wit and ugliness are seldom separated. I have anexample of this in my own family. A few days ago a great-grandniecewas sent to me, a child under ten years old, that has no otherrelative. She is as tawny as a frog, as scraggy as a spider, yet, withal, as cunning as an ape, and as learned as a book. Judge foryourself, sire; here is my little monster coming to salute you. "

Bizarre turned his head and saw a child that answered in every respectto the countess's description. With a high, round forehead, black, wild-looking eyes, rough hair turned back in the Chinese fashion, dull, brown skin, great white teeth, red hands, and long arms, she wasanything but a beauty. But the chrysalis gives birth to the butterfly. Wait a few years, and you will see what pretty women come from thesefrightful little girls of ten. 

The little monster approached the king, and courtesied to him with soserious an air that Bizarre could not help laughing, though he feltlittle like it. 

"Who are you?" asked he, chucking the child under the chin. 

"Sire, " she answered, gravely, "I am Donna Dolores Rosario CoralConcha Balthazara Melchiora Gaspara y Todos Santos, the daughter ofthe noble knight Don Pasquale Bartolomeo Francesco de Asiz y--"

"Enough, " said the king. "I did not ask for your genealogy; we arewitnessing neither your baptism nor your marriage. What are youcommonly called?"

"Sire, " replied she, "I am called Pazza. "[1]

[Footnote 1: That is to say, Madcap, in Italian. It appears that avery mixed language is spoken in the kingdom of Wild Oats. ]

"And why are you called Pazza?"

"Because it is not my name. "

"That is strange, " said the king. 

"No, it is natural, " replied the child. "My aunt pretends that I amtoo giddy for any saint to wish to own me for her goddaughter, andthat is why she has given me a name that can offend no one inParadise. "

"Well answered, my child. I see that you are not an ordinary girl. Thesaints in Paradise are not always treated with such consideration. Since you know so much, tell me what is a wise man?"

"A wise man, sire, is one who knows what he says when he speaks, andwhat he does when he acts. "

"Upon my word, " exclaimed the king, "if my wise men were what youfancied them, I would make the Academy of Sciences my council ofstate, and would give it my kingdom to govern. What is an ignorantman?"

"Sire, " returned Pazza, "there are three kinds of ignorant men: hewho knows nothing, he who talks of what he does not know, and he whowill learn nothing; all three are fit for nothing but to be burned orhung. "

"That is a proverb. Do you know what proverbs are called?"

"Yes, sire; they are called the wisdom of nations. "

"And why are they called so?"

"Because they are mad; they say whatever you please; they are of allcolors, to suit all tastes. Proverbs are like bells, which answer yesor no according to the humor of their listener. "

Upon which, springing with both feet from the ground, Pazza caught afly that was buzzing about the king's nose; then, leaving Bizarreastonished, she took her doll and, seating herself on the ground, began to rock it in her arms. 

"Well, sire, " the countess said, "what do you think of this child?"

"She has too much wit, " answered the king; "she will not live long. "

"Ah, sire, " exclaimed Pazza, "you are not complimentary to my aunt;she is considerably older than I am. "

"Hush, gipsy!" said the old lady, smiling; "don't you know that nobodylectures kings?"

"Countess, " said Bizarre, "an idea has just struck me, which is sostrange that I hardly dare tell it to you; yet I have a violent wishto carry it out. I can do nothing with my son; reason has no powerwith the stubborn child. Who knows whether folly would not be moresuccessful? If I thought so, I would make Pazza Charming's teacher. The intractable boy, who rejects all masters, might be defenselessbefore a child. The only objection is that no one will be of myopinion; I shall have everybody against me. "

"Bah!" said the countess; "everybody is so stupid that it is a proofthat you are right that you think differently. "

III

THE FIRST LESSON

In this manner Pazza was intrusted with the instruction of the youngprince. There was no official appointment; it was not announced in thecourt gazette that the king, with his usual wisdom, had found anunparalleled genius at the first attempt, to whom he had confided theheart and mind of his child; but the very next morning Charming wassent to the countess's house, and was permitted to play with Pazza. 

The two children, left alone together, gazed at each other in silence. Pazza, being the bolder, was the first to speak. 

"What is your name?" asked she. 

"Those who know me call me Your Highness, " answered Charming, in apiqued tone; "those who do not know me call me simply My Lord, andeverybody says Sir to me; etiquette requires it. "

"What is etiquette?" asked Pazza. 

"I don't know, " replied Charming. "When I want to jump, shout, androll on the ground, I am told that it is contrary to etiquette; then Ikeep still, and yawn for lack of amusement--that is etiquette. "

"Since we are here to amuse ourselves, " resumed Pazza, "there is noetiquette needed; speak to me as if I were your sister, and I willspeak to you as if you were my brother. I will not call you My Lord. "

"But you don't know me, " said Charming. 

"What does that matter?" returned Pazza; "I will love you, that isbetter. They say that you dance beautifully; teach me to dance, willyou?"

The ice was broken; Charming took the young girl by the waist, and inless than half an hour taught her the last new polka. 

"How well you dance!" said he. "You have caught the step directly. "

"It is because you are a good teacher, " she replied. "Now it is myturn to teach you something. "

She took a beautiful picture-book, and showed him fine buildings, fishes, statesmen, parrots, scholars, curious animals, and flowers, all of which greatly amused Charming. 

"See, " said Pazza, "here is the explanation of all the pictures; readit. "

"I don't know how to read, " replied Charming. 

"I will teach you; I will be your little tutor. "

"No, " replied the stubborn prince, "I do not wish to read. My masterstire me. "

"Very well; but I am not a master. See, here is an A, a beautifulgreat A; say A. "

"No, " returned Charming, frowning, "I will never say A. "

"Not to please me?"

"No, never. Enough of this; I do not like people to differ from me. "

"Sir, " said Pazza, "a polite man never refuses ladies anything. "

"I would refuse the devil in petticoats, " replied the young prince, tossing his head. "I am tired of you; let me alone. I don't love youany longer. Call me My Lord. "

"My Lord Charming, or my charming lord, " said Pazza, flushed withanger, "you shall read, or I will know the reason why. "

"I won't read. "

"Will you not? One--two--three!"

"No! no! no!"

Pazza raised her hand, and, lo! the king's son received a box on theear. Pazza had been told that she was witty to the ends of herfingers, and had been stupid enough to believe it; it is never rightto jest with children. 

[Illustration: PAZZA, THOUGH SHE LOVED THE PRINCE, WAS A VERY STERNSCHOOLMISTRESS]

At this first lesson in reading, Charming turned pale and trembled;the blood mounted to his cheeks, his eyes filled with tears, and hegazed at his young teacher with a look that made her start; then allat once, with a great effort, he regained his self-possession, andsaid, in a tremulous voice, "Pazza, that is A. " And the same day andat one sitting he learned all the letters of the alphabet; at the endof the week he spelled readily, and before the month was ended he readwith ease. 

King Bizarre was delighted. He kissed Pazza on both cheeks; heinsisted on having her always with him or his son, and made this childhis friend and counselor, to the great disdain of all the courtiers. Charming, still gloomy and silent, learned all that this young mentorcould teach him, then returned to his former preceptors, whom heastonished by his intelligence and docility. He soon knew his grammarso well that the priest asked himself one day whether, by chance, these definitions, which he had never understood, had not a meaning. Charming none the less astonished the philosopher, who taught himevery evening the opposite of what the priest had taught him in themorning. But, of all his masters, the one to whom he listened with theleast repugnance was the colonel. It is true that Bayonet, for thatwas the colonel's name, was a skilful strategist, and that he couldsay, like the ancient poet, with a slight variation, "I am a man, andnothing that pertains to the art of despatching poor human beings isindifferent to me. " It was he that initiated Charming into themysteries of button gaiters and shoulder-straps; it was he that taughthis pupil that the noblest study for a prince is the drilling ofbattalions, and that the groundwork of statesmanship is to havereviews in order to make war, and to make war in order to havereviews. 

This was not perhaps altogether according to Bizarre's idea of the artof government; but he thought he could correct any errors in thefuture, and besides, he was so rejoiced at Charming's progress that hewas unwilling in any way to meddle with the admirable work of aneducation so long considered hopeless. 

"My child, " he often said, "never forget that you owe everything toPazza. " As the king spoke thus, Pazza gazed tenderly at the young man. Despite all her wit, she was foolish enough to love him. Charmingcontented himself with coldly answering that gratitude was a princelyvirtue, and that Pazza should some day learn that her pupil hadforgotten nothing. 

IV

PAZZA'S WEDDING

When Prince Charming had attained his seventeenth year, he went onemorning in search of King Bizarre, whose health was declining and whowas very desirous of seeing his son married before his death. 

"Father, " said he, "I have long reflected on your wise words. You gaveme life, but Pazza has done still more in awakening my mind and soul. I see but one way of paying the debt of my heart; that is, to marrythe woman to whom I am indebted for what I am. I come to ask you forPazza's hand. "

"My dear child, " answered Bizarre, "this step does you credit. Pazzais not of royal blood; she is not the one whom, in differentcircumstances, I should have chosen for your wife; but her virtues, her merit, and, above all, the service which she has rendered us, makeme forget idle prejudices. Pazza has the soul of a queen; she shallmount the throne with you. In the country of Wild Oats, wit and humorare held in sufficient estimation to win you forgiveness for whatfools call a misalliance, and what I call a princely marriage. Happyis he who can choose an intelligent wife, capable of understanding andloving him! To-morrow your betrothal shall be celebrated, and in twoyears your marriage shall take place. "

The marriage occurred more speedily than the king had foreseen. Fifteen months after these memorable words, Bizarre expired of languorand exhaustion. He had taken the vocation of king in earnest; he fella victim to royalty. The old countess and Pazza wept their friend andbenefactor, but they were the only mourners. Without being a bad son, Charming was engrossed with the cares of the empire; and the courtexpected everything from the new reign, and thought no more about theold king, whose eyes were closed in death. 

After honoring his father's memory by magnificent obsequies, the youngprince, thenceforth wholly devoted to love, celebrated his marriagewith a splendor that charmed the good people of Wild Oats. The taxeswere doubled, but who could regret money so nobly employed? Men camefrom a hundred leagues round to gaze at the new king, and Pazza, whosegrowing beauty and air of goodness fascinated all hearts, was not lessadmired. There were interminable dinners, harangues longer than thedinners, and poems more tedious than the harangues. In a word, it wasan incomparable festival, which was talked of for six months after. 

Evening come, Charming took the hand of his graceful, timid, andblushing bride, and with cold politeness led her through the corridorsof the old castle. All at once Pazza was frightened to find herself ina gloomy dungeon, with grated windows and huge bars and locks. 

"What is this?" asked she. "It looks like a prison. "

"Yes, " said the prince, with a terrible look, "it is a prison whichyou will quit only for the grave. "

"My dear, you frighten me, " said Pazza, smiling. "Am I a criminalwithout knowing it? Have I deserved your displeasure, that youthreaten me with a dungeon?"

"You have a short memory, " replied Charming. "An insult is written onsand to the giver; it is inscribed on marble and bronze to thereceiver. "

"Charming, " returned the poor child, beginning to be afraid, "you arerepeating something from those speeches that tired me so much. Can youfind nothing better to say to me to-day?"

"Wretch!" cried the king, "you no longer remember the box on the earthat you gave me seven years ago, but I have not forgotten it. Knowthat if I wished you for my wife, it has been only to have your lifein my hands and to make you slowly expiate your crime of hightreason. "

"My dear, " said Pazza, with a pettish manner, "you may put on yourBluebeard airs, but you will not frighten me, I assure you. I knowyou, Charming, and I warn you that if you do not put an end to thisbad jest, I will not only give you one box on the ear, but three, before I forgive you. Make haste and let me go out, or I vow that Iwill keep my word. "

"Vow it then, madame, " cried the prince, furious at not intimidatinghis victim. "I accept your vow. I vow, too, on my side, that I willnever acknowledge you as my wife till I have been base enough toreceive three times an insult which nothing but blood can wash out. He laughs well that laughs last. Here, Rachimburg!"

At this terrible name, a jailer with a bushy beard and threateningmien entered the room, pushed the queen on a wretched truckle-bed, andshut and double-locked the iron door. 

If Pazza wept, it was so quietly that no one heard her. Tired of thesilence, Charming departed, with rage in his heart, resolving that hisrigor should break the pride that braved him. Vengeance, it is said, is the delight of kings. 

Two hours later the countess received a note by a sure handacquainting her with the sad fate of her niece. How this note reachedher is known to me, but I will not betray the secret. If a charitablejailer is found by chance, he should be treated with consideration;the species is rare, and is daily becoming rarer. 

V

A TERRIBLE EVENT

The next morning the court gazette announced that the queen had beenseized with a raging fit of madness on the very night of her wedding, and that there was little hope of saving her. There was scarcely acourtier, indeed, that had not observed the princess's restless air onthe evening before, and no one was surprised at her malady. All pitiedthe king, who received with a gloomy and constrained mien theexpressions of affection which were lavished on him. He was doubtlessweighed down with grief, but this grief appeared very much lightenedafter the visit of the countess. 

The good lady was very sad, and had a great desire to see her poorchild, but she was so old, and found herself so weak and sensitive, that she entreated the king to spare her a heartrending spectacle. Shethrew herself into the arms of Charming, who tenderly embraced her, and withdrew, saying that she placed all her hope and trust in thelove of the king and the talent of the chief physician of the court. 

She had scarcely left the room when the physician whispered a fewwords in Charming's ear which called to his face a smile quicklyrepressed. The countess pacified, there was nothing more to fear; thevengeance was sure. 

Doctor Wieduwillst was a great physician. Born in the country ofDreams, he had early quitted his native land to seek his fortune inthe kingdom of Wild Oats. He was too able a man not to find it. In thefive years that he had spent in the celebrated University ofLugenmaulberg, the medical theory had changed twenty-five times, and, thanks to this solid education, the doctor had a firmness of principlewhich nothing could shake. He had the frankness and bluntness of asoldier, it was said; he swore at times, even with ladies, a rudenesswhich left him at liberty always to be of the same mind with thestronger, and to demand a fee for having no opinion. The queen hadfallen into his incorruptible hands. 

She had been imprisoned for three days, and the town was alreadybeginning to talk of something else, when one morning Rachimburgabruptly entered the king's apartments with a distracted air, andthrew himself trembling at his feet. 

"Sire, " said he, "I bring you my head. The queen has disappeared. "

"What do you tell me!" exclaimed the king, turning pale. "The thing isimpossible; the dungeon is barred on all sides. "

"Yes, " said the jailer, "the thing is impossible, that is certain; thebars are in their places, the walls are whole, and neither the locksnor the bolts have been disturbed; but there are witches in the worldthat pass through walls without moving a stone, and who knows but whatthe prisoner is one of them? Was it ever known whence she came?"

The king sent in search of the doctor. He was a strong-minded man andhad little faith in witches. He sounded the walls, shook the bars, andcross-examined the jailer, but all to no purpose. Trusty men were senteverywhere through the town, and spies were set on the countess, whomthe doctor suspected, but all in vain, and after a week the searchwas abandoned. Rachimburg lost his place as jailer, but as hepossessed the royal secret, as he was needed, and as he thirsted toavenge himself, he was made the warden of the royal castle. Furious athis bad luck, he exercised his supervision with such strictness thatin less than three days he arrested Wieduwillst himself half a dozentimes, and disarmed all suspicion. 

At the end of a week some fishermen brought to the court the robe andmantle of the queen. The waves had cast on the shore these sad relics, covered with sand and sea-foam. That the poor mad woman had drownedherself no one doubted on seeing the grief of the king and the tearsof the countess. The council was assembled. It decided with aunanimous voice that the queen was legally dead and that the king waslegally a widower, and for the interest of the people entreated hismajesty to abridge a painful mourning and to marry again as soon aspossible, in order to strengthen the dynasty. This decision wastransmitted to the king by Wieduwillst, the chief physician to theking and president of the royal council, who made so touching a speechthat the whole court burst into tears, and Charming threw himself intothe doctor's arms, calling him his cruel friend. 

It is unnecessary to say that the funeral of a queen so much lamentedwas magnificent. In the kingdom of Wild Oats everything serves as apretext for ceremony. The pageant was worthy of admiration, but themost admirable thing in it was the attitude of the young girls of thecourt. Every one looked at Charming, who was handsomer than ever inhis mourning dress; every one wept with one eye in honor of theprincess, and smiled with the other to attract the king. Ah! hadphotography only been invented, what portraits would antiquity havetransmitted to us--what models for our painters! The passions stillexisted among these good people; their mobile faces were animated bylove, hatred, and anger; to-day we are all so virtuous and prudentthat we all wear the same dress, the same hat, and the sameexpression. Civilization is the triumph of morality and the ruin ofart. 

After the description of the funeral ceremonies, which, according toetiquette, filled six columns, the court gazette laid down rules forthe full and the second mourning, blue and pink, which are themourning colors in the kingdom of Wild Oats. The court was required tobe in deep affliction for three weeks, and to be comforted by degreesduring the three weeks following; but carnival occurring during theperiod of the second mourning, and respect being had for trade, it wasdetermined to give a masked ball at the palace. Tailors anddressmakers immediately set to work, invitations were solicited bygreat and small, and men began to intrigue as if the fate of themonarchy had been in question. 

It was in this solemn manner that they mourned for poor Pazza. 

VI

THE MASKED BALL

The great day so impatiently expected at length arrived. For six weeksthe good people of Wild Oats had been in a fever of excitement. Nothing more was heard of ministers, senators, generals, magistrates, princesses, duchesses, and citizens; for twenty leagues round, clowns, harlequins, punchinellos, gipsies, Columbines, and Follies alone wereto be seen. Politics were silenced, or, rather, the nation was dividedinto two great parties--the conservatives that went to the ball, andthe opposition that stayed at home. 

If the official gazette is to be believed, the festival outshone insplendor all others past and to come. The ball was held in the midstof the gardens, in a rotunda magnificently decorated. A winding walk, shaded by elms and dimly lighted by alabaster lamps, led to a hallresplendent with gold, verdure, flowers, and light. An orchestra, halfconcealed in the foliage, breathed forth music, by turns plaintive andgay. Add to this the richness of the costumes, the brilliancy of thediamonds, the piquancy of the masks, and the charm of intrigue, andyou will see that it would have needed the soul of an ancient Stoic toresist the intoxication of pleasure. 

Yet Prince Charming was not amused. Concealed under a blue domino, with his face entirely masked, he had addressed himself to the mostelegant and sprightly women, and had lavishly displayed his wit andgrace, yet he had met with nothing but indifference and coldness. Theyscarcely listened to him, answered with a yawn, and hastened to quithim. All eyes were fixed on a black domino with pink rosettes thatmoved carelessly among the dancers, receiving with the air of a sultanthe compliments and smiles that every one lavished on him. This dominowas the Lord Wieduwillst, a great friend of the prince, but still morethe friend of his own pleasure. In an unguarded moment the doctor hadsaid that morning by chance, under the seal of secrecy, and to twoladies only, that the prince would wear pink rosettes in his blackdomino. Was it his fault if the ladies had been indiscreet or theprince had changed his mind?

While the doctor was enjoying, despite himself, indeed, his unexpectedtriumph, Charming seated himself in a corner of the hall and buriedhis face in his hands. Alone in the midst of the crowd, he abandonedhimself to reflection, and the image of Pazza rose before him. He hadno reproaches to make himself; his vengeance was just, yet he felt anindescribable remorse. Poor Pazza! no doubt she had been guilty; butat least she loved him, she understood him, she listened to him, hereyes sparkling with joy. How different from all those fools who hadnot recognized a prince under a domino at the first moment by his wit!

He rose suddenly to quit the hall, when he perceived, a little wayoff, a mask that had also left the crowd and seemed lost incontemplation. A half-open domino disclosed a gipsy's dress and a pairof slippers with buckles, containing a foot smaller than that ofCinderella. 

The king approached the stranger, and saw through the velvet mask apair of large black eyes, the melancholy glance of which surprised andcharmed him. 

"Fair mask, " said he, "your place is not here. Why are you not amongthe eager and curious crowd that is pressing around the prince todispute his smile and heart? Do you not know that there is a crown tobe gained there?"

"I make no pretentions, " answered the domino, in a grave, sweet voice. "In this game of chance one runs the risk of taking the servant forthe king. I am too proud to expose myself to such a hazard. "

"But if I show you the prince?"

"What could I say to him?" replied the stranger. "I could not blamehim without offense, or praise him without flattery. "

"You think much evil of him, then?"

"No, a little evil and much good; but what does it matter?" And, opening her fan, the domino relapsed into her reverie. 

This indifference surprised Charming. He addressed her with warmth, she replied coldly; he prayed her so urgently to listen to him thatshe finally consented to do so, not in the ball-room, where the heatwas overpowering and the curiosity indiscreet, but in the longelm-walk, where a few promenaders were seeking silence and fresh air. 

The night was advancing, and the gipsy had already spoken severaltimes of retiring, to the great regret of the prince, who vainlyentreated her to unmask. The stranger made no reply. 

"You drive me to despair, " cried he, inspired with strange respect andadmiration for this mysterious figure. "Why this cruel silence?"

"Because I know you, my lord, " replied the stranger, with emotion. "Your voice, which goes to the heart, your language, your grace, alltell me who you are. Let me go, Prince Charming. "

"No, madam, " cried the prince, delighted at so much wit, "you alonehave recognized me, you alone have understood me, to you belong myheart and kingdom. Throw off that suspicious mask; this very instantwe will return to the ball-room and I will present to the ignorantcrowd the woman whom I have had the happiness not to displease. Saybut one word, and all my people shall be at your feet. "

"My lord, " replied the stranger, sadly, "permit me to refuse an offerwhich does me honor and the memory of which I shall always preserve. Iam ambitious, I own; the time has been when I should have been proudto share your throne and name; but before all things I am a woman andplace all my happiness in love. I will not have a divided heart, should my rival be only a memory; I am jealous even of the past. "

"I have never loved in my life, " cried the prince, with a vehemencethat made the stranger start. "There is a mystery concerning mymarriage which I can reveal only to my wife; but I swear to you that Ihave never given away my heart; I love now for the first time. "

"Show me your hand, " said the gipsy, approaching the lamp, "and let mesee whether you have told the truth. "

Charming extended his hand with assurance; the gipsy studied the linesand sighed. 

"You are right, my lord, " said she, "you have never loved. But thisdoes not appease my jealousy. Another woman has loved you before me. These sacred bonds are not broken by death; the queen still lovesyou--you belong to her. To accept a heart which is no longer at yourdisposal would be sacrilegious and criminal in me. Farewell. "

"Madam, " said the king, with an ill-assured voice, "you do not knowwhat you make me suffer. There are things which I would gladly burn ineternal silence, but which you force me to reveal. The queen neverloved me; ambition alone dictated her conduct. "

"That is not so, " said the stranger, letting go the prince's hand. "The queen loved you. "

"No, madam, " replied Charming; "my father and I were the victims of adetestable intrigue. "

"Enough!" said the stranger, whose hands trembled and whose fingersworked in a strange manner. "Respect the dead; do not slander them. "

"Madam, " said the prince, "I assure you, and none ever doubted myword, that the queen never loved me. She was a wicked woman. "

"Ah!" said the domino. 

"Wilful, violent, and jealous. "

"If she was jealous, she loved you, " interrupted the mask. "Seek forproofs which have at least a shadow of probability; do not accuse aheart which was wholly yours. "

"So far from loving me, " said the king, excitedly, "the very night ofmy marriage she dared tell me to my face that she had married me onlyfor my crown. "

"That is not true, " said the gipsy, raising her hand. 

"I swear it, " replied Charming. 

"You lie!" cried the stranger. And, lo! a box on the ear blinded theprince; the blow was repeated, and the stranger fled. 

The king stepped back furious, and sought the hilt of his sword; butmen do not go to balls armed as for war; for his sole weapon he founda knot of ribbons. He ran after his enemy, but which way had she fled?Charming lost himself twenty times in the labyrinth; he met none butpeaceful dominos walking in couples and scarcely glancing at him as hepassed. Breathless, distracted, and desperate, he returned to theball-room, where he doubted not that the stranger had taken refuge;but how was he to find her?

A brilliant idea crossed the prince's mind; he would order all tounmask, and would doubtless see the gipsy, confounded by the king'spresence and betrayed by her own agitation. He instantly leaped on achair, and exclaimed in a loud voice that caused every one to start:

"Ladies and gentlemen, day is approaching and pleasure is languishing;let us revive mirth by a new caprice. Off with the masks! I set theexample; let all who love me follow it. "

He threw off his domino, raised his mask, and appeared in the richestand most elegant Spanish costume ever worn by prince. There was ageneral outcry; all eyes were at first turned toward the king, thentoward the black domino with pink rosettes, who retreated as fast aspossible with a modesty that was not affected. All unmasked. Theladies gathered round the king, who, it was remarked, had the mostviolent fancy for the gipsy costume. Young or old, all the gipsiesreceived his homage; he took them by the hand and gazed at them withan air which made all the other masks ready to burst with envy, thenmade a sign to the orchestra; the dance recommenced, and the princedisappeared. 

He hastened again to the elm-walk in search of the traitress who hadinsulted him, doubtless led by vengeance. His blood boiled in hisveins; he wandered at random, suddenly stopping short, looking, listening, and spying in all directions. At the faintest gleam oflight through the foliage he sprang forward like a madman, laughingand weeping at the same time as though distracted. 

At the turn of an alley he met Rachimburg advancing toward himtrembling, with an air of terror. 

"Sire, " murmured he, in a mysterious voice, "has Your Majesty seenit?"

"What?" asked the king. 

"The specter; it passed close by me. I am a lost man; I shall dieto-morrow. "

"What specter?" said Charming. "What fool's tale are you telling me?"

"A specter--a domino with flashing eyes, that threw me on my knees andboxed my ears twice. "

"It is she!" cried the king; "it is she! Why did you let her go?"

"Your Majesty, I had not my pike; but if ever I see her again I willknock her down. "

"Do no such thing!" returned the king. "If ever she returns, do notfrighten her; follow her and discover her retreat. But where is she?Which way did she go? Lead me; if I find her your fortune is made. "

"Sire, " said the honest porter, looking at the moon, "if the specteris anywhere, it must be up yonder; I saw it, as plainly as I see YourMajesty, dissolving in mist. But before taking flight it gave me amessage for Your Majesty. "

"What? Speak quickly!"

"Sire, its words were terrible; I shall never dare repeat them to YourMajesty. "

"Speak, I order you. "

"Sire, the specter said, in a sepulchral voice, 'Tell the king that ifhe marries again he is a dead man. The loved one will return. '"

"Here, " said the prince, whose eyes shone with a strange luster, "takethis purse. Henceforth I attach you to my person; I appoint you myfirst attendant, counting on your devotion and prudence. Let thisaffair remain a secret between us. "

"That makes two, " murmured Rachimburg, as he departed with a firmtread, like a man who neither suffers himself to be cast down by fearor dazzled by good fortune. He was a strong-minded man. 

The next morning the court gazette contained the following lines, inthe form of a letter without signature, in the unofficial part of thepaper:

"A rumor has been spread that the king is thinking of marrying again. The king knows what he owes to his people, and is always ready tosacrifice himself for the happiness of his subjects. But the people ofWild Oats have too much delicacy not to respect a recent affliction. The king's whole thoughts are fixed on his beloved wife; he hopes theconsolation from time that is at present refused him. "

This note threw the court and town in agitation. The young girlsthought the scruples of the prince exaggerated; more than one mothershrugged her shoulders, and said that the king had vulgar prejudicesworthy only of the common people; but at night there was strife inevery well-ordered household. There was not a wife of any pretensionsto aristocratic birth that did not quarrel with her unworthy spouseand force him to admit that there was but one heart capable of love, and but one faithful husband in the whole kingdom, namely, PrinceCharming. 

VII

TWO CONSULTATIONS

After so much excitement, the king was seized with a cruel fit oftedium. To divert himself, he attempted every kind of pleasure; hehunted, he presided over his council, he went to the play and theopera, he received all the state corporations with their wives, heread a Carthaginian novel, and reviewed the troops half a score oftimes; but all in vain: an inexorable memory, an ever-present imageleft him no rest or peace. The gipsy pursued him even in his dreams;he saw her, he talked to her, and she listened to him; but, by someunaccountable fatality, as soon as she raised her mask, Pazza's pale, sad face always appeared. 

The doctor was the only confidant to whom Charming could avow hisremorse, but at his word Wieduwillst burst into laughter. 

"The effect of habit, sire, " he said. "Gain time, multiplyimpressions, and all will be effaced. "

To procure the prince excitement and to drive away sorrow by a bolddiversion, the doctor supped every evening alone with His Majesty, andpoured out intoxication and forgetfulness with a liberal hand. Wieduwillst did not spare himself, but wine had little effect on hisstrong brain; he would have defied Bacchus and Silenus together withCharming. While the prince, by turn noisy and silent, plunged into theextremes of joy and sadness, always restless and never happy, Wieduwillst, calm and smiling, directed his thoughts, and through puregoodness of soul took upon himself all the fatigue and care of thegovernment. 

Three decrees had already placed in his hands the police, the courts, and the finances. The doctor well understood all the advantages ofcentralization. The way in which he administered the taxes relievedhim from all personal anxiety for the future. The courts punishedthose who clamored too loudly; the police silenced those who whisperedtoo much. Nevertheless, in spite of the ability of these politicalschemes, the people, always ungrateful, did not appreciate theirhappiness. The inhabitants of Wild Oats delight in complaining; thepleasure was spoiled for them. 

King Bizarre's name was in all hearts and every one regretted the goodold times when they shouted over the roof-tops that they were gagged. 

The doctor was ambitious; he was born for a prime minister. Everymorning some new ordinance made the people feel that the king wasnothing and the minister everything. Charming was the only one thatdid not perceive his nothingness. Shut up in his palace, and dying ofennui, his sole companion was a page placed near him by the primeminister on Rachimburg's recommendation. Frolicsome, chattering, andindiscreet, a good musician and capital card-player, Tonto, for thatwas the page's name, amused the king by his pranks; he pleased theprime minister no less, but by other virtues. Devoted to hisbenefactor, the good-natured page innocently repeated to him the mosttrifling words of the prince--an easy task, moreover, as the king wasconstantly dreaming and never spoke. 

It is a fine thing to have the advantages of power; but appetite comesby eating even with ministers. The ambitious doctor began to desireboth the honors and luster of royalty. Charming's best friend did notonce think of dethroning him; nations sometimes have foolishprejudices and cling to old habits, but nothing was easier than tofrighten a sick prince and send him afar off in search of a cure thatwould be long coming, while in his absence the doctor would reign ashis proxy. 

Charming was young; he still clung to life, and, moreover, how couldhe resist the tender solicitude of the good doctor? The three mostrenowned physicians of the faculty met one evening in consultation atthe palace--long Tristram, fat Jocundus, and little Guilleret, threecelebrated men--three geniuses who had made their fortune, each withone idea, which had been the reason why they had never had any more. 

After the king had been cross-questioned, looked at, handled, auscultated, and turned round again and again, Tristram spoke first, in a rude voice. 

"Sire, " said he, "you must be bled like a peasant, and live withoutany exertion whatever. Your disease is a deficiency of blood, aconstitutional atony. Nothing but a journey to the Clear Waters cancure you. Go quickly, or you are a dead man. You have my opinion. "

"Sire, " said fat Jocundus, "I fully share the admirable opinion of mydear professional brother. You are suffering from superabundantvitality. Your disease is a constitutional plethora. Go, drink theClear Waters, and you will be a well man again. You have my opinion. "

"Sire, " said little Guilleret, "the diagnostic of my masters fills mewith admiration. I bow before their learning. Like them, I believethat you are suffering from disorder of the sympathetic nerves. Yourdisease is a constitutional nervousness. Drink the Clear Waters. Goquickly, or you are a dead man. You have my opinion. "

A unanimous opinion was drawn up and immediately carried to the courtgazette by Tonto; and the three doctors rose, bowed to the ministerand the king, shook hands with one another, and went down-stairsquarreling or laughing, I know not which; the chronicle is almostillegible, owing to a large blot in this place. 

After the three physicians had gone, Wieduwillst read the opinion, reflected deeply, and looked at the king. Charming, who had supped alittle better this evening even than usual, had not once listened tothe doctors, but sat gazing around him with bloodshot eyes. 

[Illustration: THE MOST RENOWNED PHYSICIANS OF THE FACULTY MET ONEEVENING IN CONSULTATION AT THE PALACE]

"Sire, " said he, "it is the unanimous opinion of these gentlemen that, if you wish to be cured, you must go to the Clear Waters andabandon the affairs of state. Such a resolution appears to me unworthyof Your Royal Majesty. A great prince should sacrifice himself for hispeople, and--"

"Enough, " said the king. "Spare me this worn-out moralizing and cometo the conclusion. You wish me to go, my good friend; you are dyingfor me to do so, for my own interest, of course. Draw up a decreeplacing the regency in your hands, and I will sign it. "

"Sire, the decree is here, in your portfolio; a good minister alwayshas papers drawn up to suit whatever circumstances may arise. He neverknows what may happen. "

Charming took the pen, carelessly signed the decree without readingit, and handed it to the minister, who approached to receive it with asmile; then, seized with a new caprice, he drew back the paper andread it. 

"What!" said he, "no statement of reasons; nothing to assure my peopleof the kindness I bear them! Doctor, you are too modest; to-morrowthis decree shall be in the gazette, with a statement from the hand ofyour friend and master. Good night; these gentlemen have tired me. "

The doctor went out with a light step, erect brow, and sparkling eye, prouder and more insolent than ever. Charming sank again into hisreverie, thinking that, in spite of all, he was not the most unhappyof princes, since Heaven had given him such a friend. 

All at once the strangest little doctor that had ever been seen in acastle entered the king's apartment unannounced. He wore a wig withlong curls, his snow-white beard fell on his breast, and his eyes wereso bright and youthful that it seemed as though they must have comeinto the world sixty years after the rest of his body. 

"Where are those knaves?" cried he, with a shrill voice, rapping onthe floor with his cane. "Where are those ignorant fellows, thosepedants, those ill-bred men that did not wait for me? Ah! so you arethe patient, " said he to the stupefied king. "That is good. Put outyour tongue. Quick! I am in a hurry. "

"Who are you?" asked the king. 

"I am Doctor Truth, the greatest doctor in the world, as you will see, in spite of my modesty. Ask Wieduwillst, my pupil, who sent for mefrom the Land of Dreams. I cure everybody, even those who are not ill. Put out your tongue; that's right. Where is the opinion? Very well. Atony--_asinis!_ Plethora--_asini!_ Nervousness--_asinorum!_ Drink theClear Waters--_asininum!_ Do you know what is your disease? It isvexation, and even worse. "

"Do you see that?" said Charming, terrified. 

"Yes, my son, it is written on your tongue. But I will cure you: itshall be done by to-morrow noon. "

"To-morrow!" said the king. "All my treasures--"

"Silence, my son. What portfolio is that?--the minister's? Good. Signthese three papers for me. "

"They are blank decrees, " said the king. "What do you wish to do withthem?"

"They are my ordinances. Sign. Well done, my son; be obedient, andto-morrow noon you shall be as gay as a lark. First ordinance: If youwould live at peace, appear at peace; I suppress six regiments. Secondordinance: A penny in a peasant's pocket is worth twenty in the king'streasury; I suppress one fourth of the taxes. Third ordinance: Libertyis like the sunshine--it is the happiness and fortune of the poor; Ithrow open the political prisons and demolish the debtors' prisons. You are laughing, my son; it is a good sign when a patient laughs athis doctor. "

"Yes, " said Charming, "I am laughing to think of Wieduwillst's faceto-morrow on reading these ordinances in the court gazette. Enough ofthese follies, buffoon doctor; give me back the papers and put an endto this farce. "

"What is this?" said the little man, taking up the decree of theregency. "God forgive me! it is an abdication. What are you thinkingof, Prince Charming? What! the inheritance bequeathed to you by yourfathers, the people intrusted to you by God, your name, your honor, will you throw all these at the feet of an adventurer? Will you letyourself be dethroned and duped by a deceiver? Impossible! It does notsuit me. I oppose it. Do you hear?"

"What insolent fellow addresses his prince in this way?"

"Politeness is not in words. Charming, are you mad? Are you dreaming?Are you wholly without heart?"

"This is too much!" cried the king. "Begone, wretch, or I will throwyou out of the window. "

"Begone!" said the little doctor, in a shrill voice. "No, not till Ihave destroyed this mad and stupid document. See, I tear yourabdication in pieces and trample it under-foot!"

Charming seized the madman and called his guards. No one answered. Thelittle man struggled with wonderful strength. With his foot he threwthe lamp on the ground; but the king, despite the darkness, kept fasthold of the sorcerer, who felt his strength failing. 

"Let me go!" murmured he; "for Heaven's sake let me go! You know notwhat you are doing. You are breaking my arm. "

His words and prayers were useless. Suddenly a shower of blows, dealtby a strong hand, fell on the king's ears. Charming let go his hold insurprise, and turned to attack his invisible enemy. He found nothingbut empty space, and, staggering in the darkness, cried loudly for thehelp that did not come. Such a thing could not have happened in aminister's house; kings are always worse guarded. 

VIII

THE END OF A DREAM

At last a door opened and Rachimburg entered, according to etiquette, to undress the king. The faithful servant appeared greatly vexed tofind him without a light, groping along the wall. 

"Where is that infernal doctor?" asked Charming, foaming with rage. 

"It is more than an hour, sire, since His Excellency quitted thepalace. "

"Who is talking of Wieduwillst?" cried the king. "Which way did thevillain go that just insulted me?"

Rachimburg looked at the prince with a contrite air, and raised hiseyes to heaven, sighing. 

"A man went out of the door that leads to your rooms, " said Charming. "How did he enter, and where has he fled?"

"Sire, " said Rachimburg, "I have neither quitted my post nor seen anyone. "

"I tell you that a man was in this room a moment ago. "

"Sire, Your Majesty is never mistaken; if a man was in this room heis still here, unless he has flown through the window or Your Majestyhas been dreaming. "

"Fool, do I look like a man who has been dreaming? Did I overturn thislamp? did I tear these papers?"

"Sire, I am nothing but a worm of the earth; God forbid that I shouldcontradict my sovereign. Your majesty does not hire me to give him thelie. But this year strange dreams are an epidemic. No one knows whathe may do or suffer in his sleep. Only just now I was overtaken withsleep in spite of myself, and if I were not sure that I was dreaming Ishould declare that an invisible hand boxed my ears twice, at which Iawakened with a start. "

"It was the specter!" said the king. 

"Your Majesty is right, " replied Rachimburg; "I am nothing but asimpleton; it was the specter. "

"And I did not know her!" resumed Charming. "Nevertheless, it was hervoice and air. What does this mean? Is it a new insult? Is it awarning from heaven? Does some danger threaten me? No matter, I willremain in my kingdom. My friend, not a word of all this: take thispurse and keep the secret. "

"That makes the third, " murmured the faithful Rachimburg, as heundressed the king with a zeal and address which several times madeHis Majesty smile. 

So many emotions one after another banished sleep; it was daybreakbefore the prince dozed, and broad daylight before he awoke. In thefirst moment between sleeping and waking Charming fancied that heheard a strange noise--bells ringing, cannon firing, and three or fourbands of music playing each a different air. He was not mistaken; itwas an infernal hubbub. The king rang. Rachimburg entered, carrying abouquet of flowers. 

"Sire, " said he, "will His Majesty permit the humblest of his servantsto be the first to express to him the universal joy? Your people areintoxicated with love and gratitude. The taxes lessened, the prisonsopened, the army reduced! Sire, you are the greatest prince in theworld; never has earth seen a ruler like you. Show yourself at thebalcony; answer these cries of 'Hurrah for the king!' Smile on thepeople that bless you. "

Rachimburg could not finish; tears choked his voice. He attempted towipe his eyes, but in his excitement he took the gazette from hispocket instead of a handkerchief, and began to kiss it like a madman. 

Charming took the journal, and vainly attempted, while dressing, tocollect his ideas. By what chance had these insane ordinances foundtheir way into the official journal? Who had sent them? Why did notWieduwillst make his appearance? The prince wished to reflect, consult, and question; but the people were under the windows, andtheir majesties were too impatient to wait. 

As soon as the king appeared in the balcony he was greeted withshouts of enthusiasm, which, despite everything, thrilled his heart. Men tossed their caps in the air, women waved their handkerchiefs, mothers lifted up their children and made them stretch their innocenthands to heaven, and repeat, "Hurrah for the king!" The guns of thepalace guards were decked with flowers, the drums beat, and theofficers' swords flashed in the sun. It was a scene of delirious joy. Charming was infected by the general emotion; he wept without exactlyknowing why. At that instant the clock struck noon. The specter wasright--the prince was cured. 

After the crowd it was the turn of the corporations, all of whom, theministers at the head, came to congratulate and thank the king forhaving so well understood the wishes of his faithful counselors. Asingle person was lacking, namely, Wieduwillst. None knew where he hadhidden his ignorance and spite. A mysterious note received by him thatmorning had occasioned his flight, yet this note contained only thewords, _The king knows all!_ Who had written this fatal letter? Notthe prince; he alone, perhaps, in the palace, thought of the minister, and wondered at not seeing him by his side. 

All at once Tonto entered, pale and haggard. He ran to the king andgave him a letter which an officer had brought at full gallop. Thegovernor of the province, General Bayonet, sent terrible news; the sixdisbanded regiments had mutinied, headed by Wieduwillst. The rebelshad proclaimed the downfall of the king, whom they accused ofabominable crimes, especially of the murder of the queen. Numerous andwell commanded, they were approaching the city, which was defendedonly by a few doubtful and disaffected regiments. Bayonet entreatedthe king to come instantly and take command; an hour later, and allwould be lost. 

Hurried on by Tonto and Rachimburg, the king secretly quitted thepalace, followed by a few officers. A proclamation, placarded on allthe walls of the city and at every corner of the streets, declaredthat there was no truth in the rumors spread by a few maliciouspersons, and that the army had never been more devoted or faithful. Upon this there was a universal panic; stocks fell 50 per cent. Inhalf an hour, and did not rise again till unofficial news arrived thatthe king had been well received at head-quarters. 

IX

HEROIC REMEDIES FOR GREAT EVILS

The news was false; the prince had been received with great coldness. It was his own fault. Sad, despondent, and abstracted, Charming hadneither found a jest for the soldiers nor a word of trust for theofficers. He entered the general's tent and fell into a chair. Tontowas little less disheartened. 

"Sire, " said Bayonet, "permit me to speak to you with the frankness ofa soldier and the freedom of an old friend. The army is murmuring andhesitating; we must secure it, or all is lost. The enemy is in sight;we must attack him. Five minutes sometimes decide the fate of empires;it is so with us now. Do not wait till it is too late. "

"Very well, " said the king. "To horse! in an instant I will be withyou. "

Left alone with Tonto and Rachimburg, the king exclaimed, in despair, "My good friends, quit a master who can do no more for you. I shallnot dispute my wretched life with my enemies. Betrayed in friendshipand treacherously assassinated, I recognize in my misfortune the handof an avenging God. It is in punishment for my crime. I killed thequeen in my stupid vengeance; the hour has come to expiate my fault, and I am ready. "

"Sire, " said Tonto, trying to smile, "shake off these sad thoughts. Ifthe queen were here she would tell you to defend yourself. Believeme, " he added, twisting his budding mustache, "I am acquainted withwomen! Were they dead, they would still love to avenge themselves. Besides, you did not kill the queen; and perhaps she is not so dead asyou imagine. "

"What do you say?" exclaimed the king; "you are losing your reason. "

"I say that there are women who die expressly to enrage theirhusbands; why should there not be those that would rise from the deadto enrage them still more? Leave the dead, and think of the living wholove you. You are a king; fight like a king, and, if necessary, falllike a king. "

"Sire, " said Bayonet, entering, sword in hand, "time presses. "

"General, to horse!" cried Tonto; "let us go. "

Bayonet quitted the room to give the needful orders. When he was gone, Charming looked at Tonto and said: "No, I will not go. I do notunderstand my feelings; I abhor myself. I am not afraid of death; I amgoing to kill myself; nevertheless, I will not fight. "

"Sire, " said Tonto, "in Heaven's name, summon up your courage. Tohorse! Great God!" he exclaimed, wringing his hands, "the prince willnot listen to me; we are lost. Come!" said he, taking hold ofCharming's cloak; "up, sire; to horse, unhappy prince! Save yourkingdom--save your people--save all that love you. Coward! look at me;I am nothing but a child, yet I am about to die for you. Fight! do notdisgrace yourself. If you do not rise I will insult you--I, yourservant. You are a coward--do you hear? a coward!"

And behold! the insolent page boxed the king's ears. 

"S'death!" cried Charming, drawing his sword. "Before dying I willhave the pleasure of punishing one subject, at least. "

But the page had left the tent. With one bound he sprang into thesaddle and galloped toward the enemy, sword in hand, crying, "Theking! my friends--the king! Sound the trumpets! Forward!"

Charming, mad with anger, spurred his horse in pursuit of the page:like a bull at the sight of a red flag, he rushed forward, headdownward, caring neither for death nor for danger. Bayonet rushedafter the king, and the army after the general. It was the finestcavalry charge ever known in history. 

At the noise of the squadrons, which shook the ground like thunder, the enemy, surprised, scarcely had time to form in line of battle. Oneman, however, had recognized the king--the infamous Wieduwillst. Charming was alone; wholly absorbed in his vengeance, he saw nothingbut the page whom he was pursuing. The traitor threw himself on theprince, sword in hand, and would have slain him at one stroke had notTonto, plunging his spurs into the flanks of his horse, made theanimal rear and fall on Wieduwillst. The page received the blowintended for his master. He threw up his arms and fell with a loudcry; but his fall, at least, was avenged. The king thrust his swordinto the throat of the treacherous physician, and drew it forth, dripping with blood, not without pleasure. Man is decidedly the kingof wild beasts. 

The traitor's death decided the fate of the day. The royal army, electrified by the heroism of its leader, soon dispersed thestraggling battalions. The rebels, having nothing more to hope, suedfor pardon, and their prayer was granted by the happy and clementking. 

An hour after quitting the camp where he had wished to die, Charmingreturned in triumph, bringing with him conquerors and conquered, allblended in the same ranks, the former loudly protesting their loyalty, the latter overpowering them with their enthusiasm. Nothing sharpensdevotion so much as a little treason. 

X

IN WHICH WE SEE THAT IT IS WRONG TO JUDGE ACCORDING

TO APPEARANCES, AND THAT TONTO WAS NOT TONTO

The king entered his tent to rest a moment, when the sight ofRachimburg reminded him of Tonto. 

"Is the page dead?" he asked. 

"No, sire, " answered Rachimburg; "unfortunately for him, he is stillliving; he is hopeless. I ordered him carried to his aunt's, theCountess de Castro's, close by here. "

"Is he the countess's nephew?" said the king. "I was never told ofit. "

"Your Majesty has forgotten it, " replied Rachimburg, quietly. "Thepoor child is fatally wounded in the shoulder; he cannot recover. Itwould give him great happiness could he see Your Majesty before hedies. "

"Very well, " returned the king; "lead me to him. "

On his arrival at the castle Charming was met by the countess, whoconducted him to a darkened room. The page was stretched, pale andbleeding, on a couch; nevertheless, he had strength to raise his headand welcome the king. 

"What a miracle!" exclaimed Charming. "This is the strangest woundthat I ever saw in my life: one side of Tonto's mustache is gone!"

"Sire, " said the countess, "the blade of the sword probably swept offone side. Nothing is so capricious as sword wounds, as every oneknows. "

"How strange!" cried the king. "On one side it is Tonto, my page, myinsolent subject, and on the other it is--no, I am not mistaken--it isyou, my good angel and my savior; it is you, my poor Pazza!"

He fell on his knees and seized her hand, which lay on the coverlet. 

"Sire, " said Pazza, "my days are numbered, but before dying--"

"No, no, Pazza, you shall not die, " cried the king, in tears. 

"Before dying, " she added, casting down her eyes, "I hope that YourMajesty will forgive me the box on the ear which I gave you thismorning in indiscreet zeal--"

"Enough, " said the king; "I forgive you. After all, a throne and honorwere well worth--what I received. "

"Alas!" said Pazza, "that is not all. "

"What!" exclaimed Charming, "is there anything more?"

"Oh, sire, what have you done?" cried the countess; "my child isdying!"

"My Pazza, you must not die!" exclaimed the king. "Speak, and be surethat I forgive in advance all you have done. Alas! it is I that haveneed of forgiveness. "

"Sire, the little doctor who took the liberty of boxing Your Majesty'sears--"

"Was it you that sent him?" asked Charming, with a frown. 

"No, sire, I myself was he. Ah, what would I not have done to save myking! It was I who, to save Your Majesty from the traitorous knavesthat surrounded you, took the liberty of boxing your ears--"

"Enough, " said Charming; "I forgive you, though the lesson was a harshone. "

"Alas! this is not all, " said Pazza. 

"What, more?" cried the king, rising. 

"Oh, aunt, I am dying!" exclaimed Pazza. By dint of care, however, shewas restored to life; and, turning her languishing eyes toward theking, "Sire, " said she, "the gipsy girl at the masked ball, who daredto box your ears--"

"Was yourself, Pazza?" said charming. "Oh, I forgive you for that; Iwell deserved it. How could I doubt you, who are sincerity itself!But, now I think of it, do you remember the rash vow that you made onthe night of our marriage? You have kept your promise; it is for me tokeep mine. Pazza, make haste to recover, and return to the castle fromwhich happiness fled with you. "

"I have a last favor to ask of Your Majesty, " said Pazza. "Rachimburgwas the witness this morning of a scene for which I blush, and ofwhich all must remain ignorant. I commend this faithful servant toyour goodness. "

"Rachimburg, " said the king, "take this purse, and keep the secretunder penalty of your head. "

"That makes the fourth, " whispered Rachimburg to himself; "my fortuneis made. "

In a few moments Pazza was asleep. "Do you think that she willrecover?" asked Charming, anxiously, of the countess. 

"Bah!" said the old lady. "No matter how ill a woman may be, happinesswill bring her back from the brink of the grave. Kiss the queen, mynephew; it will do her more good than all the doctors in the world. "

Charming stooped and kissed the sleeping Pazza. An angelic smilestole over her features, at the sight of which he wept like a child. 

XI

A WIFE SHOULD OBEY HER HUSBAND

The countess was right (women are always right--past sixty). Afortnight of happiness set Pazza on her feet again, and enabled her tomake a triumphant entry into the city with the king, her husband. Herpaleness, and her wounded arm, which she carried in a sling, added toher grace and beauty. Charming had eyes for no one but the queen, andthe people's looks followed the king's. 

They were more than an hour in reaching the castle. The magistrateshad erected not less than three triumphal arches, frowning fortresses, defended each by thirty-six deputations and thirty-six speeches. Thefirst arch, made of trellis-work, and adorned with leaves and flowers, bore the inscription, TO THE MOST TENDER AND FAITHFUL OF HUSBANDS

This was intrusted to the keeping of five or six thousand young girls, dressed in white, with pink ribbons, representing the spring of theyear, the hope of the future, welcoming Glory and Beauty. 

The second arch, more solidly built, was a frame covered withtapestry, surmounted by Justice, with her eyes bandaged and her scalesin her hand. 

On the pedestal of the statue was written, TO THE FATHER OF HIS PEOPLE, THE BEST AND WISEST OF PRINCES

A host of priests, statesmen, and magistrates, in robes of all colors, represented Religion, Wisdom, and Virtue; at least so said thesevenerable and discreet personages, who are never in error. 

Last came an immense arch, a true military trophy, bearing as itsmotto, TO THE BOLDEST AND MOST VALIANT OF KINGS

Here the army awaited its general, and the queen was saluted by themajestic voice of a hundred cannon and two hundred drums--a voicebefore which all human eloquence falters, and which always has thelast word. 

I spare you a description of the dinner, which was interminable, andof sixty more speeches from the court gazette, where they had alreadydone service two or three times, and wherein they were again depositedfor the use of future generations. There is nothing so monotonous ashappiness, and we must be indulgent to those who sing its praisesofficially. In such cases, the ablest is he who says the least. 

The long evening, during which the king had lavished his most gracioussmiles on those whom he despised at the bottom of his heart, was atlength at an end, and Charming led Pazza, no longer to a dungeon, butto a magnificent apartment, where a new surprise awaited her. At thebottom of the room was an illuminated transparency, on which werewritten lines so bad that a king alone could have been the author ofthem. These lines, which were published in the official gazette, havebeen handed down to us by one of those indiscreet persons who sufferno follies of the past to be lost. Such persons are the rag-pickers ofhistory. 

 Ye indolent dunces, who rust in your sloth, Too lazy or wilful to learn; Ye courtiers, who crowd round the king, nothing loth By base flattery his favor to earn; Ye doctors, who laugh at us cowards, and sell Long words and wise oracles dear-- Beware lest some night a mischievous sprite Should give you a box on the ear. 

 And you, ye proud husbands, puffed up with conceit, Who deem yourselves statesmen so wise That the whole world admiringly bows at your feet-- Who truth, love, and goodness despise-- Beware lest some day your less frivolous wives, Derided by those they held dear, Should start from your side, aroused by just pride, And give you a box on the ear. 

"What means this enigma, sire?" asked Pazza. 

"It means that I do myself justice, " answered the king. "I am nothingexcept through you, dear Pazza; all that I know and all that I think Iowe to you. Without you I am nothing but a soulless body, fit only forfollies. "

"Pardon me if I contradict Your Majesty, " said Pazza. 

"Oh, " returned the king, "I affect no false modesty; I know very wellthat I have the clearest head of any in my council; my ministersthemselves are forced to acknowledge it, for they are always of myopinion; but with all this there is more wisdom in your little fingerthan in all my royal brain. My resolution, therefore, is fixed. Let mycourt and people celebrate my wisdom, my goodness, and even my valor;it is all very well, and I accept the homage. You alone have the rightto laugh at it, and you will not betray me. But from this day Iabandon my power to you. The king, my dear Pazza, will be only thechief of your subjects, the faithful minister of your will. You shallwrite the piece and I will play it; the applause will be mine, according to custom, and I will give it back to you by force of love. "

"Do not talk in this way, my dear, " said Pazza. 

"I know what I am saying, " returned the king, warmly. "I wish you torule; I mean that in my empire, as in my house, nothing shall be doneexcept by your command; I am the master and the king; I desire andorder it. "

"Sire, " said Pazza, "I am your wife and servant; it is my duty toobey. "

After this, says the chronicle, they lived happily to a good old age, beloved by all their subjects; and the people of the kingdom of WildOats still talk of the good old days of Prince Charming and thePrincess Pazza. 

THE END