The Red Fairy Book - Andrew Lang (best novels for beginners TXT) 📗

of musicians he saw their

hands move and heard sweet sounds; there was a picture of a ball,

and the Prince could watch the little dancing people come and go.

He turned a page, and there was an excellent smell of a savoury

dinner, and one of the figures who sat at the feast looked at him

and said:

 

`We drink your health, Curlicue. Try to give us our Queen

again, for if you do you will be rewarded; if not, it will be the worse

for you.’

 

At these words the Prince, who had been growing more and more

astonished, was fairly terrified, and dropping the book with a crash

he sank back insensible. The noise he made brought his guards to

his aid, and as soon as he revived they asked him what was the

matter. He answered that he was so faint and giddy with hunger

that he had imagined he saw and heard all sorts of strange things.

Thereupon, in spite of the King’s orders, the guards gave him an

excellent supper, and when he had eaten it he again opened his

book, but could see none of the wonderful pictures, which convinced

him that he must have been dreaming before.

 

However, when he went into he gallery next day and looked at

the painted windows again, he found that they moved, and the figures

came and went as if they had been alive, and after watching the one

who was like himself find the key in the crack of the turret wall

and open the old cabinet, he determined to go and examine the

place himself, and try to find out what the mystery was. So he

went up into the turret and began to search about and tap upon

the walls, and all at once he came upon a place that sounded hollow.

Taking a hammer he broke away a bit of the stone, and found behind

it a little golden key. The next thing to do was to find the cabinet,

and the Prince soon came to it, hidden away in a dark corner,

though indeed it was so old and battered-looking that he would

never have noticed it of his own accord. At first he could not see

any keyhole, but after a careful search he found one hidden in the

carving, and the golden key just fitted it; so the Prince gave it a

vigorous turn and the doors flew open.

 

Ugly and old as the cabinet was outside, nothing could have been

more rich and beautiful than what met the Prince’s astonished eyes.

Every drawer was made of crystal, of amber, or of some precious

stone, and was quite full of every kind of treasure. Prince Curlicue

was delighted; he opened one after another, until at last he came to

one tiny drawer which contained only an emerald key.

 

`I believe that this must open that little golden door in the

middle,’ said the Prince to himself. And he fitted in the little key

and turned it. The tiny door swung back, and a soft crimson light

gleamed over the whole cabinet. The Prince found that it proceeded

from an immense glowing carbuncle, made into a box, which lay

before him. He lost no time in opening it, but what was his horror

when he found that it contained a man’s hand, which was holding

a portrait. His first thought was to put back the terrible box and

fly from the turret; but a voice in his ear said, `This hand belonged

to one whom you can help and restore. Look at this beautiful

portrait, the original of which was the cause of all my misfortunes,

and if you wish to help me, go without a moment’s delay to the

great gallery, notice where the sun’s rays fall most brightly, and if

you seek there you will find my treasure.’

 

The voice ceased, and though the Prince in his bewilderment

asked various questions, he received no answer. So he put back the

box and locked the cabinet up again, and, having replaced the key

in the crack in the wall, hastened down to the gallery.

 

When he entered it all the windows shook and clattered in the

strangest way, but the Prince did not heed them; he was looking

so carefully for the place where the sun shone most brightly, and it

seemed to him that it was upon the portrait of a most splendidly

handsome young man.

 

He went up and examined it, and found that it rested against the

ebony and gold panelling, just like any of the other pictures in the

gallery. He was puzzled, not knowing what to do next, until it

occurred to him to see if the windows would help him, and, looking

at the nearest, he saw a picture of himself lifting the picture from

the wall.

 

The Prince took the hint, and lifting aside the picture without

difficulty, found himself in a marble hall adorned with statues; from

this he passed on through numbers of splendid rooms, until at last

he reached one all hung with blue gauze. The walls were of

turquoises, and upon a low couch lay a lovely lady, who seemed to be

asleep. Her hair, black as ebony, was spread across the pillows,

making her face look ivory white, and the Prince noticed that she

was unquiet; and when he softly advanced, fearing to wake her, he

could hear her sigh, and murmur to herself:

 

`Ah! how dared you think to win my love by separating me

from my beloved Florimond, and in my presence cutting off that

dear hand that even you should have feared and honoured?’

 

And then the tears rolled slowly down the lovely lady’s cheeks,

and Prince Curlicue began to comprehend that she was under an

enchantment, and that it was the hand of her lover that he had

found.

 

At this moment a huge Eagle flew into the room, holding in its

talons a Golden Branch, upon which were growing what looked like

clusters of cherries, only every cherry was a single glowing ruby.

 

This he presented to the Prince, who guessed by this time that

he was in some way to break the enchantment that surrounded the

sleeping lady. Taking the branch he touched her lightly with it,

saying:

 

`Fair one, I know not by what enchantment thou art bound, but

in the name of thy beloved Florimond I conjure thee to come back

to the life which thou hast lost, but not forgotten.’

 

Instantly the lady opened her lustrous eyes, and saw the Eagle

hovering near.

 

`Ah! stay, dear love, stay,’ she cried. But the Eagle, uttering a

dolorous cry, fluttered his broad wings and disappeared. Then the

lady turned to Prince Curlicue, and said:

 

`I know that it is to you I owe my deliverance from an enchantment

which has held me for two hundred years. If there is anything

that I can do for you in return, you have only to tell me, and

all my fairy power shall be used to make you happy.’

 

`Madam,’ said Prince Curlicue, `I wish to be allowed to restore

your beloved Florimond to his natural form, since I cannot forget

the tears you shed for him.’

 

`That is very amiable of you, dear Prince,’ said the Fairy, `but

it is reserved for another person to do that. I cannot explain more

at present. But is there nothing you wish for yourself?’

 

`Madam,’ cried the Prince, flinging himself down at her feet,

`only look at my ugliness. I am called Curlicue, and am an

object of derision; I entreat you to make me less ridiculous.’

 

`Rise, Prince,’ said the Fairy, touching him with the Golden

Branch. `Be as accomplished as you are handsome, and take the

name of Prince Peerless, since that is the only title which will

suit you now.’

 

Silent from joy, the Prince kissed her hand to express his thanks,

and when he rose and saw his new reflection in the mirrors which

surrounded him, he understood that Curlicue was indeed gone for

ever.

 

`How I wish,’ said the Fairy, `that I dared to tell you what is

in store for you, and warn you of the traps which lie in your path,

but I must not. Fly from the tower, Prince, and remember that

the Fairy Douceline will be your friend always.’

 

When she had finished speaking, the Prince, to his great

astonishment, found himself no longer in the tower, but set down in a

thick forest at least a hundred leagues away from it. And there

we must leave him for the present, and see what was happening

elsewhere.

 

When the guards found that the Prince did not ask for his supper

as usual, they went into his room, and not finding him there, were

very much alarmed, and searched the tower from turret to dungeon,

but without success. Knowing that the King would certainly have

their heads cut off for allowing the Prince to escape, they then

agreed to say that he was ill, and after making the smallest among

them look as much like Prince Curlicue as possible, they put him

into his bed and sent to inform the King.

 

King Grumpy was quite delighted to hear that his son was ill,

for he thought that he would all the sooner be brought to do as he

wished, and marry the Princess. So he sent back to the guards to

say that the Prince was to be treated as severely as before, which

was just what they had hoped he would say. In the meantime the

Princess Cabbage-Stalk had reached the palace, travelling in a litter.

 

King Grumpy went out to meet her, but when he saw her, with

a skin like a tortoise’s, her thick eyebrows meeting above her large

nose, and her mouth from ear to ear, he could not help crying out:

 

`Well, I must say Curlicue is ugly enough, but I don’t think

YOU need have thought twice before consenting to marry him.’

 

`Sire,’ she replied, `I know too well what I am like to be hurt

by what you say, but I assure you that I have no wish to marry

your son I had rather be called Princess Cabbage-Stalk than Queen

Curlicue.’

 

This made King Grumpy very angry.

 

`Your father has sent you here to marry my son,’ he said, `and

you may be sure that I am not going to offend him by altering his

arrangements.’ So the poor Princess was sent away in disgrace to

her own apartments, and the ladies who attended upon her were

charged to bring her to a better mind.

 

At this juncture the guards, who were in great fear that they

would be found out, sent to tell the King that his son was dead,

which annoyed him very much. He at once made up his mind

that it was entirely the Princess’s fault, and gave orders that she

should be imprisoned in the tower in Prince Curlicue’s place. The

Princess Cabbage-Stalk was immensely astonished at this unjust

proceeding, and sent many messages of remonstrance to King

Grumpy, but he was in such a temper that no one dared to deliver

them, or to send the letters which the Princess wrote to her father.

However, as she did not know this, she lived in hope of soon going

back to her own country, and tried to amuse herself as well as

she could until the time should come. Every day she walked up

and down the long gallery, until she too was attracted and fascinated

by the ever-changing pictures in the windows, and recognised herself

in one of the figures. `They seem to have taken a great delight in

painting me