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

coming as fast as his horse could

carry him. He was so impatient that he was always full fifty

yards in front of the lords and ladies sent by Tubby to bring back

Zizi.

 

At the sight of the hideous gypsy he was struck dumb with

surprise and horror.

 

`Ah me!’ said Titty, `so you don’t know your poor Zizi?

While you were away the wicked witch came, and turned me into

this. But if you only have the courage to marry me I shall get

back my beauty.’ And she began to cry bitterly.

 

Now the good-natured Desire was as soft-hearted as he was brave.

 

`Poor girl,’ he thought to himself. `It is not her fault, after all,

that she has grown so ugly, it is mine. Oh! why did I not follow

the old man’s advice? Why did I leave her alone? And besides, it

depends on me to break the spell, and I love her too much to let

her remain like this.’

 

So he presented the gypsy to the lords and ladies of the Court,

explaining to them the terrible misfortune which had befallen his

beautiful bride.

 

They all pretended to believe it, and the ladies at once put on

the false princess the rich dresses they had brought for Zizi.

 

She was then perched on the top of a magnificent ambling

palfrey, and they set forth to the castle.

 

But unluckily the rich dress and jewels only made Titty look

uglier still, and Desire could not help feeling hot and uncomfortable

when he made his entry with her into the city.

 

Bells were pealing, chimes ringing, and the people filling the

streets and standing at their doors to watch the procession go by,

and they could hardly believe their eyes as they saw what a strange

bride their Prince had chosen.

 

In order to do her more honour, Tubby came to meet her at the

foot of the great marble staircase. At the sight of the hideous

creature he almost fell backwards.

 

`What!’ he cried. `Is this the wonderful beauty?’

 

`Yes, father, it is she,’ replied Desire with a sheepish look. `But

she has been bewitched by a wicked sorceress, and will not regain

her beauty until she is my wife.’

 

`Does she say so? Well, if you believe that, you may drink cold

water and think it bacon,’ the unhappy Tubby answered crossly.

 

But all the same, as he adored his son, he gave the gypsy his

hand and led her to the great hall, where the bridal feast was

spread.

XIII

The feast was excellent, but Desire hardly touched anything.

However, to make up, the other guests ate greedily, and, as for

Tubby, nothing ever took away his appetite.

 

When the moment arrived to serve the roast goose, there was a

pause, and Tubby took the opportunity to lay down his knife and

fork for a little. But as the goose gave no sign of appearing, he

sent his head carver to find out what was the matter in the kitchen.

 

Now this was what had happened.

 

While the goose was turning on the spit, a beautiful little

canary hopped on to the sill of the open window.

 

`Good-morning, my fine cook,’ she said in a silvery voice to the

man who was watching the roast.

 

`Good-morning, lovely golden bird,’ replied the chief of the

scullions, who had been well brought up.

 

`I pray that Heaven may send you to sleep,’ said the golden bird,

`and that the goose may burn, so that there may be none left for

Titty.’

 

And instantly the chief of the scullions fell fast asleep, and the

goose was burnt to a cinder.

 

When he awoke he was horrified, and gave orders to pluck

another goose, to stuff it with chestnuts, and put it on the spit.

 

While it was browning at the fire, Tubby inquired for his goose

a second time. The Master Cook himself mounted to the hall to

make his excuses, and to beg his lord to have a little patience.

Tubby showed his patience by abusing his son.

 

`As if it wasn’t enough,’ he grumbled between his teeth, `that the

boy should pick up a hag without a penny, but the goose must go and

burn now. It isn’t a wife he has brought me, it is Famine herself.’

XIV

While the Master Cook was upstairs, the golden bird came again

to perch on the window-sill, and called in his clear voice to the head

scullion, who was watching the spit:

 

`Good-morning, my fine Scullion!’

 

`Good-morning, lovely Golden Bird,’ replied the Scullion, whom

the Master Cook had forgotten in his excitement to warn.

 

`I pray Heaven,’ went on the Canary, `that it will send you to

sleep, and that the goose may burn, so that there may be none left

for Titty.’

 

And the Scullion fell fast asleep, and when the Master Cook came

back he found the goose as black as the chimney.

 

In a fury he woke the Scullion, who in order to save himself

from blame told the whole story.

 

`That accursed bird,’ said the Cook; `it will end by getting me

sent away. Come, some of you, and hide yourselves, and if it comes

again, catch it and wring its neck.’

 

He spitted a third goose, lit a huge fire, and seated himself

by it.

 

The bird appeared a third time, and said: `Good-morning, my

fine Cook.’

 

`Good-morning, lovely Golden Bird,’ replied the Cook, as if

nothing had happened, and at the moment that the Canary was beginning,

`I pray Heaven that it may send,’ a scullion who was hidden

outside rushed out and shut the shutters. The bird flew into the

kitchen. Then all the cooks and scullions sprang after it, knocking

at it with their aprons. At length one of them caught it just at the

very moment that Tubby entered the kitchen, waving his sceptre.

He had come to see for himself why the goose had never made its

appearance.

 

The Scullion stopped at once, just as he was about to wring the

Canary’s neck.

XV

`Will some one be kind enough to tell me the meaning of all this?’

cried the Lord of Avesnes.

 

`Your Excellency, it is the bird,’ replied the Scullion, and he

placed it in his hand.

 

`Nonsense! What a lovely bird!’ said Tubby, and in stroking its

head he touched a pin that was sticking between its feathers. He

pulled it out, and lo! the Canary at once became a beautiful girl

with a golden skin who jumped lightly to the ground.

 

`Gracious! what a pretty girl!’ said Tubby.

 

`Father! it is she! it is Zizi!’ exclaimed Desire, who entered

at this moment.

 

And he took her in his arms, crying: `My darling Zizi, how happy

I am to see you once more!’

 

`Well, and the other one?’ asked Tubby.

 

The other one was stealing quietly to the door.

 

`Stop her! called Tubby. `We will judge her cause at once.’

 

And he seated himself solemnly on the oven, and condemned

Titty to be burned alive. After which the lords and cooks formed

themselves in lines, and Tubby betrothed Desire to Zizi.

XVI

The marriage took place a few days later. All the boys in the

country side were there, armed with wooden swords, and decorated

with epaulets made of gilt paper.

 

Zizi obtained Titty’s pardon, and she was sent back to the brick-fields, followed and hooted at by all the boys. And this is why to-day the country boys always throw stones at a titmouse.

 

On the evening of the wedding-day all the larders, cellars,

cupboards and tables of the people, whether rich or poor, were loaded

as if by enchantment with bread, wine, beer, cakes and tarts, roast

larks, and even geese, so that Tubby could not complain any more

that his son had married Famine.

 

Since that time there has always been plenty to eat in that

country, and since that time, too, you see in the midst of the fair-haired blue-eyed women of Flanders a few beautiful girls, whose

eyes are black and whose skins are the colour of gold. They are

the descendants of Zizi.[21]

 

[21] Charles Deulin, Contes du Roi Gambrinus.

THE TWELVE BROTHERS

THERE were once upon a time a King and a Queen who lived

happily together, and they had twelve children, all of whom

were boys. One day the King said to his wife:

 

`If our thirteenth child is a girl, all her twelve brothers must

die, so that she may be very rich and the kingdom hers alone.’

 

Then he ordered twelve coffins to be made, and filled them with

shavings, and placed a little pillow in each. These he put away in

an empty room, and, giving the key to his wife, he bade her tell no

one of it.

 

The Queen grieved over the sad fate of her sons and refused to

be comforted, so much so that the youngest boy, who was always

with her, and whom she had christened Benjamin, said to her one

day:

 

`Dear mother, why are you so sad?’

 

`My child,’ she answered, `I may not tell you the reason.’

 

But he left her no peace, till she went and unlocked the room

and showed him the twelve coffins filled with shavings, and with

the little pillow laid in each.

 

Then she said: `My dearest Benjamin, your father has had

these coffins made for you and your eleven brothers, because if I

bring a girl into the world you are all to be killed and buried in

them.’

 

She wept bitterly as she spoke, but her son comforted her and

said:

 

`Don’t cry, dear mother; we’ll manage to escape somehow, and

will fly for our lives.’

 

`Yes,’ replied his mother, `that is what you must do—go with

your eleven brothers out into the wood, and let one of you always

sit on the highest tree you can find, keeping watch on the tower of

the castle. If I give birth to a little son I will wave a white

flag, and then you may safely return; but if I give birth to a little

daughter I will wave a red flag, which will warn you to fly away as

quickly as you can, and may the kind Heaven have pity on you.

Every night I will get up and pray for you, in winter that you may

always have a fire to warm yourselves by, and in summer that you

may not languish in the heat.’

 

Then she blessed her sons and they set out into the wood.

They found a very high oak tree, and there they sat, turn about,

keeping their eyes always fixed on the castle tower. On the

twelfth day, when the turn came to Benjamin, he noticed a flag

waving in the air, but alas! it was not white, but blood red, the

sign which told them they must all die. When the brothers heard

this they were very angry, and said:

 

`Shall we forsooth suffer death for the sake of a wretched girl?

Let us swear vengeance, and vow that wherever and whenever we

shall meet one of her sex, she shall die at our hands.’

 

Then they went their way deeper into the wood, and in the

middle of it, where it was thickest and darkest, they came upon a

little enchanted house which stood empty.

 

`Here,’ they said, `let us take up our abode, and you, Benjamin,

you are the youngest and weakest, you shall stay at home and keep

house for