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

in the world to take away the cause of

your sorrow, but this seems to be another of the tricks of the Fairy

Carabosse. The Princess’s twenty unlucky years were not quite

over, and really, if the truth must be told, I noticed that Fanfaronade

and the Princess appeared to admire one another greatly. Perhaps

this may give some clue to the mystery of their disappearance.’

 

Here the Queen interrupted him, saying, `Take care what you

say, sir. Believe me, the Princess Mayblossom was far too well

brought up to think of falling in love with an Ambassador.’

 

At this the nurse came forward, and, falling on her knees,

confessed how they had made the little needle-hole in the tower, and

how the Princess had declared when she saw the Ambassador that

she would marry him and nobody else. Then the Queen was very

angry, and gave the nurse, and the cradle-rocker, and the nursery-maid such a scolding that they shook in their shoes. But the

Admiral Cocked-Hat interrupted her, crying:

 

`Let us be off after this good-for-nothing Fanfaronade, for with

out a doubt he has run away with our Princess.’

 

Then there was a great clapping of hands, and everybody

shouted, `By all means let us be after him.’

 

So while some embarked upon the sea, the others ran from

kingdom to kingdom beating drums and blowing trumpets, and

wherever a crowd collected they cried:

 

`Whoever wants a beautiful doll, sweetmeats of all kinds, a

little pair of scissors, a golden robe, and a satin cap has only to

say where Fanfaronade has hidden the Princess Mayblossom.’

 

But the answer everywhere was, `You must go farther, we have

not seen them.’

 

However, those who went by sea were more fortunate, for after

sailing about for some time they noticed a light before them which

burned at night like a great fire. At first they dared not go near

it, not knowing what it might be, but by-and-by it remained

stationary over Squirrel Island, for, as you have guessed already,

the light was the glowing of the carbuncle. The Princess and

Fanfaronade on landing upon the island had given the boatman

a hundred gold pieces, and made him promise solemnly to tell no

one where he had taken them; but the first thing that happened

was that, as he rowed away, he got into the midst of the fleet, and

before he could escape the Admiral had seen him and sent a boat

after him.

 

When he was searched they found the gold pieces in his pocket,

and as they were quite new coins, struck in honour of the Princess’s

wedding, the Admiral felt certain that the boatman must have

been paid by the Princess to aid her in her flight. But he would

not answer any questions, and pretended to be deaf and dumb

 

Then the Admiral said: `Oh! deaf and dumb is he? Lash

him to the mast and give him a taste of the cat-o’-nine-tails. I

don’t know anything better than that for curing the deaf and

dumb!’

 

And when the old boatman saw that he was in earnest, he told

all he knew about the cavalier and the lady whom he had landed

upon Squirrel Island, and the Admiral knew it must be the

Princess and Fanfaronade; so he gave the order for the fleet to

surround the island.

 

Meanwhile the Princess Mayblossom, who was by this time

terribly sleepy, had found a grassy bank in the shade, and throwing

herself down had already fallen into a profound slumber, when

Fanfaronade, who happened to be hungry and not sleepy, came

and woke her up, saying, very crossly:

 

`Pray, madam, how long do you mean to stay here? I see

nothing to eat, and though you may be very charming, the sight

of you does not prevent me from famishing.’

 

`What! Fanfaronade,’ said the Princess, sitting up and rubbing

her eyes, `is it possible that when I am here with you you can

want anything else? You ought to be thinking all the time how

happy you are.’

 

`Happy!’ cried he; `say rather unhappy. I wish with all my

heart that you were back in your dark tower again.’

 

`Darling, don’t be cross,’ said the Princess. `I will go and see

if I can find some wild fruit for you.’

 

`I wish you might find a wolf to eat you up,’ growled Fanfaronade.

 

The Princess, in great dismay, ran hither and thither all about

the wood, tearing her dress, and hurting her pretty white hands

with the thorns and brambles, but she could find nothing good to

eat, and at last she had to go back sorrowfully to Fanfaronade.

When he saw that she came empty-handed he got up and left her,

grumbling to himself.

 

The next day they searched again, but with no better success.

 

`Alas!’ said the Princess, `if only I could find something for

you to eat, I should not mind being hungry myself.’

 

`No, I should not mind that either,’ answered Fanfaronade.

 

`Is it possible,’ said she, `that you would not care if I died of

hunger? Oh, Fanfaronade, you said you loved me!’

 

`That was when we were in quite another place and I was not

hungry,’ said he. `It makes a great difference in one’s ideas to be

dying of hunger and thirst on a desert island.’

 

At this the Princess was dreadfully vexed, and she sat down

under a white rose bush and began to cry bitterly.

 

`Happy roses,’ she thought to herself, `they have only to blossom

in the sunshine and be admired, and there is nobody to be unkind

to them.’ And the tears ran down her cheeks and splashed on to

the rose-tree roots. Presently she was surprised to see the whole

bush rustling and shaking, and a soft little voice from the prettiest

rosebud said:

 

`Poor Princess! look in the trunk of that tree, and you will

find a honeycomb, but don’t be foolish enough to share it with

Fanfaronade.’

 

Mayblossom ran to the tree, and sure enough there was the

honey. Without losing a moment she ran with it to Fanfaronade,

crying gaily:

 

`See, here is a honeycomb that I have found. I might have

eaten it up all by myself, but I had rather share it with you.’

 

But without looking at her or thanking her he snatched the honey

comb out of her hands and ate it all up—every bit, without offering

her a morsel. Indeed, when she humbly asked for some he said

mockingly that it was too sweet for her, and would spoil her teeth.

 

Mayblossom, more downcast than ever, went sadly away and

sat down under an oak tree, and her tears and sighs were so

piteous that the oak fanned her with his rustling leaves, and said:

 

`Take courage, pretty Princess, all is not lost yet. Take this

pitcher of milk and drink it up, and whatever you do, don’t leave a

drop for Fanfaronade.’

 

The Princess, quite astonished, looked round, and saw a big

pitcher full of milk, but before she could raise it to her lips the

thought of how thirsty Fanfaronade must be, after eating at least

fifteen pounds of honey, made her run back to him and say:

 

`Here is a pitcher of milk; drink some, for you must be thirsty

I am sure; but pray save a little for me, as I am dying of hunger

and thirst.’

 

But he seized the pitcher and drank all it contained at a single

draught, and then broke it to atoms on the nearest stone, saying

with a malicious smile: `As you have not eaten anything you cannot

be thirsty.’

 

`Ah!’ cried the Princess, `I am well punished for disappointing

the King and Queen, and running away with this Ambassador

about whom I knew nothing.’

 

And so saying she wandered away into the thickest part of the

wood, and sat down under a thorn tree, where a nightingale was

singing. Presently she heard him say: `Search under the bush

Princess; you will find some sugar, almonds, and some tarts there

But don’t be silly enough to offer Fanfaronade any.’ And this

time the Princess, who was fainting with hunger, took the nightingale’s

advice, and ate what she found all by herself. But Fanfaronade,

seeing that she had found something good, and was not

going to share it with him, ran after her in such a fury that she

hastily drew out the Queen’s carbuncle, which had the property of

rendering people invisible if they were in danger, and when she

was safely hidden from him she reproached him gently for his

unkindness.

 

Meanwhile Admiral Cocked-Hat had despatched Jack-the-Chatterer-of-the-Straw-Boots, Courier in Ordinary to the Prime

Minister, to tell the King that the Princess and the Ambassador

had landed on Squirrel Island, but that not knowing the country

he had not pursued them, for fear of being captured by concealed

enemies. Their Majesties were overjoyed at the news, and the

King sent for a great book, each leaf of which was eight ells long.

It was the work of a very clever Fairy, and contained a description

of the whole earth. He very soon found that Squirrel Island was

uninhabited.

 

`Go,’ said he, to Jack-the-Chatterer, `tell the Admiral from me

to land at once. I am surprised at his not having done so sooner.’

As soon as this message reached the fleet, every preparation was

made for war, and the noise was so great that it reached the ears of

the Princess, who at once flew to protect her lover. As he was not

very brave he accepted her aid gladly.

 

`You stand behind me,’ said she, `and I will hold the carbuncle

which will make us invisible, and with the King’s dagger I can

protect you from the enemy.’ So when the soldiers landed they

could see nothing, but the Princess touched them one after another

with the dagger, and they fell insensible upon the sand, so that at

last the Admiral, seeing that there was some enchantment, hastily

gave orders for a retreat to be sounded, and got his men back into

their boats in great confusion.

 

Fanfaronade,being once more left with the Princess,

began to think that if he could get rid of her, and possess

himself of the carbuncle and the dagger, he would be

able to make his escape. So as they walked back over

the cliffs he gave the Princess a great push, hoping she

would fall into the sea; but she stepped aside so quickly that

he only succeeded in overbalancing himself, and over

he went, and sank to the bottom of the sea like a lump of

lead, and was never heard of any more. While the Princess

was still looking after him in horror, her attention was attracted

by a rushing noise over her head, and looking up she saw two chariots

approaching rapidly from opposite directions. One was bright and

glittering, and drawn by swans and peacocks, while the Fairy who sat

in it was beautiful as a sunbeam; but the other was drawn by bats and

ravens, and contained a frightful little Dwarf, who was dressed in a

snake’s skin, and wore a great toad upon her head for a hood. The

chariots met with a frightful crash in mid-air, and the Princess

looked on in breathless anxiety while a furious battle took place

between the lovely Fairy with her golden lance, and the hideous little

Dwarf and her rusty pike. But very soon it was evident that the

Beauty had the best of it, and the Dwarf turned her bats’ heads and

flickered away in great confusion, while the Fairy came down to

where the Princess stood,