 Section 7 of the Green Fairy Book. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Frank Kibansky. The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, Sylvain and Jakosa. Once upon a time, there lived in the same village two children, one called Sylvain and the other Jakosa, who were both remarkable for beauty and intelligence. Both their parents were not in terms of friendship with one another, on account of some old quarrel which had, however, taken place so long ago that they had quite forgotten what it was all about and only kept up the feud from force of habit. Sylvain and Jakosa for their parts were far from sharing this enmity and indeed were never happy when apart. Day after day they fed their flocks of sheep together and spent the long sun shining hours and playing or resting upon some shady bank. It happened one day that the Fairy of the Meadows passed by and saw them and was so much attracted by their pretty faces and gentle manners that she took them under her protection and the older they grew, the dearer they became to her. At first she showed her interest by leaving in their favorite haunts many little gifts, such as they delighted to offer one to the other, for they loved each other so much that their first thought was always, what will Jakosa like or what will please Sylvain? And the Fairy took a great delight in their innocent enjoyment of the cakes and sweetmeats she gave them nearly every day. When they were grown up she resolved to make herself known to them by the time when they were sheltering from the noonday sun in the deep shade of a flowery hedgegrove. They were startled at first by the sudden apparition of a tall and slender lady dressed all in green and crowned with a garland of flowers. But when she spoke to them sweetly and told them how she had always loved them and that it was she who had given them all the pretty things which it had so surprised them to find, they thanked her gratefully and took pleasure in answering the questions she put to them. When she presently bade them farewell she told them never to tell anyone else they had seen her. They would often see me again, added she, and I shall be with you frequently even when you do not see me. So saying she vanished leaving them in a state of great wonder and excitement. After this she came often and taught them numbers of things and showed them many of the marvels of her beautiful kingdom and at last one day she said to them, you know that I have always been kind to you, now I think it is time you did something for me in your turn. You both remember the fountain I call my favorite? Promise me that every morning before the sun rises you will go to it every stone that impedes its course and every dead leaf or broken twig that sullies its clear waters. I shall take it as proof of your gratitude to me if you neither forget nor delay this duty. And I promise that so long as the sun's earliest rays find my favorite spring the clearest and sweetest in all of my meadows, you too shall not be parted from one another. So then in jacosa willingly undertook this service and indeed felt that it was but a very small thing in return for all that the fairy had given and promised to them. So for a long time the fountain was tended with the most scrupulous care and was the clearest and prettiest in all the country round. But one morning in the spring long before the sun rose they were hastening towards it from opposite directions. When tempted by the beauty of the myriads of gay flowers which grew thickly on all sides they paused each to gather some for the other. I will make savannah garland said jacosa and how pretty jacosa will look in this crown, thought savane. Hither and thither they strayed let ever farther and farther for the brightest flowers seemed always just beyond them until at last they were startled by the first bright rays of the rising sun with one accord they turned and ran towards the fountain reaching it at the same moment though from opposite sides but what was their horror to see it's usually tranquil water seething and bubbling and even as they looked down rushed a mighty stream which entirely engulfed it and savane and jacosa found themselves parted by a wide and swiftly rushing river. All this had happened with such rapidity that they had only time to utter a cry and each to hold up to the other the flowers they had gathered but this was explanation enough 20 times did savane throw himself into the turbulent waters hoping to be able to swim to the other side but each time an irresistible force drove him back upon the bank he had just quitted while as for jacosa she even assayed to cross the flood upon a tree which came floating down torn up by the roots but her efforts were equally useless then with heavy hearts they set out to follow the course of the stream which had now grown so wide that it was only with great difficulty that they could distinguish each other from the light and day over mountains and through valleys and colder and heat they struggled on enduring fatigue and hunger in every hardship and consoled only by the hope of meeting once more until three years had passed and at last they stood upon the cliffs where the river flowed into the mighty sea and now they seemed farther apart than ever and in despair they tried once more to throw themselves into the foaming waves but the fairy of the meadows who had never really ceased to watch over them did not intend that they should be drowned at last they hastily waved her wand and immediately they found themselves standing side by side upon the golden sand you may imagine their joy and delight when they realized that their weary struggle was ended and their utter contentment as they clasped each other by the hand they had so much to say that they hardly knew where to begin but they agreed in blaming themselves bitterly for the negligence which had caused all the trouble and when she heard this the fairy immediately appeared to them they threw themselves at her feet and implored her forgiveness which she granted freely at the same time that now that their punishment was ended she would always befriend them then she sent for her chariot of green rushes ornamented with May dew drops which she particularly valued and always collected with great care and ordered her six short-tailed moles to carry them all back to the well-known pastures which they did in remarkably short time and Sylvain and Jakosa were overjoyed to see their dearly loved home once more after all their toilful wanderings the fairy who had set her mind upon securing their happiness had in their absence quite made up the quarrel between their parents and gained their consent to the marriage of the faithful lovers and now she conducted them to the most charming little cottage that can be imagined close to the fountain which had once more resumed its peaceful aspect and flowed gently down into the little brook which enclosed the garden and orchard and pasture which belonged to the cottage indeed nothing more could have been thought of either for Sylvain and Jakosa or for their flocks and their delight satisfied even the fairy who had planned it all to please them when they had explored and admired until they were tired they sat down to rest under the rose-covered porch and the fairy said that to pass the time into the wedding guests whom she had invited could arrive she would tell them a story this is it, the yellow bird once upon a time a fairy who had somehow or other gotten to mischief was condemned by the High Court of Fairyland to live for several years under the form of some creature and at the moment of resuming her natural appearance once again to make the fortune of two men it was left to her to choose what form she would take and because she loved yellow she transformed herself into a lovely bird with shining golden feathers such as no one had ever seen before when the time of her punishment was at an end the beautiful yellow bird flew to Baghdad and let herself be caught by a fouler at the precise moment when Badi El-Zaman was walking up and down outside his magnificent summer palace this Badi El-Zaman whose name means wonder of the world was looked upon in Baghdad as the most fortunate creature under the sun because of his vast wealth but really what with anxiety about his riches and being wary of everything and always desiring something he had not he never knew a moment's real happiness even now he had come out of his palace which was large and splendid enough for 50 kings wary and cross because he could find nothing new to amuse him the Fowler thought that this would be a favorable opportunity for offering him the marvelous bird which he felt certain he would by the instant he saw it and he was not mistaken for when Badi El-Zaman took the lovely prisoner into his own hands he saw written under its right wing the words, he who eats my head will become a king and under its left wing, he who eats my heart will find a hundred gold pieces under his pillow every morning in spite of all his wealth he at once began to desire the promised gold and the bargain was soon completed then the difficulty arose as to how the bird was to be cooked for among all his army of servants not one could Badi El-Zaman trust at last he asked the Fowler if he were married and on hearing that he was he bade him take the bird home with him and tell his wife to cook it perhaps said he this will give me an appetite which I have not had for many a long day and if so your wife shall have a hundred pieces of silver the Fowler with great joy ran home to his wife who speedily made a savory stew of the yellow bird but when Badi El-Zaman reached the cottage and began eagerly to search in the dish for its head and its heart he could not find either of them and turned to the Fowler's wife in a furious rage she was so terrified that she fell upon her knees before him and confessed that her two children had come in just before he arrived and had so teased her for some of the dish she was preparing that she had presently given the head to one and the heart to the other since these morsels are not generally much esteemed and Badi El-Zaman rushed from the cottage voiling vengeance against the whole family the wrath of a rich man is generally to be feared so the Fowler and his wife resolved to send their children out of harm's way but the wife to console her husband confided to him that she had purposely given them the head and the heart of the bird because she had been able to read what was written under its wings so believing that their children's fortunes were made they embraced them and sent them forth bidding them get as far away as possible to take different roads and to send news of their welfare for themselves they remained hidden and disguised in the town which was really rather clever of them but very soon afterwards Badi El-Zaman died of vexation and annoyance at the loss of the promised treasure and then they went back to their cottage to wait for news of their children the younger who had eaten the heart of the yellow bird very soon found out what it had done for him for each morning when he awoke he found a purse containing a hundred gold pieces under his pillow but as all poor people may remember for their consolation nothing in the world causes so much trouble or requires so much care as a great treasure consequently the Fowler's son who spent with reckless perfusion and was supposed to be possessive a great horde of gold was before very long attacked by robbers and in trying to defend himself was so badly wounded that he died the elder brother who had eaten the yellow bird's head traveled a long way without meeting with any particular adventure until at last he reached a large city in Asia which was all in an uproar over the choosing of a new emir all the principal citizens had formed themselves into two parties and it was not until after a prolonged squabble that they agreed that the person to whom the most singular thing happened should be emir our young traveler entered the town at this juncture with his agreeable face and jaunty air and all at once felt something alight upon his head which proved to be a snow white pigeon there upon all the people began to stare and to run after him so that he presently reached the palace with the pigeon upon his head and all the inhabitants of the city at his heels and before he knew where he was they made him emir to his great astonishment as there is nothing more agreeable than to command and nothing to which people get accustomed more quickly the young emir soon felt quite at ease in his new position but this did not prevent him from making every kind of mistake and so misgoverning the kingdom that at last the whole city rose in revolt and deprived him at once of his authority and his life a punishment which he richly deserved for in the days of his prosperity he disowned the father and his wife and allowed them to die in poverty I have told you this story my dear Sylvain and Jacosa added the fairy to prove to you that this little cottage and all that belongs to it is a gift more likely to bring you happiness and contentment than many things that would at first seem grander and more desirable if you will faithfully promise me to till your fields and feed your flocks and will keep your word better than you did before I will see that you never lack anything that is really good for you Sylvain and Jacosa gave their faithful promise and as they kept it they always enjoyed peace and prosperity the fairy had asked all their friends and neighbors to their wedding which took place at once with great festivities and rejoicing and they lived to a good old age always loving one another with all their hearts End of Sylvain and Jacosa Recording by Frank Kibanski FrankCVO.com Section 8 of the Green Fairy Book This is a LibriVox recording. 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For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Jadapi The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang Fairy Gifts Part 8 It generally happens that people's surroundings reflect more or less accurately their minds and dispositions so perhaps that is why the flower fairy lived in a lovely palace with the most delightful garden you can imagine full of flowers and trees and fountains and fish ponds and everything nice for the fairy herself was so kind and charming that everybody loved her and all the young princes and princesses who formed her court were as happy as the day was long simply because they were near her they came to her when they were quite tiny and never left her until they were grown up and had to go away into the great world and when that time came she gave to each whatever gift he asked of her but it is chiefly of the Princess Sylvia that you are going to hear now the fairy loved her with all her heart for she was at once original and gentle and she had nearly reached the age at which the gifts were generally bestowed however the fairy had a great wish to know how the other princesses who had grown up and left her were prospering and before the time came for Sylvia to go herself she resolved to send her to some of them so one day her chariot drawn by butterflies was made ready and the fairy said Sylvia I am going to send you to the court of Iris she will receive you with pleasure for my sake as well as for your own in two months you may come back to me again and I shall expect you to tell me what you think of her Sylvia was very unwilling to go away but as the fairy wished it she said nothing only when the two months were over she stepped joyfully into the butterfly chariot and could not get back quickly enough to the flower fairy who for her part was equally delighted to see her again now child said she tell me what impression you have received you sent me madam answered Sylvia to the court of Iris on whom you had bestowed the gift of beauty she never tells anyone however that it was your gift though she often speaks of your kindness in general it seemed to me that her loveliness which fairly dazzled me at first had absolutely deprived her of the use of any of her other gifts or graces in allowing herself to be seen she appeared to think that she was doing all that could possibly be required of her but unfortunately while I was still with her she became seriously ill and though she presently recovered her beauty is entirely gone so that she hates the very sight of herself and is in despair she entreated me to tell you what had happened and to beg you in pity to give her beauty back to her and indeed she does need it terribly for all the things in her that were tolerable and even agreeable when she was so pretty seem quite different now she is ugly and it is so long since she thought of using her mind or her natural cleverness that I really don't think she has any left now she is quite aware of all this herself so you may imagine how unhappy she is and how earnestly she begs for your aid you have told me what I wanted to know cried the fairy but alas I cannot help her my gifts can be given but once some time passed in all the usual delights of the flower fairies palace and then she sent for Sylvia again and told her she was to stay for a little while with the princess Daphne and accordingly the butterflies whisked her off and set her down in quite a strange kingdom but she had only been there a very little time before a wandering butterfly brought a message from her to the fairy begging that she might be sent for as soon as possible and before very long she was allowed to return oh madam cried she what a place you sent me to that time why what was the matter asked the fairy Daphne was one of the princesses who asked for the gift of eloquence if I remember rightly and fairy ill the gift of eloquence becomes a woman replied Sylvia with an air of conviction it is true that she speaks well and her expressions are well chosen but then she never leaves off talking and though at first one may be amused one ends by being weary to death above all things she loves any assembly for settling the affairs of her kingdom for on those occasions she can talk and talk without fear of interruption but even then the moment it is over she is ready to begin again about anything as the case may be oh how glad I was to come away I cannot tell you the fairy smiled at Sylvia's un-fane disgust at her late experience but after allowing her a little time to recover she sent her to the court of the princess Cynthia where she left her for three months at the end of that time Sylvia came back to her with all the joy and contentment that one feels at being once more beside a dear friend the fairy as usual was anxious to hear what she thought of Cynthia who had always been amiable and to whom she had given the gift of pleasing I thought at first said Sylvia that she must be the happiest princess in the world she had a thousand lovers who vied with one another in their efforts to please and gratify her indeed I had nearly decided that I would ask a similar gift have you altered your mind then interrupted the fairy yes indeed madam replied Sylvia and I will tell you why the longer I stayed the more I saw that Cynthia was not really happy in her desire to please everyone she ceased to be sincere and degenerated into a mere coquette and even her lovers felt that the charms and fascinations which were exercised upon all who approached her without distinction was valueless so that in the end they ceased to care for them and went away disdainfully I am pleased with you child said the fairy enjoy yourself here for a while and presently you shall go to Felida Sylvia was glad to have leisure to think for she could not make up her mind at all what she should ask for herself and the time was drawing very near however before very long the fairy sent her to Felida and waited for her report with unabated interest I reached her court safely said Sylvia and she received me with much kindness and immediately began to exercise upon me that brilliant wit which you had bestowed upon her I confessed that I was fascinated by it and for a week thought that nothing could be more desirable the time passed like magic so great was the charm of her society but I ended by ceasing to covet that gift more than any of the others I have seen for like the gift of pleasing it cannot really give satisfaction by degrees I wearied of what had so delighted me at first especially as I perceived more and more plainly that it is impossible to be constantly smart and amusing without being frequently ill-natured and to act to turn all things even the most serious into mere occasions for a brilliant jest the fairy in her heart agreed with Sylvia's conclusions and felt pleased with herself for having brought her up so well but now the time was come for Sylvia to receive her gift and all her companions were assembled the fairy stood in the midst and in the usual manner asked what she would take with her into the great world Sylvia paused for a moment then answered, a quiet spirit and the fairy granted her request this lovely gift makes life a constant happiness to its possessor and to all who are brought into contact with her she has all the beauty of gentleness and contentment in her sweet face and if at times it seems less lovely through some chance grief or disquietude the hardest thing that one ever hears said Sylvia's dear face is pale today it grieves one to see her so and when on the contrary she is gay and joyful the sunshine of her presence rejoices all who have the happiness of being near her by the Comte de Kailas and of Fairy Gifts Part 8 Recording by Jadapi www.publicdomainaudiobooks.blogspot.com Section 9 of the Green Fairy Book This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by James O'Connor The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla Once upon a time there lived the king and queen who, though it is a very long while since they died were much the same in their tastes and pursuits as people nowadays The king who was called cloverleaf liked hunting better than anything else but he nevertheless bestowed as much care upon his kingdom as he felt equal to that is to say he never made an end of folding and unfolding the state documents As to the queen, she had once been very pretty and she liked to believe that she was so still which is of course always made quite easy for queens Her name was Frivola and her one occupation in life was the pursuit of amusement Frivols, masquerades, and picnics followed one another in rapid succession as fast as she could arrange them You may imagine that under these circumstances the kingdom was somewhat neglected As a matter of fact, if anyone had a fancy for a town or a province, he helped himself to it But as long as the king had his horses and dogs and the queen, her musicians and her actors they did not trouble themselves about the matter King cloverleaf and queen Frivola had but one child and this princess had from her very baby who had been so beautiful that by the time she was four years old the queen was desperately jealous of her and so fearful that when she was grown up she would be more admired than herself that she resolved to keep her hidden away out of sight To this end she caused a little house to be built not far beyond the palace gardens on the bank of a river This was surrounded by a high wall and in it the charming potentilla was imprisoned Her nurse, who was dumb, took care of her and the necessaries of life were conveyed to her through a little window in the wall While gods were always pacing to and fro outside with orders to cut off the head of anyone who tried to approach which they would certainly have done without thinking twice about it The queen told everyone with much pretend sorrow that the princess was so ugly and so troublesome and altogether so impossible to love that to keep her out of sight was the only thing that could be done for her and this tale she repeated so often that at last the whole court believed it Things were in this state and the princess was about fifteen years old when Prince Narcissus, attracted by the report of Queen Fervola's gay doings presented himself at the court He was not much older than the princess and was as handsome a prince as you would see in a day's journey and really for his age, not so very scatterbrained His parents were a king and queen whose story you will perhaps read some day They died almost at the same time leaving their kingdom to the eldest of their children and commending their youngest son, Prince Narcissus to the care of the fairy Melanette In this they did very well for him for the fairy was as kind as she was powerful and she spared no pains in teaching the little prince everything it was good for him to know and even imparted to him some of her own fairy lore But as soon as he was grown up she sent him out to see the world for himself though all the time she was secretly keeping watch over him ready to help in any time of need Before he started she gave him a ring which would render him invisible when he put it on his finger She's ring seemed to be quite common you must often have heard of them even if you have never seen one It was in the course of the prince's wanderings in search of experience of men and things that he came to the court of Queen Frivola where he was extremely well received The queen was delighted with him so were all her ladies and the king was very polite to him He did not see why the whole court was making such a fuss over him Prince Narcissus enjoyed all that went on and found the time pass very pleasantly Before long of course he heard the story about the prince's potentilla and as it had by that time been repeated many times and had been added to here and there she was represented as such a monster of ugliness that he was really quite curious to see her and resolved to avail himself of the magic power of his ring to accomplish his design So he made himself invisible and passed the god without there so much as suspecting that anyone was near Climbing the wall was rather a difficulty but when he at length found himself incited he was charmed with the peaceful beauty of the little domain it enclosed and still more delighted when he perceived a slender lovely maiden wandering among the flowers It was not until he had sought vainly for the imaginary monster that he realized that this was the princess herself and by that time he was deeply in love with her for indeed it would have been hard to find anyone prettier than potentilla As she sat by the brook weaving a garland of blue forget-me-nots to crown her waving golden locks It was more to imagine anything more gentle than the way she tended all the birds and beasts who inhabited her small kingdom and who all loved and followed her Prince Narcissus watched her every movement and hovered near her in a dream of delight not daring as yet to appear to her so humble had he suddenly become in her presence and when evening came and the nurse fetched the princess into her little house he felt obliged to go back to Frivolous Palace for fear his absence should be noticed and someone should discover his new treasure but he forgot that to go back absent and dreamy and indifferent when he had before been gay and ardent about everything was the surest way of awakening suspicion and when in response to the jesting questions which were put to him upon the subject he only blushed and returned evasive answers all the ladies were certain that he had lost his heart and did their utmost to discover who was the happy possessor of it as to the prince he was becoming day by day more attached to potentilla and his one thought was to attend her always invisible and help her in everything she did to guide her with everything that could possibly amuse a pleaser and the princess who had learnt to find diversion in very small things in her quiet life was in a continual state of delight over the treasures which the prince constantly laid where she must find them then Narcissus implored his faithful friend Melanette to send the princess such dreams of him as should make her recognize him as a friend when he actually appeared before her eyes and this device was so successful that the princess quite dreaded the cessation of these amusing dreams in which a certain prince Narcissus was such a delightful lover and companion after that he went a step further and began to have long talks with the princess still however keeping himself invisible until she begged him so earnestly to appear to her that he could no longer resist and after making a promise that no matter what he was like she would still love him he drew the ring from his finger and the princess saw with delight that he was as handsome as he was agreeable now indeed they were perfectly happy and they passed the whole long summer day until his favorite place by the brook and when at last Prince Narcissus had to leave her it seemed to them both that the hours had gone by with the most amazing swiftness the princess stayed where she was dreaming of her delightful prince and nothing could have been further from her thoughts than any trouble or misfortune when suddenly in a cloud of dust and shavings by came the enchanted Ramadan and unluckily he chanced to catch sight of potentilla down he came straight away and alighted at her feet and one look at her charming blue eyes and smiling lips quite decided him that he must appear to her at once though he was rather annoyed to remember that he had on only his second best cloak the princess sprang to her feet with a cry of terror at this sudden apparition for really the enchanter was no beauty to begin with he was very big and clumsy then he had but one eye and his teeth were long and he stammered badly nevertheless he had an excellent opinion of himself and mistook the princess's cry of terror for an exclamation of delighted surprise after pausing a moment to give her time to admire him the enchanter made of the most complimentary speech he could invent which however did not please her at all though he was extremely delighted within himself poor potentilla only shuddered and cried oh where is my Narcissus to which he replied with a self-satisfied chuckle you want a Narcissus madam well they are not rare you shall have as many as you like where upon he waved his wand and the princess found herself surrounded and half buried in the fragrant flowers she would certainly have betrayed that this was not the kind of Narcissus she wanted but for the fairy Melanette who had been anxiously watching the interview and now thought it quite time to interfere assuming the princess voice she whispered in potentilla's ear we are menaced by a great danger my only fear is for you, my princess therefore I beg you to hide what you really feel and we will hope that some way out of the difficulty may present itself the princess was much agitated by this speech and feared lest the enchanter should have overheard it but he had been loudly calling her attention to the flowers and chuckling over his own smartness and getting them farer it was rather a blow to him when she said very coley that they were not the sought she preferred and she would be glad if he would send them all away this he did but afterwards wished to kiss the princess's hand as a reward for having been so obliging but the fairy Melanette was not going to allow anything of that kind she appeared suddenly in all her splendor and cried hey grumadan, this princess is under my protection and the smallest impertinence will cost you a thousand years of captivity if you can win potentilla's heart by the ordinary methods I cannot oppose you but I warn you that I will not put up with any of your usual tricks this declaration was not at all to the enchanter's taste but he knew that there was no help for it he would have to behave well and pay the princess all the delicate attentions he could think of though they were not at all the sort of thing he was used to however he decided that to win such a beauty it was quite worthwhile and Melanette, feeling that she could now leave the princess in safety hurried off to tell Prince Narcissus what was going forward of course at the very mention of the enchanter as a rival he was furious but I don't know what foolish things he would not have done if Melanette had not been there to calm him down she represented to him what a powerful enchanter grumadan was and how, if he were provoked, he might avenge himself upon the princess since he was the most unjust and churlish of all the enchanters and had often before had to be punished by the fairy queen for some of his ill deeds once he had been imprisoned in a tree and was only released when it was blown down by a furious wind another time he was condemned to stay under a big stone at the bottom of a river until by some chance the stone should be turned over but nothing could ever really improve him the fairy finally made Narcissus promise that he would remain invisible when he was with the princess since she felt sure that this would make things easier for all of them then began a struggle between grumadan and the prince the latter under the name of Melanette as to which could best delight and divert the princess and win her approbation Prince Narcissus first made friends with all the birds in Potentilla's little domain and taught them to sing her name and her praises with all their sweetest trills and most touching melodies and all day long to tell her how dearly he loved her grumadan thereupon declared that there was nothing new about that since the birds had sung since the world began and all lovers had imagined that they sang for them alone therefore he said he would himself write an opera that should be absolutely a novelty and something worth hearing when the time came for the performance which lasted five weary hours the princess found to her dismay that the opera consisted of this more than indifferent verse chanted with all their might by ten thousand frogs Admiral Potentilla Do you think it kind or wise in this sudden way to kill a poor enchanter with your eyes? Bremen Bremen Really, if Narcissus had not been there to whisper in her ear and divert her attention I don't know what would have become of poor Potentilla for though the first repetition of this absurdity amused her faintly she nearly died of weariness before the time was over luckily grumadan did not perceive this as he was too much occupied in whipping up the frogs many of whom perished miserably from fatigue since he did not allow them to rest for a moment the princess next idea for Potentilla's amusement was to cause a fleet of boats exactly like those of Cleopatra of which you have doubtless read in history to come up the little river and upon the most gorgeously decorated these reclined the great queen herself who as soon as she reached the palace where Potentilla sat in rapt attention stepped majestically on shore and presented the princess with that celebrated pearl of which you have heard so much saying you are more beautiful than I ever was let my example warn you to make a better use of your beauty and then the little fleet sailed on until it was lost to view in the windings of the river grumadan was also looking on at the spectacle and said very contemptuously cannot say I think these marionettes amusing what it to do to make over a single pearl but if you like pearls madam why I will soon gratify you so saying he drew a whistle from his pocket and no sooner had he blown it than the princess saw the water of the river bubble and grow muddy and in another instant up came hundreds of thousands of great oysters who climbed slowly and laboriously towards her laid at her feet all the pearls they contained these are what I call pearls cried grumadan in high glee and truly there were enough of them to pave every path important to his garden and leave some to spare the next day Prince Narcissus had prepared for the princess's pleasure a charming arbor of leafy branches with couches of moss and grassy floor and garlands everywhere with her name written in different colored blossoms here he caused a dainty little banquet to be set forth while hidden musicians played softly and the silvery fountains flashed down into their model basins and when presently the music stopped a single nightingale broke the stillness with his delicious chant ah! cried the princess recognizing the voice of one of her favorites Philomel, my sweet one who taught you that new song and he answered love my princess meanwhile the enchanter was very ill-pleased with the entertainment which he declared was dullness itself you don't seem to have any idea in these pots beyond little squeaking birds, said he and fancy giving a banquet without so much as an ounce of plate so the next day when the princess went out into her garden there stood a summer house built of solid gold decorated within and without with her initials and the enchanters combined and in it was spread in an enormous repast while the tables so glittered with golden cups and plates wagons and dishes candlesticks and a hundred other things beside that it was hardly possible to look steadily at it the enchanter ate like six ogres but the princess could not touch a morsel presently Grumadan remarked with a grin I have provided neither musicians nor singers but as you've seen fond of music I will sing to you myself whereupon he began with a voice like a scree-chowl to chant the words of his opera only this time happily not at such a length and without the frog accompaniment after this the prince again asked the aid of his friends the birds when they had assembled from all the country round he tied about the neck of each one a tiny lamp of some brilliant color and when darkness fell he made them go through a hundred pretty tricks before the delighted potentilla who clapped her little hands with delight when she saw her own name traced in points of light against the dark trees or when the whole flock of sparks rose into bouquets of different colors like living flowers Grumadan leaning back in his armchair with one knee crossed over the other and his nose in the air looked on disdainfully oh, if you like fireworks, princess said he and the next night all the will of the wisps in the country came and danced on the plain which could be seen from the princess's windows and as she was looking out and rather enjoying the sight up sprang a frightful volcano pouring out smokin' flames which terrified her greatly to the intense amusement of the enchanter who laughed like a pack of wolves quarreling after this as many of the will of the wisps could get in crowded into potentilla's garden and by their light the tall yew trees danced minuets until the princess was weary and begged to be excused from looking at anything more that night but in spite of potentilla's efforts to behave politely to the tiresome old enchanter whom she detested he could not help seeing that he failed to please her and then he began to suspect very strongly that she must love someone else and that somebody besides Melanette was responsible for all the festivities he had witnessed so after much consideration he devised a plan for finding out the truth he went to the princess suddenly and announced that he was most unwillingly forced to leave her and had come to bid her farewell potentilla could scarcely hide her delight when she heard this and his back was hardly turned before she was in treating Prince Narcissus to make himself visible once more the poor prince had been getting quite thin with a variety in annoyance and was only too delighted to comply with her request they greeted one another rapturously and were just sitting down to talk over everything coasely and enjoy the enchanter's discomforture together when out he burst in a fury from behind a bush with his huge club he aimed a terrific blow at Narcissus which must certainly have killed him but for the adroitness of the fairy Melanette who arrived upon the scene just in time to snatch him up and carry him off at lightning speed to her castle in the air poor potentilla, however, had not the comfort of knowing this for at the sight of the enchanter threatening her beloved prince she had given one shriek and fallen back insensible when she recovered her senses she was more than ever convinced that he was dead since even Melanette was no longer near her and no one was left to defend her from the odious old enchanter to make matters worse he seemed to be in a very bad tipper and came blustering and raging at the poor princess I'll tell you what it is, madam said he whether you love this whippersnapper prince or not doesn't matter in the least you are going to marry me so you may as well make up your mind to it and I am going away this very minute to make all the arrangements but in case you should get into any mischief in my absence I think I had better put you to sleep so saying he waved his wand over her and in spite of her utmost efforts to keep awake she sank into a profound and dreamless slumber as he wished to make what he considered a suitable entry into the king's palace he stepped outside the princess's little domain and mounted upon an immense chariot with great solid wheels and shafts like the trunk of an oak tree but all of solid gold this was drawn with great difficulty by forty-eight strong oxen and the enchanter reclined a disease leaning upon his huge club and holding carelessly upon his knee a tawny African lion as if it had been a little lap dog it was about seven o'clock in the morning when this extraordinary chariot reached the palace gates and the king was already a stirrer and about to set off on a hunting expedition as for the queen she had only just gone off into her first sleep and it would have been a bold person indeed who ventured to wake her the king was greatly annoyed at having to stay and see a visitor at such a time and pulled off his hunting boots again with many grimaces meantime the enchanter was stomping about in the hall crying where is the king? let him be told that I must see him and his wife also the king who was listening at the top of the staircase thought this was not very polite however he took counsel with his favorite huntsman and following his advice presently went down to see what was wanted of him he was struck with astonishment at the sight of the chariot and was gazing at it when the enchanter strode up to him exclaiming shake hands clover leaf old fellow don't you know me? no, I can't say I do replied the king somewhat embarrassed why I am Grumadan the enchanter said he and I have come to make your fortune let us come in and talk things over a bit there upon he ordered the oxen to go about their business they bounded off like stags and were out of sight in a moment then with one blow of his club he changed the massive chariot into a perfect mountain of gold pieces those of Feolaki said he to the king that they may drink my help naturally a great scramble ensued and at last the laughter and shouting awoke the queen who rang for her maids to ask the reason of such an unwanted hurly burly when they said that a visitor was asking for her and then proceeded each one to tell breathlessly a different tale of wonder in which she could only distinguish the words oxen, gold, club, giant, lion she thought they were all out of their minds meanwhile the king was asking the enchanter to what he was indebted for the honour of this visit and on his replying that he would not say until the queen was also present messenger after messenger was dispatched to her to beg her immediate attendance but Frivola was in a very bad humour at having been so unceremoniously awakened and declared that she had a pain in her little finger and that nothing should induce her to come when the enchanter heard this he insisted that she must come take my club to her majesty said he and tell her that if she smells the end of it she will find it wonderfully reviving so four of the king's strongest minute arms staggered off with it and after some persuasion the queen consented to try this novel remedy she had hardly smelled it for an instant when she declared herself to be perfectly restored but whether that was due to the scent of the wood or to the fact that as soon as she touched it out fell a perfect shower of magnificent jewels I leave you to decide at any rate she was now all eagerness to see the mysterious stranger and hastily throwing on her royal mantle popped her second best diamond crown over her nightcap put a liberal dab of rouge upon each cheek and holding up her largest fan before her nose where she was not used to appearing in broad daylight she went mincing into the great hall the enchanter waited until the king and queen had seated themselves upon their throne and then taking his place between them he began solemnly my name is Grummanon I am an extremely well connected enchanter my power is immense in spite of all this the charms of your daughter Potentilla have so fascinated me that I cannot live without her she fancies that she loves a certain contemptible puppy called Narcissus but I have made very short work with him I really do not care whether you consent to my marriage with your daughter or not but I am bound to ask your consent on account of a certain meddling fairy called Melanette with whom I have reason for wishing to keep on good terms the king and queen was somewhat embarrassed to know what answer to make to this terrible suitor but at last they asked for time to talk over the matter since they said their subjects might think that the heir to the throne should not be married with as little consideration as a dairymaid oh take a day or two if you like said the enchanter but in the meantime I'm going to send for your daughter perhaps you will be able to induce her to be reasonable so saying he drew out his favorite whistle and blew one ear piercing note whereupon the great lion who had been dozing in the sunny courtyard came bounding in on his soft heavy feet Orion said the enchanter go and fetch me the princess and bring her here at once he jettled now at these words Orion went off at a great pace and was soon at the other end of the king's gardens scattering the gods right and left he cleared the wall at a bound and seizing the sleeping princess he threw her on to his back where he kept her by holding her robe in his teeth then he trotted gently back and in less than five minutes stood in the great hall before the astonished king and queen the enchanter held his club close to the princess's charming little nose whereupon she woke up and shrieked with terror at finding herself in a strange place with the detested gromadan Bravola who had stood by stiff with displeasure at the sight of the lovely princess now stepped forward and with much pretend concern proposed to carry off Potentiller to her own apartments that she might enjoy the quiet she seemed to need really her one idea was to let the princess be seen by as few people as possible so throwing a veil over her head she led her away and locked her up securely all this time Prince Narcissus loomy and despairing was kept a prisoner by Melanet in her castle in the air and in spite of all the splendor by which he was surrounded and all the pleasures which he might have enjoyed his one thought was to get back to Potentiller the fairy however left him there promising to do her very best for him and commanding all her swallows and butterflies to wait upon him and do his bidding one day as he paced sadly to and fro he thought he heard a voice he knew calling to him and sure enough there was the faithful Philomel Potentiller's favorite who told him all that had passed and how the sleeping princess had been carried off by the lion to the great grief of all her forefooted and feathered subjects and how not knowing what to do he had wandered about until he heard the swallows telling one another of the prince who was in their airy castle and had come to see if it could be Narcissus the prince was more distracted than ever and tried vainly to escape from the castle by leaping from the roof into the clouds but every time they caught him and rolling softly up brought him back to the place from which he started so at last he gave up the attempt and waited with desperate patience for the return of Melanet meanwhile matters were advancing rapidly in the court of King Cloverleaf for the queen quite made up her mind that such a beauty as Potentiller must be got out of the way as quickly as possible so she sent for the enchanter secretly and after making him promise that he would never turn herself and King Cloverleaf out of their kingdom and that he would take Potentiller far away so that never again might she set eyes upon her she arranged the wedding for the next day but one you may imagine how Potentiller lamented her sad fate and entreated to be spared all the comfort she could get out of Frivola was if she preferred a cup of poison to a rich husband she would certainly provide her with one when then the fatal day came the unhappy Potentiller was led into the great hall between the king and queen the latter wild with envy at the murmurs of admiration which rose on all sides at the loveliness of the princess an instant later in came Grumadan by the opposite door his hair stood on end and he wore a huge bag purse and a cravat tied in a bowl his mantle was made of a shower of silver coins with a lining of rose color and his delight at his own appearance knew no bounds that any princess could prefer a cup of poison to himself never for an instant occurred to him nevertheless that was what did happen for when Queen Frivola in jest held out the fatal cup to the princess she took it eagerly, frying ah, beloved Narcissus, I come to thee and was just raising it to her lips when the window of the great hall burst open and the fairy Melanette floated in upon a glowing sunset cloud followed by the prince himself all the court looked on in dazzled surprise while Potentiller catching sight of her lover dropped the cup and ran joyfully to meet him the enchanter's first thought was to defend himself when he saw Melanette appear but she slipped round his blind side and catching him by the eyelashes dragged him off to the ceiling of the hall where she held him kicking for a while just to give him a lesson and then touching him with their wand she imprisoned him for a thousand years on the wall which hung from the roof let this teach you to mind what I tell you another time she remarked severely then turning to the king and queen she begged them to proceed with the wedding since she had provided a much more suitable bridegroom she also deprived them of their kingdom but they had really shown themselves unfit to manage it and bestowed it upon the prince and princess though they were unwilling to take it had no choice but to obey the fairy however they took care that the king and queen were always supplied with everything they could wish for Prince Narcissus and Princess Potentiller lived long and happily beloved by all their subjects as for the enchanter I don't believe he has been let out yet La Princesse Pimpernella a la Prince Romaran End of Section 9 of the Green Fairy Book Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentiller Recording by James O'Connor Randolph, Massachusetts December, 2010 Section 10 of the Green Fairy Book This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Natalie Myers The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang Prince Featherhead and the Princess Selendine Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who were the best creatures in the world and so kind-hearted that they could not bear to see their subjects want for anything The consequence was that they gradually gave away all their treasures till they positively had nothing left to live upon and this coming to the ears of their neighbor King Bruin he promptly raised a large army and marched into their country The poor king having no means of defending his kingdom was forced to disguise himself with a false beard and carrying his only son the little prince Featherhead in his arms and accompanied only by the queen to make the best of his way into the wild country They were lucky enough to escape the soldiers of King Bruin and at last after unheard of fatigues and adventures they found themselves in a charming green valley through which flowed a stream clear as crystal and overshadowed by beautiful trees As they looked round them with delight a voice said suddenly Fish and see what you will catch Now the king had always loved fishing and never went anywhere without a fish hook or two in his pocket so he drew one out hastily and the queen lent him her girdle to fasten it to and it had hardly touched the water before it caught a big fish which made them an excellent meal and not before they needed it for they had found nothing until then but a few wild berries and roots They thought that for the present they could not do better than stay in this delightful place and the king set to work and soon built a bower of branches to shelter them and when it was finished the queen was so charmed with it that she declared nothing was lacking to complete her happiness but a flock of sheep which she and the little prince might tend while the king fished They soon found that the fish were not only abundant and easily caught but also very beautiful with glittering scales of every imaginable hue and before long the king discovered that he could teach them to talk and whistle better than any parrot Then he determined to carry some to the nearest town and try to sell them and as no one had ever before seen any like them the people flocked about him eagerly and bought all he had caught so that presently not a house in the city was considered complete without a crystal bowl full of fish and the king's customers were very particular about having them to match the rest of the furniture and gave him a vast amount of trouble in choosing them However, the money he obtained in this way enabled him to buy the queen her flock of sheep as well as many of the other things which go to make life pleasant so that they never once regretted their lost kingdom Now it happened that the fairy of the beech woods lived in the lovely valley to which chance had led the poor fugitives and it was she who had, in pity for their forlorn condition sent the king such good luck to his fishing and generally taken them under her protection This she was all the more inclined to do as she loved children and little Prince Featherhead who never cried and grew prettier day by day quite won her heart She made the acquaintance of the king and the queen without at first letting them know that she was a fairy and they soon took a great fancy to her and even trusted her with the precious prince whom she carried off to her palace where she regaled him with cakes and tarts and every other good thing This was the way she chose of making him fond of her But afterwards, as he grew older she spared no pains in educating and training him as a prince should be trained But unfortunately, in spite of all her care he grew so vain and frivolous that he quitted his peaceful country life in disgust and rushed eagerly after all the foolish gayities of the neighboring town where his handsome face and charming manners speedily made him popular The king and queen deeply regretted this alteration in their son but did not know how to mend matters since the good old fairy had made him so self-willed Just at this time the fairy of the Beech Woods received a visit from an old friend of hers called Seridine who rushed into her house so breathless with rage that she could hardly speak Dear, dear, what is the matter? said the fairy of the Beech Woods soothingly The matter! cried Seridine You shall soon hear all about it You know that not content with endowing Seridine Princess of the summer islands with everything she could desire to make her charming I actually took the trouble to bring her up myself And now what does she do? but come to me with more coaxings and caresses than usual to beg a favor And what do you suppose this favor turns out to be when I have been cajoled into promising to grant it? Nothing more nor less than a request that I will take back all my gifts since, says my young madam If I have the good fortune to please you how am I to know that it is really I, myself and that's how it will be all my life long whenever I meet anybody You see what a weariness my life will be to me under these circumstances and yet I assure you I am not ungrateful to you all your kindness I did all I could continued Seridine to make her think better of it but in vain so after going through the usual ceremony for taking back my gifts I've come to you for a little peace and quietness but after all I have not taken anything of consequence from this provoking Seridine nature had already made her so pretty and given her such a ready wit of her own that she will do perfectly well without me however I thought she deserved a little lesson so to begin with I have whisked her off into the desert and there left her What? All alone? and without any means of existence? cried the kind-hearted old fairy You would better hand her over to me I don't think so very badly of her after all I'll just cure her vanity by making her love someone better than herself Really? When I come to consider of it I declare the little minx has shown more spirit and originality in the matter than one expects of a princess Seridine willingly consented to this arrangement and the old fairy's first care was to smooth away all the difficulties which surrounded the princess and lead her by the mossy path over hung with trees to the bower of the king and queen who still pursued their peaceful life in the valley They were immensely surprised at her appearance but her charming face and the deplorably ragged condition to which the thorns and briars had reduced her once elegant attire speedily won their compassion They recognized her as a companion in misfortune and the queen welcomed her heartily and begged her to share their simple repast Serendine gracefully accepted their hospitality and soon told them what had happened to her The king was charmed with her spirit while the queen thought she had indeed been daring thus to go against the fairy's wishes Since it has ended in my meeting you said the princess I cannot regret the step I have taken and if you will let me stay with you I shall be perfectly happy The king and queen were only too delighted to have this charming princess to supply the place of Prince Featherhead whom they saw but seldom since the fairy had provided him with the palace in the neighboring town where he lived in the greatest luxury and did nothing but amuse himself from morning to night So Serendine stayed and helped the queen to keep house and very soon they loved her dearly When the fairy of the Beachwoods came to them they presented the princess to her and told her story little thinking that the fairy knew more about Serendine than they did The old fairy was equally delighted with her and often invited her to visit her leafy palace which was the most enchanting place that could be imagined and full of treasures Often she would say to the princess when showing her some wonderful thing this will do for a wedding gift some day and Serendine could not help thinking it was to her that the fairy meant to give the two blue wax torches which burned without ever getting smaller or the diamonds from which more diamonds were continually growing or the boat that sailed underwater or whatever beautiful or wonderful thing they might happen to be looking at it is true that she never said so positively but she certainly allowed the princess to believe it because she thought a little disappointment would be good for her but the person she really relied upon for curing Serendine of her vanity was Prince Featherhead The old fairy was not at all pleased with the way he had been going on for some time but her heart was so soft towards him that she was unwilling to take him away from the pleasures he loved except by offering him something better which is not the most effectual mode of correction though it is without doubt the most agreeable however she did not even hint to the princess that Featherhead was anything but absolutely perfect and talked of him so much that when at last she announced that he was coming to visit her Serendine made up her mind that this delightful prince would be certain to fall in love with her at once and was quite pleased at the idea The old fairy thought so too but as this was not at all what she wished she took care to throw such an enchantment over the princess that she appeared to Featherhead quite ugly and awkward though to everyone else she looked just as usual so when he arrived at the leafy palace more handsome and fascinating even than ever she had been led to expect he hardly so much as glanced at the princess but bestowed all his attention upon the old fairy to whom he seemed to have a hundred things to say the princess was immensely astonished at his indifference and put on a cold and offended air which however he did not seem to observe then as a last resource she exerted all her wit and gaiety to amuse him but with no better success for he was of an age to be more attracted by beauty than by anything else and though he responded politely enough it was evident that his thoughts were elsewhere Selendine was deeply mortified since for her part the prince pleased her very well and for the first time she bitterly regretted the fairy gift she had been anxious to get rid of Prince Featherhead was almost equally puzzled for he had heard nothing from the king and queen but the praises of this charming princess and the fact that they had spoken of her so very beautiful only confirmed his opinion that the people who live in the country have no taste he talked to them of his charming acquaintances in the town the beauties he had admired did admire or thought he was going to admire until Selendine who heard it all was ready to cry with vexation the fairy too was quite shocked at his conceit and hid upon a plan for curing him of it she sent to him by an unknown messenger a portrait of Princess Selendine as she really was with this inscription all this beauty and sweetness with a loving heart and a great kingdom might have been yours but for your well-known fickleness this message made a great impression upon the prince but not so much as the portrait he positively could not tear his eyes away from it and exclaimed aloud that never, never had he seen anything so lovely and so graceful then he began to think that it was too absurd that he, the fascinating feather head should fall in love with a portrait and to drive away the recollections of its haunting eyes he rushed back to the town but somehow everything seemed changed the beauties no longer pleased him their witty speeches had ceased to amuse and indeed for their parts they found the prince far less amiable than of your and were not sorry when he declared that after all a country life suited him best and went back to the leafy palace meanwhile the Princess Selendine had been finding the time past but slowly with the king and queen and was only too pleased when feather head reappeared she had once noticed the change in him and was deeply curious to find the reason of it far from avoiding her he now sought her company and seemed to take pleasure in talking to her and yet the Princess did not for a moment flatter herself with the idea that he was in love with her though it did not take her long to decide that he certainly loved someone but one day the Princess wandering sadly by the river spied Prince Featherhead fast asleep in the shade of a tree and stole nearer to enjoy the delight of gazing at his dear face unobserved judge of her astonishment when she saw that he was holding in his hand a portrait of herself in vain did she puzzle over the apparent contradictoryness of his behavior why did he cherish her portrait while he was so fatally indifferent to herself at last she found an opportunity of asking him the name of the Princess picture he carried about with him always alas how can I tell you replied he why should you not said the Princess timidly surely there is nothing to prevent you nothing to prevent me repeated he when my utmost efforts have failed to discover the lovely original should I be so sad if I could but find her but I do not even know her name more surprised than ever the Princess asked to be allowed to see the portrait and after examining it for a few minutes returned it remarking shyly that at least the original had every cause to be satisfied with it that means that you consider it flattered said the Prince severely really Selendine I thought better of you I should have expected you to be above such contemptible jealousy but all women are alike indeed I meant only that it was a good likeness said the Princess meekly then you know the original cried the Prince throwing himself on his knees beside her pray tell me at once who it is and don't keep me in suspense oh don't you see that it is meant for me cried Selendine the Prince sprang to his feet hardly able to refrain from telling her that she must be blinded by vanity just suppose she resembled the lovely portrait even in the slightest degree and after gazing at her for an instant with icy surprise turned and left her without another word and in a few hours quitted the leafy palace all together now the Princess was indeed unhappy and could no longer bear to stay in a place where she had been so cruelly disdained so without even bidding farewell to the King and Queen she left the valley behind her and wandered sadly away not caring with her after walking until she was weary she saw before her a tiny house and turned her slow steps towards it the nearer she approached the more miserable it appeared and at length she saw a little old woman sitting upon the doorstep who said grimly here comes one of these fine beggars who are too idle to do anything but run about the country alas madam said Selendine with tears in her pretty eyes a sad fate forces me to ask you for shelter didn't I tell you what it would be? growl the old hag from shelter we shall proceed to demand supper and from supper money to take us on our way upon my word if I could be sure finding someone every day whose head was as soft as his heart I wouldn't wish for a more agreeable life myself but I have worked hard to build my house and secure a morsel to eat and I suppose you think that I am to give away everything to the first passerby who chooses to ask for it not at all I wager that a fine lady like you has more money than I have I must search her and see if it is not so she added hobbling towards Selendine alas madam replied the princess I only wish I had I would give it to you with all the pleasure in life but you are very smartly dressed for the kind of life you lead continued the old woman what? cried the princess do you think I am come to beg of you I don't know about that answered she but at any rate I am to bring me anything but what is it that you do want shelter well that does not cost much but after that comes supper and that I can't hear of oh dear no why at your age one is always ready to eat and now you have been walking and I suppose you are ravenous indeed no madam answered the poor princess I am too sad to be hungry oh well if you will promise to go on being sad you may stay for the night said the old woman mockingly there upon she made the princess sit down beside her and began fingering her silk and robe while she muttered lace on top lace underneath this must have cost you a pretty penny it would have been better to save enough to feed yourself and not come begging to those who want to sell themselves pray what may you have paid for these fine clothes alas madam answered the princess I did not buy them and I know nothing about money what do you know if I may ask said the old dame not much but indeed I am very unhappy cried selendine bursting into tears services interrupted the hag crossley one has to pay for services and I am not above doing my own work madam I will serve you for nothing said the poor princess whose spirits were seeking lower and lower I will do anything you please all I wish is to live quietly in this lonely spot oh I know you are only trying to take me in answered she I do let you serve me is it fitting that you should be so much better dressed I am if I keep you will you give me your clothes and wear some that I will provide you with it is true that I am getting old and may want someone to take care of me someday oh for pity's sake do what you please with my clothes cried poor selendine miserably and the old woman hobbled off with great alacrity fetched a little bundle containing a wretched dress such as the princess had never even seen before and nimbly skipped round helping her to put it on instead of her own rich robe with many explanations of saints what a magnificent lining and the width of it it will make me four dresses at least why child I wonder you could walk under such a weight and certainly in my house you would not have had room to turn round so saying she folded up the robe and put it by with great care while she remarked to selendine that dress of mine certainly suits you to a marvel be sure you take great care of it when supper time came she went into the house declining all the princesses offers of assistance and shortly afterwards brought out a very small dish saying now let us up whereupon she handed Selendine a small piece of black bread and uncovered the dish which contained two dried plums we will have one between us continued the old dame and as you are the visitor you shall have the half which contains the stone but be very careful that you don't swallow it for I keep them against the winter and you have no idea what a good fire they make now you take my advice which won't cost you anything and remember it is always more economical to buy fruit with stones on this account selendine absorbed in her own sad thoughts did not even hear this prudence council and quite forgot to eat her share of the plum which delighted the old woman who put it by carefully for her breakfast saying I am very much pleased with you and if you go on as you have begun we shall do very well and I can teach you many useful things which people don't generally know for instance look at my house it is built entirely of the seeds of all the pears I have eaten in my life now most people throw them away and that only shows what a number of things are wasted for want of a little patience and ingenuity but selendine did not find it possible to be interested in this and similar pieces of advice and the old woman soon centered bed for fear the night air might give her an appetite she passed a sleepless night but in the morning the old day remarked I heard how well you slept after such a night you cannot want any breakfast so while I do my household tasks you would better stay in bed since the more one sleeps the less one needs to eat and as it is market day I will go to town and buy a penny worth of bread for the week's eating and so she chattered on but poor selendine did not hear or heed her she wandered out into the desolate country to think over her sad fate however the good fairy of the beach woods did not want her to be starved so she sent her an unlooked for relief in the shape of a beautiful white cow when the old woman saw it her joy knew no bounds now we can have milk and cheese and butter cried she ah how good milk is what a pity it is so ruinously expensive so they made a little shelter of branches for the beautiful creature which was quite gentle and followed selendine about like a dog when she took it out every day to graze one morning as she sat by a little brook thinking sadly she suddenly saw a young stranger approaching and got up quickly and tending to avoid him but Prince Featherhead for it was he perceiving her at the same moment rushed towards her with every demonstration of joy for he had recognized her not as the selendine who he had slighted but as the lovely princess whom he had sought vainly for so long the fact was that the fairy of the beach woods thinking she had been punished enough had withdrawn the enchantment from her and transferred it to Featherhead thereby in an instant depriving him of the good looks which had done so much towards making him the fickle creature he was throwing himself down at the princess's feet he implored her to stay and at least speak to him and she at last consented but only because he seemed to wish it so very much that he came every day in the hope of meeting her again and often expressed his delight at being with her but one day when he had been begging Selendine to love him she confided to him that it was quite impossible since her heart was already entirely occupied by another I have said she the unhappiness of loving a prince who was fickle frivolous proud incapable of caring for anyone but himself who has been spoiled by flattery and to crown all who does not love me but cried Prince Featherhead surely you cannot care for so contemptible and worthless a creature as that alas but I do care answered the princess weeping but where can his eyes be said the prince that your beauty makes no impression upon him as for me since I have possessed your portrait I have wandered over the whole world to find you and now we have met I see that you are ten times lovelier than I could have imagined and I would give all I own to win your love my portrait cried Selendine with sudden interest is it possible that Prince Featherhead can have parted with it he would part with his life sooner lovely princess answered he I can assure you of that for I am Prince Featherhead at the same moment the fairy of the beach woods took away the enchantment and the happy princess recognized her lover now truly hers for the trials they had both undergone had so changed and improved them that they were capable of a real love for each other you may imagine how perfectly happy they were and how much they had to hear and to tell but at length it was time to go back to the little house and as they went along Selendine remembered for the first time what a ragged old dress she was wearing and what an odd appearance she must present but the Prince declared that it became her vastly and that he thought it most picturesque when they reached the house the old woman received them very crossly I declare said she that it's perfectly true wherever there is a girl you may be sure that a young man will appear before long but don't imagine that I'm going to have you here not a bit of it be off with you my fine fellow Prince Featherhead was inclined to be angry at this uncivil reception but he was really too happy to care much so he only demanded on Selendine's behalf that the old dame should give her back her own attire that she might go away suitably dressed this request roused her to fury since she had counted upon the Princess's fine robes to clothe her for the rest of her life so that it was some time before the Prince could make himself heard to explain that he was willing to pay for them the sight of a handful of gold pieces somewhat mollified her however and after making them both promise faithfully that on no consideration would they ask for the gold back again she took the Princess into the house and grudgingly doled out to her just enough of her gay attire to make her presentable while the rest she pretended to have lost after this they found that they were very hungry for one cannot live on love any more than on air and then the old woman's lamentations were louder than before what she cried feed people who were as happy as all that why it was simply ruinous but as the Prince began to look angry she with many sighs and mutterings brought out a morsel of bread a bowl of milk and six plums with which the lovers were well content for as long as they could look at one another they really did not know what they were eating it seemed as if they would go on forever with their reminiscences the Prince telling how he had wandered all over the world from beauty to beauty always to be disappointed when he found that no one resembled the portrait the Princess wondering how it was he could have been so long with her and yet never have recognized her and over and over again pardoning him for his cold and haughty behavior to her for she said you see feather head I love you and love makes everything right but we cannot stay here she added what are we to do the Prince thought they had better find their way to the fairy of the Beachwoods and put themselves once more under her protection and they had hardly agreed upon this course when two little chariots Reeds with jasmine and honeysuckle suddenly appeared and stepping into them they were whirled away to the leafy palace just before they lost sight of the little house they heard loud cries and limitations from the miserly old dame and looking round perceived that the beautiful cow was vanishing in spite of her frantic efforts to hold it fast and they afterwards heard that she spent the rest of her life in trying to put the handful of gold the Prince had thrown to her into her money bag for the fairy as a punishment for her avarice caused it to slip out again as fast as she dropped it in the fairy of the Beachwoods round to welcome the Prince and Princess with open arms only two delighted to find them so much improved that she could with a clear conscience begin to spoil them again very soon the fairy seredine also arrived bringing the king and queen with her Princess Selendine implored her pardon which she graciously gave indeed the princess was so charming she could refuse her nothing she also restored to her the summer islands and promised her protection in all things the fairy of the Beachwoods then informed the king and queen that their subjects had chased King Bruin from the throne and were waiting to welcome them back again but they had once abdicated in favor of Prince Featherhead declaring that nothing could induce them to forsake their peaceful life and the fairies undertook to see the Prince and Princess established in their beautiful kingdoms their marriage took place the next day and they lived happily ever afterwards for Selendine was never vain and Featherhead was never fickle any more end of Prince Featherhead and Princess Selendine recorded by Natalie Myers Please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Nathalie Descartes-Boulets The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang The Three Little Pigs There was once upon a time a pig who lived with her three children on her large, comfortable, old-fashioned farmyard The eldest of the little pigs was called Brownie the second whitey and the youngest and best looking Blackie Now Brownie was a very dirty little pig and I am sorry to say spent most of his time rolling and wallowing about in the mud He was never so happy as on a wet day when the mud in the farmyard got soft and thick and slab then he would still away from his mother's side and finding the muddiest place in the yard would roll about in it and thoroughly enjoy himself His mother often found fault with him for this and would shake her head sadly and say Brownie, someday you will be sorry that you did not obey your old mother but no words of advice or warning could cure Brownie of his bad habits Whitey was quite a clever little pig but she was greedy She was always thinking of her food and looking forward to her dinner and when the farm girl was seen carrying the paddles across the yard she would rise up on her hind legs and dance and caper with excitement As soon as the food was poured into the trough she just told Blackie and Brownie out of the way in her eagerness to get the best and biggest bits for herself Her mother often scolded her for her selfishness and told her that someday she would suffer for being so greedy and grabbing Blackie was a good, nice little pig neither dirty nor greedy He had nice dainty ways for a pig and his skin was always as smooth and shining as black satin He was much cleverer than Brownie and Whitey and his mother's heart used to swell with pride when she heard the farmer's friends say to each other that someday the little black fellow would be a prize pig Now the time came when the mother pig felt old and feeble and near her end One day she called the three little pigs round her and said My children, I feel that I am growing old and weak and that I shall not live long Before I die I should like to build a house for each of you as this dear old style in which we have lived so happily will be given to a new family of pigs and you will have to turn out Now Brownie, what sort of a house would you like to have? A house of mud, replied Brownie looking longingly at a wet puddle in the corner of the yard And you Whitey said the mother pig in rather a sad voice for she was disappointed that Brownie had made so foolish a choice of cabbage and said Whitey with a mouthful and scarcely raising her snout out of the trough in which she was grabbing for some potato pairings Foolish, foolish child said the mother pig looking quite distressed And you Plucky turning to her youngest son what sort of a house shall I order for you? A house of brick please mother as it will be warm in winter and cool in summer and safe all the year round A sensible little pig replied his mother looking fondly at him I will see that the three houses are got ready at once and now one last piece of advice you have heard me talk of our old enemy the fox when he hears that I am dead he is sure to try and get hold of you to carry you off to his den he is very sly and will no doubt disguise himself and pretend to be a friend but you must promise me not to let him enter your houses on any pretext whatever and the little pigs readily promised for they had always had a great fear of the fox of whom they had heard many terrible tales the short time afterwards the old pig died and the little pigs went to live in their own houses brownie was quite delighted with his soft mud walls and with the clay floor which soon looked like nothing but a big mud pie but that was what brownie enjoyed and he was as happy as possible rolling about all day and making himself in such a mess one day as he was lying half asleep in the mud he heard a soft knock at his door and a gentle voice said may I come in master brownie I want to see your beautiful new house who are you said brownie starting up in a great fright for though the voice sounded gentle he felt sure it was a faint voice and he feared it was the fox I am a friend come to call on you answered the voice no no replied brownie I don't believe you are a friend you are the wicked fox against whom our mother warned us I won't let you in oh is that the way you answer me said the fox speaking very roughly in his natural voice we shall soon see who is master here and with his paws he said to work and scraped a large hole in the soft mud walls a moment later he had jumped through it and catching brownie by the neck flung him on his shoulders and trotted off with him to his den the next day as white he was munching a few leaves of cabbage out of the corner of her house the fox stole up to her door determined to carry her off to join her brother in his den he began speaking to her in the same faint gentle voice in which he had spoken to brownie but it frightened her very much a friend come to visit you and to have some of your good cabbage for my dinner please don't touch it cried whitey in great distress the cabbages are the walls of my house and if you eat them you will make a hole and the wind and rain will come in and give me a cold do go away I am sure you are not a friend but our wicked enemy the fox and poor whitey began to whine and to whimper and to wish that she had not been such a greedy little pig and had chosen a more solid material than cabbages for her house but it was too late now and in another minute the fox had eaten his way through the cabbage walls and had caught the trembling shivering whitey and carried her off to his den the next day the fox started off for black his house because he had made up his mind that he would get the three little pigs together in his den and then kill them and invite all his friends to a feast but when he reached the break house he found that the door was bolted and barred so in his sly manner he began do let me in dear Plackey I have brought you a present of some eggs that I picked up in a farm yard on my way here no no Mr Fox replied Plackey I am not going to open my door to you I know your cunning ways you have carried off poor browny and whitey but you are not going to get me at this the fox was so angry that he dashed with all his force against the wall and tried to knock it down but it was too strong and well built and though the fox scraped and tore at the bricks with his paws he only hurt himself and at last he had to give it up and limp away with his forepaws all bleeding and sore never mind he cried angrily as he went off I'll catch you another day see if I don't and won't I grind your bones to powder when I have got you in my den he snarled fiercely and showed his teeth next day Plackey had to go into the neighboring town to do some marketing and to buy a pig kettle as he was walking home with it slung over his shoulder he heard a sound of steps stealthily creeping after him for a moment his heart stood still with fear and then a happy thought came to him he had just reached the top of a hill and could see his own little house nestling at the foot of it among the trees in a moment he had snatched the lid off the kettle and had jumped in himself coiling himself round he lay quite snug in the bottom of the kettle while with his foreleg he managed to put the lid on so that he was entirely hidden with a little kick from the inside he started the kettle off and down the hill it rolled full tilt and when the fox came up all that he saw was a large black kettle spinning over the ground at a great pace very much disappointed he was just going to turn away when he saw the kettle stop closed to the little brick house and in a moment later blackie jumped out of it and escaped with the kettle into the house where he barred and bolted the door and put the shutter up over the window oh oh exclaimed the fox to himself you think you will escape me that way do you we shall soon see about that my friend and very quietly and stealthily he prowled round the house looking for some way to climb on to the roof in the meantime blackie had filled the kettle with water and having put it on the fire sat down quietly waiting for it to boil just as the kettle was beginning to sing and steam to come out of the spout he heard a sound like a soft muffled step patter patter patter overhead and the next moment the fox's head and forepaws were seen coming down the chimney but blackie very wisely had not put the lid on the kettle and with a yelp of pain the fox fell into the boiling water and before he could escape blackie had popped the lid on and the fox was called it to death as soon as he was sure that their wicked enemy was really dead and could do them no further harm blackie started off to rescue brownie and whitey as he approached the den he heard piteous grunts and squeals from his poor little brother and sister who lived in constant terror of the fox keening and eating them but when they saw blackie appear at the entrance to the den their joy knew no bounds he quickly found a sharp stone and cut the coals by which they were tied to a stake in the ground and then all three started off together for blackie's house where they lived happily ever after and brownie quite gave up rolling in the mud and whitey seized to be greedy and never forgot how nearly these folds had brought them to an untimely end end of the three little pigs