PART III
"What pool--and what red berries?" asked the second nightingale.
"Why, my dear," said the first, "is it possible you don't know about thepool where the red berries grow--the pool where the poor, dear PrincessGoldenhair met with her misfortune?"
"Never heard of it," said the second nightingale, rather crossly.
"Well," explained the other, "you have to follow the brook for a day andthree-quarters, and then take all the paths to the left until you come tothe pool. It is very ugly and muddy, and bushes with red berries on themgrow around it."
"Well, what of that?" said her companion; "and what happened to thePrincess Goldenhair?"
"Don't you know that, either?" exclaimed her friend.
"No."
"Ah!" said the first nightingale, "it was very sad. She went out with herfather, the King, who had a hunting party; and she lost her way, andwandered on until she came to the pool. Her poor little feet were so hotthat she took off her gold-embroidered satin slippers, and put them intothe water--her feet, not the slippers--and the next minute they began togrow and grow, and to get larger and larger, until they were so immenseshe could hardly walk at all; and though all the physicians in thekingdom have tried to make them smaller, nothing can be done, and she isperfectly unhappy."
"What a pity she doesn't know about this pool!" said the other bird. "Ifshe just came here and bathed them three times in the water, they wouldbe smaller and more beautiful than ever, and she would be more lovelythan she has ever been."
"It is a pity," said her companion; "but, you know, if we once let peopleknow what this water will do, we should be overrun with creatures bathingthemselves beautiful, and trampling our moss and tearing down ourrose-trees, and we should never have any peace."
"That is true," agreed the other.
Very soon after they flew away, and Fairyfoot was left alone. He had beenso excited while they were talking that he had been hardly able to liestill. He was so sorry for the Princess Goldenhair, and so glad forhimself. Now he could find his way to the pool with the red berries, andhe could bathe his feet in it until they were large enough to satisfyStumpinghame; and he could go back to his father's court, and his parentswould perhaps; be fond of him. But he had so good a heart that he couldnot think of being happy himself and letting others remain unhappy, whenhe could help them. So the first thing was to find the PrincessGoldenhair and tell her about the nightingales' fountain. But how was heto find her? The nightingales had not told him. He was very muchtroubled, indeed. How was he to find her?
Suddenly, quite suddenly, he thought of the ring Gauzita had given him.When she had given it to him she had made an odd remark.
"When you wish to go anywhere," she had said, "hold it in your hand, turnaround twice with closed eyes, and something queer will happen."
He had thought it was one of her little jokes, but now it occurred to himthat at least he might try what would happen. So he rose up, held thering in his hand, closed his eyes, and turned around twice.
What did happen was that he began to walk, not very fast, but stillpassing along as if he were moving rapidly. He did not know where he wasgoing, but he guessed that the ring did, and that if he obeyed it, heshould find the Princess Goldenhair. He went on and on, not getting inthe least tired, until about daylight he found himself under a greattree, and on the ground beneath it was spread a delightful breakfast,which he knew was for him. He sat down and ate it, and then got up againand went on his way once more. Before noon he had left the forest behindhim, and was in a strange country. He knew it was not Stumpinghame,because the people had not large feet. But they all had sad faces, andonce or twice, when he passed groups of them who were talking, he heardthem speak of the Princess Goldenhair, as if they were sorry for her andcould not enjoy themselves while such a misfortune rested upon her.
"So sweet and lovely and kind a princess!" they said; "and it reallyseems as if she would never be any better."
The sun was just setting when Fairyfoot came in sight of the palace. Itwas built of white marble, and had beautiful pleasure-grounds about it,but somehow there seemed to be a settled gloom in the air. Fairyfoot hadentered the great pleasure-garden, and was wondering where it would bebest to go first, when he saw a lovely white fawn, with a golden collarabout its neck, come bounding over the flower-beds, and he heard, at alittle distance, a sweet voice, saying, sorrowfully, "Come back, my fawn;I cannot run and play with you as I once used to. Do not leave me, mylittle friend."
And soon from behind the trees came a line of beautiful girls, walkingtwo by two, all very slowly; and at the head of the line, first of all,came the loveliest princess in the world, dressed softly in pure white,with a wreath of lilies on her long golden hair, which fell almost to thehem of her white gown.
She had so fair and tender a young face, and her large, soft eyes, yetlooked so sorrowful, that Fairyfoot loved her in a moment, and he knelton one knee, taking off his cap and bending his head until his own goldenhair almost hid his face.
"Beautiful Princess Goldenhair, beautiful and sweet Princess, may I speakto you?" he said.
The Princess stopped and looked at him, and answered him softly. Itsurprised her to see one so poorly dressed kneeling before her, in herpalace gardens, among the brilliant flowers; but she always spoke softlyto everyone.
"What is there that I can do for you, my friend?" she said.
"Beautiful Princess," answered Fairyfoot, blushing, "I hope very muchthat I may be able to do something for you."
"For me!" she exclaimed. "Thank you, friend; what is it you can do?Indeed, I need a help I am afraid no one can ever give me."
"Gracious and fairest lady," said Fairyfoot, "it is that help Ithink--nay, I am sure--that I bring to you."
"Oh!" said the sweet Princess. "You have a kind face and most true eyes,and when I look at you--I do not know why it is, but I feel a littlehappier. What is it you would say to me?"
Still kneeling before her, still bending his head modestly, and stillblushing, Fairyfoot told his story. He told her of his own sadness andloneliness, and of why he was considered so terrible a disgrace to hisfamily. He told her about the fountain of the nightingales and what hehad heard there and how he had journeyed through the forests, and beyondit into her own country, to find her. And while he told it, herbeautiful face changed from red to white, and her hands closely claspedthemselves together.
"Oh!" she said, when he had finished, "I know that this is true from thekind look in your eyes, and I shall be happy again. And how can I thankyou for being so good to a poor little princess whom you had never seen?"
"Only let me see you happy once more, most sweet Princess," answeredFairyfoot, "and that will be all I desire--only if, perhaps, I mightonce--kiss your hand."
She held out her hand to him with so lovely a look in her soft eyes thathe felt happier than he had ever been before, even at the fairy dances.This was a different kind of happiness. Her hand was as white as a dove'swing and as soft as a dove's breast. "Come," she said, "let us go at onceto the King."
FAIRYFOOT LOVED HER INA MOMENT, AND HE KNELT ONONE KNEE.]
Within a few minutes the whole palace was in an uproar of excitement.Preparations were made to go to the fountain of the nightingalesimmediately. Remembering what the birds had said about not wishing to bedisturbed, Fairyfoot asked the King to take only a small party. So no onewas to go but the King himself, the Princess, in a covered chair carriedby two bearers, the Lord High Chamberlain, two Maids of Honour, andFairyfoot.
Before morning they were on their way, and the day after they reached thethicket of roses, and Fairyfoot pushed aside the branches and led the wayinto the dell.
The Princess Goldenhair sat down upon the edge of the pool and put herfeet into it. In two minutes they began to look smaller. She bathed themonce, twice, three times, and, as the nightingales had said, they becamesmaller and more beautiful than ever. As for the Princess herself, shereally could not be more beautiful than she had b
een; but the Lord HighChamberlain, who had been an exceedingly ugly old gentleman, afterwashing his face, became so young and handsome that the First Maid ofHonour immediately fell in love with him. Whereupon she washed her face,and became so beautiful that he fell in love with her, and they wereengaged upon the spot.
The Princess could not find any words to tell Fairyfoot how gratefulshe was and how happy. She could only look at him again and again withher soft, radiant eyes, and again and again give him her hand that hemight kiss it.
She was so sweet and gentle that Fairyfoot could not bear the thought ofleaving her; and when the King begged him to return to the palace withthem and live there always, he was more glad than I can tell you. To benear this lovely Princess, to be her friend, to love and serve her andlook at her every day, was such happiness that he wanted nothing more.But first he wished to visit his father and mother and sisters andbrothers in Stumpinghame! so the King and Princess and their attendantswent with him to the pool where the red berries grew; and after he hadbathed his feet in the water they were so large that Stumpinghamecontained nothing like them, even the King's and Queen's seeming small incomparison. And when, a few days later, he arrived at the StumpinghamePalace, attended in great state by the magnificent retinue with which thefather of the Princess Goldenhair had provided him, he was received withunbounded rapture by his parents. The King and Queen felt that to have ason with feet of such a size was something to be proud of, indeed. Theycould not admire him sufficiently, although the whole country wasilluminated, and feasting continued throughout his visit.
But though he was glad to be no more a disgrace to his family, it cannotbe said that he enjoyed the size of his feet very much on his ownaccount. Indeed, he much preferred being Prince Fairyfoot, as fleet asthe wind and as light as a young deer, and he was quite glad to go to thefountain of the nightingales after his visit was at an end, and bathe hisfeet small again, and to return to the palace of the Princess Goldenhairwith the soft and tender eyes. There everyone loved him, and he lovedeveryone, and was four times as happy as the day is long.
He loved the Princess more dearly every day, and, of course, as soon asthey were old enough, they were married. And of course, too, they used togo in the summer to the forest, and dance in the moonlight with thefairies, who adored them both.
When they went to visit Stumpinghame, they always bathed their feet inthe pool of the red berries; and when they returned, they made them smallagain in the fountain of the nightingales.
They were always great friends with Robin Goodfellow, and he was alwaysvery confidential with them about Gauzita, who continued to be as prettyand saucy as ever.
"Some of these days," he used to say, severely, "I'll marry anotherfairy, and see how she'll like that--to see someone else basking in mysociety! _I'll_ get even with her!"
But he _never_ did.