The Red Fairy Book

  Once she inquired what the girls in his country were like.

  'They are pink and white,' he replied, 'and their eyes are blue.'

  'Do you like blue eyes?' said the Princess; but Desire thought it was a good opportunity to find out what was in her heart, so he did not answer.

  'And no doubt,' went on the Princess, 'one of them is your intended bride?'

  Still he was silent, and Zizi drew herself up proudly.

  'No,' he said at last. 'None of the girls of my own country are beautiful in my eyes, and that is why I came to look for a wife in the land of the sun. Was I wrong, my lovely Zizi?'

  This time it was Zizi's turn to be silent.

  IX

  Talking in this way they drew near to the castle. When they were about four stone-throws from the gates they dismounted in the forest, by the edge of a fountain.

  'My dear Zizi,' said Tubby's son, 'we cannot present ourselves before my father like two common people who have come back from a walk. We must enter the castle with more ceremony. Wait for me here, and in an hour I will return with carriages and horses fit for a princess.'

  'Don't be long,' replied Zizi, and she watched him go with wistful eyes.

  When she was left by herself the poor girl began to feel afraid. She was alone for the first time in her life, and in the middle of a thick forest.

  Suddenly she heard a noise among the trees. Fearing lest it should be a wolf, she hid herself in the hollow trunk of a willow tree which hung over the fountain. It was big enough to hold her altogether, but she peeped out, and her pretty head was reflected in the clear water.

  Then there appeared, not a wolf, but a creature quite as wicked and quite as ugly. Let us see who this creature was.

  X

  Not far from the fountain there lived a family of bricklayers. Now, fifteen years before this time, the father in walking through the forest found a little girl, who had been deserted by the gypsies. He carried her home to his wife, and the good woman was sorry for her, and brought her up with her own sons. As she grew older, the little gypsy became much more remarkable for strength and cunning than for sense or beauty. She had a low forehead, a flat nose, thick lips, coarse hair, and a skin not golden like that of Zizi, but the colour of clay.

  As she was always being teased about her complexion, she got as noisy and cross as a titmouse. So they used to call her Titty.

  Titty was often sent by the bricklayer to fetch water from the fountain, and as she was very proud and lazy the gypsy disliked this very much.

  It was she who had frightened Zizi by appearing with her pitcher on her shoulder. Just as she was stooping to fill it, she saw reflected in the water the lovely image of the Princess.

  'What a pretty face!' she exclaimed, 'Why, it must be mine! How in the world can they call me ugly? I am certainly much too pretty to be their water carrier!'

  So saying, she broke her pitcher and went home.

  'Where is your pitcher?' asked the bricklayer.

  'Well, what do you expect? The pitcher may go many times to the well. . . .'

  'But at last it is broken. Well, here is a bucket that will not break.'

  The gypsy returned to the fountain, and addressing once more the image of Zizi, she said:

  'No; I don't mean to be a beast of burden any longer.' And she flung the bucket so high in the air that it stuck in the branches of an oak.

  'I met a wolf,' she told the bricklayer, 'and I broke the bucket across his nose.'

  The bricklayer asked her no more questions, but took down a broom and gave her such a beating that her pride was humbled a little.

  Then he handed to her an old copper milk-can, and said:

  'If you don't bring it back full, your bones shall suffer for it.'

  XI

  Titty went off rubbing her sides; but this time she did not dare to disobey, and in a very bad temper stooped down over the well. It was not at all easy to fill the milk-can, which was large and round. It would not go down into the well, and the gypsy had to try again and again.

  At last her arms grew so tired that when she did manage to get the can properly under the water she had no strength to pull it up, and it rolled to the bottom.

  On seeing the can disappear, she made such a miserable face that Zizi, who had been watching her all this time, burst into fits of laughter.

  Titty turned round and perceived the mistake she had made; and she felt so angry that she made up her mind to be revenged at once.

  'What are you doing there, you lovely creature?' she said to Zizi.

  'I am waiting for my lover,' Zizi replied; and then, with a simplicity quite natural in a girl who so lately had been a canary, she told all her story.

  The gypsy had often seen the young Prince pass by, with his gun on his shoulder, when he was going after crows. She was too ugly and ragged for him ever to have noticed her, but Titty on her side had admired him, though she thought he might well have been a little fatter.

  'Dear, dear!' she said to herself. 'So he likes yellow women! Why, I am yellow too, and if I could only think of a way—-'

  It was not long before she did think of it.

  'What!' cried the sly Titty, 'they are coming with great pomp to fetch you, and you are not afraid to show yourself to so many fine lords and ladies with your hair down like that? Get down at once, my poor child, and let me dress your hair for you!'

  The innocent Zizi came down at once, and stood by Titty. The gypsy began to comb her long brown locks, when suddenly she drew a pin from her stays, and, just as the titmouse digs its beak into the heads of linnets and larks, Titty dug the pin into the head of Zizi.

  No sooner did Zizi feel the prick of the pin than she became a bird again, and, spreading her wings, she flew away.

  'That was neatly done,' said the gypsy. 'The Prince will be clever if he finds his bride.' And, arranging her dress, she seated herself on the grass to await Desire.

  XII

  Meanwhile the Prince was coming as fast as his horse could carry him. He was so impatient that he was always full fifty yards in front of the lords and ladies sent by Tubby to bring back Zizi.

  At the sight of the hideous gypsy he was struck dumb with surprise and horror.

  'Ah me!' said Titty, 'so you don't know your poor Zizi? While you were away the wicked witch came, and turned me into this. But if you only have the courage to marry me I shall get back my beauty.' And she began to cry bitterly.

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

  'Poor girl,' he thought to himself. 'It is not her fault, after all, that she has grown so ugly, it is mine. Oh! why did I not follow the old man's advice? Why did I leave her alone? And besides, it depends on me to break the spell, and I love her too much to let her remain like this.'

  So he presented the gypsy to the lords and ladies of the Court, explaining to them the terrible misfortune which had befallen his beautiful bride.

  They all pretended to believe it, and the ladies at once put on the false princess the rich dresses they had brought for Zizi.

  She was then perched on the top of a magnificent ambling palfrey, and they set forth to the castle.

  But unluckily the rich dress and jewels only made Titty look uglier still, and Desire could not help feeling hot and uncomfortable when he made his entry with her into the city.

  Bells were pealing, chimes ringing, and the people filling the streets and standing at their doors to watch the procession go by, and they could hardly believe their eyes as they saw what a strange bride their Prince had chosen.

  In order to do her more honour, Tubby came to meet her at the foot of the great marble staircase. At the sight of the hideous creature he almost fell backwards.

  'What!' he cried. 'Is this the wonderful beauty?'

  'Yes, father, it is she,' replied Desire with a sheepish look. 'But she has been bewitched by a wicked sorceress, and will not regain her beauty until she is my wife.'

  'Does she say so? Well, if you
believe that, you may drink cold water and think it bacon,' the unhappy Tubby answered crossly.

  But all the same, as he adored his son, he gave the gypsy his hand and led her to the great hall, where the bridal feast was spread.

  XIII

  The feast was excellent, but Desire hardly touched anything. However, to make up, the other guests ate greedily, and, as for Tubby, nothing ever took away his appetite.

  When the moment arrived to serve the roast goose, there was a pause, and Tubby took the opportunity to lay down his knife and fork for a little. But as the goose gave no sign of appearing, he sent his head carver to find out what was the matter in the kitchen.

  Now this was what had happened.

  While the goose was turning on the spit, a beautiful little canary hopped on to the sill of the open window.

  'Good-morning, my fine cook,' she said in a silvery voice to the man who was watching the roast.

  'Good-morning, lovely golden bird,' replied the chief of the scullions, who had been well brought up.

  'I pray that Heaven may send you to sleep,' said the golden bird, 'and that the goose may burn, so that there may be none left for Titty.'

  And instantly the chief of the scullions fell fast asleep, and the goose was burnt to a cinder.

  When he awoke he was horrified, and gave orders to pluck another goose, to stuff it with chestnuts, and put it on the spit.

  While it was browning at the fire, Tubby inquired for his goose a second time. The Master Cook himself mounted to the hall to make his excuses, and to beg his lord to have a little patience. Tubby showed his patience by abusing his son.

  'As if it wasn't enough,' he grumbled between his teeth, 'that the boy should pick up a hag without a penny, but the goose must go and burn now. It isn't a wife he has brought me, it is Famine herself.'

  XIV

  While the Master Cook was upstairs, the golden bird came again to perch on the window-sill, and called in his clear voice to the head scullion, who was watching the spit:

  'Good-morning, my fine Scullion!'

  'Good-morning, lovely Golden Bird,' replied the Scullion, whom the Master Cook had forgotten in his excitement to warn.

  'I pray Heaven,' went on the Canary, 'that it will send you to sleep, and that the goose may burn, so that there may be none left for Titty.'

  And the Scullion fell fast asleep, and when the Master Cook came back he found the goose as black as the chimney.

  In a fury he woke the Scullion, who in order to save himself from blame told the whole story.

  'That accursed bird,' said the Cook; 'it will end by getting me sent away. Come, some of you, and hide yourselves, and if it comes again, catch it and wring its neck.'

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

  The bird appeared a third time, and said: 'Good-morning, my fine Cook.'

  'Good-morning, lovely Golden Bird,' replied the Cook, as if nothing had happened, and at the moment that the Canary was beginning, 'I pray Heaven that it may send,' a scullion who was hidden outside rushed out and shut the shutters. The bird flew into the kitchen. Then all the cooks and scullions sprang after it, knocking at it with their aprons. At length one of them caught it just at the very moment that Tubby entered the kitchen, waving his sceptre. He had come to see for himself why the goose had never made its appearance.

  The Scullion stopped at once, just as he was about to wring the Canary's neck.

  XV

  'Will some one be kind enough to tell me the meaning of all this?' cried the Lord of Avesnes.

  'Your Excellency, it is the bird,' replied the Scullion, and he placed it in his hand.

  'Nonsense! What a lovely bird!' said Tubby, and in stroking its head he touched a pin that was sticking between its feathers. He pulled it out, and lo! the Canary at once became a beautiful girl with a golden skin who jumped lightly to the ground.

  'Gracious! what a pretty girl!' said Tubby.

  'Father! it is she! it is Zizi!' exclaimed Desire, who entered at this moment.

  And he took her in his arms, crying: 'My darling Zizi, how happy I am to see you once more!'

  'Well, and the other one?' asked Tubby.

  The other one was stealing quietly to the door.

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

  And he seated himself solemnly on the oven, and condemned Titty to be burned alive. After which the lords and cooks formed themselves in lines, and Tubby betrothed Desire to Zizi.

  XVI

  The marriage took place a few days later. All the boys in the country side were there, armed with wooden swords, and decorated with epaulets made of gilt paper.

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

  On the evening of the wedding-day all the larders, cellars, cupboards and tables of the people, whether rich or poor, were loaded as if by enchantment with bread, wine, beer, cakes and tarts, roast larks, and even geese, so that Tubby could not complain any more that his son had married Famine.

  Since that time there has always been plenty to eat in that country, and since that time, too, you see in the midst of the fair- haired blue-eyed women of Flanders a few beautiful girls, whose eyes are black and whose skins are the colour of gold. They are the descendants of Zizi.[22]

  The Twelve Brothers

  *

  THERE were once upon a time a King and a Queen who lived happily together, and they had twelve children, all of whom were boys. One day the King said to his wife:

  'If our thirteenth child is a girl, all her twelve brothers must die, so that she may be very rich and the kingdom hers alone.'

  Then he ordered twelve coffins to be made, and filled them with shavings, and placed a little pillow in each. These he put away in an empty room, and, giving the key to his wife, he bade her tell no one of it.

  The Queen grieved over the sad fate of her sons and refused to be comforted, so much so that the youngest boy, who was always with her, and whom she had christened Benjamin, said to her one day:

  'Dear mother, why are you so sad?'

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

  But he left her no peace, till she went and unlocked the room and showed him the twelve coffins filled with shavings, and with the little pillow laid in each.

  Then she said: 'My dearest Benjamin, your father has had these coffins made for you and your eleven brothers, because if I bring a girl into the world you are all to be killed and buried in them.'

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

  'Don't cry, dear mother; we'll manage to escape somehow, and will fly for our lives.'

  'Yes,' replied his mother, 'that is what you must do—go with your eleven brothers out into the wood, and let one of you always sit on the highest tree you can find, keeping watch on the tower of the castle. If I give birth to a little son I will wave a white flag, and then you may safely return; but if I give birth to a little daughter I will wave a red flag, which will warn you to fly away as quickly as you can, and may the kind Heaven have pity on you. Every night I will get up and pray for you, in winter that you may always have a fire to warm yourselves by, and in summer that you may not languish in the heat.'

  Then she blessed her sons and they set out into the wood. They found a very high oak tree, and there they sat, turn about, keeping their eyes always fixed on the castle tower. On the twelfth day, when the turn came to Benjamin, he noticed a flag waving in the air, but alas! it was not white, but blood red, the sign which told them they must all die. When the brothers heard this they were very angry, and said:

  'Shall we forsooth suffer death for the sake of a wretched girl? Let us swear vengeance, and vow that wherever and whenever we shall meet one of her sex, she shall die at our hands.'

  Then they went their way deeper into the wood, and in the
middle of it, where it was thickest and darkest, they came upon a little enchanted house which stood empty.

  'Here,' they said, 'let us take up our abode, and you, Benjamin, you are the youngest and weakest, you shall stay at home and keep house for us; we others will go out and fetch food.' So they went forth into the wood, and shot hares and roe-deer, birds and wood- pigeons, and any other game they came across. They always brought their spoils home to Benjamin, who soon learnt to make them into dainty dishes. So they lived for ten years in this little house, and the time slipped merrily away.

  In the meantime their little sister at home was growing up quickly. She was kind-hearted and of a fair countenance, and she had a gold star right in the middle of her forehead. One day a big washing was going on at the palace, and the girl looking down from her window saw twelve men's shirts hanging up to dry, and asked her mother:

  'Who in the world do these shirts belong to? Surely they are far too small for my father?'

  And the Queen answered sadly: 'Dear child, they belong to your twelve brothers.'

  'But where are my twelve brothers?' said the girl. 'I have never even heard of them.'

  'Heaven alone knows in what part of the wide world they are wandering,' replied her mother.

  Then she took the girl and opened the locked-up room; she showed her the twelve coffins filled with shavings, and with the little pillow laid in each.

  'These coffins,' she said, 'were intended for your brothers, but they stole secretly away before you were born.'

  Then she to tell her all that had happened, and when she had finished her daughter said:

  'Do not cry, dearest mother; I will go and seek my brothers till I find them.'

  So she took the twelve shirts and went on straight into the middle of the big wood. She walked all day long, and came in the evening to the little enchanted house. She stepped in and found a youth who, marvelling at her beauty, at the royal robes she wore, and at the golden star on her forehead, asked her where she came from and whither she was going.

  'I am a Princess,' she answered, 'and am seeking for my twelve brothers. I mean to wander as far as the blue sky stretches over the earth till I find them.'