Towards Her"] · page 21 2 3101At length she came to a beautiful town, at the gate of which was a small farm.102Now the farmer's wife had need of a wench to wash the dishes and to attend to the geese and the pigs, and seeing so dirty a vagrant offered to engage her.103The Princess, who was now much fatigued, accepted joyfully.104She was put into a recess in the kitchen where for the first days she was subjected to the coarse jokes of the men-servants, so dirty and unpleasant did the donkey-skin make her appear.105At last they tired of their pleasantries; moreover she was so attentive to her work that the farmer's wife took her under her protection.106She minded the sheep, and penned them up when it was necessary, and she took the geese out to feed with such intelligence that it seemed as if she had never done anything else.107Everything that her beautiful hands undertook was done well.108One day she was sitting near a clear fountain where she often repaired to bemoan her sad condition, when she thought she would look at herself in the water.109The horrible donkey-skin which covered her from head to toe revolted her.110Ashamed, she washed her face and her hands, which became whiter than ivory, and once again her lovely complexion took its natural freshness.111The joy of finding herself so beautiful filled her with the desire to bathe in the pool, and this she did.112But she had to don her unworthy skin again before she returned to the farm.113By good fortune the next day chanced to be a holiday, and so she had leisure to tap for her chest with the fairy's wand, arrange her toilet, powder her beautiful hair and put on the lovely gown which was the colour of the weather; but the room was so small that the train could not be properly spread out.114The beautiful Princess looked at herself, and with good reason, admired her appearance so much that she resolved to wear her magnificent dresses in turn on holidays and Sundays for her own amusement, and this she regularly did.115She entwined flowers and diamonds in her lovely hair with admirable art, and often she sighed that she had no witness of her beauty save the sheep and geese, who loved her just as much in the horrible donkey-skin after which she had been named at the farm.116One holiday when Donkey-skin had put on her sun-hued dress, the son of the King to whom the farm belonged alighted there to rest on his return from the hunt.117This Prince was young and handsome, beloved of his father and of the Queen his mother, and adored by the people.118After he had partaken of the simple collation which was offered him he set out to inspect the farm-yard and all its nooks and corners.119In going thus from place to place, he entered a dark alley at the bottom of which was a closed door.120Curiosity made him put his eye to the keyhole.121Imagine his astonishment at seeing a Princess so beautiful and so richly dressed, and withal of so noble and dignified a mien, that he took her to be a divinity.checked by a teacher122The impetuosity of his feelings at this moment would have made him force the door, had it not been for the respect with which that charming figure filled him.123It was with difficulty that he withdrew from this gloomy little alley, intent on discovering who the inmate of the tiny room might be.124He was told that it was a scullion called Donkey-skin because of the skin which she always wore, and that she was so dirty and unpleasant that no one took any notice of her, or even spoke to her; she had just been taken out of pity to look after the geese.125The Prince, though little satisfied by this information, saw that these dense people knew no more, and that it was useless to question them.126So he returned to the palace of the King his father, beyond words in love, having continually before his eyes the beautiful image of the goddess whom he had seen through the keyhole.127He was full of regret that he had not knocked at the door, and promised himself that he would not fail to do so next time.128But the fervency of his love caused him such great agitation that the same night he was seized by a terrible fever, and was soon at death's door.129The Queen, who had no other child, was in despair because all remedies proved useless.130In vain she promised great rewards to the doctors; though they exerted all their skill, nothing would cure the Prince.131At last they decided that some great sorrow had caused this terrible fever.checked by a teacher132They told the Queen, who, full of tenderness for her son, went to him and begged him to tell her his trouble.133She declared that even if it was a matter of giving him the crown, his father would yield the throne to him without regret; or if he desired some Princess, even though there should be war with the King her father and their subjects should, with reason, complain, all should be sacrificed to obtain what he wished.134She implored him with tears not to die, since their life depended on his.135The Queen did not finish this touching discourse without moving the Prince to tears.136"Madam," he said at last, in a very feeble voice, "I am not so base that I desire the crown of my father, rather may Heaven grant him life for many years, and that I may always be the most faithful and the most respectful of his subjects!137As to the Princesses that you speak of, I have never yet thought of marriage, and you well know that, subject as I am to your wishes, I shall obey you always, even though it be painful to me."138"Ah! my son," replied the Queen, "we will spare nothing to save your life.139But, my dear child, save mine and that of the King your father by telling me what you desire, and be assured that you shall have it."140"Well, Madam," he said, "since you would have me tell you my thought, I obey you.141It would indeed be a sin to place in danger two lives so dear to me.142Know, my mother, that I wish Donkey-skin to make me a cake, and to have it brought to me when it is ready."143The Queen, astonished at this strange name, asked who Donkey-skin might be.144"It is, Madam," replied one of her officers who had by chance seen this girl, "It is the most ugly creature imaginable after the wolf, a slut who lodges at your farm, and minds your geese."145"It matters not," said the Queen; "my son, on his way home from the chase, has perchance eaten of her cakes; it is a whim such as those who are sick do sometimes have.146In a word, I wish that Donkey-skin, since Donkey-skin it is, make him presently a cake."147A messenger ran to the farm and told Donkey-skin that she was to make a cake for the Prince as well as she possibly could.148Now, some believe that Donkey-skin had been aware of the Prince in her heart at the moment when he had put his eye to the keyhole; and then, looking from her little window, she had seen him, so young, so handsome, and so shapely, that the remembrance of him had remained, and that often the thought of him had cost her some sighs.149Be that as it may, Donkey-skin, either having seen him, or having heard him spoken of with praise, was overjoyed to think that she might become known to him.150She shut herself in her little room, threw off the ugly skin, bathed her face and hands, arranged her hair, put on a beautiful corsage of bright silver, and an equally beautiful petticoat, and then set herself to make the much desired cake.151She took the finest flour, and newest eggs and freshest butter, and while she was working them, whether by design or no, a ring which she had on her finger fell into the cake and was mixed in it.152When the cooking was done she muffled herself in her horrible skin and gave the cake to the messenger, asking him for news of the Prince; but the man would not deign to reply, and without a word ran quickly back to the palace.153The Prince took the cake greedily from the man's hands, and ate it with such voracity that the doctors who were present did not fail to say that this haste was not a good sign.154Indeed, the Prince came near to being choked by the ring, which he nearly swallowed, in one of the pieces of cake.155But he drew it cleverly from his mouth, and his desire for the cake was forgotten as he examined the fine emerald set in a gold keeper-ring, a ring so small that he knew it could only be worn on the prettiest little finger in the world.156He kissed the ring a thousand times, put it under his pillow, and drew it out every moment that he thought himself unobserved.157The torment that he gave himself, planning how he might see her to whom the ring belonged, not daring to believe that if he asked for Donkey-skin she would be allowed to come, and not daring to speak of what he had seen through the keyhole for fear that he would be laughed at for a dreamer, brought back the fever with great violence.158The doctors, not knowing what more to do, declared to the Queen that the Prince's malady was love, whereupon the Queen and the disconsolate King ran to their son.159"My son, my dear son," cried the affected monarch, "tell us the name of her whom you desire: we swear that we will give her to you.160Even though she were the vilest of slaves."161The Queen embracing him, agreed with all that the King had said, and the Prince, moved by their tears and caresses, said to them: "My father and my mother, I in no way desire to make a marriage which is displeasing to you."162And drawing the emerald from under his pillow he added: "To prove the truth of this, I desire to marry her to whom this ring belongs.163It is not likely that she who owns so pretty a ring is a rustic or a peasant."164The King and the Queen took the ring, examined it with great curiosity, and agreed with the Prince that it could only belong to the daughter of a good house.165Then the King, having embraced his son, and entreated him to get well, went out.166He ordered the drums and fifes and trumpets to be sounded throughout the town, and the heralds to cry that she whose finger a certain ring would fit should marry the heir to the throne.167First the Princesses arrived, then the duchesses, and the marquises, and the baronesses; but though they did all they could to make their fingers small, none could put on the ring.168So the country girls had to be tried, but pretty though they all were, they all had fingers that were too fat.169The Prince, who was feeling better, made the trial himself.170At last it was the turn of the chamber-maids; but they succeeded no better.171Then, when everyone else had tried, the Prince asked for the kitchen-maids, the scullions, and the sheep-girls.172They were all brought to the palace, but their coarse red, short, fingers would hardly go through the golden hoop as far as the nail.173"You have not brought that Donkey-skin, who made me the cake," said the Prince.174Everyone laughed and said, "No," so dirty and unpleasant was she.175"Let someone fetch her at once," said the King; "it shall not be said that I left out the lowliest."176And the servants ran laughing and mocking to find the goose-girl.177The Princess, who had heard the drums and the cries of the heralds, had no doubt that the ring was the cause of this uproar.178Now, she loved the Prince, and, as true love is timorous and has no vanity, she was in perpetual fear that some other lady would be found to have a finger as small as hers.179Great, then, was her joy when the messengers came and knocked at her door.180Since she knew that they were seeking the owner of the right finger on which to set her ring, some impulse had moved her to arrange her hair with great care, and to put on her beautiful silver corsage, and the petticoat full of furbelows and silver lace studded with emeralds.181At the first knock she quickly covered her finery with the donkey-skin and opened the door.182The visitors, in derision, told her that the King had sent for her in order to marry her to his son.183Then with loud peals of laughter they led her to the Prince, who was astonished at the garb of this girl, and dared not believe that it was she whom he had seen so majestic and so beautiful.184Sad and confounded, he said, "Is it you who lodge at the bottom of that dark alley in the third yard of the farm?"185"Yes, your Highness," she replied.186"Show me your hand," said the Prince trembling, and heaving a deep sigh.187Imagine how astonished everyone was!188The King and the Queen, the chamberlains and all the courtiers were dumb-founded, when from beneath that black and dirty skin came a delicate little white and rose-pink hand, and the ring slipped without difficulty on to the prettiest little finger in the world.189Then, by a little movement which the Princess made, the skin fell from her shoulders and so enchanting was her guise, that the Prince, weak though he was, fell on his knees and held her so closely that she blushed.190But that was scarcely noticed, for the King and Queen came to embrace her heartily, and to ask her if she would marry their son.191The Princess, confused by all these caresses and by the love of the handsome young Prince, was about to thank them when suddenly the ceiling opened, and the Lilac-fairy descended in a chariot made of the branches and flowers from which she took her name, and, with great charm, told the Princess's story.192The King and Queen, overjoyed to know that Donkey-skin was a great Princess redoubled their caresses, but the Prince was even more sensible of her virtue, and his love increased as the Fairy unfolded her tale.checked by a teacher193His impatience to marry her, indeed, was so great that he could scarcely allow time for the necessary preparations for the grand wedding which was their due.194The King and Queen, now entirely devoted to their daughter-in-law, overwhelmed her with affection.195She had declared that she could not marry the Prince without the consent of the King her father, so, he was the first to whom an invitation to the wedding was sent; he was not, however, told the name of the bride.196The Lilac-fairy, who, as was right, presided over all, had recommended this course to prevent trouble.197Kings came from all the countries round, some in sedan-chairs, others in beautiful carriages; those who came from the most distant countries rode on elephants and tigers and eagles.198But the most magnificent and most glorious of all was the father of the Princess.199He had happily recovered his reason, and had married a Queen who was a widow and very beautiful, but by whom he had no child.200The Princess ran to him, and he recognised her at once and embraced her with great tenderness before she had time to throw herself on her knees.1 2 3← previousUpon Earth"]next →The Year's At the Spring↑ back to The Fairy Tales of Charles PerraultThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg29021/15/page/2/