🧚 Prince Featherhead and the Princess Celandine · page 3

‘Now let us sup.’136

Whereupon she handed Celandine a small piece of black bread and uncovered the dish, which contained two dried plums.137

‘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.138 Now, you take my advice--which won’t cost you anything--and remember that it is always more economical to buy fruit with stones on this account.’139

Celandine, absorbed in her own sad thoughts, did not even hear this prudent counsel, and quite forgot to eat her share of the plum, which delighted the old woman, who put it by carefully for her breakfast, saying:140

‘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.141 For instance, look at my house!142 It is built entirely of the seeds of all the pears I have eaten in my life.143 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.’144

But Celandine did not find it possible to be interested in this and similar pieces of advice.145 And the old woman soon sent her to bed, for fear the night air might give her an appetite.146 She passed a sleepless night; but in the morning the old dame remarked:147

‘I heard how well you slept.148 After such a night you cannot want any breakfast; so while I do my household tasks you had better stay in bed, since the more one sleeps the less one need eat; and as it is market-day I will go to town and buy a pennyworth of bread for the week’s eating.’149

And so she chattered on, but poor Celandine did not hear or heed her; she wandered out into the desolate country to think over her sad fate.150 However, the good Fairy of the Beech-Woods did not want her to be starved, so she sent her an unlooked for relief in the shape of a beautiful white cow, which followed her back to the tiny house.151 When the old woman saw it her joy knew no bounds.152

‘Now we can have milk and cheese and butter!’ cried she.153 ‘Ah! how good milk is!154 What a pity it is so ruinously expensive!’155 So they made a little shelter of branches for the beautiful creature which was quite gentle, and followed Celandine about like a dog when she took it out every day to graze.156 One morning as she sat by a little brook, thinking sadly, she suddenly saw a young stranger approaching, and got up quickly, intending to avoid him.157 But Prince Featherhead, for it was he, perceiving her at the same moment, rushed towards her with every demonstration of joy: for he had recognised her, not as the Celandine whom he had slighted, but as the lovely Princess whom he had sought vainly for so long.158 The fact was that the Fairy of the Beech-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.159 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.160 After that he came every day in the hope of meeting her again, and often expressed his delight at being with her.161 But one day, when he had been begging Celandine to love him, she confided to him that it was quite impossible, since her heart was already entirely occupied by another.162

‘I have,’ said she, ‘the unhappiness of loving a Prince who is fickle, frivolous, proud, incapable of caring for anyone but himself, who has been spoilt by flattery, and, to crown all, who does not love me.’163

‘But,’ cried Prince Featherhead, ‘surely you cannot care for so contemptible and worthless a creature as that.’164

‘Alas! but I do care,’ answered the Princess, weeping.165

‘But where can his eyes be,’ said the Prince, ‘that your beauty makes no impression upon him?166 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.’167

‘My portrait?’ cried Celandine with sudden interest.168 ‘Is it possible that Prince Featherhead can have parted with it?’169

‘He would part with his life sooner, lovely Princess,’ answered he; ‘I can assure you of that, for I am Prince Featherhead.’170

At the same moment the Fairy of the Beech-Woods took away the enchantment, and the happy Princess recognised 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.171 You may imagine how perfectly happy they were, and how much they had to hear and to tell.172 But at length it was time to go back to the little house, and as they went along Celandine remembered for the first time what a ragged old dress she was wearing, and what an odd appearance she must present.173 But the Prince declared that it became her vastly, and that he thought it most picturesque.174 When they reached the house the old woman received them very crossly.175

‘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!176 But don’t imagine that I’m going to have you here--not a bit of it, be off with you, my fine fellow!’177

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 Celandine’s behalf, that the old dame should give her back her own attire, that she might go away suitably dressed.178

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.179 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.180 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.181 ‘What!’ she cried, ‘feed people who were as happy as all that!182 Why, it was simply ruinous!’183

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.184 It seemed as if they would go on for ever 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 recognised her, and over and over again pardoning him for his cold and haughty behaviour to her.185

‘For,’ she said, ‘you see, Featherhead, I love you, and love makes everything right!186 But we cannot stay here,’ she added; ‘what are we to do?’187

The Prince thought they had better find their way to the Fairy of the Beech-Woods and put themselves once more under her protection, and they had hardly agreed upon this course when two little chariots wreathed with jasmine and honeysuckle suddenly appeared, and, stepping into them, they were whirled away to the Leafy Palace.188 Just before they lost sight of the little house they heard loud cries and lamentations 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.189 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.190 For the Fairy, as a punishment for her avarice, caused it to slip out again as fast as she dropped it in.191

The Fairy of the Beech-Woods ran to welcome the Prince and Princess with open arms, only too delighted to find them so much improved that she could, with a clear conscience, begin to spoil them again.192 Very soon the Fairy Saradine also arrived, bringing the King and Queen with her.193 Princess Celandine implored her pardon, which she graciously gave; indeed the Princess was so charming she could refuse her nothing.194 She also restored to her the Summer Islands, and promised her protection in all things.195 The Fairy of the Beech-Woods 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 at once abdicated in favour 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.196 Their marriage took place the next day, and they lived happily ever afterwards, for Celandine was never vain and Featherhead was never fickle any more.197

Le Prince Muguet et la Princesse Zaza.198