The White Cat

THE WHITE CAT

Once upon a time there was a king who had three sons, who were all so

clever and brave that he began to be afraid that they would want to

reign over the kingdom before he was dead. Now the King, though he felt

that he was growing old, did not at all wish to give up the government

of his kingdom while he could still manage it very well, so he thought

the best way to live in peace would be to divert the minds of his sons

by promises which he could always get out of when the time came for

keeping them.

So he sent for them all, and, after speaking to them kindly, he added:

“You will quite agree with me, my dear children, that my great age makes

it impossible for me to look after my affairs of state as carefully as

I once did. I begin to fear that this may affect the welfare of my

subjects, therefore I wish that one of you should succeed to my crown;

but in return for such a gift as this it is only right that you should

do something for me. Now, as I think of retiring into the country, it

seems to me that a pretty, lively, faithful little dog would be very

good company for me; so, without any regard for your ages, I promise

that the one who brings me the most beautiful little dog shall succeed

me at once.”

The three Princes were greatly surprised by their father’s sudden fancy

for a little dog, but as it gave the two younger ones a chance they

would not otherwise have had of being king, and as the eldest was

too polite to make any objection, they accepted the commission with

pleasure. They bade farewell to the King, who gave them presents of

silver and precious stones, and appointed to meet them at the same hour,

in the same place, after a year had passed, to see the little dogs they

had brought for him.

Then they went together to a castle which was about a league from the

city, accompanied by all their particular friends, to whom they gave a

grand banquet, and the three brothers promised to be friends always,

to share whatever good fortune befell them, and not to be parted by

any envy or jealousy; and so they set out, agreeing to meet at the same

castle at the appointed time, to present themselves before the King

together. Each one took a different road, and the two eldest met with

many adventures; but it is about the youngest that you are going to

hear. He was young, and gay, and handsome, and knew everything that a

prince ought to know; and as for his courage, there was simply no end to

it.

Hardly a day passed without his buying several dogs--big and little,

greyhounds, mastiffs, spaniels, and lapdogs. As soon as he had bought a

pretty one he was sure to see a still prettier, and then he had to get

rid of all the others and buy that one, as, being alone, he found it

impossible to take thirty or forty thousand dogs about with him. He

journeyed from day to day, not knowing where he was going, until at

last, just at nightfall, he reached a great, gloomy forest. He did not

know his way, and, to make matters worse, it began to thunder, and

the rain poured down. He took the first path he could find, and after

walking for a long time he fancied he saw a faint light, and began to

hope that he was coming to some cottage where he might find shelter for

the night. At length, guided by the light, he reached the door of the

most splendid castle he could have imagined. This door was of gold

covered with carbuncles, and it was the pure red light which shone from

them that had shown him the way through the forest. The walls were of

the finest porcelain in all the most delicate colors, and the Prince saw

that all the stories he had ever read were pictured upon them; but as he

was terribly wet, and the rain still fell in torrents, he could not stay

to look about any more, but came back to the golden door. There he saw

a deer’s foot hanging by a chain of diamonds, and he began to wonder who

could live in this magnificent castle.

“They must feel very secure against robbers,” he said to himself. “What

is to hinder anyone from cutting off that chain and digging out those

carbuncles, and making himself rich for life?”

He pulled the deer’s foot, and immediately a silver bell sounded and the

door flew open, but the Prince could see nothing but numbers of hands

in the air, each holding a torch. He was so much surprised that he stood

quite still, until he felt himself pushed forward by other hands, so

that, though he was somewhat uneasy, he could not help going on. With

his hand on his sword, to be prepared for whatever might happen, he

entered a hall paved with lapis-lazuli, while two lovely voices sang:

 “The hands you see floating above

   Will swiftly your bidding obey;

 If your heart dreads not conquering Love,

   In this place you may fearlessly stay.”

The Prince could not believe that any danger threatened him when he was

welcomed in this way, so, guided by the mysterious hands, he went toward

a door of coral, which opened of its own accord, and he found himself

in a vast hall of mother-of-pearl, out of which opened a number of other

rooms, glittering with thousands of lights, and full of such beautiful

pictures and precious things that the Prince felt quite bewildered.

After passing through sixty rooms the hands that conducted him stopped,

and the Prince saw a most comfortable-looking arm-chair drawn up close

to the chimney-corner; at the same moment the fire lighted itself, and

the pretty, soft, clever hands took off the Prince’s wet, muddy clothes,

and presented him with fresh ones made of the richest stuffs, all

embroidered with gold and emeralds. He could not help admiring

everything he saw, and the deft way in which the hands waited on him,

though they sometimes appeared so suddenly that they made him jump.

When he was quite ready--and I can assure you that he looked very

different from the wet and weary Prince who had stood outside in the

rain, and pulled the deer’s foot--the hands led him to a splendid room,

upon the walls of which were painted the histories of Puss in Boots and

a number of other famous cats. The table was laid for supper with

two golden plates, and golden spoons and forks, and the sideboard was

covered with dishes and glasses of crystal set with precious stones. The

Prince was wondering who the second place could be for, when suddenly

in came about a dozen cats carrying guitars and rolls of music, who took

their places at one end of the room, and under the direction of a cat

who beat time with a roll of paper began to mew in every imaginable key,

and to draw their claws across the strings of the guitars, making the

strangest kind of music that could be heard. The Prince hastily stopped

up his ears, but even then the sight of these comical musicians sent him

into fits of laughter.

“What funny thing shall I see next?” he said to himself, and instantly

the door opened, and in came a tiny figure covered by a long black veil.

It was conducted by two cats wearing black mantles and carrying swords,

and a large party of cats followed, who brought in cages full of rats

and mice.

The Prince was so much astonished that he thought he must be dreaming,

but the little figure came up to him and threw back its veil, and he saw

that it was the loveliest little white cat it is possible to imagine.

She looked very young and very sad, and in a sweet little voice that

went straight to his heart she said to the Prince:

“King’s son, you are welcome; the Queen of the Cats is glad to see you.”

“Lady Cat,” replied the Prince, “I thank you for receiving me so kindly,

but surely you are no ordinary pussy-cat? Indeed, the way you speak and

the magnificence of your castle prove it plainly.”

“King’s son,” said the White Cat, “I beg you to spare me these

compliments, for I am not used to them. But now,” she added, “let supper

be served, and let the musicians be silent, as the Prince does not

understand what they are saying.”

So the mysterious hands began to bring in the supper, and first they put

on the table two dishes, one containing stewed pigeons and the other a

fricassee of fat mice. The sight of the latter made the Prince feel as

if he could not enjoy his supper at all; but the White Cat, seeing this,

assured him that the dishes intended for him were prepared in a separate

kitchen, and he might be quite certain that they contained neither rats

nor mice; and the Prince felt so sure that she would not deceive him

that he had no more hesitation in beginning. Presently he noticed

that on the little paw that was next him the White Cat wore a bracelet

containing a portrait, and he begged to be allowed to look at it. To his

great surprise he found it represented an extremely handsome young man,

who was so like himself that it might have been his own portrait! The

White Cat sighed as he looked at it, and seemed sadder than ever, and

the Prince dared not ask any questions for fear of displeasing her; so

he began to talk about other things, and found that she was interested

in all the subjects he cared for himself, and seemed to know quite well

what was going on in the world. After supper they went into another

room, which was fitted up as a theatre, and the cats acted and danced

for their amusement, and then the White Cat said good-night to him, and

the hands conducted him into a room he had not seen before, hung with

tapestry worked with butterflies’ wings of every color; there were

mirrors that reached from the ceiling to the floor, and a little white

bed with curtains of gauze tied up with ribbons. The Prince went to bed

in silence, as he did not quite know how to begin a conversation with

the hands that waited on him, and in the morning he was awakened by

a noise and confusion outside of his window, and the hands came and

quickly dressed him in hunting costume. When he looked out all the cats

were assembled in the courtyard, some leading greyhounds, some blowing

horns, for the White Cat was going out hunting. The hands led a wooden

horse up to the Prince, and seemed to expect him to mount it, at which

he was very indignant; but it was no use for him to object, for he

speedily found himself upon its back, and it pranced gaily off with him.

The White Cat herself was riding a monkey, which climbed even up to

the eagles’ nests when she had a fancy for the young eaglets. Never was

there a pleasanter hunting party, and when they returned to the castle

the Prince and the White Cat supped together as before, but when they

had finished she offered him a crystal goblet, which must have contained

a magic draught, for, as soon as he had swallowed its contents, he

forgot everything, even the little dog that he was seeking for the King,

and only thought how happy he was to be with the White Cat! And so the

days passed, in every kind of amusement, until the year was nearly gone.

The Prince had forgotten all about meeting his brothers: he did not even

know what country he belonged to; but the White Cat knew when he ought

to go back, and one day she said to him:

“Do you know that you have only three days left to look for the little

dog for your father, and your brothers have found lovely ones?”

Then the Prince suddenly recovered his memory, and cried:

“What can have made me forget such an important thing? My whole fortune

depends upon it; and even if I could in such a short time find a dog

pretty enough to gain me a kingdom, where should I find a horse who

would carry me all that way in three days?” And he began to be very

vexed. But the White Cat said to him: “King’s son, do not trouble

yourself; I am your friend, and will make everything easy for you. You

can still stay here for a day, as the good wooden horse can take you to

your country in twelve hours.”

“I thank you, beautiful Cat,” said the Prince; “but what good will it do

me to get back if I have not a dog to take to my father?”

“See here,” answered the White Cat, holding up an acorn; “there is a

prettier one in this than in the Dogstar!”

“Oh! White Cat dear,” said the Prince, “how unkind you are to laugh at

me now!”

“Only listen,” she said, holding the acorn to his ear.

And inside it he distinctly heard a tiny voice say: “Bow-wow!”

The Prince was delighted, for a dog that can be shut up in an acorn must

be very small indeed. He wanted to take it out and look at it, but the

White Cat said it would be better not to open the acorn till he was

before the King, in case the tiny dog should be cold on the journey. He

thanked her a thousand times, and said good-by quite sadly when the time

came for him to set out.

“The days have passed so quickly with you,” he said, “I only wish I

could take you with me now.”

But the White Cat shook her head and sighed deeply in answer.

After all the Prince was the first to arrive at the castle where he had

agreed to meet his brothers, but they came soon after, and stared in

amazement when they saw the wooden horse in the courtyard jumping like a

hunter.

The Prince met them joyfully, and they began to tell him all their

adventures; but he managed to hide from them what he had been doing, and

even led them to think that a turnspit dog which he had with him was the

one he was bringing for the King. Fond as they all were of one another,

the two eldest could not help being glad to think that their dogs

certainly had a better chance. The next morning they started in the same

chariot. The elder brothers carried in baskets two such tiny, fragile

dogs that they hardly dared to touch them. As for the turnspit, he ran

after the chariot, and got so covered with mud that one could hardly see

what he was like at all. When they reached the palace everyone crowded

round to welcome them as they went into the King’s great hall; and when

the two brothers presented their little dogs nobody could decide which

was the prettier. They were already arranging between themselves to

share the kingdom equally, when the youngest stepped forward, drawing

from his pocket the acorn the White Cat had given him. He opened it

quickly, and there upon a white cushion they saw a dog so small that it

could easily have been put through a ring. The Prince laid it upon the

ground, and it got up at once and began to dance. The King did not know

what to say, for it was impossible that anything could be prettier than

this little creature. Nevertheless, as he was in no hurry to part with

his crown, he told his sons that, as they had been so successful the

first time, he would ask them to go once again, and seek by land and sea

for a piece of muslin so fine that it could be drawn through the eye of

a needle. The brothers were not very willing to set out again, but

the two eldest consented because it gave them another chance, and they

started as before. The youngest again mounted the wooden horse, and rode

back at full speed to his beloved White Cat. Every door of the castle

stood wide open, and every window and turret was illuminated, so it

looked more wonderful than before. The hands hastened to meet him, and

led the wooden horse off to the stable, while he hurried in to find the

White Cat. She was asleep in a little basket on a white satin cushion,

but she very soon started up when she heard the Prince, and was

overjoyed at seeing him once more.

“How could I hope that you would come back to me King’s son?” she said.

And then he stroked and petted her, and told her of his successful

journey, and how he had come back to ask her help, as he believed that

it was impossible to find what the King demanded. The White Cat looked

serious, and said she must think what was to be done, but that, luckily,

there were some cats in the castle who could spin very well, and if

anybody could manage it they could, and she would set them the task

herself.

And then the hands appeared carrying torches, and conducted the Prince

and the White Cat to a long gallery which overlooked the river, from

the windows of which they saw a magnificent display of fireworks of all

sorts; after which they had supper, which the Prince liked even better

than the fireworks, for it was very late, and he was hungry after his

long ride. And so the days passed quickly as before; it was impossible

to feel dull with the White Cat, and she had quite a talent for

inventing new amusements--indeed, she was cleverer than a cat has any

right to be. But when the Prince asked her how it was that she was so

wise, she only said:

“King’s son, do not ask me; guess what you please. I may not tell you

anything.”

The Prince was so happy that he did not trouble himself at all about the

time, but presently the White Cat told him that the year was gone, and

that he need not be at all anxious about the piece of muslin, as they

had made it very well.

“This time,” she added, “I can give you a suitable escort”; and on

looking out into the courtyard the Prince saw a superb chariot of

burnished gold, enameled in flame color with a thousand different

devices. It was drawn by twelve snow-white horses, harnessed four

abreast; their trappings were flame-colored velvet, embroidered with

diamonds. A hundred chariots followed, each drawn by eight horses,

and filled with officers in splendid uniforms, and a thousand guards

surrounded the procession. “Go!” said the White Cat, “and when you

appear before the King in such state he surely will not refuse you the

crown which you deserve. Take this walnut, but do not open it until you

are before him, then you will find in it the piece of stuff you asked me

for.”

“Lovely Blanchette,” said the Prince, “how can I thank you properly for

all your kindness to me? Only tell me that you wish it, and I will

give up for ever all thought of being king, and will stay here with you

always.”

“King’s son,” she replied, “it shows the goodness of your heart that you

should care so much for a little white cat, who is good for nothing but

to catch mice; but you must not stay.”

So the Prince kissed her little paw and set out. You can imagine how

fast he traveled when I tell you that they reached the King’s palace in

just half the time it had taken the wooden horse to get there. This time

the Prince was so late that he did not try to meet his brothers at their

castle, so they thought he could not be coming, and were rather glad of

it, and displayed their pieces of muslin to the King proudly, feeling

sure of success. And indeed the stuff was very fine, and would go

through the eye of a very large needle; but the King, who was only too

glad to make a difficulty, sent for a particular needle, which was kept

among the Crown jewels, and had such a small eye that everybody saw at

once that it was impossible that the muslin should pass through it. The

Princes were angry, and were beginning to complain that it was a trick,

when suddenly the trumpets sounded and the youngest Prince came in. His

father and brothers were quite astonished at his magnificence, and after

he had greeted them he took the walnut from his pocket and opened it,

fully expecting to find the piece of muslin, but instead there was only

a hazel-nut. He cracked it, and there lay a cherry-stone. Everybody was

looking on, and the King was chuckling to himself at the idea of finding

the piece of muslin in a nutshell.

However, the Prince cracked the cherry-stone, but everyone laughed when

he saw it contained only its own kernel. He opened that and found a

grain of wheat, and in that was a millet seed. Then he himself began to

wonder, and muttered softly:

“White Cat, White Cat, are you making fun of me?”

In an instant he felt a cat’s claw give his hand quite a sharp scratch,

and hoping that it was meant as an encouragement he opened the millet

seed, and drew out of it a piece of muslin four hundred ells long, woven

with the loveliest colors and most wonderful patterns; and when the

needle was brought it went through the eye six times with the greatest

ease! The King turned pale, and the other Princes stood silent and

sorrowful, for nobody could deny that this was the most marvelous piece

of muslin that was to be found in the world.

Presently the King turned to his sons, and said, with a deep sigh:

“Nothing could console me more in my old age than to realize your

willingness to gratify my wishes. Go then once more, and whoever at the

end of a year can bring back the loveliest princess shall be married

to her, and shall, without further delay, receive the crown, for my

successor must certainly be married.” The Prince considered that he had

earned the kingdom fairly twice over but still he was too well bred

to argue about it, so he just went back to his gorgeous chariot, and,

surrounded by his escort, returned to the White Cat faster than he had

come. This time she was expecting him, the path was strewn with flowers,

and a thousand braziers were burning scented woods which perfumed the

air. Seated in a gallery from which she could see his arrival, the White

Cat waited for him. “Well, King’s son,” she said, “here you are once

more, without a crown.” “Madam,” said he, “thanks to your generosity I

have earned one twice over; but the fact is that my father is so loth to

part with it that it would be no pleasure to me to take it.”

“Never mind,” she answered, “it’s just as well to try and deserve it. As

you must take back a lovely princess with you next time I will be on

the look-out for one for you. In the meantime let us enjoy ourselves;

to-night I have ordered a battle between my cats and the river rats on

purpose to amuse you.” So this year slipped away even more pleasantly

than the preceding ones. Sometimes the Prince could not help asking the

White Cat how it was she could talk.

“Perhaps you are a fairy,” he said. “Or has some enchanter changed you

into a cat?”

But she only gave him answers that told him nothing. Days go by so

quickly when one is very happy that it is certain the Prince would never

have thought of its being time to go back, when one evening as they sat

together the White Cat said to him that if he wanted to take a lovely

princess home with him the next day he must be prepared to do what she

told him.

“Take this sword,” she said, “and cut off my head!”

“I!” cried the Prince, “I cut off your head! Blanchette darling, how

could I do it?”

“I entreat you to do as I tell you, King’s son,” she replied.

The tears came into the Prince’s eyes as he begged her to ask him

anything but that--to set him any task she pleased as a proof of his

devotion, but to spare him the grief of killing his dear Pussy. But

nothing he could say altered her determination, and at last he drew his

sword, and desperately, with a trembling hand, cut off the little white

head. But imagine his astonishment and delight when suddenly a lovely

princess stood before him, and, while he was still speechless with

amazement, the door opened and a goodly company of knights and ladies

entered, each carrying a cat’s skin! They hastened with every sign of

joy to the Princess, kissing her hand and congratulating her on being

once more restored to her natural shape. She received them graciously,

but after a few minutes begged that they would leave her alone with the

Prince, to whom she said:

“You see, Prince, that you were right in supposing me to be no ordinary

cat. My father reigned over six kingdoms. The Queen, my mother, whom he

loved dearly, had a passion for traveling and exploring, and when I

was only a few weeks old she obtained his permission to visit a certain

mountain of which she had heard many marvelous tales, and set out,

taking with her a number of her attendants. On the way they had to pass

near an old castle belonging to the fairies. Nobody had ever been into

it, but it was reported to be full of the most wonderful things, and

my mother remembered to have heard that the fairies had in their garden

such fruits as were to be seen and tasted nowhere else. She began to

wish to try them for herself, and turned her steps in the direction of

the garden. On arriving at the door, which blazed with gold and jewels,

she ordered her servants to knock loudly, but it was useless; it seemed

as if all the inhabitants of the castle must be asleep or dead. Now the

more difficult it became to obtain the fruit, the more the Queen was

determined that have it she would. So she ordered that they should bring

ladders, and get over the wall into the garden; but though the wall did

not look very high, and they tied the ladders together to make them very

long, it was quite impossible to get to the top.

“The Queen was in despair, but as night was coming on she ordered

that they should encamp just where they were, and went to bed herself,

feeling quite ill, she was so disappointed. In the middle of the night

she was suddenly awakened, and saw to her surprise a tiny, ugly old

woman seated by her bedside, who said to her:

“‘I must say that we consider it somewhat troublesome of your Majesty to

insist upon tasting our fruit; but to save you annoyance, my sisters

and I will consent to give you as much as you can carry away, on one

condition--that is, that you shall give us your little daughter to bring

up as our own.’

“‘Ah! my dear madam,’ cried the Queen, ‘is there nothing else that you

will take for the fruit? I will give you my kingdoms willingly.’

“‘No,’ replied the old fairy, ‘we will have nothing but your little

daughter. She shall be as happy as the day is long, and we will give her

everything that is worth having in fairy-land, but you must not see her

again until she is married.’

“‘Though it is a hard condition,’ said the Queen, ‘I consent, for I

shall certainly die if I do not taste the fruit, and so I should lose my

little daughter either way.’

“So the old fairy led her into the castle, and, though it was still the

middle of the night, the Queen could see plainly that it was far more

beautiful than she had been told, which you can easily believe, Prince,”

said the White Cat, “when I tell you that it was this castle that we are

now in. ‘Will you gather the fruit yourself, Queen?’ said the old fairy,

‘or shall I call it to come to you?’

“‘I beg you to let me see it come when it is called,’ cried the Queen;

‘that will be something quite new.’ The old fairy whistled twice, then

she cried:

“‘Apricots, peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums, pears, melons, grapes,

apples, oranges, lemons, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries, come!’

“And in an instant they came tumbling in one over another, and yet they

were neither dusty nor spoilt, and the Queen found them quite as good as

she had fancied them. You see they grew upon fairy trees.

“The old fairy gave her golden baskets in which to take the fruit away,

and it was as much as four hundred mules could carry. Then she reminded

the Queen of her agreement, and led her back to the camp, and next

morning she went back to her kingdom, but before she had gone very far

she began to repent of her bargain, and when the King came out to meet

her she looked so sad that he guessed that something had happened, and

asked what was the matter. At first the Queen was afraid to tell him,

but when, as soon as they reached the palace, five frightful little

dwarfs were sent by the fairies to fetch me, she was obliged to confess

what she had promised. The King was very angry, and had the Queen and

myself shut up in a great tower and safely guarded, and drove the little

dwarfs out of his kingdom; but the fairies sent a great dragon who ate

up all the people he met, and whose breath burnt up everything as he

passed through the country; and at last, after trying in vain to rid

himself of this monster, the King, to save his subjects, was obliged to

consent that I should be given up to the fairies. This time they came

themselves to fetch me, in a chariot of pearl drawn by sea-horses,

followed by the dragon, who was led with chains of diamonds. My cradle

was placed between the old fairies, who loaded me with caresses, and

away we whirled through the air to a tower which they had built on

purpose for me. There I grew up surrounded with everything that was

beautiful and rare, and learning everything that is ever taught to a

princess, but without any companions but a parrot and a little dog, who

could both talk; and receiving every day a visit from one of the old

fairies, who came mounted upon the dragon. One day, however, as I sat at

my window I saw a handsome young prince, who seemed to have been hunting

in the forest which surrounded my prison, and who was standing and

looking up at me. When he saw that I observed him he saluted me with

great deference. You can imagine that I was delighted to have some one

new to talk to, and in spite of the height of my window our conversation

was prolonged till night fell, then my prince reluctantly bade me

farewell. But after that he came again many times and at last I

consented to marry him, but the question was how was I to escape from my

tower. The fairies always supplied me with flax for my spinning, and by

great diligence I made enough cord for a ladder that would reach to

the foot of the tower; but, alas! just as my prince was helping me to

descend it, the crossest and ugliest of the old fairies flew in. Before

he had time to defend himself my unhappy lover was swallowed up by the

dragon. As for me, the fairies, furious at having their plans defeated,

for they intended me to marry the king of the dwarfs, and I utterly

refused, changed me into a white cat. When they brought me here I found

all the lords and ladies of my father’s court awaiting me under the same

enchantment, while the people of lesser rank had been made invisible,

all but their hands.

“As they laid me under the enchantment the fairies told me all my

history, for until then I had quite believed that I was their child, and

warned me that my only chance of regaining my natural form was to win

the love of a prince who resembled in every way my unfortunate lover.

“And you have won it, lovely Princess,” interrupted the Prince.

“You are indeed wonderfully like him,” resumed the Princess--“in voice,

in features, and everything; and if you really love me all my troubles

will be at an end.”

“And mine too,” cried the Prince, throwing himself at her feet, “if you

will consent to marry me.”

“I love you already better than anyone in the world,” she said; “but

now it is time to go back to your father, and we shall hear what he says

about it.”

So the Prince gave her his hand and led her out, and they mounted the

chariot together; it was even more splendid than before, and so was the

whole company. Even the horses’ shoes were of rubies with diamond nails,

and I suppose that is the first time such a thing was ever seen.

As the Princess was as kind and clever as she was beautiful, you may

imagine what a delightful journey the Prince found it, for everything

the Princess said seemed to him quite charming.

When they came near the castle where the brothers were to meet, the

Princess got into a chair carried by four of the guards; it was hewn out

of one splendid crystal, and had silken curtains, which she drew round

her that she might not be seen.

The Prince saw his brothers walking upon the terrace, each with a lovely

princess, and they came to meet him, asking if he had also found a wife.

He said that he had found something much rarer--a white cat! At which

they laughed very much, and asked him if he was afraid of being eaten up

by mice in the palace. And then they set out together for the town. Each

prince and princess rode in a splendid carriage; the horses were decked

with plumes of feathers, and glittered with gold. After them came the

youngest prince, and last of all the crystal chair, at which everybody

looked with admiration and curiosity. When the courtiers saw them coming

they hastened to tell the King.

“Are the ladies beautiful?” he asked anxiously.

And when they answered that nobody had ever before seen such lovely

princesses he seemed quite annoyed.

However, he received them graciously, but found it impossible to choose

between them.

Then turning to his youngest son he said:

“Have you come back alone, after all?”

“Your Majesty,” replied the Prince, “will find in that crystal chair a

little white cat, which has such soft paws, and mews so prettily, that I

am sure you will be charmed with it.”

The King smiled, and went to draw back the curtains himself, but at a

touch from the Princess the crystal shivered into a thousand splinters,

and there she stood in all her beauty; her fair hair floated over her

shoulders and was crowned with flowers, and her softly falling robe was

of the purest white. She saluted the King gracefully, while a murmur of

admiration rose from all around.

“Sire,” she said, “I am not come to deprive you of the throne you fill

so worthily. I have already six kingdoms, permit me to bestow one upon

you, and upon each of your sons. I ask nothing but your friendship, and

your consent to my marriage with your youngest son; we shall still have

three kingdoms left for ourselves.”

The King and all the courtiers could not conceal their joy and

astonishment, and the marriage of the three Princes was celebrated at

once. The festivities lasted several months, and then each king and

queen departed to their own kingdom and lived happily ever after.(1)

(1) La Chatte blanche. Par Madame la Comtesse d’Aulnoy.

THE WATER-LILY. THE GOLD-SPINNERS

Once upon a time, in a large forest, there lived an old woman and

three maidens. They were all three beautiful, but the youngest was the

fairest. Their hut was quite hidden by trees, and none saw their beauty

but the sun by day, and the moon by night, and the eyes of the stars.

The old woman kept the girls hard at work, from morning till night,

spinning gold flax into yarn, and when one distaff was empty another was

given them, so they had no rest. The thread had to be fine and even, and

when done was locked up in a secret chamber by the old woman, who twice

or thrice every summer went a journey. Before she went she gave out work

for each day of her absence, and always returned in the night, so that

the girls never saw what she brought back with her, neither would she

tell them whence the gold flax came, nor what it was to be used for.

Now, when the time came round for the old woman to set out on one of

these journeys, she gave each maiden work for six days, with the usual

warning: “Children, don’t let your eyes wander, and on no account speak

to a man, for, if you do, your thread will lose its brightness, and

misfortunes of all kinds will follow.” They laughed at this oft-repeated

caution, saying to each other: “How can our gold thread lose its

brightness, and have we any chance of speaking to a man?”

On the third day after the old woman’s departure a young prince, hunting

in the forest, got separated from his companions, and completely lost.

Weary of seeking his way, he flung himself down under a tree, leaving

his horse to browse at will, and fell asleep.

The sun had set when he awoke and began once more to try and find his

way out of the forest. At last he perceived a narrow foot-path, which he

eagerly followed and found that it led him to a small hut. The maidens,

who were sitting at the door of their hut for coolness, saw him

approaching, and the two elder were much alarmed, for they remembered

the old woman’s warning; but the youngest said: “Never before have I

seen anyone like him; let me have one look.” They entreated her to come

in, but, seeing that she would not, left her, and the Prince, coming up,

courteously greeted the maiden, and told her he had lost his way in the

forest and was both hungry and weary. She set food before him, and

was so delighted with his conversation that she forgot the old woman’s

caution, and lingered for hours. In the meantime the Prince’s companions

sought him far and wide, but to no purpose, so they sent two messengers

to tell the sad news to the King, who immediately ordered a regiment of

cavalry and one of infantry to go and look for him.

After three days’ search, they found the hut. The Prince was still

sitting by the door and had been so happy in the maiden’s company that

the time had seemed like a single hour. Before leaving he promised to

return and fetch her to his father’s court, where he would make her his

bride. When he had gone, she sat down to her wheel to make up for

lost time, but was dismayed to find that her thread had lost all

its brightness. Her heart beat fast and she wept bitterly, for she

remembered the old woman’s warning and knew not what misfortune might

now befall her.

The old woman returned in the night and knew by the tarnished thread

what had happened in her absence. She was furiously angry and told

the maiden that she had brought down misery both on herself and on the

Prince. The maiden could not rest for thinking of this. At last she

could bear it no longer, and resolved to seek help from the Prince.

As a child she had learned to understand the speech of birds, and this

was now of great use to her, for, seeing a raven pluming itself on a

pine bough, she cried softly to it: “Dear bird, cleverest of all birds,

as well as swiftest on wing, wilt thou help me?” “How can I help

thee?” asked the raven. She answered: “Fly away, until thou comest to a

splendid town, where stands a king’s palace; seek out the king’s son

and tell him that a great misfortune has befallen me.” Then she told the

raven how her thread had lost its brightness, how terribly angry the old

woman was, and how she feared some great disaster. The raven promised

faithfully to do her bidding, and, spreading its wings, flew away. The

maiden now went home and worked hard all day at winding up the yarn her

elder sisters had spun, for the old woman would let her spin no longer.

Toward evening she heard the raven’s “craa, craa,” from the pine tree

and eagerly hastened thither to hear the answer.

By great good fortune the raven had found a wind wizard’s son in the

palace garden, who understood the speech of birds, and to him he had

entrusted the message. When the Prince heard it, he was very sorrowful,

and took counsel with his friends how to free the maiden. Then he said

to the wind wizard’s son: “Beg the raven to fly quickly back to the

maiden and tell her to be ready on the ninth night, for then will I come

and fetch her away.” The wind wizard’s son did this, and the raven flew

so swiftly that it reached the hut that same evening. The maiden thanked

the bird heartily and went home, telling no one what she had heard.

As the ninth night drew near she became very unhappy, for she feared

lest some terrible mischance should arise and ruin all. On this night

she crept quietly out of the house and waited trembling at some little

distance from the hut. Presently she heard the muffled tramp of horses,

and soon the armed troop appeared, led by the Prince, who had prudently

marked all the trees beforehand, in order to know the way. When he saw

the maiden he sprang from his horse, lifted her into the saddle, and

then, mounting behind, rode homeward. The moon shone so brightly that

they had no difficulty in seeing the marked trees.

By and by the coming of dawn loosened the tongues of all the birds,

and, had the Prince only known what they were saying, or the maiden

been listening, they might have been spared much sorrow, but they were

thinking only of each other, and when they came out of the forest the

sun was high in the heavens.

Next morning, when the youngest girl did not come to her work, the old

woman asked where she was. The sisters pretended not to know, but the

old woman easily guessed what had happened, and, as she was in reality

a wicked witch, determined to punish the fugitives. Accordingly, she

collected nine different kinds of enchanters’ nightshade, added some

salt, which she first bewitched, and, doing all up in a cloth into the

shape of a fluffy ball, sent it after them on the wings of the wind,

saying:

“Whirlwind!--mother of the wind!

Lend thy aid ‘gainst her who sinned!

Carry with thee this magic ball.

Cast her from his arms for ever,

Bury her in the rippling river.”

At midday the Prince and his men came to a deep river, spanned by so

narrow a bridge that only one rider could cross at a time. The horse on

which the Prince and the maiden were riding had just reached the middle

when the magic ball flew by. The horse in its fright suddenly reared,

and before anyone could stop it flung the maiden into the swift current

below. The Prince tried to jump in after her, but his men held him back,

and in spite of his struggles led him home, where for six weeks he shut

himself up in a secret chamber, and would neither eat nor drink, so

great was his grief. At last he became so ill his life was despaired of,

and in great alarm the King caused all the wizards of his country to be

summoned. But none could cure him. At last the wind wizard’s son said to

the King: “Send for the old wizard from Finland he knows more than all

the wizards of your kingdom put together.” A messenger was at once sent

to Finland, and a week later the old wizard himself arrived on the wings

of the wind. “Honored King,” said the wizard, “the wind has blown this

illness upon your son, and a magic ball has snatched away his beloved.

This it is which makes him grieve so constantly. Let the wind blow upon

him that it may blow away his sorrow.” Then the King made his son go

out into the wind, and he gradually recovered and told his father all.

“Forget the maiden,” said the King, “and take another bride”; but the

Prince said he could never love another.

A year afterward he came suddenly upon the bridge where his beloved met

her death. As he recalled the misfortune he wept bitterly, and would

have given all he possessed to have her once more alive. In the midst

of his grief he thought he heard a voice singing, and looked round, but

could see no one. Then he heard the voice again, and it said:

“Alas! bewitched and all forsaken, ‘Tis I must lie for ever here!

My beloved no thought has taken To free his bride, that was so dear.”

He was greatly astonished, sprang from his horse, and looked everywhere

to see if no one were hidden under the bridge; but no one was there.

Then he noticed a yellow water-lily floating on the surface of the

water, half hidden by its broad leaves; but flowers do not sing, and

in great surprise he waited, hoping to hear more. Then again the voice

sang:

 “Alas! bewitched and all forsaken,

   ‘Tis I must lie for ever here!

 My beloved no thought has taken

   To free his bride, that was so dear.”

The Prince suddenly remembered the gold-spinners, and said to himself:

“If I ride thither, who knows but that they could explain this to me?”

He at once rode to the hut, and found the two maidens at the fountain.

He told them what had befallen their sister the year before, and how he

had twice heard a strange song, but yet could see no singer. They said

that the yellow water-lily could be none other than their sister, who

was not dead, but transformed by the magic ball. Before he went to bed,

the eldest made a cake of magic herbs, which she gave him to eat. In the

night he dreamed that he was living in the forest and could understand

all that the birds said to each other. Next morning he told this to the

maidens, and they said that the charmed cake had caused it, and advised

him to listen well to the birds, and see what they could tell him, and

when he had recovered his bride they begged him to return and deliver

them from their wretched bondage.

Having promised this, he joyfully returned home, and as he was riding

through the forest he could perfectly understand all that the birds

said. He heard a thrush say to a magpie: “How stupid men are! they

cannot understand the simplest thing. It is now quite a year since the

maiden was transformed into a water-lily, and, though she sings so sadly

that anyone going over the bridge must hear her, yet no one comes to

her aid. Her former bridegroom rode over it a few days ago and heard her

singing, but was no wiser than the rest.”

“And he is to blame for all her misfortunes,” added the magpie. “If he

heeds only the words of men she will remain a flower for ever. She

were soon delivered were the matter only laid before the old wizard of

Finland.”

After hearing this, the Prince wondered how he could get a message

conveyed to Finland. He heard one swallow say to another: “Come, let us

fly to Finland; we can build better nests there.”

“Stop, kind friends!” cried the Prince. “Will you do something for me?”

The birds consented, and he said: “Take a thousand greetings from me

to the wizard of Finland, and ask him how I may restore a maiden

transformed into a flower to her own form.”

The swallows flew away, and the Prince rode on to the bridge. There he

waited, hoping to hear the song. But he heard nothing but the rushing of

the water and the moaning of the wind, and, disappointed, rode home.

Shortly after, he was sitting in the garden, thinking that the swallows

must have forgotten his message, when he saw an eagle flying above him.

The bird gradually descended until it perched on a tree close to the

Prince and said: “The wizard of Finland greets thee and bids me say that

thou mayest free the maiden thus: Go to the river and smear thyself all

over with mud; then say: ‘From a man into a crab,’ and thou wilt become

a crab. Plunge boldly into the water, swim as close as thou canst to the

water-lily’s roots, and loosen them from the mud and reeds. This done,

fasten thy claws into the roots and rise with them to the surface. Let

the water flow all over the flower, and drift with the current until

thou comest to a mountain ash tree on the left bank. There is near it

a large stone. Stop there and say: ‘From a crab into a man, from a

water-lily into a maiden,’ and ye both will be restored to your own

forms.”

Full of doubt and fear, the Prince let some time pass before he was bold

enough to attempt to rescue the maiden. Then a crow said to him: “Why

dost thou hesitate? The old wizard has not told thee wrong, neither have

the birds deceived thee; hasten and dry the maiden’s tears.”

“Nothing worse than death can befall me,” thought the Prince, “and death

is better than endless sorrow.” So he mounted his horse and went to

the bridge. Again he heard the water-lily’s lament, and, hesitating no

longer, smeared himself all over with mud, and, saying: “From a man into

a crab,” plunged into the river. For one moment the water hissed in

his ears, and then all was silent. He swam up to the plant and began

to loosen its roots, but so firmly were they fixed in the mud and reeds

that this took him a long time. He then grasped them and rose to the

surface, letting the water flow over the flower. The current carried

them down the stream, but nowhere could he see the mountain ash. At last

he saw it, and close by the large stone. Here he stopped and said: “From

a crab into a man, from a water-lily into a maiden,” and to his delight

found himself once more a prince, and the maiden was by his side. She

was ten times more beautiful than before, and wore a magnificent pale

yellow robe, sparkling with jewels. She thanked him for having freed her

from the cruel witch’s power, and willingly consented to marry him.

But when they came to the bridge where he had left his horse it was

nowhere to be seen, for, though the Prince thought he had been a crab

only a few hours, he had in reality been under the water for more than

ten days. While they were wondering how they should reach his father’s

court, they saw a splendid coach driven by six gaily caparisoned horses

coming along the bank. In this they drove to the palace. The King and

Queen were at church, weeping for their son, whom they had long mourned

for dead. Great was their delight and astonishment when the Prince

entered, leading the beautiful maiden by the hand. The wedding was at

once celebrated and there was feasting and merry-making throughout the

kingdom for six weeks.

Some time afterward the Prince and his bride were sitting in the garden,

when a crow said to them: “Ungrateful creatures! Have you forgotten the

two poor maidens who helped you in your distress? Must they spin gold

flax for ever? Have no pity on the old witch. The three maidens are

princesses, whom she stole away when they were children together, with

all the silver utensils, which she turned into gold flax. Poison were

her fittest punishment.”

The Prince was ashamed of having forgotten his promise and set out at

once, and by great good fortune reached the hut when the old woman was

away. The maidens had dreamed that he was coming, and were ready to go

with him, but first they made a cake in which they put poison, and

left it on a table where the old woman was likely to see it when she

returned. She did see it, and thought it looked so tempting that she

greedily ate it up and at once died.

In the secret chamber were found fifty wagon-loads of gold flax, and as

much more was discovered buried. The hut was razed to the ground, and

the Prince and his bride and her two sisters lived happily ever after.