Heart of Ice

HEART OF ICE

Once upon a time there lived a King and Queen who were foolish beyond

all telling, but nevertheless they were vastly fond of one another. It

is true that certain spiteful people were heard to say that this was

only one proof the more of their exceeding foolishness, but of course

you will understand that these were not their own courtiers, since,

after all, they were a King and Queen, and up to this time all things

had prospered with them. For in those days the one thing to be thought

of in governing a kingdom was to keep well with all the Fairies and

Enchanters, and on no account to stint them of the cakes, the ells of

ribbon, and similar trifles which were their due, and, above all things,

when there was a christening, to remember to invite every single one,

good, bad, or indifferent, to the ceremony. Now, the foolish Queen had

one little son who was just going to be christened, and for several

months she had been hard at work preparing an enormous list of the names

of those who were to be invited, but she quite forgot that it would take

nearly as long to read it over as it had taken to write it out. So, when

the moment of the christening arrived the King--to whom the task had

been entrusted--had barely reached the end of the second page and his

tongue was tripping with fatigue and haste as he repeated the usual

formula: 'I conjure and pray you, Fairy so-and-so'--or 'Enchanter

such-a-one'--'to honour me with a visit, and graciously bestow your

gifts upon my son.'

To make matters worse, word was brought to him that the Fairies asked on

the first page had already arrived and were waiting impatiently in the

Great Hall, and grumbling that nobody was there to receive them.

Thereupon he gave up the list in despair and hurried to greet those whom

he had succeeded in asking, imploring their goodwill so humbly that most

of them were touched, and promised that they would do his son no harm.

But there happened to be among them a Fairy from a far country about

whom they knew nothing, though her name had been written on the first

page of the list. This Fairy was annoyed that after having taken the

trouble to come so quickly, there had been no one to receive her, or

help her to alight from the great ostrich on which she had travelled

from her distant home, and now she began to mutter to herself in the

most alarming way.

'Oh! prate away,' said she, 'your son will never be anything to boast

of. Say what you will, he will be nothing but a Mannikin----'

No doubt she would have gone on longer in this strain, and given the

unhappy little Prince half-a-dozen undesirable gifts, if it had not been

for the good Fairy Genesta, who held the kingdom under her special

protection, and who luckily hurried in just in time to prevent further

mischief. When she had by compliments and entreaties pacified the

unknown Fairy, and persuaded her to say no more, she gave the King a

hint that now was the time to distribute the presents, after which

ceremony they all took their departure, excepting the Fairy Genesta, who

then went to see the Queen, and said to her:

'A nice mess you seem to have made of this business, madam. Why did you

not condescend to consult me? But foolish people like you always think

they can do without help or advice, and I observe that, in spite of all

my goodness to you, you had not even the civility to invite me!'

'Ah! dear madam,' cried the King, throwing himself at her feet; 'did I

ever have time to get as far as your name? See where I put in this mark

when I abandoned the hopeless undertaking which I had but just begun!'

'There! there!' said the Fairy, 'I am not offended. I don't allow myself

to be put out by trifles like that with people I really am fond of. But

now about your son: I have saved him from a great many disagreeable

things, but you must let me take him away and take care of him, and you

will not see him again until he is all covered with fur!'

At these mysterious words the King and Queen burst into tears, for they

lived in such a hot climate themselves that how or why the Prince should

come to be covered with fur they could not imagine, and thought it must

portend some great misfortune to him.

However, Genesta told them not to disquiet themselves.

[Illustration]

'If I left him to you to bring up,' said she, 'you would be certain to

make him as foolish as yourselves. I do not even intend to let him know

that he is your son. As for you, you had better give your minds to

governing your kingdom properly.' So saying, she opened the window, and

catching up the little Prince, cradle and all, she glided away in the

air as if she were skating upon ice, leaving the King and Queen in the

greatest affliction. They consulted everyone who came near them as to

what the Fairy could possibly have meant by saying that when they saw

their son again he would be covered with fur. But nobody could offer any

solution of the mystery, only they all seemed to agree that it must be

something frightful, and the King and Queen made themselves more

miserable than ever, and wandered about their palace in a way to make

anyone pity them. Meantime the Fairy had carried off the little Prince

to her own castle, and placed him under the care of a young peasant

woman, whom she bewitched so as to make her think that this new baby was

one of her own children. So the Prince grew up healthy and strong,

leading the simple life of a young peasant, for the Fairy thought that

he could have no better training; only as he grew older she kept him

more and more with herself, that his mind might be cultivated and

exercised as well as his body. But her care did not cease there: she

resolved that he should be tried by hardships and disappointments and

the knowledge of his fellowmen; for indeed she knew the Prince would

need every advantage that she could give him, since, though he increased

in years, he did not increase in height, but remained the tiniest of

Princes. However, in spite of this he was exceedingly active and well

formed, and altogether so handsome and agreeable that the smallness of

his stature was of no real consequence. The Prince was perfectly aware

that he was called by the ridiculous name of 'Mannikin,' but he consoled

himself by vowing that, happen what might, he would make it illustrious.

In order to carry out her plans for his welfare the Fairy now began to

send Prince Mannikin the most wonderful dreams of adventure by sea and

land, and of these adventures he himself was always the hero. Sometimes

he rescued a lovely Princess from some terrible danger, again he earned

a kingdom by some brave deed, until at last he longed to go away and

seek his fortune in a far country where his humble birth would not

prevent his gaining honour and riches by his courage, and it was with a

heart full of ambitious projects that he rode one day into a great city

not far from the Fairy's castle. As he had set out intending to hunt in

the surrounding forest he was quite simply dressed, and carried only a

bow and arrows and a light spear; but even thus arrayed he looked

graceful and distinguished. As he entered the city he saw that the

inhabitants were all racing with one accord towards the market-place,

and he also turned his horse in the same direction, curious to know what

was going forward. When he reached the spot he found that certain

foreigners of strange and outlandish appearance were about to make a

proclamation to the assembled citizens, and he hastily pushed his way

into the crowd until he was near enough to hear the words of the

venerable old man who was their spokesman:

'Let the whole world know that he who can reach the summit of the Ice

Mountain shall receive as his reward, not only the incomparable Sabella,

fairest of the fair, but also all the realms of which she is Queen!'

'Here,' continued the old man after he had made this proclamation--'here

is the list of all those Princes who, struck by the beauty of the

Princess, have perished in the attempt to win her; and here is the list

of those who have just entered upon the high emprise.'

Prince Mannikin was seized with a violent desire to inscribe his name

among the others, but the remembrance of his dependent position and his

lack of wealth held him back. But while he hesitated the old man, with

many respectful ceremonies, unveiled a portrait of the lovely Sabella,

which was carried by some of the attendants, and after one glance at it

the Prince delayed no longer, but, rushing forward, demanded permission

to add his name to the list. When they saw his tiny stature and simple

attire the strangers looked at each other doubtfully, not knowing

whether to accept or refuse him. But the Prince said haughtily:

'Give me the paper that I may sign it,' and they obeyed. What between

admiration for the Princess and annoyance at the hesitation shown by her

ambassadors the Prince was too much agitated to choose any other name

than the one by which he was always known. But when, after all the grand

titles of the other Princes, he simply wrote 'Mannikin,' the ambassadors

broke into shouts of laughter.

'Miserable wretches!' cried the Prince; 'but for the presence of that

lovely portrait I would cut off your heads.'

But he suddenly remembered that, after all, it was a funny name, and

that he had not yet had time to make it famous; so he was calm, and

enquired the way to the Princess Sabella's country.

Though his heart did not fail him in the least, still he felt there were

many difficulties before him, and he resolved to set out at once,

without even taking leave of the Fairy, for fear she might try to stop

him. Everybody in the town who knew him made great fun of the idea of

Mannikin's undertaking such an expedition, and it even came to the ears

of the foolish King and Queen, who laughed over it more than any of the

others, without having an idea that the presumptuous Mannikin was their

only son!

[Illustration]

Meantime the Prince was travelling on, though the directions he had

received for his journey were none of the clearest.

'Four hundred leagues north of Mount Caucasus you will receive your

orders and instructions for the conquest of the Ice Mountain.'

Fine marching orders, those, for a man starting from a country near

where Japan is nowadays!

However, he fared eastward, avoiding all towns, lest the people should

laugh at his name, for, you see, he was not a very experienced

traveller, and had not yet learned to enjoy a joke even if it were

against himself. At night he slept in the woods, and at first he lived

upon wild fruits; but the Fairy, who was keeping a benevolent eye upon

him, thought that it would never do to let him be half-starved in that

way, so she took to feeding him with all sorts of good things while he

was asleep, and the Prince wondered very much that when he was awake he

never felt hungry! True to her plan the Fairy sent him various

adventures to prove his courage, and he came successfully through them

all, only in his last fight with a furious monster rather like a tiger

he had the ill luck to lose his horse. However, nothing daunted, he

struggled on on foot, and at last reached a seaport. Here he found a

boat sailing for the coast which he desired to reach, and, having just

enough money to pay his passage, he went on board and they started. But

after some days a fearful storm came on, which completely wrecked the

little ship, and the Prince only saved his life by swimming a long, long

way to the only land that was in sight, and which proved to be a desert

island. Here he lived by fishing and hunting, always hoping that the

good Fairy would presently rescue him. One day, as he was looking sadly

out to sea, he became aware of a curious-looking boat which was drifting

slowly towards the shore, and which presently ran into a little creek

and there stuck fast in the sand. Prince Mannikin rushed down eagerly to

examine it, and saw with amazement that the masts and spars were all

branched, and covered thickly with leaves until it looked like a little

wood. Thinking from the stillness that there could be no one on board,

the Prince pushed aside the branches and sprang over the side, and found

himself surrounded by the crew, who lay motionless as dead men and in a

most deplorable condition. They, too, had become almost like trees, and

were growing to the deck, or to the masts, or to the sides of the

vessel, or to whatever they had happened to be touching when the

enchantment fell upon them. Mannikin was struck with pity for their

miserable plight, and set to work with might and main to release them.

With the sharp point of one of his arrows he gently detached their hands

and feet from the wood which held them fast, and carried them on shore,

one after another, where he rubbed their rigid limbs, and bathed them

with infusions of various herbs with such success, that, after a few

days, they recovered perfectly and were as fit to manage a boat as ever.

You may be sure that the good Fairy Genesta had something to do with

this marvellous cure, and she also put it into the Prince's head to rub

the boat itself with the same magic herbs, which cleared it entirely,

and not before it was time, for, at the rate at which it was growing

before, it would very soon have become a forest! The gratitude of the

sailors was extreme, and they willingly promised to land the Prince upon

any coast he pleased; but, when he questioned them about the

extraordinary thing that had happened to them and to their ship, they

could in no way explain it, except that they said that, as they were

passing along a thickly wooded coast, a sudden gust of wind had reached

them from the land and enveloped them in a dense cloud of dust, after

which everything in the boat that was not metal had sprouted and

blossomed, as the Prince had seen, and that they themselves had grown

gradually numb and heavy, and had finally lost all consciousness. Prince

Mannikin was deeply interested in this curious story, and collected a

quantity of the dust from the bottom of the boat, which he carefully

preserved, thinking that its strange property might one day stand him in

good stead.

[Illustration]

Then they joyfully left the desert island, and after a long and

prosperous voyage over calm seas they at length came in sight of land,

and resolved to go on shore, not only to take in a fresh stock of water

and provisions, but also to find out, if possible, where they were and

in what direction to proceed.

As they neared the coast they wondered if this could be another

uninhabited land, for no human beings could be distinguished, and yet

that something was stirring became evident, for in the dust-clouds that

moved near the ground small dark forms were dimly visible. These

appeared to be assembling at the exact spot where they were preparing to

run ashore, and what was their surprise to find they were nothing more

nor less than large and beautiful spaniels, some mounted as sentries,

others grouped in companies and regiments, all eagerly watching their

disembarkation. When they found that Prince Mannikin, instead of saying,

'Shoot them,' as they had feared, said 'Hi, good dog!' in a thoroughly

friendly and ingratiating way, they crowded round him with a great

wagging of tails and giving of paws, and very soon made him understand

that they wanted him to leave his men with the boat and follow them. The

Prince was so curious to know more about them that he agreed willingly;

so, after arranging with the sailors to wait for him fifteen days, and

then, if he had not come back, to go on their way without him, he set

out with his new friends. Their way lay inland, and Mannikin noticed

with great surprise that the fields were well cultivated and that the

carts and ploughs were drawn by horses or oxen, just as they might have

been in any other country, and when they passed any village the cottages

were trim and pretty, and an air of prosperity was everywhere. At one of

the villages a dainty little repast was set before the Prince, and while

he was eating, a chariot was brought, drawn by two splendid horses,

which were driven with great skill by a large spaniel. In this carriage

he continued his journey very comfortably, passing many similar

equipages upon the road, and being always most courteously saluted by

the spaniels who occupied them. At last they drove rapidly into a large

town, which Prince Mannikin had no doubt was the capital of the kingdom.

News of his approach had evidently been received, for all the

inhabitants were at their doors and windows, and all the little spaniels

had climbed upon the wall and gates to see him arrive. The Prince was

delighted with the hearty welcome they gave him, and looked round him

with the deepest interest. After passing through a few wide streets,

well paved, and adorned with avenues of fine trees, they drove into the

courtyard of a grand palace, which was full of spaniels who were

evidently soldiers. 'The King's body-guard,' thought the Prince to

himself as he returned their salutations, and then the carriage stopped,

and he was shown into the presence of the King, who lay upon a rich

Persian carpet surrounded by several little spaniels, who were occupied

in chasing away the flies lest they should disturb his Majesty. He was

the most beautiful of all spaniels, with a look of sadness in his large

eyes, which, however, quite disappeared as he sprang up to welcome

Prince Mannikin with every demonstration of delight; after which he made

a sign to his courtiers, who came one by one to pay their respects to

the visitor. The Prince thought that he would find himself puzzled as to

how he should carry on a conversation, but as soon as he and the King

were once more left alone, a Secretary of State was sent for, who wrote

from his Majesty's dictation a most polite speech, in which he regretted

much that they were unable to converse, except in writing, the language

of dogs being difficult to understand. As for the writing, it had

remained the same as the Prince's own.

Mannikin thereupon wrote a suitable reply, and then begged the King to

satisfy his curiosity about all the strange things he had seen and heard

since his landing. This appeared to awaken sad recollections in the

King's mind, but he informed the Prince that he was called King Bayard,

and that a Fairy, whose kingdom was next his own, had fallen violently

in love with him, and had done all she could to persuade him to marry

her; but that he could not do so, as he himself was the devoted lover of

the Queen of the Spice Islands. Finally, the Fairy, furious at the

indifference with which her love was treated, had reduced him to the

state in which the Prince found him, leaving him unchanged in mind, but

deprived of the power of speech; and, not content with wreaking her

vengeance upon the King alone, she had condemned all his subjects to a

similar fate, saying:

'Bark, and run upon four feet, until the time comes when virtue shall be

rewarded by love and fortune.'

Which, as the poor King remarked, was very much the same thing as if she

had said, 'Remain a spaniel for ever and ever.'

Prince Mannikin was quite of the same opinion; nevertheless he said

what we should all have said in the same circumstances:

'Your Majesty must have patience.'

He was indeed deeply sorry for poor King Bayard, and said all the

consoling things he could think of, promising to aid him with all his

might if there was anything to be done. In short they became firm

friends, and the King proudly displayed to Mannikin the portrait of the

Queen of the Spice Islands, and he quite agreed that it was worth while

to go through anything for the sake of a creature so lovely. Prince

Mannikin in his turn told his own history, and the great undertaking

upon which he had set out, and King Bayard was able to give him some

valuable instructions as to which would be the best way for him to

proceed, and then they went together to the place where the boat had

been left. The sailors were delighted to see the Prince again, though

they had known that he was safe, and when they had taken on board all

the supplies which the King had sent for them, they started once more.

The King and Prince parted with much regret, and the former insisted

that Mannikin should take with him one of his own pages, named Mousta,

who was charged to attend to him everywhere, and serve him faithfully,

which he promised to do.

The wind being favourable they were soon out of hearing of the general

howl of regret from the whole army, which had been given by order of the

King, as a great compliment, and it was not long before the land was

entirely lost to view. They met with no further adventures worth

speaking of, and presently found themselves within two leagues of the

harbour for which they were making. The Prince, however, thought it

would suit him better to land where he was, so as to avoid the town,

since he had no money left and was very doubtful as to what he should do

next. So the sailors set him and Mousta on shore, and then went back

sorrowfully to their ship, while the Prince and his attendant walked off

in what looked to them the most promising direction. They soon reached a

lovely green meadow on the border of a wood, which seemed to them so

pleasant after their long voyage that they sat down to rest in the shade

and amused themselves by watching the gambols and antics of a pretty

tiny monkey in the trees close by. The Prince presently became so

fascinated by it that he sprang up and tried to catch it, but it eluded

his grasp and kept just out of arm's reach, until it had made him

promise to follow wherever it led him, and then it sprang upon his

shoulder and whispered in his ear:

'We have no money, my poor Mannikin, and we are altogether badly off,

and at a loss to know what to do next.'

'Yes, indeed,' answered the Prince ruefully, 'and I have nothing to give

you, no sugar or biscuits, or anything that you like, my pretty one.'

'Since you are so thoughtful for me, and so patient about your own

affairs,' said the little monkey, 'I will show you the way to the Golden

Rock, only you must leave Mousta to wait for you here.'

Prince Mannikin agreed willingly, and then the little monkey sprang from

his shoulder to the nearest tree, and began to run through the wood from

branch to branch, crying, 'Follow me.'

This the Prince did not find quite so easy, but the little monkey waited

for him and showed him the easiest places, until presently the wood grew

thinner and they came out into a little clear grassy space at the foot

of a mountain, in the midst of which stood a single rock, about ten feet

high. When they were quite close to it the little monkey said:

'This stone looks pretty hard, but give it a blow with your spear and

let us see what will happen.'

So the Prince took his spear and gave the rock a vigorous dig, which

split off several pieces, and showed that, though the surface was thinly

coated with stone, inside it was one solid mass of pure gold.

Thereupon the little monkey said, laughing at his astonishment:

'I make you a present of what you have broken off; take as much of it as

you think proper.'

The Prince thanked her gratefully, and picked up one of the smallest of

the lumps of gold; as he did so the little monkey was suddenly

transformed into a tall and gracious lady, who said to him:

'If you are always as kind and persevering and easily contented as you

are now you may hope to accomplish the most difficult tasks; go on your

way and have no fear that you will be troubled any more for lack of

gold, for that little piece which you modestly chose shall never grow

less, use it as much as you will. But that you may see the danger you

have escaped by your moderation, come with me.' So saying she led him

back into the wood by a different path, and he saw that it was full of

men and women; their faces were pale and haggard, and they ran hither

and thither seeking madly upon the ground, or in the air, starting at

every sound, pushing and trampling upon one another in their frantic

eagerness to find the way to the Golden Rock.

'You see how they toil,' said the Fairy; 'but it is all of no avail:

they will end by dying of despair, as hundreds have done before them.'

As soon as they had got back to the place where they had left Mousta the

Fairy disappeared, and the Prince and his faithful Squire, who had

greeted him with every demonstration of joy, took the nearest way to the

city. Here they stayed several days, while the Prince provided himself

with horses and attendants, and made many enquiries about the Princess

Sabella, and the way to her kingdom, which was still so far away that he

could hear but little, and that of the vaguest description, but when he

presently reached Mount Caucasus it was quite a different matter. Here

they seemed to talk of nothing but the Princess Sabella, and strangers

from all parts of the world were travelling towards her father's Court.

The Prince heard plenty of assurances as to her beauty and her riches,

but he also heard of the immense number of his rivals and their power.

One brought an army at his back, another had vast treasures, a third was

as handsome and accomplished as it was possible to be; while, as to poor

Mannikin, he had nothing but his determination to succeed, his faithful

spaniel, and his ridiculous name--which last was hardly likely to help

him, but as he could not alter it he wisely determined not to think of

it any more. After journeying for two whole months they came at last to

Trelintin, the capital of the Princess Sabella's kingdom, and here he

heard dismal stories about the Ice Mountain, and how none of those who

had attempted to climb it had ever come back. He heard also the story of

King Farda-Kinbras, Sabella's father. It appeared that he, being a rich

and powerful monarch, had married a lovely Princess named Birbantine,

and they were as happy as the day was long--so happy that as they were

out sledging one day they were foolish enough to defy fate to spoil

their happiness.

'We shall see about that,' grumbled an old hag who sat by the wayside

blowing her fingers to keep them warm. The King thereupon was very

angry, and wanted to punish the woman; but the Queen prevented him,

saying:

[Illustration: GORGONZOLA FLIES OFF ON HER DRAGON]

'Alas! sire, do not let us make bad worse; no doubt this is a Fairy!'

'You are right there,' said the old woman, and immediately she stood up,

and as they gazed at her in horror she grew gigantic and terrible, her

staff turned to a fiery dragon with outstretched wings, her ragged cloak

to a golden mantle, and her wooden shoes to two bundles of rockets. 'You

are right there, and you will see what will come of your fine goings on,

and remember the Fairy Gorgonzola!' So saying she mounted the dragon and

flew off, the rockets shooting in all directions and leaving long trails

of sparks.

In vain did Farda-Kinbras and Birbantine beg her to return, and

endeavour by their humble apologies to pacify her; she never so much as

looked at them, and was very soon out of sight, leaving them a prey to

all kinds of dismal forebodings. Very soon after this the Queen had a

little daughter, who was the most beautiful creature ever seen; all the

Fairies of the North were invited to her christening, and warned against

the malicious Gorgonzola. She also was invited, but she neither came to

the banquet nor received her present; but as soon as all the others were

seated at table, after bestowing their gifts upon the little Princess,

she stole into the Palace, disguised as a black cat, and hid herself

under the cradle until the nurses and the cradle-rockers had all turned

their backs, and then she sprang out, and in an instant had stolen the

little Princess's heart and made her escape, only being chased by a few

dogs and scullions on her way across the courtyard. Once outside she

mounted her chariot and flew straight away to the North Pole, where she

shut up her stolen treasure on the summit of the Ice Mountain, and

surrounded it with so many difficulties that she felt quite easy about

its remaining there as long as the Princess lived, and then she went

home, chuckling at her success. As to the other Fairies, they went home

after the banquet without discovering that anything was amiss, and so

the King and Queen were quite happy. Sabella grew prettier day by day.

She learnt everything a Princess ought to know without the slightest

trouble, and yet something always seemed lacking to make her perfectly

charming. She had an exquisite voice, but whether her songs were grave

or gay it did not matter, she did not seem to know what they meant; and

everyone who heard her said:

'She certainly sings perfectly; but there is no tenderness, no heart in

her voice.' Poor Sabella! how could there be when her heart was far away

on the Ice Mountains? And it was just the same with all the other things

that she did. As time went on, in spite of the admiration of the whole

Court and the blind fondness of the King and Queen, it became more and

more evident that something was fatally wrong: for those who love no one

cannot long be loved; and at last the King called a general assembly,

and invited the Fairies to attend, that they might, if possible, find

out what was the matter. After explaining their grief as well as he

could, he ended by begging them to see the Princess for themselves. 'It

is certain,' said he, 'that something is wrong--what it is I don't

know how to tell you, but in some way your work is imperfect.'

They all assured him that, so far as they knew, everything had been done

for the Princess, and they had forgotten nothing that they could bestow

on so good a neighbour as the King had been to them. After this they

went to see Sabella; but they had no sooner entered her presence than

they cried out with one accord:

'Oh! horror!--she has no heart!'

On hearing this frightful announcement, the King and Queen gave a cry of

despair, and entreated the Fairies to find some remedy for such an

unheard-of misfortune. Thereupon the eldest Fairy consulted her Book of

Magic, which she always carried about with her, hung to her girdle by a

thick silver chain, and there she found out at once that it was

Gorgonzola who had stolen the Princess's heart, and also discovered what

the wicked old Fairy had done with it.

'What shall we do? What shall we do?' cried the King and Queen in one

breath.

'You must certainly suffer much annoyance from seeing and loving

Sabella, who is nothing but a beautiful image,' replied the Fairy, 'and

this must go on for a long time; but I think I see that, in the end, she

will once more regain her heart. My advice is that you shall at once

cause her portrait to be sent all over the world, and promise her hand

and all her possessions to the Prince who is successful in reaching her

heart. Her beauty alone is sufficient to engage all the Princes of the

world in the quest.'

This was accordingly done, and Prince Mannikin heard that already five

hundred Princes had perished in the snow and ice, not to mention their

squires and pages, and that more continued to arrive daily, eager to try

their fortune. After some consideration he determined to present himself

at Court; but his arrival made no stir, as his retinue was as

inconsiderable as his stature, and the splendour of his rivals was great

enough to throw even Farda-Kinbras himself into the shade. However, he

paid his respects to the King very gracefully, and asked permission to

kiss the hand of the Princess in the usual manner; but when he said he

was called 'Mannikin,' the King could hardly repress a smile, and the

Princes who stood by openly shouted with laughter.

[Illustration]

Turning to the King, Prince Mannikin said with great dignity:

'Pray laugh if it pleases your Majesty, I am glad that it is in my power

to afford you any amusement; but I am not a plaything for these

gentlemen, and I must beg them to dismiss any ideas of that kind from

their minds at once,' and with that he turned upon the one who had

laughed the loudest and proudly challenged him to a single combat. This

Prince, who was called Fadasse, accepted the challenge very scornfully,

mocking at Mannikin, whom he felt sure had no chance against himself;

but the meeting was arranged for the next day. When Prince Mannikin

quitted the King's presence he was conducted to the audience hall of the

Princess Sabella. The sight of so much beauty and magnificence almost

took his breath away for an instant, but, recovering himself with an

effort, he said:

'Lovely Princess, irresistibly drawn by the beauty of your portrait, I

come from the other end of the world to offer my services to you. My

devotion knows no bounds, but my absurd name has already involved me in

a quarrel with one of your courtiers. To-morrow I am to fight this ugly,

overgrown Prince, and I beg you to honour the combat with your presence,

and prove to the world that there is nothing in a name, and that you

deign to accept Mannikin as your knight.'

When it came to this the Princess could not help being amused, for,

though she had no heart, she was not without humour. However, she

answered graciously that she accepted with pleasure, which encouraged

the Prince to entreat further that she would not show any favour to his

adversary.

'Alas!' said she, 'I favour none of these foolish people, who weary me

with their sentiment and their folly. I do very well as I am, and yet

from one year's end to another they talk of nothing but delivering me

from some imaginary affliction. Not a word do I understand of all their

pratings about love, and who knows what dull things besides, which, I

declare to you, I cannot even remember.'

Mannikin was quick enough to gather from this speech that to amuse and

interest the Princess would be a far surer way of gaining her favour

than to add himself to the list of those who continually teased her

about that mysterious thing called 'love' which she was so incapable of

comprehending. So he began to talk of his rivals, and found in each of

them something to make merry over, in which diversion the Princess

joined him heartily, and so well did he succeed in his attempt to amuse

her that before very long she declared that of all the people at Court

he was the one to whom she preferred to talk.

[Illustration]

The following day, at the time appointed for the combat, when the King,

the Queen, and the Princess had taken their places, and the whole Court

and the whole town were assembled to see the show, Prince Fadasse rode

into the lists magnificently armed and accoutred, followed by

twenty-four squires and a hundred men-at-arms, each one leading a

splendid horse, while Prince Mannikin entered from the other side armed

only with his spear and followed by the faithful Mousta. The contrast

between the two champions was so great that there was a shout of

laughter from the whole assembly; but when at the sounding of a trumpet

the combatants rushed upon each other, and Mannikin, eluding the blow

aimed at him, succeeded in thrusting Prince Fadasse from his horse and

pinning him to the sand with his spear, it changed to a murmur of

admiration.

So soon as he had him at his mercy, however, Mannikin, turning to the

Princess, assured her that he had no desire to kill anyone who called

himself her courtier, and then he bade the furious and humiliated

Fadasse rise and thank the Princess to whom he owed his life. Then, amid

the sounding of the trumpets and the shoutings of the people, he and

Mousta retired gravely from the lists.

The King soon sent for him to congratulate him upon his success, and to

offer him a lodging in the Palace, which he joyfully accepted. While the

Princess expressed a wish to have Mousta brought to her, and, when the

Prince sent for him, she was so delighted with his courtly manners and

his marvellous intelligence that she entreated Mannikin to give him to

her for her own. The Prince consented with alacrity, not only out of

politeness, but because he foresaw that to have a faithful friend always

near the Princess might some day be of great service to him. All these

events made Prince Mannikin a person of much more consequence at the

Court. Very soon after, there arrived upon the frontier the Ambassador

of a very powerful King, who sent to Farda-Kinbras the following letter,

at the same time demanding permission to enter the capital in state to

receive the answer:

'I, Brandatimor, to Farda-Kinbras send greeting. If I had before this

time seen the portrait of your beautiful daughter Sabella I should not

have permitted all these adventurers and petty Princes to be dancing

attendance and getting themselves frozen with the absurd idea of

meriting her hand. For myself I am not afraid of any rivals, and, now I

have declared my intention of marrying your daughter, no doubt they will

at once withdraw their pretensions. My Ambassador has orders, therefore,

to make arrangements for the Princess to come and be married to me

without delay--for I attach no importance at all to the farrago of

nonsense which you have caused to be published all over the world about

this Ice Mountain. If the Princess really has no heart, be assured that

I shall not concern myself about it, since, if anybody can help her to

discover one, it is myself. My worthy father-in-law, farewell!'

The reading of this letter embarrassed and displeased Farda-Kinbras and

Birbantine immensely, while the Princess was furious at the insolence of

the demand. They all three resolved that its contents must be kept a

profound secret until they could decide what reply should be sent, but

Mousta contrived to send word of all that had passed to Prince Mannikin.

He was naturally alarmed and indignant, and, after thinking it over a

little, he begged an audience of the Princess, and led the conversation

so cunningly up to the subject that was uppermost in her thoughts, as

well as his own, that she presently told him all about the matter and

asked his advice as to what it would be best to do. This was exactly

what he had not been able to decide for himself; however, he replied

that he should advise her to gain a little time by promising her answer

after the grand entry of the Ambassador, and this was accordingly done.

The Ambassador did not at all like being put off after that fashion, but

he was obliged to be content, and only said very arrogantly that so soon

as his equipages arrived, as he expected they would do very shortly, he

would give all the people of the city, and the stranger Princes with

whom it was inundated, an idea of the power and the magnificence of his

master. Mannikin, in despair, resolved that he would for once beg the

assistance of the kind Fairy Genesta. He often thought of her and always

with gratitude, but from the moment of his setting out he had determined

to seek her aid only on the greatest occasions. That very night, when he

had fallen asleep quite worn out with thinking over all the difficulties

of the situation, he dreamed that the Fairy stood beside him, and said:

'Mannikin, you have done very well so far; continue to please me and you

shall always find good friends when you need them most. As for this

affair with the Ambassador, you can assure Sabella that she may look

forward tranquilly to his triumphal entry, since it will all turn out

well for her in the end.'

The Prince tried to throw himself at her feet to thank her, but woke to

find it was all a dream; nevertheless he took fresh courage, and went

next day to see the Princess, to whom he gave many mysterious assurances

that all would yet be well. He even went so far as to ask her if she

would not be very grateful to anyone who would rid her of the insolent

Brandatimor. To which she replied that her gratitude would know no

bounds. Then he wanted to know what would be her best wish for the

person who was lucky enough to accomplish it. To which she said that she

would wish them to be as insensible to the folly called 'love' as she

was herself!

This was indeed a crushing speech to make to such a devoted lover as

Prince Mannikin, but he concealed the pain it caused him with great

courage.

And now the Ambassador sent to say that on the very next day he would

come in state to receive his answer, and from the earliest dawn the

inhabitants were astir, to secure the best places for the grand sight;

but the good Fairy Genesta was providing them an amount of amusement

they were far from expecting, for she so enchanted the eyes of all the

spectators that when the Ambassador's gorgeous procession appeared, the

splendid uniforms seemed to them miserable rags that a beggar would

have been ashamed to wear, the prancing horses appeared as wretched

skeletons hardly able to drag one leg after the other, while their

trappings, which really sparkled with gold and jewels, looked like old

sheepskins that would not have been good enough for a plough horse. The

pages resembled the ugliest sweeps. The trumpets gave no more sound than

whistles made of onion-stalks, or combs wrapped in paper; while the

train of fifty carriages looked no better than fifty donkey carts. In

the last of these sat the Ambassador with the haughty and scornful air

which he considered becoming in the representative of so powerful a

monarch: for this was the crowning point of the absurdity of the whole

procession, that all who took part in it wore the expression of vanity

and self-satisfaction and pride in their own appearance and all their

surroundings which they believed their splendour amply justified.

[Illustration]

The laughter and howls of derision from the whole crowd rose ever louder

and louder as the extraordinary cortege advanced, and at last reached

the ears of the King as he waited in the audience hall, and before the

procession reached the palace he had been informed of its nature, and,

supposing that it must be intended as an insult, he ordered the gates

to be closed. You may imagine the fury of the Ambassador when, after all

his pomp and pride, the King absolutely and unaccountably refused to

receive him. He raved wildly both against King and people, and the

cortege retired in great confusion, jeered at and pelted with stones and

mud by the enraged crowd. It is needless to say that he left the country

as fast as horses could carry him, but not before he had declared war,

with the most terrible menaces, threatening to devastate the country

with fire and sword.

Some days after this disastrous embassy King Bayard sent couriers to

Prince Mannikin with a most friendly letter, offering his services in

any difficulty, and enquiring with the deepest interest how he fared.

Mannikin at once replied, relating all that had happened since they

parted, not forgetting to mention the event which had just involved

Farda-Kinbras and Brandatimor in this deadly quarrel, and he ended by

entreating his faithful friend to despatch a few thousands of his

veteran spaniels to his assistance.

Neither the King, the Queen, nor the Princess could in the least

understand the amazing conduct of Brandatimor's Ambassador; nevertheless

the preparations for the war went forward briskly and all the Princes

who had not gone on towards the Ice Mountain offered their services, at

the same time demanding all the best appointments in the King's army.

Mannikin was one of the first to volunteer, but he only asked to go as

aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-chief, who was a gallant soldier and

celebrated for his victories. As soon as the army could be got together

it was marched to the frontier, where it met the opposing force headed

by Brandatimor himself, who was fall of fury, determined to avenge the

insult to his Ambassador and to possess himself of the Princess Sabella.

All the army of Farda-Kinbras could do, being so heavily outnumbered,

was to act upon the defensive, and before long Mannikin won the esteem

of the officers for his ability, and of the soldiers for his courage,

and care for their welfare, and in all the skirmishes which he conducted

he had the good fortune to vanquish the enemy.

At last Brandatimor engaged the whole army in a terrific conflict, and

though the troops of Farda-Kinbras fought with desperate courage, their

general was killed, and they were defeated and forced to retreat with

immense loss. Mannikin did wonders, and half-a-dozen times turned the

retreating forces and beat back the enemy; and he afterwards collected

troops enough to keep them in check until, the severe winter setting in,

put an end to hostilities for a while.

He then returned to the Court, where consternation reigned. The King was

in despair at the death of his trusty general, and ended by imploring

Mannikin to take the command of the army, and his counsel was followed

in all the affairs of the Court. He followed up his former plan of

amusing the Princess, and on no account reminding her of that tedious

thing called 'love,' so that she was always glad to see him, and the

winter slipped by gaily for both of them.

The Prince was all the while secretly making plans for the next

campaign; he received private intelligence of the arrival of a strong

reinforcement of Spaniels, to whom he sent orders to post themselves

along the frontier without attracting attention, and as soon as he

possibly could he held a consultation with their Commander, who was an

old and experienced warrior. Following his advice, he decided to have a

pitched battle as soon as the enemy advanced, and this Brandatimor lost

not a moment in doing, as he was perfectly persuaded that he was now

going to make an end of the war and utterly vanquish Farda-Kinbras. But

no sooner had he given the order to charge than the Spaniels, who had

mingled with his troops unperceived, leaped each upon the horse nearest

to him, and not only threw the whole squadron into confusion by the

terror they caused, but, springing at the throats of the riders,

unhorsed many of them by the suddenness of their attack; then turning

the horses to the rear, they spread consternation everywhere, and made

it easy for Prince Mannikin to gain a complete victory. He met

Brandatimor in single combat, and succeeded in taking him prisoner; but

he did not live to reach the Court, to which Mannikin had sent him: his

pride killed him at the thought of appearing before Sabella under these

altered circumstances. In the meantime Prince Fadasse and all the others

who had remained behind were setting out with all speed for the conquest

of the Ice Mountain, being afraid that Prince Mannikin might prove as

successful in that as he seemed to be in everything else, and when

Mannikin returned he heard of it with great annoyance. True he had been

serving the Princess, but she only admired and praised him for his

gallant deeds, and seemed no whit nearer bestowing on him the love he so

ardently desired, and all the comfort Mousta could give him on the

subject was that at least she loved no one else, and with that he had

to content himself. But he determined that, come what might, he would

delay no longer, but attempt the great undertaking for which he had come

so far. When he went to take leave of the King and Queen they entreated

him not to go, as they had just heard that Prince Fadasse, and all who

accompanied him, had perished in the snow; but he persisted in his

resolve. As for Sabella, she gave him her hand to kiss with precisely

the same gracious indifference as she had given it to him the first time

they met. It happened that this farewell took place before the whole

Court, and so great a favourite had Prince Mannikin become that they

were all indignant at the coldness with which the Princess treated him.

[Illustration]

Finally the King said to him:

'Prince, you have constantly refused all the gifts which, in my

gratitude for your invaluable services, I have offered to you, but I

wish the Princess to present you with her cloak of marten's fur, and

that I hope you will not reject!' Now this was a splendid fur mantle

which the Princess was very fond of wearing, not so much because she

felt cold, as that its richness set off to perfection the delicate tints

of her complexion and the brilliant gold of her hair. However, she took

it off, and with graceful politeness begged Prince Mannikin to accept

it, which you may be sure he was charmed to do, and, taking only this

and a little bundle of all kinds of wood, and accompanied only by two

spaniels out of the fifty who had stayed with him when the war was

ended, he set forth, receiving many tokens of love and favour from the

people in every town he passed through. At the last little village he

left his horse behind him, to begin his toilful march through the snow,

which extended, blank and terrible, in every direction as far as the eye

could see. Here he had appointed to meet the other forty-eight spaniels,

who received him joyfully, and assured him that, happen what might, they

would follow and serve him faithfully. And so they started, full of

heart and hope. At first there was a slight track, difficult, but not

impossible to follow; but this was soon lost, and the Pole Star was

their only guide. When the time came to call a halt, the Prince, who had

after much consideration decided on his plan of action, caused a few

twigs from the faggot he had brought with him to be planted in the snow,

and then he sprinkled over them a pinch of the magic powder he had

collected from the enchanted boat. To his great joy they instantly began

to sprout and grow, and in a marvellously short time the camp was

surrounded by a perfect grove of trees of all sorts, which blossomed and

bore ripe fruit, so that all their wants were easily supplied, and they

were able to make huge fires to warm themselves. The Prince then sent

out several spaniels to reconnoitre, and they had the good luck to

discover a horse laden with provisions stuck fast in the snow. They at

once fetched their comrades, and brought the spoil triumphantly into the

camp, and, as it consisted principally of biscuits, not a spaniel among

them went supperless to sleep. In this way they journeyed by day and

encamped safely at night, always remembering to take on a few branches

to provide them with food and shelter. They passed by the way armies of

those who had set out upon the perilous enterprise, who stood frozen

stiffly, without sense or motion; but Prince Mannikin strictly forbade

that any attempt should be made to thaw them. So they went on and on for

more than three months, and day by day the Ice Mountain, which they had

seen for a long time, grew clearer, until at last they stood close to

it, and shuddered at its height and steepness. But by patience and

perseverance they crept up foot by foot, aided by their fires of magic

wood, without which they must have perished in the intense cold, until

presently they stood at the gates of the magnificent Ice Palace which

crowned the mountain, where, in deadly silence and icy sleep, lay the

heart of Sabella. Now the difficulty became immense, for if they

maintained enough heat to keep themselves alive they were in danger

every moment of melting the blocks of solid ice of which the palace was

entirely built, and bringing the whole structure down upon their heads;

but cautiously and quickly they traversed courtyards and halls, until

they found themselves at the foot of a vast throne, where, upon a

cushion of snow, lay an enormous and brilliantly sparkling diamond,

which contained the heart of the lovely Princess Sabella. Upon the

lowest step of the throne was inscribed in icy letters, 'Whosoever thou

art who by courage and virtue canst win the heart of Sabella enjoy

peacefully the good fortune which thou hast richly deserved.'

[Illustration]

Prince Mannikin bounded forward, and had just strength left to grasp the

precious diamond which contained all he coveted in the world before he

fell insensible upon the snowy cushion. But his good spaniels lost no

time in rushing to the rescue, and between them they bore him hastily

from the hall, and not a moment too soon, for all around them they heard

the clang of the falling blocks of ice as the Fairy Palace slowly

collapsed under the unwonted heat. Not until they reached the foot of

the mountain did they pause to restore the Prince to consciousness, and

then his joy to find himself the possessor of Sabella's heart knew no

bounds.

With all speed they began to retrace their steps, but this time the

happy Prince could not bear the sight of his defeated and disappointed

rivals, whose frozen forms lined his triumphant way. He gave orders to

his spaniels to spare no pains to restore them to life, and so

successful were they that day by day his train increased, so that by the

time he got back to the little village where he had left his horse he

was escorted by five hundred sovereign Princes, and knights and squires

without number, and he was so courteous and unassuming that they all

followed him willingly, anxious to do him honour. But then he was so

happy and blissful himself that he found it easy to be at peace with all

the world. It was not long before he met the faithful Mousta, who was

coming at the top of his speed hoping to meet the Prince, that he might

tell him of the sudden and wonderful change that had come over the

Princess, who had become gentle and thoughtful and had talked to him of

nothing but Prince Mannikin, of the hardships she feared he might be

suffering, and of her anxiety for him, and all this with a hundred

tender expressions which put the finishing stroke to the Prince's

delight. Then came a courier bearing the congratulations of the King and

Queen, who had just heard of his successful return, and there was even a

graceful compliment from Sabella herself. The Prince sent Mousta back to

her, and he was welcomed with joy, for was he not her lover's present?

At last the travellers reached the capital, and were received with regal

magnificence. Farda-Kinbras and Birbantine embraced Prince Mannikin,

declaring that they regarded him as their heir and the future husband of

the Princess, to which he replied that they did him too much honour. And

then he was admitted into the presence of the Princess, who for the

first time in her life blushed as he kissed her hand, and could not find

a word to say. But the Prince, throwing himself on his knees beside her,

held out the splendid diamond, saying:

'Madam, this treasure is yours, since none of the dangers and

difficulties I have gone through have been sufficient to make me deserve

it.'

'Ah! Prince,' said she, 'if I take it, it is only that I may give it

back to you, since truly it belongs to you already.'

At this moment in came the King and Queen, and interrupted them by

asking all the questions imaginable, and not infrequently the same over

and over again. It seems that there is always one thing that is sure to

be said about an event by everybody, and Prince Mannikin found that the

question which he was asked by more than a thousand people on this

particular occasion was:

'And didn't you find it very cold?'

The King had come to request Prince Mannikin and the Princess to follow

him to the Council Chamber, which they did, not knowing that he meant to

present the Prince to all the nobles assembled there as his son-in-law

and successor. But when Mannikin perceived his intention, he begged

permission to speak first, and told his whole story, even to the fact

that he believed himself to be a peasant's son. Scarcely had he finished

speaking when the sky grew black, the thunder growled, and the lightning

flashed, and in the blaze of light the good Fairy Genesta suddenly

appeared. Turning to Prince Mannikin, she said:

'I am satisfied with you, since you have shown not only courage but a

good heart.' Then she addressed King Farda-Kinbras, and informed him of

the real history of the Prince, and how she had determined to give him

the education she knew would be best for a man who was to command

others. 'You have already found the advantage of having a faithful

friend,' she added to the Prince, 'and now you will have the pleasure of

seeing King Bayard and his subjects regain their natural forms as a

reward for his kindness to you.'

Just then arrived a chariot drawn by eagles, which proved to contain the

foolish King and Queen, who embraced their long-lost son with great joy,

and were greatly struck with the fact that they did indeed find him

covered with fur! While they were caressing Sabella and wringing her

hands (which is a favourite form of endearment with foolish people)

chariots were seen approaching from all points of the compass,

containing numbers of Fairies.

'Sire,' said Genesta to Farda-Kinbras, 'I have taken the liberty of

appointing your Court as a meeting-place for all the Fairies who could

spare the time to come; and I hope you can arrange to hold the great

ball, which we have once in a hundred years, on this occasion.'

The King having suitably acknowledged the honour done him, was next

reconciled to Gorgonzola, and they two presently opened the ball

together. The Fairy Marsontine restored their natural forms to King

Bayard and all his subjects, and he appeared once more as handsome a

king as you could wish to see. One of the Fairies immediately despatched

her chariot for the Queen of the Spice Islands, and their wedding took

place at the same time as that of Prince Mannikin and the lovely and

gracious Sabella. They lived happily ever afterwards, and their vast

kingdoms were presently divided between their children.

The Prince, out of grateful remembrance of the Princess Sabella's first

gift to him, bestowed the right of bearing her name upon the most

beautiful of the martens, and that is why they are called sables to

this day.

Comte de Caylus.