Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla

PRINCE NARCISSUS AND THE PRINCESS POTENTILLA

Once upon a time there lived a King and Queen who, though it is a very

long while since they died, were much the same in their tastes and

pursuits as people nowadays. The King, who was called Cloverleaf, liked

hunting better than anything else; but he nevertheless bestowed as much

care upon his kingdom as he felt equal to--that is to say, he never made

an end of folding and unfolding the State documents. As to the Queen,

she had once been very pretty, and she liked to believe that she was so

still, which is, of course, always made quite easy for queens. Her name

was Frivola, and her one occupation in life was the pursuit of

amusement. Balls, masquerades, and picnics followed one another in rapid

succession, as fast as she could arrange them, and you may imagine that

under these circumstances the kingdom was somewhat neglected. As a

matter of fact, if anyone had a fancy for a town, or a province, he

helped himself to it; but as long as the King had his horses and dogs,

and the Queen her musicians and her actors, they did not trouble

themselves about the matter. King Cloverleaf and Queen Frivola had but

one child, and this Princess had from her very babyhood been so

beautiful, that by the time she was four years old the Queen was

desperately jealous of her, and so fearful that when she was grown up

she would be more admired than herself, that she resolved to keep her

hidden away out of sight. To this end she caused a little house to be

built not far beyond the Palace gardens, on the bank of a river. This

was surrounded by a high wall, and in it the charming Potentilla was

imprisoned. Her nurse, who was dumb, took care of her, and the

necessaries of life were conveyed to her through a little window in the

wall, while guards were always pacing to and fro outside, with orders to

cut off the head of anyone who tried to approach, which they would

certainly have done without thinking twice about it. The Queen told

everyone, with much pretended sorrow, that the Princess was so ugly, and

so troublesome, and altogether so impossible to love, that to keep her

out of sight was the only thing that could be done for her. And this

tale she repeated so often, that at last the whole court believed it.

Things were in this state, and the Princess was about fifteen years old

when Prince Narcissus, attracted by the report of Queen Frivola's gay

doings, presented himself at the court. He was not much older than the

Princess, and was as handsome a Prince as you would see in a day's

journey, and really, for his age, not so very scatter-brained. His

parents were a King and Queen, whose story you will perhaps read some

day. They died almost at the same time, leaving their kingdom to the

eldest of their children, and commending their youngest son, Prince

Narcissus, to the care of the Fairy Melinette. In this they did very

well for him, for the Fairy was as kind as she was powerful, and she

spared no pains in teaching the little Prince everything it was good for

him to know, and even imparted to him some of her own Fairy lore. But as

soon as he was grown up she sent him out to see the world for himself,

though all the time she was secretly keeping watch over him, ready to

help in any time of need. Before he started she gave him a ring which

would render him invisible when he put it on his finger. These rings

seem to be quite common; you must often have heard of them, even if you

have never seen one. It was in the course of the Prince's wanderings, in

search of experience of men and things, that he came to the court of

Queen Frivola, where he was extremely well received. The Queen was

delighted with him, so were all her ladies; and the King was very polite

to him, though he did not quite see why the whole court was making such

a fuss over him.

[Illustration]

Prince Narcissus enjoyed all that went on, and found the time pass very

pleasantly. Before long, of course, he heard the story about the

Princess Potentilla, and, as it had by that time been repeated many

times, and had been added to here and there, she was represented as such

a monster of ugliness that he was really quite curious to see her, and

resolved to avail himself of the magic power of his ring to accomplish

his design. So he made himself invisible, and passed the guard without

their so much as suspecting that anyone was near. Climbing the wall was

rather a difficulty, but when he at length found himself inside it he

was charmed with the peaceful beauty of the little domain it enclosed,

and still more delighted when he perceived a slender, lovely maiden

wandering among the flowers. It was not until he had sought vainly for

the imaginary monster that he realised that this was the Princess

herself, and by that time he was deeply in love with her, for indeed it

would have been hard to find anyone prettier than Potentilla, as she sat

by the brook, weaving a garland of blue forget-me-nots to crown her

waving golden locks, or to imagine anything more gentle than the way she

tended all the birds and beasts who inhabited her small kingdom, and who

all loved and followed her. Prince Narcissus watched her every movement,

and hovered near her in a dream of delight, not daring as yet to appear

to her, so humble had he suddenly become in her presence. And when

evening came, and the nurse fetched the Princess into her little house,

he felt obliged to go back to Frivola's palace, for fear his absence

should be noticed and someone should discover his new treasure. But he

forgot that to go back absent, and dreamy, and indifferent, when he had

before been gay and ardent about everything, was the surest way of

awakening suspicion; and when, in response to the jesting questions

which were put to him upon the subject, he only blushed and returned

evasive answers, all the ladies were certain that he had lost his heart,

and did their utmost to discover who was the happy possessor of it. As

to the Prince, he was becoming day by day more attached to Potentilla,

and his one thought was to attend her, always invisible, and help her in

everything she did, and provide her with everything that could possibly

amuse or please her. And the Princess, who had learnt to find diversion

in very small things in her quiet life, was in a continual state of

delight over the treasures which the Prince constantly laid where she

must find them. Then Narcissus implored his faithful friend Melinette to

send the Princess such dreams of him as should make her recognise him as

a friend when he actually appeared before her eyes; and this device was

so successful that the Princess quite dreaded the cessation of these

amusing dreams, in which a certain Prince Narcissus was such a

delightful lover and companion. After that he went a step further and

began to have long talks with the Princess--still, however, keeping

himself invisible, until she begged him so earnestly to appear to her

that he could no longer resist, and after making her promise that, no

matter what he was like, she would still love him, he drew the ring from

his finger, and the Princess saw with delight that he was as handsome as

he was agreeable. Now, indeed, they were perfectly happy, and they

passed the whole long summer day in Potentilla's favourite place by the

brook, and when at last Prince Narcissus had to leave her it seemed to

them both that the hours had gone by with the most amazing swiftness.

The Princess stayed where she was, dreaming of her delightful Prince,

and nothing could have been further from her thoughts than any trouble

or misfortune, when suddenly, in a cloud of dust and shavings, by came

the enchanter Grumedan, and unluckily he chanced to catch sight of

Potentilla. Down he came straightway and alighted at her feet, and one

look at her charming blue eyes and smiling lips quite decided him that

he must appear to her at once, though he was rather annoyed to remember

that he had on only his second-best cloak. The Princess sprang to her

feet with a cry of terror at this sudden apparition, for really the

Enchanter was no beauty. To begin with, he was very big and clumsy, then

he had but one eye, and his teeth were long, and he stammered badly;

nevertheless, he had an excellent opinion of himself, and mistook the

Princess's cry of terror for an exclamation of delighted surprise. After

pausing a moment to give her time to admire him, the Enchanter made her

the most complimentary speech he could invent, which, however, did not

please her at all, though he was extremely delighted with it himself.

Poor Potentilla only shuddered and cried:

'Oh! where is my Narcissus?'

To which he replied with a self-satisfied chuckle: 'You want a

narcissus, madam? Well, they are not rare; you shall have as many as you

like.'

Whereupon he waved his wand, and the Princess found herself surrounded

and half buried in the fragrant flowers. She would certainly have

betrayed that this was not the kind of narcissus she wanted, but for the

Fairy Melinette, who had been anxiously watching the interview, and now

thought it quite time to interfere. Assuming the Prince's voice, she

whispered in Potentilla's ear:

'We are menaced by a great danger, but my only fear is for you, my

Princess. Therefore I beg you to hide what you really feel, and we will

hope that some way out of the difficulty may present itself.'

The Princess was much agitated by this speech, and feared lest the

Enchanter should have overheard it; but he had been loudly calling her

attention to the flowers, and chuckling over his own smartness in

getting them for her; and it was rather a blow to him when she said very

coldly that they were not the sort she preferred, and she would be glad

if he would send them all away. This he did, but afterwards wished to

kiss the Princess's hand as a reward for having been so obliging; but

the Fairy Melinette was not going to allow anything of that kind. She

appeared suddenly, in all her splendour, and cried:

'Stay, Grumedan; this Princess is under my protection, and the smallest

impertinence will cost you a thousand years of captivity. If you can win

Potentilla's heart by the ordinary methods I cannot oppose you, but I

warn you that I will not put up with any of your usual tricks.'

This declaration was not at all to the Enchanter's taste; but he knew

that there was no help for it, and that he would have to behave well,

and pay the Princess all the delicate attentions he could think of,

though they were not at all the sort of thing he was used to. However,

he decided that to win such a beauty it was quite worth while; and

Melinette, feeling that she could now leave the Princess in safety,

hurried off to tell Prince Narcissus what was going forward. Of course,

at the very mention of the Enchanter as a rival he was furious, and I

don't know what foolish things he would not have done if Melinette had

not been there to calm him down. She represented to him what a powerful

enchanter Grumedan was, and how, if he were provoked, he might avenge

himself upon the Princess, since he was the most unjust and churlish of

all the enchanters, and had often before had to be punished by the Fairy

Queen for some of his ill-deeds. Once he had been imprisoned in a tree,

and was only released when it was blown down by a furious wind; another

time he was condemned to stay under a big stone at the bottom of a

river, until by some chance the stone should be turned over; but nothing

could ever really improve him. The Fairy finally made Narcissus promise

that he would remain invisible when he was with the Princess, since she

felt sure that this would make things easier for all of them. Then began

a struggle between Grumedan and the Prince, the latter under the name of

Melinette, as to which could best delight and divert the Princess and

win her approbation. Prince Narcissus first made friends with all the

birds in Potentilla's little domain, and taught them to sing her name

and her praises, with all their sweetest trills and most touching

melodies, and all day long to tell her how dearly he loved her.

Grumedan, thereupon, declared that there was nothing new about that,

since the birds had sung since the world began, and all lovers had

imagined that they sang for them alone. Therefore he said he would

himself write an opera that should be absolutely a novelty and something

worth hearing. When the time came for the performance (which lasted five

weary hours) the Princess found to her dismay that the 'opera' consisted

of this more than indifferent verse, chanted with all their might by ten

thousand frogs:

'Admirable Potentilla,

Do you think it kind or wise

In this sudden way to kill a

Poor Enchanter with your eyes?'

Really, if Narcissus had not been there to whisper in her ear and divert

her attention, I don't know what would have become of poor Potentilla,

for though the first repetition of this absurdity amused her faintly,

she nearly died of weariness before the time was over. Luckily Grumedan

did not perceive this, as he was too much occupied in whipping up the

frogs, many of whom perished miserably from fatigue, since he did not

allow them to rest for a moment. The Prince's next idea for Potentilla's

amusement was to cause a fleet of boats exactly like those of Cleopatra,

of which you have doubtless read in history, to come up the little

river, and upon the most gorgeously decorated of these reclined the

great Queen herself, who, as soon as she reached the place where

Potentilla sat in rapt attention, stepped majestically on shore and

presented the Princess with that celebrated pearl of which you have

heard so much, saying:

'You are more beautiful than I ever was. Let my example warn you to make

a better use of your beauty!'

And then the little fleet sailed on, until it was lost to view in the

windings of the river. Grumedan was also looking on at the spectacle,

and said very contemptuously:

'I cannot say I think these marionettes amusing. What a to-do to make

over a single pearl! But if you like pearls, madam, why, I will soon

gratify you.'

So saying, he drew a whistle from his pocket, and no sooner had he blown

it than the Princess saw the water of the river bubble and grow muddy,

and in another instant up came hundreds of thousands of great oysters,

who climbed slowly and laboriously towards her and laid at her feet all

the pearls they contained.

'Those are what I call pearls,' cried Grumedan in high glee. And truly

there were enough of them to pave every path in Potentilla's garden and

leave some to spare! The next day Prince Narcissus had prepared for the

Princess's pleasure a charming arbour of leafy branches, with couches of

moss and grassy floor and garlands everywhere, with her name written in

different-coloured blossoms. Here he caused a dainty little banquet to

be set forth, while hidden musicians played softly, and the silvery

fountains splashed down into their marble basins, and when presently the

music stopped a single nightingale broke the stillness with his

delicious chant.

'Ah!' cried the Princess, recognising the voice of one of her

favourites, 'Philomel, my sweet one, who taught you that new song?'

And he answered: 'Love, my Princess.'

Meanwhile the Enchanter was very ill-pleased with the entertainment,

which he declared was dullness itself.

'You don't seem to have any idea in these parts beyond little squeaking

birds!' said he. 'And fancy giving a banquet without so much as an ounce

of plate!'

So the next day, when the Princess went out into her garden, there stood

a summer-house built of solid gold, decorated within and without with

her initials and the Enchanter's combined. And in it was spread an

enormous repast, while the table so glittered with golden cups and

plates, flagons and dishes, candlesticks and a hundred other things

beside, that it was hardly possible to look steadily at it. The

Enchanter ate like six ogres, but the Princess could not touch a morsel.

Presently Grumedan remarked with a grin:

'I have provided neither musicians nor singers; but as you seem fond of

music I will sing to you myself.'

Whereupon he began, with a voice like a screech-owl's, to chant the

words of his 'opera,' only this time happily not at such a length, and

without the frog accompaniment. After this the Prince again asked the

aid of his friends the birds, and when they had assembled from all the

country round he tied about the neck of each one a tiny lamp of some

brilliant colour, and when darkness fell he made them go through a

hundred pretty tricks before the delighted Potentilla, who clapped her

little hands with delight when she saw her own name traced in points of

light against the dark trees, or when the whole flock of sparks grouped

themselves into bouquets of different colours, like living flowers.

Grumedan leaning back in his arm-chair, with one knee crossed over the

other and his nose in the air, looked on disdainfully.

'Oh! if you like fireworks, Princess,' said he; and the next night all

the will-o'-the-wisps in the country came and danced on the plain, which

could be seen from the Princess's windows, and as she was looking out,

and rather enjoying the sight, up sprang a frightful volcano, pouring

out smoke and flames which terrified her greatly, to the intense

amusement of the Enchanter, who laughed like a pack of wolves

quarrelling. After this, as many of the will-o'-the-wisps as could get

in crowded into Potentilla's garden, and by their light the tall

yew-trees danced minuets until the Princess was weary and begged to be

excused from looking at anything more that night. But, in spite of

Potentilla's efforts to behave politely to the tiresome old Enchanter,

whom she detested, he could not help seeing that he failed to please

her, and then he began to suspect very strongly that she must love

someone else, and that somebody besides Melinette was responsible for

all the festivities he had witnessed. So after much consideration he

devised a plan for finding out the truth. He went to the Princess

suddenly, and announced that he was most unwillingly forced to leave

her, and had come to bid her farewell. Potentilla could scarcely hide

her delight when she heard this, and his back was hardly turned before

she was entreating Prince Narcissus to make himself visible once more.

The poor Prince had been getting quite thin with anxiety and annoyance,

and was only too delighted to comply with her request. They greeted one

another rapturously, and were just sitting down to talk over everything

cosily, and enjoy the Enchanter's discomfiture together, when out he

burst in a fury from behind a bush. With his huge club he aimed a

terrific blow at Narcissus, which must certainly have killed him but for

the adroitness of the Fairy Melinette, who arrived upon the scene just

in time to snatch him up and carry him off at lightning speed to her

castle in the air. Poor Potentilla, however, had not the comfort of

knowing this, for at the sight of the Enchanter threatening her beloved

Prince she had given one shriek and fallen back insensible. When she

recovered her senses she was more than ever convinced that he was dead,

since even Melinette was no longer near her, and no one was left to

defend her from the odious old Enchanter.

[Illustration]

To make matters worse, he seemed to be in a very bad temper, and came

blustering and raging at the poor Princess.

'I tell you what it is, madam,' said he: 'whether you love this

whipper-snapper Prince or not doesn't matter in the least. You are going

to marry me, so you may as well make up your mind to it; and I am going

away this very minute to make all the arrangements. But in case you

should get into mischief in my absence, I think I had better put you to

sleep.'

So saying, he waved his wand over her, and in spite of her utmost

efforts to keep awake she sank into a profound and dreamless slumber.

As he wished to make what he considered a suitable entry into the King's

palace, he stepped outside the Princess's little domain, and mounted

upon an immense chariot with great solid wheels, and shafts like the

trunk of an oak-tree, but all of solid gold. This was drawn with great

difficulty by forty-eight strong oxen; and the Enchanter reclined at his

ease, leaning upon his huge club, and holding carelessly upon his knee a

tawny African lion, as if it had been a little lapdog. It was about

seven o'clock in the morning when this extraordinary chariot reached the

palace gates; the King was already astir, and about to set off on a

hunting expedition; as for the Queen, she had only just gone off into

her first sleep, and it would have been a bold person indeed who

ventured to wake her.

The King was greatly annoyed at having to stay and see a visitor at such

a time, and pulled off his hunting boots again with many grimaces.

Meantime the Enchanter was stumping about in the hall, crying:

'Where is this King? Let him be told that I must see him and his wife

also.'

The King, who was listening at the top of the staircase, thought this

was not very polite; however, he took counsel with his favourite

huntsman, and, following his advice, presently went down to see what was

wanted of him. He was struck with astonishment at the sight of the

chariot, and was gazing at it, when the Enchanter strode up to him,

exclaiming:

'Shake hands, Cloverleaf, old fellow! Don't you know me?'

'No, I can't say I do,' replied the King, somewhat embarrassed.

'Why, I am Grumedan, the Enchanter,' said he, 'and I am come to make

your fortune. Let us come in and talk things over a bit.'

Thereupon he ordered the oxen to go about their business, and they

bounded off like stags, and were out of sight in a moment. Then, with

one blow of his club, he changed the massive chariot into a perfect

mountain of gold pieces.

'Those are for your lackeys,' said he to the King, 'that they may drink

my health.'

Naturally a great scramble ensued, and at last the laughter and shouting

awoke the Queen, who rang for her maids to ask the reason of such an

unwonted hurly-burly. When they said that a visitor was asking for her,

and then proceeded each one to tell breathlessly a different tale of

wonder, in which she could only distinguish the words, 'oxen,' 'gold,'

'club,' 'giant,' 'lion,' she thought they were all out of their minds.

Meanwhile the King was asking the Enchanter to what he was indebted for

the honour of this visit, and on his replying that he would not say

until the Queen was also present, messenger after messenger was

dispatched to her to beg her immediate attendance. But Frivola was in a

very bad humour at having been so unceremoniously awakened, and declared

that she had a pain in her little finger, and that nothing should induce

her to come.

When the Enchanter heard this he insisted that she must come.

'Take my club to her Majesty,' said he, 'and tell her that if she smells

the end of it she will find it wonderfully reviving.'

So four of the King's strongest men-at-arms staggered off with it; and

after some persuasion the Queen consented to try this novel remedy. She

had hardly smelt it for an instant when she declared herself to be

perfectly restored; but whether that was due to the scent of the wood or

to the fact that as soon as she touched it out fell a perfect shower of

magnificent jewels, I leave you to decide. At any rate, she was now all

eagerness to see the mysterious stranger, and hastily throwing on her

royal mantle, popped her second-best diamond crown over her night-cap,

put a liberal dab of rouge upon each cheek, and holding up her largest

fan before her nose--for she was not used to appearing in broad

daylight--she went mincing into the great hall. The Enchanter waited

until the King and Queen had seated themselves upon their throne, and

then, taking his place between them, he began solemnly:

[Illustration: GRUMEDAN'S LION FETCHES IN THE PRINCESS]

'My name is Grumedan. I am an extremely well-connected Enchanter; my

power is immense. In spite of all this, the charms of your daughter

Potentilla have so fascinated me that I cannot live without her. She

fancies that she loves a certain contemptible puppy called Narcissus;

but I have made very short work with him. I really do not care whether

you consent to my marriage with your daughter or not, but I am bound to

ask your consent, on account of a certain meddling Fairy called

Melinette, with whom I have reason for wishing to keep on good terms.'

The King and Queen were somewhat embarrassed to know what answer to make

to this terrible suitor, but at last they asked for time to talk over

the matter: since, they said, their subjects might think that the heir

to the throne should not be married with as little consideration as a

dairymaid.

'Oh! take a day or two if you like,' said the Enchanter; 'but in the

meantime, I am going to send for your daughter. Perhaps you will be able

to induce her to be reasonable.'

So saying, he drew out his favourite whistle, and blew one ear-piercing

note--whereupon the great lion, who had been dozing in the sunny

courtyard, come bounding in on his soft, heavy feet. 'Orion,' said the

Enchanter, 'go and fetch me the Princess, and bring her here at once. Be

gentle now!'

At these words Orion went off at a great pace, and was soon at the other

end of the King's gardens. Scattering the guards right and left, he

cleared the wall at a bound, and seizing the sleeping Princess, he threw

her on to his back, where he kept her by holding her robe in his teeth.

Then he trotted gently back, and in less than five minutes stood in the

great hall before the astonished King and Queen.

The Enchanter held his club close to the Princess's charming little

nose, whereupon she woke up and shrieked with terror at finding herself

in a strange place with the detested Grumedan. Frivola, who had stood

by, stiff with displeasure at the sight of the lovely Princess, now

stepped forward, and with much pretended concern proposed to carry off

Potentilla to her own apartments that she might enjoy the quiet she

seemed to need. Really her one idea was to let the Princess be seen by

as few people as possible; so, throwing a veil over her head, she led

her away and locked her up securely. All this time Prince Narcissus,

gloomy and despairing, was kept a prisoner by Melinette in her castle

in the air, and in spite of all the splendour by which he was

surrounded, and all the pleasures which he might have enjoyed, his one

thought was to get back to Potentilla. The Fairy, however, left him

there, promising to do her very best for him, and commanding all her

swallows and butterflies to wait upon him and do his bidding. One day,

as he paced sadly to and fro, he thought he heard a voice he knew

calling to him, and sure enough there was the faithful Philomel,

Potentilla's favourite, who told him all that had passed, and how the

sleeping Princess had been carried off by the Lion to the great grief of

all her four-footed and feathered subjects, and how, not knowing what to

do, he had wandered about until he heard the swallows telling one

another of the Prince who was in their airy castle and had come to see

if it could be Narcissus. The Prince was more distracted than ever, and

tried vainly to escape from the castle, by leaping from the roof into

the clouds; but every time they caught him, and rolling softly up,

brought him back to the place from which he started, so at last he gave

up the attempt and waited with desperate patience for the return of

Melinette. Meanwhile matters were advancing rapidly in the court of King

Cloverleaf, for the Queen quite made up her mind that such a beauty as

Potentilla must be got out of the way as quickly as possible. So she

sent for the Enchanter secretly, and after making him promise that he

would never turn herself and King Cloverleaf out of their kingdom, and

that he would take Potentilla far away, so that never again might she

set eyes upon her, she arranged the wedding for the next day but one.

You may imagine how Potentilla lamented her sad fate, and entreated to

be spared. All the comfort she could get out of Frivola was, that if she

preferred a cup of poison to a rich husband she would certainly provide

her with one.

When, then, the fatal day came the unhappy Potentilla was led into the

great hall between the King and Queen, the latter wild with envy at the

murmurs of admiration which rose on all sides at the loveliness of the

Princess. An instant later in came Grumedan by the opposite door. His

hair stood on end, and he wore a huge bag-purse and a cravat tied in a

bow, his mantle was made of a shower of silver coins with a lining of

rose colour, and his delight in his own appearance knew no bounds. That

any Princess could prefer a cup of poison to himself never for an

instant occurred to him. Nevertheless, that was what did happen, for

when Queen Frivola in jest held out the fatal cup to the Princess, she

took it eagerly, crying:

[Illustration]

'Ah! beloved Narcissus, I come to thee!' and was just raising it to her

lips when the window of the great hall burst open, and the Fairy

Melinette floated in upon a glowing sunset cloud, followed by the Prince

himself.

All the court looked on in dazzled surprise, while Potentilla, catching

sight of her lover, dropped the cup and ran joyfully to meet him.

The Enchanter's first thought was to defend himself when he saw

Melinette appear, but she slipped round to his blind side, and catching

him by the eyelashes dragged him off to the ceiling of the hall, where

she held him kicking for a while just to give him a lesson, and then

touching him with her wand she imprisoned him for a thousand years in a

crystal ball which hung from the roof. 'Let this teach you to mind what

I tell you another time,' she remarked severely. Then turning to the

King and Queen, she begged them to proceed with the wedding, since she

had provided a much more suitable bridegroom. She also deprived them of

their kingdom, for they had really shown themselves unfit to manage it,

and bestowed it upon the Prince and Princess, who, though they were

unwilling to take it, had no choice but to obey the Fairy. However, they

took care that the King and Queen were always supplied with everything

they could wish for.

Prince Narcissus and Princess Potentilla lived long and happily, beloved

by all their subjects. As for the Enchanter, I don't believe he has been

let out yet.

La Princesse Pimprenella et Le Prince Romarin.