THE FALCON-KING
by Burton Mrs. Harrison · from The Old-Fashioned Fairy Book
Adapted Version
Lily lived in a tall tower. Her father was Sir Greedy. He loved gold very, very much. He kept Lily in a tall, tall room. He did not want her to marry.
A big bird flew to her window. It was a falcon. The falcon was Prince Finn. He used magic. He turned into a handsome man. He said he loved Lily very much.
Lily was sad. She liked Prince Finn very much. He visited her many times. They talked and laughed. They became very good friends. They loved each other.
A kind old man came to the tower. He was Father Thomas. He was Prince Finn's friend. Lily and Prince Finn made a special promise. They would always be with each other.
Miss Stern was the stern lady. She saw Lily's ring. She told Sir Greedy. Sir Greedy was angry. He put a bad thing at the window.
Prince Finn came back. He touched the window. He got very hurt by the thing. He gave Lily magic wings. They flew away fast. They went to his kingdom.
They flew to his big palace. Prince Finn turned into a man. He said, "You are my queen." He grew weak. He went to sleep for good.
Lily was very sad. She needed to be safe. She ran to the forest. A kind man lived there. His wife was not well. Lily helped the wife get better.
Lily lived calm with them. She had a baby boy. His name was Prince Leo. He was Prince Finn's son.
Prince Leo was three years old. A kind lady saw him. She had no children. She wanted to adopt Prince Leo. Lily went with them. She was Prince Leo's helper.
Many years passed. Prince Leo was a grown man. He was twenty-one. He went to a big church. His adopted people went too. It was a special day.
A kind priest spoke. He said a bad thing happened. The king went away long ago. He had a secret wife. She was the queen. But no one found her.
Lily stepped forward. She showed her ring. "I am the queen!" she said. "This is my son, Prince Leo." Father Thomas came. He said, "Yes, it is true."
Sir Greedy was there. Father Thomas pointed to him. He said Sir Greedy did a bad thing. He hurt the king long ago.
Lily became very tired. She went to sleep for good near him. Prince Leo became the new king. Sir Greedy was sent far away. He could not hurt anyone again.
Original Story
THE FALCON-KING.
(From one of Marie's Lays.)
THERE lived once, in Britain, an old knight who was lord of Caerwent, a city situated on the River Douglas. He was wealthy and avaricious, and the sole heir to his possessions, a lovely daughter, he kept locked up in a high tower, under the care of a cross governess. His one fear was that this daughter would marry, and thus give some one the right to lay claim to the gold that was dearer to him than life itself. To prevent her from getting a husband, the old knight used every method he could think of to keep off visitors; and any stray caller at the castle was set upon by fierce dogs, who would tear one to pieces as soon as gnaw a beef-bone!
Day after day the father rode off to the hunt, the governess told her beads, and the damsel moped within the tower. One morning she was at her wheel, singing a mournful ditty, and sighing from time to time, as she glanced over the tree-tops at the roofs and spires of the distant city, when suddenly the sky above her window was darkened, and she heard a whirring noise, as of mighty wings astir. A falcon of huge size and noble mien flew in at the casement, and lit submissively at her feet. The maiden stroked his proud head, and at once the bird changed to a beautiful young man, who, in a gentle voice, begged her to have no fear of him, as he was not only a devoted lover but the humblest of her slaves.
"Bid me go if you will," said the prince, "and deeply as I should regret your command, you will see how quickly I shall obey it. Long have I watched you from afar, and dearly I love you. For your sake, I have acquired the art of magic, enabling me to assume this shape in order to reach your prison."
"Oh! but I don't want you to go!" cried the poor little mewed-up damsel, who was tired to death of having nobody to talk to.
As she had never seen a man younger than her father, it was a great astonishment to her to find that the prince's hair was dark and his cheek unwrinkled and rosy as a ripe peach.
What he meant by being a lover, she did not in the least understand. Only, it was pleasant to hear him talk in his kind, low voice; and praises were so rare to her, that they sounded sweet as honey dropping from his lips.
As a matter of course, the afternoon passed quickly; but at last, startled by the noise of a key grating in the lock of the door, the prince quickly assumed his bird-shape, and promising to come again upon the morrow, flew out of the window. The governess could not imagine what had put her prisoner in such a silly state of cheerfulness, as she thought it; and, boxing the poor girl's ears for smiling, gave her a long piece of poetry to learn by heart, and allowed her nothing but bread and water for her tea.
Next day the falcon came again, and for many days he continued his visits, until the girl grew to love him as he loved her, and promised to be his wife. Once a month the chaplain was accustomed to come to see her, and to make her say a catechism the longest ever heard of. When next the day came around for his visit, what was her surprise, instead of the stern chaplain, to find a gentle and kind old priest, who, when left alone with her, avowed himself to be a friend of the falcon-prince.
"As your father is a wicked and unworthy son of the church, and the prince a noble and devoted one, I cannot but approve of the marriage between you and your beloved," the old man said. "The ceremony will now be performed, and may heaven's blessing rest upon you both."
The falcon-prince arrived at the same moment, bearing in his beak a wedding-ring of large bright diamonds. The couple were married, and the prince told his wife that, very soon, he would be able to furnish her also with wings to leave the tower.
One day the governess, coming in unexpectedly, found the girl toying with a beautiful ring, which she hurriedly concealed in her mattress. Spite of all the governess' efforts, she could not find the jewel; nor could she succeed in drawing from her captive any explanation of how she had come by it. The governess told the father, who redoubled his precautions and set spies to watch upon the outside of the tower. In a few days, the spies reported to him that they had seen a bird of the largest size fly in at the maiden's window, remain there for some hours, and then fly out again.
"I'll be a match for this carrier-pigeon of hers!" said the old knight with malicious glee. That night a trap was set upon the outside of the window, surrounded by sharp knives, so that anything passing through it would inevitably be caught or wounded grievously. The young wife awaited her husband anxiously, for it was the day fixed for her escape. Soon he arrived; but as he touched the window the trap fell, and although he managed to pass in, a long trail of blood was left behind him.
"Lose no time, my beloved!" he said, in a voice altered by pain. "Our enemies are upon us. Put this bracelet on your arm, and spring into the air after me, without fear."
She obeyed, and found herself upborne by magic wings, which carried her more swiftly than the wind over forest tops, shining river, and city spires and domes. Glorious as was her airy flight, she could see that her companion grew weaker. They arrived in a country adjoining the one in which she had lived, and stopped immediately above a splendid palace—alighting in the marble balcony of a chamber furnished with the utmost magnificence. Here the falcon regained his man's shape, and, with despair, his wife saw that he was deathly pale, while the blood poured from a wound beneath his heart.
"I am dying," he exclaimed. "Help me to my bed yonder, and may heaven grant me strength to tell my people that you are their lawful queen."
The poor wife aided her husband to lie down, but when he would have spoken to her again, his voice was gone—a moment more, and he was dead.
And now in what a mournful plight the pretty new queen found herself! Soon the attendants would, no doubt, come flocking into the room, to discover their sovereign murdered in his bed, and a stranger cowering by his side. Terror lent speed to her feet, and hastening back to the balcony, she ran down a long flight of stairs communicating with the outer court and garden of the palace. Thence she escaped to wander into the forest, and until day broke again she never ceased to walk. For some days she remained concealed in the forest, living upon fruit and berries, until at last hunger drove her to the cottage of a poor laborer. The wife of this man was very ill, and the queen offered to stay and nurse her, which was gratefully accepted. So faithful and devoted an attendant she proved that, when the woman of the house got well, both husband and wife insisted their stranger guest should make her home with them. In this secluded retreat, where only a stray huntsman now and then passed by, the queen remained until a beautiful son was born to her. And now, she felt a burning desire to have her boy educated in a manner worthy of his father's rank; and poverty, that had seemed so light a burden to herself, grew heavy when it weighed on him. When the baby was three years old, a gay hunting-party passed that way, among them a rich and childless lady, who, charmed with the beauty of the boy, offered to adopt him on the spot.
The poor queen wept so bitterly at thought of parting with her treasure, that the lady, who was a kind-hearted person, proposed she should accompany them and serve in the capacity of the boy's governess.
To this plan the queen made no objection; and, bidding an affectionate farewell to her humble friends, she took her place with the boy in a travelling carriage sent to fetch them.
Years rolled on, and the child born in the forest had reached the age of twenty-one. He was a handsome, manly youth, and skilled in all athletic exercises. About this time, the family of his adopted mother was invited to be present at a great religious ceremony in an abbey upon the borders of a neighboring kingdom. Among the many attendants of the nobles summoned for the occasion, was the real mother, who came dressed in deep mourning and wearing a veil over her face; and one of the guests was the wicked old knight, her father. The abbot of the monastery threw open the doors of the chapel, that had long been sealed, and all flocked into it. There, in the centre, stood a bier covered with cloth of gold and surrounded by blazing wax-lights, while about it knelt an hundred priests, at prayer. After a mass had been sung, the abbot announced that in yonder bier lay the remains of the late king, their master, who, as all his faithful subjects knew, was foully murdered twenty-one years before; and that, by the terms of the king's will, found some time after his death, the throne rightfully belonged to a lady who had been married in secret by their sovereign, and was by him commended to their truest love and honor. "For many long years," added the good abbot, "we have sought vainly for the widow of our lamented ruler; not the faintest trace of her has ever been found, and we have resolved to meet here and choose to-day a successor to our king."
"Here is a worthy successor to your king!" cried a voice from the throng; and the unfortunate queen, throwing back her veil, pointed to her astonished son. "Behold the rightful heir! Who dares to say that he is not the image of his father? I am the queen you have so long sought, and this youth is, unknown to himself, my son. In proof of it, here is the marriage ring given me by the king."
"And in proof of it," exclaimed a venerable priest, coming forward, "I attest that I performed the marriage ceremony between our king and this poor lady. Her appearance and her claim remove the seal from my promise of secresy, and I unhesitatingly declare this youth to be our lawful sovereign."
All eyes turned upon the young man, and all tongues proclaimed his marvellous resemblance to the king. The abbot knelt at the young man's feet and offered him a golden crown carried on a velvet cushion. Loud cries of joy and cheers filled the air, when suddenly the unfortunate queen was seen to totter toward the bier of her husband.
"I am glad to die on this spot," she said, snatching up the sword that lay upon the tomb and placing it in her son's hand; then, bidding him avenge the sad fate of his parents, she immediately expired. At the same moment, a white-haired knight tried to steal away from the church; but when the ancient priest perceived him, the fugitive was denounced as the murderer of their king. Seized by the populace, the wretched old miser was hurried to instant death; his grandson was carried in triumph to the palace, and there installed as king.
The new monarch reigned long and wisely—an example for all future sovereigns.
Story DNA
Moral
True love and rightful lineage will eventually triumph over greed and injustice.
Plot Summary
An avaricious knight imprisons his daughter, but she falls in love with a falcon-prince who visits her tower. They marry secretly, but the prince is mortally wounded by her father's trap while helping her escape. She flees to his kingdom, where he dies, naming her queen. She then lives in hiding, raising their son, until 21 years later, she reveals their true identities at a ceremony to choose a new king. Her father is exposed as the prince's murderer, and her son is crowned king, while she dies at her husband's tomb, having achieved justice.
Themes
Emotional Arc
imprisonment to sorrow to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story is presented as 'From one of Marie's Lays,' referencing Marie de France, a 12th-century French poet known for her Lais, which often featured themes of courtly love, magic, and chivalry, set in Celtic Britain.
Plot Beats (15)
- An old, avaricious knight imprisons his daughter in a tower to prevent her marriage and protect his wealth.
- A falcon, actually a prince using magic, visits the maiden in her tower, transforms into a man, and declares his love.
- The maiden, lonely and innocent, is charmed by the prince, and they fall in love over several visits.
- A sympathetic priest, friend to the prince, secretly marries the couple in the tower.
- The governess discovers the maiden's wedding ring, alerting the father, who sets a trap of sharp knives at the window.
- The falcon-prince is mortally wounded by the trap while trying to enter, but gives his wife magic wings to escape with him.
- They fly to his kingdom, where he transforms back into a man, names her queen, and dies from his wound.
- The new queen, fearing discovery, flees into the forest and is taken in by a poor laborer and his sick wife, whom she nurses back to health.
- She lives in seclusion with the couple and gives birth to the prince's son.
- When her son is three, a childless lady from a hunting party adopts him, and the queen accompanies them as his governess.
- Twenty-one years later, the now-grown son and his adopted family attend a ceremony in the late king's abbey.
- The abbot announces the late king was murdered 21 years prior and that his will names a secret wife as queen, but she has not been found.
- The queen reveals herself and her son, presenting the marriage ring, and the priest who performed the wedding confirms her story.
- The queen's father, present at the ceremony, is denounced by the priest as the king's murderer.
- The queen dies at her husband's bier, her son is crowned king, and her father is executed by the populace.
Characters
The Maiden (later The Queen) ★ protagonist
Of a lovely and delicate build, with a gentle demeanor. Her prolonged confinement has likely given her a somewhat pale complexion, but she possesses an inherent grace.
Attire: Initially, simple, modest garments suitable for a confined noblewoman, likely made of linen or wool in muted colors, perhaps a long gown with a simple bodice and skirt. Later, she wears deep mourning clothes and a veil, then simple peasant attire, and finally, her original noble attire or a more regal version of it.
Wants: Initially, to escape her confinement and find companionship. Later, to protect her son and ensure his rightful inheritance, and to avenge her husband's death.
Flaw: Her initial naivety and vulnerability due to her sheltered upbringing. Her deep emotional attachment, which leads to profound grief.
Transforms from a moping, confined damsel into a loving wife, a grieving widow, a resilient mother, and finally, a queen who sacrifices herself to reveal her son's rightful claim to the throne.
Mournful, naive, loving, resilient, devoted, courageous, maternal.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young woman of delicate build, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has fair skin, a gentle face, and her hair is covered by a deep black mourning veil. She wears a long, flowing black gown made of a heavy, somber fabric, with long sleeves and a high neckline. Her posture is one of profound grief and determination. She holds a large, bright diamond ring in her outstretched hand, pointing with the same hand. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Falcon-King (The Prince) ◆ supporting
As a man, he is beautiful and young, with an unwrinkled, rosy complexion. As a falcon, he is of huge size and noble mien, with mighty wings.
Attire: As a man, his attire is not explicitly described, but as a prince, he would wear fine, noble clothing, likely in rich fabrics and colors, perhaps a tunic and hose with a cloak. As a falcon, he has natural plumage.
Wants: To rescue and marry the maiden he loves, and to bring her to his kingdom.
Flaw: His vulnerability to physical traps, leading to his fatal wound.
Introduced as a magical rescuer, he marries the maiden, is fatally wounded while attempting to escape with her, and dies, leaving her to fulfill their destiny.
Devoted, gentle, kind, courageous, resourceful (due to magic), loving, self-sacrificing.
Image Prompt & Upload
A magnificent, huge falcon with dark, glossy feathers and keen, intelligent eyes, perched on a window ledge. Its body is powerful and regal. It holds a large, bright diamond ring in its beak. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Knight (The Father) ⚔ antagonist
An old man, likely with a gaunt or hardened appearance due to his avarice. His face would show signs of age and perhaps a cruel disposition.
Attire: As a wealthy knight, he would wear era-appropriate noble attire, perhaps a tunic and breeches made of wool or linen, with a cloak for riding. His clothing would be practical for hunting but still convey his status, possibly in muted, rich colors.
Wants: To hoard his wealth and prevent anyone from claiming it, especially through his daughter's marriage.
Flaw: His extreme avarice and cruelty, which ultimately lead to his downfall and death.
Remains consistently cruel and avaricious throughout the story, culminating in his attempt to murder the Falcon-King. He is ultimately denounced as a murderer and killed by the populace.
Avaricious, cruel, suspicious, malicious, controlling, unloving.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly knight with a gaunt, stern face and a cruel, malicious smirk. He has a long, pointed nose and thin lips. His hair is grey and thinning, and he has a short, well-trimmed grey beard. He wears a dark, heavy wool tunic over a linen undershirt, with leather breeches and sturdy riding boots. A dark, practical cloak is draped over his shoulders. His posture is rigid and watchful. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Governess ○ minor
Likely a severe and unyielding woman, perhaps thin and angular, reflecting her 'cross' nature.
Attire: Simple, practical, and severe clothing, likely dark or muted colors, made of sturdy fabrics like wool or coarse linen. Perhaps a wimple or head covering, indicating her religious devotion and strictness.
Wants: To enforce the old knight's rules and keep the maiden imprisoned, possibly out of fear or loyalty to her employer.
Flaw: Her lack of imagination and her cruelty, which prevent her from understanding the maiden's happiness.
Remains consistently a cruel guardian, eventually discovering the ring and reporting the falcon's visits, leading to the trap.
Cross, stern, suspicious, cruel, unobservant (initially), devoted to her duties (as defined by the knight).
Image Prompt & Upload
A severe-looking adult woman with a thin, angular face and tightly pulled-back dark hair in a severe bun. Her eyes are narrow and critical, and her lips are thin and downturned. She wears a plain, dark grey wool gown with a high neckline and long sleeves, and a simple white wimple covering her head. Her posture is rigid and disapproving. She holds a rosary in her hands. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Priest ◆ supporting
A venerable and kind old man, with a gentle demeanor.
Attire: Traditional monastic robes, likely a simple, dark habit made of coarse wool, perhaps with a cowl. His attire would be humble but dignified.
Wants: To ensure justice and happiness for the Falcon-King and the maiden, and to fulfill his promise of secrecy until the appropriate time.
Flaw: Bound by a promise of secrecy, which temporarily delays the truth.
Appears first as a substitute chaplain to marry the couple, then reappears twenty-one years later to confirm the marriage and the son's legitimacy, fulfilling his promise.
Gentle, kind, wise, principled, loyal (to the Falcon-King), just.
Image Prompt & Upload
A venerable elderly priest with a kind, gentle face, framed by soft white hair and a short white beard. He has warm, wise eyes. He wears a simple, dark brown wool monastic habit with a hood, tied at the waist with a rope cincture. His hands are clasped in front of him, or one hand is raised in a gesture of solemn declaration. His posture is slightly stooped but dignified. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Son (The New Monarch) ★ protagonist
A handsome, manly youth of twenty-one, with a striking resemblance to his father.
Attire: Initially, the clothing of a noble youth, likely fine but not overly ostentatious, given his adopted mother's status. Later, he is presented with a golden crown, implying regal attire.
Wants: Initially unaware of his true heritage, his motivation becomes to accept his rightful place and avenge his parents.
Flaw: Initially unaware of his true identity and past.
Transforms from an unaware noble youth into the rightful king, accepting his destiny and ruling wisely.
Handsome, athletic, noble, just, wise (as a king).
Image Prompt & Upload
A handsome young man of twenty-one, with dark, neatly styled hair and a clean-shaven, noble face. His eyes are keen and intelligent. He has an athletic, strong build. He wears a rich, deep blue velvet tunic with silver embroidery at the collar and cuffs, over white linen breeches and dark leather boots. He kneels on one knee, accepting a golden crown from an unseen hand. His expression is one of solemn determination. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
High Tower of Caerwent Castle
A high, isolated tower within Caerwent Castle, situated on the River Douglas in Britain. The maiden's chamber has a casement window overlooking distant city roofs and spires, and tree-tops. The room is furnished simply, with a spinning wheel.
Mood: Confined, lonely, initially mournful, later secretly romantic and hopeful, then tense and dangerous.
The maiden's imprisonment, the Falcon-King's first appearance, their secret marriage, and the Falcon-King's grievous wounding during their escape attempt.
Image Prompt & Upload
A narrow, stone-walled chamber high in a medieval British castle tower. A small, leaded casement window is open, revealing a glimpse of distant, mist-shrouded city spires and green tree-tops under a pale morning sky. Inside, a simple wooden spinning wheel sits beside the window, and a rough-hewn wooden bed is against the far wall. Light streams in, illuminating dust motes in the cool air. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Falcon-King's Palace Chamber
A magnificent chamber within a splendid palace in a country adjoining the maiden's homeland. It features a marble balcony and is furnished with the utmost opulence.
Mood: Initially grand and promising, quickly turns tragic and despairing.
The Falcon-King and his wife arrive after their escape, the King transforms back to human form, reveals his mortal wound, and dies shortly after.
Image Prompt & Upload
A lavish royal bedchamber in a medieval European palace, with high arched windows opening onto a marble balcony. Rich tapestries depicting heraldic scenes adorn the stone walls, and a grand four-poster bed with velvet drapes dominates the room. Moonlight streams through the balcony doors, casting long shadows across polished stone floors. Ornate wooden furniture and a large, carved chest are visible. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Forest and Laborer's Cottage
A dense forest where the queen hides, living on fruit and berries. Later, a secluded, humble cottage belonging to a poor laborer, likely a simple wattle-and-daub or timber-framed structure with a thatched roof, surrounded by the forest.
Mood: Desolate and fearful initially in the forest, then humble, safe, and nurturing in the cottage, but tinged with poverty.
The queen's period of hiding, her recovery from grief, the birth of her son, and his early childhood.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, rustic medieval British laborer's cottage nestled at the edge of a dense, ancient forest. The cottage has wattle-and-daub walls, a steeply pitched thatched roof, and a small, smoke-stained chimney. Wildflowers and tall grasses grow around a rough wooden fence, and a narrow dirt path leads into the dark, towering trees. Soft, diffused daylight filters through the forest canopy. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Abbey Chapel
A grand, long-sealed chapel within an abbey on the borders of a neighboring kingdom. It contains a bier covered with cloth of gold, surrounded by blazing wax-lights, and an hundred kneeling priests.
Mood: Solemn, reverent, expectant, then dramatic and triumphant.
The great religious ceremony, the revelation of the late king's will, the queen's dramatic appearance and identification of her son as the heir, the old knight's denouncement, and the queen's death.
Image Prompt & Upload
The interior of a grand, ancient Gothic abbey chapel in Britain, with soaring stone arches, ribbed vaults, and tall, narrow stained-glass windows filtering colored light onto the flagstone floor. In the center, a bier draped in shimmering cloth of gold is surrounded by dozens of tall, flickering wax candles. One hundred robed priests kneel in prayer around it. The air is thick with incense and solemnity. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
