The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault 14

The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault 14

"Have no fear," answered Jupiter; "I have heard thy plaint, and have

come hither to show thee how greatly thou dost wrong me. Hark! I, who

am sovereign lord of this world, promise to grant in full the first

three wishes which it will please thee to utter, whatever these may

be. Consider well what things can bring thee joy and prosperity, and

as thy happiness is at stake, be not over-hasty, but revolve the

matter in thy mind."

 

Having thus spoken Jupiter withdrew himself and made his ascent to

Olympus. As for our woodcutter, he blithely corded his faggot, and

throwing it over his shoulder, made for his home. To one so light of

heart the load also seemed light, and his thoughts were merry as he

strode along. Many a wish came into his mind, but he was resolved to

seek the advice of his wife, who was a young woman of good

understanding.

 

He had soon reached his cottage, and casting down his faggot:

 

"Behold me, Fanny," he said. "Make up the fire and spread the board,

and let there be no stint. We are wealthy, Fanny, wealthy for

evermore; we have only to wish for whatsoever we may desire."

 

Thereupon he told her the story of what had befallen that day. Fanny,

whose mind was quick and active, immediately conceived many plans for

the advancement of their fortune, but she approved her husband's

resolve to act with prudence and circumspection.

 

"'Twere a pity," she said, "to spoil our chances through impatience.

We had best take counsel of the night, and wish no wishes until

to-morrow."

 

"That is well spoken," answered Harry. "Meanwhile fetch a bottle of

our best, and we shall drink to our good fortune."

 

Fanny brought a bottle from the store behind the faggots, and our man

enjoyed his ease, leaning back in his chair with his toes to the fire

and his goblet in his hand.

 

[Illustration: "A LONG BLACK PUDDING CAME WINDING AND WRIGGLING

TOWARDS HER"]

 

"What fine glowing embers!" he said, "and what a fine toasting fire! I

wish we had a black pudding at hand."

 

Hardly had he spoken these words when his wife beheld, to her great

astonishment, a long black pudding which, issuing from a corner of the

hearth, came winding and wriggling towards her. She uttered a cry of

fear, and then again exclaimed in dismay, when she perceived that this

strange occurrence was due to the wish which her husband had so rashly

and foolishly spoken. Turning upon him, in her anger and

disappointment she called the poor man all the abusive names that she

could think of.

 

"What!" she said to him, "when you can call for a kingdom, for gold,

pearls, rubies, diamonds, for princely garments and wealth untold, is

this the time to set your mind upon black puddings!"

 

"Nay!" answered the man, "'twas a thoughtless speech, and a sad

mistake; but I shall now be on my guard, and shall do better next

time."

 

"Who knows that you will?" returned his wife. "Once a witless fool,

always a witless fool!" and giving free rein to her vexation and

ill-temper she continued to upbraid her husband until his anger also

was stirred, and he had wellnigh made a second bid and wished himself

a widower.

 

"Enough! woman," he cried at last; "put a check upon thy froward

tongue! Who ever heard such impertinence as this! A plague on the

shrew and on her pudding! Would to heaven it hung at the end of her

nose!"

 

No sooner had the husband given voice to these words than the wish was

straightway granted, and the long coil of black pudding appeared

grafted to the angry dame's nose.

 

Our man paused when he beheld what he had wrought. Fanny was a comely

young woman, and blest with good looks, and truth to tell, this new

ornament did not set off her beauty. Yet it offered one advantage,

that as it hung right before her mouth, it would thus effectively curb

her speech.

 

So, having now but one wish left, he had all but resolved to make good

use of it without further delay, and, before any other mischance could

befall, to wish himself a kingdom of his own. He was about to speak

the word, when he was stayed by a sudden thought.

 

"It is true," he said to himself, "that there is none so great as a

King, but what of the Queen that must share his dignity? With what

grace would she sit beside me on the throne with a yard of black

pudding for a nose?"

 

In this dilemma he resolved to put the case to Fanny, and to leave her

to decide whether she would rather be a Queen, with this most horrible

appendage marring her good looks, or remain a peasant wife, but with

her shapely nose relieved of this untoward addition.

 

[Illustration: "TRUTH TO TELL, THIS NEW ORNAMENT DID NOT SET OFF HER

BEAUTY"]

 

Fanny's mind was soon made up: although she had dreamt of a crown

and sceptre, yet a woman's first wish is always to please. To this

great desire all else must yield, and Fanny would rather be fair in

drugget than be a Queen with an ugly face.

 

Thus our woodcutter did not change his state, did not become a

potentate, nor fill his purse with golden crowns. He was thankful

enough to use his remaining wish to a more humble purpose, and

forthwith relieved his wife of her encumbrance.

 

[Illustration]

 

 

_The Moral_

 

_Ah! so it is that miserable man,

By nature fickle, blind, unwise, and rash,

Oft fails to reap a harvest from great gifts

Bestowed upon him by the heav'nly gods._

 

[Illustration]

 

 

 

 

_Donkey-skin_

 

[Illustration]

 

[Illustration: "ANOTHER GOWN THE COLOUR OF THE MOON"

(_page_ 145)]

 

 

Donkey-skin

 

 

Once upon a time there was a King, so great, so beloved by his people,

and so respected by all his neighbours and allies that one might

almost say he was the happiest monarch alive. His good fortune was

made even greater by the choice he had made for wife of a Princess as

beautiful as she was virtuous, with whom he lived in perfect

happiness. Now, of this chaste marriage was born a daughter endowed

with so many gifts that they had no regret because other children were

not given to them.

 

Magnificence, good taste, and abundance reigned in the palace; there

were wise and clever ministers, virtuous and devoted courtiers,

faithful and diligent servants. The spacious stables were filled with

the most beautiful horses in the world, and coverts of rich caparison;

but what most astonished strangers who came to admire them was to see,

in the finest stall, a master donkey, with great long ears.

 

Now, it was not for a whim but for a good reason that the King had

given this donkey a particular and distinguished place. The special

qualities of this rare animal deserved the distinction, since nature

had made it in so extraordinary a way that its litter, instead of

being like that of other donkeys, was covered every morning with an

abundance of beautiful golden crowns, and golden louis of every kind,

which were collected daily.

 

Since the vicissitudes of life wait on Kings as much as on their

subjects, and good is always mingled with ill, it so befell that the

Queen was suddenly attacked by a fatal illness, and, in spite of

science, and the skill of the doctors, no remedy could be found. There

was great mourning throughout the land. The King who, notwithstanding

the famous proverb, that marriage is the tomb of love, was deeply

attached to his wife, was distressed beyond measure and made fervent

vows to all the temples in his kingdom, and offered to give his life

for that of his beloved consort; but he invoked the gods and the

Fairies in vain. The Queen, feeling her last hour approach, said to

her husband, who was dissolved in tears: "It is well that I should

speak to you of a certain matter before I die: if, perchance, you

should desire to marry again...." At these words the King broke into

piteous cries, took his wife's hands in his own, and assured her that

it was useless to speak to him of a second marriage.

 

"No, my dear spouse," he said at last, "speak to me rather of how I

may follow you."

 

"The State," continued the Queen with a finality which but increased

the laments of the King, "the State demands successors, and since I

have only given you a daughter, it will urge you to beget sons who

resemble you; but I ask you earnestly not to give way to the

persuasions of your people until you have found a Princess more

beautiful and more perfectly fashioned than I. I beg you to swear this

to me, and then I shall die content."

 

Perchance, the Queen, who did not lack self-esteem, exacted this oath

firmly believing that there was not her equal in the world, and so

felt assured that the King would never marry again. Be this as it may,

at length she died, and never did husband make so much lamentation;

the King wept and sobbed day and night, and the punctilious fulfilment

of the rites of widower-hood, even the smallest, was his sole

occupation.

 

But even great griefs do not last for ever. After a time the magnates

of the State assembled and came to the King, urging him to take

another wife. At first this request seemed hard to him and made him

shed fresh tears. He pleaded the vows he had made to the Queen, and

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