Page:Fairytales00auln.djvu/116

84 "A fairy, who in science never had an equal, fell so desperately in love with a certain prince, that, although she was the first fairy who had ever been weak enough to love, she did not hesitate to marry him, in spite of all the other fairies, who unceasingly represented to her the wrong she did to their order. They would not allow her to dwell amongst them any longer; and all she could do was to build a grand palace near the confines of their kingdom. But the prince she had married became weary of her. He was exasperated at her fore-knowledge of all his actions. The instant he had the least liking for another, she flew out at him like a fury, and changed the object of his admiration from the most beautiful person to the ugliest fright in the world.

"The prince finding such an excess of affection extremely inconvenient, went off one fine morning with post horses, and travelled a very, very great distance, in order to hide himself in a deep cave at the bottom of a mountain, where she should not be able to find him. He was not successful. She followed him, and informed him that she should shortly become a mother; conjured him to return to his palace; promised that she would give him money, horses, dogs, arms, build a riding-school, and a tennis-court, and lay out a mall for his diversion. All this had no effect on him, he was naturally obstinate and a libertine. He said a hundred harsh things to her, and called her an old witch, and a hobgoblin. 'It is fortunate for thee,' said she, 'that I have more sense than thou hast folly; for I could transform thee, were I so inclined, into a cat that should be continually squalling in a gutter, or into a vile toad sputtering in the mud, or into a pumpkin, or a screech owl; but the greatest punishment I can inflict on thee is to abandon thee to thy own humours. Remain in thy hole, in thy gloomy cavern with the bears, call around thee the neighbouring shepherdesses; thou wilt learn in time the difference between beggarly peasants and a fairy, who can render herself as charming as she pleases.'

"She immediately entered her flying chariot, and departed swifter than a bird. The moment she reached home, she transported her palace to an island; turning out of it all the guards and officers, and taking into her service women of the Amazonian race,—whom she set to watch the shores of the island so strictly that no man could possibly enter it. She