Page:The Hind in the Wood-1875.djvu/23

Rh hid herself far away in the forest. She was just fancying herself quite safe, when she caught sight of the Prince. She instantly fled, but as she was crossing a path, he lodged an arrow in her leg, when her strength failed her, and she fell. The Prince came up and was greatly grieved to see the hind bleeding. He gathered some herbs, bound them round her leg, and made her a new bed of branches. He placed the hind’s head upon his knees, and lavished caresses upon her. At last the time arrived for returning to the old woman’s; he lifted up his game, but he felt that without assistance he could not get his captive home, so he bound her with ribands to the foot of a tree, and went to look for Becafigue. The hind tried in vain to escape, when Giroflée passed by the spot where she was struggling, and set her free just as the Prince and Becafigue arrived and claimed her. “My lord,” replied Giroflée, “this hind belonged to me before she did to you. I would much sooner lose my life than her.” Upon this the Prince generously gave her up.

They returned to the cottage, and the Prince went in shortly after and inquired who the young woman was. The old dame replied that she did not know; but Becafigue said he knew she had lived with Princess Désirée, and being determined to convince himself, he set to work and made a hole in the partition large enough to perceive them. Giroflée was binding up the Princess’s arm, from which the blood was flowing. They both appeared much distressed. “Alas!” said the Princess, “must I become a hind every day, and see him to whom I am betrothed without being able to speak to him!” Becafigue was astonished. He ran for the Prince, who looked through the aperture, and immediately recognised the Princess. Without delay he knocked gently at the door, Giroflée opened it, and the Prince threw himself at the feet of Désirée.

“What!” exclaimed he, “is it you whom I wounded under the form of a white hind?” He was so afflicted that Désirée assured him it was a mere trifle; she spoke to him so kindly that he could not doubt her love for him. He was explaining in his turn the trick that Longue-épine and her mother had played him, when a shrill noise of trumpets echoed through the forest. The Prince looked out of the window and recognised his own colours and standards, and catching sight of his father’s litter, ran to it, and told the King of his fortunate meeting with the real Princess.

All this was brought about by the Fairy Tulip. The pretty house in the wood was hers, and she herself was the old woman. The army was ordered to march back again. The Prince and Princess were received in the capital with shouts of joy; everything was prepared for the nuptials, which were rendered more solemn by the presence of the six fairies; and Becafigue was married to Giroflée at the same time.