Crimson Fairy Book

Chapter 31 Wind Chimes
A long time ago, there was a couple who were very unhappy because they had no children.There was a small window at the back of their house, and it looked out into a pretty little garden, full of all kinds of beautiful flowers and vegetables.But there was a high wall around the garden, and no one dared to enter it.The garden belonged to a very powerful witch, and all the world was afraid of her.

One day, the woman was looking at the garden from the window, and saw a field covered with bluebells, with green leaves, and she wanted to eat them.She wanted to eat more and more every day, but she couldn't eat any, and she became pale and haggard. Her husband finally noticed it and asked, "What's the matter with you, my dear wife?"

"Oh," she replied, "if I don't eat the bluebells in that garden, I'll die."

The man loves his wife very much, he thought to himself: "Go, I can't let my wife die, no matter what, go and help her pick some bluebells."

At dusk he climbed over the wall into the witch's garden, and hastily plucked a handful of bluebell leaves, and took them home.Wife made bluebells into a salad.It tastes so good.She still wants to eat.

To make her feel at ease, there was no other way but her husband climbed over the wall to gather bluebells for her to eat.

So at dusk he went again, but as soon as he entered the garden he drew back a step in fright, for the old witch stood before him.

"You are so brave." She stared at him angrily. "Climb into my garden like a thief to steal bluebells? You will pay for your stupidity!"

"Oh," he begged, "forgive me, I must come, my wife saw your bluebells and wanted them so badly, she said she would die if she didn't have them."

`The witch's anger calmed down a little, and she said: "If you say so, you can pick as much as you want, but there is one condition. Your wife will have a child soon. You give me the child, and I will be like a mother." take care of the child."

The man agreed to her request out of fear.When the child was born, the witch came and named the child Feng Ling, and then she took the child away.

Fengling is the most beautiful child under the sun.When she was 12 years old, the witch locked her in a tower deep in the forest. The tower had neither stairs nor doors, only a window at the top.When the old witch wanted to go in, she stood at the bottom and shouted: "Feng Chime, hand out your gold."

Wind Chime has long blond hair, as delicate and gorgeous as gold.When she heard the voice of the witch, she let go of her braids, and let her long hair down from the window, about twenty yards or so, and then the old witch came up.

Years later, a prince was riding through the forest and saw the tower.As he approached, he heard sweet singing.He stood there quietly, fascinated, listening.It was the wind chime that sang to relieve her loneliness.

The prince wanted to know who was singing, but he rode home without seeing the door, but he was so fascinated by the singing that he would come to hear it again every day.One day he was standing behind a tree listening, and saw an old witch coming, and heard her call, "Wind Chime, hand down your gold."

The wind chimes loosened their braids, and the witch climbed up.

"Is this the staircase?" said the Prince, "I will try my luck too."

At dusk the next day, he came and called out, "Fengling, hand down your gold."

As soon as she let down her golden hair, the Prince climbed up.

Feng Ling was terrified when she saw a man crawling in, because she had never seen a man before.But the Prince spoke very kindly, and told her that he was so moved by her singing, and that he could not be at ease without seeing her.

After a while, Feng Ling was no longer afraid. He proposed to her, and she agreed immediately.She thought: "He is young and handsome, and he is sure to be happier with him than with the old witch."

She put her hand in his and said, "I'd love to go with you. But how do I get out of this tower? Every time you come, bring me a ball of silk thread, and I'll weave a ladder and climb down when I'm done." , you come to pick me up on your horse."

They have everything planned.He came to accompany her every night because the witch was there during the day.Of course the witch didn't know anything, until one day, without thinking about it, Feng Ling said, "Dear mother, why are you so strict? The prince is not like that, he will come to see me soon."

"Oh! you wicked boy!" cried the witch, "what did I hear? I thought I had you locked up in a safe place, and you are trying to trick me!"

In a rage, she grabbed Feng Ling's hair and wrapped it around her left wrist, holding a pair of scissors in her right hand, and cut off her hair with a click.Two beautiful braids fell to the ground.To make matters worse, she has such a hard heart that she sends the wind chime into the desert, leaving her alone and sad.

That night, after driving the wind chime away, the witch hung the two long braids on a hook, and the prince came and said:

"Feng Ling, hand out your gold."

She let her hair down, and the prince crawled in as usual.But instead of his beloved wind chime, he found an old hag who stared at him with evil eyes and said mockingly, "Aha, you want to see the girl you love? But that pretty little bird It flew away and couldn’t sing anymore. The cat took her away and will goug out your eyes! You can’t see your wind chimes anymore!”

In desperation the Prince jumped out of the tower, and though his life was spared, the thorns in the grass blinded him.Sadly he groped his way through the woods, eating roots and berries, and weeping for his bride.

He walked for years, haggard and dirty, and at last he came to the desert, where Windchimes lived.

He suddenly heard a familiar voice.

He hurried towards the direction of the sound, Feng Ling recognized him, hugged his neck and cried.

Her tears fell into his eyes, and he could see them immediately.

He brought the wind chimes back to his country and they were warmly welcomed and entertained.

From then on, they lived happily together.

(End of this chapter)