Crimson Fairy Book

Chapter 41 Prince Vivian and Princess Placida (3)
"'Nothing, I assure you.' I said in a tone that should have persuaded them. But they enumerated a number of jobs and wanted to know which one was most to my liking. I said to them, Doing nothing is the best thing for me to do, if they really want to be nice to me, put me to bed and don't force me to do anything else. To my delight, Not only did they oblige, but the queen brought me my portion while they were eating. But the next morning she came to my bedside again, and said to me in an apologetic tone:

"'Dear boy, I'm afraid you'll have to make up your mind to get up today. I know what a pleasure it is to be idle like you. When my husband and I were king and queen, we used to do nothing all the time. No, I'd love to see us back to this happy life before long. But it's not the time, and it's not for you either. And you've heard the fairy say, if we don't obey her orders, maybe Worse things befell us... Hurry up, I beg you, come down to breakfast, I have delicious cream just for you.'" I was so upset, but there was nothing I could do, I had to get off building.No sooner had breakfast been over than they babbled like cuckoos again: 'What do you want to do? ’ I replied in vain: ‘Nothing, if you don’t mind, ma’am. ’” At last the queen gave me a spindle and a reel with four pounds of twine on it, and sent me out to herd the sheep, which they assured me was the lightest work, and that while I was tending the sheep I could rest as much as I liked. how to rest.

So I had no choice but to set off with the flock.You can imagine how reluctant I was.I didn't get very far though.

I stopped on a shady bank, which seemed to me a pretty place.I lay comfortably on the soft grass, and on the bundle of twine for my pillow, I fell asleep as if there were no such thing as sheep.The sheep walked around happily as they wished, just like there is no such thing as a shepherdess in the world.They ran into the fields and gnawed on all kinds of delicious crops that were forbidden to them, until the farmers found out that they were ruining the crops and cried out.The King and Queen ran out at the sound, and when they discovered the cause of the confusion, they gathered their sheep together.Of course, the sooner they do this, the better, since they have to compensate for all the losses caused by the flock.As for me, I'm still lying there watching them run around chasing the sheep.Because I was so comfortable at that time, if they didn't run over panting and force me to get up and go back with them, I would definitely have been lying down.Later they reprimanded me severely, but since then they never asked me to herd the sheep again.

"Afterwards, no matter what jobs they put me on, it was always the same, I blew everything up.

Plus, I must have a talent for making people angry, even the most patient of people.So one day I ran away from the farm, because I was so afraid that the Queen would not help beating me.When I came to the river where the king used to fish, I found a boat tied to a tree on the bank, so I jumped into the boat, and untied the rope, and the boat began to go slowly down the stream.She floated so flat and steady that I was not at all worried when the Queen saw this and ran after it along the bank.I only heard the queen shouting all the time: 'My ship, my ship!Husband, come out and catch this little princess, she is running away in my boat! '" The boat drifted farther and farther along the current, and soon I couldn't hear her cry. I fell asleep amidst the singing of the water and the whispering of the trees. After a long time, the boat stopped suddenly, It turned out that it was sunk in a shoal, and behind the shoal was a piece of green grass, and the sun was rising. I saw some small houses with very strange shapes in the distance. I was so hungry at that time, so I got out of the boat, Walking towards those houses. After a few steps, I found many shining things in mid-air, which seemed to be fixed there, but I couldn't see what they were hanging on.

"I walked for a while, and saw a silk rope hanging from mid-air to the ground. It was too close to my hand, and I couldn't help pulling it. Suddenly, the whole meadow resounded with a beautiful melody." Chime bells, the bells are as beautiful and moving as silver bells, so I can't help but sit down, listen to them quietly, and watch these silver bells swaying and shining brightly in the sun. Out of nowhere came a flock of birds, and each one alighted on a bell, and they sang together, adding their melodious voice to the chime's sonata. When they had finished, I looked up, and saw a The tall and stately lady was walking towards me, surrounded by a large flock of birds of all kinds.

"'Who are you, little girl?' she said, 'to dare to come here! I never let mortals enter here alive, lest I disturb my birds. But if you are wise in whatever you do , I may tolerate your presence.'" 'Madame,' I said to her, rising, 'you may rest assured that I will do nothing to disturb your birds.I'm just asking you, for heaven's sake, to give me something to eat. '"'I will,' she answered, 'before I send you where you ought to be.' "Then she sent six grouse—her retinue—to fetch me all kinds of biscuits, while other birds brought fresh fruit.I had a very good breakfast, although I didn't expect them to be so rushed.I hate rushing the most.However, I enjoyed being in this pleasant place so much that I told the stately lady what I thought.

But she said in a contemptuous tone:
"'Do you think I'd let you stay here? You! Do you think it's any good for you to be in a place where everybody's sober and busy? No, no, I've done my hospitality, It is impossible for you to get anything more from me.'” Saying this, she turned and gave a tug on the silk cord I had just mentioned, but this time the bell did not ring again; instead, I was struck by a screeching bird Shocked.At the same time, a huge black bird suddenly appeared in midair.It fell before the Fairy, and said in a very dreadful voice: 'What do you want of me, my sister? '"'I want you to take this little princess to my cousin, the Giant of Green Castle, at once,' said she, 'and tell him for me that she will work day and night, and weave for him. Those beautiful tapestries.' "After she finished speaking, the big black bird grabbed me, didn't feel sorry for my crying, and flew away at a terrible speed—"

"Oh! you must be joking, cousin," interrupted Prince Vivienne, "you should have said 'terribly slow'. I know that terrible black bird, and I know his tedious procedures, His lodgings and his sauntering servants."

"Think what you will," replied Princess Placida calmly, "I can't stand the quarrel. Maybe it's not the same bird you're talking about. Anyway, it took me out of there with astonishing speed." , and landed softly in this castle—this castle that is now yours. We entered the hall through a window, and the black bird delivered me to the giant—that is, you came to save me. Killed the one, then flew away.

"The giant said to me: 'So you are a lazy man! Ah! We must teach you how to work. You are not the first lazy man we have cured. Look at my guests, how busy they are !'" I looked up as he said, and saw that the hall was surrounded by a huge corridor, which was full of tapestry frames, spindles, wool, patterns and various tools.In front of each frame, there are twelve people sitting there hard at work.Seeing this terrible scene, I fainted on the spot.But as soon as I woke up, they asked me what I would do.I answered in vain as before, hoping desperately that they would let me go.

"'I can't do anything.' I said. But the giant just said: 'Then you must learn to do something. There is enough work in the world for everyone.'" It seemed that the workers On the tapestry are the favorite stories of the fairies.Then they started showing me how to work so I could help them.But from the beginning, I was terrible at it, and then it got worse and worse, and I couldn't even learn the simplest stitches.

"Though they punished me in the usual ways; though the giant showed me his cage--animals turned from children who refused to work! None of this worked for me. In the end I Relegated to fetching water for the dyers, but even for that job I was too slow. This morning the giant stormed in with a rage and turned me into an antelope. Just as he was turning me As I was being put into his cage, I suddenly saw a dog inside. I was terrified, and ran as fast as I could; I ran out of the castle through the yard outside. The giant was afraid of me escaped his grasp, and sent his green lion after me, and told it to take me back at any cost. If I hadn't met you at the spring, I would rather be caught or eaten by him than run away again .And, oh!" concluded Princess Placida, "it's such a pleasure to sit here quietly again. I'm so tired of learning things."

Prince Vivien said he had been forced to live an incredibly quiet life for a while, but he didn't find it funny at all.Then he spoke at the speed of a cannonball, and finished his adventures in one breath: how he spent the night in Mrs. Patience's cabin, how he listened to the oracle of the black bird fairy, how he sailed in a paper boat... Then hand in hand they freed all the prisoners in the castle, and all the princes and princesses who were in the cage—and when the giant died, they all returned to their former forms.They are very grateful to Vivian and Placida.Placida begged them never to do needlework again.

They lit a bonfire in the courtyard, and burned all the tapestry frames and spinning wheels.Princess Placida presented them with many presents—or rather she sat beside Prince Vivien, who distributed the presents to the crowd.Then they had a great feast in the Green Castle, and everyone did their best to please the Prince and Princess.Although they have good intentions, they always make mistakes unconsciously.Because Prince Vivienne and Princess Placida never agreed on their plans, which made them a little bit at a loss and in a hurry.Sometimes they disobeyed the prince's orders and did everything slowly; sometimes they ran around before the princess as fast as lightning, doing things that the princess didn't like at all.Gradually, the two cousins ​​began to learn to communicate with each other, to tolerate each other, to comfort each other's little unhappiness, and finally even fell in love with each other deeply.For Princess Placida, Prince Vivian has become very patient; and for Prince Vivian, Princess Placida has also become unprecedented efforts.

The fairies had been following the course of events with interest, and now they felt it was time to intervene, to see if their progress could last, and if they really loved each other.They cast a spell on the prince and princess, and in the eyes of the prince, the princess suddenly fell ill with a severe fever; and in the eyes of the princess, the prince was also suffering from a serious illness and wasted away.Both of them were very worried about each other, so anxious that they couldn't eat or sleep well.While the prince and princess were temporarily separated, Fairy Merifitch suddenly appeared in front of Princess Placida and said to her: "I just saw Prince Vivian, and it seems to me that he is very ill. .”

"Well, yes, ma'am," replied the princess, "I'd rather have you take me back to the farm, or bring the Hulk back to life, if only you could cure him. You'll see how good I am."

"If you really wish him well," said the Fairy, "you must bring me Benben Mouse and Chaffinch. Remember: time is short!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Princess Placida hurried out of the gate of the castle.The fairy looked at her back and watched her run out of sight, and then she couldn't help laughing, then turned to look for Prince Vivian.

Prince Vivien also sincerely begged the fairy that he would rather return to the castle of the Blackbird Fairy, or continue to float on the sea forever in a paper boat, as long as the fairy could save the life of Princess Placida.The Fairy said that she too thought the Princess was dying--"But," said she, "if you can find the rose-coloured mole and bring it to her, she will be well." Now it was the Prince's turn to hurry. He set off, but he was heading in the opposite direction from the princess.Imagine this loving couple hunting day and night!Princess Placida is always running and listening in the forest, chasing after those two little animals that seem hard to catch.On the other side of the world, Prince Vivian has been shuttling on the prairie, his eyes fixed on the ground, listening intently to the sound of the mole from the ground.He had to walk softly on tiptoe, sometimes barely daring to breathe; sometimes he stood motionless like a statue for hours.If the desire to succeed had helped him, he would have caught the rosy mole long ago.But alas!All the moles he caught were black, ordinary moles.But the strange thing is that he never got impatient again, and always threw himself into the long wait to catch the mole without complaint.But this change is just one of the most common miracles of falling in love with work.In this way, the prince and princess hunted wholeheartedly, never caring which country they went to.Finally one day, when they successfully ended their long and weary hunting, they cried out simultaneously: "My love is finally saved!" Run towards each other.This unexpected surprise made them speechless for a long time.They gazed into each other's eyes affectionately, quietly enjoying this wonderful moment.At this moment, King Gridelin suddenly appeared—it turned out that the place where they met by chance was King Gridelin's country.The king recognized them and embraced them with joy.When they looked back at the rose-colored mole, chaffinch and running mouse, they found that they had disappeared, and in their place was a beautiful lady whom the prince and princess did not know, and beside her was black Bird and Hulk.King Gridelin let out a cry of surprise as soon as he saw the beautiful lady, and hugged her tightly.Because she is none other than his long-lost wife, Queen Santa Terina.The story of her being imprisoned in the land of fairies may be read by you someday.

The black bird and the Hulk also returned to their original forms, and it turned out that their true identities were two magicians.At this time, the carriages of Fairy Lolotti and Fairy Murifitch flew from the sky.They kissed the king's family passionately, and congratulated each of them on regaining their beloved.They returned to the palace together and held a grand wedding for Prince Vivian and Princess Placida, which was definitely beyond your imagination.

After all they've been through, King Gridelin and Queen Santa Trina are no longer attached to power.So they abdicated, handed over the country to the prince and princess, and lived happily in a peaceful place.Prince Vivian and Princess Placida are deeply loved by their subjects.They finally discovered that making others happy is the happiest thing in their life.

(End of this chapter)