Lilac Fairy Book

Chapter 13 Three Crowns (2)
So they left him with great respect, and came arm in arm to the foot of the well.Above them was the blue sky and the golden sun.A great wall covered with ivy, so high that it could not reach the top, rose before them.There was an arch in the wall, and the bottom of the well was in that arch.The youngest pair went last, and the little princess said to the little prince, "I'm sure those two princes have no good intentions for you. Hide the crown under your cloak, and if you have to be left last Don't sit in the basket. Put a big rock or something heavy in it and see what happens."

As soon as they came to the dark cave, they first put the eldest princess in the basket, and then shook the basket.The eldest princess rose up slowly.Then, the basket was lowered again, and the second princess was hoisted up, and then the third princess went up.She first put her arms around the little prince's neck, kissed him, and then wept softly.Finally, it was the little prince's turn. Instead of sitting in the basket, he put a big stone in it.He stepped back and listened carefully.When the basket was hoisted to a height of about 20 poles, it suddenly fell, and the stone shattered like a thunderclap.

Alas, the poor prince had no choice but to walk back to the castle, and he went all over it, and ate the best food and drink, and slept in a very soft bed. .He walked for a long time in those gardens and lawns, but there was no sign of Seven Inches anywhere.Within a week, he was tired of looking, and he became very lonely for his true love.A month has passed, and he doesn't know what to do with himself.

Going into the treasure room one morning, he noticed on the table a handsome snuff-box which he did not remember seeing there before.He picked it up with both hands, opened it, and Seven Inch Ding stepped out of it, onto the table.

"I suppose, Prince," said he, "that you are a little tired of my castle?"

"Oh!" said the little prince, "if the little princess were here and could see you often, I should never be bored."

"Ah, now, you have been here for a long time, and the people above are after you. Keep your bride's crown safe, and open this snuff bottle whenever you need my help. Now, go to the garden and take a breath." Go for a walk, and come back when you’re tired.”

With his eyes fixed on the ground, the little prince walked thoughtfully along a gravel road with hedges on either side.Finally, he raised his eyes and found himself at the door of a blacksmith shop.The shop was about a mile from his fiancée's palace, which he used to pass often.His clothes were as ragged as they could be, but he kept the crown well hidden in his old cloak.

Just then the blacksmith came out and said, "You're so tall and strong, and you have so much work to do, it's a disgrace to be lazy. Can you use a hammer and pliers? Come and help me." , I will provide you with room and board, and I can give you a few bucks when it is time to give you money."

"It's a deal," said the prince, "I'm just looking for something to do." So he took the hammer and struck a red-hot iron rod that the blacksmith was turning on the anvil for the horseshoe. .

They had not been working long when a tailor came in, sat down, and began to talk: "Have you all heard that the two princesses will not marry until the little princess has found her sweetheart and put on a crown. When they twisted up the little princess' fiancé, the potter's wheel was accidentally loosened, and the well, the well rope, and the potter's wheel were all gone, and the place was as empty as the palm of your hand. To the eldest princess and the second princess The two princes who proposed were so disturbing to the sweetheart and the king, that at last they agreed to marry them, and the wedding took place this morning. I went to see it out of curiosity. Needless to say, the splendor of the two brides impressed me. Amazed, they all had three crowns on their heads—gold, silver, and bronze, one by one. The little princess stood aside sadly, and everything was ready. The two grooms Walked in, as haughty as you could be. Just as they were walking towards the altar rail, a wide opening two yards wide opened in the floor beneath their feet, and they fell through, into the dead and coffins in the tomb Heap. Oh, listen to the screams of the ladies! And look at the big fellows running after me to look down! Immediately the priest opened the door of the tomb, and the two princes came up, their beautiful clothes covered There was an inch-thick layer of cobwebs and dust.

"Then the king said that the wedding should be postponed. 'Unless the little princess finds her three crowns,' said he, 'and marry her two sisters, don't even think about it. Whoever can find it for me Three crowns exactly like those of the two sisters, and I will marry my youngest daughter to him, and if he does not want to marry, I will give him a fortune, and let someone else marry her.'”

"I wish I could do that," said the blacksmith. "When the princesses came home, I looked at those crowns carefully, and I don't think any blacksmith in the world could have copied them."

"A coward will never win a beautiful woman," said the Prince. "Go to the palace and ask for a quarter of a pound of gold, a quarter of silver, and a quarter of copper. Pledge my head, Borrow a crown as a sample, and I'll be able to make the few things they want tomorrow morning."

"You mean it?" said the blacksmith.

"That goes without saying," he said, "go ahead! We'll just miss this opportunity."

To make a long story short, the blacksmith went and asked for a quarter pound of gold, a quarter pound of silver, and a quarter pound of copper, and gave them to the little prince along with a sample of the crown.In the evening, the prince closed the door of the smithy.The neighbors gathered in the yard, and they heard him knock, knock, knock, from evening till dawn, and now and then fling pieces of gold, silver, and copper through the windows.The idlers fought each other and cursed each other, but wished the blacksmith inside good luck.

Well, just as the sun was about to rise, the little prince opened the door and took out the three crowns given to him by his true love, and the people cheered thunderously!The blacksmith asked the little prince to go with him to the palace, but the little prince refused.So the blacksmith set out, and the whole town followed him.The king was very unhappy when he saw the crown!
"Well," he said to the blacksmith, "you are a married man. What can I do for you?"

"To be honest, Your Majesty, I did not make these crowns at all. The man who made them was a big man who was my helper yesterday."

"Then, my daughter, will you marry the man who made these crowns?"

"Let me see the crown first, Father," she said.She inspected the crowns carefully, and found that they were the ones she was very familiar with. She guessed that they were sent by someone from her sweetheart, so she said, "I am willing to marry the man who made these crowns."

"Well," said the king to the eldest prince, "take my best carriage and go to the blacksmith's shop, and bring back the bridegroom." The eldest prince did not want to go, he was too arrogant, but it was too inconvenient to refuse.When he came to the blacksmith's shop, he saw the little prince standing at the door of the shop, and beckoned him to come to the carriage.

"Are you the guy who built the crown?" he asked.

"That's right," said the little prince.

"Then," said he, "perhaps you should dust yourself off and get into the carriage. The King wants to see you. I am so sorry for the little princess."

The little prince got into the carriage. On the way, he opened the snuff bottle, and Seven Inch Ding stepped out and stood on his lap.

"Well," he said, "what kind of trouble are you in now?"

"Master," said the little prince, "let me go back to the smithy, and fill this carriage with paving stones." No sooner had he finished speaking than his wish came true.The prince sat in the blacksmith's shop, and the horses that pulled the carriage felt that the carriage had become a little weird.

The carriage drove into the courtyard, and the king, out of respect for his new son-in-law, went to open the door himself.As soon as he turned the doorknob, pebbles rained down on his grizzled hair and silk coat.He fell to the ground and the stone fell on him.People were terrified, and there were a few laughs at the same time.The king wiped the blood from his brow and looked at the eldest prince very annoyed.

"Your Majesty," said he, "I am very sorry for the accident, but I am not to blame. I saw the young blacksmith get into the carriage, and we have not stopped for a moment since."

"You must have been rude to him. Go," he said to the second prince, "and bring the young blacksmith here. Be polite."

"You don't have to worry." The second prince agreed.

Although some people tried to be kind as much as possible, they couldn't change their bad temper. This new messenger was no more polite than the eldest prince.When the king opened the carriage door for the second time, a shower of mud poured down on him.

"It's impossible to go on like this," he said. "The fox will never find a better messenger than himself."

So the king changed his clothes, washed up, went to the blacksmith shop where the little prince was, and asked the little prince to ride in the same carriage with him.The little prince asked the king to allow him to take another carriage.On the way, he opened the snuff bottle.

"Master," he said, "now, I wish to dress in proportion to my station."

"Your wish will come true," said Seven Inch Ding. "Now, I want to say goodbye to you. You have always been as kind and kind as you have ever been, and you have loved your wife. That is all I want to give you advice."

After speaking, Qicunding disappeared.The door of the carriage opened in the yard, and the luxurious little prince came out.The first thing he did was to run and hug his bride tightly.

Everyone was very happy, except the other two princes.The wedding took place quickly and they all had their wedding on the same day.After a while the two elder couples went back to their respective courts, while the youngest stayed with the old king.They are just like the happiest couples you have heard in the stories, they are very happy.

(End of this chapter)