Lilac Fairy Book

Chapter 23 Four Gifts (2)
"What a man wants is beauty. What's the use of being smart? I should have wanted beauty, but it's too late. Dennis will never come back."

"Since you want beauty, let me give you beauty," said a voice beside her.She turned her head and saw the old lady on crutches.

"Put this necklace around your neck. As long as you wear it, you are the most beautiful woman in the world," continued the Fairy.Tephany squealed with joy, took the necklace, held it tightly, and ran to the mirror in the corner.Ah, now she wasn't afraid of Azlize or any girl, because there was no doubt that there was none whiter or more beautiful than her.Looking at her own face, she had an idea, quickly put on the most beautiful clothes, tie up her shoes, and hurried to the ball.

On the way, she met a beautiful carriage with a young man in it.

"What a pretty girl!" he exclaimed, as Tephany approached. "Why, there is no one like her in my country. She alone, and no one else, shall be my bride."

The wagon was big and blocked the narrow path, so Tephany had to stay put, though she didn't want to.She looked into the young man's face and said, "Go your way, my lord, and let me go my way. I am only a peasant girl, and all I do is milk cows, mow grass, and spin yarn."

"You are a peasant girl, but I will make you a lady," he said, taking her by the hand and trying to draw her into the carriage.

"I don't want to be a dame, I just want to be Dennis's wife," she replied, shaking off his hand, and ran to the ditch by the side of the road.On the other side of the ditch is a wheat field, and she wants to hide in the wheat field.Unfortunately, the young man guessed what she was going to do, and beckoned to his attendants, who seized her and put her into a carriage.The doors were closed, and the horses galloped under the whip.

An hour later, they came to a castle.Tai Fanny couldn't move, she was lifted out of the carriage and carried into the hall.At the same time, someone went to ask the priest to come and perform the wedding.The young man tried to make her smile by describing all the pretty things she would get when he became his wife, but Tiffany didn't listen and looked around to see if there was any way of escape.It doesn't seem easy.The three gates were closed, and the one through which she had been carried was locked with a latch.But her feather was still on her head, and with the help of the feather, she found a crack in the door panel, and she could faintly see a light.She touched the brass pins on her clothes and sent everyone in the hall to count the cabbage, but she herself came out of the small door, but she didn't know where to go.

By this time it was dark, and Tephany was very tired.Thankfully, she found herself at the door of the monastery, and asked if she could spend the night there.The woman at the door told her unreasonably that beggars were not accepted here and told her to go away, so the girl had to shuffle and walk slowly until a light and the barking of a dog told her that there was a farm nearby.

In front of the farmhouse there was a group of people: two or three women, and some of the farmer's sons.When their mother heard that Tiffany wanted to spend the night, the kind woman relented and invited her into the house.At this moment the boys, fascinated by the girl's beauty, began to quarrel over who should court her.First they bickered, and then they started fighting, and the women were terrified, and they cursed Tephany.She ran quickly to the nearest road, hoping to hide in the dark woods and avoid them.After a while, their footsteps came from behind her.She was terrified and her legs were shaking when she suddenly remembered the necklace.She jerked off the necklace and dropped it on the neck of a pig humming in the ditch.She had hardly finished throwing it when she heard footsteps not chasing her but the pig, for her charm was gone.

She didn't care where she was going, she just kept walking forward until she was pleasantly surprised to find that she was near her aunt's house.For days at a time, she was tired, unhappy, and barely able to work.To make matters worse, Dennis hardly came to her anymore.

"He's too busy," she said. "Indeed, only the rich have time for gossip."

As the days passed, Tephany grew paler and paler, until at last everyone except her aunt noticed it.She could hardly carry the pitcher now, and yet though she had scarce strength to carry it on her shoulders, morning and evening she still came to fetch water from the spring.

"How can I be so stupid," she whispered to herself when she came to the fountain in the evening as usual, "what I want is not to be able to see Dennis casually, because he will soon bore me , nor a sharp mouth, because he is afraid of me, and not beauty, because beauty will only bring me trouble. What I want is wealth, wealth that makes life easier for myself and others. Alas! If I have the courage to ask Fairies want gifts, I will definitely be smarter than before and know how to choose better gifts.”

"I'm satisfied now." The old lady's voice said, as if she was standing invisible beside Tafany, "When you get home, look in your right hand pocket, you will find a small box. Smear your eyes with the ointment from the little box, and you'll find yourself in possession of a priceless treasure."

Tephany had no idea what a fairy meant, but she ran home as fast as she could, looking happily in her right pocket.True enough, in my pocket was a little box containing the precious ointment.Just as she was putting the ointment on her eyes, Babaike Bosis came into the room.Ever since she was forced to leave her job, not knowing how to count the cabbage herself, everything was out of order.Because of her bad temper, she can no longer hire helpers.So when she saw her niece standing silently in front of the mirror, she lost her temper: "That's what you were doing when I was working in the fields! Well, no wonder the fields are deserted. Girl, you Aren't you ashamed to do that?"

Tephany stammered and tried to find an excuse, but her aunt was going mad and slapped her as an answer.This made Tai Fanny sad, confused, and excited, and couldn't help it anymore, and ran away crying.She was indescribably surprised when she found that every tear she shed was a round, shining pearl.Babaike also saw the miracle, cried out in shock, and knelt on the ground to pick up the pearl.

She was still picking up the pearls when the door opened and Dennis walked in.

"Pearls! Are these really pearls?" He also knelt down and asked.He looked up at Tephany and saw even more beautiful pearls hanging on the girl's face.

"Be very careful that the neighbors don't hear you, Dennis," said Babaike. "Of course, you have a share, and no one else can get a piece. Cry, dear, cry," she said to Tafany. Said, "It's good for you, it's good for us." She spread her apron, and Dennis held out his hat, waiting for the pearls to drop.

Tiffany couldn't take it anymore.Seeing their greedy looks, she felt almost suffocated and wanted to run out of the house.Although Babaike held her by the arm and kept her from running, and tried to make the girl cry with all her sweet words, Tephany held back and wiped her eyes dry.

"Is she done crying?" Babaiko cried in disappointment. "Oh, honey, try again. Do you think beating her will work?" she asked Dennis, who shook his head.

"That's enough for the first time. I'm going to the city to see how much each pearl is worth."

"Then I'll go with you," said Babaike.She never trusts anyone, for fear of being deceived.So the two went out, leaving Tiffany behind.

She sat motionless in her chair, her hands clenched as if to block something back.At last, raising her eyes, which had been fixed on the ground, she saw the Fairy looking mockingly at her from a dark corner by the fire.Trembling all over, the girl jumped up, took out the feather, the brass pin, and the locket, and handed them to the old lady.

"Here you go, it's all here," she cried, "they belong to you. Don't let me see them again. I've learned what they taught me. Others may have wealth and beauty and intelligence, but to me Said, I don’t want anything, I just want to be a poor peasant girl and work hard for the people I love as usual.”

"Yes, you have learned your lesson," replied the Fairy, "and now you will live in peace and marry the one you love. After all, you are not thinking of yourself, but of him."

Tiffany never saw the old lady again, but she forgave Dennis for betraying his tears.Gradually Dennis also worked hard and became a good husband.

(End of this chapter)