Lilac Fairy Book

Chapter 29 Georgie's Punishment

Once upon a time, a holy-looking Georgie came to the ancient city of Rimatbad.He settled under a tree outside the town, where he would often sit for days without food or drink, motionless except for the counting of beads on his fingers.Rumors of the saint spread instantly, and townspeople flocked to see him every day, eager to receive his blessing, watch his services, or hear his teachings, if he was in the mood to speak.Soon the king also heard about this Georgie, and began to visit him often for advice, and begged him to pray and give the king a son.Several days passed, and at last the king was so possessed by the thought of the saint that he decided that he would take him all for himself if he could.So he built a small temple nearby, with only one or two rooms and a small courtyard tightly enclosed.When everything was ready, he begged Georgie to take up residence, and begged him not to receive any other guests but himself, the queen, and those disciples whom Georgie had chosen.Those disciples could pass on his teachings.Georgie granted the request, and so lived for some time on the king's charity, while his pious reputation grew day by day.

This King Rimatpadur had no son, but a daughter who grew up to be the most beautiful girl anyone ever saw.Her father betrothed her long ago to the prince of the southern kingdom of Dael, the neighboring country, but she has not yet married him, and still lives the peaceful life inherent in a girl of such beauty and status.Of course the princess also heard about the saint and his miracles and his fasting. She was full of curiosity and wanted to see him and talk to him, but it was difficult for her to do this because the king did not allow her to do so. Going out, even in the courtyard of the palace, was always closely guarded.However, she eventually found an opportunity.One night, she walked alone to the temple where the hermit lived.

Unfortunately, the hermit was not really as holy as he appeared, and as soon as he saw the princess, he was fascinated by her extraordinary beauty, and wondered how he could get her and make her his own. wife.The princess was not only beautiful but shrewd, and as soon as she saw Georgie's eyes express the fascination that filled his heart, she jumped up, put on her veil, and ran out hastily.Georgie tried to go after her, but he was no match for her, and, maddened with rage at being unable to catch her, he seized a spear and threw it at her, which sank into her leg.The brave princess stooped and drew the spear from the wound, and ran on until she found herself safe at home.She washed the wound and bound it up secretly, not telling anyone how naughty she was, for she knew her father would punish her severely.

The next day, when the king went to visit Georgie, the saint neither wanted to speak nor look at him.

"What is the matter?" asked the king, "won't you speak to me today?"

"I don't have anything you'd like to say," replied Georgie.

"Why?" said the king, "you must know that I regard your words as golden words."

But Georgie still turned his face away and sat there, the more silent and mysterious he became the more the King pushed him.After much persuasion, he finally said, "Well, let me tell you, there is something in this city that will kill everyone here if you don't get rid of it."

The king was easily frightened, and his face turned pale all of a sudden.

"What?" he gasped. "What is this horrible thing? How can I spot it and catch it? Give me some advice and help me. I'll tell you what you want." Followed up."

"Ah!" replied Georgie, "it was indeed terrible. It took the form of a pretty girl, but it was really a demon. It came to me last night, and while I was looking at it, Its good looks were transformed into hideous forms, its teeth changed to monstrous tusks, its eyes blazed like coals, and from its slender fingers protruded enormous claws that, if I were not a saint, It ate me up long ago."

The king was almost speechless with terror, but at last he said:

"How can I recognize this horrible thing when I come across it?"

Georgie said, "Go to that lovely girl whose leg was stabbed with a spear, and when you find her, keep her under close guard and come and tell me, and I'll tell you what to do next."

The king left Georgie in haste, and at once he sent all his soldiers to search the country for a girl whose leg had been wounded by a spear.The search went on for two days, and somehow they found only one person who had been wounded in the leg by a spear, and that was the princess.The King, very disturbed, ran to Georgie and assured him that there must be a mistake.Georgie was of course prepared for this, and had already figured out how to answer.

"She's not really your daughter. Your daughter was stolen when she was born, and a demon took her form." He said solemnly. and she'll kill you all." He spoke with such gravity and certainty that the king was bewildered, saying that whatever Georgie said he would do, and that whatever he said he would do. Believe it all.So Georgie instructed him to secretly invite two carpenters for him, and when the carpenters arrived, let them make a large box that was fitted very delicately with tenon and tenon joints, and was airtight and watertight.The carpenters built the box on the spot, and when it was done, Georgie bade the king bring the princess by night, and together they forced the poor maiden into the box, and fastened the lid with spikes. He got up, carried it to the river, and pushed the box into the river.

After it was over, Georgie called two disciples and pretended that God revealed to him that he would find a floating box on the river, which contained some valuable things.He told his disciples to wait at a place far downstream of the river, and when the box was heaving and spinning in the water and slowly drifting down the water, he would pick it up and bring it back secretly immediately, because now he decided to Kill her yourself.The disciples set off immediately, they were amazed by this incredible errand, and they were even more surprised by Georgie's holiness—the god had revealed such a secret to him.

Coincidentally, at dawn the next day, the brave young prince of the Southern Kingdom of Dale was hunting on the bank of the river with a team of viziers, followers and hunters.When he was riding forward, he saw a big box undulating and spinning in the river, and slowly drifting down the river.He gave the order, and several men jumped into the river to bring the box up.Everyone squeezed over to see what was in the box, the prince was the most curious, but he was a cautious young man, and when he was about to open the box himself, he only let a few people stay and told the rest Step back, and tell the men to draw their swords, in case the chest contains some evil beast, or genie, or troll.When all were ready and waiting for the unexpected, the Prince pried the lid of the box with his short sword and lifted it open.Inside the box lay the loveliest girl he had ever seen in his life.

The princess was suffocated half to death in the box, but she soon regained consciousness.When she sat up, the prince asked her who she was, and how she was put into this box and thrown into the river to drift with the water.Finding herself in the presence of so many strangers, the princess blushed and trembled.She told the prince that she was the princess of Rimatbad, and that she had been put into the box by her own father.It was the Prince's turn, and when he told her that he was the Prince of Dérennan, the young couple were amazed that they, who were engaged but had never met, should be in such unthinkable circumstances. Meet for the first time.In fact, the prince was so impressed by her beauty and grace that he called the vizier together, professing to marry immediately the lovely lady who had won his heart so completely.They held their wedding ceremony on the bank of the river immediately, and then returned to the prince's palace together.There, when word of their story spread, they were welcomed by the Prince's father, the Old King, and the rest of the day was devoted to feasting and celebration.After the feast, the bride told her husband that she still had a lot to tell at this moment in their married life, and that she hadn't had a chance to tell them so far, so she made no secret of what she had secretly told her. She told him everything that happened to her from the moment she slipped away to meet the wicked Georgie.

The next morning, the prince called the chief vizier and ordered him to chain a big monkey in the palace, put it in the box, and take the box back to the river to let it float again. Go up the river and monitor closely what the outcome will be.So the monkey was caught and put into a box, and some servants of the prince carried it to the river bank and pushed it into the river.Then they followed the box a long way in secret, to see what would happen.

At the same time, Georgie's two disciples were waiting for the box. They looked and looked, almost getting impatient.Finally, they began to doubt Qiao Ji's words, but on the second day, they found that the big box was undulating and spinning in the river, and slowly floating from the river. Their master really has amazing wisdom.With great difficulty they fished out the chest, and hastened and secretly carried it back to Georgie's shrine.No sooner had they carried the box into the house than Georgie, who had grown impatient, told them to put the box down and let them out, for he would open the magic box.

"Even if you hear cries and noise, don't come in, no matter how horrible it is," Georgie ordered, going to the closet where the silk ropes were to be used to strangle the princess.

The two disciples obeyed his instructions, went out and closed all the doors.Presently they heard a loud cry from inside the house, which was Georgie calling for help, but they dared not go in, for hadn't they been told they were not to go in no matter what noise was made inside?So they sat outside, wondering while they waited.At last, everything was calm again, and after a long time, there was still nothing in it, so they decided to go in and see if everything was all right.No sooner had they opened the door to the courtyard than they were almost overturned by the giant monkey, which swooped towards the door and fled from them into the wilderness.They entered that room and saw Georgie's body torn to pieces and thrown on the threshold!
As with all stories, the story soon spread, and it reached the ears of the princess and her husband, and the princess, learning that her enemy was dead, reconciled with her father.

(End of this chapter)