red fairy book

Chapter 36 The Golden Branch (2)
There is a way.She knew that there was a big clock in the attic, and the weight was hanging in the corridor. She tied a rope to it, tied herself up, and when the clock turned, she went up to the attic without any problems.

She looked around but saw nothing.She sat down to rest, leaning against the wall that Prince Crick had hastily mended, a broken stone fell out, and a golden key.The click of falling on the ground attracted the attention of the princess.

She picked up the key, and after thinking for a moment, she decided that it must be the key to the old cabinet in the corner.There was no keyhole on the cabinet. After searching for a while, she opened the cabinet door.She was like Prince Crick before her, admiring so many beautiful jewels, and finally she opened the ruby ​​box, she was so frightened that she wanted to throw the box away immediately, but a mysterious force drove her to betray her own wishes and take it anyway. Opening the box, a voice whispered in her ear:
"Take courage, princess! This adventure determines your future happiness."

"What should I do?" the princess trembled.

"Take the box," said the voice, "and hide it under your pillow. If you see an eagle, give it to him at once."

The princess, terrified, did so without hesitation, and hastened to gather the jewels.At this time, the soldiers were looking for her everywhere, and found that she ran to the top floor inconceivably.

Three days passed and nothing happened.On the last night, the princess heard the flapping of wings at her window, drew the curtains at once, and saw an eagle in the moonlight.

With all her strength, she limped over and threw open the window, and the eagle flapped its wings merrily and slid into the room.The princess immediately handed him the ruby ​​box.The eagle grabbed the box and immediately disappeared.Before her stood a handsome prince, the most beautiful of whom she had ever seen, regal in his adornment, and with a diamond crown on his head.

"Princess," he said, "an evil sorcerer put a spell on me for 200 years. We fell in love with the same fairy, and she liked me. But this witch was stronger than me, and while my guards were away, he turned me into a Became an eagle and put my wife in a deep sleep. I know that after 200 years, a prince will come to wake her up, and a princess will give me back the hand that the enemy chopped off and restore me to human form. The one who watches over your fate The fairy told me this, that is she, who led you to the cupboard on the top floor, where she put my hand. She also allowed me to thank you and grant your wish. Tell me, princess, What do you want most? Should I make you beautiful, as beautiful as your heart?"

"Oh, if you can!" cried the princess, and at the same time she heard the crackling of her own bones.She grew tall and straight and beautiful, with eyes like twinkling stars and skin like milk.

"Oh, that's great! Is this really me?" she cried, watching in amazement as her crutch fell to the ground.

"Indefinitely, princess," replied Frommond, "it is you! But you have a new name, Princess Sunshine, and you are so bright and charming that you are well suited to it."

After speaking, he disappeared.The princess found herself in the shade of a tree, beside a clear river.Of course, the first thing she does is look at her own reflection in the water.She was surprised to find that she was the shepherdess in the painting, wearing a white dress and a crown of flowers, just like the painting.

Then her flock appeared, grazing beside her.She saw that the bend of the river was full of flowers.So many strange things happened at once, the princess was tired, she sat under the tree to rest, and fell asleep after a while.

This is where the Invincible Prince came, and when the Sunshine Princess fell asleep, he was looking for a place to graze his flock.

He saw the princess at a glance and recognized her as the shepherdess in the painting. He had seen her paintings countless times, but she was much more beautiful than the paintings he remembered.The opportunity came like this, and he was overjoyed.

When the princess opened her eyes, he was still admiring her beauty.She also recognized him immediately.So, they became good friends immediately.The princess asked the prince if he was familiar with this place, and she wanted to find a place to stay.

He said he knew an old woman who had a farm just right for her, clean and pretty.So, they went together.The princess was fascinated by the old lady and the old lady's home.Supper was soon served in the shade of the tree, and she asked the prince to eat butter and bread with her.He was very happy and picked strawberries, cherries, nuts and flowers from his own orchard.

They sat together, very happy.In the days that followed, they took care of the sheep and lived happily.The prince proposes to the princess, who is now just a poor shepherdess, but she has never forgotten that she is a princess, and she wonders if she should marry a humble shepherd, though she really wants to marry him.

She was determined to find the wizard.Since she became a shepherdess, she has heard many stories about this wizard.Without telling anyone, she went to the castle where the wizard lived with his sister, who was a very powerful fairy.

The road is long.The princess passed the forest. In the forest, the princess heard strange voices calling her from all directions, but she was in a hurry and did not stop. Finally, she finally came to the yard of the wizard's house.

The grass and the briars looked as if they had grown a hundred years, and the princess walked through the flowers with scratches all over her body.

Then she entered a gloomy hall, through which only a small hole in the wall let in the light.There were bat wings hanging here and there, a dozen cats on the ceiling, and the house was filled with cacophony of meowing.

On a long table were twelve mice with their tails nailed to the table, and a piece of bacon was placed in front of each mouse's nose, but they couldn't reach it.

In this way, the cat kept staring at the mice, but could not touch them, and the hungry mice were tormented by the fragrant bacon in front of them.

The princess was looking at the poor little things when the wizard came in.The wizard was wearing a black robe and a crocodile skin on his head. The whip in his hand was made of twenty live snakes, and he was still writhing his body.

The princess was terrified, and she wished she hadn't come at all.She ran to the door without saying a word, but there were dense cobwebs there, breaking one after another, breaking another, and more, endlessly.The princess' hands were sore, and before she could run out, the wicked wizard laughed behind her, and said:

"You just can't finish tearing all your life. But you are so young and beautiful. I haven't seen you in a long time. If you want, marry me. I give these cats and mice You. They are all princes and princesses who have offended me. They used to love each other to the same extent as they hate each other now. Haha, letting them do this is a small revenge!"

"Ah! will you turn me into a mouse too?" cried the princess.

"Oh! You don't want to marry me?" he asked. "You can have everything you want, little fool."

"Oh, no! I will never marry you, I don't think I will fall in love with you." cried the princess.

"If so," said the wizard, touching her, "you end up as a special kind of animal, not a fish, not a fowl, but lighter and flying and as green as the grass you live in. Oh, the grasshopper. "

The princess was so happy to find herself free that she jumped into the garden and became the most beautiful little grasshopper in the world.

Once free, she grieves for herself.

"Oh! Flomond," she sighed, "is your present gone? Pretty so short-lived, this funny face, green crepe, is its ridiculous end. I should marry the lovely shepherd .It was because of my pride that I was punished and jumped around the stream all day. I wanted to cry."

The invincible prince found that the princess was missing, and he was sad while sitting by the river.Suddenly there appeared a small woman in a ruffled whalebone dress, and a velvet hat that hid her snow-white hair.

"You are very sad, my son. What happened?" she said.

"Oh, mother!" said the prince, "my beloved shepherdess is gone, and I will go to find her, and I will search all over the world to find her."

"Go that way. My son," said the old woman, pointing to the path leading to the castle. "I think you'll find her soon."

The prince thanked the old woman and set off.The road was clear, and he soon came to the woods that surrounded the castle, and he thought she saw the Sunshine Princess slip away from him and run away among the trees.The prince went after her, but could not catch up.He called her: "Sunshine, my dear, wait for me."

But the phantom flew faster, and the prince chased it all day without catching up.At night, when he saw the castle in front of him, he thought that the princess must be there, so he quickened his pace.

Easily, he entered the castle.In the hall, a scary old woman saw him.The old woman was so thin that the light shone right through her, and her eyes shone like lamps.She has skin like a shark, arms like sticks, and fingers like spiders.She wears lipstick, an eye patch, a silver embroidered cape, and a diamond tiara on her head.Her dress, too, was studded with jewels and red and green ribbons.

"You have come to see me at last, Prince," she said, "forget about the shepherdess, she is nothing!

I am the Queen of Comets, you will be very honored to marry me. "

"Marry you? Ma'am." The prince was terrified. "Oh, no, I can never agree!"

The fairy was furious and swung her cane twice, and countless scary elves suddenly appeared in the corridor.In order to save his life, the prince had to fight with them.Although he only had a short sword, he defended himself and was not injured.The old woman stopped and asked the prince if he had changed his mind.He said no.Pointing to Sunshine Princess at the end of the corridor, she said, "See? Think about it, if you don't want to marry me, two tigers will tear her to pieces."

The prince was distraught, and thought he heard the cry of the shepherdess, who begged him to save her.In desperation, he said: "Oh, Fairy Deserine, has the friendship you promised have been abandoned? Help, save us!"

Immediately, a soft voice sounded beside his ears: "Be firm, no matter what happens, go find the golden branch."

With encouragement, the prince insisted on refusing to marry, and finally the old woman was furious: "Get out, stubborn guy, and become a cricket!"

Immediately, the handsome prince was transformed into a poor little cricket, just looking for a cozy crack behind the blazing fireplace.But fortunately, he did not forget the words of the fairy Deserine, and looked for the golden branch.

So he set out from the castle at once, and found a place in a hollow tree, where he saw a lonely little grasshopper curled up in a corner, making no sound.

The prince asked: "Where are you going? Grasshopper Granny." He didn't expect the grasshopper to answer him.

"What about you? Grandpa Cricket." The grasshopper replied.

"What! You can talk?" he said.

"Why can you say I can't? Is the grasshopper inferior to the cricket?"

"I can talk because I am a prince," replied Cricket.

"For the same reason, I should still say that I am a princess better than you." The grasshopper replied.

"You seem to have the same fate as me," he said. "Where are you going now? Shall we go together?"

"I seem to hear someone saying to me: Be firm, no matter what happens, go to the golden branch." The grasshopper said, "I'm going on my way, but I don't know which way."

At this time, their conversation was interrupted by two mice.Panting, the mice rushed into the tree hole, almost crushing the crickets and grasshoppers, but they reacted quickly enough and hid in a dark corner.

Fat Mouse said, "Oh, madam, I'm exhausted from running so fast. How did your Highness get out?"

"I've pulled my tail off," said the young Mouse, "or else I'd still be on that table. I won't regret it. Was anyone chasing us? We're lucky to get out!"

"I only hope we find the Golden Bough at once, without cats and traps," said the Fat Mouse.

"Do you know the way?" asked the young Mouse.

"Oh, as familiar as the way to my house! The golden bough is a miracle, a single golden leaf can make a man rich forever, and break the spell, and make him young and beautiful. Let us start at dawn."

"Can we go with you? The venerable cricket and I," said the Grasshopper, taking a step forward. "We are also looking for golden branches."

The mice graciously agreed.After chattering politely for a long time, everyone fell asleep.As soon as it was daylight, everyone set out, and the mice were always afraid of running into a trap. If they found the golden branch, they were safe.

In a fair garden grew the golden boughs, where the paths were paved with pearls the size of peas, where the roses were red diamonds with leaves of emeralds, the pomegranates were garnets, the marigolds were topaz, and the daffodils were topaz. Diamonds, violets sapphires, cornflowers turquoises, tulips amethysts, opals, and diamonds, and the whole garden shone like the sun.And the golden branches were as high as the tree, and their tips were full of rubies.

Grasshoppers and crickets changed back to human form as soon as they touched the branches.They were surprised to recognize each other, surprised and delighted.At this time, Frommond and the fairy Detherine appeared, and the fairy stepped out of her chariot, and said with a smile: "Now you have found each other, but there is still a surprise. Princess, don't hesitate, tell Shepherd, how much you love him. In fact, he is the one your father asked you to marry. Come here, let me crown you with flowers, and have the wedding right away."

The princess and prince thanked her and told her how happy they were.The two princesses, who were turned into mice, came to ask the fairy to help their friends, who were still under the spell.

"Well," Fairy Deserine said, "I can't find a reason to refuse you on such a happy occasion." She waved the golden branch three times, and immediately all the prisoners in the castle were free, and they all ran into the garden, Touch the golden branches, and all of them returned to human form.They happily congratulated each other.

The Fairy gave them the chest containing countless jewels, the jewels in which were at least equal to ten kingdoms.But the Invincible Prince and the Sunshine Princess, the fairy gave them this palace and the golden bough.The prince and princess were so rich and loved, and they lived happily ever after.

(End of this chapter)