red fairy book

Chapter 6 The Mayflower Princess (1)
Long, long ago, there was a king and queen, and their children died one by one, and finally, there was only one little princess left.The queen tried her best to find a good nanny for her daughter, take good care of her, and raise her up.

She sent a herald to blow the trumpet in the streets and alleys of the kingdom, and ordered the best nurses to go to the queen, and she was going to choose a nurse for the little princess.On the day she appointed, the palace was full of nurses who came from all over the place.The queen announced that she would interview half of them herself.She sat in the shade near the palace and waited for them to come one by one.

So the nurses stood in a row and curtseyed to the king and queen.Most of the nannies were fair-skinned and plump, but one was not.She was dark, ugly, and spoke a language no one could understand.The queen felt very strange, how could such a person dare to come?She sent someone to tell the ugly nanny to go away, there was no way she would be hired.The ugly nanny left with a babble, hid in a tree hole and looked out.

Without even thinking about it, the queen chose a nanny with a face like a rose.But as soon as she picked it, a snake came out of the grass and bit the nanny's foot, and the nanny fell to the ground dead.

The queen was very troubled, and she immediately chose the second one.As soon as the second nurse came out of the line, an eagle flew over and smashed a turtle on the nurse's head.The nanny's head was broken like an eggshell.

Now the queen was terrified.She chose the third one.The sitter was also out of luck. She ran quickly into the woods and was blinded by a prod.

The frustrated queen cried out: "It must be cursed, we won't choose today!"

She stood up and was about to go back to the palace when she heard a series of vicious laughter behind her.Turning her head, she caught sight of the ugly woman whom she had driven away, laughing gleefully at everyone, especially the queen.This angered the queen, and she ordered the woman to be locked up.

This witch—of course it was a witch, waved a branch twice, and a huge flying dragon came over with a shining chariot.The chariot spun into the sky with the witch, her curses and threats echoing in the air.

The king sighed, and said, "Alas, this is terrible! She is the Fairy Calaboos! When I was a child, I thought it was fun to put sulfur in her porridge, and since then she has been against me everywhere!"

The queen wept, and said, "If I had known this, I would have tried to make her friend. Now it is too late."

The incident frightened the queen, and the king felt very sorry.He proposed to convene a government affairs meeting, and everyone should think of a way to see if the little princess can be rescued from the bad luck cursed by Carabos.

All the advisers came to the palace.They closed the doors and windows, and plugged the keyholes to prevent eavesdropping.

Finally, everyone decided to invite all the fairies with a radius of a thousand miles to attend the baptism of the princess.The time of the christening ceremony must be kept strictly confidential and cannot be passed on to the ears of the fairies of Calabousse.

The queen and her ladies prepared many presents for the fairies.They planned to give each fairy a blue velvet cloak, an apricot satin skirt, a pair of high-heeled shoes, a sharp needle, and a pair of golden scissors.

Five fairies came that day, and they brought presents for the little princess.One gave the little princess the most beautiful face, the second gave the little princess wisdom, let her understand everything at once, the third gave the little princess a nightingale-like singing voice, and the fourth made her wish come true .

No sooner had the fifth Fairy opened her mouth than she could speak, when the chimney boomed, and Carabos came out covered in soot, and cried, "Until she is twenty, she is the unluckiest of all unlucky ones!"

The queen and the other fairies begged her not to do this to a poor little girl, who had done her no harm.

However, the ugly old guy hummed twice and said nothing.The last fairy who hadn't given a gift had to give the little princess some compensation. She promised that after the age of 20, the princess would be happy and live a long life.

At this blessing, the Fairy Carabos laughed viciously, and climbed the chimney away, leaving the whole company in terror, especially the queen.

Still, she treated the fairies graciously, and gave them pretty headbands.Fairies love this gift.

Before leaving, the eldest fairy suggested that the princess should live in a place with her maids and be locked up, so that she would not see anyone until she was 20 years old.

The king listened to her advice and built a tower without leaving any windows, but lit it with candles.There is only one underground passage in the tower, and soldiers are everywhere, firmly guarding the only twenty-foot iron door.

The princess's name is Mayflower.Because she is as fresh and moist as a spring flower.She is tall and beautiful.Her every move, every word she said, is so charming.

Every time the king and queen came to see her, they became happier every time.But the princess was so tired of the tower that she often begged her parents to take her out, but they always refused her.

The princess' nurse never left her a step.Sometimes the nurse would tell her what the world was like outside the tower, so that the princess knew everything very well, though she had never seen anything.This is thanks to the gift of the second fairy.

The king used to say to the queen that we were wiser than Carabos, after all, and she cursed our daughter, but our Mayflower was just as happy.The queen laughed all the time at first, but the king talked too much, and afterward the queen got very sick of hearing that she was smarter than the old man.

The king and queen asked an artist to paint a portrait of the princess, and then sent the portrait to the court of a neighboring country.You know, in four days, the princess will be 20 years old, and it's time for her to get married.The whole country rejoiced that the princess was free.

King Morin sent an envoy, King Cowhide, to propose marriage to his son, and when the news spread, everyone was even happier.The nurse told the princess all kinds of things, and of course, didn't forget about it.

She described to the princess in detail the spectacular scene that was about to appear when the envoy entered the city. After hearing this, the princess wanted to go and see for herself.

"How unlucky I am," she cried, "to be shut up in such a gloomy place as if I were a criminal! I have never seen the sun, nor the stars, nor the horses, nor the monkeys, nor the lions; Saw them in paintings. The king and queen told me to set me free when I was 20, and I guess they were just trying to make me happy. They had no intention of letting me out at all.”

Then, she started crying.Her nurse, her nurse's daughter, and the maids, all adored her, cried with her.It was such a sad scene, everyone was crying and sighing.

Seeing that everyone sympathized with her, the princess made up her mind to be willful for a while.She declared that she would starve herself if they could not find a way to show her the envoy entering the city.

"If you really love me," she said, "you can do it, and promise that whatever happens, you won't tell the king and queen about it."

Nanny and others cried harder.They said all kinds of good things to try to make the princess change her mind.But the more they talked, the more determined was the princess.Finally, they had to agree, and knocked a small hole in the tower facing the gate.

They worked day and night, digging and digging, and it was very difficult because they only had a thin needle.Still, they dug a hole, and through this little hole the princess saw the sunlight for the first time.

Everything she saw made her so excited.She stayed there from morning till night, steadfastly refusing to take her eyes from the hole, until the procession of messengers came into view.

The envoy, King Cowhide, rode a white horse at the head of the team, and the horse swaggered and turned around amidst the sound of horns.Nothing could have been more splendid than the clothes of the Messenger. His tunic was embroidered with pearls and diamonds, his boots were pure gold, and scarlet feathers fluttered from his helm.

Seeing the messenger, the princess was so excited that she became dizzy and wanted to marry the messenger wholeheartedly.

When the cowhide king arrived at the palace, the queen sent someone to pick up her daughter.

All the streets were carpeted, and the women were lying at the windows waiting to see the princess, with baskets full of sweets and flowers waiting to be sprinkled when the princess passed by.

The princess is out.There came a dwarf riding an elephant, sent by the five fairies, and he brought the princess a crown, a scepter, and a gown of golden brocade embroidered with butterflies of all kinds. wing.

The fairies also brought a box of jewels, which were so beautiful that no one had ever seen such jewels.

When the queen opened the jewelry box, her eyes were dazzled.But the princess didn't look at these treasures at all, her mind was full of the messenger King Cowhide.The queen gave the dwarf a gold plate, which was covered with ribbons so much that the dwarf was almost hidden from sight.

The queen told the princess to have a good look at the jewels, and to choose some pretty presents for the fairies.The princess gave each fairy a spinning wheel with cedar rods.

The princess wore the treasure brought by the dwarf, and she was even more beautiful than usual.As she made her way down the street, people chanted, "Look how beautiful she is!"

There were more than 60 queens, princesses and princesses' cousins ​​in the marching team, as well as more than 100 princesses from neighboring countries. They marched with solemn steps.Suddenly, the sky darkened, and then, there was a loud thunder, and raindrops and hailstones rolled down.

The queen threw her cloak over her head, and the princesses followed suit.Princess Mayflower was just about to put on her cloak when there was a terrible quacking sound, the sound of a flock of ominous birds, such as crows and owls.

At the same time, a huge owl flew over the princess's head and dropped on her a scarf made of spider's web and bat's wings.Then, a mocking laugh rumbled overhead.This must have been another bad joke by Calabous.

The Queen was terrified by this ominous omen, and she stretched out her hand to yank the black scarf from the Princess's shoulders, but the scarf seemed to be nailed on, and stuck so firmly.

"Ah!" cried the Queen, "can you stop this hatred! I gave her fifty pounds of candy, fifty pounds of the best sugar, and two Westphalian hams, and she still angry!"

Everyone was drenched like they had just been fished out of the river.The Princess stood motionless, thinking of the Messenger, when at that moment he appeared with the King.

The horn sounded, and the people shouted more enthusiastically than before.The messenger had prepared a lot to say, but when he stood in front of the princess and found that she was more beautiful and noble than he imagined, he couldn't speak a word, he stammered a few words, and then Forget all the rhetoric that I have been preparing for months, and I can't even say a word in my sleep.

To buy time to think out a few words, he bowed deeply to the princess repeatedly.The princess returned him with six curtseys, and then, to save him from embarrassment, she said: "Mr. Messenger, I believe your words are very interesting, but shall we not enter the palace? It is raining too much, Mischievous Calabousse will be very happy to see us standing in the rain. Let's make fun of her when we come in."

Only then did Mr. Messenger find his tongue, and he replied that it was evident that the fairy knew that the princess's bright eyes could ignite a fire, so she sent a flood to extinguish the fire.Then he stretched out his arms and led the princess back.

The princess said softly: "You don't know how much I like you. I want to tell you plainly that when I first saw you on a horse and entered the city, I regretted that you didn't propose for yourself, but For another person.

If you think like me, then let me marry you.Of course, I know you are not a prince, but I love you and you are my prince.Let's go, find a small corner in the world, and live happily together. "

The messenger thought he was dreaming, and couldn't believe it was the princess who said it.He didn't dare to answer, but squeezed the princess's hand tightly, which hurt her little finger, and she didn't cry out.

When they reached the palace, the king kissed his daughter on both cheeks, and said, "My little darling, the messenger has come for you. Will you marry the son of King Morin?"

"If it pleases you," replied the princess, bowing her knees.

"She agrees," said the Queen. "Prepare the flowers."

The flowers were soon ready, and everyone enjoyed the feast, except the mayflower and the messenger.They stared at each other, forgetting everything in front of them.

After the banquet came the ball, then the ballet, and finally, everyone was tired and fell asleep at the venue.

Only this pair of lovers are as conscious as mice.When the princess saw that everyone was asleep, she said to the messenger, "Let's run quickly, this chance couldn't be better."

She took the King's short sword, which had a diamond sheath, and the Queen's shawl, and took the messenger by the hand and ran.The messenger took the lantern, and together they ran down the muddy street to the sea.

On the seashore they found a boat, and the weary boatman had fallen asleep.When he woke up and saw the lovely princess covered in diamonds and wearing a black cobweb scarf, he didn't know what to say.She ordered him to set off, and the boatman had to obey.

They could neither see the moon nor the stars, but the ruby ​​in the queen's shawl shone like fifty torches.The messenger asked the princess where she was going.The princess replied that it doesn't matter where you are with you.

"But, princess," said he, "I dare not take you back to King Merin, for he will think it too light to hang me."

(End of this chapter)