orange fairy book

Chapter 15 The Story of Prince Ian (2)

One morning, the king came to the stable and watched Ian take care of the red-brown horse. He said to Ian, "The deer have come down the mountain. It's a good time to hunt. I'm going to go hunting." So he left.After the king left, Ian led the red-brown horse out of the stable and jumped onto the horse's back.But as they passed the palace gate, the red-and-brown horse's tail brushed against the post, and there was a screeching noise, and the king ran back at the sound, and took the pony by the reins.

"If you want my red and brown horse, you must first bring me the princess of France."

Ian walked slowly to the beach, where the fox Jill Madin was waiting for him.

"Obviously you don't do what I say again, as you always do," said the Fox, "but I will help you again. This will be the third time I have been turned into a ship, and this time we will go to France."

They started sailing in the direction of France.Because the ship was transformed by Jill Madi, he can sail wherever he wants.The boat sailed into a crack in a large rock on which land could be reached.The fox took Ian ashore, and went to the king's palace, and told the king that he had been shipwrecked, that the ship had been caught in a cleft in the rocks, and that all but himself had perished.

According to what the fox said, Ian went to the king's palace to tell the story. Because the story was so tragic, the king, queen and princess all came out to listen.After hearing this, they insisted on going to the beach to see the ship.At this time, due to the high tide, the boat floated with the waves.The ship was dilapidated, as if it had gone through hardships and dangers, but unusually beautiful music came from the ship.

"Give me a boat," cried the princess, "I want to see for myself what kind of harp can play such wonderful music." So the servants got the boat ready, and Ian accompanied the princess into the boat. boat, and rowed alongside the wreck.

Ian deliberately rowed the boat to the other side of the boat, so as to avoid people's sight.After helping the princess into the boat, he pushed the boat so that the princess could not get back into the boat.The music was still very pleasant, but they couldn't figure out where it was coming from, so they searched around in the boat.Finally, when the princess stood on the deck and looked around, she found that the land could no longer be seen, and there was only the vast and rough sea in front of her.

At this moment, the princess stood without saying a word, and her expression became serious.After a long time she said:

"You lied to me! What on earth are you going to do, and where are you taking me?"

"You are going to marry the King of Ireland," answered Ian, "for he will give me his red-brown horse in exchange for taking you back, and I will take the red-brown horse to Durard Seven giantesses of the island, in exchange for their daylight white sword, and then I have to take the sword to the giant with five heads, five necks, and five hunchbacks, and he will give the blue falcon I, finally, will take the falcon back to my stepmother, because only by doing so will the curse be lifted from her."

The princess replied, "Then I would rather marry you."

Gradually the ship came into a port on the coast of Ireland, where it dropped anchor.The fox Gilmedin asked Ian to tell the princess that she had to wait temporarily in the cave among the rocks, because they were going to the shore to do something and would be back soon.Then they went in a small boat to the edge of the rock.As soon as he got ashore, Gilmedin turned into a beautiful girl and said to Ian with a smile, "I want to give the king a beautiful wife."

At this time, the king was hunting on the mountain.As soon as he saw the strange boat coming into the port he guessed it must be Ian, and he lost all intention of hunting, and ran down the hill to his stable, hastily brought out the red and brown horse, and sat on its back. He took the golden saddle, and put silver bridles on it, and he led the horse hastily to meet the princess.

Ian said: "I have brought you the princess of France." The king looked at the beauty and was full of joy, but he didn't know that it was the fox Jill Madin.The king bowed low to her and invited her into the palace.Jill Maiding looked back at Ian when he entered, and smiled at him.

The king stopped in the hall, pointed to the iron cabinet in the corner of the hall and said:
"In that box, there is a crown. It has been waiting for you for many years, and now you have finally come for it." After saying that, he bent down to open the box.

At that moment the fox jumped up behind him and bit him, and he fell fainting instantly.Then, the fox immediately changed back to its original shape and ran back to the beach quickly.Ian and the princess were waiting for him with the red and brown horse.

"I become a boat," said the fox, "come up." After saying that, it became a boat, and Ian led the red and brown horse up first, and the princess followed closely, so they went to Durade Island. sailing.Because they were sailing downwind, they soon saw the rocks of Durad Island ahead.fox said:

"Let the red and brown horse and the princess hide between these rocks, and I will take the form of the red and brown horse, and go with you to meet the seven giantesses."

The seven giantesses were very happy to see Ian leading the red and brown horse to their door, and the youngest among them brought the Sunlight White Sword to Ian.So Ian took off the gold saddle and silver bridle, and took his sword down the hill, where the princess and the real red-brown horse were waiting for him.

The seven giantesses said happily: "Now we can finally ride the red and brown horse we have dreamed of!" They put saddles and bridles on the horses, and the oldest giantess rode first, followed by the second oldest. Sit behind her, and then the third, and the fourth... until the seven giantesses sat in the saddle in turn.When they were all seated, the oldest giantess gave the red-brown horse a whip, and it galloped on.It flew across the wilderness, galloped around the mountains, and the seven giantesses howled with joy on it.Finally, it leaped high into the air, and then landed on the top of Monad Mountain, where there was a cliff. It suddenly stopped its front hooves on the cliff, and raised its hind hooves, immediately throwing the seven giantesses away. Throw it down the cliff.The horse turned back into a fox, and he galloped back to the sea, where Ian, the princess, the real red and brown horse, and the white sword of the sun were all waiting for him.

"I will turn into a boat again," said the fox, "and take you, the princess, the red-and-brown horse, and the white sword of the sun." When it reached the shore, the fox changed back into its original form, and said to Ian:
"Leave the princess, the red-and-brown horse, and the white sword of the sun among these rocks, and I will become the white sword of the sun, and you will take me to the giant, so that he will give you the blue falcon." Ian said. Follow the fox's words and go to the giant's castle.The giant saw the dazzling light of the Sunlight White Sword from a distance, and was overjoyed.He put the blue falcon in a basket and handed it to Ian, so Ian immediately took the blue falcon back to the original place to find the princess, the red and brown horse, and the real daylight white sword.

Satisfied with the daylight white sword he had dreamed of for so many years, the giant began swinging it through the air, trying to slash.After letting the Giant play like this for a while, the Fox turned around in the Giant's hands, and cut off five of his necks, so that the Giant's five heads rolled down to the ground.Then, the fox returned to its original form and said to Ian:

"Put the golden saddle on the horse's back, put the silver bridle on the horse, put the basket with the blue falcon on your shoulders, take the daylight-white sword with the hilt to your nose, and mount, Let the princess ride behind you, and go back to your father's palace like this. But be sure to keep the hilt of the sword always facing your nose, or your stepmother will turn you into a bundle of sticks when she sees you , if you do as I tell you, she will become a bundle of sticks herself."

Ian did what the fox said, and his stepmother turned into a bundle of dry sticks in front of him.Ian lit the bundle of dry wood and was freed from her curse forever.Afterwards he married the princess, who was the best wife among the island nations of the West.Since then, Ian has never been threatened or hurt again, because he can run faster than the wind on a red and brown horse, enjoy the prey brought to him by the blue falcon, and assassinate the enemy with the white sword of sunlight.

Ian knew that all of this was thanks to the fox Gilmaiding, so Ian promised Jillmaidin that as long as Jillmaidin is hungry, Ian’s herd can be used as food, and from now on people will never eat it. It is allowed to shoot a bow and arrow at any fox.But the fox would not accept anything from Ian except friendship.From then on, the kingdom lived peacefully and peacefully under Ian's rule until his death.

(End of this chapter)