Four and Twenty Fairy Tales: Selected from Those of Perrault, and Other Popular Writers
General
Four and Twenty Fairy Tales: Selected from Those of Perrault, and Other Popular Writers
Fairy tales
The Good Woman, who saw their alarm at this accident, approached, and
learning the cause of it, "Why so inquisitive" said she; "why destroy
the flower you loved so much?" "I wanted its heart," replied Lirette.
"Such desires are always fatal," replied the Good Woman. "But, mother,"
pursued Lirette, "why has this flower, which is so beautiful, and
which pleases me so much, thorns?" "To show you," said the Good Woman,
"that we must distrust the greater part of those things which please
our eyes, and that the most agreeable objects hide snares which may be
to us most deadly." "How?" replied Lirette. "Must one not then love
everything which is pleasant?" "No, certainly," said the Good Woman,
"and you must take good care not to do so." "But I love my brother with
all my heart," replied she; "he is so handsome and so charming." "You
may love your brother," replied her mother; "but if he were not your
brother you ought not to love him."
Lirette shook her head, and thought this rule very hard. Finfin
meanwhile was still occupied with her finger; he squeezed on the wound
the juice of the rose-leaves, and wrapped it in them. The Good Woman
asked him why he did that? "Because I think," said he, "that the remedy
may be found in the same thing which has caused the evil." The Good
Woman smiled at this reason. "My dear child," replied she, "not in
this case." "I thought it was in all cases," said he; "for sometimes,
when Lirette looks at me, she troubles me greatly; I feel quite
agitated; and the moment after those same looks cause me a pleasure
which I cannot express to you. When she scolds me sometimes, I am very
wretched; but let her speak at length one gentle word to me, I am all
joy again."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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