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 young Prince did not require much pressing to follow her. Finfin
threw on the back of his fawn the game he had shot, and the handsome
Prince carried the bow and the game-bag of Mirtis.
In this order they arrived at the House of Roses. Lirette came out to
meet them. She gave the Prince a smiling reception, and turning towards
Mirtis, "I am delighted," said she, "that you have had such good sport."
They went all together to seek the Good Woman, to whom the Prince made
known his high birth. She paid due attention to so illustrious a guest,
and gave him a handsome apartment. He remained two or three days with
her, and this was long enough to complete his conquest by Mirtis,
according to Finfin's request to his little almond.
Meanwhile, the suite of the Prince had been much surprised at his
absence. They had found his horse, and they believed that some
frightful accident had befallen him. They sought him everywhere, and
the wicked King, who was his father, was in a great fury at their not
being able to find him. The Queen, his mother, who was very amiable,
and sister of the King whom her husband had cruelly murdered, was in
an inconceivable state of grief at the loss of her son.
In her extreme distress, she sent secretly in search of Madam Tu-tu,
who was an old friend of hers, but whom she had not seen for some
time, because the King hated her, and had done her much injury
with a person she dearly loved. Madam Tu-tu arrived, without being
perceived, in the cabinet of the Queen. After they had embraced each
other affectionately--for there is not much difference between a Queen
and a Fairy, they having almost equal power,--the Fairy Tu-tu told
her that she would very soon see her son. She begged her not to make
herself uneasy, and not to be at all distressed at anything that might
happen--that either she was very much deceived, or she could promise
her a delight which was quite unexpected by her, and that she would be
one day the happiest of creatures.
The King's people made so many inquiries for the Prince, and sought him
with so much care, that at length they found him at the House of Roses.
They led him back to the King, who scolded him brutally, as though he
were not the most beautiful youth in the world. He remained very sad
at the Court of his father, and thinking of his beautiful Mirtis. At
length his grief was so visible on his countenance, that he was obliged
to take his mother into his confidence, who consoled him extremely.
"If you will mount your beautiful palfrey," said he, "and come to the
House of Roses, you will be charmed with what you will see." The Queen
consented willingly, and took her son with her, who was enchanted at
seeing his dear mistress again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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