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
In the evening there was a banquet, at which nothing was served but
fish, but of most extraordinary size and exquisite flavour. After
the banquet the Naiades danced a ballet in dresses of fish-scales of
various colours, which had the most beautiful effect in the world. The
horns of Tritons, and other instruments unknown to mortals, performed
the music, which, though strange, was novel and very agreeable.
Parcin Parcinet and the beautiful Irolite remained four days in this
empire. Such were the commands of Favourable. The fifth day the
Naiades assembled in crowds to escort the Prince and Princess. The two
lovers were placed in a little boat made of a single shell, and the
Naiades, half out of the water, accompanied them as far as the border
of a river, where Parcin Parcinet found his horses waiting for him,
and recommenced his journey with the more haste, as he perceived, on
examining his ring, that the silver had disappeared, and that nothing
remained but the brass; they were, however, but a short distance
from the wished-for dwelling of the Fairy Favourable. They travelled
unmolested for three more days; but on the fourth morning they saw
weapons glitter in the distance in the rays of the rising sun, and as
those who bore them advanced, they recognised Prince Ormond and his
band. Danamo had sent them back in pursuit with orders not to leave
them when seen again, nor to quit the spot where anything extraordinary
might occur to them, and, above all things, to endeavour to engage
Parcin Parcinet in single combat. Danamo had correctly imagined, from
the account of Ormond, that a Fairy protected the Prince and Princess;
but her science was so great, that she did not despair of conquering,
by spells more potent than her antagonist could cast around them.
Ormond, delighted at beholding again the Prince and Irolite, whom he
had sought with so much toil and anxiety, galloped, sword in hand, to
encounter Parcin Parcinet, according to the commands of the Fairy.
The young Prince also drew his sabre with so fierce an air, that
Ormond more than once felt inclined to waver in his course; but Parcin
Parcinet, observing Irolite bathed in tears, touched at the sight,
formed his fourth wish, and instantly a great fire rising almost to the
clouds, separated him from his enemy. This fire made Ormond and his
troop fall back, while the young Prince and Irolite, closely followed
by the faithful slave and the prudent Mana, found themselves in a
Palace, the first sight of which greatly alarmed the fair Irolite.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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