Children's stories, French -- Translations into English; Fairy tales -- France
"Good-bye, obstinate one!" said the lark, flying away singing, "till we
meet again. I shall come again--and then----"
"The result will be the same," said Ourson.
He then climbed the tree, took Violette in his arms, and descended. He
laid her upon the soft green moss and bathed her forehead with a little
wine he found in a broken bottle.
In a few moments Violette was restored to consciousness. She could
scarcely believe her senses when she saw Ourson, living and unwounded,
kneeling by her side and bathing her forehead and temples.
"Ourson! dear Ourson! again you have saved my life. Tell me, oh! tell
me, what can I do to prove my gratitude?"
"Do not speak of gratitude, my cherished Violette. Do I not owe all my
happiness to you? In saving your life I save my own and all I value."
"All that you say, dear brother, is sweet and tender but I desire no
less to render you some real and signal service, which will show all the
gratitude and all the love with which my heart is filled."
"Good! good! we shall see," said Ourson, laughing. "In the mean time let
us think of preserving our lives. You have eaten nothing since morning,
poor Violette, for I see on the ground the remnants of the provisions
you brought, as I suppose, for our dinner. It is late and the day is
declining so we must hurry to return to the farm before dark."
Violette now tried to rise but her terror and her long fast had weakened
her so much that she fell to the ground.
"I cannot stand, Ourson, I am too weak. What will become of us?"
Ourson was greatly embarrassed. Violette was no longer a child and had
grown so large that he could not carry her so far, neither could he
leave her exposed to the attacks of the ferocious beasts of the forest
and he feared she could not do without food till the morning. In this
perplexity he saw a packet fall at his feet. He raised it, opened it and
found a pie, a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine. Ourson knew that this
bounty was from the hand of the fairy Drolette and with a heart full of
gratitude he put the bottle to Violette's lips. One mouthful of this
good wine which was indeed unequalled restored a portion of Violette's
strength. The pie and the bread completely restored her as well as
Ourson who did full honor to the repast. While eating and drinking they
conversed of their past terrors and present happiness.
Now, however, it was night and neither Violette nor Ourson knew which
way to turn their steps in order to reach the farm. They were in the
midst of a wood. Violette was reclining against the tree which had been
her refuge from the wild boar. They dared not quit this spot lest in the
obscurity they might not find as comfortable a one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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