The Governess; Or, The Little Female AcademyFielding, Sarah
General
The Governess; Or, The Little Female Academy
Fielding, Sarah
Didactic fiction; Girls' schools -- Fiction; Governesses -- Fiction; School children -- Fiction; Schools -- Fiction
The Princess Hebe said, she doubted not but she should be able to
withstand any of Brunetta’s temptations. Her mother interrupting her,
cried out, ‘Oh, my dear child, though you are endowed with wisdom enough
to direct you in the way to virtue, yet if you grow conceited and proud
of that wisdom, and fancy yourself above temptation, it will lead you
into the worst of all evils.’ Here the fairy interposed, and told the
Princess Hebe, that if she would always carefully observe and obey her
mother, who had learned wisdom in that best school, adversity, she would
then, indeed, be able to withstand and overcome every temptation, and
would likewise be happy herself, and able to dispense happiness to all
around her. Nothing was omitted by the fairy to make this retirement
agreeable to her royal guests; and they had now passed near seven years
in this delightful grove, in perfect peace and tranquillity; when one
evening, as they were walking in the pleasant wood which surrounded
their habitation, they espied under the shade, and leaning against
the bark of a large oak, a poor old man, whose limbs were withered and
decayed, and whose eyes were hollow, and sunk with age and misery. They
stopped as soon as they saw him, and heard him in the anguish of his
heart, with a loud groan, utter these words: ‘When will my sorrows end?
Where shall I find the good fairy Sybella?’ The fairy immediately begged
to know his business with her; and said, if his sorrows would end on
finding Sybella, he might set his heart at ease; for she stood now
before him, and ready to serve him, if his distresses were such as would
admit of relief, and he could prove himself worthy of her friendship.
The old Man appeared greatly overjoyed at having found the fairy, and
began the following story:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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