The Fairy of the Beech-Woods ran to welcome the Prince and Princess with
open arms, only too delighted to find them so much improved that she
could, with a clear conscience, begin to spoil them again. Very soon
the Fairy Saradine also arrived, bringing the King and Queen with her.
Princess Celandine implored her pardon, which she graciously gave;
indeed the Princess was so charming she could refuse her nothing. She
also restored to her the Summer Islands, and promised her protection
in all things. The Fairy of the Beech-Woods then informed the King and
Queen that their subjects had chased King Bruin from the throne, and
were waiting to welcome them back again; but they at once abdicated in
favour of Prince Featherhead, declaring that nothing could induce them
to forsake their peaceful life, and the Fairies undertook to see the
Prince and Princess established in their beautiful kingdoms. Their
marriage took place the next day, and they lived happily ever
afterwards, for Celandine was never vain and Featherhead was never
fickle any more.
Le Prince Muguet et la Princesse Zaza.
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
There was once upon a time a pig who lived with her three children on
a large, comfortable, old-fashioned farmyard. The eldest of the little
pigs was called Browny, the second Whitey, and the youngest and best
looking Blacky. Now Browny was a very dirty little pig, and I am sorry
to say spent most of his time rolling and wallowing about in the mud.
He was never so happy as on a wet day, when the mud in the farmyard got
soft, and thick, and slab. Then he would steal away from his mother’s
side, and finding the muddiest place in the yard, would roll about in it
and thoroughly enjoy himself. His mother often found fault with him for
this, and would shake her head sadly and say: ‘Ah, Browny! some day you
will be sorry that you did not obey your old mother.’ But no words of
advice or warning could cure Browny of his bad habits.
Whitey was quite a clever little pig, but she was greedy. She was always
thinking of her food, and looking forward to her dinner; and when the
farm girl was seen carrying the pails across the yard, she would rise
up on her hind legs and dance and caper with excitement. As soon as the
food was poured into the trough she jostled Blacky and Browny out of the
way in her eagerness to get the best and biggest bits for herself. Her
mother often scolded her for her selfishness, and told her that some day
she would suffer for being so greedy and grabbing.
Blacky was a good, nice little pig, neither dirty nor greedy. He had
nice dainty ways (for a pig), and his skin was always as smooth and
shining as black satin. He was much cleverer than Browny and Whitey, and
his mother’s heart used to swell with pride when she heard the farmer’s
friends say to each other that some day the little black fellow would be
a prize pig.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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