Children's stories, English; Fairy tales; Fairy tales -- Great Britain
One fine summer day, a month after these her first adventures, during
which time she had been very carefully watched, the princess was lying
on the bed in the queen's own chamber, fast asleep. One of the windows
was open, for it was noon, and the day was so sultry that the little
girl was wrapped in nothing less ethereal than slumber itself. The
queen came into the room, and not observing that the baby was on the
bed, opened another window. A frolicsome fairy wind, which had been
watching for a chance of mischief, rushed in at the one window, and
taking its way over the bed where the child was lying, caught her up,
and rolling and floating her along like a piece of flue, or a dandelion
seed, carried her with it through the opposite window, and away. The
queen went down-stairs, quite ignorant of the loss she had herself
occasioned.
When the nurse returned, she supposed that her Majesty had carried her
off, and, dreading a scolding, delayed making inquiry about her. But
hearing nothing, she grew uneasy, and went at length to the queen's
boudoir, where she found her Majesty.
"Please, your Majesty, shall I take the baby?" said she.
"Where is she?" asked the queen.
"Please forgive me. I know it was wrong."
"What do you mean?" said the queen, looking grave.
"Oh! don't frighten me, your Majesty!" exclaimed the nurse, clasping
her hands.
The queen saw that something was amiss, and fell down in a faint. The
nurse rushed about the palace, screaming, "My baby! my baby!"
Every one ran to the queen's room. But the queen could give no orders.
They soon found out, however, that the princess was missing, and in a
moment the palace was like a beehive in a garden; and in one minute
more the queen was brought to herself by a great shout and a clapping
of hands. They had found the princess fast asleep under a rose-bush,
to which the elvish little wind-puff had carried her, finishing its
mischief by shaking a shower of red rose-leaves all over the little
white sleeper. Startled by the noise the servants made, she woke, and,
furious with glee, scattered the rose-leaves in all directions, like a
shower of spray in the sunset.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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