第11章

ThePrince，whofeltmorehopefulthanhehaddonesincehelefthome，didpreciselyashehadbeenordered。Helefthisattendantsinthehamlet，foundtheroadthefroghaddescribedtohim，andfolloweditallalone，andatlasthearrivedatthegateofthecastle，whichwasevenmoresplendidthanhehadexpected，foritwasbuiltofcrystal，andallitsornamentswereofmassivegold。However，hehadnothoughtstospareforitsbeauty，andquicklyburiedhisgrainofsandintheearth。Inoneinstantthegatesflewopen，andallthedwellersinsidefellsoundasleep。Saphirflewstraighttothestable，andalreadyhadhishandonthefinesthorseitcontained，whenhiseyewascaughtbyasuitofmagnificentharnesshangingupcloseby。Itoccurredtohimdirectlythattheharnessbelongedtothehorse，andwithouteverthinkingofharm(forindeedhewhostealsahorsecanhardlybeblamedfortakinghissaddle)，hehastilyplaceditontheanimal’sback。Suddenlythepeopleinthecastlebecamebroadawake，andrushedtothestable。TheyflungthemselvesonthePrince，seizedhim，anddraggedhimbeforetheirlord；but，luckilyforthePrince，whocouldonlyfindverylameexcusesforhisconduct，thelordofthecastletookafancytohisface，andlethimdepartwithoutfurtherquestions。

Verysad，andverymuchashamedofhimselfpoorSaphircreptbacktothefountain，wheretheFrogwasawaitinghimwithagoodscolding。

’Whomdoyoutakemefor？’sheexclaimedangrily。’DoyoureallybelievethatitwasjustforthepleasureoftalkingthatIgaveyoutheadviceyouhaveneglectedsoabominably？’

ButthePrincewassodeeplygrieved，andapologisedsoveryhumbly，thataftersometimetheheartofthegoodlittleFrogwassoftened，andshegavehimanothertinylittlegrain，butinsteadofbeingsanditwasnowagrainofgold。Shedirectedhimtodojustashehaddonebefore，withonlythisdifference，thatinsteadofgoingtothestablewhichhadbeentheruinofhishopes，hewastoenterrightintothecastleitself，andtoglideasfastashecoulddownthepassagestillhecametoaroomfilledwithperfume，wherehewouldfindabeautifulmaidenasleeponabed。Hewastowakethemaideninstantlyandcarryheroff，andtobesurenottopayanyheedtowhateverresistanceshemightmake。

ThePrinceobeyedtheFrog’sordersonebyone，andallwentwellforthissecondtimealso。Thegateopened，theinhabitantsfellsoundasleep，andhewalkeddownthepassagetillhefoundthegirlonherbed，exactlyashehadbeentoldhewould。Hewokeher，andbeggedherfirmly，butpolitely，tofollowhimquickly。

Afteralittlepersuasionthemaidenconsented，butonlyonconditionthatshewasallowedfirsttoputonherdress。ThissoundedsoreasonableandnaturalthatitdidnotenterthePrince’sheadtorefuseherrequest。

Butthemaiden’shandhadhardlytouchedthedresswhenthepalacesuddenlyawokefromitssleep，andthePrincewasseizedandbound。Hewassovexedwithhisownfolly，andsotakenabackatthedisaster，thathedidnotattempttoexplainhisconduct，andthingswouldhavegonebadlywithhimifhisfriendsthefairieshadnotsoftenedtheheartsofhiscaptors，sothattheyoncemoreallowedhimtoleavequietly。However，whattroubledhimmostwastheideaofhavingtomeettheFrogwhohadbeenhisbenefactress。Howwasheevertoappearbeforeherwiththistale？Still，afteralongstrugglewithhimself，hemadeuphismindthattherewasnothingelsetobedone，andthathedeservedwhatevershemightsaytohim。Andshesaidagreatdeal，forshehadworkedherselfintoaterriblepassion；butthePrincehumblyimploredherpardon，andventuredtopointoutthatitwouldhavebeenveryhardtorefusetheyounglady’sreasonablerequest。’Youmustlearntodoasyouaretold，’wasalltheFrogwouldreply。

ButpoorSaphirwassounhappy，andbeggedsohardforforgiveness，thatatlasttheFrog’sangergaveway，andshehelduptohimatinydiamondstone。’Goback，’shesaid，’tothecastle，andburythislittlediamondclosetothedoor。Butbecarefulnottoreturntothestableortothebedroom；theyhaveprovedtoofataltoyou。Walkstraighttothegardenandenterthroughaportico，intoasmallgreenwood，inthemidstofwhichisatreewithatrunkofgoldandleavesofemeralds。Perchedonthistreeyouwillseethebeautifulbirdyouhavebeenseekingsolong。Youmustcutthebranchonwhichitissitting，andbringitbacktomewithoutdelay。ButIwarnyousolemnlythatifyoudisobeymydirections，asyouhavedonetwicebefore，youhavenothingmoretoexpecteitherofmeoranyoneelse。’

Withthesewordsshejumpedintothewater，andthePrince，whohadtakenherthreatsmuchtoheart，tookhisdeparture，firmlyresolvednottodeservethem。Hefounditalljustashehadbeentold:theportico，thewood，themagnificenttree，andthebeautifulbird，whichwassleepingsoundlyononeofthebranches。Hespeedilyloppedoffthebranch，andthoughhenoticedasplendidgoldencagehangingcloseby，whichwouldhavebeenveryusefulforthebirdtotravelin，heleftitalone，andcamebacktothefountain，holdinghisbreathandwalkingontip-toealltheway，forfearlestheshouldawakehisprize。

Butwhatwashissurprise，wheninsteadoffindingthefountaininthespotwherehehadleftit，hesawinitsplacealittlerusticpalacebuiltinthebesttaste，andstandinginthedoorwayacharmingmaiden，atwhosesighthismindseemedtogiveway。

’What！Madam！’hecried，hardlyknowingwhathesaid。’What！

Isityou？’

Themaidenblushedandanswered:’Ah，mylord，itislongsinceI

firstbeheldyourface，butIdidnotthinkyouhadeverseenmine。’

’Oh，madam，’repliedhe，’youcanneverguessthedaysandthehoursIhavepassedlostinadmirationofyou。’Andafterthesewordstheyeachrelatedallthestrangethingsthathadhappened，andthemoretheytalkedthemoretheyfeltconvincedofthetruthoftheimagestheyhadseenintheirmirrors。Aftersometimespentinthemosttenderconversation，thePrincecouldnotrestrainhimselffromaskingthelovelyunknownbywhatluckychanceshewaswanderingintheforest；wherethefountainhadgone；andifsheknewanythingoftheFrogtowhomheowedallhishappiness，andtowhomhemustgiveupthebird，which，somehoworother，wasstillsoundasleep。

’Ah，mylord，’shereplied，withratheranawkwardair，’astotheFrog，shestandsbeforeyou。Letmetellyoumystory；itisnotalongone。Iknowneithermycountrynormyparents，andtheonlythingIcansayforcertainisthatIamcalledSerpentine。Thefairies，whohavetakencareofmeeversinceI

wasborn，wishedmetobeinignoranceastomyfamily，buttheyhavelookedaftermyeducation，andhavebestowedonmeendlesskindness。Ihavealwayslivedinseclusion，andforthelasttwoyearsIhavewishedfornothingbetter。Ihadamirror’——hereshynessandembarrassmentchokedherwords——butregainingherself-control，sheadded，’Youknowthatfairiesinsistonbeingobeyedwithoutquestioning。Itwastheywhochangedthelittlehouseyousawbeforeyouintothefountainforwhichyouarenowasking，and，havingturnedmeintoafrog，theyorderedmetosaytothefirstpersonwhocametothefountainexactlywhatI

repeatedtoyou。But，mylord，whenyoustoodbeforeme，itwasagonytomyheart，filledasitwaswiththoughtsofyou，toappeartoyoureyesundersomonstrousaform。However，therewasnohelpforit，and，painfulasitwas，Ihadtosubmit。I

desiredyoursuccesswithallmysoul，notonlyforyourownsake，butalsoformyown，becauseIcouldnotgetbackmypropershapetillyouhadbecomemasterofthebeautifulbird，thoughI

amquiteignorantastoyourreasonforseekingit。’

OnthisSaphirexplainedaboutthestateofhisfather’shealth，andallthathasbeentoldbefore。

OnhearingthisstorySerpentinegrewverysad，andherlovelyeyesfilledwithtears。

’Ah，mylord，’shesaid，’youknownothingofmebutwhatyouhaveseeninthemirror；andI，whocannotevennamemyparents，learnthatyouareaking’sson。’

InvainSaphirdeclaredthatlovemadethemequal；Serpentinewouldonlyreply:’Iloveyoutoomuchtoallowyoutomarrybeneathyourrank。Ishallbeveryunhappy，ofcourse，butI

shallneveraltermymind。IfIdonotfindfromthefairiesthatmybirthisworthyofyou，then，whateverbemyfeelings，I

willneveracceptyourhand。’

Theconversationwasatthispoint，andbidfairtolastsometimelonger，whenoneofthefairiesappearedinherivorycar，accompaniedbyabeautifulwomanpastherearlyyouth。Atthismomentthebirdsuddenlyawakened，and，flyingontoSaphir’sshoulder(whichitneverafterwardsleft)，beganfondlinghimaswellasabirdcando。ThefairytoldSerpentinethatshewasquitesatisfiedwithherconduct，andmadeherselfveryagreeabletoSaphir，whomshepresentedtotheladyshehadbroughtwithher，explainingthattheladywasnootherthanhisAuntAglantine，widowofDiamantino。

Thentheyallfellintoeachother’sarms，tillthefairymountedherchariot，placedAglantinebyherside，andSaphirandSerpentineonthefrontseat。ShealsosentamessagetothePrince’sattendantsthattheymighttravelslowlybacktotheCourtofKingPeridor，andthatthebeautifulbirdhadreallybeenfound。Thismatterbeingcomfortablyarranged，shestartedoffherchariot。Butinspiteoftheswiftnesswithwhichtheyflewthroughtheair，thetimepassedevenquickerforSaphirandSerpentine，whohadsomuchtothinkabout。

Theywerestillquiteconfusedwiththepleasureofseeingeachother，whenthechariotarrivedatKingPeridor’spalace。Hehadhadhimselfcarriedtoaroomontheroof，wherehisnursesthoughtthathewoulddieatanymoment。Directlythechariotdrewwithinsightofthecastlethebeautifulbirdtookflight，and，makingstraightforthedyingKing，atoncecuredhimofhissickness。Thensheresumedhernaturalshape，andhefoundthatthebirdwasnootherthantheQueenConstance，whomhehadlongbelievedtobedead。Peridorwasrejoicedtoembracehiswifeandhissononcemore，andwiththehelpofthefairiesbegantomakepreparationsforthemarriageofSaphirandSerpentine，whoturnedouttobethedaughterofAglantineandDiamantino，andasmuchaprincessashewasaprince。Thepeopleofthekingdomweredelighted，andeverybodylivedhappyandcontentedtotheendoftheirlives。