第19章

FromLesfeesillustres。

InveryancienttimestherelivedaKing，whosepowerlaynotonlyinthevastextentofhisdominions，butalsointhemagicsecretsofwhichhewasmaster。Afterspendingthegreaterpartofhisearlyyouthinpleasure，hemetaPrincessofsuchremarkablebeautythatheatonceaskedherhandinmarriage，and，havingobtainedit，consideredhimselfthehappiestofmen。

Afterayear’stimeasonwasborn，worthyineverywayofsuchdistinguishedparents，andmuchadmiredbythewholeCourt。AssoonastheQueenthoughthimstrongenoughforajourneyshesetoutwithhimsecretlytovisitherFairygodmother。Isaidsecretly，becausetheFairyhadwarnedtheQueenthattheKingwasamagician；andasfromtimeimmemorialtherehadbeenastandingfeudbetweentheFairiesandtheWizards，hemightnothaveapprovedofhiswife’svisit。

TheFairygodmother，whotookthedeepestinterestinalltheQueen’sconcerns，andwhowasmuchpleasedwiththelittlePrince，endowedhimwiththepowerofpleasingeverybodyfromhiscradle，aswellaswithawonderfuleaseinlearningeverythingwhichcouldhelptomakehimaperfectlyaccomplishedPrince。

Accordingly，tothedelightofhisteachers，hemadethemostrapidprogressinhiseducation，constantlysurpassingeveryone’sexpectations。Beforehewasmanyyearsold，however，hehadthegreatsorrowoflosinghismother，whoselastwordsweretoadvisehimnevertoundertakeanythingofimportancewithoutconsultingtheFairyunderwhoseprotectionshehadplacedhim。

ThePrince’sgriefatthedeathofhismotherwasgreat，butitwasnothingcomparedtothatoftheKing，hisfather，whowasquiteinconsolableforthelossofhisdearwife。Neithertimenorreasonseemedtolightenhissorrow，andthesightofallthefamiliarfacesandthingsabouthimonlyservedtoremindhimofhisloss。Hethereforeresolvedtotravelforchange，andbymeansofhismagicartwasabletovisiteverycountryhecametoseeunderdifferentshapes，returningeveryfewweekstotheplacewherehehadleftafewfollowers。

Havingtravelledfromlandtolandinthisfashionwithoutfindinganythingtorivethisattention，itoccurredtohimtotaketheformofaneagle，andinthisshapeheflewacrossmanycountriesandarrivedatlengthinanewandlovelyspot，wheretheairseemedfilledwiththescentofjessamineandorangeflowerswithwhichthegroundwasthicklyplanted。Attractedbythesweetperfumeheflewlower，andperceivedsomelargeandbeautifulgardensfilledwiththerarestflowers，andwithfountainsthrowinguptheirclearwatersintotheairinahundreddifferentshapes。Awidestreamflowedthroughthegarden，andonitfloatedrichlyornamentedbargesandgondolasfilledwithpeopledressedinthemostelegantmannerandcoveredwithjewels。

InoneofthesebargessattheQueenofthatcountrywithheronlydaughter，amaidenmorebeautifulthantheDayStar，andattendedbytheladiesoftheCourt。NomoreexquisitelylovelymortalwaseverseenthanthisPrincess，anditneededallaneagle’sstrengthofsighttopreventtheKingbeinghopelesslydazzled。Heperchedonthetopofalargeorangetree，whencehewasabletosurveythesceneandtogazeatpleasureonthePrincess’scharms。

Now，aneaglewithaKing’sheartinhisbreastisapttobebold，andaccordinglyheinstantlymadeuphismindtocarryoffthelovelydamsel，feelingsurethathavingonceseenherhecouldnotlivewithouther。

Hewaitedtillhesawherintheactofsteppingashore，when，suddenlyswoopingdown，hecarriedheroffbeforeherequerryinattendancehadadvancedtoofferherhishand。ThePrincess，onfindingherselfinaneagle’stalons，utteredthemostheart-breakingshrieksandcries；buthercaptor，thoughtouchedbyherdistress，wouldnotabandonhislovelyprey，andcontinuedtoflythroughtheairtoofasttoallowofhissayinganythingtocomforther。

Atlength，whenhethoughttheyhadreachedasafedistance，hebegantolowerhisflight，andgraduallydescendingtoearth，depositedhisburdeninaflowerymeadow。Hethenentreatedherpardonforhisviolence，andtoldherthathewasabouttocarryhertoagreatkingdomoverwhichheruled，andwherehedesiredsheshouldrulewithhim，addingmanytenderandconsolingexpressions。

ForsometimethePrincessremainedspeechless；butrecoveringherselfalittle，sheburstintoafloodoftears。TheKing，muchmoved，said，’AdorablePrincess，dryyourtears。Iimploreyou。Myonlywishistomakeyouthehappiestpersonintheworld。’

’Ifyouspeaktruth，mylord，’repliedthePrincess，’restoretomethelibertyyouhavedeprivedmeof。OtherwiseIcanonlylookonyouasmyworstenemy。’

TheKingretortedthatheroppositionfilledhimwithdespair，butthathehopedtocarryhertoaplacewhereallaroundwouldrespecther，andwhereeverypleasurewouldsurroundher。Sosaying，heseizedheroncemore，andinspiteofallhercriesherapidlyboreherofftotheneighbourhoodofhiscapital。Herehegentlyplacedheronalawn，andashedidsoshesawamagnificentpalacespringupatherfeet。Thearchitecturewasimposing，andintheinteriortheroomswerehandsomeandfurnishedinthebestpossibletaste。

ThePrincess，whoexpectedtobequitealone，waspleasedatfindingherselfsurroundedbyanumberofprettygirls，allanxioustowaitonher，whilstabrilliantly-colouredparrotsaidthemostagreeablethingsintheworld。

OnarrivingatthispalacetheKinghadresumedhisownform，andthoughnolongeryoung，hemightwellhavepleasedanyotherthanthisPrincess，whohadbeensoprejudicedagainsthimbyhisviolencethatshecouldonlyregardhimwithfeelingsofhatred，whichshewasatnopainstoconceal。TheKinghoped，however，thattimemightnotonlysoftenheranger，butaccustomhertohissight。Hetooktheprecautionofsurroundingthepalacewithadensecloud，andthenhastenedtohisCourt，wherehisprolongedabsencewascausingmuchanxiety。

ThePrinceandallthecourtiersweredelightedtoseetheirbelovedKingagain，buttheyhadtosubmitthemselvestomorefrequentabsencesthaneveronhispart。Hemadebusinessapretextforshuttinghimselfupinhisstudy，butitwasreallyinordertospendthetimewiththePrincess，whoremainedinflexible。

NotbeingabletoimaginewhatcouldbethecauseofsomuchobstinacytheKingbegantofear，lest，inspiteofallhisprecautions，shemighthaveheardofthecharmsofthePrincehisson，whosegoodness，youthandbeauty，madehimadoredatCourt。

Thisideamadehimhorriblyuneasy，andheresolvedtoremovethecauseofhisfearsbysendingthePrinceonhistravelsescortedbyamagnificentretinue。

ThePrince，aftervisitingseveralCourts，arrivedattheonewherethelostPrincesswasstilldeeplymourned。TheKingandQueenreceivedhimmostgraciously，andsomefestivitieswererevivedtodohimhonour。

OnedaywhenthePrincewasvisitingtheQueeninherownapartmentshewasmuchstruckbyamostbeautifulportrait。Heeagerlyinquiredwhoseitwas，andtheQueen，withmanytears，toldhimitwasallthatwasleftherofherbeloveddaughter，whohadsuddenlybeencarriedoff，sheknewneitherwherenorhow。

ThePrincewasdeeplymoved，andvowedthathewouldsearchtheworldforthePrincess，andtakenoresttillhehadfoundandrestoredhertohermother’sarms。TheQueenassuredhimofhereternalgratitude，andpromised，shouldhesucceed，togivehimherdaughterinmarriage，togetherwithalltheestatessheherselfowned。

ThePrince，farmoreattractedbythethoughtsofpossessingthePrincessthanherpromiseddower，setforthinhisquestaftertakingleaveoftheKingandQueen，thelattergivinghimaminiatureofherdaughterwhichshewasinthehabitofwearing。

HisfirstactwastoseektheFairyunderwhoseprotectionhehadbeenplaced，andheimploredhertogivehimalltheassistanceofherartandcounselinthisimportantmatter。

Afterlisteningattentivelytothewholeadventure，theFairyaskedfortimetoconsultherbooks。AfterdueconsiderationsheinformedthePrincethattheobjectofhissearchwasnotfardistant，butthatitwastoodifficultforhimtoattempttoentertheenchantedpalacewhereshewas，astheKinghisfatherhadsurroundeditwithathickcloud，andthattheonlyexpedientshecouldthinkofwouldbetogainpossessionofthePrincess’sparrot。This，sheadded，didnotappearimpossible，asitoftenflewabouttosomedistanceintheneighbourhood。

HavingtoldthePrinceallthis，theFairywentoutinhopesofseeingtheparrot，andsoonreturnedwiththebirdinherhand。

Shepromptlyshutitupinacage，and，touchingthePrincewithherwand，transformedhimintoanexactlysimilarparrot；afterwhich，sheinstructedhimhowtoreachthePrincess。

ThePrincereachedthepalaceinsafety，butwassodazzledatfirstbythePrincess’sbeauty，whichfarsurpassedhisexpectations，thathewasquitedumbforatime。ThePrincesswassurprisedandanxious，andfearingtheparrot，whowashergreatestcomfort，hadfallenill，shetookhiminherhandandcaressedhim。ThissoonreassuredthePrince，andencouragedhimtoplayhispartwell，andhebegantosayathousandagreeablethingswhichcharmedthePrincess。

PresentlytheKingappeared，andtheparrotnoticedwithjoyhowmuchhewasdisliked。AssoonastheKingleft，thePrincessretiredtoherdressing-room，theparrotflewafterherandoverheardherlamentationsatthecontinuedpersecutionsoftheKing，whohadpressedhertoconsenttotheirmarriage。Theparrotsaidsomanycleverandtenderthingstocomfortherthatshebegantodoubtwhetherthiscouldindeedbeherownparrot。

Whenhesawherwell-disposedtowardshim，heexclaimed:’Madam，Ihaveamostimportantsecrettoconfidetoyou，andIbegyounottobealarmedbywhatIamabouttosay。IamhereonbehalfoftheQueenyourmother，withtheobjectofdeliveringyourHighness；toprovewhich，beholdthisportraitwhichshegavemeherself。’Sosayinghedrewforththeminiaturefromunderhiswing。ThePrincess’ssurprisewasgreat，butafterwhatshehadseenandhearditwasimpossiblenottoindulgeinhope，forshehadrecognisedthelikenessofherselfwhichhermotheralwayswore。

Theparrot，findingshewasnotmuchalarmed，toldherwhohewas，allthathermotherhadpromisedhimandthehelphehadalreadyreceivedfromaFairywhohadassuredhimthatshewouldgivehimmeanstotransportthePrincesstohermother’sarms。

Whenhefoundherlisteningattentivelytohim，heimploredthePrincesstoallowhimtoresumehisnaturalshape。Shedidnotspeak，sohedrewafeatherfromhiswing，andshebeheldbeforeheraPrinceofsuchsurpassingbeautythatitwasimpossiblenottohopethatshemightoweherlibertytosocharmingaperson。

MeantimetheFairyhadpreparedachariot，towhichsheharnessedtwopowerfuleagles；thenplacingthecage，withtheparrotinit，shechargedthebirdtoconductittothewindowofthePrincess’sdressing-room。Thiswasdoneinafewminutes，andthePrincess，steppingintothechariotwiththePrince，wasdelightedtofindherparrotagain。