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Princess
Belle-Etoile
By
Walter Crane
PRINCESS BELLE-ETOILE.
Once upon a time there were three Prince=
sses,
named Roussette, Brunette, and Blondine, who lived in retirement with their
mother, a Princess who had lost all her former grandeur. One day an old wom=
an
called and asked for a dinner, as this Princess was an excellent cook. After
the meal was over, the old woman, who was a fairy, promised that their kind=
ness
should be rewarded, and immediately disappeared.
Shortly after, the
King came that way, with his brother and the Lord Admiral. They were all so
struck with the beauty of the three Princesses, that the King married the
youngest, Blondine, his brother married Brunette, and the Lord Admiral marr=
ied
Roussette.
The good Fairy, w=
ho
had brought all this about, also caused the young Queen Blondine to have th=
ree
lovely children, two boys and a girl, out of whose hair fell fine jewels. E=
ach
had a brilliant star on the forehead, and a rich chain of gold around the n=
eck.
At the same time Brunette, her sister, gave birth to a handsome boy. Now the
young Queen and Brunette were much attached to each other, but Roussette was
jealous of both, and the old Queen, the King's mother, hated them. Brunette
died soon after the birth of her son, and the King was absent on a warlike =
expedition,
so Roussette joined the wicked old Queen in forming plans to injure Blondin=
e.
They ordered Feintise, the old Queen's waiting-woman, to strangle the Queen=
's
three children and the son of Princess Brunette, and bury them secretly. Bu=
t as
she was about to execute this wicked order, she was so struck by their beau=
ty,
and the appearance of the sparkling stars on their foreheads, that she shra=
nk
from the deed.
So she had a boat
brought round to the beach, and put the four babes, with some strings of
jewels, into a cradle, which she placed in the boat, and then set it adrift.
The boat was soon far out at sea. The waves rose, the rain poured in torren=
ts, and
the thunder roared. Feintise could not doubt that the boat would be swamped,
and felt relieved by the thought that the poor little innocents would peris=
h,
for she would otherwise always be haunted by the fear that something would
occur to betray the share she had had in their preservation.
But the good Fairy
protected them, and after floating at sea for seven days they were picked u=
p by
a Corsair. He was so struck by their beauty that he altered his course, and
took them home to his wife, who had no children. She was transported with j=
oy
when he placed them in her hands. They admired together the wonderful stars,
the chains of gold that could not be taken off their necks, and their long
ringlets. Much greater was the woman's astonishment when she combed them, f=
or
at every instant there rolled out of their hair pearls, rubies, diamonds, a=
nd
emeralds. She told her husband of it, who was not less surprised than herse=
lf.
"I am very
tired," said he, "of a Corsair's life, and if the locks of those
little children continue to supply us with such treasures, I will give up
roaming the seas." The Corsair's wife, whose name was Corsine, was
enchanted at this, and loved the four infants so much the more for it. She
named the Princess, Belle-Etoile, her eldest brother, Petit-Soleil, the sec=
ond,
Heureux, and the son of Brunette, Cheri.
As they grew olde=
r,
the Corsair applied himself seriously to their education, as he felt convin=
ced
there was some great mystery attached to their birth.
The Corsair and h=
is
wife had never told the story of the four children, who passed for their ow=
n.
They were exceedingly united, but Prince Cheri entertained for Princess
Belle-Etoile a greater affection than the other two. The moment she express=
ed a
wish for anything, he would attempt even impossibilities to gratify her.
One day Belle-Eto=
ile
overheard the Corsair and his wife talking. "When I fell in with
them," said the Corsair, "I saw nothing that could give me any id=
ea
of their birth." "I suspect," said Corsine, "that Cheri=
is
not their brother, he has neither star nor neck-chain." Belle-Etoile i=
mmediately
ran and told this to the three Princes, who resolved to speak to the Corsair
and his wife, and ask them to let them set out to discover the secret of th=
eir
birth. After some remonstrance they gained their consent. A beautiful vessel
was prepared, and the young Princess and the three Princes set out. They
determined to sail to the very spot where the Corsair had found them, and m=
ade
preparations for a grand sacrifice to the fairies, for their protection and
guidance. They were about to immolate a turtle-dove, but the Princess saved=
its
life, and let it fly. At this moment a syren issued from the water, and sai=
d, "Cease
your anxiety, let your vessel go where it will; land where it stops." =
The
vessel now sailed more quickly. Suddenly they came in sight of a city so
beautiful that they were anxious their vessel should enter the port. Their
wishes were accomplished; they landed, and the shore in a moment was crowded
with people, who had observed the magnificence of their ship. They ran and =
told
the King the news, and as the grand terrace of the Palace looked out upon t=
he
sea-shore, he speedily repaired thither. The Princes, hearing the people sa=
y,
"There is the King," looked up, and made a profound obeisance. He
looked earnestly at them, and was as much charmed by the Princess's beauty,=
as
by the handsome mien of the young Princes. He ordered his equerry to offer =
them
his protection, and everything that they might require.
The King was so i= nterested about these four children, that he went into the chamber of the Queen, his mother, to tell her of the wonderful stars which shone upon their foreheads, and everything that he admired in them. She was thunderstruck at it, and was terribly afraid that Feintise had betrayed her, and sent her secretary to enquire about them. What he told her of their ages confirmed her suspicions. She sent for Feintise, and threatened to kill her. Feintise, half dead with terror, confessed all; but promised, if she spared her, that she would still find means to do away with them. The Queen was appeased; and, indeed, old Feintise did all she could for her own sake. Taking a guitar, she went and = sat down opposite the Princess's window, and sang a song which Belle-Etoile tho= ught so pretty that she invited her into her chamber. "My fair child," said Feintise, "Heaven has made you very lovely, but you yet want one thing--the dancing-water. If I had possessed it, you would not have seen a white hair upon my head, nor a wrinkle on my face. Alas! I knew this secret= too late; my charms had already faded." "But where shall I find this dancing-water?" asked Belle-Etoile. "It is in the luminous forest," said Feintise. "You have three brothers; does not any on= e of them love you sufficiently to go and fetch some?" "My brothers all love me," said the Princess, "but there is one of them who would = not refuse me anything." The perfidious old woman retired, delighted at having be= en so successful. The Princes, returning from the chase, found Belle-Etoile engrossed by the advice of Feintise. Her anxiety about it was so apparent, = that Cheri, who thought of nothing but pleasing her, soon found out the cause of= it, and, in spite of her entreaties, he mounted his white horse, and set out in search of the dancing-water. When supper-time arrived, and the Princess did= not see her brother Cheri, she could neither eat nor drink; and desired he migh= t be sought for everywhere, and sent messengers to find him and bring him back.<= o:p>
The wicked Feinti= se was very anxious to know the result of her advice; and when she heard that Cheri had already set out, she was delighted, and reported to the Queen-Mot= her all that had passed. "I admit, Madam," said she, "that I can= no longer doubt that they are the same four children: but one of the Princes is already gone to seek the dancing-water, and will no doubt perish in the attempt, and I shall find similar means to do away with all of them."<= o:p>
The plan she had
adopted with regard to Prince Cheri was one of the most certain, for the
dancing-water was not easily to be obtained; it was so notorious from the
misfortunes which occurred to all who sought it, that every one knew the ro=
ad
to it. He was eight days without taking any repose but in the woods. At the=
end
of this period he began to suffer very much from the heat; but it was not t=
he
heat of the sun, and he did not know the cause of it, until from the top of=
a
mountain he perceived the luminous forest; all the trees were burning witho=
ut
being consumed, and casting out flames to such a distance that the country
around was a dry desert.
At this terrible
scene he descended, and more than once gave himself up for lost. As he
approached this great fire he was ready to die with thirst; and perceiving a
spring falling into a marble basin, he alighted from his horse, approached =
it,
and stooped to take up some water in the little golden vase which he had
brought with him, when he saw a turtle-dove drowning in the fountain. Cheri
took pity on it, and saved it. "My Lord Cheri," she said, "I=
am
not ungrateful; I can guide you to the dancing-water, which, without me, you
could never obtain, as it rises in the middle of the forest, and can only be
reached by going underground." The Dove then flew away, and summoned a
number of foxes, badgers, moles, snails, ants, and all sorts of creatures t=
hat
burrow in the earth. Cheri got off his horse at the entrance of the
subterranean passage they made for him, and groped his way after the kind D=
ove,
which safely conducted him to the fountain. The Prince filled his golden va=
se; and
returned the same way he came.
He found Belle-Et=
oile
sorrowfully seated under some trees, but when she saw him she was so pleased
that she scarcely knew how to welcome him.
Old Feintise lear=
ned
from her spies that Cheri had returned, and that the Princess, having washed
her face with the dancing-water, had become more lovely than ever. Finding
this, she lost no time in artfully making the Princess sigh for the wonderf=
ul
singing-apple. Prince Cheri again found her unhappy, and again found out the
cause, and once more set out on his white horse, leaving a letter for
Belle-Etoile.
In the meanwhile,=
the
King did not forget the lovely children, and reproached them for never goin=
g to
the Palace. They excused themselves by saying that their brother's absence
prevented them.
Prince Cheri at b=
reak
of day perceived a handsome young man, from whom he learned where the
singing-apple was to be found: but after travelling some time without seeing
any sign of it, he saw a poor turtle-dove fall at his feet almost dead. He =
took
pity on it, and restored it, when it said, "Good-day, handsome Cheri, =
you
are destined to save my life, and I to do you signal service. You are come =
to
seek for the singing-apple: it is guarded by a terrible dragon." The D=
ove
then led him to a place where he found a suit of armour, all of glass: and =
by
her advice he put it on, and boldly went to meet the dragon. The two-headed
monster came bounding along, fire issuing from his throat; but when he saw =
his
alarming figure multiplied in the Prince's mirrors he was frightened in his
turn. He stopped, and looking fiercely at the Prince, apparently laden with=
dragons,
he took flight and threw himself into a deep chasm. The Prince then found t=
he
tree, which was surrounded with human bones, and breaking off an apple,
prepared to return to the Princess. She had never slept during his absence,=
and
ran to meet him eagerly.
When the wicked
Feintise heard the sweet singing of the apple, her grief was excessive, for
instead of doing harm to these lovely children, she only did them good by h=
er
perfidious counsels. She allowed some days to pass by without showing herse=
lf;
and then once more made the Princess unhappy by saying that the dancing-wat=
er
and the singing-apple were useless without the little green bird that tells
everything.
Cheri again set o=
ut,
and after some trouble learnt that this bird was to be found on the top of a
frightful rock, in a frozen climate. At length, at dawn of day, he perceived
the rock, which was very high and very steep, and upon the summit of it was=
the
bird, speaking like an oracle, telling wonderful things. He thought that wi=
th a
little dexterity it would be easy to catch it, for it seemed very tame. He =
got
off his horse, and climbed up very quietly. He was so close to the green bi=
rd that
he thought he could lay hands on it, when suddenly the rock opened and he f=
ell
into a spacious hall, and became as motionless as a statue; he could neither
stir, nor utter a complaint at his deplorable situation. Three hundred knig=
hts,
who had made the same attempt, were in the same state. To look at each other
was the only thing permitted them.
The time seemed so
long to Belle-Etoile, and still no signs of her beloved Cheri, that she fell
dangerously ill; and in the hopes of curing her, Petit-Soleil resolved to s=
eek
him.
But he too was
swallowed up by the rock and fell into the great hall. The first person he =
saw
was Cheri, but he could not speak to him; and Prince Heureux, following soon
after, met with the same fate as the other two.
When Feintise was
aware that the third Prince was gone, she was exceedingly delighted at the
success of her plan; and when Belle-Etoile, inconsolable at finding not one=
of
her brothers return, reproached herself for their loss, and resolved to fol=
low
them, she was quite overjoyed.
The Princess was
disguised as a cavalier, but had no other armour than her helmet. She was
dreadfully cold as she drew near the rock, but seeing a turtle-dove lying on
the snow, she took it up, warmed it, and restored it to life: and the dove
reviving, gaily said, "I know you, in spite of your disguise; follow my
advice: when you arrive at the rock, remain at the bottom and begin to sing=
the
sweetest song you know; the green bird will listen to you; you must then
pretend to go to sleep; when it sees me, it will come down to peck me, and =
at
that moment you will be able to seize it."
All this fell out=
as
the Dove foretold. The green bird begged for liberty. "First," sa=
id
Belle-Etoile, "I wish that thou wouldst restore my three brothers to
me."
"Under my le=
ft
wing there is a red feather," said the bird: "pull it out, and to=
uch
the rock with it."
The Princess hast=
ened
to do as she was instructed; the rock split from the top to the bottom: she
entered with a victorious air the hall in which stood the three Princes with
many others; she ran towards Cheri, who did not know her in her helmet and =
male
attire, and could neither speak nor move. The green bird then told the Prin=
cess
she must rub the eyes and mouth of all those she wished to disenchant with =
the
red feather, which good office she did to all.
The three Princes=
and
Belle-Etoile hastened to present themselves to the King; and when Belle-Eto=
ile
showed her treasures, the little green bird told him that the Princes Petit=
-Soleil
and Heureux and the Princess Belle-Etoile were his children, and that Prince
Cheri was his nephew. Queen Blondine, who had mourned for them all these ye=
ars,
embraced them, and the wicked Queen-Mother and old Feintise were justly
punished. And the King, who thought his nephew Cheri the handsomest man at
Court, consented to his marriage with Belle-Etoile. And lastly, to make eve=
ryone
happy, the King sent for the Corsair and his wife, who gladly came.