Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 03 (15 page)

'Oho!' exclaimed the fox to himself, 'you think you will escape me
that way, do you? We shall soon see about that, my friend,' and
very quietly and stealthily he prowled round the house looking for
some way to climb on to the roof.

In the meantime Blacky had filled the kettle with water, and
having put it on the fire, sat down quietly waiting for it to
boil. Just as the kettle was beginning to sing, and steam to come
out of the spout, he heard a sound like a soft, muffled step,
patter, patter, patter overhead, and the next moment the fox's
head and fore-paws were seen coming down the chimney. But Blacky
very wisely had not put the lid on the kettle, and, with a yelp of
pain, the fox fell into the boiling water, and before he could
escape, Blacky had popped the lid on, and the fox was scalded to
death.

As soon as he was sure that their wicked enemy was really dead,
and could do them no further harm, Blacky started off to rescue
Browny and Whitey. As he approached the den he heard piteous
grunts and squeals from his poor little brother and sister who
lived in constant terror of the fox killing and eating them. But
when they saw Blacky appear at the entrance to the den their joy
knew no bounds. He quickly found a sharp stone and cut the cords
by which they were tied to a stake in the ground, and then all
three started off together for Blacky's house, where they lived
happily ever after; and Browny quite gave up rolling in the mud,
and Whitey ceased to be greedy, for they never forgot how nearly
these faults had brought them to an untimely end.

Once upon a time there lived a King and Queen who were foolish
beyond all telling, but nevertheless they were vastly fond of one
another. It is true that certain spiteful people were heard to say
that this was only one proof the more of their exceeding
foolishness, but of course you will understand that these were not
their own courtiers, since, after all, they were a King and Queen,
and up to this time all things had prospered with them. For in
those days the one thing to be thought of in governing a kingdom
was to keep well with all the Fairies and Enchanters, and on no
account to stint them of the cakes, the ells of ribbon, and
similar trifles which were their due, and, above all things, when
there was a christening, to remember to invite every single one,
good, bad, or indifferent, to the ceremony. Now, the foolish Queen
had one little son who was just going to be christened, and for
several months she had been hard at work preparing an enormous
list of the names of those who were to be invited, but she quite
forgot that it would take nearly as long to read it over as it had
taken to write it out. So, when the moment of the christening
arrived the King—to whom the task had been entrusted—had barely
reached the end of the second page and his tongue was tripping
with fatigue and haste as he repeated the usual formula: 'I
conjure and pray you, Fairy so-and-so'—or 'Enchanter such-a-one'
—'to honour me with a visit, and graciously bestow your gifts upon
my son.'

To make matters worse, word was brought to him that the Fairies
asked on the first page had already arrived and were waiting
impatiently in the Great Hall, and grumbling that nobody was there
to receive them. Thereupon he gave up the list in despair and
hurried to greet those whom he had succeeded in asking, imploring
their goodwill so humbly that most of them were touched, and
promised that they would do his son no harm. But there happened to
be among them a Fairy from a far country about whom they knew
nothing, though her name had been written on the first page of the
list. This Fairy was annoyed that after having taken the trouble
to come so quickly, there had been no one to receive her, or help
her to alight from the great ostrich on which she had travelled
from her distant home, and now she began to mutter to herself in
the most alarming way.

'Oh! prate away,' said she, 'your son will never be anything to
boast of. Say what you will, he will be nothing but a Mannikin—'

No doubt she would have gone on longer in this strain, and given
the unhappy little Prince half-a-dozen undesirable gifts, if it
had not been for the good Fairy Genesta, who held the kingdom
under her special protection, and who luckily hurried in just in
time to prevent further mischief. When she had by compliments and
entreaties pacified the unknown Fairy, and persuaded her to say no
more, she gave the King a hint that now was the time to distribute
the presents, after which ceremony they all took their departure,
excepting the Fairy Genesta, who then went to see the Queen, and
said to her:

'A nice mass you seem to have made of this business, madam. Why
did you not condescend to consult me? But foolish people like you
always think they can do without help or advice, and I observe
that, in spite of all my goodness to you, you had not even the
civility to invite me!'

'Ah! dear madam,' cried the King, throwing himself at her feet;
'did I ever have time to get as far as your name? See where I put
in this mark when I abandoned the hopeless undertaking which I had
but just begun!'

'There! there!' said the Fairy, 'I am not offended. I don't allow
myself to be put out by trifles like that with people I really am
fond of. But now about your son: I have saved him from a great
many disagreeable things, but you must let me take him away and
take care of him, and you will not see him again until he is all
covered with fur!'

At these mysterious words the King and Queen burst into tears, for
they lived in such a hot climate themselves that how or why the
Prince should come to be covered with fur they could not imagine,
and thought it must portend some great misfortune to him.

However, Genesta told them not to disquiet themselves.

'If I left him to you to bring up,' said she, 'you would be
certain to make him as foolish as yourselves. I do not even intend
to let him know that he is your son. As for you, you had better
give your minds to governing your kingdom properly.' So saying,
she opened the window, and catching up the little Prince, cradle
and all, she glided away in the air as if she were skating upon
ice, leaving the King and Queen in the greatest affliction. They
consulted everyone who came near them as to what the Fairy could
possibly have meant by saying that when they saw their son again
he would be covered with fur. But nobody could offer any solution
of the mystery, only they all seemed to agree that it must be
something frightful, and the King and Queen made themselves more
miserable than ever, and wandered about their palace in a way to
make anyone pity them. Meantime the Fairy had carried off the
little Prince to her own castle, and placed him under the care of
a young peasant woman, whom she bewitched so as to make her think
that this new baby was one of her own children. So the Prince grew
up healthy and strong, leading the simple life of a young peasant,
for the Fairy thought that he could have no better training; only
as he grew older she kept him more and more with herself, that his
mind might be cultivated and exercised as well as his body. But
her care did not cease there: she resolved that he should be tried
by hardships and disappointments and the knowledge of his
fellowmen; for indeed she knew the Prince would need every
advantage that she could give him, since, though he increased in
years, he did not increase in height, but remained the tiniest of
Princes. However, in spite of this he was exceedingly active and
well formed, and altogether so handsome and agreeable that the
smallness of his stature was of no real consequence. The Prince
was perfectly aware that he was called by the ridiculous name of
'Mannikin,' but he consoled himself by vowing that, happen what
might, he would make it illustrious.

In order to carry out her plans for his welfare the Fairy now
began to send Prince Mannikin the most wonderful dreams of
adventure by sea and land, and of these adventures he himself was
always the hero. Sometimes he rescued a lovely Princess from some
terrible danger, again he earned a kingdom by some brave deed,
until at last he longed to go away and seek his fortune in a far
country where his humble birth would not prevent his gaining
honour and riches by his courage, and it was with a heart full of
ambitious projects that he rode one day into a great city not far
from the Fairy's castle. As he had set out intending to hunt in
the surrounding forest he was quite simply dressed, and carried
only a bow and arrows and a light spear; but even thus arrayed he
looked graceful and distinguished. As he entered the city he saw
that the inhabitants were all racing with one accord towards the
market-place, and he also turned his horse in the same direction,
curious to know what was going forward. When he reached the spot
he found that certain foreigners of strange and outlandish
appearance were about to make a proclamation to the assembled
citizens, and he hastily pushed his way into the crowd until he
was near enough to hear the words of the venerable old man who was
their spokesman:

'Let the whole world know that he who can reach the summit of the
Ice Mountain shall receive as his reward, not only the
incomparable Sabella, fairest of the fair, but also all the realms
of which she is Queen!' 'Here,' continued the old man after he had
made this proclamation—'here is the list of all those Princes
who, struck by the beauty of the Princess, have perished in the
attempt to win her; and here is the list of these who have just
entered upon the high emprise.'

Prince Mannikin was seized with a violent desire to inscribe his
name among the others, but the remembrance of his dependent
position and his lack of wealth held him back. But while he
hesitated the old man, with many respectful ceremonies, unveiled a
portrait of the lovely Sabella, which was carried by some of the
attendants, and after one glance at it the Prince delayed no
longer, but, rushing forward, demanded permission to add his name
to the list. When they saw his tiny stature anti simple attire the
strangers looked at each other doubtfully, not knowing whether to
accept or refuse him. But the Prince said haughtily:

'Give me the paper that I may sign it,' and they obeyed. What
between admiration for the Princess and annoyance at the
hesitation shown by her ambassadors the Prince was too much
agitated to choose any other name than the one by which he was
always known. But when, after all the grand titles of the other
Princes, he simply wrote 'Mannikin,' the ambassadors broke into
shouts of laughter.

'Miserable wretches!' cried the Prince; 'but for the presence of
that lovely portrait I would cut off your heads.'

But he suddenly remembered that, after all, it was a funny name,
and that he had not yet had time to make it famous; so he was
calm, and enquired the way to the Princess Sabella's country.

Though his heart did not fail him in the least, still he felt
there were many difficulties before him, and he resolved to set
out at once, without even taking leave of the Fairy, for fear she
might try to stop him. Everybody in the town who knew him made
great fun of the idea of Mannikin's undertaking such an
expedition, and it even came to the ears of the foolish King and
Queen, who laughed over it more than any of the others, without
having an idea that the presumptuous Mannikin was their only son!

Meantime the Prince was travelling on, though the direction he had
received for his journey were none of the clearest.

'Four hundred leagues north of Mount Caucasus you will receive
your orders and instructions for the conquest of the Ice
Mountain.'

Fine marching orders, those, for a man starting from a country
near where Japan is nowadays!

However, he fared eastward, avoiding all towns, lest the people
should laugh at his name, for, you see, he was not a very
experienced traveller, and had not yet learned to enjoy a joke
even if it were against himself. At night he slept in the woods,
and at first he lived upon wild fruits; but the Fairy, who was
keeping a benevolent eye upon him, thought that it would never do
to let him be half-starved in that way, so she took to feeding him
with all sorts of good things while he was asleep, and the Prince
wondered very much that when he was awake he never felt hungry!
True to her plan the Fairy sent him various adventures to prove
his courage, and he came successfully through them all, only in
his last fight with a furious monster rather like a tiger he had
the ill luck to lose his horse. However, nothing daunted, he
struggled on on foot, and at last reached a seaport. Here he found
a boat sailing for the coast which he desired to reach, and,
having just enough money to pay his passage, he went on board and
they started. But after some days a fearful storm came on, which
completely wrecked the little ship, and the Prince only saved his
life by swimming a long, long way to the only land that was in
sight, and which proved to be a desert island. Here he lived by
fishing and hunting, always hoping that the good Fairy would
presently rescue him. One day, as he was looking sadly out to sea,
he became aware of a curious looking boat which was drifting
slowly towards the shore, and which presently ran into a little
creek and there stuck fast in the sand. Prince Mannikin rushed
down eagerly to examine it, and saw with amazement that the masts
and spars were all branched, and covered thickly with leaves until
it looked like a little wood. Thinking from the stillness that
there could be no one on board, the Prince pushed aside the
branches and sprang over the side, and found himself surrounded by
the crew, who lay motionless as dead men and in a most deplorable
condition. They, too, had become almost like trees, and were
growing to the deck, or to the masts, or to the sides of the
vessel, or to whatever they had happened to be touching when the
enchantment fell upon them. Mannikin was struck with pity for
their miserable plight, and set to work with might and main to
release them. With the sharp point of one of his arrows he gently
detached their hands and feet from the wood which held them fast,
and carried them on shore, one after another, where he rubbed
their rigid limbs, and bathed them with infusions of various herbs
with such success, that, after a few days, they recovered
perfectly and were as fit to manage a boat as ever. You may be
sure that the good Fairy Genesta had something to do with this
marvellous cure, and she also put it into the Prince's head to rub
the boat itself with the same magic herbs, which cleared it
entirely, and not before it was time, for, at the rate at which it
was growing before, it would very soon have become a forest! The
gratitude of the sailors was extreme, and they willingly promised
to land the Prince upon any coast he pleased; but, when he
questioned them about the extraordinary thing that had happened to
them and to their ship, they could in no way explain it, except
that they said that, as they were passing along a thickly wooded
coast, a sudden gust of wind had reached them from the land and
enveloped them in a dense cloud of dust, after which everything in
the boat that was not metal had sprouted and blossomed, as the
Prince had seen, and that they themselves had grown gradually numb
and heavy, and had finally lost all consciousness. Prince Mannikin
was deeply interested in this curious story, and collected a
quantity of the dust from the bottom of the boat, which he
carefully preserved, thinking that its strange property might one
day stand him in good stead.