Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 06 (35 page)

It was true; but this fact did not seem to render the young
people as miserable as it did Selnozoura.

'Do not pity us,' said Cornichon. 'If we are fated to grow old so
soon, let us no longer delay our marriage. What matter if we
anticipate our decay, if we only anticipate our happiness too?'

The fairy felt that Cornichon had reason on his side, and seeing
by a glance at Toupette's face that there was no opposition to be
feared from her, she answered, 'Let it be so, then. But not in
this dreadful place. We will return at once to Bagota, and the
festivities shall be the most brilliant ever seen.'

They all returned to the vessel, and in a few hours the four
thousand five hundred miles that lay between the island and
Bagota were passed. Everyone was surprised to see the change
which the short absence had made in the young people, but as the
fairy had promised absolute silence about the adventure, they
were none the wiser, and busied themselves in preparing their
dresses for the marriage, which was fixed for the next night.

Early on the following morning the genius Kristopo arrived at the
Court, on one of the visits he was in the habit of paying his
ward from time to time. Like the rest, he was astonished at the
sudden improvement in the child. He had always been fond of her,
and in a moment he fell violently in love. Hastily demanding an
audience of the fairy, he laid his proposals before her, never
doubting that she would give her consent to so brilliant a match.
But Selnozoura refused to listen, and even hinted that in his own
interest Kristopo had better turn his thoughts elsewhere. The
genius pretended to agree, but, instead, he went straight to
Toupette's room, and flew away with her through the window, at
the very instant that the bridegroom was awaiting her below.

When the fairy discovered what had happened, she was furious, and
sent messenger after messenger to the genius in his palace at
Ratibouf, commanding him to restore Toupette without delay, and
threatening to make war in case of refusal.

Kristopo gave no direct answer to the fairy's envoys, but kept
Toupette closely guarded in a tower, where the poor girl used all
her powers of persuasion to induce him to put off their marriage.
All would, however, have been quite vain if, in the course of a
few days, sorrow, joined to the spell of the magic water, had not
altered her appearance so completely that Kristopo was quite
alarmed, and declared that she needed amusement and fresh air,
and that, as his presence seemed to distress her, she should be
left her own mistress. But one thing he declined to do, and that
was to send her back to Bagota.

In the meantime both sides had been busily collecting armies, and
Kristopo had given the command of his to a famous general, while
Selnozoura had placed Cornichon at the head of her forces. But
before war was actually declared, Toupette's parents, who had
been summoned by the genius, arrived at Ratibouf. They had never
seen their daughter since they parted from her as a baby, but
from time to time travellers to Bagota had brought back accounts
of her beauty. What was their amazement, therefore, at finding,
instead of a lovely girl, a middle-aged woman, handsome indeed,
but quite faded—looking, in fact, older than themselves.
Kristopo, hardly less astonished than they were at the sudden
change, thought that it was a joke on the part of one of his
courtiers, who had hidden Toupette away, and put this elderly
lady in her place. Bursting with rage, he sent instantly for all
the servants and guards of the town, and inquired who had the
insolence to play him such a trick, and what had become of their
prisoner. They replied that since Toupette had been in their
charge she had never left her rooms unveiled, and that during her
walks in the surrounding gardens, her food had been brought in
and placed on her table; as she preferred to eat alone no one had
ever seen her face, or knew what she was like.

The servants were clearly speaking the truth, and Kristopo was
obliged to believe them. 'But,' thought he, 'if they have not had
a hand in this, it must be the work of the fairy,' and in his
anger he ordered the army to be ready to march.

On her side, Selnozoura of course knew what the genius had to
expect, but was deeply offended when she heard of the base trick
which she was believed to have invented. Her first desire was to
give battle to Kristopo at once, but with great difficulty her
ministers induced her to pause, and to send an ambassador to
Kristopo to try to arrange matters.

So the Prince Zeprady departed for the court of Ratibouf, and on
his way he met Cornichon, who was encamped with his army just
outside the gates of Bagota. The prince showed him the fairy's
written order that for the present peace must still be kept, and
Cornichon, filled with longing to see Toupette once more, begged
to be allowed to accompany Zeprady on his mission to Ratibouf.

By this time the genius's passion for Toupette, which had caused
all these troubles, had died out, and he willingly accepted the
terms of peace offered by Zeprady, though he informed the prince
that he still believed the fairy to be guilty of the dreadful
change in the girl. To this the prince only replied that on that
point he had a witness who could prove, better than anyone else,
if it was Toupette or not, and desired that Cornichon should be
sent for.

When Toupette was told that she was to see her old lover again,
her heart leapt with joy; but soon the recollection came to her
of all that had happened, and she remembered that Cornichon would
be changed as well as she. The moment of their meeting was not
all happiness, especially on the part of Toupette, who could not
forget her lost beauty, and the genius, who was present, was at
last convinced that he had not been deceived, and went out to
sign the treaty of peace, followed by his attendants.

'Ah, Toupette: my dear Toupette!' cried Cornichon, as soon as
they were left alone; 'now that we are once more united, let our
past troubles be forgotten.'

'Our past troubles!' answered she, 'and what do you call our lost
beauty and the dreadful future before us? You are looking fifty
years older than when I saw you last, and I know too well that
fate has treated me no better!'

'Ah, do not say that,' replied Cornichon, clasping her hand. 'You
are different, it is true; but every age has its graces, and
surely no woman of sixty was ever handsomer than you! If your
eyes had been as bright as of yore they would have matched badly
with your faded skin. The wrinkles which I notice on your
forehead explain the increased fulness of your cheeks, and your
throat in withering is elegant in decay. Thus the harmony shown
by your features, even as they grow old, is the best proof of
their former beauty.'

'Oh, monster!' cried Toupette, bursting into tears, 'is that all
the comfort you can give me?'

'But, Toupette,' answered Cornichon, 'you used to declare that
you did not care for beauty, as long as you had my heart.'

'Yes, I know,' said she, 'but how can you go on caring for a
person who is as old and plain as I?'

'Toupette, Toupette,' replied Cornichon, 'you are only talking
nonsense. My heart is as much yours as ever it was, and nothing
in the world can make any difference.'

At this point of the conversation the Prince Zeprady entered the
room, with the news that the genius, full of regret for his
behaviour, had given Cornichon full permission to depart for
Bagota as soon as he liked, and to take Toupette with him; adding
that, though he begged they would excuse his taking leave of them
before they went, he hoped, before long, to visit them at Bagota.

Neither of the lovers slept that night—Cornichon from joy at
returning home, Toupette from dread of the blow to her vanity
which awaited her at Bagota. It was hopeless for Cornichon to try
to console her during the journey with the reasons he had given
the day before. She only grew worse and worse, and when they
reached the palace went straight to her old apartments,
entreating the fairy to allow both herself and Cornichon to
remain concealed, and to see no one.

For some time after their arrival the fairy was taken up with the
preparations for the rejoicings which were to celebrate the
peace, and with the reception of the genius, who was determined
to do all in his power to regain Selnozoura's lost friendship.
Cornichon and Toupette were therefore left entirely to
themselves, and though this was only what they wanted, still,
they began to feel a little neglected.

At length, one morning, they saw from the windows that the fairy
and the genius were approaching, in state, with all their
courtiers in attendance. Toupette instantly hid herself in the
darkest corner of the room, but Cornichon, forgetting that he was
now no longer a boy of fourteen, ran to meet them. In so doing he
tripped and fell, bruising one of his eyes severely. At the sight
of her lover lying helpless on the floor, Toupette hastened to
his side; but her feeble legs gave way under her, and she fell
almost on top of him, knocking out three of her loosened teeth
against his forehead. The fairy, who entered the room at this
moment, burst into tears, and listened in silence to the genius,
who hinted that by-and-by everything would be put right.

'At the last assembly of the fairies,' he said, 'when the doings
of each fairy were examined and discussed, a proposal was made to
lessen, as far as possible, the mischief caused by Dindonette by
enchanting the fountain. And it was decided that, as she had
meant nothing but kindness, she should have the power of undoing
one half of the spell. Of course she might always have destroyed
the fatal fountain, which would have been best of all; but this
she never thought of. Yet, in spite of this, her heart is so
good, that I am sure that the moment she hears that she is wanted
she will fly to help. Only, before she comes, it is for you,
Madam, to make up your mind which of the two shall regain their
former strength and beauty.'

At these words the fairy's soul sank. Both Cornichon and Toupette
were equally dear to her, and how could she favour one at the
cost of the other? As to the courtiers, none of the men were able
to understand why she hesitated a second to declare for Toupette;
while the ladies were equally strong on the side of Cornichon.

But, however undecided the fairy might be, it was quite different
with Cornichon and Toupette.

'Ah, my love,' exclaimed Cornichon, 'at length I shall be able to
give you the best proof of my devotion by showing you how I value
the beauties of your mind above those of your body! While the
most charming women of the court will fall victims to my youth
and strength, I shall think of nothing but how to lay them at
your feet, and pay heart-felt homage to your age and wrinkles.'

'Not so fast,' interrupted Toupette, 'I don't see why you should
have it all. Why do you heap such humiliations upon me? But I
will trust to the justice of the fairy, who will not treat me
so.'

Then she entered her own rooms, and refused to leave them, in
spite of the prayers of Cornichon, who begged her to let him
explain.

No one at the court thought or spoke of any other subject during
the few days before the arrival of Dindonette, whom everybody
expected to set things right in a moment. But, alas! she had no
idea herself what was best to be done, and always adopted the
opinion of the person she was talking to. At length a thought
struck her, which seemed the only way of satisfying both parties,
and she asked the fairy to call together all the court and the
people to hear her decision.

'Happy is he,' she began, 'who can repair the evil he has caused,
but happier he who has never caused any.'

As nobody contradicted this remark, she continued:

'To me it is only allowed to undo one half of the mischief I have
wrought. I could restore you your youth,' she said to Cornichon,
'or your beauty,' turning to Toupette. 'I will do both; and I
will do neither.'

A murmur of curiosity arose from the crowd, while Cornichon and
Toupette trembled with astonishment.

'No,' went on Dindonette, 'never should I have the cruelty to
leave one of you to decay, while the other enjoys the glory of
youth. And as I cannot restore you both at once to what you were,
one half of each of your bodies shall become young again, while
the other half goes on its way to decay. I will leave it to you
to choose which half it shall be—if I shall draw a line round
the waist, or a line straight down the middle of the body.'

She looked about her proudly, expecting applause for her clever
idea. But Cornichon and Toupette were shaking with rage and
disappointment, and everyone else broke into shouts of laughter.
In pity for the unhappy lovers, Selnozoura came forward.

'Do you not think,' she said, 'that instead of what you propose,
it would be better to let them take it in turns to enjoy their
former youth and beauty for a fixed time? I am sure you could
easily manage that.'

'What an excellent notion!' cried Dindonette. 'Oh, yes, of course
that is best! Which of you shall I touch first?'

'Touch her,' replied Cornichon, who was always ready to give way
to Toupette. 'I know her heart too well to fear any change.'

So the fairy bent forward and touched her with her magic ring,
and in one instant the old woman was a girl again. The whole
court wept with joy at the sight, and Toupette ran up to
Cornichon, who had fallen down in his surprise, promising to pay
him long visits, and tell him of all her balls and water parties.

The two fairies went to their own apartments, where the genius
followed them to take his leave.

'Oh, dear!' suddenly cried Dindonette, breaking in to the
farewell speech of the genius. 'I quite forgot to fix the time
when Cornichon should in his turn grow young. How stupid of me!
And now I fear it is too late, for I ought to have declared it
before I touched Toupette with the ring. Oh, dear! oh, dear! why
did nobody warn me?'