Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 03 (11 page)

'We are menaced by a great danger, but my only fear is for you, my
Princess. Therefore I beg you to hide what you really feel, and we
will hope that some way out of the difficulty may present itself.'

The Princess was much agitated by this speech, and feared lest the
Enchanter should have overheard it; but he had been loudly calling
her attention to the flowers, and chuckling over his own smartness
in getting them for her; and it was rather a blow to him when she
said very coldly that they were not the sort she preferred, and
she would be glad if he would send them all away. This he did, but
afterwards wished to kiss the Princess's hand as a reward for
having been so obliging; but the Fairy Melinette was not going to
allow anything of that kind. She appeared suddenly, in all her
splendour, and cried:

'Stay, Grumedan; this Princess is under my protection, and the
smallest impertinence will cost you a thousand years of captivity.
If you can win Potentilla's heart by the ordinary methods I cannot
oppose you, but I warn you that I will not put up with any of your
usual tricks.'

This declaration was not at all to the Enchanter's taste; but he
knew that there was no help for it, and that he would have to
behave well, and pay the Princess all the delicate attentions he
could think of; though they were not at all the sort of thing he
was used to. However, he decided that to win such a beauty it was
quite worth while; and Melinette, feeling that she could now leave
the Princess in safety, hurried off to tell Prince Narcissus what
was going forward. Of course, at the very mention of the Enchanter
as a rival he was furious, and I don't know what foolish things he
would not have done if Melinette had not been there to calm him
down. She represented to him what a powerful enchanter Grumedan
was, and how, if he were provoked, he might avenge himself upon
the Princess, since he was the most unjust and churlish of all the
enchanters, and had often before had to be punished by the Fairy
Queen for some of his ill-deeds. Once he had been imprisoned in a
tree, and was only released when it was blown down by a furious
wind; another time he was condemned to stay under a big stone at
the bottom of a river, until by some chance the stone should be
turned over; but nothing could ever really improve him. The Fairy
finally made Narcissus promise that he would remain invisible when
he was with the Princess, since she felt sure that this would make
things easier for all of them. Then began a struggle between
Grumedan and the Prince, the latter under the name of Melinette,
as to which could best delight and divert the Princess and win her
approbation. Prince Narcissus first made friends with all the
birds in Potentilla's little domain, and taught them to sing her
name and her praises, with all their sweetest trills and most
touching melodies, and all day long to tell her how dearly he
loved her. Grumedan, thereupon, declared that there was nothing
new about that, since the birds had sung since the world began,
and all lovers had imagined that they sang for them alone.
Therefore he said he would himself write an opera that should be
absolutely a novelty and something worth hearing. When the time
came for the performance (which lasted five weary hours) the
Princess found to her dismay that the 'opera' consisted of this
more than indifferent verse, chanted with all their might by ten
thousand frogs:

'Admirable Potentilla, Do you think it kind or wise In this sudden
way to kill a Poor Enchanter with your eyes?'

Really, if Narcissus had not been there to whisper in her ear and
divert her attention, I don't know what would have become of poor
Potentilla, for though the first repetition of this absurdity
amused her faintly, she nearly died of weariness before the time
was over. Luckily Grumedan did not perceive this, as he was too
much occupied in whipping up the frogs, many of whom perished
miserably from fatigue, since he did not allow them to rest for a
moment. The Prince's next idea for Potentilla's amusement was to
cause a fleet of boats exactly like those of Cleopatra, of which
you have doubtless read in history, to come up the little river,
and upon the most gorgeously decorated of these reclined the great
Queen herself, who, as soon as she reached the place where
Potentilla sat in rapt attention, stepped majestically on shore
and presented the Princess with that celebrated pearl of which you
have heard so much, saying:

'You are more beautiful than I ever was. Let my example warn you
to make a better use of your beauty!'

And then the little fleet sailed on, until it was lost to view in
the windings of the river. Grumedan was also looking on at the
spectacle, and said very contemptuously:

'I cannot say I think these marionettes amusing. What a to-do to
make over a single pearl! But if you like pearls, madam, why, I
will soon gratify you.'

So saying, he drew a whistle from his pocket, and no sooner had he
blown it than the Princess saw the water of the river bubble and
grow muddy, and in another instant up came hundreds of thousands
of great oysters, who climbed slowly and laboriously towards her
and laid at her feet all the pearls they contained.

'Those are what I call pearls,' cried Grumedan in high glee. And
truly there were enough of them to pave every path in Potentilla's
garden and leave some to spare! The next day Prince Narcissus had
prepared for the Princess's pleasure a charming arbour of leafy
branches, with couches of moss and grassy floor and garlands
everywhere, with her name written in different coloured blossoms.
Here he caused a dainty little banquet to be set forth, while
hidden musicians played softly, and the silvery fountains plashed
down into their marble basins, and when presently the music
stopped a single nightingale broke the stillness with his
delicious chant.

'Ah!' cried the Princess, recognizing the voice of one of her
favourites, 'Philomel, my sweet one, who taught you that new
song?'

And he answered: 'Love, my Princess.'

Meanwhile the Enchanter was very ill-pleased with the
entertainment, which he declared was dulness itself.

'You don't seem to have any idea in these parts beyond little
squeaking birds!' said he. 'And fancy giving a banquet without so
much as an ounce of plate!'

So the next day, when the Princess went out into her garden, there
stood a summer-house built of solid gold, decorated within and
without with her initials and the Enchanter's combined. And in it
was spread an enormous repast, while the table so glittered with
golden cups and plates, flagons and dishes, candlesticks and a
hundred other things beside, that it was hardly possible to look
steadily at it. The Enchanter ate like six ogres, but the Princess
could not touch a morsel. Presently Grumedan remarked with a grin:

'I have provided neither musicians nor singers; but as you seem
fond of music I will sing to you myself.'

Whereupon he began, with a voice like a screech-owl's, to chant
the words of his 'opera,' only this time happily not at such a
length, and without the frog accompaniment. After this the Prince
again asked the aid of his friends the birds, and when they had
assembled from all the country round he tied about the neck of
each one a tiny lamp of some brilliant colour, and when darkness
fell he made them go through a hundred pretty tricks before the
delighted Potentilla, who clapped her little hands with delight
when she saw her own name traced in points of light against the
dark trees, or when the whole flock of sparks grouped themselves
into bouquets of different colours, like living flowers. Grumedan
leaning back in his arm-chair, with one knee crossed over the
other and his nose in the air, looked on disdainfully.

'Oh! if you like fireworks, Princess,' said he; and the next night
all the will-o'-the-wisps in the country came and danced on the
plain, which could be seen from the Princess's windows, and as she
was looking out, and rather enjoying the sight, up sprang a
frightful volcano, pouring out smoke and flames which terrified
her greatly, to the intense amusement of the Enchanter, who
laughed like a pack of wolves quarrelling. After this, as many of
the will-o'-the-wisps as could get in crowded into Potentilla's
garden, and by their light the tall yew-trees danced minuets until
the Princess was weary and begged to be excused from looking at
anything more that night. But, in spite of Potentilla's efforts to
behave politely to the tiresome old Enchanter, whom she detested,
he could not help seeing that he failed to please her, and then he
began to suspect very strongly that she must love someone else,
and that somebody besides Melinette was responsible for all the
festivities he had witnessed. So after much consideration he
devised a plan for finding out the truth. He went to the Princess
suddenly, and announced that he was most unwillingly forced to
leave her, and had come to bid her farewell. Potentilla could
scarcely hide her delight when she heard this, and his back was
hardly turned before she was entreating Prince Narcissus to make
himself visible once more. The poor Prince had been getting quite
thin with anxiety and annoyance, and was only too delighted to
comply with her request. They greeted one another rapturously, and
were just sitting down to talk over everything cosily, and enjoy
the Enchanter's discomfiture together, when out he burst in a fury
from behind a bush. With his huge club he aimed a terrific blow at
Narcissus, which must certainly have killed him but for the
adroitness of the Fairy Melinette, who arrived upon the scene just
in time to snatch him up and carry him off at lightning speed to
her castle in the air. Poor Potentilla, however, had not the
comfort of knowing this, for at the sight of the Enchanter
threatening her beloved Prince she had given one shriek and fallen
back insensible. When she recovered her senses she was more than
ever convinced that he was dead, since even Melinette was no
longer near her, and no one was left to defend her from the odious
old Enchanter.

To make matters worse, he seemed to be in a very bad temper, and
came blustering and raging at the poor Princess.

'I tell you what it is, madam,' said he: 'whether you love this
whipper-snapper Prince or not doesn't matter in the least. You are
going to marry me, so you may as well make up your mind to it; and
I am going away this very minute to make all the arrangements. But
in case you should get into mischief in my absence, I think I had
better put you to sleep.'

So saying, he waved his wand over her, and in spite of her utmost
efforts to keep awake she sank into a profound and dreamless
slumber.

As he wished to make what he considered a suitable entry into the
King's palace, he stepped outside the Princess's little domain,
and mounted upon an immense chariot with great solid wheels, and
shafts like the trunk of an oak-tree, but all of solid gold. This
was drawn with great difficulty by forty-eight strong oxen; and
the Enchanter reclined at his ease, leaning upon his huge club,
and holding carelessly upon his knee a tawny African lion, as if
it had been a little lapdog. It was about seven o'clock in the
morning when this extraordinary chariot reached the palace gates;
the King was already astir, and about to set off on a hunting
expedition; as for the Queen, she had only just gone off into her
first sleep, and it would have been a bold person indeed who
ventured to wake her.

The King was greatly annoyed at having to stay and see a visitor
at such a time, and pulled off his hunting boots again with many
grimaces. Meantime the Enchanter was stumping about in the hall,
crying:

'Where is this King? Let him be told that I must see him and his
wife also.'

The King, who was listening at the top of the staircase, thought
this was not very polite; however, he took counsel with his
favourite huntsman, and, following his advice, presently went down
to see what was wanted of him. He was struck with astonishment at
the sight of the chariot, and was gazing at it, when the Enchanter
strode up to him, exclaiming:

'Shake hands, Cloverleaf, old fellow! Don't you know me?'

'No, I can't say I do,' replied the King, somewhat embarrassed.

'Why, I am Grumedan, the Enchanter,' said he, 'and I am come to
make your fortune. Let us come in and talk things over a bit.'

Thereupon he ordered the oxen to go about their business, and they
bounded off like stags, and were out of sight in a moment. Then,
with one blow of his club, he changed the massive chariot into a
perfect mountain of gold pieces.

'Those are for your lackeys,' said he to the King, 'that they may
drink my health.'

Naturally a great scramble ensued, and at last the laughter and
shouting awoke the Queen, who rang for her maids to ask the reason
of such an unwonted hurry-burly. When they said that a visitor was
asking for her, and then proceeded each one to tell breathlessly a
different tale of wonder, in which she could only distinguish the
words, 'oxen,' 'gold,' 'club,' 'giant,' 'lion,' she thought they
were all out of their minds. Meanwhile the King was asking the
Enchanter to what he was indebted for the honour of this visit,
and on his replying that he would not say until the Queen was also
present, messenger after messenger was dispatched to her to beg
her immediate attendance. But Frivola was in a very bad humour at
having been so unceremoniously awakened, and declared that she had
a pain in her little finger, and that nothing should induce her to
come.

When the Enchanter heard this he insisted that she must come.

'Take my club to her Majesty,' said he, 'and tell her that if she
smells the end of it she will find it wonderfully reviving.'

So four of the King's strongest men-at-arms staggered off with it;
and after some persuasion the Queen consented to try this novel
remedy. She had hardly smelt it for an instant when she declared
herself to be perfectly restored; but whether that was due to the
scent of the wood or to the fact that as soon as she touched it
out fell a perfect shower of magnificent jewels, I leave you to
decide. At any rate, she was now all eagerness to see the
mysterious stranger, and hastily throwing on her royal mantle,
popped her second-best diamond crown over her night-cap, put a
liberal dab of rouge upon each cheek, and holding up her largest
fan before her nose—for she was not used to appearing in broad
daylight—she went mincing into the great hall. The Enchanter
waited until the King and Queen had seated themselves upon their
throne, and then, taking his place between them, he began
solemnly: