Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know by Various

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The marquis gave his hand to the young princess as she alighted, and
followed the king who went before; they entered a spacious hall, where
they found a splendid collation which the Ogre had prepared for some
friends he had that day expected to visit him; but who, hearing that the
king with the princess and a great gentleman of the court were within,
had not dared to enter. The king was so much charmed with the amiable
qualities and noble fortune of the marquis of Carabas, and the young
princess too had fallen so violently in love with him, that when the
king had partaken of the collation, and drunk a few glasses of wine, he
said to the marquis: "It will be you own fault, my lord marquis of
Carabas, if you do not soon become my son-in-law." The marquis received
the intelligence with a thousand respectful acknowledgments, accepted
the honour conferred upon him, and married the princess that very day.
The cat became a great lord, and never after ran after rats and mice but
for his amusement.

CHAPTER XVI

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD

Once upon a time there was a king and a queen who grieved sorely that
they had no children. When at last the queen gave birth to a daughter
the king was so overjoyed that he gave a great christening feast, the
like of which had never before been known. He asked all the fairies in
the land--there were seven all told--to stand godmothers to the little
princess, hoping that each might give her a gift, and so she should have
all imaginable perfections.

After the christening, all the company returned to the palace, where a
great feast had been spread for the fairy godmothers. Before each was
set a magnificent plate, with a gold knife and a gold fork studded with
diamonds and rubies. Just as they were seating themselves, however,
there entered an old fairy who had not been invited because more than
fifty years ago she had shut herself up in a tower and it was supposed
that she was either dead or enchanted.

The king ordered a cover to be laid for her, but it could not be a
massive gold one like the others, for only seven had been ordered made.
The old fairy thought herself ill-used and muttered between her teeth.
One of the young fairies, overhearing her, and fancying she might work
some mischief to the little baby, went and hid herself behind the
hangings in the hall, so as to be able to have the last word and undo
any harm the old fairy might wish to work. The fairies now began to
endow the princess. The youngest, for her gift, decreed that she should
be the most beautiful person in the world; the next that she should have
the mind of an angel; the third that she should be perfectly graceful;
the fourth that she should dance admirably well; the fifth, that she
should sing like a nightingale; the sixth, that she should play
charmingly upon every musical instrument. The turn of the old fairy had
now come, and she declared, while her head shook with malice, that the
princess should pierce her hand with a spindle and die of the wound.
This dreadful fate threw all the company into tears of dismay, when the
young fairy who had hidden herself came forward and said:

"Be of good cheer, king and queen; your daughter shall not so die. It is
true I cannot entirely undo what my elder has done. The princess will
pierce her hand with a spindle, but, instead of dying, she will only
fall into a deep sleep. The sleep will last a hundred years, and at the
end of that time a king's son will come to wake her."

The king, in hopes of preventing what the old fairy had foretold,
immediately issued an edict by which he forbade all persons in his
dominion from spinning or even having spindles in their houses under
pain of instant death.

Now fifteen years after the princess was born she was with the king and
queen at one of their castles, and as she was running about by herself
she came to a little chamber at the top of a tower, and there sat an
honest old woman spinning, for she had never heard of the king's edict.

"What are you doing?" asked the princess.

"I am spinning, my fair child," said the old woman, who did not know
her.

"How pretty it is!" exclaimed the princess. "How do you do it? Give it
to me that I may see if I can do it." She had no sooner taken up the
spindle, than, being hasty and careless, she pierced her hand with the
point of it, and fainted away. The old woman, in great alarm, called for
help. People came running in from all sides; they threw water in the
princess's face and did all they could to restore her, but nothing would
bring her to. The king, who had heard the noise and confusion, came up
also, and remembering what the fairy had said, he had the princess
carried to the finest apartment and laid upon a richly embroidered bed.
She lay there in all her loveliness, for the swoon had not made her
pale; her lips were cherry-ripe and her cheeks ruddy and fair; her eyes
were closed, but they could hear her breathing quietly; she could not be
dead. The king looked sorrowfully upon her. He knew that she would not
awake for a hundred years.

The good fairy who had saved her life and turned her death into sleep
was in the kingdom of Mataquin, twelve thousand leagues away, when this
happened, but she learned of it from a dwarf who had a pair of
seven-league boots, and instantly set out for the castle, where she
arrived in an hour, drawn by dragons in a fiery chariot. The king came
forward to receive her and showed his grief. The good fairy was very
wise and saw that the princess when she woke would find herself all
alone in that great castle and everything about her would be strange. So
this is what she did. She touched with her wand everybody that was in
the castle, except the king and queen. She touched the governesses,
maids of honour, women of the bedchamber, gentlemen, officers,
stewards, cooks, scullions, boys, guards, porters, pages, footmen; she
touched the horses in the stable with their grooms, the great mastiffs
in the court-yard, and even little Pouste, the tiny lap-dog of the
princess that was on the bed beside her. As soon as she had touched them
they all fell asleep, not to wake again until the time arrived for their
mistress to do so, when they would be ready to wait upon her. Even the
spits before the fire, laden with partridges and pheasants, went to
sleep, and the fire itself went to sleep also.

It was the work of a moment. The king and queen kissed their daughter
farewell and left the castle, issuing a proclamation that no person
whatsoever was to approach it. That was needless, for in a quarter of an
hour there had grown up about it a wood so thick and filled with thorns
that nothing could get at the castle, and the castle top itself could
only be seen from a great distance.

A hundred years went by, and the kingdom was in the hands of another
royal family. The son of the king was hunting one day when he discovered
the towers of the castle above the tops of the trees, and asked what
castle that was. All manner of answers were given to him. One said it
was an enchanted castle, another that witches lived there, but most
believed that it was occupied by a great ogre which carried thither all
the children he could catch and ate them up one at a time, for nobody
could get at him through the wood. The prince did not know what to
believe, when finally an old peasant said:

"Prince, it is more than fifty years since I heard my father say that
there was in that castle the most beautiful princess that ever was seen;
that she was to sleep for a hundred years, and to be awakened at last by
the king's son, who was to marry her."

The young prince at these words felt himself on fire. He had not a
moment's doubt that he was destined to this great adventure, and full of
ardour he determined at once to set out for the castle. Scarcely had he
come to the wood when all the trees and thorns which had made such an
impenetrable thicket opened on one side and the other to offer him a
path. He walked toward the castle, which appeared now at the end of a
long avenue, but when he turned to, look for his followers not one was
to be seen; the woods had closed instantly upon him as he had passed
through. He was entirely alone, and utter silence was about him. He
entered a large forecourt and stood still with amazement and awe. On
every side were stretched the bodies of men and animals apparently
lifeless. But the faces of the men were rosy, and the goblets by them
had a few drops of wine left. The men had plainly fallen asleep. His
steps resounded as he passed over the marble pavement and up the marble
staircase. He entered the guard-room; there the guards stood drawn up in
line with carbines at their shoulders, but they were sound asleep. He
passed through one apartment after another, where were ladies and
gentlemen asleep in their chairs or standing. He entered a chamber
covered with gold, and saw on a bed, the curtains of which were drawn,
the most lovely sight he had ever looked upon--a princess, who appeared
to be about fifteen or sixteen, and so fair that she seemed to belong to
another world. He drew near, trembling and wondering, and knelt beside
her. Her hand lay upon her breast, and he touched his lips to it. At
that moment, the enchantment being ended, the princess awoke, and,
looking drowsily and tenderly at the young man, said:

"Have you come, my prince? I have waited long for you." The prince was
overjoyed at the words, and at the tender voice and look, and scarcely
knew how to speak. But he managed to assure her of his love, and they
soon forgot all else as they talked and talked. They talked for four
hours, and had not then said half that was in their heads to say.

Meanwhile all the rest of the people in the castle had been wakened at
the same moment as the princess, and they were now extremely hungry. The
lady-in-waiting became very impatient, and at length announced to the
princess that they all waited for her. Then the prince took the princess
by the hand; she was dressed in great splendour, but he did not hint
that she looked as he had seen pictures of his great-grandmother look;
he thought her all the more charming for that. They passed into a hall
of mirrors, where they supped, attended by the officers of the princess.
The violins and haut-boys played old but excellent pieces of music, and
after supper, to lose no time, the grand almoner married the royal
lovers in the chapel of the castle.

When they left the castle the next day to return to the prince's home,
they were followed by all the retinue of the princess. They marched down
the long avenue, and the wood opened again to let them pass. Outside
they met the prince's followers, who were overjoyed to see their master.
He turned to show them the castle, but behold! there was no castle to be
seen, and no wood; castle and wood had vanished, but the prince and
princess went gayly away, and when the old king and queen died they
reigned in their stead.

CHAPTER XVII

JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK

In the days of King Alfred, there lived a poor woman whose cottage was
situated in a remote country village, a great many miles from London.
She had been a widow some years, and had an only child named Jack, whom
she indulged to a fault. The consequence of her blind partiality was,
that Jack did not pay the least attention to any thing she said, but was
indolent, careless, and extravagant. His follies were not owing to a bad
disposition, but that his mother had never checked him. By degrees she
disposed of all she possessed--scarcely any thing remained but a cow.
The poor woman one day met Jack with tears in her eyes; her distress was
great, and for the first time in her life she could not help reproaching
him, saying, "Oh! you wicked child, by your ungrateful course of life
you have at last brought me to beggary and ruin. Cruel, cruel boy! I
have not money enough to purchase even a bit of bread for another
day--nothing now remains to sell but my poor cow! I am sorry to part
with her; it grieves me sadly, but we must not starve." For a few
minutes, Jack felt a degree of remorse, but it was soon over, and he
began teasing his mother to let him sell the cow at the next village, so
much, that she at last consented. As he was going along, he met a
butcher, who inquired why he was driving the cow from home? Jack
replied, he was going to sell it. The butcher held some curious beans in
his hat; they were of various colours, and attracted Jack's attention.
This did not pass unnoticed by the butcher, who, knowing Jack's easy
temper, thought now was the time to take an advantage of it; and
determined not to let slip so good an opportunity, asked what was the
price of the cow, offering at the same time all the beans in his hat for
her. The silly boy could not conceal the pleasure he felt at what he
supposed so great an offer, the bargain was struck instantly, and the
cow exchanged for a few paltry beans. Jack made the best of his way
home, calling aloud to his mother before he reached home, thinking to
surprise her.

When she saw the beans, and heard Jack's account, her patience quite
forsook her. She kicked the beans away in a passion--they flew in all
directions--some were scattered in the garden. Not having any thing to
eat, they both went supperless to bed. Jack woke early in the morning,
and seeing something uncommon from the window of his bedchamber, ran
down stairs into the garden, where he soon discovered that some of the
beans had taken root, and sprung up surprisingly: the stalks were of an
immense thickness, and had so entwined, that they formed a ladder nearly
like a chain in appearance. Looking upward, he could not discern the
top, it appeared to be lost in the clouds: he tried it, found it firm,
and not to be shaken. He quickly formed the resolution of endeavouring
to climb up to the top, in order to seek his fortune, and ran to
communicate his intention to his mother, not doubting but she would be
equally pleased with himself. She declared he should not go; said it
would break her heart if he did--entreated, and threatened--but all in
vain. Jack set out, and after climbing for some hours, reached the top
of the bean-stalk, fatigued and quite exhausted. Looking around, he
found himself in a strange country; it appeared to be a desert, quite
barren, not a tree, shrub, house, or living creature to be seen; here
and there were scattered fragments of stone; and at unequal distances,
small heaps of earth were loosely thrown together.

Jack seated himself pensively upon a block of stone, and thought of his
mother--he reflected with sorrow upon his disobedience in climbing the
bean-stalk against her will; and concluded that he must die with hunger.
However he walked on, hoping to see a house where he might beg something
to eat and drink; presently a handsome young woman appeared at a
distance: as she approached, Jack could not help admiring how beautiful
and lively she looked; she was dressed in the most elegant manner, and
had a small white wand in her hand, on the top of which was a peacock of
pure gold. While Jack was looking with great surprise at this charming
female, she came up to him, and with a smile of the most bewitching
sweetness, inquired how he came there. Jack related the circumstance of
the bean-stalk. She asked him if he recollected his father; he replied
he did not; and added, there must be some mystery relating to him,
because if he asked his mother who his father was, she always burst into
tears, and appeared violently agitated, nor did she recover herself for
some days after; one thing, however, he could not avoid observing upon
these occasions, which was that she always carefully avoided answering
him, and even seemed afraid of speaking, as if there was some secret
connected with his father's history which she must not disclose. The
young woman replied, "I will reveal the whole story; your mother must
not. But, before I begin, I require a solemn promise on your part to do
what I command; I am a fairy, and if you do not perform exactly what I
desire, you will be destroyed," Jack was frightened at her menaces, but
promised to fulfil her injunctions exactly, and the fairy thus addressed
him:

"Your father was a rich man, his disposition remarkably benevolent: he
was very good to the poor, and constantly relieving them. He made it a
rule never to let a day pass without doing good to some person. On one
particular day in the week, he kept open house, and invited only those
who were reduced and had lived well. He always presided himself, and did
all in his power to render his guests comfortable; the rich and the
great were not invited. The servants were all happy, and greatly
attached to their master and mistress. Your father, though only a
private gentleman, was as rich as a prince, and he deserved all he
possessed, for he only lived to do good. Such a man was soon known and
talked of. A giant lived a great many miles off: this man was altogether
as wicked as your father was good; he was in his heart envious,
covetous, and cruel; but he had the art of concealing those vices. He
was poor, and wished to enrich himself at any rate. Hearing your father
spoken of, he formed the design of becoming acquainted with him, hoping
to ingratiate himself into your father's favour. He removed quickly into
your neighbourhood, caused to be reported that he was a gentleman who
had just lost all he possessed by an earth-quake, and found it difficult
to escape with his life; his wife was with him. Your father gave credit
to his story, and pitied him, gave him handsome apartments in his own
house, and caused him and his wife to be treated like visitors of
consequence, little imagining that the giant was meditating a horrid
return for all his favours.

"Things went on in this way for some time, the giant becoming daily more
impatient to put his plan into execution; at last a favourable
opportunity presented itself. Your father's house was at some distance
from the seashore, but with a glass the coast could be seen distinctly.
The giant was one day using the telescope; the wind was very high; he
saw a fleet of ships in distress off the rocks; he hastened to your
father, mentioned the circumstance, and eagerly requested he would send
all the servants he could spare to relieve the sufferers. Every one was
instantly despatched, except the porter and your nurse; the giant then
joined your father in the study, and appeared to be delighted--he really
was so. Your father recommended a favourite book, and was handing it
down: the giant took the opportunity, and stabbed him; he instantly fell
down dead. The giant left the body, found the porter and nurse, and
presently despatched them; being determined to have no living witnesses
of his crimes. You were then only three months old; your mother had you
in her arms in a remote part of the house, and was ignorant of what was
going on; she went into the study, but how was she shocked, on
discovering your father a corpse, and weltering in his blood! she was
stupefied with horror and grief, and was motionless. The giant, who was
seeking her, found her in that state, and hastened to serve her and you
as he had done her husband, but she fell at his feet, and in a pathetic
manner besought him to spare your life and hers.

"Remorse, for a moment, seemed to touch the barbarian's heart: he
granted your lives; but first he made her take a most solemn oath, never
to inform you who your father was, or to answer any questions concerning
him: assuring her that if she did, he would certainly discover her, and
put both of you to death in the most cruel manner. Your mother took you
in her arms, and fled as quickly as possible; she was scarcely gone when
the giant repented that he had suffered her to escape. He would have
pursued her instantly; but he had to provide for his own safety; as it
was necessary he should be gone before the servants returned. Having
gained your father's confidence, he knew where to find all his treasure:
he soon loaded himself and his wife, set the house on fire in several
places, and when the servants returned, the house was burned quite down
to the ground. Your poor mother, forlorn, abandoned, and forsaken,
wandered with you a great many miles from this scene of desolation. Fear
added to her haste. She settled in the cottage where you were brought
up, and it was entirety owing to her fear of the giant that she never
mentioned your father to you. I became your father's guardian at his
birth; but fairies have laws to which they are subject as well as
mortals. A short time before the giant went to your father's, I
transgressed; my punishment was a suspension of power for a limited
time--an unfortunate circumstance, as it totally prevented my succouring
your father.

"The day on which you met the butcher, as you went to sell your mother's
cow, my power was restored. It was I who secretly prompted you to take
the beans in exchange for the cow. By my power, the bean-stalk grew to
so great a height, and formed a ladder. I need not add that I inspired
you with a strong desire to ascend the ladder. The giant lives in this
country: you are the person appointed to punish him for all his
wickedness. You will have dangers and difficulties to encounter, but you
must persevere in avenging the death of your father, or you will not
prosper in any of your undertakings, but will always be miserable. As to
the giant's possessions, you may seize on all you can; for every thing
he has is yours, though now you are unjustly deprived of it. One thing I
desire--do not let your mother know you are acquainted with your
father's history, till you see me again. Go along the direct road, you
will soon see the house where your cruel enemy lives. While you do as I
order you, I will protect and guard you; but, remember, if you dare
disobey my commands, a most dreadful punishment awaits you."

When the fairy had concluded, she disappeared, leaving Jack to pursue
his journey. He walked on till after sunset, when, to his great joy, he
espied a large mansion. This agreeable sight revived his drooping
spirits; he redoubled his speed, and soon reached it. A plain-looking
woman was at the door--he accosted her, begging she would give him a
morsel of bread and a night's lodging. She expressed the greatest
surprise at seeing him; and said it was quite uncommon to see a human
being near their house, for it was well known that her husband was a
large and very powerful giant, and that he would never eat any thing but
human flesh, if he could possibly get it; that he did not think any
thing of walking fifty miles to procure it, usually being out the whole
day for that purpose.

This account greatly terrified Jack, but still he hoped to elude the
giant, and therefore he again entreated the woman to take him in for one
night only, and hide him where she thought proper. The good woman at
last suffered herself to be persuaded, for she was of a compassionate
and generous disposition, and took him into the house. First, they
entered a fine large hall, magnificently furnished; they then passed
through several spacious rooms, all in the same style of grandeur; but
they appeared to be quite forsaken and desolate. A long gallery was
next; it was very dark--just light enough to show that, instead of a
wall on one side, there was a grating of iron, which parted off a dismal
dungeon, from whence issued the groans of those poor victims whom the
cruel giant reserved in confinement for his own voracious appetite. Poor
Jack was half dead with fear, and would have given the world to have
been with his mother again, for he now began to fear that he should
never see her more, and gave himself up for lost; he even mistrusted the
good woman, and thought she had let him into the house for no other
purpose than to lock him up among the unfortunate people in the dungeon.
At the farther end of the gallery there was a spacious kitchen, and a
very excellent fire was burning in the grate. The good woman bid Jack
sit down, and gave him plenty to eat and drink. Jack, not seeing any
thing here to make him uncomfortable, soon forgot his fear, and was just
beginning to enjoy himself, when he was aroused by a loud knocking at
the street-door, which made the whole house shake: the giant's wife ran
to secure him in the oven, and then went to let her husband in. Jack
heard him accost her in a voice like thunder, saying: "Wife, I smell
fresh meat." "Oh! my dear," replied she, "it is nothing but the people
in the dungeon." The giant appeared to believe her, and walked into the
very kitchen where poor Jack was concealed, who shook, trembled, and was
more terrified than he had yet been. At last, the monster seated himself
quietly by the fire-side, whilst his wife prepared supper. By degrees
Jack recovered himself sufficiently to look at the giant through a small
crevice. He was quite astonished to see what an amazing quantity he
devoured, and thought he never would have done eating and drinking. When
supper was ended, the giant desired his wife to bring him his hen. A
very beautiful hen was then brought, and placed on the table before him.
Jack's curiosity was very great to see what would happen: he observed
that every time the giant said "Lay!" the hen laid an egg of solid gold.
The giant amused himself a long time with his hen; meanwhile his wife
went to bed. At length the giant fell asleep by the fire-side, and
snored like the roaring of a cannon.

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