The Green Fairy Book | Page 4

had happened to the Princess, he
looked forward impatiently to meeting her again, and he tried to talk
about her with the courtiers who were placed in attendance on him. But
by the Queen's orders they would say nothing good of her, but declared
that she was vain, capricious, and bad-tempered; that she tormented her
waiting-maids, and that, in spite of all the money that the King gave her,
she was so mean that she preferred to go about dressed like a poor
shepherdess, rather than spend any of it. All these things vexed the
King very much, and he was silent.
‘It is true,' thought he, ‘that she was very poorly dressed, but then she
was so ashamed that it proves that she was not accustomed to be so. I
cannot believe that with that lovely face she can be as ill-tempered and
contemptible as they say. No, no, the Queen must be jealous of her for
the sake of that ugly daughter of hers, and so these evil reports are
spread.'
The courtiers could not help seeing that what they had told the King did
not please him, and one of them cunningly began to praise Fiordelisa,
when he could talk to the King without being heard by the others.
King Charming thereupon became so cheerful, and interested in all he
said, that it was easy to guess how much he admired the Princess. So
when the Queen sent for the courtiers and questioned them about all
they had found out, their report confirmed her worst fears. As to the
poor Princess Fiordelisa, she cried all night without stopping.
‘It would have been quite bad enough to be shut up in this gloomy
tower before I had ever seen King Charming,' she said; ‘but now when
he is here, and they are all enjoying themselves with him, it is too
unkind.'
The next day the Queen sent King Charming splendid presents of

jewels and rich stuffs, and among other things an ornament made
expressly in honour of the approaching wedding. It was a heart cut out
of one huge ruby, and was surrounded by several diamond arrows, and
pierced by one. A golden true-lover's knot above the heart bore the
motto, ‘But one can wound me,' and the whole jewel was hung upon a
chain of immense pearls. Never, since the world has been a world, had
such a thing been made, and the King was quite amazed when it was
presented to him. The page who brought it begged him to accept it from
the Princess, who chose him to be her knight.
‘What!' cried he, ‘does the lovely Princess Fiordelisa deign to think of
me in this amiable and encouraging way?'
‘You confuse the names, Sire,' said the page hastily. ‘I come on behalf
of the Princess Turritella.'
‘Oh, it is Turritella who wishes me to be her knight,' said the King
coldly. ‘I am sorry that I cannot accept the honour.' And he sent the
splendid gifts back to the Queen and Turritella, who were furiously
angry at the contempt with which they were treated. As soon as he
possibly could, King Charming went to see the King and Queen, and as
he entered the hall he looked for Fiordelisa, and every time anyone
came in he started round to see who it was, and was altogether so
uneasy and dissatisfied that the Queen saw it plainly. But she would not
take any notice, and talked of nothing but the entertainments she was
planning. The Prince answered at random, and presently asked if he
was not to have the pleasure of seeing the Princess Fiordelisa.
‘Sire,' answered the Queen haughtily, ‘her father has ordered that she
shall not leave her own apartments until my daughter is married.'
‘What can be the reason for keeping that lovely Princess a prisoner?'
cried the King in great indignation.
‘That I do not know,' answered the Queen; ‘and even if I did, I might
not feel bound to tell you.'
The King was terribly angry at being thwarted like this. He felt certain

that Turritella was to blame for it, so casting a furious glance at her he
abruptly took leave of the Queen, and returned to his own apartments.
There he said to a young squire whom he had brought with him: ‘I
would give all I have in the world to gain the good will of one of the
Princess's waiting-women, and obtain a moment's speech with
Fiordelisa.'
‘Nothing could be easier,' said the young squire; and he very soon
made friends with one of the ladies, who told him that in the evening
Fiordelisa would be at a little window which looked into the garden,
where he could come and talk to her. Only, she said, he must