The Grey Fairy Book | Page 7

shouldn't have been lost.'
The further the pony advanced, the higher rose the sea; at last the
waves covered the children's heads and they were all drowned.
Towards morning old Peggy went out, for she was anxious about the
fate of her grandchildren. She sought them high and low, but could not

find them anywhere. She asked all the neighbours if they had seen the
children, but no one knew anything about them, except that the eldest
had not been with the blue-eyed daughter of Jacob the rope-maker.
As she was going home, bowed with grief, she saw a little black pony
coming towards her, springing and curveting in every direction. When
it got quite near her it neighed loudly, and galloped past her so quickly
that in a moment it was out of her sight.
[From the French, Kletke.]

An Impossible Enchantment

There once lived a king who was much loved by his people, and he, too,
loved them warmly. He led a very happy life, but he had the greatest
dislike to the idea of marrying, nor had he ever felt the slightest wish to
fall in love. His subjects begged him to marry, and at last he promised
to try to do so. But as, so far, he had never cared for any woman he had
seen, he made up his mind to travel in hopes of meeting some lady he
could love.
So he arranged all the affairs of state in an orderly manner, and set out,
attended by only one equerry, who, though not very clever, had most
excellent good sense. These people indeed generally make the best
fellow travellers.
The king explored several countries, doing all he could to fall in love,
but in vain; and at the end of two years' journeys he turned his face
towards home, with as free a heart as when he set out.
As he was riding along through a forest he suddenly heard the most
awful miawing and shrieking of cats you can imagine. The noise drew
nearer, and nearer, and at last they saw a hundred huge Spanish cats
rush through the trees close to them. They were so closely packed
together that you could easily have covered them with a large cloak,
and all were following the same track. They were closely pursued by
two enormous apes, dressed in purple suits, with the prettiest and best
made boots you ever saw.
The apes were mounted on superb mastiffs, and spurred them on in hot
haste, blowing shrill blasts on little toy trumpets all the time.
The king and his equerry stood still to watch this strange hunt, which
was followed by twenty or more little dwarfs, some mounted on wolves,

and leading relays, and others with cats in leash. The dwarfs were all
dressed in purple silk liveries like the apes.
A moment later a beautiful young woman mounted on a tiger came in
sight. She passed close to the king, riding at full speed, without taking
any notice of him; but he was at once enchanted by her, and his heart
was gone in a moment.
To his great joy he saw that one of the dwarfs had fallen behind the rest,
and at once began to question him.
The dwarf told him that the lady he had just seen was the Princess
Mutinosa, the daughter of the king in whose country they were at that
moment. He added that the princess was very fond of hunting, and that
she was now in pursuit of rabbits.
The king then asked the way to the court, and having been told it,
hurried off, and reached the capital in a couple of hours.
As soon as he arrived, he presented himself to the king and queen, and
on mentioning his own name and that of his country, was received with
open arms. Not long after, the princess returned, and hearing that the
hunt had been very successful, the king complimented her on it, but she
would not answer a word.
Her silence rather surprised him, but he was still more astonished when
he found that she never spoke once all through supper-time. Sometimes
she seemed about to speak, but whenever this was the case her father or
mother at once took up the conversation. However, this silence did not
cool the king's affection, and when he retired to his rooms at night he
confided his feelings to his faithful equerry. But the equerry was by no
means delighted at his king's love affair, and took no pains to hide his
disappointment.
‘But why are you vexed?' asked the king. ‘Surely the princess is
beautiful enough to please anyone?'
‘She is certainly very handsome,' replied the equerry, ‘but to be really
happy in love something more than