Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 09 (30 page)

Daisies and forget-me-nots fringed its brink, while tall hedges
of roses and jasmine ringed it round, making the sweetest and
daintiest bower imaginable. To the right and left of the
waterfall opened out a wonderful grotto, its walls and arches
glittering with many-coloured rock-crystals, while in every niche
were spread out strange fruits and sweetmeats, the very sight of
which made the princess long to taste them. She hesitated a
while, however, scarcely able to believe her eyes, and not
knowing if she should enter the enchanted spot or fly from it.
But at length curiosity prevailed, and she and her companions
explored to their heart's content, and tasted and examined
everything, running hither and thither in high glee, and calling
merrily to each other.

At last, when they were quite weary, the princess cried out
suddenly that nothing would content her but to bathe in the
marble pool, which certainly did look very inviting; and they all
went gaily to this new amusement. The princess was ready first,
but scarcely had she slipped over the rim of the pool when down—
down—down she sank, and vanished in its depths before her
frightened playmates could seize her by so much as a lock of her
floating golden hair!

Loudly did they weep and wail, running about the brink of the
pool, which looked so shallow and so clear, but which had
swallowed up their princess before their eyes. They even sprang
into the water and tried to dive after her, but in vain; they
only floated like corks in the enchanted pool, and could not keep
under water for a second.

They saw at last that there was nothing for it but to carry to
the king the sad tidings of his beloved daughter's disappearance.
And what great weeping and lamentation there was in the palace
when the dreadful news was told! The king tore his robes, dashed
his golden crown from his head, and hid his face in his purple
mantle for grief and anguish at the loss of the princess. After
the first outburst of wailing, however, he took heart and hurried
off to see for himself the scene of this strange adventure,
thinking, as people will in sorrow, that there might be some
mistake after all. But when he reached the spot, behold, all was
changed again! The glittering grotto described to him by the
maidens had completely vanished, and so had the marble bath, the
bower of jasmine; instead, all was a tangle of flowers, as it had
been of old. The king was so much perplexed that he threatened
the princess's playfellows with all sorts of punishments if they
would not confess something about her disappearance; but as they
only repeated the same story he presently put down the whole
affair to the work of some sprite or goblin, and tried to console
himself for his loss by ordering a grand hunt; for kings cannot
bear to be troubled about anything long.

Meanwhile the princess was not at all unhappy in the palace of
her elfish lover.

When the water-nymphs, who were hiding in readiness, had caught
her and dragged her out of the sight of her terrified maidens,
she herself had not had time to be frightened. They swam with
her quickly by strange underground ways to a palace so splendid
that her father's seemed but a poor cottage in comparison with
it, and when she recovered from her astonishment she found
herself seated upon a couch, wrapped in a wonderful robe of satin
fastened with a silken girdle, while beside her knelt a young man
who whispered the sweetest speeches imaginable in her ear. The
gnome, for he it was, told her all about himself and his great
underground kingdom, and presently led her through the many rooms
and halls of the palace, and showed her the rare and wonderful
things displayed in them till she was fairly dazzled at the sight
of so much splendour. On three sides of the castle lay a lovely
garden with masses of gay, sweet flowers, and velvet lawns all
cool and shady, which pleased the eye of the princess. The fruit
trees were hung with golden and rosy apples, and nightingales
sang in every bush, as the gnome and the princess wandered in the
leafy alleys, sometimes gazing at the moon, sometimes pausing to
gather the rarest flowers for her adornment. And all the time he
was thinking to himself that never, during the hundreds of years
he had lived, had he seen so charming a maiden. But the princess
felt no such happiness; in spite of all the magic delights around
her she was sad, though she tried to seem content for fear of
displeasing the gnome. However, he soon perceived her
melancholy, and in a thousand ways strove to dispel the cloud,
but in vain. At last he said to himself: 'Men are sociable
creatures, like bees or ants. Doubtless this lovely mortal is
pining for company. Who is there I can find for her to talk to?'

Thereupon he hastened into the nearest filed and dug up a dozen
or so of different roots—carrots, turnips, and radishes—and
laying them carefully in an elegant basket brought them to the
princess, who sat pensive in the shade of the rose-bower.

'Loveliest daughter of earth,' said the gnome, 'banish all
sorrow; no more shall you be lonely in my dwelling. In this
basket is all you need to make this spot delightful to you. Take
this little many-coloured wand, and with a touch give to each
root the form you desire to see.'

With this he left her, and the princess, without an instant's
delay, opened the basket, and touching a turnip, cried eagerly:
'Brunhilda, my dear Brunhilda! come to me quickly!' And sure
enough there was Brunhilda, joyfully hugging and kissing her
beloved princess, and chattering as gaily as in the old days.

This sudden appearance was so delightful that the princess could
hardly believe her own eyes, and was quite beside herself with
the joy of having her dear playfellow with her once more. Hand
in hand they wandered about the enchanted garden, and gathered
the golden apples from the trees, and when they were tired of
this amusement the princess led her friend through all the
wonderful rooms of the palace, until at last they came to the one
in which were kept all the marvellous dresses and ornaments the
gnome had given to his hoped-for bride. There they found so much
to amuse them that the hours passed like minutes. Veils,
girdles, and necklaces were tried on and admired, the imitation
Brunhilda knew so well how to behave herself, and showed so much
taste that nobody would ever have suspected that she was nothing
but a turnip after all. The gnome, who had secretly been keeping
an eye upon them, was very pleased with himself for having so
well understood the heart of a woman; and the princess seemed to
him even more charming than before. She did not forget to touch
the rest of the roots with her magic wand, and soon had all her
maidens about her, and even, as she had two tiny radishes to
spare, her favourite cat, and her little dog whose name was Beni.

And now all went cheerfully in the castle. The princess gave to
each of the maidens her task, and never was mistress better
served. For a whole week she enjoyed the delight of her pleasant
company undisturbed. They all sang, they danced, they played
from morning to night; only the princess noticed that day by day
the fresh young faces of her maidens grew pale and wan, and the
mirror in the great marble hall showed her that she alone still
kept her rosy bloom, while Brunhilda and the rest faded visibly.
They assured her that all was well with them; but, nevertheless,
they continued to waste away, and day by day it became harder to
them to take part in the games of the princess, till at last, one
fine morning, when the princess started from bed and hastened out
to join her gay playfellows, she shuddered and started back at
the sight of a group of shrivelled crones, with bent backs and
trembling limbs, who supported their tottering steps with staves
and crutches, and coughed dismally. A little nearer to the
hearth lay the once frolicsome Beni, with all four feet stretched
stiffly out, while the sleek cat seemed too weak to raise his
head from his velvet cushion.

The horrified princess fled to the door to escape from the sight
of this mournful company, and called loudly for the gnome, who
appeared at once, humbly anxious to do her bidding.

'Malicious Sprite,' she cried, 'why do you begrudge me my
playmates —the greatest delight of my lonely hours? Isn't this
solitary life in such a desert bad enough without your turning
the castle into a hospital for the aged? Give my maidens back
their youth and health this very minute, or I will never love
you!'

'Sweetest and fairest of damsels,' cried the gnome, 'do not be
angry; everything that is in my power I will do—but do not ask
the impossible. So long as the sap was fresh in the roots the
magic staff could keep them in the forms you desired, but as the
sap dried up they withered away. But never trouble yourself
about that, dearest one, a basket of fresh turnips will soon set
matters right, and you can speedily call up again every form you
wish to see. The great green patch in the garden will prove you
with a more lively company.'

So saying the gnome took himself off. And the princess with her
magic wand touched the wrinkled old women, and left them the
withered roots they really were, to be thrown upon the rubbish
heap; and with light feet skipped off across to the meadow to
take possession of the freshly filled basket. But to her
surprise she could not find it anywhere. Up and down the garden
she searched, spying into every corner, but not a sign of it was
to be found. By the trellis of grape vines she met the gnome,
who was so much embarrassed at the sight of her that she became
aware of his confusion while he was still quite a long way off.

'You are trying to tease me,' she cried, as soon as she saw him.
'Where have you hidden the basket? I have been looking for it at
least an hour.'

'Dear queen of my heart,' answered he, 'I pray you to forgive my
carelessness. I promised more than I could perform. I have
sought all over the land for the roots you desire; but they are
gathered in, and lie drying in musty cellars, and the fields are
bare and desolate, for below in the valley winter reigns, only
here in your presence spring is held fast, and wherever your foot
is set the gay flowers bloom. Have patience for a little, and
then without fail you shall have your puppets to play with.'

Almost before the gnome had finished, the disappointed princess
turned away, and marched off to her own apartments, without
deigning to answer him.

The gnome, however, set off above ground as speedily as possible,
and disguising himself as a farmer, bought an ass in the nearest
market-town, and brought it back loaded with sacks of turnip,
carrot, and radish seed. With this he sowed a great field, and
sent a vast army of his goblins to watch and tend it, and to
bring up the fiery rivers from the heart of the earth near enough
to warm and encourage the sprouting seeds. Thus fostered they
grew and flourished marvellously, and promised a goodly crop.

The princess wandered about the field day by day, no other plants
or fruits in all her wonderful garden pleased her as much as
these roots; but still her eyes were full of discontent. And,
best of all, she loved to while away the hours in a shady fir-
wood, seated upon the bank of a little stream, into which she
would cast the flowers she had gathered and watch them float
away.

The gnome tried hard by every means in his power to please the
princess and win her love, but little did he guess the real
reason of his lack of success. He imagined that she was too
young and inexperienced to care for him; but that was a mistake,
for the truth was that another image already filled her heart.
The young Prince Ratibor, whose lands joined her father's, had
won the heart of the princess; and the lovers had been looking
forward to the coming of their wedding-day when the bride's
mysterious disappearance took place. The sad news drove Ratibor
distracted, and as the days went on, and nothing could be heard
of the princess, he forsook his castle and the society of men,
and spent his days in the wild forests, roaming about and crying
her name aloud to the trees and rocks. Meanwhile, the maiden, in
her gorgeous prison, sighed in secret over her grief, not wishing
to arouse the gnome's suspicions. In her own mind she was
wondering if by any means she might escape from her captivity,
and at last she hit upon a plan.

By this time spring once more reigned in the valley, and the
gnome sent the fires back to their places in the deeps of the
earth, for the roots which they had kept warm through all the
cruel winter hand now come to their full size. Day by day the
princess pulled up some of them, and made experiments with them,
conjuring up now this longed-for person, and now that, just for
the pleasure of seeing them as they appeared; but she really had
another purpose in view.

One day she changed a tiny turnip into a bee, and sent him off to
bring her some news of her lover.

'Fly, dear little bee, towards the east,' said she, 'to my
beloved Ratibor, and softly hum into his ear that I love him
only, but that I am a captive in the gnome's palace under the
mountains. Do not forget a single word of my greeting, and bring
me back a message from my beloved.'

So the bee spread his shining wings and flew away to do as he was
bidden; but before he was out of sight a greedy swallow made a
snatch at him, and to the great grief of the princess her
messenger was eaten up then and there.

After that, by the power of the wonderful wand she summoned a
cricket, and taught him this greeting:

'Hop, little cricket, to Ratibor, and chirp in his ear that I
love him only, but that I am held captive by the gnome in his
palace under the mountains.'

So the cricket hopped off gaily, determined to do his best to
deliver his message; but, alas! a long-legged stork who was
prancing along the same road caught him in her cruel beak, and
before he could say a word he had disappeared down her throat.