THE FLOWER QUEENS DAUGHTER.docx
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THEFLOWERQUEENSDAUGHTER
THEFLOWERQUEEN'SDAUGHTER[23]
[23]FromtheBukowinaer.VonWliolocki.
AyoungPrincewasridingonedaythroughameadowthatstretched
formilesinfrontofhim,whenhecametoadeepopenditch.He
wasturningasidetoavoidit,whenheheardthesoundofsomeone
cryingintheditch.Hedismountedfromhishorse,andstepped
alonginthedirectionthesoundcamefrom.Tohisastonishment
hefoundanoldwoman,whobeggedhimtohelpheroutofthe
ditch.ThePrincebentdownandliftedheroutofherliving
grave,askingheratthesametimehowshehadmanagedtoget
there.
'Myson,'answeredtheoldwoman,'Iamaverypoorwoman,and
soonaftermidnightIsetoutfortheneighbouringtowninorder
tosellmyeggsinthemarketonthefollowingmorning;butI
lostmywayinthedark,andfellintothisdeepditch,whereI
mighthaveremainedforeverbutforyourkindness.'
ThenthePrincesaidtoher,'Youcanhardlywalk;Iwillputyou
onmyhorseandleadyouhome.Wheredoyoulive?
'
'Overthere,attheedgeoftheforestinthelittlehutyousee
inthedistance,'repliedtheoldwoman.
ThePrinceliftedherontohishorse,andsoontheyreachedthe
hut,wheretheoldwomangotdown,andturningtothePrince
said,'Justwaitamoment,andIwillgiveyousomething.'And
shedisappearedintoherhut,butreturnedverysoonandsaid,
'YouareamightyPrince,butatthesametimeyouhaveakind
heart,whichdeservestoberewarded.Wouldyouliketohavethe
mostbeautifulwomanintheworldforyourwife?
'
'MostcertainlyIwould,'repliedthePrince.
Sotheoldwomancontinued,'Themostbeautifulwomaninthe
wholeworldisthedaughteroftheQueenoftheFlowers,whohas
beencapturedbyadragon.Ifyouwishtomarryher,youmust
firstsetherfree,andthisIwillhelpyoutodo.Iwillgive
youthislittlebell:
ifyouringitonce,theKingoftheEagles
willappear;ifyouringittwice,theKingoftheFoxeswill
cometoyou;andifyouringitthreetimes,youwillseethe
KingoftheFishesbyyourside.Thesewillhelpyouifyouare
inanydifficulty.Nowfarewell,andheavenprosperyour
undertaking.'Shehandedhimthelittlebell,andthere
disappearedhutandall,asthoughtheearthhadswallowedher
up.
ThenitdawnedonthePrincethathehadbeenspeakingtoagood
fairy,andputtingthelittlebellcarefullyinhispocket,he
rodehomeandtoldhisfatherthathemeanttosetthedaughter
oftheFlowerQueenfree,andintendedsettingoutonthe
followingdayintothewideworldinsearchofthemaid.
SothenextmorningthePrincemountedhisfinehorseandleft
hishome.Hehadroamedroundtheworldforawholeyear,and
hishorsehaddiedofexhaustion,whilehehimselfhadsuffered
muchfromwantandmisery,butstillhehadcomeonnotraceof
herhewasinsearchof.Atlastonedayhecametoahut,in
frontofwhichsataveryoldman.ThePrinceaskedhim,'Doyou
notknowwheretheDragonliveswhokeepsthedaughterofthe
FlowerQueenprisoner?
'
'No,Idonot,'answeredtheoldman.'Butifyougostraight
alongthisroadforayear,youwillreachahutwheremyfather
lives,andpossiblyhemaybeabletotellyou.'
ThePrincethankedhimforhisinformation,andcontinuedhis
journeyforawholeyearalongthesameroad,andattheendof
itcametothelittlehut,wherehefoundaveryoldman.He
askedhimthesamequestion,andtheoldmananswered,'No,Ido
notknowwheretheDragonlives.Butgostraightalongthisroad
foranotheryear,andyouwillcometoahutinwhichmyfather
lives.Iknowhecantellyou.'
AndsothePrincewanderedonforanotheryear,alwaysonthe
sameroad,andatlastreachedthehutwherehefoundthethird
oldman.Heputthesamequestiontohimashehadputtohis
sonandgrandson;butthistimetheoldmananswered,'TheDragon
livesupthereonthemountain,andhehasjustbegunhisyearof
sleep.Foronewholeyearheisalwaysawake,andthenexthe
sleeps.ButifyouwishtoseetheFlowerQueen'sdaughtergoup
thesecondmountain:
theDragon'soldmotherlivesthere,andshe
hasaballeverynight,towhichtheFlowerQueen'sdaughtergoes
regularly.'
SothePrincewentupthesecondmountain,wherehefounda
castleallmadeofgoldwithdiamondwindows.Heopenedthebig
gateleadingintothecourtyard,andwasjustgoingtowalkin,
whensevendragonsrushedonhimandaskedhimwhathewanted?
ThePrincereplied,'Ihaveheardsomuchofthebeautyand
kindnessoftheDragon'sMother,andwouldliketoenterher
service.'
Thisflatteringspeechpleasedthedragons,andtheeldestof
themsaid,'Well,youmaycomewithme,andIwilltakeyouto
theMotherDragon.'
Theyenteredthecastleandwalkedthroughtwelvesplendidhalls,
allmadeofgoldanddiamonds.Inthetwelfthroomtheyfound
theMotherDragonseatedonadiamondthrone.Shewasthe
ugliestwomanunderthesun,and,addedtoitall,shehadthree
heads.HerappearancewasagreatshocktothePrince,andso
washervoice,whichwaslikethecroakingofmanyravens.She
askedhim,'Whyhaveyoucomehere?
'
ThePrinceansweredatonce,'Ihaveheardsomuchofyourbeauty
andkindness,thatIwouldverymuchliketoenteryourservice.'
'Verywell,'saidtheMotherDragon;'butifyouwishtoentermy
service,youmustfirstleadmymareouttothemeadowandlook
afterherforthreedays;butifyoudon'tbringherhomesafely
everyevening,wewilleatyouup.'
ThePrinceundertookthetaskandledthemareouttothemeadow.
Butnosoonerhadtheyreachedthegrassthanshevanished.The
Princesoughtforherinvain,andatlastindespairsatdownon
abigstoneandcontemplatedhissadfate.Ashesatthuslost
inthought,henoticedaneagleflyingoverhishead.Thenhe
suddenlybethoughthimofhislittlebell,andtakingitoutof
hispocketherangitonce.Inamomentheheardarustling
soundintheairbesidehim,andtheKingoftheEaglessankat
hisfeet.
'Iknowwhatyouwantofme,'thebirdsaid.'Youarelooking
fortheMotherDragon'smarewhoisgallopingaboutamongthe
clouds.Iwillsummonalltheeaglesoftheairtogether,and
orderthemtocatchthemareandbringhertoyou.'Andwith
thesewordstheKingoftheEaglesflewaway.Towardsevening
thePrinceheardamightyrushingsoundintheair,andwhenhe
lookeduphesawthousandsofeaglesdrivingthemarebefore
them.Theysankathisfeetontothegroundandgavethemare
overtohim.ThenthePrincerodehometotheoldMotherDragon,
whowasfullofwonderwhenshesawhim,andsaid,'Youhave
succeededto-dayinlookingaftermymare,andasarewardyou
shallcometomyballto-night.'Shegavehimatthesametimea
cloakmadeofcopper,andledhimtoabigroomwhereseveral
younghe-dragonsandshe-dragonsweredancingtogether.Here,
too,wastheFlowerQueen'sbeautifuldaughter.Herdresswas
wovenoutofthemostlovelyflowersintheworld,andher
complexionwaslikeliliesandroses.AsthePrincewasdancing
withherhemanagedtowhisperinherear,'Ihavecometoset
youfree!
'
Thenthebeautifulgirlsaidtohim,'Ifyousucceedinbringing
themarebacksafelythethirdday,asktheMotherDragontogive
youafoalofthemareasareward.'
Theballcametoanendatmidnight,andearlynextmorningthe
PrinceagainledtheMotherDragon'smareoutintothemeadow.
Butagainshevanishedbeforehiseyes.Thenhetookouthis
littlebellandrangittwice.
InamomenttheKingoftheFoxesstoodbeforehimandsaid:
'I
knowalreadywhatyouwant,andwillsummonallthefoxesofthe
worldtogethertofindthemarewhohashiddenherselfina
hill.'
WiththesewordstheKingoftheFoxesdisappeared,andinthe
eveningmanythousandfoxesbroughtthemaretothePrince.
ThenherodehometotheMother-Dragon,fromwhomhereceived
thistimeacloakmadeofsilver,andagainsheledhimtothe
ball-room.
TheFlowerQueen'sdaughterwasdelightedtoseehimsafeand
sound,andwhentheyweredancingtogethershewhisperedinhis
ear:
'Ifyousucceedagainto-morrow,waitformewiththefoal
inthemeadow.Aftertheballwewillflyawaytogether.'
OnthethirddaythePrinceledthemaretothemeadowagain;but
oncemoreshevanishedbeforehiseyes.ThenthePrincetookout
hislittlebellandrangitthreetimes.
InamomenttheKingoftheFishesappeared,andsaidtohim:
'I
knowquitewellwhatyouwantmetodo,andIwillsummonallthe
fishesoftheseatogether,andtellthemtobringyoubackthe
mare,whoishidingherselfinariver.'
Towardseveningthemarewasreturnedtohim,andwhenheledher
hometotheMotherDragonshesaidtohim:
'Youareabraveyouth,andIwillmakeyoumybody-servant.But
whatshallIgiveyouasarewardtobeginwith?
'
ThePrincebeggedforafoalofthemare,whichtheMotherDragon
atoncegavehim,andoverandabove,acloakmadeofgold,for
shehadfalleninlovewithhimbecausehehadpraisedher
beauty.
Sointheeveningheappearedattheballinhisgoldencloak;
butbeforetheentertainmentwasoverheslippedaway,andwent
straighttothestables,wherehemountedhisfoalandrodeout
intothemeadowtowaitfortheFlowerQueen'sdaughter.Towards
midnightthebeautifulgirlappeared,andplacingherinfrontof
himonhishorse,thePrinceandsheflewlikethewindtillthey
reachedtheFlowerQueen'sdwelling.Butthedragonshadnoticed
theirflight,andwoketheirbrotheroutofhisyear'ssleep.He
flewintoaterribleragewhenheheardwhathadhappened,and
determine