THE FLOWER QUEENS DAUGHTER.docx

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