The Blue Fairy Book
agreed to meet his brothers, but they came soon after, and stared in
amazement when they saw the wooden horse in the courtyard jumping like a
hunter.
The Prince met them joyfully, and they began to tell him all their
adventures; but he managed to hide from them what he had been doing, and
even led them to think that a turnspit dog which he had with him was the
one he was bringing for the King. Fond as they all were of one another,
the two eldest could not help being glad to think that their dogs
certainly had a better chance. The next morning they started in the same
chariot. The elder brothers carried in baskets two such tiny, fragile
dogs that they hardly dared to touch them. As for the turnspit, he ran
after the chariot, and got so covered with mud that one could hardly see
what he was like at all. When they reached the palace everyone crowded
round to welcome them as they went into the King’s great hall; and when
the two brothers presented their little dogs nobody could decide which
was the prettier. They were already arranging between themselves to
share the kingdom equally, when the youngest stepped forward, drawing
from his pocket the acorn the White Cat had given him. He opened it
quickly, and there upon a white cushion they saw a dog so small that it
could easily have been put through a ring. The Prince laid it upon the
ground, and it got up at once and began to dance. The King did not know
what to say, for it was impossible that anything could be prettier than
this little creature. Nevertheless, as he was in no hurry to part with
his crown, he told his sons that, as they had been so successful the
first time, he would ask them to go once again, and seek by land and sea
for a piece of muslin so fine that it could be drawn through the eye of
a needle. The brothers were not very willing to set out again, but
the two eldest consented because it gave them another chance, and they
started as before. The youngest again mounted the wooden horse, and rode
back at full speed to his beloved White Cat. Every door of the castle
stood wide open, and every window and turret was illuminated, so it
looked more wonderful than before. The hands hastened to meet him, and
led the wooden horse off to the stable, while he hurried in to find the
White Cat. She was asleep in a little basket on a white satin cushion,
but she very soon started up when she heard the Prince, and was
overjoyed at seeing him once more.
“How could I hope that you would come back to me King’s son?” she said.
And then he stroked and petted her, and told her of his successful
journey, and how he had come back to ask her help, as he believed that
it was impossible to find what the King demanded. The White Cat looked
serious, and said she must think what was to be done, but that, luckily,
there were some cats in the castle who could spin very well, and if
anybody could manage it they could, and she would set them the task
herself.
And then the hands appeared carrying torches, and conducted the Prince
and the White Cat to a long gallery which overlooked the river, from
the windows of which they saw a magnificent display of fireworks of all
sorts; after which they had supper, which the Prince liked even better
than the fireworks, for it was very late, and he was hungry after his
long ride. And so the days passed quickly as before; it was impossible
to feel dull with the White Cat, and she had quite a talent for
inventing new amusements--indeed, she was cleverer than a cat has any
right to be. But when the Prince asked her how it was that she was so
wise, she only said:
“King’s son, do not ask me; guess what you please. I may not tell you
anything.”
The Prince was so happy that he did not trouble himself at all about the
time, but presently the White Cat told him that the year was gone, and
that he need not be at all anxious about the piece of muslin, as they
had made it very well.
“This time,” she added, “I can give you a suitable escort”; and on
looking out into the courtyard the Prince saw a superb chariot of
burnished gold, enameled in flame color with a thousand different
devices. It was drawn by twelve snow-white horses, harnessed four
abreast; their trappings were flame-colored velvet, embroidered with
diamonds. A hundred chariots followed, each drawn by eight horses,
and filled with officers in splendid uniforms, and a thousand guards
surrounded the procession. “Go!” said the White Cat, “and when you
appear before the King in such state he surely will not refuse you the
crown which you deserve. Take this walnut, but do not open it until you
are before him, then you will find in it the piece of stuff you asked me
for.”
“Lovely Blanchette,” said the Prince, “how can I thank you properly for
all your kindness to me? Only tell me that you wish it, and I will
give up for ever all thought of being king, and will stay here with you
always.”
“King’s son,” she replied, “it shows the goodness of your heart that you
should care so much for a little white cat, who is good for nothing but
to catch mice; but you must not stay.”
So the Prince kissed her little paw and set out. You can imagine how
fast he traveled when I tell you that they reached the King’s palace in
just half the time it had taken the wooden horse to get there. This time
the Prince was so late that he did not try to meet his brothers at their
castle, so they thought he could not be coming, and were rather glad of
it, and displayed their pieces of muslin to the King proudly, feeling
sure of success. And indeed the stuff was very fine, and would go
through the eye of a very large needle; but the King, who was only too
glad to make a difficulty, sent for a particular needle, which was kept
among the Crown jewels, and had such a small eye that everybody saw at
once that it was impossible that the muslin should pass through it. The
Princes were angry, and were beginning to complain that it was a trick,
when suddenly the trumpets sounded and the youngest Prince came in. His
father and brothers were quite astonished at his magnificence, and after
he had greeted them he took the walnut from his pocket and opened it,
fully expecting to find the piece of muslin, but instead there was only
a hazel-nut. He cracked it, and there lay a cherry-stone. Everybody was
looking on, and the King was chuckling to himself at the idea of finding
the piece of muslin in a nutshell.
However, the Prince cracked the cherry-stone, but everyone laughed when
he saw it contained only its own kernel. He opened that and found a
grain of wheat, and in that was a millet seed. Then he himself began to
wonder, and muttered softly:
“White Cat, White Cat, are you making fun of me?”
In an instant he felt a cat’s claw give his hand quite a sharp scratch,
and hoping that it was meant as an encouragement he opened the millet
seed, and drew out of it a piece of muslin four hundred ells long, woven
with the loveliest colors and most wonderful patterns; and when the
needle was brought it went through the eye six times with the greatest
ease! The King turned pale, and the other Princes stood silent and
sorrowful, for nobody could deny that this was the most marvelous piece
of muslin that was to be found in the world.
Presently the King turned to his sons, and said, with a deep sigh:
“Nothing could console me more in my old age than to realize your
willingness to gratify my wishes. Go then once more, and whoever at the
end of a year can bring back the loveliest princess shall be married
to her, and shall, without further delay, receive the crown, for my
successor must certainly be married.” The Prince considered that he had
earned the kingdom fairly twice over but still he was too well bred
to argue about it, so he just went back to his gorgeous chariot, and,
surrounded by his escort, returned to the White Cat faster than he had
come. This time she was expecting him, the path was strewn with flowers,
and a thousand braziers were burning scented woods which perfumed the
air. Seated in a gallery from which she could see his arrival, the White
Cat waited for him. “Well, King’s son,” she said, “here you are once
more, without a crown.” “Madam,” said he, “thanks to your generosity I
have earned one twice over; but the fact is that my father is so loth to
part with it that it would be no pleasure to me to take it.”
“Never mind,” she answered, “it’s just as well to try and deserve it. As
you must take back a lovely princess with you next time I will be on
the look-out for one for you. In the meantime let us enjoy ourselves;
to-night I have ordered a battle between my cats and the river rats on
purpose to amuse you.” So this year slipped away even more pleasantly
than the preceding ones. Sometimes the Prince could not help asking the
White Cat how it was she could talk.
“Perhaps you are a fairy,” he said. “Or has some enchanter changed you
into a cat?”
But she only gave him answers that told him nothing. Days go by so
quickly when one is very happy that it is certain the Prince would never
have thought of its being time to go back, when one evening as they sat
together the White Cat said to him that if he wanted to take a lovely
princess home with him the next day he must be prepared to do what she
told him.
“Take this sword,” she said, “and cut off my head!”
“I!” cried the Prince, “I cut off your head! Blanchette darling, how
could I do it?”
“I entreat you to do as I tell you, King’s son,” she replied.
The tears came into the Prince’s eyes as he begged her to ask him
anything but that--to set him any task she pleased as a proof of his
devotion, but to spare him the grief of killing his dear Pussy. But
nothing he could say altered her determination, and at last he drew his
sword, and desperately, with a trembling hand, cut off the little white
head. But imagine his astonishment and delight when suddenly a lovely
princess stood before him, and, while he was still speechless with
amazement, the door opened and a goodly company of knights and ladies
entered, each carrying a cat’s skin! They hastened with every sign of
joy to the Princess, kissing her hand and congratulating her on being
once more restored to her natural shape. She received them graciously,
but after a few minutes begged that they would leave her alone with the
Prince, to whom she said:
“You see, Prince, that you were right in supposing me to be no ordinary
cat. My father reigned over six kingdoms. The Queen, my mother, whom he
loved dearly, had a passion for traveling and exploring, and when I
was only a few weeks old she obtained his permission to visit a certain
mountain of which she had heard many marvelous tales, and set out,
taking with her a number of her attendants. On the way they had to pass
near an old castle belonging to the fairies. Nobody had ever been into
it, but it was reported to be full of the most wonderful things, and
my mother remembered to have heard that the fairies had in their garden
such fruits as were to be seen and tasted nowhere else. She began to
wish to try them for herself, and turned her steps in the direction of
the garden. On arriving at the door, which blazed with gold and jewels,
she ordered her servants to knock loudly, but it was useless; it seemed
as if all the inhabitants of the castle must be asleep or dead. Now the
more difficult it became to obtain the fruit, the more the Queen was
determined that have it she would. So she ordered that they should bring
ladders, and get over the wall into the garden; but though the wall did
not look very high, and they tied the ladders together to make them very
long, it was quite impossible to get to the top.
“The Queen was in despair, but as night was coming on she ordered
that they should encamp just where they were, and went to bed herself,