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028 - Prince Darling · Blue Fairy Book

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Prince Darling of the Blue Fairy Book. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Avery. Once upon a time there lived a
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  Speaker 1: king who was so just and kind that his subjects
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  Speaker 1: called him the Good King. It happened one day when
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  Speaker 1: he was out hunting, that a little white rabbit, which
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: his dogs were chasing away, sprang into his arms for shelter.
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  Speaker 1: The king stroked it gently and said to it, well, bunny,
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  Speaker 1: as you have come to me for protection, I will
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  Speaker 1: see that nobody hurts you. And he took it home
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  Speaker 1: to his palace and had it put in a pretty
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  Speaker 1: little house with all sorts of nice things to eat.
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  Speaker 1: That night, when he was alone in his room, a
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  Speaker 1: beautiful lady suddenly appeared before him. Her long dress was
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  Speaker 1: as white as snow, and she had a crown of
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  Speaker 1: white roses upon her head. The Good King was very
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  Speaker 1: much surprised to see her, for he knew his door
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  Speaker 1: had been tightly shut, and he could not think how
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  Speaker 1: she had got in. But she said to him, I
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  Speaker 1: am the fairy truth. I was passing through the wood
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  Speaker 1: when you were out hunting, and I wished to see
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  Speaker 1: if you were really good as everybody said you were.
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  Speaker 1: So I took the shape of a little rabbit to
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  Speaker 1: come to your arms for shelter. For I knew that
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  Speaker 1: those who are merciful to animals will be still kinder
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  Speaker 1: to their fellow men. If you had refused to help me,
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  Speaker 1: I should have been certain that you were wicked. I
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  Speaker 1: thank you for the kindness you have shown me, which
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  Speaker 1: has made me your friend forever. You have only to
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  Speaker 1: ask me anything you want, and I promise that I
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  Speaker 1: will give it to you, Madam, said the Good King.
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  Speaker 1: Since you are a fairy, you no doubt know all
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  Speaker 1: my wishes. I have but one son, whom I love
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  Speaker 1: very dearly. That is why he is called Prince Darling.
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  Speaker 1: If you are really good enough to wish to do
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  Speaker 1: me a favor, I beg that you will become his
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  Speaker 1: friend with all my heart, answered the fairy. I can
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  Speaker 1: make your son the handsomest prince in the world, or
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  Speaker 1: the richest or the most powerful. Choose whichever you like
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  Speaker 1: for him. I do not ask either of these things,
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  Speaker 1: for my son, replied the Good King. But if you
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  Speaker 1: will make him the best of princes. I shall indeed
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  Speaker 1: be grateful to you. What good would it do to
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  Speaker 1: him to be rich or handsome, or to possess all
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  Speaker 1: the kingdoms of the world. If he were wicked, You
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  Speaker 1: know well he would still be unhappy. Only a good
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  Speaker 1: man can be really contented. You are quite right, answered
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  Speaker 1: the fairy. But it is not my power to make
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  Speaker 1: Prince Darling a good man unless he will help me.
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  Speaker 1: He must himself try hard to become good. I can
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  Speaker 1: only promise to give him good advice, to scold him
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  Speaker 1: for his faults, and to punish him if he will
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  Speaker 1: not correct and punish himself. The Good King was quite
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  Speaker 1: satisfied with this promise, and very soon afterward he died.
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  Speaker 1: Prince Darling was very sorry. Forely, he loved his father
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  Speaker 1: with all his heart, and he would willingly have given
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  Speaker 1: all his kingdoms and all his treasures of gold and
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  Speaker 1: silver if they could have kept the Good King with him.
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  Speaker 1: Two days afterward, when the prince had gone to bed,
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  Speaker 1: the fairy suddenly appeared to him and said, I promised
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  Speaker 1: your father that I would be your friend, and to
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  Speaker 1: keep my word, I have come to bring you a present.
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  Speaker 1: At the same time, she put a little gold ring
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  Speaker 1: upon his finger. Take great care of this ring, she said,
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  Speaker 1: it is more precious than diamonds. Every time you do
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  Speaker 1: a bad deed, it will prick your finger. But if
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  Speaker 1: in spite of its pricking you go on your own
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  Speaker 1: evil way, you will lose my friendship, and I shall
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  Speaker 1: become your enemy. So saying, the fairy disappeared, leaving Prince
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  Speaker 1: Darling very much astonished. For some time, he behaved so
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  Speaker 1: well that the ring never pricked him, and that he
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  Speaker 1: was so contented that his subject called him Prince Darling
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  Speaker 1: the Happy. One day, however, he went out hunting but
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  Speaker 1: could get no sport, which put him in a very
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  Speaker 1: bad temper. It seemed to him, as he rode along
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  Speaker 1: that his ring was pressing into his finger, but as
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  Speaker 1: it did not prick him, he did not heed it.
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  Speaker 1: When he got home and went to his own room,
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  Speaker 1: his little dog Bibi ran to meet him, jumping round
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  Speaker 1: him with pleasure. Get Away, said the Prince gruffly, I
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  Speaker 1: don't want you. You are in the way. The poor
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  Speaker 1: little dog, who didn't understand this at all, pulled at
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  Speaker 1: his coat to make him at least look at her,
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  Speaker 1: and this made Prince Darling so cross that he gave
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  Speaker 1: her quite a hard kick. Instantly, his ring pricked him sharply,
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  Speaker 1: as it had been a pin. He was very much surprised,
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  Speaker 1: and sat down in a corner of his room, feeling
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  Speaker 1: quite ashamed of himself. I believe the fairy is laughing
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  Speaker 1: at me, he thought. Surely I can have done no
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  Speaker 1: great wrong in just kicking a tiresome animal. What is
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  Speaker 1: the good of my being ruler of a great kingdom
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  Speaker 1: if I am not even allowed to beat my own dog.
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  Speaker 1: I am not making fun of you, said a voice,
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  Speaker 1: answering Prince Darling's thoughts. You have committed three faults. First
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  Speaker 1: of all, you were out of temper because you could
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  Speaker 1: not have what you wanted, and you thought all men
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  Speaker 1: and animals were only made to do your pleasure. Then
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  Speaker 1: you were really angry, which is very naughty indeed. And lastly,
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  Speaker 1: you were cruel to a poor little animal who did
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  Speaker 1: not in the least deserve to be ill treated. I
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  Speaker 1: know you are far above a little dog. But if
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: it were right and allowable that great people should ill
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  Speaker 1: treat all those who were beneath them, I might at
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  Speaker 1: this moment beat you or kill you for a fairy
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: is greater than a man. The advantage of possessing a
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  Speaker 1: great empire is not to be able to do the
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  Speaker 1: evil that one desires, but to do all the good
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  Speaker 1: that one possibly can. The prince saw how naughty he
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  Speaker 1: had been, and promised to try and do better in
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  Speaker 1: the future, but he did not keep his word. The
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  Speaker 1: fact was he had been brought up by a foolish
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  Speaker 1: nurse who had spoiled him when he was little. If
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  Speaker 1: he wanted anything, he only had to cry and fret
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  Speaker 1: and stamp his feet, and she would give him whatever
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  Speaker 1: he asked for, which had made him self willed. Also,
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  Speaker 1: she had told him from morning to night that he
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  Speaker 1: would one day be a king, and that kings were
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  Speaker 1: very happy because everyone was bound to obey and respect them,
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  Speaker 1: and no one could prevent them from doing just as
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  Speaker 1: they wanted. When the prince grew old enough to understand,
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: he soon learned that there could be nothing worse than
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  Speaker 1: to be proud, obstinate, and conceited. And he had really
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  Speaker 1: tried to cure himself of these deans effects, but by
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  Speaker 1: that time all his faults had become habits, and a
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  Speaker 1: bad habit is very hard to get rid of. Not
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  Speaker 1: that he was naturally of a bad disposition. He was
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  Speaker 1: truly sorry when he had been naughty, and said, I
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  Speaker 1: am very unhappy to have to struggle against my anger
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  Speaker 1: and pride every day. If I had been punished for
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  Speaker 1: them when I was little, they would not be such
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  Speaker 1: a trouble to me now. His ring pricked him very often,
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  Speaker 1: but sometimes he left off what he was doing at once,
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  Speaker 1: but at other times he would not attend to it.
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  Speaker 1: Strangely enough, it gave him only a slight prink for
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  Speaker 1: trifling fault, but when he was really naughty, it made
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  Speaker 1: his finger actually bleed. At last, he got tired of
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  Speaker 1: being constantly reminded and wanted to be able to do
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  Speaker 1: as he liked, So he threw his ring aside and
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  Speaker 1: thought himself the happiest of men to have got rid
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  Speaker 1: of its teasing pricks. He gave himself up to doing
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  Speaker 1: every foolish thing that occurred to him, until he became
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  Speaker 1: quite wicked, and nobody could like him any longer. One day,
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  Speaker 1: when the prince was walking about, he saw a young
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  Speaker 1: girl who was so very pretty that he made up
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  Speaker 1: his mind at once that he would marry her. Her
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  Speaker 1: name was Celia, and she was as good as she
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  Speaker 1: was beautiful. Prince Darling fancied that Celia would think herself
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  Speaker 1: only too happy if he offered to make her a
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  Speaker 1: great queen, but she said fearlessly, Sire, I am only
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  Speaker 1: a shepherdess and a poor girl. But nevertheless I will
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  Speaker 1: not marry you. Do you dislike me? Asked the Prince,
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  Speaker 1: who was very much vexed at this answer. No, my Prince,
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  Speaker 1: replied Celia, I cannot help thinking you very handsome, But
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  Speaker 1: what good would riches be to me, and all the
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  Speaker 1: grand dresses and splendid carriages that you would give me
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  Speaker 1: if the bad deeds which I should see you do
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  Speaker 1: every day made me hate and despise you. The Prince
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  Speaker 1: was very angry at this speech, and commanded his officers
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  Speaker 1: to make Celia a prisoner and carry her off to
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  Speaker 1: his palace all day long. The remembrance of what she
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  Speaker 1: had said annoyed him, but as he loved her, he
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  Speaker 1: could not make up his mind to have her punished.
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  Speaker 1: One of the Prince's favorite companions was his foster brother,
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  Speaker 1: whom he trusted entirely, But he was not at all
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  Speaker 1: a good man and gave Prince Darling very bad advice
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  Speaker 1: and encouraged him in all his evil ways. When he
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  Speaker 1: saw the Prince so downcast, he asked what was the matter,
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  Speaker 1: And when he explained that he could not bear Celia's
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  Speaker 1: bad opinion of him, and one was resolved to be
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  Speaker 1: a better man in order to please her, this evil
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  Speaker 1: adviser said to him, you are very kind to trouble
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  Speaker 1: yourself about this little girl. If I were you, I
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  Speaker 1: would soon make her obey me. Remember that you are
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  Speaker 1: a king, and that it would be laughable to see
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  Speaker 1: you trying to please a shepherdess who ought to be
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  Speaker 1: only too glad to be one of your slaves. Keep
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  Speaker 1: her in prison and feed her on bread and water
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  Speaker 1: for a little while, and then if she still says
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  Speaker 1: she will not marry, you have her head cut off
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  Speaker 1: to teach other people that you mean to be obeyed. Why,
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  Speaker 1: if you cannot make a girl like that do as
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  Speaker 1: you wish. Your subjects will soon forget that they are
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  Speaker 1: only put on this world for our pleasure. But said
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  Speaker 1: Prince Darling, would it not be a shame if I
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  Speaker 1: had an innocent girl put to death? For Celia has
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  Speaker 1: done nothing to deserve punishment. If people will not do
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  Speaker 1: as you tell them they ought to suffer for it,
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  Speaker 1: answered his foster brother, but even if it were unjust,
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  Speaker 1: you had better be accused of that by your subjects
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  Speaker 1: than that they should find out that they may insult
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  Speaker 1: and thwart you as soon as they please. In saying this,
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  Speaker 1: he was touching a weak point in his brother's character,
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  Speaker 1: for the prince's fear of losing any of his power
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  Speaker 1: made him at once abandon his first idea of trying
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  Speaker 1: to be good, and resolved to try and frighten the
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  Speaker 1: Shepherdess into consenting to marry him. His foster brother, who
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  Speaker 1: wanted him to keep this resolution, invited three young courtiers
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  Speaker 1: as wicked as himself to sup with the prince, and
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  Speaker 1: they persuaded him to drink a great deal of wine
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  Speaker 1: and continued to excite his anger against Celia by telling
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  Speaker 1: him that she had laughed at his love for her,
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  Speaker 1: until at last, in quite a furious rage, he rushed
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  Speaker 1: off to find her, declaring that if she still refused
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  Speaker 1: to marry him, she should be sold as a slave
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  Speaker 1: the very next day. But when he reached the room
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  Speaker 1: in which Celia had been locked up, he was greatly
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  Speaker 1: surprised to find that she was not in it, though
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: he had the key in his own pocket all the time.
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: His anger was terrible, and he vowed vengeance against whoever
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  Speaker 1: had helped her escape. His bad friends, when they heard him,
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  Speaker 1: resolved to turn his wrath upon an old nobleman who
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  Speaker 1: had formerly been his tutor, and who still dared sometimes
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  Speaker 1: to tell the Prince of his faults, for he loved
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  Speaker 1: him as if he had been his own son. At first,
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  Speaker 1: Prince Darling had thanked him, but after a time he
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  Speaker 1: grew impatient and thought it must be just mere love
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  Speaker 1: of fault finding that made his old tutor blame him
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  Speaker 1: when everyone else was praising and flattering him. So he
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  Speaker 1: ordered him to retire from his court, though he still
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  Speaker 1: from time to time spoke of him as a worthy
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  Speaker 1: man whom he respected, even if he no longer loved him.
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  Speaker 1: His unworthy friends feared that he might some day take
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  Speaker 1: it into his head to recall his old tutor, so
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  Speaker 1: they thought now a good opportunity of getting him banished forever.
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  Speaker 1: They reported to the Prince that Suliman, for that was
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  Speaker 1: the tutor's name, had boasted of having helped Celia to escape,
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  Speaker 1: and they bribed three men to say that Suliman himself
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  Speaker 1: had told them about it. The Prince Great Anger sent
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: his foster brother with a number of soldiers to bring
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  Speaker 1: his tutor before him in chains like a criminal. After
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  Speaker 1: giving this order, he went to his own room, But
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: he had scarcely got into it when there was a
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: clap of thunder which made the ground shake, and the
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: fairy Truth appeared suddenly before him. I promised your father,
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: said she sternly, to give you good advice, and to
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: punish you if you refuse to follow it. You have
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  Speaker 1: despised my counsel and have gone your own evil way,
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  Speaker 1: until you are not outwardly a man. Really you are
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  Speaker 1: a monster, the horror of every one who knows you.
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  Speaker 1: It is time that I should fulfill my promise and
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  Speaker 1: begin your punishment. I condemn you to resemble the animals
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  Speaker 1: whose ways you have imitated. You have made yourself like
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  Speaker 1: the lion by your anger, and like the wolf by
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: your greediness. Like a snake, you have ungratefully turned upon
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  Speaker 1: those who would be a second father to you. Your
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: cheerlishness has made you a bull. Therefore, in your new form,
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: take the appearance of all these animals. The fairy has
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: scarcely finished speaking, when the Prince Darling saw to his
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: horror that her words were fulfilled. He had a lion's head,
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: a bull's horns, a wolf's feet, and a snake's body.
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: At the same instance, he found himself in a great
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: forest beside a clear lake, in which he could see
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: plainly the horrible creature he had become, and a voice
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: said to him, look carefully at the state to which
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: your wickedness has brought you. Believe me, your soul is
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: a thousand times more hideous than your body. Prince Darling
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: recognized the voice of the fairy Truth, and turned in
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  Speaker 1: a fury to catch her and eat her up if
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: he possibly could, But he saw no one, and the
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  Speaker 1: same voice went on, I laugh at your powerlessness and anger,
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  Speaker 1: and I intend to punish your pride by letting you
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: fall into the hands of your own subjects. The Prince
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: began to think that the best thing he could do
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: would be to get as far away from the lake
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: as he could. Then at least he would not be
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: continually reminded of his terrible ugliness. So he ran toward
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: the wood. But before he had gone many yards, he
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: fell into a deep pit which had been made to
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: trap bears, and the hunters, who were hiding in a tree,
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: leaped down and secured him with so several chains, and
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: led him into the chief city of his own kingdom.
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: On the way, instead of recognizing that his own faults
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: had brought this punishment upon him, he accused the fairy
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: of being the cause of all his misfortunes, and bit
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: and toward his chains furiously. As they approached the town,
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: he saw that some great rejoicing was being held, and
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: when the hunters asked what had happened, they were told
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: that the prince, whose only pleasure it was to torment
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: his people, had been found in his room, killed by
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: a thunderbolt. For that was what had supposed to become
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: of him. Four of his courtiers, those who had encouraged
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: him in his wicked doings, had tried to seize the
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: kingdom and divide it between them. But the people, who
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: knew it was their bad counsels which had so changed
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: their prince, had cut off their heads and had offered
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: the crown to Sulman, whom the prince had left in prison.
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: This noble lord had just been crowned, and the deliverance
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: of the kingdom was the cause of the rejoicing, for
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: they said, he is a good and just man, and
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: we shall once more enjoy peace and prosperity. Prince Darling
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: roared with anger when he heard this, but it was
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: still worse for him. When he reached the great square
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: before his own palace, he saw Solomon seated upon a
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: magnificent throne, and all the people crowded around him, wishing
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: him a long life that he might undo all the
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: mischief done by his predecessor. Presently, Solomon made a sign
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: with his hand that the people should be silent, and said,
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: I have accepted the crown you have offered me, but
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: only that I may keep it for Prince Darling, who
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: was not dead as you suppose. The fairy has assured
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: me that there is still hope that you may one
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  Speaker 1: day see him again, good and virtuous as he was
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: when he first came to the throne, alas he continued,
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: he was led away by flatterers. I knew his heart,
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: and I am certain that if it had not been
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: for the bad influence on those who surrounded him, he
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: would have been a good king and a father to
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: his people. We may hate his faults, but let us
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: pity him and hope for his restoration. As for me,
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: I would die gladly if that would bring back our
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: prince to reign justly and worthily. Once more, these words
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: went to Prince Darling's heart. He realized the true affection
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: and faithfulness of it his old tutor, and for the
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: first time, reproached himself for all his evil ways. At
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: the same instant, he felt his anger melting away, and
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: began quickly to think over his past life and to
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: admit that his punishment was not more than he had deserved.
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: He left off tearing at the iron bars of the
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: cage in which he was shut up, and became as
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: gentle as a lamb. The hunters who had caught him
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: took him to a great menagerie, from where he was
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: chained up among the other wild beasts, and he was
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: determined to show his sorrow for his past bad behavior
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: by being gentle and obedient to the man who had
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: to take care of him. Unfortunately, this man was very
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: rough and unkind, and though the poor monster was quite quiet,
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: he often beat him without rhyme or reason when he
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: happened to be in a bad temper. One day, when
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: this keeper was asleep, a tiger broke its chain and
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: flew at him to eat him up. Prince Darling, who
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: saw that this was going on, at first felt quite
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: pleased to think that he should soon be delivered from
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: his persecutor, but soon thought better of it and wished
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: that he were free. I would return good for evil,
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: he said to himself, and saved the unhappy man's life.
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: He had hardly wished this when his iron cage flew open,
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: and he rushed to the side of the keeper, who
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: was awake and was defending himself against the tiger. When
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: he saw the monster had got out, he gave himself
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: up for lost, but his fear was soon changed into joy,
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: for the kind monster flew itself upon the tiger and
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: very soon killed it, and then came and crouched at
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: the feet of the man it had saved. Overcome with gratitude,
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: the keeper stood to caress the strange creature, which had
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: done him such a great service. But suddenly a voice
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: said in his ear, a good action should never go unrewarded,
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: And at the same instant the monster disappeared, and he
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: saw at his feet only a pretty little dog. Prince
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: Darling delighted by this change, frisked about the keeper, showing
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: his joy in every way he could, and the man,
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: taking him up in his arms, carried him to the king,
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: to whom he told the whole story. The queen said
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: that she would like to have this wonderful little dog,
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: and the prince would have been very happy in his
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: new home if he could have forgot that he was
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: a man and a king. The queen petted and took
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: care of him, but she was so afraid that he
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: would get too fat that she consulted the court physician,
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: who said that he was to be fed only upon bread,
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: and was not to have much even of that. So
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: poor Prince Darling was terribly hungry all day long, but
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: he was very patient about it. One day, when they
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: gave him his little loaf for breakfast, he thought he
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: would like to eat it out in the garden, so
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: he took it up in his mouth and trotted away
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: towards a brook he knew of a long way from
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: the palace, But he was surprised to find that the
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: brook was gone, and where it had been stood a
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: great house that seemed to be built of gold and
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: precious stones. Numbers of people splendidly dressed were going into it,
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: and sounds of music and dancing and feasting could be
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: seen from the windows. But what seemed very strange was
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: that those people who came out of the house were
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: pale and thin, and their clothes were torn and hanging
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: in rags about them. Some fell down dead as they
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: came out, before they had time to get away. Others
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: crawled farther with great difficulty, while others lit again on
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: the ground, fainting with hunger, and begged a morsel of
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: bread from those who were going into the house, But
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: they would not so much as look at the poor creatures.
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: Prince Darling went up to a young girl who was
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: trying to eat a few blades of grass. She was
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: so hungry. Touched with compassion, he said to himself, I
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: am very hungry, but I shall not die of starvation
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: before I get to my dinner. If I give my
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: breakfast to this poor creature, perhaps I may save her life.
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: So he laid his piece of bread in the girl's
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: hand and saw her eat it up eagerly. She soon
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: seemed to be quite well again, and the Prince, delighted
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: to have been able to help her was thinking of
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: going home to the palace when he heard a great outcry, and,
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: turning around, saw Celia, who was being carried against her
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: will into the Great House for the first time. The
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: Prince regretted that he was no longer the monster. Then
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: he would have been able to rescue Celia. Now he
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: could only bark feebly at the people who were carrying
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: her off and try to follow them, but they chased
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: and kicked him away. He determined not to quit the
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: place till he knew what had become of Celia, and
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: blamed himself for what had befallen her. Alas he said
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: to himself, I am furious with the people that are
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: carrying Celia off, But isn't that exactly what I did myself?
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: And had I not been prevented, did I not intend
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: to be still more cruel to her? Here he was
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: interrupted by a noise above his head. Some one was
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: opening a window, and he saw with delight that it
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: was Celia herself, who came forward and threw out a
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: plate of most delicious looking food. Then the window was
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: shut again, and the Prince Darling, who had not had
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: anything to eat all day, thought he might as well
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: take the opportunity of getting something, He ran forward again,
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: but the young girl to whom he had given his
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: bread gave a cry of terror and took him up
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: in her arms, saying, don't touch it, my poor little dog.
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: That house is the palace of pleasure, and everything that
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: comes out of it is poisoned. At the same moment,
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: a voice said, you see, a good action always brings
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: its reward, and the prince found himself changed into a
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: beautiful white dove. He remembered that white was the favorite
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: color of the fairy Truth, and began to hope that
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: he might at last win back her favor. But just
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: now his first care was for Celia, and rising into
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: the air, he flew round and round the house until
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: he saw an open window. But he searched through every
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: room in vain. No trace of Celia was to be seen,
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: and the prince, in despair, determined to search through the
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: world till he found her. He flew on and on
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: for several days till he came to a great desert
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: where he saw a cavern, and to his delight, there
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: sat Celia, sharing the simple breakfast of an old hermit.
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: Overjoyed to have found her, prince darling perched upon her shoulder,
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: trying to express by his caresses how glad he was
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: to see her again. And Celia, surprised and delighted by
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: the tameness of this pretty white dove, stroked it softly
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: and said, though she never thought of its understanding her,
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: I accept the gift that you made me of yourself,
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: and I will love you. Always take care what you
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: are saying, Celia, said the old hermit. Are you prepared
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: to keep that promise? Indeed, I hope so, my sweet shepherdess,
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: cried out the prince, who was that moment restored to
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: his natural shape. You promise to love me. Always tell
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: me that you really mean what you said, or I
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: shall have to ask the fairy to give me back
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: the form of the dove which pleased you so much.
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: You need not be afraid that she will change her mind,
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: said the fairy, throwing off the hermit's robe in which
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: she had been disguised and appearing before them. Celia has
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: loved you ever since she first saw you, only she
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: would not tell you while you were so obstinate and naughty.
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: Now you have repented and mean to be good as
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: you deserve to be happy. And so she may love
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: you so much as she likes. Celia and Prince Darling
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: threw themselves at the Fairy's feet, and the Prince was
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: never tired of thanking her for her kindness. Celia was
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: delighted to hear how sorry he was for all his
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: past follies and misdeeds, and promised to love him as
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: long as she lived. Rise, my children, said the fairy,
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: and I will transport you to the palace, and Prince
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: Darling shall have back again the crown he forfeited by
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: his bad behavior. While she was speaking, they found themselves
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: in Suliman's hall, and his the light was great at
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: seeing his dear master once more. He gave up the
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: throne joyfully to the Prince, and remained always the most
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: faithful of his subjects. Celia and Prince Darling reigned for
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: many years, but he was so determined to govern worthily
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: and to do his duty, that his ring, which he
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: took to wearing again, never once pricked him severely. End
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: of Prince Darling