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017 - The Water-Lily The Gold Spinners · Blue Fairy Book

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  Speaker 1: The Water Lily The Gold Spinners of the Blue Fairy Book.
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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. That l I b r I
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  Speaker 1: v o x dot r G recording by Christie Nook.
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  Speaker 1: The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang The Water Lily,
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  Speaker 1: the Gold Spinners. Once upon a time in a large forest,
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  Speaker 1: there lived an old woman and three maidens. They were
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  Speaker 1: all three beautiful, but the youngest was the fairest. Their
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  Speaker 1: hut was quite hidden by trees, and none saw their beauty,
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  Speaker 1: but the sun by day, and the moon by night,
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  Speaker 1: and the eyes of the stars. The old woman kept
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  Speaker 1: the girls hard at work from morning till night, spinning
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  Speaker 1: gold flax into yarn, and when one distaff was empty,
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  Speaker 1: another was given them, so they had no rest. The
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  Speaker 1: thread had to be fine and even, and when done,
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  Speaker 1: was locked up in a secret chamber by the old woman,
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  Speaker 1: who who twice or thrice every summer, went on a journey.
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  Speaker 1: Before she went, she gave out work for each day
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  Speaker 1: of her absence, and always returned in the night, so
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  Speaker 1: that the girls never saw what she brought back with her.
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  Speaker 1: Neither would she tell them whence the gold flax came,
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  Speaker 1: nor what it was to be used for now. When
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  Speaker 1: the time came round for the old woman to set
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  Speaker 1: out on one of these journeys, she gave each maiden
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  Speaker 1: work for six days, with the usual warning, children, don't
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  Speaker 1: let your eyes wander, and on no account speak to
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  Speaker 1: a man, for if you do, your thread will lose
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  Speaker 1: its brightness, and misfortunes of all kinds will follow. They
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  Speaker 1: laughed at this, off repeated caution, saying to each other,
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  Speaker 1: how can our gold thread lose its brightness? And have
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  Speaker 1: we any chance of speaking to a man? On the
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  Speaker 1: third day after the old woman's departure, a young prince
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  Speaker 1: hunting in the forest got separated from his companions and
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  Speaker 1: completely lost. Weary of seeking his way, he flung himself
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  Speaker 1: down under a tree, leaving his horse to browse at will,
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  Speaker 1: and fell asleep. The sun had set when he awoke,
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  Speaker 1: and began once more to try and find his way
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  Speaker 1: out of the forest. At last he perceived a narrow footpath,
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  Speaker 1: which he eagerly followed, and found that it led him
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  Speaker 1: to a small hut. The maidens, who were sitting at
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  Speaker 1: the door of their hut for coolness saw him approaching,
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  Speaker 1: and the two elder ones were much alarmed, for they
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  Speaker 1: remembered the old woman's warning, but the youngest said, never
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  Speaker 1: before have I seen any one like him. Let me
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  Speaker 1: have one look. They entreated her to come in, but
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  Speaker 1: seeing that she would not, left her, and the prince,
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  Speaker 1: coming up, courteously greeted the maiden and told her he
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  Speaker 1: had lost his way in the forest and was both
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  Speaker 1: hungry and weary. She set food before him and was
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  Speaker 1: so delighted with his conversation that she forgot the old
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  Speaker 1: woman's caution and lingered for hours. In the meantime, the
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  Speaker 1: prince's companion sought him far and wide, but to no purpose,
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  Speaker 1: so they sent two messengers to tell the sad news
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  Speaker 1: to the king, who immediately ordered a regiment of cavalry
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  Speaker 1: and one of infantry to go and look for him.
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  Speaker 1: After three days they found the hut. The prince was
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  Speaker 1: still sitting by the door, and had been so happy
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  Speaker 1: in the maiden's company that the time had seemed like
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  Speaker 1: a single hour. Before leaving, he promised to return and
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  Speaker 1: fetch her to his father's court, where he would make
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  Speaker 1: her his bride. When he had gone, she sat down
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  Speaker 1: to her wheel to make up for lost time, but
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  Speaker 1: was dismayed to find that her thread had lost all
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  Speaker 1: its brightness. Her heart beat fast, and she wept bitterly,
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  Speaker 1: for she remembered the old woman's warning, and knew not
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  Speaker 1: what misfortune might now befall her. The old woman returned
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  Speaker 1: in the night and knew by the tarnished thread what
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  Speaker 1: had happened in her absence. She was furiously angry, and
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  Speaker 1: told the young maiden she had brought down misery both
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  Speaker 1: on herself and on the Prince. The maiden could not rest,
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  Speaker 1: for thinking of this, at last she could bear it
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  Speaker 1: no longer and resolve to seek help from the prince.
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  Speaker 1: As a child, she had learned to understand the speech
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  Speaker 1: of birds, and this was now of great use to her.
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  Speaker 1: For seeing a raven pluming itself on a pine bough,
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  Speaker 1: she cried softly to it, Dear bird, cleverest of all birds,
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  Speaker 1: as well as swiftest unwing, wilt thou help me? How
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  Speaker 1: can I help? Thee asked the raven. She answered, fly
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  Speaker 1: away until thou comest to the splendid town where stands
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  Speaker 1: a king's palace. Seek out the King's son and tell
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  Speaker 1: him that a great misfortune has befallen me. Then she
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  Speaker 1: told the raven how her thread had lost its brightness,
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  Speaker 1: how terribly angry the old woman was, and how she
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  Speaker 1: feared some great disaster. The raven promised faithfully to do
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  Speaker 1: her bidding, and, spreading its wings, flew away. The maiden
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  Speaker 1: now went home and worked hard all day at winding
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  Speaker 1: up the yarn her elder sisters had spun, for the
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  Speaker 1: old woman would let her spin no longer. Toward evening,
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  Speaker 1: she heard the ravens craw craw from the pine tree,
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  Speaker 1: and eagerly hasten thither to hear the answer. By great
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  Speaker 1: good fortune, the raven had found a wind wizard's Sun
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  Speaker 1: in the palace garden, who understood the speech of birds,
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  Speaker 1: and to him he had entrusted the message. When the
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  Speaker 1: Prince heard it, he was very sorrowful and took counsel
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  Speaker 1: with his friends how to free the maiden. Then he
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  Speaker 1: said to the wind wizard Sun, beg the raven to
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  Speaker 1: fly quickly back to the maiden and tell her to
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  Speaker 1: be ready on the ninth night, for then will I
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  Speaker 1: come and fetch her away. The wind wizard Sun did
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  Speaker 1: this and the raven flew so swiftly that it reached
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  Speaker 1: the hut that same evening. The maiden thanked the bird
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  Speaker 1: heartily and went home, telling no one what she had heard.
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  Speaker 1: As the ninth night drew near, she became very unhappy,
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  Speaker 1: for she feared lest some terrible mischance should arise and
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  Speaker 1: ruin all On this night. She crept quietly out of
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  Speaker 1: the house and waited, trembling at some little distance from
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  Speaker 1: the hut. Presently she heard the muffled tramp of horses,
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  Speaker 1: and soon the armed troop appeared, led by the Prince,
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  Speaker 1: who had prudently marked all the trees beforehand in order
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  Speaker 1: to know the way. When he saw the maiden, he
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  Speaker 1: sprang from his horse, lifted her into the saddle, and
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  Speaker 1: then mounting behind, rode homeward. The moon shone so brightly
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  Speaker 1: that they had no difficulty in seeing the marked trees by,
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  Speaker 1: and by the coming of dawn loosened the tongues of
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  Speaker 1: all the birds. And had the the Prince only known
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  Speaker 1: what they were saying, or the maiden been listening, they
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  Speaker 1: might have been spared much sorrow. But they were thinking
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  Speaker 1: only of each other, and when they came out of
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  Speaker 1: the forest. The sun was high in the heavens. Next morning,
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  Speaker 1: when the youngest girl did not come to her work,
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  Speaker 1: the old woman asked where she was. The sisters pretended
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  Speaker 1: not to know, but the old woman easily guessed what
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  Speaker 1: had happened, and, as she was in reality a wicked witch,
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  Speaker 1: determined to punish the fugitives. Accordingly, she collected nine different
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  Speaker 1: kinds of enchanter's nightshade, added some salt, which she first bewitched,
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  Speaker 1: and doing all up in a cloth into the shape
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  Speaker 1: of a fluffy ball, scented after them on the wings
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  Speaker 1: of the wind, saying, Whirlwind, mother of the wind, lend
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  Speaker 1: thy aid against her who sinned carry with thee. This
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  Speaker 1: magic ball cast her from his arms forever bury her
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  Speaker 1: in the rippling river. At midday, the prince and his
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  Speaker 1: men came to a deep river spanned by so narrow
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  Speaker 1: a bridge that only one rider could cross at a time.
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  Speaker 1: The horse on which the prince and the maiden were
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  Speaker 1: riding had just reached the middle when the magic ball
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  Speaker 1: flew by. The horse in its fright, suddenly reared, and
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  Speaker 1: before anyone could stop it flung the maiden into the
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  Speaker 1: swift current below. The prince tried to jump in after her,
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  Speaker 1: but his men held him back, and in spite of
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  Speaker 1: his struggles, led him home, where for six weeks he
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  Speaker 1: shut himself up in a secret chamber and would neither
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  Speaker 1: eat nor drink, so great was his grief. At last
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  Speaker 1: he became so ill his life was despaired of, and
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  Speaker 1: in great alarm, the king caused all the wizards of
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  Speaker 1: his country to be summoned, but none could cure him.
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  Speaker 1: At last, the wind wizard's son said to the king,
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  Speaker 1: send for the old wizard from Finland. He knows more
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  Speaker 1: than all the wizards of your kingdom put together. A
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  Speaker 1: messenger was at once sent to Finland, and a week
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  Speaker 1: later the old wizard himself arrived on the wings of
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  Speaker 1: the wind. Honored king said the wizard, the wind has
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  Speaker 1: blown this illness upon your son, and a magic ball
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  Speaker 1: has snatched away his beloved. This it is which makes
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  Speaker 1: him grieve so constantly. Let the wind blow upon him
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  Speaker 1: that it may blow away his sorrow. Then the king
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  Speaker 1: made his son go out into the wind, and he
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  Speaker 1: gradually recovered and told his father all forget the maiden,
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  Speaker 1: said the king, and take another bride. But the prince
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  Speaker 1: said he could never love another a year afterward, he
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  Speaker 1: came suddenly upon the bridge where his beloved met her death.
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  Speaker 1: As he recalled the misfortune, he wept bitterly and would
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  Speaker 1: have given all he possessed to have her once more alive.
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  Speaker 1: In the midst of his grief, he thought he heard
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  Speaker 1: a voice singing, and looked round, but could see no one.
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  Speaker 1: Then he heard the voice again, and it said, alas
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  Speaker 1: bewitched and all forsaken, tis I must lie forever hear,
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  Speaker 1: my beloved, No thought has taken to free his bride,
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  Speaker 1: that was so dear. He was greatly astonished, sprang from
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  Speaker 1: his horse and looked everywhere to see if no one
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  Speaker 1: were hidden under the bridge, but no one was there.
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  Speaker 1: Then he noticed a yellow water lily floating on the
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  Speaker 1: surface of the water, half hidden by its broad leaves.
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  Speaker 1: But flowers do not sing, and in great surprise he waited,
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  Speaker 1: hoping to hear more. Then again the voice sang, alas
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  Speaker 1: bewitched and all forsaken, tis I must lie forever, hear,
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  Speaker 1: my beloved, No thought has taken to free his bride,
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  Speaker 1: that was so dear. The prince suddenly remembered the gold
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  Speaker 1: spinners and said to himself, if I ride thither who knows,
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  Speaker 1: but that they could explain this to me. He at
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  Speaker 1: once rode to the hut and found the two maidens
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  Speaker 1: at the fountain. He told him what had befallen their
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  Speaker 1: sister the year before, and how he had twice heard
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  Speaker 1: a strange song, but yet could see no singer. They
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  Speaker 1: said that the yellow water lily could be none other
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  Speaker 1: than their sister, who was not dead, but transformed by
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  Speaker 1: the magic ball. Before he went to bed, the eldest
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  Speaker 1: made a cake of magic herbs, which she gave him
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  Speaker 1: to eat. In the night, he dreamed that he was
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  Speaker 1: living in the forest and could understand all that the
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  Speaker 1: birds said to each other. Next morning, he told this
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  Speaker 1: to the maidens, and they said that the charmed cake
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  Speaker 1: had caused it, and advised him to listen well to
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  Speaker 1: the birds and see what they could tell him. And
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  Speaker 1: when he had recovered his bride, they begged him to
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  Speaker 1: return and deliver them from their wretched bondage. Having promised this,
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  Speaker 1: he joyfully returned home, and as he was riding through
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  Speaker 1: the forest he could perfectly understand all that the bird said.
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  Speaker 1: He heard a thrush say to a magpie, how stupid
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  Speaker 1: men are? They cannot understand the simplest thing. It is
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  Speaker 1: now quite a year since the maiden was transformed into
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  Speaker 1: a water lily. And though she sings so sadly that
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  Speaker 1: anyone going over the bridge must hear her, yet no
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  Speaker 1: one comes to her, aid her former bridegroom rode over
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  Speaker 1: it a few days ago and heard her singing, but
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  Speaker 1: was no wiser than the rest. And he is to
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  Speaker 1: blame for all her misfortunes, added the magpie. If he
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  Speaker 1: heeds only the words of men, she will remain a
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  Speaker 1: flower forever. She were soon delivered where the matter only
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  Speaker 1: laid before the old Wizard of Finland. After hearing this,
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  Speaker 1: the Prince wondered how he could get a message conveyed
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  Speaker 1: to Finland. He heard one swallow say to another, come
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  Speaker 1: let us fly to Finland. We can build better nests there.
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  Speaker 1: Stop kind friends, the Prince, will you do something for me?
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  Speaker 1: The birds consented, and he said, take a thousand greetings
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  Speaker 1: from me to the Wizard of Finland, and ask him
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  Speaker 1: how I may restore a maiden transformed into a flower
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  Speaker 1: to her own form. The swallows flew away, and the
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  Speaker 1: Prince rode on to the bridge. There he waited, hoping
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  Speaker 1: to hear the song, but he heard nothing but the
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  Speaker 1: rushing of the water and the moaning of the wind, and, disappointed,
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  Speaker 1: rode home. Shortly after, he was sitting in the garden,
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  Speaker 1: thinking that the swallows must have forgotten his message, when
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  Speaker 1: he saw an eagle fly above him. The bird gradually
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  Speaker 1: descended until it perched on a tree close to the prince,
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  Speaker 1: and said, the Wizard of Finland greets thee and bids
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  Speaker 1: me say that thou mayst free the maiden. Thus go
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  Speaker 1: to the river and smear thyself all over with mud.
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  Speaker 1: Then say from a man into a crab, and thou
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  Speaker 1: twilt become a crab. Plunge boldly into the water. Swim
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  Speaker 1: as close as thou canst to the water lilies roots,
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  Speaker 1: and loosen them from the mud and reeds. This done,
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  Speaker 1: fasten thy claws unto the roots, and rise with them
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  Speaker 1: to the surface. Let the water flow all over the flower,
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  Speaker 1: and drift with the current until thou comest to a
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  Speaker 1: mountain ash tree on the left bank. There is near
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  Speaker 1: it a large stone. Stop there and say from a
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  Speaker 1: crab into a man, from a water lily into a maiden,
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  Speaker 1: and ye both will be restored to your own forms.
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  Speaker 1: Full of doubt and fear, the prince let some time
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  Speaker 1: pass before he was bold enough to attempt to rescue
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  Speaker 1: the maiden. When a crow said to him, why dost
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  Speaker 1: thou hesitate? The old wizard has not told thee wrong?
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  Speaker 1: Neither have the birds deceived thee hasten and dry the
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  Speaker 1: maiden's tears. Nothing worse than death can befall me, thought
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  Speaker 1: the prince, And death is better than endless sorrow. So
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  Speaker 1: he mounted his horse and went to the bridge again.
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  Speaker 1: He heard the water lily's lament, and hesitating no longer
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  Speaker 1: smeared himself all over with mud, and saying from a
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  Speaker 1: man into a crab, plunged into the river. For one moment,
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  Speaker 1: the water hissed in his ears, and then all was silent.
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  Speaker 1: He swam up to the plant and began to loosen
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  Speaker 1: its roots, but so firmly were they fixed in the
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  Speaker 1: mud and reeds that this took him a long time.
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  Speaker 1: He then grasped them and rose to the surface, letting
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  Speaker 1: the water flow over the flower. The current carried them
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  Speaker 1: down the stream, but nowhere could he see the mountain. Ash.
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  Speaker 1: At last he saw it, and close by the large stone.
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  Speaker 1: Here he stopped and said from a crab into a man,
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  Speaker 1: from a water lily into a maiden, and to his delight,
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  Speaker 1: found himself once more a prince, and the maiden was
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  Speaker 1: by his side. She was ten times more beautiful than before,
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  Speaker 1: and wore a magnificent, pale yellow robe sparkling with jewels.
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  Speaker 1: She thanked him for having freed her from the cruel
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  Speaker 1: witch's power, and willingly consented to marry him. But when
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  Speaker 1: they came to the bridge where he had left his horse,
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  Speaker 1: it was nowhere to be seen. For though the prince
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  Speaker 1: thought he had been a crab only a few hours,
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  Speaker 1: he had in reality been under the water more than
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  Speaker 1: ten days. While they were wondering how they should reach
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  Speaker 1: his father's court, they saw a splendid coach driven by
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  Speaker 1: six gaily capriceant horses, come along the bank. In this
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  Speaker 1: they drove to the palace. The King and Queen were
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  Speaker 1: at church, weeping for their son, whom they had long
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  Speaker 1: mourned for dead. Great was their delight and astonishment when
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  Speaker 1: the prince entered, leading the beautiful maiden by the hand.
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  Speaker 1: The wedding was at once celebrated, and there was feasting
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  Speaker 1: and merrymaking throughout the kingdom for six weeks. Some time afterward,
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  Speaker 1: the prince and his bride were sitting in the garden
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  Speaker 1: when a crow said to them, ungrateful creatures, have you
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  Speaker 1: forgotten the two poor maidens who helped you in your distress?
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  Speaker 1: Must they spin gold flax forever? Have no pity on
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  Speaker 1: the old witch. The three maidens are our princesses, whom
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  Speaker 1: she stole away when they were children. Together with all
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  Speaker 1: the silver utensils, which she turned into gold flax poison,
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  Speaker 1: were her fittest punishment. The prince was ashamed for having
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  Speaker 1: forgotten his promise, and set out at once, and by
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  Speaker 1: great good fortune, reached the hut when the old woman
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  Speaker 1: was away. The maidens had dreamed that he was coming
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  Speaker 1: and were ready to go with him. But first they
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  Speaker 1: made a cake in which they put poison, and left
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  Speaker 1: it on the table where the old women was likely
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  Speaker 1: to see it. When she returned. She did see it
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  Speaker 1: and thought it looked so tempting that she greedily ate
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  Speaker 1: it up, and at once died. In the secret chamber
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  Speaker 1: were found fifty wagon loads of gold flax, and as
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  Speaker 1: much more was discovered buried. The hut was raised to
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  Speaker 1: the ground, and the prince and his bride and her
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  Speaker 1: two sisters lived happily ever after. End of the Water Lily,
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  Speaker 1: The gold Spinners