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019 - The Story of Pretty Goldilocks · Blue Fairy Book

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Speaker 1: The story of Pretty Goldilocks from 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. Recording by Jeanette Celig The Blue
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Speaker 1: Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, The Story of Pretty Goldilocks.
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Speaker 1: Once upon a time there was a princess who was
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Speaker 1: the prettiest creature in the world. And because she was
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Speaker 1: so beautiful, and because her hair was like the finest
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Speaker 1: gold and waved and rippled nearly to the ground, she
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Speaker 1: was called Pretty Goldilocks. She always wore a crown of flowers,
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Speaker 1: and her dresses were embroidered with diamonds and pearls, and
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Speaker 1: everybody who saw her fell in love with her. Now,
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Speaker 1: one of her neighbors was a young king who was
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Speaker 1: not married. He was very rich and handsome, and when
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Speaker 1: he had heard all that was said about Pretty Goldilocks,
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Speaker 1: though he had never seen her, he fell so deeply
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Speaker 1: in love with her that he could neither eat nor drink.
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Speaker 1: So he resolved to send an ambassador to ask her
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Speaker 1: in marriage. He had a splendid carriage made for his ambassador,
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Speaker 1: and gave him more than a hundred horses and a
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Speaker 1: hundred servants, and told him to be sure and bring
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Speaker 1: the princess back with him after he had started. Nothing
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Speaker 1: else was talked of at court, and the king felt
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Speaker 1: so sure that the princess would consent that he set
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Speaker 1: his people to work at pretty dresses and splendid furniture
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Speaker 1: that they might be ready by the time she came. Meanwhile,
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Speaker 1: the ambassador arrived at the princess's palace and delivered his
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Speaker 1: little message. But whether she happened to be cross that day,
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Speaker 1: or whether the compliment did not please her, is not known.
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Speaker 1: She only answered that she was very much obliged to
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Speaker 1: the king, but she had no wish to be married.
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Speaker 1: The ambassador set off sadly on his homeward way, bringing
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Speaker 1: all the king's presence back with him, for the princess
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Speaker 1: was too well brought up to accept the pearls and
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Speaker 1: diamonds when she would not accept the king, so she
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Speaker 1: had only kept twenty five English pins that he might
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Speaker 1: not be vexed. When the ambassador reached the city where
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Speaker 1: the king was waiting impatiently, everybody was very much annoyed
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Speaker 1: with him for not bringing the princess, and the king
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Speaker 1: cried like a baby, and nobody could console him. Now
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Speaker 1: there was at the court a young man who was
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Speaker 1: more clever and handsome than anyone else. He was called Charming,
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Speaker 1: and everyone loved him, excepting a few envious people who
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Speaker 1: were angry at his being the king's favorite and knowing
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Speaker 1: all the state secrets. He happened to one day be
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Speaker 1: with some people who were speaking of the ambassador's return
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Speaker 1: and saying that his going to the princess had not
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Speaker 1: done much good. When Charming said rashly, if the King
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Speaker 1: had sent me to the Princess Goldilocks, I am sure
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Speaker 1: she would have come back with me. His enemies at
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Speaker 1: once went to the king and said, you will hardly believe, sire,
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Speaker 1: what Charming has the audacity to say that if he
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Speaker 1: had been sent to the Princess Goldilock, she would certainly
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Speaker 1: have come back with him. He seems to think that
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Speaker 1: he is so much handsomer than you that the princess
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Speaker 1: would have fallen in love with him and followed him willingly.
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Speaker 1: The King was very angry when he heard this, Ah said,
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Speaker 1: he does he laugh at my unhappiness and think himself
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Speaker 1: more fascinating than I am, Go and let him be
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Speaker 1: shut up in my great tower to die of hunger.
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Speaker 1: So the king's guards went to fetch Charming, who had
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Speaker 1: thought no more of his rash speech, and carried him
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Speaker 1: off to prison with great cruelty. The poor prisoner had
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Speaker 1: only a little straw for his bed, and but for
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Speaker 1: a little stream of water which flowed through the tower,
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Speaker 1: he would have died of thirst. One day, when he
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Speaker 1: was in despair, he said to himself, alcan I have
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Speaker 1: offended the King? I am his most faithful subject, and
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Speaker 1: have done nothing against him. The king chanced to be
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Speaker 1: passing the tower and recognized the voice of his former favorite.
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Speaker 1: He stopped to listen, in spite of Charming's enemies, who
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Speaker 1: tried to persuade him to have nothing more to do
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Speaker 1: with the traitor. But the King said, be quiet, I
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Speaker 1: wish to hear what he says. And then he opened
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Speaker 1: the tower door and called to Charming, who came very
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Speaker 1: sadly and kissed the King's hand, saying, what have I done,
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Speaker 1: sire to deserve this cruel treatment? And you mocked me,
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Speaker 1: and my ambassador, said the King, And you said that
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Speaker 1: if I had sent you for the Princess Goldilocks, you
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Speaker 1: would certainly have brought her back. It is quite true, sire,
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Speaker 1: replied Charming. I should have drawn such a picture of
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Speaker 1: you and represented your good qualities in such a way
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Speaker 1: that I am certain the princess would have found you irresistible.
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Speaker 1: But I cannot see what there is in that to
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Speaker 1: make you angry. The King could not see any cause
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Speaker 1: for anger either when the matter was presented to him
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Speaker 1: in this light, and he began to frown very fiercely
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Speaker 1: at the courtiers who had so misrepresented his favorite. So
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Speaker 1: he took Charming back to the palace with him, and,
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Speaker 1: after seeing that he had a very good supper, he
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Speaker 1: said to him, you know that I love pretty Goldilocks
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Speaker 1: as much as ever. Her refusal has not made any
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Speaker 1: difference to me. But I don't know how to make
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Speaker 1: her change her mind. I really should like to say,
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Speaker 1: to see if you can persuade her to marry me.
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Speaker 1: Charming replied that he was perfectly willing to go and
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Speaker 1: would set out the very next day. But you must
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Speaker 1: wait till I can get a grand escort for you,
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Speaker 1: said the king. But Charming said that he only wanted
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Speaker 1: a good horse to ride, and the King, who was
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Speaker 1: delighted at his being ready to start so promptly gave
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Speaker 1: him letters to the princess and bade him good speed.
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Speaker 1: It was on a Monday morning that he set out
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Speaker 1: all alone upon his errand, thinking of nothing but how
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Speaker 1: he could persuade the Princess Goldilocks to marry the King.
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Speaker 1: He had a writing book in his pocket, and whenever
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Speaker 1: any happy thought struck him, he dismounted from his horse
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Speaker 1: and sat down under the trees to put it into
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Speaker 1: the harangue which he was preparing for the princess before
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Speaker 1: he forgot it. One day, when he had started at
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Speaker 1: the very earliest dawn and was riding over a great meadow,
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Speaker 1: he suddenly had a cab little idea, and springing from
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Speaker 1: his horse, he sat down under a willow tree which
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Speaker 1: grew by a little river. When he had written it down,
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Speaker 1: he was looking round him, pleased to find himself in
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Speaker 1: such a pretty place, when all at once he saw
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Speaker 1: a great golden carp lying, gasping and exhausted upon the grass.
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Speaker 1: In leaping after little flies, she had thrown herself high
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Speaker 1: upon the bank, where she had lain till she was
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Speaker 1: nearly dead. Charming had pity upon her, and though he
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Speaker 1: couldn't help thinking that she would have been very nice
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Speaker 1: for dinner, he picked her up gently and put her
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Speaker 1: back into the water. As soon as Dame carp felt
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Speaker 1: the refreshing coolness of the water, she sank down joyfully
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Speaker 1: to the bottom of the river. Then, swimming up to
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Speaker 1: the bank quite boldly, she said, I thank you Charming
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Speaker 1: for the kindness you have done me. You have saved
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Speaker 1: my life. One day I will repay you, so saying,
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Speaker 1: she sank down into the water again, leaving Charming greatly
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Speaker 1: astonished at her politeness. Another day, as he journeyed on,
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Speaker 1: he saw a raven in great distress. The poor bird
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Speaker 1: was closely pursued by an eagle, which would have soon
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Speaker 1: eaten it up had not. Charming quickly fitted an arrow
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Speaker 1: to his bow and shot the eagle dead. The raven
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Speaker 1: perched upon a tree very joyfully. Charming said he it
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Speaker 1: was very generous of you to rescue a poor raven.
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Speaker 1: I am not ungrateful. Some day I will repay you.
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Speaker 1: Charming thought it was very nice of the raven to
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Speaker 1: say so, and went on his way. Before the sun rose,
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Speaker 1: he found himself in a thick wood where it was
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Speaker 1: too dark for him to see his path, And here
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Speaker 1: he heard an owl crying as if it were in despair.
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Speaker 1: Hark said he, that must be an owl in great trouble.
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Speaker 1: I am sure it has gone into a snare. And
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Speaker 1: he began to hunt about, and presently found a great
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Speaker 1: net which some bird catchers had spread the night before.
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Speaker 1: What a pity it is that men do nothing but
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Speaker 1: torment and persecute poor creatures, which never do them any harm,
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Speaker 1: said he, And he took out his knife and cut
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Speaker 1: the cords of the net, and the owl flitted away
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Speaker 1: into the darkness, but then turning with one flicker of
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Speaker 1: her wings, she came back to Charming and said, it
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Speaker 1: does not need many words to tell you how great
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Speaker 1: a service you have done me. I was caught in
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Speaker 1: a few minutes. The fowlers would have been here without
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Speaker 1: your help, I should have been killed. I am grateful,
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Speaker 1: and one day I will repay you. These three adventures
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Speaker 1: were the only ones of any consequence that befell Charming
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Speaker 1: upon his journey, and he made all the haste he
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Speaker 1: could to reach the palace of the Princess Goldilocks. When
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Speaker 1: he arrived, he thought of everything he saw delightful and
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Speaker 1: magnificent diamonds were as plentiful as pebbles, and the gold
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Speaker 1: and silver, the beautiful dresses, the sweetmeats, and pretty things
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Speaker 1: that were everywhere quite amazed him. He thought to himself,
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Speaker 1: if the princess consents to leave all this and come
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Speaker 1: with me to marry the King, he may think himself lucky.
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Speaker 1: Then he dressed himself carefully in rich brocade with scarlet
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Speaker 1: and white plumes, and threw a splendid embroidered scarf over
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Speaker 1: his shoulder, and, looking as gay and as graceful as possible,
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Speaker 1: he presented himself at the door of the palace, carrying
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Speaker 1: in his arm a tiny pretty dog, which he had
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Speaker 1: bought on the way. The guards saluted him respectfully, and
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Speaker 1: a messenger was sent to the princess to announce the
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Speaker 1: arrival of Charming as ambassador of her neighbor, the King. Charming,
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Speaker 1: said the princess, the name promises well. I have no
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Speaker 1: doubt that he is good looking and fascinates everybody. Indeed
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Speaker 1: he does, Madam, said all her maids of honor in
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Speaker 1: one breath. We saw him from the window of the
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Speaker 1: garret where we were spinning flax, and we could do
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Speaker 1: nothing but look at him as long as he was
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Speaker 1: in sight. Well, to be sure, said the princess. That's
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Speaker 1: how you amuse yourselves, is it looking at strangers out
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Speaker 1: of the window. Be quick and give me my blue
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Speaker 1: satin embroidered dress, and comb out my golden hair. Let
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Speaker 1: somebody make me fresh garlands of flowers, and give me
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Speaker 1: my high heeled shoes and my fan. And tell them
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Speaker 1: to sweep my great haul and my throne, for I
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Speaker 1: want everyone to say I am really pretty goldilocks. You
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Speaker 1: can imagine how all her maids scurried this way and
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Speaker 1: that to make the princess ready, and how in their
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Speaker 1: haste they knocked their heads together and hindered each other
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Speaker 1: till she thought they would never have done. However, at
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Speaker 1: last they led her into the gallery of mirrors that
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Speaker 1: she might assure herself that nothing was lacking in her appearance.
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Speaker 1: And then she mounted her throne of gold, ebony and ivory,
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Speaker 1: while her ladies took their guitars and began to sing softly.
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Speaker 1: Then Charming was let in, and was so struck with
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Speaker 1: astonishment and admiration that at first not a word could
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Speaker 1: he say. But presently he took courage and delivered his
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Speaker 1: harangue bravely, ending by begging the princess to spare him
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Speaker 1: the disappointment of going back without her. Sir Charming answered, she,
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Speaker 1: all the reasons you have given me are very good ones,
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Speaker 1: and I assure you that I should have more pleasure
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Speaker 1: in obliging you than any one else. But you must
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Speaker 1: know that a month ago, as I was walking by
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Speaker 1: the river with my ladies, I took off my glove,
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Speaker 1: and as I did so, a ring that I was
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Speaker 1: wearing slipped off my finger and rolled into the water.
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Speaker 1: As I valued it more than my kingdom, you may
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Speaker 1: imagine how vexed I was at losing it, and I
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Speaker 1: vowed never listened to any proposal of marriage unless the
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Speaker 1: ambassador first brought me back my ring. So now you
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Speaker 1: know what is expected of you, For if you talked
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Speaker 1: for fifteen days and fifteen nights, you could not make
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Speaker 1: me change my mind. Charming was very much surprised by
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Speaker 1: this answer, but he bowed low to the princess and
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Speaker 1: begged her to accept the embroidered scarf and the tiny
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Speaker 1: dog he had brought with him, But she answered that
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Speaker 1: she did not want any presents, and that he was
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Speaker 1: to remember what she had just told him. When he
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Speaker 1: got back to his lodging, he went to bed without
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Speaker 1: eating any supper, and his little dog, who was called Frisk,
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Speaker 1: couldn't eat any either, but came and lay down close
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Speaker 1: to him all night. Charming sighed and lamented. How am
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Speaker 1: I to find a ring that fell into the river
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Speaker 1: a month ago? Said he, It is useless to try.
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Speaker 1: The princess must have told me to do it on purpose,
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Speaker 1: knowing it was impossible, And then he sighed again. Chrisk
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Speaker 1: heard him and said, my dear master, don't despair. The
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Speaker 1: luck may change. You are too good not to be happy.
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Speaker 1: Let us go down to the river as soon as
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Speaker 1: it is light. But Charming only gave him two little
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Speaker 1: pats and said nothing, and very soon he fell asleep.
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Speaker 1: At the first glimmer of dawn, Frisk began to jump about,
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Speaker 1: and when he had waked Charming, they went out together,
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Speaker 1: first into the garden and then down to the river's brink,
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Speaker 1: where they wandered up and down. Charming was thinking sadly
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Speaker 1: of having to go back unsuccessful, when he heard some
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Speaker 1: one calling Charming Charming. He looked all about him and
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Speaker 1: thought he must be dreaming as he could not see anybody.
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Speaker 1: Then he walked on and the voice called again Charming. Charming,
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Speaker 1: who call, said he Frisk, who was very small and
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Speaker 1: could look closely into the water, cried out, I see
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Speaker 1: a golden carp coming, And sure enough there was the
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Speaker 1: great carp, who said to Charming, you saved my life
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Speaker 1: in the meadow by the willow tree, and I promised
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Speaker 1: that I would repay you. Take this, it is Princess
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Speaker 1: Goldilock's ring. Charming took the ring out of Dame Karp's mouth,
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Speaker 1: thanking her a thousand times, and he and tiny Frisk
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Speaker 1: went straight to the palace, where someone told the princess
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Speaker 1: that he was asking to see her. Ah, poor fellow,
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Speaker 1: said she. He must have come to say good bye.
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Speaker 1: Finding it impossible to do as I asked, so in
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Speaker 1: came Charming, who presented her with the ring and said, Madam,
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Speaker 1: I have done your bidding. Will it please you to
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Speaker 1: marry my master. When the princess saw her ring brought
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Speaker 1: back to her unhurt, she was so astounde that she
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Speaker 1: thought she must be dreaming truly. Charming said she, you
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Speaker 1: must be the favorite of some fairy, or you could
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Speaker 1: never have found it, Madam answered he, I was helped
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Speaker 1: by nothing but my desire to obey your wishes. Since
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Speaker 1: you are so kind, said she, perhaps you will do
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Speaker 1: me another service. For till it is done, I will
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Speaker 1: never be married. There is a prince not far from here,
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Speaker 1: whose name is Galifron, who once wanted to marry me.
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Speaker 1: But when I refused, he uttered the most terrible threats
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Speaker 1: against me, and vowed that he would lay waste my country.
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Speaker 1: But what could I do? I could not marry a
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Speaker 1: frightful giant, as tall as a tower, who eats up
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Speaker 1: people as a monkey eats chestnuts, and who talks so
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Speaker 1: loud that anybody who has to listen to him becomes
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Speaker 1: quite deaf. Nevertheless, he does not cease to persecute me
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Speaker 1: and to kill my subjects. So before I can listen
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Speaker 1: to your proposal, you must kill him and bring me
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Speaker 1: his head. Charming was rather dismayed at this command, but
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Speaker 1: he answered very well, Princess, I will fight this Gallafron.
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Speaker 1: I believe that he will kill me, but at any
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Speaker 1: rate I shall die in your defense. Then the princess
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Speaker 1: was frightened and said everything she could think of to
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Speaker 1: prevent Charming from fighting the giant, but it was of
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Speaker 1: no use, and he went out to arm himself suitably,
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Speaker 1: and then, taking little Frisk with him, he mounted his
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Speaker 1: horse and set out for Galifron's country. Every One he
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Speaker 1: met told him what a terrible giant Galifron was, and
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Speaker 1: that nobody dared go near him, and the more he heard,
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Speaker 1: the more frightened he grew. Frisk tried to encourage him
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Speaker 1: by saying, while you are fighting the giant, dear master,
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Speaker 1: I will go and bite his heels, and when he
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Speaker 1: stoops down to look at me, you can kill him.
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Speaker 1: Charming praised his little dog's plan, but knew that this
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Speaker 1: help would not do much good. At last, he drew
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Speaker 1: near the giant's castle and saw, to his horror that
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Speaker 1: every path that led to it was strewn with bones.
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Speaker 1: Before long he saw Galafron coming. His head was higher
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Speaker 1: than the tallest trees, and he sang in a terrible voice,
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Speaker 1: bring out your little boys and girls. Pray do not
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Speaker 1: stay to do their curls, for I shall eat so
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Speaker 1: very many I shall not know if they have any. Thereupon,
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Speaker 1: Charming sang out as loud as he could to the
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Speaker 1: same tune, come out and meet the valiant Charming, who
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Speaker 1: finds you not at all alarming. Although he is not
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Speaker 1: very tall, he's big enough to make you fall. The
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Speaker 1: rhymes were not very correct, but you see he had
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Speaker 1: made them up so quickly that it is a miracle
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Speaker 1: that they were not worse, especially as he was horribly
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Speaker 1: frightened all the time. When Galifron heard these words, he
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Speaker 1: looked all about him and saw a Charming standing sword
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Speaker 1: in hand. This put the giant into a terrible rage,
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Speaker 1: and he aimed a blow at Charming with his huge
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Speaker 1: iron club, which would certainly have killed him if it
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Speaker 1: had reached him. But at that instant a raven perched
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Speaker 1: upon the giant's head, and pecking with its strong beak
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Speaker 1: and beating with its great wings, so confused and blinded
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Speaker 1: him that all his blows fell harmlessly upon the air,
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Speaker 1: and Charming, rushing in, gave him several strokes with his
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Speaker 1: sharp sword, so that he fell to the ground, whereupon
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Speaker 1: Charming cut off his head before he knew anything about it,
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Speaker 1: and the raven, from a tree close by, croaked out.
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Speaker 1: You see, I have not forgotten the good turn you
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Speaker 1: did me in killing the eagle. Today I think I
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Speaker 1: have fulfilled my promise of repaying you. Indeed, I owe
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Speaker 1: you more gratitude than you ever owed me, replied Charming,
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Speaker 1: and then he mounted his horse and rode off with
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Speaker 1: Galifrin's head. When he reached the city, the people ran
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Speaker 1: after him in crowds, crying, behold the brave Charming who
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Speaker 1: has killed the giant? And their shouts reached the princess's ear,
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Speaker 1: but she dared not ask what was happening, for fear
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Speaker 1: she should hear that Charming had been killed. But very
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Speaker 1: soon he arrived at the palace with the giant's head,
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Speaker 1: of which she was still terrified, though it could no
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Speaker 1: longer do her any harm, Princess said Charming, I have
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Speaker 1: killed your enemy. I hope you will now consent to
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Speaker 1: marry the king my master. Oh, dear, no, said the princess,
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Speaker 1: not until you have brought me some water from the
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Speaker 1: gloomy cavern. Not far from here there is a deep cave,
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Speaker 1: the entrance to which is guarded by two dragons with
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Speaker 1: fiery eyes, who will not allow any one to pass them.
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Speaker 1: When you get into the cavern, you will find an
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Speaker 1: immense hole which you must go down, and it is
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Speaker 1: full of toads and snakes. At the bottom of this hole,
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Speaker 1: there is another little cave, in which rises the Fountain
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Speaker 1: of health and beauty. It is some of this water
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Speaker 1: that I really must have. Everything it touches becomes wonderful,
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Speaker 1: The beautiful things will always remain beautiful, and the ugly
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Speaker 1: things become lovely. If one is young, one never grows old,
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Speaker 1: and if one is old, one becomes young. You see, Charming,
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Speaker 1: I could not leave my kingdom without taking some of
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Speaker 1: it with me, princess said he, you at least can
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Speaker 1: never need this water. But I am an unhappy ambassador
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Speaker 1: whose death you desire. Where you send me, I will go,
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Speaker 1: though I know I shall never return. And as the
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Speaker 1: Princess Goldilock showed no sign of relenting, he started with
21:55
Speaker 1: his little dog for the gloomy cavern. Every One he
21:58
Speaker 1: met on the way said, what a pity that a
22:02
Speaker 1: handsome young man should throw away his life so carelessly.
22:05
Speaker 1: He is going to the cavern alone, although if he
22:08
Speaker 1: had a hundred men with him he could not succeed.
22:10
Speaker 1: Why does the princess ask him possibilities? Charming said nothing,
22:16
Speaker 1: but he was very sad. When he was near the
22:19
Speaker 1: top of a hill, he dismounted to let his horse
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Speaker 1: graze while Frisk amused himself by chasing flies. Charming knew
22:27
Speaker 1: he could not be far from the gloomy cavern, and
22:30
Speaker 1: on looking about him, he saw a black, hideous rock,
22:34
Speaker 1: from which came a thick smoke, followed in a moment
22:37
Speaker 1: by one of the dragons, with fire blazing from his
22:40
Speaker 1: mouth and eyes. His body was yellow and green, and
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Speaker 1: his claws scarlet, and his tail was so long that
22:48
Speaker 1: it lay in a hundred coils. Frisk was so terrified
22:52
Speaker 1: at the sight of it that he did not know
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Speaker 1: where to hide. Charming, quite determined to get the water
22:58
Speaker 1: or die, now, drew his sword, and, taking the crystal
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Speaker 1: flask which pretty Goldilocks had given him to fill, said
23:06
Speaker 1: to Frisk, I feel sure that I shall never come
23:09
Speaker 1: back from this expedition. When I am dead, go to
23:13
Speaker 1: the princess and tell her that her errand has cost
23:15
Speaker 1: me my life. Then find the King, my master, and
23:19
Speaker 1: relate all my adventures to him. As he spoke, he
23:24
Speaker 1: heard a voice calling Charming. Charming, who calls me, said
23:31
Speaker 1: he Then he saw an owl sitting in a hollow tree,
23:35
Speaker 1: who said to him, you saved my life. When I
23:38
Speaker 1: was caught in the net. Now I can repay you.
23:42
Speaker 1: Trust me with the flask, for I know all the
23:44
Speaker 1: ways of the gloomy cavern and can fill it from
23:47
Speaker 1: the fountain of beauty. Charming was only too glad to
23:51
Speaker 1: give her the flask, and she flitted into the cavern,
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Speaker 1: quite unnoticed by the dragon, and after some time returned
23:58
Speaker 1: with the flask filled to the brim with sparkling water.
24:02
Speaker 1: Charming thanked her with all his heart and joyfully hastened
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Speaker 1: back to the town. He went straight to the palace
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Speaker 1: and gave the flask to the princess, who had no
24:13
Speaker 1: further objection to make. So she thanked Charming and ordered
24:17
Speaker 1: the preparation should be made for her departure, and they
24:20
Speaker 1: soon set out together. The princess found Charming such an
24:24
Speaker 1: agreeable companion that she sometimes said to him, why didn't
24:28
Speaker 1: we stay where we were? I could have made you
24:30
Speaker 1: king and we should have been so happy. But Charming
24:35
Speaker 1: only answered, I could not have done anything that would
24:38
Speaker 1: have vexed my master so much, even for a kingdom,
24:41
Speaker 1: or to please you, though I think you are as
24:44
Speaker 1: beautiful as the sun. At last they reached the king's
24:49
Speaker 1: great city and he came out to meet the princess,
24:52
Speaker 1: bringing magnificent presents, and the marriage was celebrated with great rejoicings.
24:59
Speaker 1: But Goldilocks were so fond of Charming that she could
25:02
Speaker 1: not be happy unless he was near her, and she
25:04
Speaker 1: was always singing his praises. If it hadn't been for Charming,
25:09
Speaker 1: she said to the King, I should never have come here.
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Speaker 1: You ought to be very much obliged to him, for
25:14
Speaker 1: he did the most impossible things and got me water
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Speaker 1: from the fountain of beauty, so I can never grow
25:19
Speaker 1: old and shall get prettier every year. Then Charming's enemies
25:25
Speaker 1: said to the King, it is a wonder that you
25:28
Speaker 1: are not jealous. The queen thinks there is nobody in
25:31
Speaker 1: the world like Charming, as if anybody you had sent
25:34
Speaker 1: could not have done just as much. It is quite true,
25:39
Speaker 1: now I come to think of it, said the King.
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Speaker 1: Let him be chained hand and foot and thrown into
25:44
Speaker 1: the tower. So they took Charming, and as a reward
25:49
Speaker 1: for having served the king so faithfully, he was shut
25:52
Speaker 1: up in the tower, where he saw only the jailer,
25:55
Speaker 1: who brought him a piece of black bread and a
25:57
Speaker 1: pitcher of water every day. However, little Frisk came to
26:02
Speaker 1: console him and told him all the news. When Pretty
26:06
Speaker 1: Goldilocks heard what had happened, she threw herself at the
26:09
Speaker 1: king's feet and begged him to set Charming free. But
26:13
Speaker 1: the more she cried, the more angry he was, and
26:16
Speaker 1: at last she saw that it was useless to say
26:18
Speaker 1: any more, but it made her very sad. Then the
26:22
Speaker 1: king took it into his head that perhaps he was
26:24
Speaker 1: not handsome enough to please the Princess Goldilock's, and he
26:28
Speaker 1: thought he would bathe his face with the water from
26:30
Speaker 1: the Fountain of Beauty, which was in the flask on
26:32
Speaker 1: a shelf in the princess's room, where she had placed
26:35
Speaker 1: it that she might see it often. Now it happened
26:39
Speaker 1: that one of the princess's ladies, in chasing a spider,
26:42
Speaker 1: had knocked the flask off the shelf and broken it,
26:45
Speaker 1: and every drop of the water had been spilt. Not
26:49
Speaker 1: knowing what to do, she had hastily swept away the
26:51
Speaker 1: pieces of crystal, and then remembered that in the king's
26:54
Speaker 1: room she had seen a flask of exactly the same shape,
26:58
Speaker 1: also filled with sparkling water. So without saying a word,
27:01
Speaker 1: she fetched it and stood it upon the queen's shelf. Now,
27:06
Speaker 1: the water in this flask was what was used in
27:09
Speaker 1: the kingdom for getting rid of troublesome people. Instead of
27:13
Speaker 1: having their heads cut off in the usual way, their
27:15
Speaker 1: faces were bathed with the water, and they instantly fell
27:18
Speaker 1: asleep and never woke up any more. So when the King,
27:22
Speaker 1: thinking to improve his beauty, took the flask and sprinkled
27:26
Speaker 1: the water upon his face, he fell asleep and nobody
27:30
Speaker 1: could wake him. Little Frisk was the first to hear
27:34
Speaker 1: the news, and he ran to tell Charming, who sent
27:36
Speaker 1: him to beg the princess not to forget the poor prisoner.
27:40
Speaker 1: All the palace was in confusion on account of the
27:42
Speaker 1: king's death, but Tiny Frisk made his way through the
27:45
Speaker 1: crowd to the princess's side and said, Madam, do not
27:49
Speaker 1: forget poor Charming. Then she remembered all he had done
27:54
Speaker 1: for her, and without saying a word to any one,
27:57
Speaker 1: went straight to the tower and with her own hands
28:00
Speaker 1: took off Charming's chains. Then, putting a golden crown upon
28:04
Speaker 1: his head and the royal mantle upon his shoulder, she said, come,
28:08
Speaker 1: faithful Charming, I make you king and will take you
28:12
Speaker 1: for my husband. Charming, once more free and happy, fell
28:17
Speaker 1: at her feet and thanked her for her gracious words.
28:22
Speaker 1: Everybody was delighted that he should be king, and the
28:26
Speaker 1: wedding which took place at once was the prettiest that
28:29
Speaker 1: can be imagined, and Prince Charming and Princess Goldilocks lived
28:35
Speaker 1: happily ever after. Madame don Nois end of the Story
28:45
Speaker 1: of Pretty Goldilocks. Recording by Jeanette Celig