Lilac Fairy Book

Chapter 16 Norwegian Brown Bear (1)
Once upon a time there was a King of Ireland who had three daughters, all of whom were beautiful.One day, when they were walking on the lawn with their father, the king joked with them and asked whom they would marry. "I want the King of Ulster for my husband," said a Princess. "I want the King of Munster as my husband," said another Princess. "I don't want a husband," said the little princess, "I want a Norwegian brown bear." This was because one of her nurses used to tell her the story of an enchanted prince whom she called by that name.She fell in love with him and had only dreamed of him the night before, so she said his name right away.The eldest sister laughed, and the second sister also laughed, making fun of the little princess all night.But that very night, when she awoke from her sleep, she found herself in a magnificent hall illuminated by a thousand lamps, with the richest carpets on the floor, and wall coverings of gold and silver.The hall was full of noble guests, including the handsome prince she had seen in her dream.Presently he knelt down before her, told her how much he loved her, and asked her if she would be his queen.Alas, how could she have the heart to refuse him.So that night they were married.

"Well, dear," he said, when they were alone together, "you must know that I'm bewitched. There was a witch, and she had a beautiful daughter, and she wanted me to be her son-in-law. The witch Bewitched me, when I refused to marry her daughter, she turned me into a bear during the day. This continued until a young lady voluntarily married me, and from then on for another five years The ordeal will be over."

That's right, when the princess woke up the next morning, she found that her husband was gone by her side.Mood all day.She sat on a silk-covered sofa in that luxurious hall, and when the light came on, the door suddenly opened, and the prince sat beside her.And so they had another pleasant evening.He warned her that if she grew tired of him, or stopped trusting him, they would be separated forever, and he would have to marry the witch's daughter.

She was used to finding him not around her all the time during the day.They spent a happy year together and finally gave birth to a beautiful little boy.If she had been happy before, she was even happier now that she had her son with her during the day when she could not see her husband.

One night it was very hot, the couple and the child were sitting in a room with an open window, suddenly an eagle flew in, grabbed the baby by the belt in its beak, and flew him into the sky.She screamed and tried to throw herself out the window to catch her son, but the prince held her back and looked at her with a livid face.She remembered what he had said after they got married, and she stopped crying and began to complain.During the next year, she was very lonely during the day, and then a beautiful little girl was born.She thought to herself that she must take good care of her this time, and therefore she never permitted the window to be opened more than a few inches wide.

But all precautions were in vain.One evening, when they were all very merry, and the prince was teasing the little darling, a handsome gray dog ​​standing before them snatched the child from its father, and ran out the door in the blink of an eye.This time, she yelled and chased him out of the house.There were several servants in the next room, and they all said they saw neither the child nor the dog running out.Somehow, she felt that it was her husband's fault, but she fought hard not to blame him once.

When her third child was born, she could barely keep the doors and windows open for a moment, but that didn't allow her to keep the baby with her either.One evening they were sitting by the fire when a lady suddenly appeared beside them.The princess stared at her with wide-eyed eyes in great astonishment, and watched as the lady put a shawl over the baby sitting on her father's lap, and she did not know whether she disappeared from the ground or ran away down the wide chimney. up.This time, the mother lay in bed for a month.

"My dear," she said to her husband when she had recovered, "I think it might be better if I saw my parents and sister again. I should be very glad if you would allow me to go home for a few days."

"Very well," he said, "I agree with you to go back. When you want to come back, just lie down at night and say your wish."

When she woke up the next morning, she found herself back in her former bedroom in her father's palace.She rang the bell, and in a few moments her parents and her two married sisters were with her.They wept with joy when they saw her come back safely.

She immediately told them everything that happened to her, and they didn't know what to do to persuade her.She loved her husband as always, and said she was sure the children had been taken, and he couldn't help it.What she is most worried about is that another child will be snatched away.So the mother and two sisters went to consult a witch who often sold eggs in the castle, because they believed in her wit very much.She said the only way was to get the bearskin which the Prince had to put on every morning, and burn it, and then, day or night, he would surely return to human form, and the magic in him Disappeared.

So they all persuaded her to do as the witch asked, and she agreed.Eight days later, she was so eager to see her husband again that she made a wish that night.Three hours later, when she woke up, she found herself in her husband's palace.He is waiting by her side.Both husband and wife were very happy, and their joy lasted for many days.

Now she began to wonder how she had never noticed how her husband left in the morning, how she had never noticed that he never forgot to bring her a sweet drink before she went to bed.

One night, she pretended to drink, but managed not to drink a drop.In the morning she was wide awake, and though she squinted her eyes a little, she saw her husband go out through a panel in the wainscoting.The next night she added a few drops of the hypnotic milk wine left over from the previous night to her husband's nocturnal drink, and he slept soundly.She got up after midnight, walked through the paneling, and found a beautiful brown bear skin hanging in one corner.Then she stole out, and went down to the drawing-room fireplace, and put the bearskin in the middle of the fire, and burned it all to ashes.Then she lay down beside her husband, kissed him on the cheek, and fell asleep.

Even if she lived 100 years, she would never forget waking up the next morning to find her husband looking down at her with pain and anger on his face. "You unfortunate woman," he said, "you have separated us forever! Why did you not have the patience to wait five years? Now, whether I like it or not, I have to walk three days to the witch's house." to the castle, and marry her daughter. The bearskin was my ward, and you burned it. The egg-woman who advised you was the witch herself. I do not want to reproach you: you will The punishment has been severe enough. Farewell!"

He kissed her one last time, and left quickly.She yelled at his back, but finding it was useless, she put on her clothes and went after him.He neither paused nor rested nor turned his head.Still, she never let him out of her sight.When he climbed the hill, she chased into the valley; when he went into the valley, she climbed the hill.As the sun was setting he turned off a path and went into a hut.Feeling exhausted, she crawled forward after him, and when she crawled into the house, a beautiful little boy was sitting on his lap.He kissed the boy and hugged him. "My poor love," he said, "this is your eldest son, the one," he said, pointing to a smiling woman who was watching them, "the one who carried him away." an eagle." At once she forgot all her sorrows, and hugged her child tightly, crying and laughing.

(End of this chapter)