Lilac Fairy Book

Chapter 22 Four Gifts (1)
Ancient Britain was called Cornwall in ancient times.In this land, there used to be a woman named Babaike Boxis who worked as a farmer all her life with the help of her niece Tiffany.They were up early and late, in the fields or in the dairy, milking the cows, making butter, and feeding the poultry.They work hard themselves so that others don't have to.It might be better for Babaike if she let herself take a break and think about something else, because she quickly liked money because of it, and she and Tiffany could save money on food and clothing. .She hated the poor and declared that poor people did not deserve to live in this world at all.

Yes, Babaike was that kind of person, so it's not hard to guess how angry she was when she found out that Tefanie was chatting with little Dennis outside the cowshed one day.Who is Little Dennis?It's just a day laborer from the village of Plava.She grabbed her niece's arm, dragged her away vigorously, and reprimanded: "Girl, don't you feel ashamed? You waste your time chatting with a poor man? You know, if you want it, there are a lot of young men rushing to give it to you." to buy a ring."

"You know, Dennis is a good farmer," Tephany said, blushing, "and he's still saving money, and soon he'll have his own farm."

"Only him," Babaike said disdainfully, "even if there were a hundred of them, they wouldn't be able to save enough money to buy a farm. I'd rather you die than marry a guy who carries all his wealth on his back. "

"When a man is young and strong, what does it matter if he has property or not?" asked Tephany.My aunt was taken aback when she heard her words, and interrupted hastily.

"What does it matter if you have property or not?" she repeated in amazement. "Aren't you so stupid that you don't like money? If that's what you learned from Dennis, I won't let you talk to him again. He If he dares to show his face here again, I'll put him off the farm. Go do the laundry and hang it up when you're done."

Tai Fanny didn't dare not listen, and walked towards the river with a heavy heart.

"Her heart is harder than these stones," the girl said to herself, "no, it's a thousand times harder. The rain can wear the stones at least, but she doesn't care if you cry all your life. And Talking to Dennis is my only pleasure, and if I never see him again, I might as well be a nun."

With these thoughts in her head, Tephany came down to the river and unrolled a large load of laundry.The sound of the wooden stick knocking made her raise her head, and found a strange little old lady standing in front of her.

"Would you like to sit down and rest, Granny?" Tephany asked, putting her clothes aside.

"When you are so poor, you can rest wherever you want." The old lady replied with a trembling voice.

"So you're all alone?" asked Tephany, sympathetically. "Don't you have friends, and don't they welcome you to their homes?"

The old lady shook her head.

"They're dead long ago," she answered, "and the only kind of strangers are my friends."

The girl was silent for a while, then handed her a small piece of bread and some bacon for lunch.

"You take it," she said, "Anyway, you have a good meal today." The old lady took the bread and meat and stared at Tephany.

"Helpers should be helped," she replied, "and your eyes are still red because petty Babaiko won't let you talk to the boys from Plava. Be happy, you're a good girl, I There is something for you, so that you can see him every day."

"You?" Tephany called.She found that the old beggar knew everything about her, and she couldn't help being stunned, but the old lady didn't seem to hear her cry.

"Take this long brass pin," she went on, "every time you pin it on your clothes, Mama Persis leaves the house to count cabbages. As long as this pin is on your clothes, you Just be free, and your aunt won't come back until you put it back in the box." With that, she stood up, nodded to Tiffany, and disappeared.

The girl stood there motionless, like a rock.If it weren't for the pin in her hand, she would have thought it was a dream.But the pin told her that the old lady was not a mortal, but a fairy, to tell her what was to come.Then Tiffany's eyes suddenly fell on the pile of clothes, and in order to hurry up, she frantically washed them.

The next night, while Dennis was waiting by the cowshed, as was customary, Tephany fastened the pin to her dress, and Babaco immediately put on her clogs and walked through the orchard to the cabbage field.In a happy mood, the girl ran out the door lightly, and spent the night happily with Dennis.After that, many days passed like this.Finally, Tephany noticed something, something that made her very sad.

At first, Dennis found that when the two were together, time seemed to fly by, just like the feeling of the girl.Then when he taught her all the songs he knew, and told her all his plans to get rich and become a big man, he had nothing to say to her. It turned out that he, like many people, likes to brag about himself, not Like to listen to what others have to say.Sometimes he would miss appointments and tell Tephany the next night that he was in town on business.She didn't blame him, but she knew that he didn't care about her as much as before.

Her heart was getting heavier and her cheeks were getting paler.One day, after waiting all night, she picked up the pitcher and walked slowly to the spring.On the way, she met the fairy who once gave her a brooch.The fairy looked at Tai Fanny, smiled mischievously, and said, "Oh, my beautiful girl can see her lover whenever she wants, why is she not as beautiful as before?"

"He's tired of me," said Tephany in a trembling voice, "and he's making excuses to avoid me. Ah! Good Granny, it's not enough just to see him, I have to be able to please him and keep him in With me. You know, he's so smart. Help me to be smart too."

"Is that what you want?" cried the old woman. "Well, take this feather and put it in your head, and you will be as wise as Solomon."

Blushing with joy, Tephany ran home and put the feather in the blue hairband that the local girls used to wear.Suddenly, she heard Dennis whistle happily.Auntie was counting the cabbage and it was safe, so she hurried to Dennis.Dennis was dumbfounded by the girl's words.She seems to know it all, and when it comes to songs, she not only sings from all over Britain, but also composes her own.Is this really the quiet girl who is willing to learn anything she teaches?Or someone else?Maybe she's crazy and has a demon inside her.Anyway, night after night he came over and found her getting wiser.Soon the neighbors began to murmur to their amazement that Tephany could not help mocking those who despised her dress, and made many jokes to make fun of them.Of course, they heard the jeers, shook their heads and said, "She's a bad-tempered girl, and a man who marries her will find that she's the one holding the reins."

Before long, Dennis began to agree with his neighbors.Since he likes to make decisions no matter where he goes, he is afraid of Tephany's sharp mouth. When she makes fun of others, it is different from before. , thinking that next time it will be my turn to be laughed at.

And so, finally, one night, Dennis told Tephany that he couldn't stay any longer, and that he had promised to go to a dance in a neighboring village.

Tephany's face fell. She had worked hard all day and had expected some quiet time with Dennis.She tried her best to persuade him not to leave her, but he just wouldn't listen, and finally she got angry.

"Oh, I see why you don't want to miss this ball," she said. "Azlize of Pont Lenglu is going."

Azliz was the cutest girl for miles, and Dennis had known her since they were kids.

"Yes, Azlize is going," said Dennis, delighted to see her jealousy. "People come all the way to see her dance."

"Then you go!" cried Tephany, and walked into the room, slamming the door behind her.

She sat alone by the fire, looking at the red ashes, and was sad.Then she plucked the feather from her head, threw it away, and, resting her head on her hands, wept bitterly.

(End of this chapter)