United States or Oman ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Soon after, the king, who knew that his wife's weak point was her vanity, gave a tournament, at which he ordered the six bravest knights of the court to proclaim that Queen Grognon was the fairest lady alive.
She had, however, plenty of play-time, and sweetmeats without end, so that she was altogether the happiest princess alive. At the same court was an elderly young lady named Duchess Grognon, who was the very opposite of Graciosa. Her hair was fiery red, her face fat and spotty, and she had but one eye.
There was no complaint to make, yet Grognon exclaimed that the skein was dirty, and boxed the princess's ears till her rosy cheeks turned yellow and blue. Then she left her, and overwhelmed the fairy with reproaches. "Find me, by to-morrow, something absolutely impossible for her to do."
"Then," added the cunning fairy, "of course, being such a disobedient and wicked girl, as you say, she will open it, and the result will satisfy you to your heart's content." Grognon took the box, and commanded Graciosa to carry it to her castle, and set it on a certain table, in an apartment she named, but not upon any account, to open it or examine its contents. Graciosa departed.
And the nurse gave so much good advice, that Graciosa began to smile, and dressed herself in her best attire, a green robe embroidered with gold; while her fair, loose-falling hair was adorned, according to the fashion of the day, with a coronet of jasmine, of which the leaves were made of large emeralds. Grognon, on her part, made the best of herself that was possible.
When the king returned home, Graciosa ran out with joy to welcome her father, and asked him if he had had good sport in his hunting. "Yes, my child," said he, "for I have taken a dove alive." "Oh, give it me, and I will nourish and cherish it," cried the princess. "That is impossible; for it is the Duchess Grognon, whom I have promised to marry."
Grognon, highly delighted, made but one other condition that she should have the Princess Graciosa entirely in her own rule and power, just as if she had been her real mother; to which the foolish king consented, for he thought much more of riches than he did of his child. So he and Grognon departed hand in hand out of the cave, very well pleased.
"Percinet, Percinet, do not reproach me; I am only too unhappy." "It is your own fault. Come with me, and make us both happy." But she said nothing, and the fairy-prince disappeared. At sunset, Grognon eagerly came to the prison-door with her three keys, and found Graciosa smiling and fair, her task all done.
One day, after a long chase, he came to a strange castle, which happened to be that of the Duchess Grognon. She, informed of his approach, went out to meet him, and received him most respectfully. As he was very hot with hunting, she took him into the coolest place in the palace, which was a vaulted cave, most elegantly furnished, where there were two hundred barrels arranged in long rows.
There, before either king, or courtiers, or ladies-in-waiting could stop her even had they wished to do it, which remains doubtful she came behind the wicked Grognon, and twisted her neck, just as a cook does a barn-door fowl. So Grognon died and was buried, and nobody was particularly sorry for the same.
Word Of The Day