The Fairy's Impossible Love Tale (Smooth & Sweet Voice)

Persia and Leroy.

There was once a king who was so rich that it would have been impossible for him to spend all his money,

And yet his greatest wish was still to keep adding to his treasure.

The king's wife had died and left him but one child,

A daughter named Persia.

The princess was so beautiful,

So kind and so gentle that she was beloved by all about her.

The king also loved her dearly,

But dearly indeed than anything in the world except his treasure,

But that was always first in his thoughts and his affections.

One day the king set out with his attendants to hunt in a forest nearby.

The huntsman soon started the deer that bounded away through the forest.

The king followed it for a long distance,

Farther than he had ever gone before.

Suddenly he came out on the other side of the forest,

And there in front of him stood a vast castle with towers and turrets and a moat around it.

The king called his chief huntsman to him and asked him whether he knew who lived in the castle.

The man replied that it belonged to the duchess Aakridge,

And she was said to be so rich that she had never been able to count all her treasures.

As soon as the king heard this,

He at once determined to stop at the castle and ask for refreshment.

He was not only wary and thirsty from the chase,

But he also had a great desire to see anyone as rich as the duchess,

And perhaps he would be shown her treasures as well.

Aakridge had already seen him from her window,

And as soon as he turned toward the castle,

She hastened down to meet him.

She herself opened the door for him and smiling,

She bade him welcome.

When the king first looked at her,

He was amazed.

Never had he seen anyone so ugly.

She was as dark and rough and broad as a toad.

Her eyes were little and red,

And her mouth was like a slit that stretched from ear to ear.

But she was magnificently dressed and so covered with jewels that the king was dazzled by them and quite forgot how hideous was the one who wore them.

The duchess invited the king to enter and at once commanded that a rip-ass should be brought him,

With all sorts of cakes and sweets and fruits,

And also a pipe of wine.

The king,

Who was very thirsty,

Was pleased to hear this order,

And when the pipe of wine was brought in,

He waited impatiently for it to be opened.

But when the duchess struck the head of the pipe,

Instead of wine a great heap of gold fell out upon the floor.

The duchess pretended to be very much surprised.

This is a strange thing,

Said she.

I cannot imagine how they came to bring this gold instead of the wine I ordered.

I pray your majesty's pardon for the mistake,

Which shall be well punished,

I promise you.

She then commanded that another pipe should be brought in,

But when she struck this,

He poured a heap of rubies.

The king was filled with wonder and admiration at the sight of all this treasure,

But the duchess pretended to be still more angry.

The servant who made this mistake shall be well beaten,

I promise you.

She cried,

Bring in another pipe,

And this time be sure it is filled with good wine instead of all these stones.

But he had no more success with the third pipe than with the second,

For when she struck it out poured emeralds.

The duchess pretended to fly into a fury and scornfully pushed the jewels aside with her foot.

Pipe after pipe was brought,

But one was full of sapphires,

One of pearls,

And still another of diamonds.

The whole floor was covered with her treasures.

The king was bewildered.

Sire,

Said the duchess,

Smiling,

Since you feel such an admiration for these poor trifles,

Perhaps you would like to see the treasure chambers from which these have been brought.

Nothing could please the king better,

And after acreage had shown him all her treasures,

Which indeed seemed endless,

He determined,

If possible,

To make her his wife,

That all this wealth might become his.

This plan suited the duchess perfectly.

Indeed it was for this purpose that she had shown her wealth to the king,

And it was agreed between them that they should be married as soon as possible.

When the news of this intended marriage was brought to Persia,

She was filled with grief and dismay.

She had already heard of the duchess acreage,

And knew her to be not only a monster of ugliness,

But of such an evil nature that nothing delighted her more than to tease and torment those around her and make their lives a misery to them.

Nor could she understand how her father could make up his mind to take such a creature as he his wife.

However,

She hid her feelings as well as she could,

And determined to be obedient and patient with acreage,

Hoping that in this way she might live with her at peace,

And even perhaps win from her a little affection.

The day for the wedding drew near,

And one morning word was brought to the king that acreage would that day set forth on her way to his palace.

Wishing to do all honour to his bride,

The king determined to ride forth and meet her,

And he gave orders that Persia should make herself ready and ride with him to meet the duchess.

Poor Persia had withdrawn to the palace gardens to weep in secret,

For she did not wish others to know of the grief she felt over her father's marriage.

As she sat beside a fountain,

Her tears falling as clear and bright as the leaping waters,

She saw a page coming toward her across the garden.

He was a stranger to the princess,

And he was so tall and handsome,

And his air so noble,

That Persia gazed at him with wonder.

When he reached the palace where Persia was sitting,

He bent his knee before her.

Princess,

Said he,

The king is waiting for you.

He rides forth today to meet the duchess acreage,

Who has already set out from her castle,

And he wishes you to ride with him.

Tell him I will come upon the moment,

Said Persia,

But stay.

First tell me who you are,

For your face is strange to me.

Are you one of the duchess pages who has been sent on before her?

No,

Princess,

Replied the page.

I am indeed a stranger here,

But no one has sent me hither.

I have come hither because my greatest desire in life is to serve you,

And,

If it may be,

To ease your sorrows in small measure by my love and devotion.

How,

Cried the princess,

Do you?

A page,

Dare to speak to me of love and devotion?

You should be well punished for your insolence,

And no doubt you will be when I report the matter to the king,

As rest assured I shall do as soon as I find an opportunity.

In truth you have no cause for anger,

Princess,

Replied the stranger.

I am not a page,

But Prince Leroy,

The son of a king as rich and powerful as your own father.

Long ago my father died,

And I live in the palace of my mother,

The fairy Finetta.

Through her I am possessed of many magic powers,

And can render myself invisible at will.

It is only because of my desire to help you that I have come here dressed as a page.

Persia was filled with wonder at his story.

She had often heard of the fairy Prince Leroy,

Of his beauty and wit and power,

But little had she thought to meet him.

She could scarcely believe it possible that he loved her,

And that it was for her sake he had come to the palace to serve as a page.

Still full of wonder,

She arose and hastened away to where her father was waiting impatiently for her coming.

He and his attendants were ready to set out at once,

And the page was holding Persia's palfrey.

She was about to mount when Leroy appeared,

Leading a snow-white horse so graceful and so beautiful that everyone who saw it marveled.

This horse,

He said,

Had just come as a gift to the Princess Persia from one who refused to let his name be known.

It was not difficult for Persia to guess that the one who had given her the horse was Prince Leroy himself,

But her father could not wander enough over both the gift and the giver.

When the Princess had mounted the horse and gathered up the reins,

It at once moved forward with such grace and lightness that all were filled with admiration.

The King,

At whose side she rode,

Kept admiring the steed and wandering as to whence it had come.

They had not travelled far when they saw Acheridge and her train approaching them.

The Duchess rode in a golden coach,

Drawn by six spotted horses,

Their harness glittering with gold and jewels.

Acheridge herself was magnificently dressed and covered with gems that fairly dazzled the eyes with their glitter.

But this magnificence only made her look more hideous,

Like a toad peering out from a jewelled glove.

No sooner did the King come to the side of the chariot than he began to pay his compliments to Acheridge,

But the Duchess scarcely listened to him.

Her eyes were fixed upon the horse upon which the Princess Persia was riding.

That is a very beautiful horse,

Said she.

Indeed it is finer than any in my stables,

Or,

I am sure,

In yours either.

I should have thought it would have been kept for me instead of your allowing your daughter to ride upon such a wonder.

The King,

Seeing she was in a rage,

Tried to make excuses,

But Acheridge would not listen to him.

Nothing would satisfy her but that Persia should light down from the horse and allow her to mount upon it instead,

And ride beside the King as they returned to the palace.

To this Persia eagerly agreed.

The fury shown by the Duchess terrified her,

And her only wish was to turn aside Acheridge's anger and perhaps win from her a kindly word.

But no sooner had Acheridge mounted the horse than it become to prance and curvet and leap from side to side so roughly that the Duchess thought her teeth would be loosened in her head.

Then suddenly it started off at full gallop,

With Acheridge screaming and clutching it by the mane.

It so swiftly sped the horse that no one could overtake it,

And when it reached the palace it stopped with such suddenness that the Duchess was thrown violently off upon the stones of the courtyard.

When the King and Persia,

Followed by the courtiers and attendants,

Arrived at the palace,

They were horrified to find Acheridge lying on the stones of the courtyard,

Screaming and groaning.

She was lifted up and carried into the castle,

And physicians were called to attend to her bruises and scratches.

It is all the fault of that miserable girl,

Acheridge screamed again and again.

It is some trick she arranged for me,

And she had no other hope than that I should be killed outright.

But she shall be punished for her wickedness.

She shall find that she cannot treat me in such a manner without suffering for it.

She then demanded that the King should send Persia to her and allow her to punish the Princess as she saw fit.

The King was loath to agree to this,

And yet he dared not refuse,

For he feared that Acheridge must fall into such a fury that she would refuse to marry him and would return to her own castle,

And so he would lose her treasures.

He felt himself obliged to allow Acheridge to carry out her wishes.

Persia was sent to the Duchess's chamber and went with fear and trembling.

No sooner had she entered than the door was locked behind her.

She saw with terror that back of Acheridge's couch stood four tall and terrible-looking attendants,

Each armed with the heavy stuff.

Now my beauty,

Cried Acheridge furiously,

It is my turn.

No doubt you were vastly amused by my misadventure,

But now you yourself shall know how it feels to be covered with wounds and bruises.

She then bade her attendants seize Persia and beat her as long as their strength held out or until their staves were broken.

Persia would have begged for mercy,

But suddenly a whisper sounded in her ear.

Fear not,

Persia,

I,

Leroy,

Am beside thee.

The blows shall not harm thee,

But when they fall,

Cry out as though they were beyond all bearing.

Persia at once recognized the voice of Leroy,

And knowing he was there,

All fear left her and she could have laughed aloud for joy.

However,

She pretended to be almost fainting from terror.

Acheridge now ordered the attendants to begin.

They at once seized Persia and raised their staves,

But she now saw that by Leroy's magic the staves had been changed into rose-colored plumes,

So soft and feathery that the blows she received from them were like the tenderest of caresses.

But remembering Leroy's bidding,

She cried aloud under the strokes,

As though she could scarcely bear the suffering.

The eyes of Acheridge and her attendants were blinded so that they did not see their rods had been changed to plumes.

The Duchess wondered at the strength of the princes.

She had expected to see her sink down,

Bruised and senseless under the rain of blows.

But the harder the attendants beat her,

The less did Persia feel the strokes.

At last the men,

Outwearied,

Dropped their rods,

And Persia,

Pretending to weep,

Gathered her garments about her as though to hide her bruises.

"'Go,

' said Acheridge harshly,

Pointing to the door,

"'you have received no more than you deserve,

But this bidding is nothing to what you shall receive if you again try your tricks upon me.

' Persia crept away to her room and to her bed,

Pretending to be ill,

Which delighted Acheridge and was as a soothing soul to her bruises.

Soon after the King and Acheridge were married with great magnificence.

The new queen was dressed in cloth of gold and wore her most magnificent jewels.

She received with satisfaction the compliments of the courtiers who pretended to admire her and praised her beauty and grace while they laughed at her behind her back and wondered how the King had ever brought himself to marry such a hideous creature.

Persia was obliged to wear a hideous dress and her ornaments were only common pebbles gathered from beside the road.

With holes bored through them and strung together,

But in spite of this her beauty shone out as the moon shines through the clouds at night-time.

Soon after,

A grand tournament was given in honor of the Queen.

The knight who was chosen to ride for Acheridge declared her to be the most beautiful creature in the world and challenged all others to prove the contrary against him.

Many knights rode against him,

But he overcame them all,

For,

Knowing him to be the favorite of the Queen,

None of them dared to try to overthrow him.

The heralds were about to proclaim him victor when a new and unknown knight rode into the field.

This knight rode a snow-white horse and was clad in silver armor.

The only color he wore was a green silken scarf,

That being Persia's color.

The silver knight declared Persia to be the most beautiful and perfect creature in the world,

Even as he held Queen Acheridge to be the most hideous and detestable,

And this he would prove against any who dared to ride against him.

When the Queen heard what the knight said,

Her face grew as red as blood,

And she gave such a cry of fury that the King trembled,

And Persia almost fainted with terror.

However,

The Queen had no doubt but that her chosen knight would overthrow the newcomer,

As he had all others.

The two knights rained back their horses and set their lances at rest,

And then,

At the given signal,

They charged at each other.

But it seemed the silver knight scarce needed to touch the other before he sent him rolling in the dust,

And so sore wounded that it was difficult to revive him.

At once the silver knight disappeared,

And no one was able to guess who he was or whence he had come,

Nor could they tell whither he had gone.

Persia alone guessed,

Even when he first appeared,

That the silver knight was no other than her fairy lover,

Leeroy.

Acheridge was in such a rage that she was like to lose her senses.

She declared that Persia had arranged the whole plan so as to disgrace her before the court,

And demanded that the Princess should be left to her to punish as she pleased.

The King was afraid to refuse,

For Acheridge threatened that if he did she would take all her treasure and depart at once,

And not one single jewel of it should he ever see again.

With a anxious heart he at last agreed to her wishes,

And Acheridge,

Filled with triumph,

Determined to rid herself once and for all of the Princess.

That night,

Soon after the Princess had gone to her chamber,

A number of armed men entered it and forced her to come away with them.

They brought her to a closed carriage which was in waiting,

And into this she was obliged to enter.

After that she was driven on and on for a long distance.

At last the coach stopped,

The door was opened,

And Persia was forced to descend.

She found the men had brought her into the midst of a deep and gloomy forest,

And that here they meant to leave her.

Persia was filled with terror.

She knew the forest to be full of lions,

Bears,

And other savage creatures,

And she could not forbear for weeping and complaining of the cruelty that could leave her,

There to be torn to pieces by the fangs of wild beasts.

She even pleaded with the men to kill her at once,

That her sufferings might the sooner be ended.

The attendants,

However,

Paid little heed to her prayers and tears except to tell her they were acting under the Queen's command,

And soon the poor child found herself alone and helpless.

Kneeling down,

She said her prayers,

And then meekly laid herself down to await whatever fate might befall her.

Suddenly the forest all around her was lighted up as though by the glow of thousands upon thousands of candles,

And she saw before her a broad avenue,

Paved with stones of changing colors and leading up to a shining palace.

Persia gazed with wonder upon the sight,

Scarcely able to believe her eyes.

It must be the work of Prince Leroy,

She murmured.

He is guarding me from the savage beasts,

Even as he guarded me before from the fury of the cruel acreage.

A sound from behind startled her,

And she turned with a cry,

Fearing one of the beasts might have stolen up to her unheard.

Instead,

There stood Prince Leroy himself,

Looking upon her with tenderness and admiration.

Persia had never seen him appear so handsome.

He was dressed in white satin,

Richly embroidered with silver,

And around his neck hung a broad collared of emeralds.

Do not be afraid,

Beautiful Persia,

Said he.

I have come to lead you to the palace of my mother,

The fairy Finetta.

She is waiting impatiently to welcome you,

And be sure that in her palace you will be treated with only the greatest care and tenderness.

At these words all fear left Persia.

Lushing,

She allowed Leroy to take her hand and to lead her up the avenue to the palace.

No sooner did they arrive at the foot of the steps than the golden doors swung open,

And a tall and beautiful lady dressed in a shimmering green robe bordered with emeralds appeared,

And after making herself known as the fairy Finetta,

She welcomed Persia with the greatest grace and dignity.

Persia was led into the palace,

And everything she saw about her was so beautiful and wonderful that she hardly knew how to express her admiration.

Wherever they went,

They were accompanied by soft music.

Others opened before them as they approached,

And in one apartment a feast was set forth for them with every sort of delicious food that can be imagined.

It was served to them without hands,

And nowhere did Persia see anyone but themselves.

This gave the princess some anxiety.

After all,

Thought she to herself,

All this is magic and may at any moment vanish suddenly,

Even as it appeared,

And I may find myself again in the forest,

Helpless and alone.

She therefore,

As soon as she found an opportunity,

Asked the fairy Finetta whether it would not be possible to send her back to her father's palace again.

The fairy seemed both surprised and displeased at this question.

Nothing would be easier,

She replied,

But have you so soon worried of our company that you should wish to leave us?

You know how Leroy adores you.

He will be miserable if he finds he is unable to make you happy even for a few short hours.

Persia murmured something about her father.

Your father is well and in good spirits,

Replied the fairy.

He has not even missed you.

The princess could now no longer urge to be sent home.

She agreed to remain in the castle for a while at least.

Leroy showed the greatest joy when he heard this.

Ah,

Persia,

Said he,

You cannot but know that I am miserable without you,

And if you would accept my love and devotion,

I would be the happiest creature in the world.

The princess blushed,

But made no answer,

And Leroy dared not press her further.

The next few days passed like a dream for Persia.

Every day she found herself provided with clothes and jewels more beautiful than any she had ever imagined.

Every day invisible hands served her with food that was strange to her,

Yet very delicious.

Even she walked in the gardens or amused herself by feeding the fish in the fountains.

Leroy was almost constantly with her and found a thousand ways in which to please her and show his devotion,

And the fairy finnetta was always gracious and charming.

But one day,

When Leroy had left her for a short time,

Persia began to think of her father,

And she was seized with such a great desire to see him that she grew very sad and could not forbear from weeping.

When Leroy returned and saw her tears,

He at once asked her,

With the greatest concern,

What was troubling her.

I am sad because I am thinking of my father,

Replied Persia.

Oh,

Leroy,

Is it not possible for me to see him?

I have been parted from him for so long.

Leroy became very thoughtful,

But presently he said,

It is indeed quite possible for you to see him and that without even leaving the palace,

But I fear harm may come of it.

However,

As you know,

I can refuse you nothing,

So come with me.

Leroy then led Persia to a high tower from which they could see a great stretch of country in every direction.

He bade her place her right foot on his left foot and her little finger on his thumb and look in one direction he pointed out to her.

As soon as Persia had done this,

She no longer saw Leroy or the tower or anything around her.

It seemed to her that she was back again in her father's palace,

In the chamber where the king sometimes went to be alone.

She saw him there and in his hand he held a little picture of herself painted when she was a child and he was weeping and grieving over it so bitterly that Persia's heart was wrung with pity for him.

She wished to speak to him and throw her arms about his neck,

But no sooner did she say a step forward toward him than she found herself back again on the tower with Leroy and the vision of her father was gone.

Persia turned to the prince,

Her face bathed with tears.

Dearest Leroy,

If you love me,

Let me return to my father,

She cried,

He is grieving for me and I cannot bear the thought of his sorrow.

Leroy looked at her reproachfully.

And is my sorrow nothing to you?

He asked her,

You know how it would grieve me to the heart to lose you.

The king was willing to leave you to the cruelty of acreage and I have treated you always with the tenderest respect and yet you would gladly leave me to return to him.

Persia could make no answer to this and after a moment Leroy added with a sigh,

So be it.

He then led her to the ferry and told her of Persia's wish to leave them.

Phoenetta looked at her with a severe expression.

I fear Persia that you are very ungrateful,

Said she,

But if you wish to leave us we will not keep you.

Only when you find yourself again in the power of the queen remember that it is of your own choice you are there.

So saying,

The ferry waved her hand and at once the castle and all in it vanished away like mist.

Persia found herself again in her father's palace.

With eager steps she hastened to the chamber where she had seen him sitting.

He was still there and weeping.

She ran to him and threw her arms about him.

Dearest father,

Do not grieve me any longer,

She cried.

Your Persia has returned to you,

Loving you better than ever.

The king was filled with joy at the sight of his daughter and embraced her and caressed her with so much tenderness that Persia hoped her sorrows were now ended and that nothing but happiness lay before her.

But she had forgotten acreage.

The step-mother was furious when she heard that the princess had returned to the castle.

Will I ever be able to rid myself of this wretched girl,

She cried,

But wait a bit.

I will make her so miserable that she will be glad enough to leave the palace herself of her own will and desire.

She then hastened away to the king who was again alone.

As Persia had gone to her chamber.

I hear that Persia has returned,

Cried acreage.

The girl thinks she can come and go at pleasure and cares nothing for any anxiety or sorrow she may cause us,

But leave her to me and I will teach her a lesson in obedience that may save us much trouble in the future.

The king was troubled at hearing this.

He could not bear the thought of again putting the princess in the power of her step-mother and yet he knew acreage's furious temper and was afraid of awakening it.

In the end,

However,

He agreed to what the queen asked and promised that she should do as she wished with Persia.

Acreage had learned a lesson from the return of the princess and she now determined to call to her aid a fairy who was a friend of hers and was as wicked as herself.

This girl,

Thought she,

Is surely protected by some magic and if I would succeed against her I must call upon some power that is greater than my own.

The fairy came in haste at the queen's summons and when she found what was required of her,

Her little eyes sparkled with malice.

This is indeed a matter to my own taste,

Said she.

I will tell you how to set a task for the princess that she cannot possibly accomplish.

Then,

When she fails,

You can say she is disobedient and obstinate and this will give you an excuse for breaking every bone in her body.

The advice delighted Acreage.

Quick,

Said she,

Tell me what I am to do for I can hardly wait to rid myself of this creature.

The fairy then drew from an enormous pocket in her gown a great mass of tangled threads of silk.

They were of all colors of the rainbow and each thread was so twisted in with the others that there seemed neither beginning nor end to it and yet was so fine that one could scarcely breathe upon it without breaking it.

Take this silk to Persia,

Said the fairy,

And tell her that before tomorrow she must separate the different colors from each other and wind them into skeins,

Each color to itself,

And that not a single thread of them must be broken.

This she will find it impossible to do and when you visit her tomorrow and find that she has failed,

It will give you an excuse to punish her as you see fit.

This advice delighted the queen.

She took the skeins and hastened away to the place where she had had Persia imprisoned.

The princess was weeping and looked so beautiful in her tears that any heart less hard than acreages would have pitted her,

But her beauty only increased the queen's fury against her.

Come,

Lazybones,

Cried the queen,

Here is something to give work to your idle fingers.

Take this silks and separate them from each other,

Winding each color into a skein by itself.

See that not a thread of it is broken and so you have the task done before tomorrow or else you shall suffer from it.

Alas,

Madam,

Cried the poor princess,

You know that this is an impossible thing to do.

That is your concern,

Cried acreage harshly,

But this I will tell you,

If you are too lazy and obstinate to do as I bid you,

It is only right and proper that you should be punished.

So saying,

She gave Persia a push so violent that it almost threw her upon the floor and went on out,

Locking the door behind her.

Left alone,

Persia took up the mass of silk and with careful fingers began to try to separate the strands,

But hardly could she touch them before they broke and she soon found the task was indeed impossible.

In despair,

She threw aside the silks and burst into tears.

Alas,

Alas,

My sorrows are well deserved,

Wept the poor princess.

Had I but listened to Leroy and to the fairies' warnings,

I might even now be safe and happy in her palace with Leroy for my companion.

Hardly had she spoken thus when the prince himself stood before her.

Ah,

Persia,

Said he,

Are you perhaps beginning to learn at last the worth of my affection?

You have indeed brought this sorrow on yourself,

But I love you too dearly to be willing to see you suffer.

He then struck the silk three times with a silver wand he carried.

Immediately,

The tangles and knots were smoothed away,

The different colors separated themselves one from another,

And broken ends rejoined.

In less time than it takes to tell,

The task was done and the different silks lay smoothly wound and side by side upon the table.

Persia hardly knew how to thank Leroy.

Do not thank me,

Said the prince gravely.

I wish no thanks from you.

You know how dearly I love you and I on my part.

I'm sure now you also love me.

Come away with me from all these fears and sufferings and live with me in the palace my mother is eager to provide for us.

But Persia could not yet make up her mind to marry one who was half a fairy.

Ah,

Leroy,

Forgive me,

She cried.

I know that you love me,

But you are a fairy and I am immortal and I fear your love for me may not be lasting.

Let us wait and see whether the queen's heart may not soften toward me.

Perhaps she has only set me this task as a trial of my patience and does not really intend evil to me.

In other words,

You trust to her cruelty rather than to my tenderness,

Cried the prince with some anger.

So be it,

But at least I have saved you from the beating.

Thus saying,

He disappeared and the princess was left alone.

Early the next morning,

Acreage hastened to Persia's prison.

Already she was planning what was the most cruel punishment she could give the princess,

For she had no other thought but that Persia would have found the task impossible.

What was her amazement to see when she opened the door?

That all the silks had been separated and wound into skeins,

And that the lay upon the table was so beautifully arranged that to see them was like looking upon a rainbow.

Persia met her with a smile.

Madam,

I have done your bidding,

Said she,

And the silks are ready for you,

As you can see.

Acreage could think of no reply to make.

She snatched up the silks and left the room,

Casting upon Persia a look so furious and so malignant that the poor girl trembled.

No sooner had acreage reached her own chamber that she sent for the wicked fairy and at once began to reproach her for setting such an easy task for the princess.

The fairy frowned and shook her head.

I do not understand it,

She said,

Some magic power must be held in Persia,

For never could mortal fingers have separated the skeins after I had tangled them.

However,

I will set her another task even harder than the first,

And which I am very sure will put her in your power.

The fairy then caused a great tub to appear,

And it was full of the feathers of hundreds and hundreds of different birds.

Give her these feathers to separate,

Said the fairy.

She'll heard that the feathers of each kind of bird must be put by themselves,

And all must be separated by the earliest break of day tomorrow.

She will certainly find it impossible to do this task,

And you will then have her in your power.

At this advice,

All of acreage's anger disappeared,

And she thanked the fairy smilingly.

She called for two of her attendants and bade them carry the feathers to the room where Persia was kept prisoner,

And she herself also went there.

The poor princess was terrified when she saw acreage appear once more,

For she knew it could only mean some new trouble for her.

The tub was set upon the floor,

And acreage motioned Persia to it.

Idle one,

She cried.

Here is something that will keep you busy for a few hours at least.

Your task is to separate these feathers,

Putting the ones that belong to each kind of bird by themselves,

And see that they are all separated by morning,

For woe betide you.

She then left the room,

Taking the attendants with her and locking and double locking the door behind her.

As soon as Persia examined the tub of feathers,

She knew the task to be hopeless,

But nevertheless she sat down and made some attempt to separate the feathers,

But she did not even know which ones belonged together,

And there were,

Besides,

Thousands and thousands of them.

In despair,

She threw them back again into the tub and burst into tears.

What will become of me?

She sobbed.

Leroy,

I have offended so deeply that I dare not call upon him for help,

And he is the only one who can aid me.

Ah,

How ungrateful I have been.

I would bet that noble prince were here that I might ask for his pardon before the queen destroys me.

I am here,

Beautiful Persia,

And not only ready but eager to help you.

Do not fear.

This task the queen has set you is not as impossible as you seem to think it.

It was Leroy who spoke.

He had appeared before her,

Handsome and graceful as ever.

He now approached the tub of feathers and touched it with the silver wand which he carried.

No sooner had he done this than the feathers arose in a many-colored cloud,

And each kind separating itself from the others gathered in a little heap by itself.

Persia hardly knew how to thank the prince.

I desire no gratitude,

But love only,

Exclaimed Leroy.

Has not this taught you that as long as you are in the queen's power there is no safety for you?

Oh,

Persia,

Delay no longer.

Come with me to my mother and let us tell her you have consented to our marriage.

But Persia could not yet make up her mind to trust him.

Dear Leroy,

She said,

Weeping,

Do not think me ungrateful,

But how can I,

A mortal woman,

A mortal maiden,

Ever mate with one who is half a fairy?

No,

No,

We could never be happy.

Be to me a friend,

As I will be to you,

But do not ask me to marry you.

Leroy was deeply offended.

He could not help showing his resentment.

Farewell,

Proud princess,

He said to her.

You say you are not ungrateful,

And yet with every word you show your lack of trust in me.

Heaven sent that you may not suffer for the scorn you show me.

So saying,

Leroy again disappeared,

Leaving the princess alone and weeping.

The next day,

At earliest dawn,

Acreage hastened to Persia's prison,

And nothing could be greater than was her wonder and fury when she found the feathers separated and each kind lying neatly by itself.

Her rage was so great that she could not forbear from shaking Persia till the poor princesses teeth rattled in her head,

Giving as an excuse that the feathers were not laid evenly.

She then went away in a rage to her own room,

And calling the fairy to her,

She scolded her at such a rate that her voice could be heard all over the castle.

The fairy was confounded when she found this second task had also been accomplished,

And it seemed as easily and quickly as the first.

It is some magic,

She repeated.

Someone is helping her who is as powerful as I,

Perhaps even more so.

But this is not the end of the matter.

You shall still have a chance to punish the princess at your pleasure.

I have here a box.

Give it to Persia,

And bid her carry it to your castle and leave it in a certain cabinet in the hall,

But not by any means to open it on the way.

Her curiosity will prove too much for her.

She will think it no harm to peep into the box after she is out of sight,

And if she once opens it,

She will find it impossible to close the lid on its contents,

And you can then punish her for her disobedience.

The fairy at once disappeared,

And Acreage sent for the princess to come before her.

Persia obeyed the summons,

Wondering what new sorrow was to come upon her,

But to her surprise the queen met her with a smiling face.

My dear Persia,

Said she,

I have here a box which I wish to send to my palace,

And what is within it is so precious and wonderful that I do not dare to trust it to anyone but you.

It is not locked and there is no key to it,

But do not open it on your way,

Whatever you do.

Place it upon the central cabinet in the main hall,

And then return to me in haste.

Then you may assure me that you have carried it there in safety.

Persia at once hastened to her room for a cloak,

Which she threw about her.

She took the box that the queen handed to her,

And holding it in such a way that the folds of the cloak hid it,

She set upon her journey.

The queen looked after her with an evil smile.

This time she shall not escape me,

She muttered.

Never will she be able to withstand her wish to see what it is that the box holds.

Persia indeed was very curious.

As she hastened along,

Clasping the box to her,

She wondered more and more what could possibly be in it that was so precious that the queen dared not trust it to anyone but herself.

The way was long and the princess was unused to walk in,

And so at last,

When she came to a green meadow with a book flowing through it,

She sat down to rest.

As she sat there,

She became so tormented by curiosity as to what was in the box,

That at last she determined to raise the lid very carefully,

Just a hair's breath,

And take one look within.

What scarcely had her fingers touched the lid when it flew open in her hands,

And out from the box there streamed a host of little people.

There were lords and ladies in fine clothes,

And workmen,

Who at once set about putting up silken tents as a shelter from the sun.

There were tiny coaches of gold,

Drawn by horses even smaller,

And driven by coachmen with powdered wigs,

And there were little footmen sitting beside them.

There were cooks who directed tiny scollions to build up fires and at once set about preparing a grand feast.

Tables were spread,

And small musicians began to play gay music to which the fine folk danced.

It was all so wonderful and pretty that Persia watched them smiling and with the greatest delight,

Quite forgetting that she had disobeyed the strict orders of the queen,

And that she would suffer for it.

Suddenly a cloud came over the sun,

And a few drops of rain fell.

This brought Persia to herself.

Laying down the box,

She ran over to the tent where the little lords and ladies had taken shelter and tried to gather them up so as to return them to the box again,

But this they would not have.

As soon as they found she intended to catch them,

They ran away and hid themselves among the tufts of grasses and back of stones.

Soon they had all disappeared.

Not one of them was to be seen,

Though Persia looked for them all about.

She was now so frightened that she was like one distracted.

She ran about the meadow calling to the little people to return,

And at last,

Quite worn out with her exertions,

She fell upon the ground and burst into tears.

Ah,

Leroy,

You will be well revenged,

She sobbed,

Whatever will become of the poor Persia,

And how shall I ever withstand the rage of the cruel acreage?

Suddenly she heard a deep sigh,

And looking up,

She saw that Leroy was standing beside her.

Seeing him there,

She could not restrain a cry of joy,

But the prince gazed upon her with a sad and sorrowful look.

Ah,

Persia,

Would you ever remember me?

He asked if it were not for the cruel acreage.

Persia,

Ashamed,

Did not dare to raise her eyes to his.

Cruelly,

As you have treated me,

Said Leroy,

I cannot leave you to suffer.

With these words he struck three times upon the lid of the box.

At once,

As though this were a signal,

The little people came running out from their hiding places,

And,

As though each one wished to be the first,

They hastened back into the box,

Pushing and hustling each other in their hurry.

The workmen hastily folded the tents,

The cook and his scullions gathered up their cooking utensils.

The coachmen cracked their whips and shouted to their horses.

Back into the box they crowded.

The box closed of itself,

And the meadow lay green and deserted in the sunlight.

Persia would have thanked Leroy,

But when she turned to speak to him,

He was gone.

Alas,

He is so angry,

I fear he no longer loves me,

Sighed Persia,

While I have at least learned both to love and trust him.

If he had but asked me again to return with him to the fairy palace,

How gladly I would have agreed.

Sadly,

The princess again set out for Aecreiges' castle,

And in due time arrived there without having had any more adventures,

And placed the box in the cabinet in the main hall,

As the queen had directed.

When Aecreiges found that again Persia had accomplished her task and so escaped punishment,

Her rage was so great that she was like one who had suddenly gone crazy.

She sent for the fairy,

And as soon as she appeared,

The queen flew at her with teeth and nails.

Miserable creature,

She shrieked,

You have deceived me.

Three times you have promised to put Persia in my power,

And what has happened?

Every time she had accomplished the tasks and met me smiling,

Be gone,

Or I will tear you limb from limb.

Powerful as the fairy was,

She was frightened by the fierceness of Aecreiges.

She made haste to take herself out of the way and fled back to her castle,

Glad to have escaped with her life.

Aecreiges now made up her mind to take matters again into her own hands.

She caused a deep pit to be dug in the garden,

Too deep for anyone who fell into it to have any chance of escaping.

Over this a great stone was rolled,

So that the mouth of the pit was hidden.

The queen then sent for Persia to come and walk with her in the garden.

She also took several attendants with her.

Though Aecreiges met Persia with a smile and seemed to have forgotten all her rage against her,

The princess was very uneasy.

She feared the queen's plot and felt sure that some new evil was being planned against her,

But she did not know from what direction the danger would come.

As they walked along,

The queen so arranged it that presently they came to the place where the great stone was lying.

Aecreiges pointed it out to Persia.

I am told,

Said she,

That a great treasure lies hidden under that stone.

We will roll it away and see whether those who told me of it have spoken the truth.

She then bade her attendants push the stone aside,

And Persia,

Who was very good-natured,

Put her hands against the stone and pushed also.

This was exactly what Aecreiges wished.

She crept up back of Persia,

And as soon as the pit was uncovered,

She pushed the princess so that she fell down into it,

And the stone was then allowed to fall back into its place.

At last the queen was satisfied.

She felt very sure that Persia could not escape from the pit herself,

And Aecreiges would see to it that no one went there to help her.

She returned to the palace well pleased with her morning's work.

As for Persia,

She was in despair.

Alas,

Leroy,

Why did I not listen to you?

She wept.

Would that I might see you but once more before I perish,

That I might tell you that at last I know the worth of all your love and devotion?

Suddenly,

As she thus bemoaned herself,

Persia saw in the side of the pit a little door which she had not noticed before.

She opened it,

And to her joy and amazement saw before her the same avenue of many colored stones which she had followed when she was lost in the forest,

And there,

At the end of the avenue,

Was the shining castle that she knew as the one belonging to Phinera.

With a beating heart,

Persia hurried along the avenue,

And as she drew near the castle,

The doors opened to her of their own accord,

And standing within she saw the fairy Phinera and Leroy.

They looked upon her smiling,

And Phinera said,

So you have at last returned to us,

Persia,

And I hope with wisdom enough to value the love that Leroy still feels for you.

Indeed,

Madam,

Said the princess,

Blushing,

My love is as great as that of Leroy himself,

And my trust in him is as unbounded.

With a cry of joy,

Leroy clasped her in his arms,

While the fairy stood and smiled upon them.

There was no reason now why they should not be married at once,

And fairies were bidden from far and near to come to the ceremony,

Which was celebrated with the greatest magnificence.

Among those who came was the fairy who had helped acreage in her schemes against Persia.

When she heard the story of the princess and knew that she had all this time been under the protection of Prince Leroy,

She became furious against acreage.

At once she mounted her chariot drawn by dragons and flew to the palace of the king.

Seeking acreage out,

She strangled her with a strand of the very silk that had been given to Persia,

And so quick the fairy was about it that none of the courtiers had time to interfere.

As for the princess and Leroy,

They lived happy forever after,

In a magnificent palace of their own which Phinera provided for them,

But she would never allow Persia to return even for a visit to the king who had treated her so cruelly.