The Enchanted Canary

: The Red Fairy Book

I



ONCE upon a time, in the reign of King Cambrinus, there lived at

Avesnes one of his lords, who was the finest man--by which I

mean the fattest--in the whole country of Flanders. He ate four

meals a day, slept twelve hours out of the twenty-four, and the only

thing he ever did was to shoot at small birds with his bow and

arrow.



Still, with all his practice he shot very badly, h was so fat and

heavy, and as he grew daily fatter, he was at last obliged to give up

walking, and be dragged about in a wheel-chair, and the people

made fun of him, and gave him the name of my Lord Tubby.



Now, the only trouble that Lord Tubby had was about his son,

whom he loved very much, although they were not in the least

alike, for the young Prince was as thin as a cuckoo. And what

vexed him more than all was, that though the young ladies throughout

all his lands did their best to make the Prince fall in love with

them, he would have nothing to say to any of them, and told his

father he did not wish to marry.



Instead of chatting with them in the dusk, he wandered about

the woods, whispering to the moon. No wonder the young ladies

thought him very odd, but they liked him all the better for that;

and as he had received at his birth the name of Desire, they all

called him d'Amour Desire.



`What is the matter with you?' his father often said to him.

`You have everything you can possibly wish for: a good bed, good

food, and tuns full of beer. The only thing you want, in order to

become as fat as a pig, is a wife that can bring you broad, rich

lands. So marry, and you will be perfectly happy.'



`I ask nothing better than to marry,' replied Desire, `but I have

never seen a woman that pleases me. All the girls here are pink

and white, and I am tired to death of their eternal lilie and roses.



`My faith!' cried Tubby; `do you want to marry a negress,

and give me grandchildren as ugly as monkeys and as stupid as

owls?'



`No, father, nothing of the sort. But there must be women

somewhere in the world who are neither pink nor white, and I tell

you, once for all, that I will never marry until I have found one

exactly to my taste.'





II





Some time afterwards, it happened that the Prior of the Abbey

of Saint Amand sent to the Lord of Avesnes a basket of oranges, with

a beautifully-written letter saying that these golden fruit, then

unknown in Flanders, came straight from a land where the sun always

shone.



That evening Tubby and his son ate the golden apples at supper,

and thought them delicious.



Next morning as the day dawned, Desire went down to the

stable and saddled his pretty white horse. Then he went, all dressed

for a journey, to the bedside of Tubby, and found him smoking his

first pipe.



`Father,' he said gravely, `I have come to bid you farewell.

Last night I dreamed that I was walking in a wood, where the

trees were covered with golden apples. I gathered one of them,

and when I opened it there came out a lovely princess with a

golden skin. That is the wife I want, and I am going to look for

her.'



The Lord of Avesnes was so much astonished that he let his pipe

fall to the ground; then he became so diverted at the notion of his

son marrying a yellow woman, and a woman shut up inside an

orange, that he burst into fits of laughter.



Desire waited to bid him good-bye until he was quiet again;

but as his father went on laughing and showed no signs of stopping,

the young man took his hand, kissed it tenderly, opened the door,

and in the twinkling of an eye was as at the bottom of the staircase.

He jumped lightly on his horse, and was a mile from home before

Tubby had ceased laughing.



`A yellow wife! He must be mad! fit for a strait waistcoat!'

cried the good man, when he was able to speak. `Here! quick!

bring him back to me.'



The servants mounted their horses and rode after the Prince;

but as they did not know which road he had taken, they went all

ways except the right one, and instead of bringing him back they

returned themselves when it grew dark, with their horses worn out

and covered with dust.





III





When Desire thought they could no longer catch him, he pulled

his horse into a walk, like a prudent man who knows he has far to

go. He travelled in this way for many weeks, passing by villages,

towns, mountains, valleys, and plains, but always pushing south,

where every day the sun seemed hotter and more brilliant.



At last one day at sunset Desire felt the sun so warm, that he

thought he must now be near the place of his dream. He was at

that moment close to the corner of a wood where stood a little hut,

before the door of which his horse stopped of his own accord. An

old man with a white beard was sitting on the doorstep enjoying

the fresh air. The Prince got down from his horse and asked leave

to rest.



`Come in, my young friend,' said the old man; `my house is not

large, but it is big enough to hold a stranger.'



The traveller entered, and his host put before him a simple meal.

When his hunger was satisfied the old man said to him:



`If I do not mistake, you come from far. May I ask where you

are going?'



`I will tell you,' answered Desire, `though most likely you will

laugh at me. I dreamed that in the land of the sun there was a

wood full of orange trees, and that in one of the oranges I should

find a beautiful princess who is to be my wife. It is she I am

seeking.'



`Why should I laugh?' asked the old man. `Madness in youth

is true wisdom. Go, young man, follow your dream, and if you do

not find the happiness that you seek, at any rate you will have had

the happiness of seeking it.'





IV





The next day the Prince arose early and took leave of his host.



`The wood that you saw in your dream is not far from here,'

said the old man. `It is in the depth of the forest, and this road

will lead you there. You will come to a vast park surrounded by

high walls. In the middle of the park is a castle, where dwells a

horrible witch who allows no living being to enter the doors.

Behind the castle is the orange grove. Follow the wall till you come

to a heavy iron gate. Don't try to press it open, but oil the hinges

with this,' and the old man gave him a small bottle.



`The gate will open of itself,' he continued, `and a huge dog

which guards the castle will come to you with his mouth wide open,

but just throw him this oat cake. Next, you will see a baking

woman leaning over her heated oven. Give her this brush.

Lastly, you will find a well on your left; do not forget to take the

cord of the bucket and spread it in the sun. When you have done this,

do not enter the castle, but go round it and enter the orange grove.

Then gather three oranges, and get back to the gate as fast as you can.

Once out of the gate, leave the forest by the opposite side.



`Now, attend to this: whatever happens, do not open your oranges

till you reach the bank of a river, or a fountain. Out of each orange

will come a princess, and you can choose which you like for your

wife. Your choice once made, be very careful never to leave your

bride for an instant, and remember that the danger which is most

to be feared is never the danger we are most afraid of.'





V





Desire thanked his host warmly, and took the road he pointed

out. In less than an hour he arrived at the wall, which was very

high indeed. He sprang to the ground, fastened his horse to a tree,

and soon found the iron gate. Then he took out his bottle and oiled

the hinges, when the gate opened of itself, and he saw an old castle

standing inside. The Prince entered boldly into the courtyard.



Suddenly he heard fierce howls, and a dog as tall as a donkey,

with eyes like billiard balls, came towards him, showing his teeth,

which were like the prongs of a fork. Desire flung him the oat

cake, which the great dog instantly snapped up, and the young

Prince passed quietly on.



A few yards further he saw a huge oven, with a wide,

red-hot gaping mouth. A woman as tall as a giant was leaning

over the oven. Desire gave her the brush, which she took in

silence.



Then he went on to the well, drew up the cord, which was half

rotten, and stretched it out in the sun.



Lastly he went round the castle, and plunged into the orange

grove. There he gathered the three most beautiful oranges he could

find, and turned to go back to the gate.



But just at this moment the sun was darkened, the earth trembled,

and Desire heard a voice crying:



`Baker, baker, take him by his feet, and throw him into the oven!'



`No,' replied the baker; `a long time has passed since I first

began to scour this oven with my own flesh. YOU never cared to

give me a brush; but he has given me one, and he shall go in peace.'



`Rope, O rope!' cried the voice again, `twine yourself round

his neck and strangle him.'



`No,' replied the rope; `you have left me for many years past

to fall to pieces with the damp. He has stretched me out in the

sun. Let him go in peace.'



`Dog, my good dog,' cried the voice, more and more angry,

`jump at his throat and eat him up.'



`No,' replied the dog; `though I have served you long, you never



gave me any bread. He has given me as much as I want. Let

him go in peace.'



`Iron gate, iron gate,' cried the voice, growling like thunder,

`fall on him and grind him to powder.'



`No,' replied the gate; `it is a hundred years since you left me

to rust, and he has oiled me. Let him go in peace.'





VI





Once outside, the young adventurer put his oranges into a bag

that hung from his saddle, mounted his horse, and rode quickly out

of the forest.



Now, as he was longing to see the princesses, he was very anxious

to come to a river or a fountain, but, though he rode for hours, a

river or fountain was nowhere to be seen. Still his heart was light,

for he felt that he had got through the most difficult part of his task,

and the rest was easy.



About mid-day he reached a sandy plain, scorching in the sun.

Here he was seized with dreadful thirst; he took his gourd and

raised it to his lips.



But the gourd was empty; in the excitement of his joy he had

forgotten to fill it. He rode on, struggling with his sufferings, but

at last he could bear it no longer.



He let himself slide to the earth, and lay down beside his horse,

his throat burning, his chest heaving, and his head going round.

Already he felt that death was near him, when his eyes fell on the

bag where the oranges peeped out.



Poor Desire, who had braved so many dangers to win the lady

of his dreams, would have given at this moment all the princesses

in the world, were they pink or golden, for a single drop of water.



`Ah!' he said to himself. `If only these oranges were real fruit--

fruit as refreshing as what I ate in Flanders! And, after all, who

knows?'



This idea put some life into him. He had the strength to lift

himself up and put his hand into his bag. He drew out an orange

and opened it with his knife.



Out of it flew the prettiest little female canary that ever was

seen.



`Give me something to drink, I am dying of thirst,' said the

golden bird.



`Wait a minute,' replied Desire, so much astonished that he

forgot his own sufferings; and to satisfy the bird he took a second

orange, and opened it without thinking what he was doing. Out

of it flew another canary, and she too began to cry:



`I am dying of thirst; give me something to drink.'



Then Tubby's son saw his folly, and while the two canaries

flew away he sank on the ground, where, exhausted by his last

effort, he lay unconscious.





VII





When he came to himself, he had a pleasant feeling of freshness

all about him. It was night, the sky was sparkling with stars, and

the earth was covered with a heavy dew.



The traveller having recovered, mounted his horse, and at the

first streak of dawn he saw a stream dancing in front of him, and

stooped down and drank his fill.



He hardly had courage to open his last orange. Then he

remembered that the night before he had disobeyed the orders of the

old man. Perhaps his terrible thirst was a trick of the cunning

witch, and suppose, even though he opened the orange on the

banks of the stream, that he did not find in it the princess that he

sought?



He took his knife and cut it open. Alas! out of it flew a little

canary, just like the others, who cried:



`I am thirsty; give me something to drink.'



Great was the disappointment of Desire. However, he was

determined not to let this bird fly away; so he took up some water

in the palm of his hand and held it to its beak.



Scarcely had the canary drunk when she became a beautiful

girl, tall and straight as a poplar tree, with black eyes and a golden

skin. Desire had never seen anyone half so lovely, and he stood

gazing at her in delight.



On her side she seemed quite bewildered, but she looked about

her with happy eyes, and was not at all afraid of her deliverer.



He asked her name. She answered that she was called the

Princess Zizi; she was about sixteen years old, and for ten years of

that time the witch had kept her shut up in an orange, in the

shape of a canary.



`Well, then, my charming Zizi,' said the young Prince, who

was longing to marry her, `let us ride away quickly so as to

escape from the wicked witch.'



But Zizi wished to know where he meant to take her.



`To my father's castle,' he said.



He mounted his horse and took her in front of him, and, holding

her carefully in his arms, they began their journey.





VIII





Everything the Princess saw was new to her, and in passing

through mountains, valleys, and towns, she asked a thousand

questions. Desire was charmed to answer them. It is so delightful

to teach those one loves!



Once she inquired what the girls in his country were like.



`They are pink and white,' he replied, `and their eyes are blue.'



`Do you like blue eyes?' said the Princess; but Desire thought

it was a good opportunity to find out what was in her heart, so he

did not answer.



`And no doubt,' went on the Princess, `one of them is your

intended bride?'



Still he was silent, and Zizi drew herself up proudly.



`No,' he said at last. `None of the girls of my own country

are beautiful in my eyes, and that is why I came to look for a wife

in the land of the sun. Was I wrong, my lovely Zizi?'



This time it was Zizi's turn to be silent.





IX





Talking in this way they drew near to the castle. When they

were about four stone-throws from the gates they dismounted in

the forest, by the edge of a fountain.



`My dear Zizi,' said Tubby's son, `we cannot present ourselves

before my father like two common people who have come back

from a walk. We must enter the castle with more ceremony.

Wait for me here, and in an hour I will return with carriages and

horses fit for a princess.'



`Don't be long,' replied Zizi, and she watched him go with

wistful eyes.



When she was left by herself the poor girl began to feel afraid.

She was alone for the first time in her life, and in the middle of a

thick forest.



Suddenly she heard a noise among the trees. Fearing lest it

should be a wolf, she hid herself in the hollow trunk of a willow

tree which hung over the fountain. It was big enough to hold

her altogether, but she peeped out, and her pretty head was

reflected in the clear water.



Then there appeared, not a wolf, but a creature quite as wicked

and quite as ugly. Let us see who this creature was.





X





Not far from the fountain there lived a family of bricklayers.

Now, fifteen years before this time, the father in walking through

the forest found a little girl, who had been deserted by the gypsies.

He carried her home to his wife, and the good woman was sorry

for her, and brought her up with her own sons. As she grew

older, the little gypsy became much more remarkable for strength

and cunning than for sense or beauty. She had a low forehead,

a flat nose, thick lips, coarse hair, and a skin not golden like that

of Zizi, but the colour of clay.



As she was always being teased about her complexion, she got

as noisy and cross as a titmouse. So they used to call her Titty.



Titty was often sent by the bricklayer to fetch water from the

fountain, and as she was very proud and lazy the gypsy disliked

this very much.



It was she who had frightened Zizi by appearing with her

pitcher on her shoulder. Just as she was stooping to fill it, she

saw reflected in the water the lovely image of the Princess.



`What a pretty face!' she exclaimed, `Why, it must be

mine! How in the world can they call me ugly? I am certainly

much too pretty to be their water carrier!'



So saying, she broke her pitcher and went home.



`Where is your pitcher?' asked the bricklayer.



`Well, what do you expect? The pitcher may go many times

to the well. . . .'



`But at last it is broken. Well, here is a bucket that will not

break.'



The gypsy returned to the fountain, and addressing once more

the image of Zizi, she said:



`No; I don't mean to be a beast of burden any longer.' And

she flung the bucket so high in the air that it stuck in the branches

of an oak.



`I met a wolf,' she told the bricklayer, `and I broke the bucket

across his nose.'



The bricklayer asked her no more questions, but took down a

broom and gave her such a beating that her pride was humbled

a little.



Then he handed to her an old copper milk-can, and said:



`If you don't bring it back full, your bones shall suffer for it.'





XI





Titty went off rubbing her sides; but this time she did not dare

to disobey, and in a very bad temper stooped down over the well.

It was not at all easy to fill the milk-can, which was large and

round. It would not go down into the well, and the gypsy had to

try again and again.



At last her arms grew so tired that when she did manage to get

the can properly under the water she had no strength to pull it up,

and it rolled to the bottom.



On seeing the can disappear, she made such a miserable face

that Zizi, who had been watching her all this time, burst into fits of

laughter.



Titty turned round and perceived the mistake she had made;

and she felt so angry that she made up her mind to be revenged at

once.



`What are you doing there, you lovely creature?' she said to

Zizi.



`I am waiting for my lover,' Zizi replied; and then, with a

simplicity quite natural in a girl who so lately had been a canary,

she told all her story.



The gypsy had often seen the young Prince pass by, with his

gun on his shoulder, when he was going after crows. She was too

ugly and ragged for him ever to have noticed her, but Titty on her

side had admired him, though she thought he might well have been

a little fatter.



`Dear, dear!' she said to herself. `So he likes yellow women!

Why, I am yellow too, and if I could only think of a way----'



It was not long before she did think of it.



`What!' cried the sly Titty, `they are coming with great pomp

to fetch you, and you are not afraid to show yourself to so many

fine lords and ladies with your hair down like that? Get down at

once, my poor child, and let me dress your hair for you!'



The innocent Zizi came down at once, and stood by Titty. The

gypsy began to comb her long brown locks, when suddenly she drew

a pin from her stays, and, just as the titmouse digs its beak into

the heads of linnets and larks, Titty dug the pin into the head of

Zizi.



No sooner did Zizi feel the prick of the pin than she became a

bird again, and, spreading her wings, she flew away.



`That was neatly done,' said the gypsy. `The Prince will be

clever if he finds his bride.' And, arranging her dress, she seated

herself on the grass to await Desire.





XII





Meanwhile the Prince was coming as fast as his horse could

carry him. He was so impatient that he was always full fifty

yards in front of the lords and ladies sent by Tubby to bring back

Zizi.



At the sight of the hideous gypsy he was struck dumb with

surprise and horror.



`Ah me!' said Titty, `so you don't know your poor Zizi?

While you were away the wicked witch came, and turned me into

this. But if you only have the courage to marry me I shall get

back my beauty.' And she began to cry bitterly.



Now the good-natured Desire was as soft-hearted as he was brave.



`Poor girl,' he thought to himself. `It is not her fault, after all,

that she has grown so ugly, it is mine. Oh! why did I not follow

the old man's advice? Why did I leave her alone? And besides, it

depends on me to break the spell, and I love her too much to let

her remain like this.'



So he presented the gypsy to the lords and ladies of the Court,

explaining to them the terrible misfortune which had befallen his

beautiful bride.



They all pretended to believe it, and the ladies at once put on

the false princess the rich dresses they had brought for Zizi.



She was then perched on the top of a magnificent ambling

palfrey, and they set forth to the castle.



But unluckily the rich dress and jewels only made Titty look

uglier still, and Desire could not help feeling hot and uncomfortable

when he made his entry with her into the city.



Bells were pealing, chimes ringing, and the people filling the

streets and standing at their doors to watch the procession go by,

and they could hardly believe their eyes as they saw what a strange

bride their Prince had chosen.



In order to do her more honour, Tubby came to meet her at the

foot of the great marble staircase. At the sight of the hideous

creature he almost fell backwards.



`What!' he cried. `Is this the wonderful beauty?'



`Yes, father, it is she,' replied Desire with a sheepish look. `But

she has been bewitched by a wicked sorceress, and will not regain

her beauty until she is my wife.'



`Does she say so? Well, if you believe that, you may drink cold

water and think it bacon,' the unhappy Tubby answered crossly.



But all the same, as he adored his son, he gave the gypsy his

hand and led her to the great hall, where the bridal feast was

spread.





XIII





The feast was excellent, but Desire hardly touched anything.

However, to make up, the other guests ate greedily, and, as for

Tubby, nothing ever took away his appetite.



When the moment arrived to serve the roast goose, there was a

pause, and Tubby took the opportunity to lay down his knife and

fork for a little. But as the goose gave no sign of appearing, he

sent his head carver to find out what was the matter in the kitchen.



Now this was what had happened.



While the goose was turning on the spit, a beautiful little

canary hopped on to the sill of the open window.



`Good-morning, my fine cook,' she said in a silvery voice to the

man who was watching the roast.



`Good-morning, lovely golden bird,' replied the chief of the

scullions, who had been well brought up.



`I pray that Heaven may send you to sleep,' said the golden bird,

`and that the goose may burn, so that there may be none left for

Titty.'



And instantly the chief of the scullions fell fast asleep, and the

goose was burnt to a cinder.



When he awoke he was horrified, and gave orders to pluck

another goose, to stuff it with chestnuts, and put it on the spit.



While it was browning at the fire, Tubby inquired for his goose

a second time. The Master Cook himself mounted to the hall to

make his excuses, and to beg his lord to have a little patience.

Tubby showed his patience by abusing his son.



`As if it wasn't enough,' he grumbled between his teeth, `that the

boy should pick up a hag without a penny, but the goose must go and

burn now. It isn't a wife he has brought me, it is Famine herself.'





XIV





While the Master Cook was upstairs, the golden bird came again

to perch on the window-sill, and called in his clear voice to the head

scullion, who was watching the spit:



`Good-morning, my fine Scullion!'



`Good-morning, lovely Golden Bird,' replied the Scullion, whom

the Master Cook had forgotten in his excitement to warn.



`I pray Heaven,' went on the Canary, `that it will send you to

sleep, and that the goose may burn, so that there may be none left

for Titty.'



And the Scullion fell fast asleep, and when the Master Cook came

back he found the goose as black as the chimney.



In a fury he woke the Scullion, who in order to save himself

from blame told the whole story.



`That accursed bird,' said the Cook; `it will end by getting me

sent away. Come, some of you, and hide yourselves, and if it comes

again, catch it and wring its neck.'



He spitted a third goose, lit a huge fire, and seated himself

by it.



The bird appeared a third time, and said: `Good-morning, my

fine Cook.'



`Good-morning, lovely Golden Bird,' replied the Cook, as if

nothing had happened, and at the moment that the Canary was beginning,

`I pray Heaven that it may send,' a scullion who was hidden

outside rushed out and shut the shutters. The bird flew into the

kitchen. Then all the cooks and scullions sprang after it, knocking

at it with their aprons. At length one of them caught it just at the

very moment that Tubby entered the kitchen, waving his sceptre.

He had come to see for himself why the goose had never made its

appearance.



The Scullion stopped at once, just as he was about to wring the

Canary's neck.





XV





`Will some one be kind enough to tell me the meaning of all this?'

cried the Lord of Avesnes.



`Your Excellency, it is the bird,' replied the Scullion, and he

placed it in his hand.



`Nonsense! What a lovely bird!' said Tubby, and in stroking its

head he touched a pin that was sticking between its feathers. He

pulled it out, and lo! the Canary at once became a beautiful girl

with a golden skin who jumped lightly to the ground.



`Gracious! what a pretty girl!' said Tubby.



`Father! it is she! it is Zizi!' exclaimed Desire, who entered

at this moment.



And he took her in his arms, crying: `My darling Zizi, how happy

I am to see you once more!'



`Well, and the other one?' asked Tubby.



The other one was stealing quietly to the door.



`Stop her! called Tubby. `We will judge her cause at once.'



And he seated himself solemnly on the oven, and condemned

Titty to be burned alive. After which the lords and cooks formed

themselves in lines, and Tubby betrothed Desire to Zizi.





XVI





The marriage took place a few days later. All the boys in the

country side were there, armed with wooden swords, and decorated

with epaulets made of gilt paper.



Zizi obtained Titty's pardon, and she was sent back to the brick-

fields, followed and hooted at by all the boys. And this is why to-

day the country boys always throw stones at a titmouse.



On the evening of the wedding-day all the larders, cellars,

cupboards and tables of the people, whether rich or poor, were loaded

as if by enchantment with bread, wine, beer, cakes and tarts, roast

larks, and even geese, so that Tubby could not complain any more

that his son had married Famine.



Since that time there has always been plenty to eat in that

country, and since that time, too, you see in the midst of the fair-

haired blue-eyed women of Flanders a few beautiful girls, whose

eyes are black and whose skins are the colour of gold. They are

the descendants of Zizi.[21]



[21] Charles Deulin, Contes du Roi Gambrinus.