A Fairy's Blunder

: The Grey Fairy Book

Once upon a time there lived a fairy whose name was Dindonette.

She was the best creature in the world, with the kindest heart;

but she had not much sense, and was always doing things, to

benefit people, which generally ended in causing pain and

distress to everybody concerned. No one knew this better than the

inhabitants of an island far off in the midst of the sea, which,

according to the laws of fairyland, she had t ken under her

special protection, thinking day and night of what she could do

to make the isle the pleasantest place in the whole world, as it

was the most beautiful.



Now what happened was this:



As the fairy went about, unseen, from house to house, she heard

everywhere children longing for the time when they would be

‘grown-up,' and able, they thought, to do as they liked; and old

people talking about the past, and sighing to be young again.



‘Is there no way of satisfying these poor things?' she thought.

And then one night an idea occurred to her. ‘Oh, yes, of course!

It has been tried before; but I will manage better than the rest,

with their old Fountain of Youth, which, after all, only made

people young again. I will enchant the spring that bubbles up in

the middle of the orchard, and the children that drink of it

shall at once become grown men and women, and the old people

return to the days of their childhood.'



And without stopping to consult one single other fairy, who might

have given her good advice, off rushed Dindonette, to cast her

spell over the fountain.



It was the only spring of fresh water in the island, and at dawn

was crowded with people of all ages, come to drink at its source.

Delighted at her plan for making them all happy, the fairy hid

herself behind a thicket of roses, and peeped out whenever

footsteps came that way. It was not long before she had ample

proof of the success of her enchantments. Almost before her eyes

the children put on the size and strength of adults, while the

old men and women instantly became helpless, tiny babies. Indeed,

so pleased was she with the result of her work, that she could no

longer remain hidden, and went about telling everybody what she

had done, and enjoying their gratitude and thanks.



But after the first outburst of delight at their wishes being

granted, people began to be a little frightened at the rapid

effects of the magic water. It was delicious to feel yourself at

the height of your power and beauty, but you would wish to keep

so always! Now this was exactly what the fairy had been in too

much of a hurry to arrange, and no sooner had the children become

grown up, and the men and women become babies, than they all

rushed on to old age at an appalling rate! The fairy only found

out her mistake when it was too late to set it right.



When the inhabitants of the island saw what had befallen them,

they were filled with despair, and did everything they could

think of to escape from such a dreadful fate. They dug wells in

their places, so that they should no longer need to drink from

the magic spring; but the sandy soil yielded no water, and the

rainy season was already past. They stored up the dew that fell,

and the juice of fruits and of herbs, but all this was as a drop

in the ocean of their wants. Some threw themselves into the sea,

trusting that the current might carry them to other shores--they

had no boats--and a few, still more impatient, put themselves to

death on the spot. The rest submitted blindly to their destiny.



Perhaps the worst part of the enchantment was, that the change

from one age to another was so rapid that the person had no time

to prepare himself for it. It would not have mattered so much if

the man who stood up in the assembly of the nation, to give his

advice as to peace or war, had looked like a baby, as long as he

spoke with the knowledge and sense of a full-grown man. But,

alas! with the outward form of an infant, he had taken on its

helplessness and foolishness, and there was no one who could

train him to better things. The end of it all was, that before a

month had passed the population had died out, and the fairy

Dindonette, ashamed and grieved at the effects of her folly, had

left the island for ever.



Many centuries after, the fairy Selnozoura, who had fallen into

bad health, was ordered by her doctors to make the tour of the

world twice a week for change of air, and in one of these

journeys she found herself at Fountain Island. Selnozoura never

made these trips alone, but always took with her two children, of

whom she was very fond--Cornichon, a boy of fourteen, bought in

his childhood at a slave-market, and Toupette, a few months

younger, who had been entrusted to the care of the fairy by her

guardian, the genius Kristopo. Cornichon and Toupette were

intended by Selnozoura to become husband and wife, as soon as

they were old enough. Meanwhile, they travelled with her in a

little vessel, whose speed through the air was just a thousand

nine hundred and fifty times greater than that of the swiftest of

our ships.



Struck with the beauty of the island, Selnozoura ran the vessel

to ground, and leaving it in the care of the dragon which lived

in the hold during the voyage, stepped on shore with her two

companions. Surprised at the sight of a large town whose streets

and houses were absolutely desolate, the fairy resolved to put

her magic arts in practice to find out the cause. While she was

thus engaged, Cornichon and Toupette wandered away by themselves,

and by-and-by arrived at the fountain, whose bubbling waters

looked cool and delicious on such a hot day. Scarcely had they

each drunk a deep draught, when the fairy, who by this time had

discovered all she wished to know, hastened to the spot.



‘Oh, beware! beware!' she cried, the moment she saw them. ‘If you

drink that deadly poison you will be ruined for ever!'



‘Poison?' answered Toupette. ‘It is the most refreshing water I

have ever tasted, and Cornichon will say so too!'



‘Unhappy children, then I am too late! Why did you leave me?

Listen, and I will tell you what has befallen the wretched

inhabitants of this island, and what will befall you too. The

power of fairies is great,' she added, when she had finished her

story, ‘but they cannot destroy the work of another fairy. Very

shortly you will pass into the weakness and silliness of extreme

old age, and all I can do for you is to make it as easy to you as

possible, and to preserve you from the death that others have

suffered, from having no one to look after them. But the charm is

working already! Cornichon is taller and more manly than he was

an hour ago, and Toupette no longer looks like a little girl.'



It was true; but this fact did not seem to render the young

people as miserable as it did Selnozoura.



‘Do not pity us,' said Cornichon. ‘If we are fated to grow old so

soon, let us no longer delay our marriage. What matter if we

anticipate our decay, if we only anticipate our happiness too?'



The fairy felt that Cornichon had reason on his side, and seeing

by a glance at Toupette's face that there was no opposition to be

feared from her, she answered, ‘Let it be so, then. But not in

this dreadful place. We will return at once to Bagota, and the

festivities shall be the most brilliant ever seen.'



They all returned to the vessel, and in a few hours the four

thousand five hundred miles that lay between the island and

Bagota were passed. Everyone was surprised to see the change

which the short absence had made in the young people, but as the

fairy had promised absolute silence about the adventure, they

were none the wiser, and busied themselves in preparing their

dresses for the marriage, which was fixed for the next night.



Early on the following morning the genius Kristopo arrived at the

Court, on one of the visits he was in the habit of paying his

ward from time to time. Like the rest, he was astonished at the

sudden improvement in the child. He had always been fond of her,

and in a moment he fell violently in love. Hastily demanding an

audience of the fairy, he laid his proposals before her, never

doubting that she would give her consent to so brilliant a match.

But Selnozoura refused to listen, and even hinted that in his own

interest Kristopo had better turn his thoughts elsewhere. The

genius pretended to agree, but, instead, he went straight to

Toupette's room, and flew away with her through the window, at

the very instant that the bridegroom was awaiting her below.



When the fairy discovered what had happened, she was furious, and

sent messenger after messenger to the genius in his palace at

Ratibouf, commanding him to restore Toupette without delay, and

threatening to make war in case of refusal.



Kristopo gave no direct answer to the fairy's envoys, but kept

Toupette closely guarded in a tower, where the poor girl used all

her powers of persuasion to induce him to put off their marriage.

All would, however, have been quite vain if, in the course of a

few days, sorrow, joined to the spell of the magic water, had not

altered her appearance so completely that Kristopo was quite

alarmed, and declared that she needed amusement and fresh air,

and that, as his presence seemed to distress her, she should be

left her own mistress. But one thing he declined to do, and that

was to send her back to Bagota.



In the meantime both sides had been busily collecting armies, and

Kristopo had given the command of his to a famous general, while

Selnozoura had placed Cornichon at the head of her forces. But

before war was actually declared, Toupette's parents, who had

been summoned by the genius, arrived at Ratibouf. They had never

seen their daughter since they parted from her as a baby, but

from time to time travellers to Bagota had brought back accounts

of her beauty. What was their amazement, therefore, at finding,

instead of a lovely girl, a middle-aged woman, handsome indeed,

but quite faded--looking, in fact, older than themselves.

Kristopo, hardly less astonished than they were at the sudden

change, thought that it was a joke on the part of one of his

courtiers, who had hidden Toupette away, and put this elderly

lady in her place. Bursting with rage, he sent instantly for all

the servants and guards of the town, and inquired who had the

insolence to play him such a trick, and what had become of their

prisoner. They replied that since Toupette had been in their

charge she had never left her rooms unveiled, and that during her

walks in the surrounding gardens, her food had been brought in

and placed on her table; as she preferred to eat alone no one had

ever seen her face, or knew what she was like.



The servants were clearly speaking the truth, and Kristopo was

obliged to believe them. ‘But,' thought he, ‘if they have not had

a hand in this, it must be the work of the fairy,' and in his

anger he ordered the army to be ready to march.



On her side, Selnozoura of course knew what the genius had to

expect, but was deeply offended when she heard of the base trick

which she was believed to have invented. Her first desire was to

give battle to Kristopo at once, but with great difficulty her

ministers induced her to pause, and to send an ambassador to

Kristopo to try to arrange matters.



So the Prince Zeprady departed for the court of Ratibouf, and on

his way he met Cornichon, who was encamped with his army just

outside the gates of Bagota. The prince showed him the fairy's

written order that for the present peace must still be kept, and

Cornichon, filled with longing to see Toupette once more, begged

to be allowed to accompany Zeprady on his mission to Ratibouf.



By this time the genius's passion for Toupette, which had caused

all these troubles, had died out, and he willingly accepted the

terms of peace offered by Zeprady, though he informed the prince

that he still believed the fairy to be guilty of the dreadful

change in the girl. To this the prince only replied that on that

point he had a witness who could prove, better than anyone else,

if it was Toupette or not, and desired that Cornichon should be

sent for.



When Toupette was told that she was to see her old lover again,

her heart leapt with joy; but soon the recollection came to her

of all that had happened, and she remembered that Cornichon would

be changed as well as she. The moment of their meeting was not

all happiness, especially on the part of Toupette, who could not

forget her lost beauty, and the genius, who was present, was at

last convinced that he had not been deceived, and went out to

sign the treaty of peace, followed by his attendants.



‘Ah, Toupette: my dear Toupette!' cried Cornichon, as soon as

they were left alone; ‘now that we are once more united, let our

past troubles be forgotten.'



‘Our past troubles!' answered she, ‘and what do you call our lost

beauty and the dreadful future before us? You are looking fifty

years older than when I saw you last, and I know too well that

fate has treated me no better!'



‘Ah, do not say that,' replied Cornichon, clasping her hand. ‘You

are different, it is true; but every age has its graces, and

surely no woman of sixty was ever handsomer than you! If your

eyes had been as bright as of yore they would have matched badly

with your faded skin. The wrinkles which I notice on your

forehead explain the increased fulness of your cheeks, and your

throat in withering is elegant in decay. Thus the harmony shown

by your features, even as they grow old, is the best proof of

their former beauty.'



‘Oh, monster!' cried Toupette, bursting into tears, ‘is that all

the comfort you can give me?'



‘But, Toupette,' answered Cornichon, ‘you used to declare that

you did not care for beauty, as long as you had my heart.'



‘Yes, I know,' said she, ‘but how can you go on caring for a

person who is as old and plain as I?'



‘Toupette, Toupette,' replied Cornichon, ‘you are only talking

nonsense. My heart is as much yours as ever it was, and nothing

in the world can make any difference.'



At this point of the conversation the Prince Zeprady entered the

room, with the news that the genius, full of regret for his

behaviour, had given Cornichon full permission to depart for

Bagota as soon as he liked, and to take Toupette with him; adding

that, though he begged they would excuse his taking leave of them

before they went, he hoped, before long, to visit them at Bagota.



Neither of the lovers slept that night--Cornichon from joy at

returning home, Toupette from dread of the blow to her vanity

which awaited her at Bagota. It was hopeless for Cornichon to try

to console her during the journey with the reasons he had given

the day before. She only grew worse and worse, and when they

reached the palace went straight to her old apartments,

entreating the fairy to allow both herself and Cornichon to

remain concealed, and to see no one.



For some time after their arrival the fairy was taken up with the

preparations for the rejoicings which were to celebrate the

peace, and with the reception of the genius, who was determined

to do all in his power to regain Selnozoura's lost friendship.

Cornichon and Toupette were therefore left entirely to

themselves, and though this was only what they wanted, still,

they began to feel a little neglected.



At length, one morning, they saw from the windows that the fairy

and the genius were approaching, in state, with all their

courtiers in attendance. Toupette instantly hid herself in the

darkest corner of the room, but Cornichon, forgetting that he was

now no longer a boy of fourteen, ran to meet them. In so doing he

tripped and fell, bruising one of his eyes severely. At the sight

of her lover lying helpless on the floor, Toupette hastened to

his side; but her feeble legs gave way under her, and she fell

almost on top of him, knocking out three of her loosened teeth

against his forehead. The fairy, who entered the room at this

moment, burst into tears, and listened in silence to the genius,

who hinted that by-and-by everything would be put right.



‘At the last assembly of the fairies,' he said, ‘when the doings

of each fairy were examined and discussed, a proposal was made to

lessen, as far as possible, the mischief caused by Dindonette by

enchanting the fountain. And it was decided that, as she had

meant nothing but kindness, she should have the power of undoing

one half of the spell. Of course she might always have destroyed

the fatal fountain, which would have been best of all; but this

she never thought of. Yet, in spite of this, her heart is so

good, that I am sure that the moment she hears that she is wanted

she will fly to help. Only, before she comes, it is for you,

Madam, to make up your mind which of the two shall regain their

former strength and beauty.'



At these words the fairy's soul sank. Both Cornichon and Toupette

were equally dear to her, and how could she favour one at the

cost of the other? As to the courtiers, none of the men were able

to understand why she hesitated a second to declare for Toupette;

while the ladies were equally strong on the side of Cornichon.



But, however undecided the fairy might be, it was quite different

with Cornichon and Toupette.



‘Ah, my love,' exclaimed Cornichon, ‘at length I shall be able to

give you the best proof of my devotion by showing you how I value

the beauties of your mind above those of your body! While the

most charming women of the court will fall victims to my youth

and strength, I shall think of nothing but how to lay them at

your feet, and pay heart-felt homage to your age and wrinkles.'



‘Not so fast,' interrupted Toupette, ‘I don't see why you should

have it all. Why do you heap such humiliations upon me? But I

will trust to the justice of the fairy, who will not treat me

so.'



Then she entered her own rooms, and refused to leave them, in

spite of the prayers of Cornichon, who begged her to let him

explain.



No one at the court thought or spoke of any other subject during

the few days before the arrival of Dindonette, whom everybody

expected to set things right in a moment. But, alas! she had no

idea herself what was best to be done, and always adopted the

opinion of the person she was talking to. At length a thought

struck her, which seemed the only way of satisfying both parties,

and she asked the fairy to call together all the court and the

people to hear her decision.



‘Happy is he,' she began, ‘who can repair the evil he has caused,

but happier he who has never caused any.'



As nobody contradicted this remark, she continued:



‘To me it is only allowed to undo one half of the mischief I have

wrought. I could restore you your youth,' she said to Cornichon,

‘or your beauty,' turning to Toupette. ‘I will do both; and I

will do neither.'



A murmur of curiosity arose from the crowd, while Cornichon and

Toupette trembled with astonishment.



‘No,' went on Dindonette, ‘never should I have the cruelty to

leave one of you to decay, while the other enjoys the glory of

youth. And as I cannot restore you both at once to what you were,

one half of each of your bodies shall become young again, while

the other half goes on its way to decay. I will leave it to you

to choose which half it shall be--if I shall draw a line round

the waist, or a line straight down the middle of the body.'



She looked about her proudly, expecting applause for her clever

idea. But Cornichon and Toupette were shaking with rage and

disappointment, and everyone else broke into shouts of laughter.

In pity for the unhappy lovers, Selnozoura came forward.



‘Do you not think,' she said, ‘that instead of what you propose,

it would be better to let them take it in turns to enjoy their

former youth and beauty for a fixed time? I am sure you could

easily manage that.'



‘What an excellent notion!' cried Dindonette. ‘Oh, yes, of course

that is best! Which of you shall I touch first?'



‘Touch her,' replied Cornichon, who was always ready to give way

to Toupette. ‘I know her heart too well to fear any change.'



So the fairy bent forward and touched her with her magic ring,

and in one instant the old woman was a girl again. The whole

court wept with joy at the sight, and Toupette ran up to

Cornichon, who had fallen down in his surprise, promising to pay

him long visits, and tell him of all her balls and water parties.



The two fairies went to their own apartments, where the genius

followed them to take his leave.



‘Oh, dear!' suddenly cried Dindonette, breaking in to the

farewell speech of the genius. ‘I quite forgot to fix the time

when Cornichon should in his turn grow young. How stupid of me!

And now I fear it is too late, for I ought to have declared it

before I touched Toupette with the ring. Oh, dear! oh, dear! why

did nobody warn me?'



‘You were so quick,' replied Selnozoura, who had long been aware

of the mischief the fairy had again done, ‘and we can only wait

now till Cornichon shall have reached the utmost limits of his

decay, when he will drink of the water, and become a baby once

more, so that Toupette will have to spend her life as a nurse, a

wife, and a caretaker.'



After the anxiety of mind and the weakness of body to which for

so long Toupette had been a prey, it seemed as if she could not

amuse herself enough, and it was seldom indeed that she found

time to visit poor Cornichon, though she did not cease to be fond

of him, or to be kind to him. Still, she was perfectly happy

without him, and this the poor man did not fail to see, almost

blind and deaf from age though he was.



But it was left to Kristopo to undo at last the work of

Dindonette, and give Cornichon back the youth he had lost, and

this the genius did all the more gladly, as he discovered, quite

by accident, that Cornichon was in fact his son. It was on this

plea that he attended the great yearly meeting of the fairies,

and prayed that, in consideration of his services to so many of

the members, this one boon might be granted him. Such a request

had never before been heard in fairyland, and was objected to by

some of the older fairies; but both Kristopo and Selnozoura were

held in such high honour that the murmurs of disgust were set

aside, and the latest victim to the enchanted fountain was

pronounced to be free of the spell. All that the genius asked in

return was that he might accompany the fairy back to Bagota, and

be present when his son assumed his proper shape.



They made up their minds they would just tell Toupette that they

had found a husband for her, and give her a pleasant surprise at

her wedding, which was fixed for the following night. She heard

the news with astonishment, and many pangs for the grief which

Cornichon would certainly feel at his place being taken by

another; but she did not dream of disobeying the fairy, and spent

the whole day wondering who the bridegroom could be.



At the appointed hour, a large crowd assembled at the fairy's

palace, which was decorated with the sweetest flowers, known only

to fairyland. Toupette had taken her place, but where was the

bridegroom?



‘Fetch Cornichon!' said the fairy to her chamberlain.



But Toupette interposed: ‘Oh, Madam, spare him, I entreat you,

this bitter pain, and let him remain hidden and in peace.'



‘It is necessary that he should be here,' answered the fairy,

‘and he will not regret it.'



And, as she spoke, Cornichon was led in, smiling with the

foolishness of extreme old age at the sight of the gay crowd.



‘Bring him here,' commanded the fairy, waving her hand towards

Toupette, who started back from surprise and horror.



Selnozoura then took the hand of the poor old man, and the genius

came forward and touched him three times with his ring, when

Cornichon was transformed into a handsome young man.



‘May you live long,' the genius said, ‘to enjoy happiness with

your wife, and to love your father.'



And that was the end of the mischief wrought by the fairy

Dindonette!