Blondine Lost
: Blondine Bonne Biche and Beau Minon: Old French Fairy Tales
Blondine grew to be seven years old and Brunette three.
The king had given Blondine a charming little carriage drawn by
ostriches, and a little coachman ten years of age, who was the nephew of
her nurse.
The little page, who was called Gourmandinet, loved Blondine tenderly.
He had been her playmate from her birth and she had shown him a thousand
acts of kindness.
B
of dainties and sweet things, that for a paper of bonbons he would
commit almost any wicked action. Blondine often said to him:
"I love you dearly, Gourmandinet, but I do not love to see you so
greedy. I entreat you to correct this villainous fault which will make
you despised by all the world."
Gourmandinet kissed her hand and promised to reform. But, alas! he
continued to steal cakes from the kitchen and bonbons from the
store-room. Often, indeed, he was whipped for his disobedience and
gluttony.
The queen Fourbette heard on every hand the reproaches lavished upon the
page and she was cunning enough to think that she might make use of this
weakness of Gourmandinet and thus get rid of poor Blondine.
The garden in which Blondine drove in her little carriage, drawn by
ostriches and guided by her little coachman, Gourmandinet, was separated
by a grating from an immense and magnificent forest, called the Forest
of Lilacs because during the whole year these lilacs were always covered
with superb flowers.
No one, however, entered these woods. It was well known that it was
enchanted ground and that if you once entered there you could never hope
to escape.
Gourmandinet knew the terrible secret of this forest. He had been
severely forbidden ever to drive the carriage of Blondine in that
direction lest by some chance Blondine might pass the grating and place
her little feet on the enchanted ground.
Many times the king Benin had sought to build a wall the entire length
of the grating or to secure it in some way so as to make an entrance
there impossible. But the workmen had no sooner laid the foundation than
some unknown and invisible power raised the stones and they disappeared
from sight.
The queen Fourbette now sought diligently to gain the friendship of
Gourmandinet by giving him every day some delicious dainties. In this
way she made him so complete a slave to his appetite that he could not
live without the jellies, bonbons and cakes which she gave him in such
profusion. At last she sent for him to come to her, and said:--
"Gourmandinet, it depends entirely upon yourself whether you shall have
a large trunk full of bonbons and delicious dainties or never again eat
one during your life."
"Never again eat one! Oh! madam, I should die of such punishment. Speak,
madam, what must I do to escape this terrible fate?"
"It is necessary," said the queen, looking at him fixedly, "that you
should drive the princess Blondine near to the Forest of Lilacs."
"I cannot do it, madam; the king has forbidden it."
"Ah! you cannot do it; well, then, adieu. No more dainties for you. I
shall command every one in the house to give you nothing."
"Oh! madam," said Gourmandinet, weeping bitterly, "do not be so cruel.
Give me some order which it is in my power to execute."
"I can only repeat that I command you to lead the princess Blondine near
to the Forest of Lilacs; that you encourage her to descend from the
carriage, to cross the grating and enter the enchanted ground."
"But, madam," replied Gourmandinet, turning very pale, "if the princess
enters this forest she can never escape from it. You know the penalty of
entering upon enchanted ground. To send my dear princess there is to
give her up to certain death."
"For the third and last time," said the queen, frowning fearfully, "I
ask if you will take the princess to the forest? Choose! either an
immense box of bonbons which I will renew every month or never again to
taste the delicacies which you love."
"But how shall I escape from the dreadful punishment which his majesty
will inflict upon me?"
"Do not be disquieted on that account. As soon as you have induced
Blondine to enter the Forest of Lilacs, return to me. I will send you
off out of danger with your bonbons, and I charge myself with your
future fortune."
"Oh! madam, have pity upon me. Do not compel me to lead my dear princess
to destruction. She who has always been so good to me!"
"You still hesitate, miserable coward! Of what importance is the fate of
Blondine to you? When you have obeyed my commands I will see that you
enter the service of Brunette and I declare to you solemnly that the
bonbons shall never fail."
Gourmandinet hesitated and reflected a few moments longer and, alas! at
last resolved to sacrifice his good little mistress to his gluttony.
The remainder of that day he still hesitated and he lay awake all night
weeping bitter tears as he endeavored to discover some way to escape
from the power of the wicked queen; but the certainty of the queen's
bitter revenge if he refused to execute her cruel orders, and the hope
of rescuing Blondine at some future day by seeking the aid of some
powerful fairy, conquered his irresolution and decided him to obey the
queen.
In the morning at ten o'clock Blondine ordered her little carriage and
entered it for a drive, after having embraced the king her father and
promised him to return in two hours.
The garden was immense. Gourmandinet, on starting, turned the ostriches
away from the Forest of Lilacs. When, however, they were entirely out of
sight of the palace, he changed his course and turned towards the
grating which separated them from the enchanted ground. He was sad and
silent. His crime weighed upon his heart and conscience.
"What is the matter?" said Blondine, kindly. "You say nothing Are you
ill, Gourmandinet?"
"No, my princess, I am well."
"But how pale you are! Tell me what distresses you, poor boy, and I
promise to do all in my power to make you happy."
Blondine's kind inquiries and attentions almost softened the hard heart
of Gourmandinet, but the remembrance of the bonbons promised by the
wicked queen, Fourbette, soon chased away his good resolutions. Before
he had time to reply, the ostriches reached the grating of the Forest of
Lilacs.
"Oh! the beautiful lilacs!" exclaimed Blondine; "how fragrant--how
delicious! I must have a bouquet of those beautiful flowers for my good
papa. Get down, Gourmandinet and bring me some of those superb
branches."
"I cannot leave my seat, princess, the ostriches might run away with you
during my absence."
"Do not fear," replied Blondine; "I could guide them myself to the
palace."
"But the king would give me a terrible scolding for having abandoned
you, princess. It is best that you go yourself and gather your flowers."
"That is true. I should be very sorry to get you a scolding, my poor
Gourmandinet."
While saying these words she sprang lightly from the carriage, crossed
the bars of the grating and commenced to gather the flowers.
At this moment Gourmandinet shuddered and was overwhelmed with remorse.
He wished to repair his fault by calling Blondine but although she was
only ten steps from him,--although he saw her perfectly--she could not
hear his voice, and in a short time she was lost to view in the
enchanted forest.
For a long time Gourmandinet wept over his crime, cursed his gluttony
and despised the wicked queen Fourbette.
At last he recalled to himself that the hour approached at which
Blondine would be expected at the palace. He returned to the stables
through the back entrance and ran at once to the queen, who was
anxiously expecting him.
On seeing him so deadly pale and his eyes inflamed from the tears of
awful remorse, she knew that Blondine had perished.
"Is it done?" said she.
Gourmandinet bowed his head. He had not the strength to speak.
"Come," said she, "behold your reward!"
She pointed to a large box full of delicious bonbons of every variety.
She commanded a valet to raise the box and place it upon one of the
mules which had brought her jewelry.
"I confide this box to Gourmandinet, in order that he may take it to my
father," she said. "Go, boy, and return in a month for another." She
placed in his hand at the same time a purse full of gold.
Gourmandinet mounted the mule in perfect silence and set off in full
gallop. The mule was obstinate and wilful and soon grew restive under
the weight of the box and began to prance and kick. He did this so
effectually that he threw Gourmandinet and his precious box of bonbons
upon the ground.
Gourmandinet, who had never ridden upon a horse or mule, fell heavily
with his head upon the stones and died instantly.
Thus he did not receive from his crime the profit which he had hoped,
for he had not even tasted of the bonbons which the queen had given him.
No one regretted him. No one but the poor Blondine had ever loved him.
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