Heart Of Ice

: The Green Fairy Book

Once upon a time there lived a King and Queen who were foolish

beyond all telling, but nevertheless they were vastly fond of one

another. It is true that certain spiteful people were heard to say

that this was only one proof the more of their exceeding

foolishness, but of course you will understand that these were not

their own courtiers, since, after all, they were a King and Queen,

and up to this time all things had rospered with them. For in

those days the one thing to be thought of in governing a kingdom

was to keep well with all the Fairies and Enchanters, and on no

account to stint them of the cakes, the ells of ribbon, and

similar trifles which were their due, and, above all things, when

there was a christening, to remember to invite every single one,

good, bad, or indifferent, to the ceremony. Now, the foolish Queen

had one little son who was just going to be christened, and for

several months she had been hard at work preparing an enormous

list of the names of those who were to be invited, but she quite

forgot that it would take nearly as long to read it over as it had

taken to write it out. So, when the moment of the christening

arrived the King--to whom the task had been entrusted--had barely

reached the end of the second page and his tongue was tripping

with fatigue and haste as he repeated the usual formula: 'I

conjure and pray you, Fairy so-and-so'--or 'Enchanter such-a-one'

--'to honour me with a visit, and graciously bestow your gifts upon

my son.'



To make matters worse, word was brought to him that the Fairies

asked on the first page had already arrived and were waiting

impatiently in the Great Hall, and grumbling that nobody was there

to receive them. Thereupon he gave up the list in despair and

hurried to greet those whom he had succeeded in asking, imploring

their goodwill so humbly that most of them were touched, and

promised that they would do his son no harm. But there happened to

be among them a Fairy from a far country about whom they knew

nothing, though her name had been written on the first page of the

list. This Fairy was annoyed that after having taken the trouble

to come so quickly, there had been no one to receive her, or help

her to alight from the great ostrich on which she had travelled

from her distant home, and now she began to mutter to herself in

the most alarming way.



'Oh! prate away,' said she, 'your son will never be anything to

boast of. Say what you will, he will be nothing but a Mannikin--'



No doubt she would have gone on longer in this strain, and given

the unhappy little Prince half-a-dozen undesirable gifts, if it

had not been for the good Fairy Genesta, who held the kingdom

under her special protection, and who luckily hurried in just in

time to prevent further mischief. When she had by compliments and

entreaties pacified the unknown Fairy, and persuaded her to say no

more, she gave the King a hint that now was the time to distribute

the presents, after which ceremony they all took their departure,

excepting the Fairy Genesta, who then went to see the Queen, and

said to her:



'A nice mass you seem to have made of this business, madam. Why

did you not condescend to consult me? But foolish people like you

always think they can do without help or advice, and I observe

that, in spite of all my goodness to you, you had not even the

civility to invite me!'



'Ah! dear madam,' cried the King, throwing himself at her feet;

'did I ever have time to get as far as your name? See where I put

in this mark when I abandoned the hopeless undertaking which I had

but just begun!'



'There! there!' said the Fairy, 'I am not offended. I don't allow

myself to be put out by trifles like that with people I really am

fond of. But now about your son: I have saved him from a great

many disagreeable things, but you must let me take him away and

take care of him, and you will not see him again until he is all

covered with fur!'



At these mysterious words the King and Queen burst into tears, for

they lived in such a hot climate themselves that how or why the

Prince should come to be covered with fur they could not imagine,

and thought it must portend some great misfortune to him.



However, Genesta told them not to disquiet themselves.



'If I left him to you to bring up,' said she, 'you would be

certain to make him as foolish as yourselves. I do not even intend

to let him know that he is your son. As for you, you had better

give your minds to governing your kingdom properly.' So saying,

she opened the window, and catching up the little Prince, cradle

and all, she glided away in the air as if she were skating upon

ice, leaving the King and Queen in the greatest affliction. They

consulted everyone who came near them as to what the Fairy could

possibly have meant by saying that when they saw their son again

he would be covered with fur. But nobody could offer any solution

of the mystery, only they all seemed to agree that it must be

something frightful, and the King and Queen made themselves more

miserable than ever, and wandered about their palace in a way to

make anyone pity them. Meantime the Fairy had carried off the

little Prince to her own castle, and placed him under the care of

a young peasant woman, whom she bewitched so as to make her think

that this new baby was one of her own children. So the Prince grew

up healthy and strong, leading the simple life of a young peasant,

for the Fairy thought that he could have no better training; only

as he grew older she kept him more and more with herself, that his

mind might be cultivated and exercised as well as his body. But

her care did not cease there: she resolved that he should be tried

by hardships and disappointments and the knowledge of his

fellowmen; for indeed she knew the Prince would need every

advantage that she could give him, since, though he increased in

years, he did not increase in height, but remained the tiniest of

Princes. However, in spite of this he was exceedingly active and

well formed, and altogether so handsome and agreeable that the

smallness of his stature was of no real consequence. The Prince

was perfectly aware that he was called by the ridiculous name of

'Mannikin,' but he consoled himself by vowing that, happen what

might, he would make it illustrious.



In order to carry out her plans for his welfare the Fairy now

began to send Prince Mannikin the most wonderful dreams of

adventure by sea and land, and of these adventures he himself was

always the hero. Sometimes he rescued a lovely Princess from some

terrible danger, again he earned a kingdom by some brave deed,

until at last he longed to go away and seek his fortune in a far

country where his humble birth would not prevent his gaining

honour and riches by his courage, and it was with a heart full of

ambitious projects that he rode one day into a great city not far

from the Fairy's castle. As he had set out intending to hunt in

the surrounding forest he was quite simply dressed, and carried

only a bow and arrows and a light spear; but even thus arrayed he

looked graceful and distinguished. As he entered the city he saw

that the inhabitants were all racing with one accord towards the

market-place, and he also turned his horse in the same direction,

curious to know what was going forward. When he reached the spot

he found that certain foreigners of strange and outlandish

appearance were about to make a proclamation to the assembled

citizens, and he hastily pushed his way into the crowd until he

was near enough to hear the words of the venerable old man who was

their spokesman:



'Let the whole world know that he who can reach the summit of the

Ice Mountain shall receive as his reward, not only the

incomparable Sabella, fairest of the fair, but also all the realms

of which she is Queen!' 'Here,' continued the old man after he had

made this proclamation--'here is the list of all those Princes

who, struck by the beauty of the Princess, have perished in the

attempt to win her; and here is the list of these who have just

entered upon the high emprise.'



Prince Mannikin was seized with a violent desire to inscribe his

name among the others, but the remembrance of his dependent

position and his lack of wealth held him back. But while he

hesitated the old man, with many respectful ceremonies, unveiled a

portrait of the lovely Sabella, which was carried by some of the

attendants, and after one glance at it the Prince delayed no

longer, but, rushing forward, demanded permission to add his name

to the list. When they saw his tiny stature anti simple attire the

strangers looked at each other doubtfully, not knowing whether to

accept or refuse him. But the Prince said haughtily:



'Give me the paper that I may sign it,' and they obeyed. What

between admiration for the Princess and annoyance at the

hesitation shown by her ambassadors the Prince was too much

agitated to choose any other name than the one by which he was

always known. But when, after all the grand titles of the other

Princes, he simply wrote 'Mannikin,' the ambassadors broke into

shouts of laughter.



'Miserable wretches!' cried the Prince; 'but for the presence of

that lovely portrait I would cut off your heads.'



But he suddenly remembered that, after all, it was a funny name,

and that he had not yet had time to make it famous; so he was

calm, and enquired the way to the Princess Sabella's country.



Though his heart did not fail him in the least, still he felt

there were many difficulties before him, and he resolved to set

out at once, without even taking leave of the Fairy, for fear she

might try to stop him. Everybody in the town who knew him made

great fun of the idea of Mannikin's undertaking such an

expedition, and it even came to the ears of the foolish King and

Queen, who laughed over it more than any of the others, without

having an idea that the presumptuous Mannikin was their only son!



Meantime the Prince was travelling on, though the direction he had

received for his journey were none of the clearest.



'Four hundred leagues north of Mount Caucasus you will receive

your orders and instructions for the conquest of the Ice

Mountain.'



Fine marching orders, those, for a man starting from a country

near where Japan is nowadays!



However, he fared eastward, avoiding all towns, lest the people

should laugh at his name, for, you see, he was not a very

experienced traveller, and had not yet learned to enjoy a joke

even if it were against himself. At night he slept in the woods,

and at first he lived upon wild fruits; but the Fairy, who was

keeping a benevolent eye upon him, thought that it would never do

to let him be half-starved in that way, so she took to feeding him

with all sorts of good things while he was asleep, and the Prince

wondered very much that when he was awake he never felt hungry!

True to her plan the Fairy sent him various adventures to prove

his courage, and he came successfully through them all, only in

his last fight with a furious monster rather like a tiger he had

the ill luck to lose his horse. However, nothing daunted, he

struggled on on foot, and at last reached a seaport. Here he found

a boat sailing for the coast which he desired to reach, and,

having just enough money to pay his passage, he went on board and

they started. But after some days a fearful storm came on, which

completely wrecked the little ship, and the Prince only saved his

life by swimming a long, long way to the only land that was in

sight, and which proved to be a desert island. Here he lived by

fishing and hunting, always hoping that the good Fairy would

presently rescue him. One day, as he was looking sadly out to sea,

he became aware of a curious looking boat which was drifting

slowly towards the shore, and which presently ran into a little

creek and there stuck fast in the sand. Prince Mannikin rushed

down eagerly to examine it, and saw with amazement that the masts

and spars were all branched, and covered thickly with leaves until

it looked like a little wood. Thinking from the stillness that

there could be no one on board, the Prince pushed aside the

branches and sprang over the side, and found himself surrounded by

the crew, who lay motionless as dead men and in a most deplorable

condition. They, too, had become almost like trees, and were

growing to the deck, or to the masts, or to the sides of the

vessel, or to whatever they had happened to be touching when the

enchantment fell upon them. Mannikin was struck with pity for

their miserable plight, and set to work with might and main to

release them. With the sharp point of one of his arrows he gently

detached their hands and feet from the wood which held them fast,

and carried them on shore, one after another, where he rubbed

their rigid limbs, and bathed them with infusions of various herbs

with such success, that, after a few days, they recovered

perfectly and were as fit to manage a boat as ever. You may be

sure that the good Fairy Genesta had something to do with this

marvellous cure, and she also put it into the Prince's head to rub

the boat itself with the same magic herbs, which cleared it

entirely, and not before it was time, for, at the rate at which it

was growing before, it would very soon have become a forest! The

gratitude of the sailors was extreme, and they willingly promised

to land the Prince upon any coast he pleased; but, when he

questioned them about the extraordinary thing that had happened to

them and to their ship, they could in no way explain it, except

that they said that, as they were passing along a thickly wooded

coast, a sudden gust of wind had reached them from the land and

enveloped them in a dense cloud of dust, after which everything in

the boat that was not metal had sprouted and blossomed, as the

Prince had seen, and that they themselves had grown gradually numb

and heavy, and had finally lost all consciousness. Prince Mannikin

was deeply interested in this curious story, and collected a

quantity of the dust from the bottom of the boat, which he

carefully preserved, thinking that its strange property might one

day stand him in good stead.



Then they joyfully left the desert island, and after a long and

prosperous voyage over calm seas they at length came in sight of

land, and resolved to go on shore, not only to take in a fresh

stock of water and provisions, but also to find out, if possible,

where they were and in what direction to proceed.



As they neared the coast they wondered if this could be another

uninhabited land, for no human beings could be distinguished, and

yet that something was stirring became evident, for in the dust-

clouds that moved near the ground small dark forms were dimly

visible. These appeared to be assembling at the exact spot where

they were preparing to run ashore, and what was their surprise to

find they were nothing more nor less than large and beautiful

spaniels, some mounted as sentries, others grouped in companies

and regiments, all eagerly watching their disembarkation. When

they found that Prince Mannikin, instead of saying, 'Shoot them,'

as they had feared, said 'Hi, good dog!' in a thoroughly friendly

and ingratiating way, they crowded round him with a great wagging

of tails and giving of paws, and very soon made him understand

that they wanted him to leave his men with the boat and follow

them. The Prince was so curious to know more about them that he

agreed willingly; so, after arranging with the sailors to wait for

him fifteen days, and then, if he had not come back, to go on

their way without him, he set out with his new friends. Their way

lay inland, and Mannikin noticed with great surprise that the

fields were well cultivated and that the carts and ploughs were

drawn by horses or oxen, just as they might have been in any other

country, and when they passed any village the cottages were trim

and pretty, and an air of prosperity was everywhere. At one of the

villages a dainty little repast was set before the Prince, and

while he was eating, a chariot was brought, drawn by two splendid

horses, which were driven with great skill by a large spaniel. In

this carriage he continued his journey very comfortably, passing

many similar equipages upon the road, and being always most

courteously saluted by the spaniels who occupied them. At last

they drove rapidly into a large town, which Prince Mannikin had no

doubt was the capital of the kingdom. News of his approach had

evidently been received, for all the inhabitants were at their

doors and windows, and all the little spaniels had climbed upon

the wall and gates to see him arrive. The Prince was delighted

with the hearty welcome they gave him, and looked round him with

the deepest interest. After passing through a few wide streets,

well paved, and adorned with avenues of fine trees, they drove

into the courtyard of a grand palace, which was full of spaniels

who were evidently soldiers. 'The King's body-guard,' thought the

Prince to himself as he returned their salutations, and then the

carriage stopped, and he was shown into the presence of the King,

who lay upon a rich Persian carpet surrounded by several little

spaniels, who were occupied in chasing away the flies lest they

should disturb his Majesty. He was the most beautiful of all

spaniels, with a look of sadness in his large eyes, which,

however, quite disappeared as he sprang up to welcome Prince

Mannikin with every demonstration of delight; after which he made

a sign to his courtiers, who came one by one to pay their respects

to the visitor. The Prince thought that he would find himself

puzzled as to how he should carry on a conversation, but as soon

as he and the King were once more left alone, a Secretary of State

was sent for, who wrote from his Majesty's dictation a most polite

speech, in which he regretted much that they were unable to

converse, except in writing, the language of dogs being difficult

to understand. As for the writing, it had remained the same as the

Prince's own.



Mannikin thereupon wrote a suitable reply, and then begged the

King to satisfy his curiosity about all the strange things he had

seen and heard since his landing. This appeared to awaken sad

recollections in the King's mind, but he informed the Prince that

he was called King Bayard, and that a Fairy, whose kingdom was

next his own, had fallen violently in love with him, and had done

all she could to persuade him to marry her; but that he could not

do so as he himself was the devoted lover of the Queen of the

Spice Islands. Finally, the Fairy, furious at the indifference

with which her love was treated, had reduced him to the state in

which the Prince found him, leaving him unchanged in mind, but

deprived of the power of speech; and, not content with wreaking

her vengeance upon the King alone, she had condemned all his

subjects to a similar fate, saying:



'Bark, and run upon four feet, until the time comes when virtue

shall be rewarded by love and fortune.'



Which, as the poor King remarked, was very much the same thing as

if she had said, 'Remain a spaniel for ever and ever.'



Prince Mannikin was quite of the same opinion; nevertheless he

said what we should all have said in the same circumstances:



'Your Majesty must have patience.'



He was indeed deeply sorry for poor King Bayard, and said all the

consoling things he could think of, promising to aid him with all

his might if there was anything to be done. In short they became

firm friends, and the King proudly displayed to Mannikin the

portrait of the Queen of the Spice Islands, and he quite agreed

that it was worth while to go through anything for the sake of a

creature so lovely. Prince Mannikin in his turn told his own

history, and the great undertaking upon which he had set out, and

King Bayard was able to give him some valuable instructions as to

which would be the best way for him to proceed, and then they went

together to the place where the boat had been left. The sailors

were delighted to see the Prince again, though they had known that

he was safe, and when they had taken on board all the supplies

which the King had sent for them, they started once more. The King

and Prince parted with much regret, and the former insisted that

Mannikin should take with him one of his own pages, named Mousta,

who was charged to attend to him everywhere, and serve him

faithfully, which he promised to do.



The wind being favourable they were soon out of hearing of the

general howl of regret from the whole army, which had been given

by order of the King, as a great compliment, and it was not long

before the land was entirely lost to view. They met with no

further adventures worth speaking of, and presently found

themselves within two leagues of the harbour for which they were

making. The Prince, however, thought it would suit him better to

land where he was, so as to avoid the town, since he had no money

left and was very doubtful as to what he should do next. So the

sailors set him and Mousta on shore, and then went back

sorrowfully to their ship, while the Prince and his attendant

walked off in what looked to them the most promising direction.

They soon reached a lovely green meadow on the border of a wood,

which seemed to them so pleasant after their long voyage that they

sat down to rest in the shade and amused themselves by watching

the gambols and antics of a pretty tiny monkey in the trees close

by. The Prince presently became so fascinated by it that he sprang

up and tried to catch it, but it eluded his grasp and kept just

out of arm's reach, until it had made him promise to follow

wherever it led him, and then it sprang upon his shoulder and

whispered in his ear:



'We have no money, my poor Mannikin, and we are altogether badly

off, and at a loss to know what to do next.'



'Yes, indeed,' answered the Prince ruefully, 'and I have nothing

to give you, no sugar or biscuits, or anything that you like, my

pretty one.'



'Since you are so thoughtful for me, and so patient about your own

affairs,' said the little monkey, 'I will show you the way to the

Golden Rock, only you must leave Mousta to wait for you here.'



Prince Mannikin agreed willingly, and then the little monkey

sprang from his shoulder to the nearest tree, and began to run

through the wood from branch to branch, crying, 'Follow me.'



This the Prince did not find quite so easy, but the little monkey

waited for him and showed him the easiest places, until presently

the wood grew thinner and they came out into a little clear grassy

space at the foot of a mountain, in the midst of which stood a

single rock, about ten feet high. When they were quite close to it

the little monkey said:



'This stone looks pretty hard, but give it a blow with your spear

and let us see what will happen.'



So the Prince took his spear and gave the rock a vigorous dig,

which split off several pieces, and showed that, though the

surface was thinly coated with stone, inside it was one solid mass

of pure gold.



Thereupon the little monkey said, laughing at his astonishment:



'I make you a present of what you have broken off; take as much of

it as you think proper.'



The Prince thanked her gratefully, and picked up one of the

smallest of the lumps of gold; as he did so the little monkey was

suddenly transformed into a tall and gracious lady, who said to

him:



'If you are always as kind and persevering and easily contented as

you are now you may hope to accomplish the most difficult tasks;

go on your way and have no fear that you will be troubled any more

for lack of gold, for that little piece which you modestly chose

shall never grow less, use it as much as you will. But that you

may see the danger you have escaped by your moderation, come with

me.' So saying she led him back into the wood by a different path,

and he saw that it was full of men and women; their faces were

pale and haggard, and they ran hither and thither seeking madly

upon the ground, or in the air, starting at every sound, pushing

and trampling upon one another in their frantic eagerness to find

the way to the Golden Rock.



'You see how they toil,' said the Fairy; 'but it is all of no

avail: they will end by dying of despair, as hundreds have done

before them.'



As soon as they had got back to the place where they had left

Mousta the Fairy disappeared, and the Prince and his faithful

Squire, who had greeted him with every demonstration of joy, took

the nearest way to the city. Here they stayed several days, while

the Prince provided himself with horses and attendants, and made

many enquiries about the Princess Sabella, and the way to her

kingdom, which was still so far away that he could hear but

little, and that of the vaguest description, but when he presently

reached Mount Caucasus it was quite a different matter. Here they

seemed to talk of nothing but the Princess Sabella, and strangers

from all parts of the world were travelling towards her father's

Court.



The Prince heard plenty of assurances as to her beauty and her

riches, but he also heard of the immense number of his rivals and

their power. One brought an army at his back, another had vast

treasures, a third was as handsome and accomplished as it was

possible to be; while, as to poor Mannikin, he had nothing but his

determination to succeed, his faithful spaniel, and his ridiculous

name--which last was hardly likely to help him, but as he could

not alter it he wisely determined not to think of it any more.

After journeying for two whole months they came at last to

Trelintin, the capital of the Princess Sabella's kingdom, and here

he heard dismal stories about the Ice Mountain, and how none of

those who had attempted to climb it had ever come back. He heard

also the story of King Farda-Kinbras, Sabella's father. It

appeared that he, being a rich and powerful monarch, had married a

lovely Princess named Birbantine, and they were as happy as the

day was long--so happy that as they were out sledging one day they

were foolish enough to defy fate to spoil their happiness.



'We shall see about that,' grumbled an old hag who sat by the

wayside blowing her fingers to keep them warm. The King thereupon

was very angry, and wanted to punish the woman; but the Queen

prevented him, saying:



'Alas! sire, do not let us make bad worse; no doubt this is a

Fairy!'



'You are right there,' said the old woman, and immediately she

stood up, and as they gazed at her in horror she grew gigantic and

terrible, her staff turned to a fiery dragon with outstretched

wings, her ragged cloak to a golden mantle, and her wooden shoes

to two bundles of rockets. 'You are right there, and you will see

what will come of your fine goings on, and remember the Fairy

Gorgonzola!' So saying she mounted the dragon and flew off, the

rockets shooting in all directions and leaving long trails of

sparks.



In vain did Farda-Kinbras and Birbantine beg her to return, and

endeavour by their humble apologies to pacify her; she never so

much as looked at them, and was very soon out of sight, leaving

them a prey to all kinds of dismal forebodings. Very soon after

this the Queen had a little daughter, who was the most beautiful

creature ever seen; all the Fairies of the North were invited to

her christening, and warned against the malicious Gorgonzola. She

also was invited, but she neither came to the banquet nor received

her present; but as soon as all the others were seated at table,

after bestowing their gifts upon the little Princess, she stole

into the Palace, disguised as a black cat, and hid herself under

the cradle until the nurses and the cradle-rockers had all turned

their backs, and then she sprang out, and in an instant had stolen

the little Princess's heart and made her escape, only being chased

by a few dogs and scullions on her way across the courtyard. Once

outside she mounted her chariot and flew straight away to the

North Pole, where she shut up her stolen treasure on the summit of

the Ice Mountain, and surrounded it with so many difficulties that

she felt quite easy about its remaining there as long as the

Princess lived, and then she went home, chuckling at her success.

As to the other Fairies, they went home after the banquet without

discovering that anything was amiss, and so the King and Queen

were quite happy. Sabella grew prettier day by day. She learnt

everything a Princess ought to know without the slightest trouble,

and yet something always seemed lacking to make her perfectly

charming. She had an exquisite voice, but whether her songs were

grave or gay it did not matter, she did not seem to know what they

meant; and everyone who heard her said:



'She certainly sings perfectly; but there is no tenderness, no

heart in her voice.' Poor Sabella! how could there be when her

heart was far away on the Ice Mountains? And it was just the same

with all the other things that she did. As time went on, in spite

of the admiration of the whole Court and the blind fondness of the

King and Queen, it became more and more evident that something was

fatally wrong: for those who love no one cannot long be loved; and

at last the King called a general assembly, and invited the

Fairies to attend, that they might, if possible, find out what was

the matter. After explaining their grief as well as he could, he

ended by begging them to see the Princess for themselves. 'It is

certain,' said he, 'that something is wrong--what it is I don't

know how to tell you, but in some way your work is imperfect.'



They all assured him that, so far as they knew, everything had

been done for the Princess, and they had forgotten nothing that

they could bestow on so good a neighbour as the King had been to

them. After this they went to see Sabella; but they had no sooner

entered her presence than they cried out with one accord:



'Oh! horror!--she has no heart!'



On hearing this frightful announcement, the King and Queen gave a

cry of despair, and entreated the Fairies to find some remedy for

such an unheard-of misfortune. Thereupon the eldest Fairy

consulted her Book of Magic, which she always carried about with

her, hung to her girdle by a thick silver chain, and there she

found out at once that it was Gorgonzola who had stolen the

Princess's heart, and also discovered what the wicked old Fairy

had done with it.



'What shall we do? What shall we do?' cried the King and Queen in

one breath.



'You must certainly suffer much annoyance from seeing and loving

Sabella, who is nothing but a beautiful image,' replied the Fairy,

'and this must go on for a long time; but I think I see that, in

the end, she will once more regain her heart. My advice is that

you shall at once cause her portrait to be sent all over the

world, and promise her hand and all her possessions to the Prince

who is successful in reaching her heart. Her beauty alone is

sufficient to engage all the Princes of the world in the quest.'



This was accordingly done, and Prince Mannikin heard that already

five hundred Princes had perished in the snow and ice, not to

mention their squires and pages, and that more continued to arrive

daily, eager to try their fortune. After some consideration he

determined to present himself at Court; but his arrival made no

stir, as his retinue was as inconsiderable as his stature, and the

splendour of his rivals was great enough to throw even Farda-

Kinbras himself into the shade. However, he paid his respects to

the King very gracefully, and asked permission to kiss the hand of

the Princess in the usual manner; but when he said he was called

'Mannikin,' the King could hardly repress a smile, and the Princes

who stood by openly shouted with laughter.



Turning to the King, Prince Mannikin said with great dignity:



'Pray laugh if it pleases your Majesty, I am glad that it is in my

power to afford you any amusement; but I am not a plaything for

these gentlemen, and I must beg them to dismiss any ideas of that

kind from their minds at once,' and with that he turned upon the

one who had laughed the loudest and proudly challenged him to a

single combat. This Prince, who was called Fadasse, accepted the

challenge very scornfully, mocking at Mannikin, whom he felt sure

had no chance against himself; but the meeting was arranged for

the next day. When Prince Mannikin quitted the King's presence he

was conducted to the audience hall of the Princess Sabella. The



sight of so much beauty and magnificence almost took his breath

away for an instant, but, recovering himself with an effort, he

said:



'Lovely Princess, irresistibly drawn by the beauty of your

portrait, I come from the other end of the world to offer my

services to you. My devotion knows no bounds, but my absurd name

has already involved me in a quarrel with one of your courtiers.

Tomorrow I am to fight this ugly, overgrown Prince, and I beg you

to honour the combat with your presence, and prove to the world

that there is nothing in a name, and that you deign to accept

Mannikin as your knight.'



When it came to this the Princess could not help being amused,

for, though she had no heart, she was not without humour. However,

she answered graciously that she accepted with pleasure, which

encouraged the Prince to entreat further that she would not show

any favour to his adversary.



'Alas!' said she, 'I favour none of these foolish people, who

weary me with their sentiment and their folly. I do very well as I

am, and yet from one year's end to another they talk of nothing

but delivering me from some imaginary affliction. Not a word do I

understand of all their pratings about love, and who knows what

dull things besides, which, I declare to you, I cannot even

remember.'



Mannikin was quick enough to gather from this speech that to amuse

and interest the Princess would be a far surer way of gaining her

favour than to add himself to the list of those who continually

teased her about that mysterious thing called 'love' which she was

so incapable of comprehending. So he began to talk of his rivals,

and found in each of them something to make merry over, in which

diversion the Princess joined him heartily, and so well did he

succeed in his attempt to amuse her that before very long she

declared that of all the people at Court he was the one to whom

she preferred to talk.



The following day, at the time appointed for the combat, when the

King, the Queen, and the Princess had taken their places, and the

whole Court and the whole town were assembled to see the show,

Prince Fadasse rode into the lists magnificently armed and

accoutred, followed by twenty-four squires and a hundred men-at-

arms, each one leading, a splendid horse, while Prince Mannikin

entered from the other side armed only with his spear and followed

by the faithful Mousta. The contrast between the two champions was

so great that there was a shout of laughter from the whole

assembly; but when at the sounding of a trumpet the combatants

rushed upon each other, and Mannikin, eluding the blow aimed at

him, succeeded in thrusting Prince Fadasse from his horse and

pinning him to the sand with his spear, it changed to a murmur of

admiration.



So soon as he had him at his mercy, however, Mannikin, turning to

the Princess, assured her that he had no desire to kill anyone who

called himself her courtier, and then he bade the furious and

humiliated Fadasse rise and thank the Princess to whom he owed his

life. Then, amid the sounding of the trumpets and the shoutings of

the people, he and Mousta retired gravely from the lists.



The King soon sent for him to congratulate him upon his success,

and to offer him a lodging in the Palace, which he joyfully

accepted. While the Princess expressed a wish to have Mousta

brought to her, and, when the Prince sent for him, she was so

delighted with his courtly manners and his marvellous intelligence

that she entreated Mannikin to give him to her for her own. The

Prince consented with alacrity, not only out of politeness, but

because he foresaw that to have a faithful friend always near the

Princess might some day be of great service to him. All these

events made Prince Mannikin a person of much more consequence at

the Court. Very soon after, there arrived upon the frontier the

Ambassador of a very powerful King, who sent to Farda-Kinbras the

following letter, at the same time demanding permission to enter

the capital in state to receive the answer:



'I, Brandatimor, to Farda-Kinbras send greeting. If I had before

this time seen the portrait of your beautiful daughter Sabella I

should not have permitted all these adventurers and petty Princes

to be dancing attendance and getting themselves frozen with the

absurd idea of meriting her hand. For myself I am not afraid of

any rivals, and, now I have declared my intention of marrying your

daughter, no doubt they will at once withdraw their pretensions.

My Ambassador has orders, therefore, to make arrangements for the

Princess to come and be married to me without delay--for I attach

no importance at all to the farrago of nonsense which you have

caused to be published all over the world about this Ice Mountain.

If the Princess really has no heart, be assured that I shall not

concern myself about it, since, if anybody can help her to

discover one, it is myself. My worthy father-in-law, farewell!'



The reading of this letter embarrassed and displeased Farda-

Kinbras and Birbantine immensely, while the Princess was furious

at the insolence of the demand. They all three resolved that its

contents must be kept a profound secret until they could decide

what reply should be sent, but Mousta contrived to send word of

all that had passed to Prince Mannikin. He was naturally alarmed

and indignant, and, after thinking it over a little, he begged an

audience of the Princess, and led the conversation so cunningly up

to the subject that was uppermost in her thoughts, as well as his

own, that she presently told him all about the matter and asked

his advice as to what it would be best to do. This was exactly

what he had not been able to decide for himself; however, he

replied that he should advise her to gain a little time by

promising her answer after the grand entry of the Ambassador, and

this was accordingly done.



The Ambassador did not at all like being put off after that

fashion, but he was obliged to be content, and only said very

arrogantly that so soon as his equipages arrived, as he expected

they would do very shortly, he would give all the people of the

city, and the stranger Princes with whom it was inundated, an idea

of the power and the magnificence of his master. Mannikin, in

despair, resolved that he would for once beg the assistance of the

kind Fairy Genesta. He often thought of her and always with

gratitude, but from the moment of his setting out he had

determined to seek her aid only on the greatest occasions. That

very night, when he had fallen asleep quite worn out with thinking

over all the difficulties of the situation, he dreamed that the

Fairy stood beside him, and said:



'Mannikin, you have done very well so far; continue to please me

and you shall always find good friends when you need them most. As

for this affair with the Ambassador, you can assure Sabella that

she may look forward tranquilly to his triumphal entry, since it

will all turn out well for her in the end.'



The Prince tried to throw himself at her feet to thank her, but

woke to find it was all a dream; nevertheless he took fresh

courage, and went next day to see the Princess, to whom he gave

many mysterious assurances that all would yet be well. He even

went so far as to ask her if she would not be very grateful to

anyone who would rid her of the insolent Brandatimor. To which she

replied that her gratitude would know no bounds. Then he wanted to

know what would be her best wish for the person who was lucky

enough to accomplish it. To which she said that she would wish

them to be as insensible to the folly called 'love' as she was

herself!



This was indeed a crushing speech to make to such a devoted lover

as Prince Mannikin, but he concealed the pain it caused him with

great courage.



And now the Ambassador sent to say that on the very next day he

would come in state to receive his answer, and from the earliest

dawn the inhabitants were astir, to secure the best places for the

grand sight; but the good Fairy Genesta was providing them an

amount of amusement they were far from expecting, for she so

enchanted the eyes of all the spectators that when the

Ambassador's gorgeous procession appeared, the splendid uniforms

seemed to them miserable rags that a beggar would have been

ashamed to wear, the prancing horses appeared as wretched

skeletons hardly able to drag one leg after the other, while their

trappings, which really sparkled with gold and jewels, looked like

old sheepskins that would not have been good enough for a plough

horse. The pages resembled the ugliest sweeps. The trumpets gave

no more sound than whistles made of onion-stalks, or combs wrapped

in paper; while the train of fifty carriages looked no better than

fifty donkey carts. In the last of these sat the Ambassador with

the haughty and scornful air which he considered becoming in the

representative of so powerful a monarch: for this was the crowning

point of the absurdity of the whole procession, that all who took

part in it wore the expression of vanity and self-satisfaction and

pride in their own appearance and all their surroundings which

they believed their splendour amply justified.



The laughter and howls of derision from the whole crowd rose ever

louder and louder as the extraordinary cortege advanced, and at

last reached the ears of the King as he waited in the audience

hall, and before the procession reached the palace he had been

informed of its nature, and, supposing that it must be intended as

an insult, he ordered the gates to be closed. You may imagine the

fury of the Ambassador when, after all his pomp and pride, the

King absolutely and unaccountably refused to receive him. He raved

wildly both against King and people, and the cortege retired in

great confusion, jeered at and pelted with stones and mud by the

enraged crowd. It is needless to say that he left the country as

fast as horses could carry him, but not before he had declared

war, with the most terrible menaces, threatening to devastate the

country with fire and sword.



Some days after this disastrous embassy King Bayard sent couriers

to Prince Mannikin with a most friendly letter, offering his

services in any difficulty, and enquiring with the deepest

interest how he fared.



Mannikin at once replied, relating all that had happened since

they parted, not forgetting to mention the event which had just

involved Farda-Kinbras and Brandatimor in this deadly quarrel, and

he ended by entreating his faithful friend to despatch a few

thousands of his veteran spaniels to his assistance.



Neither the King, the Queen, nor the Princess could in the least

understand the amazing conduct of Brandatimor's Ambassador;

nevertheless the preparations for the war went forward briskly and

all the Princes who had not gone on towards the Ice Mountain

offered their services, at the same time demanding all the best

appointments in the King's army. Mannikin was one of the first to

volunteer, but he only asked to go as aide-de-camp to the

Commander-in chief, who was a gallant soldier and celebrated for

his victories. As soon as the army could be got together it was

marched to the frontier, where it met the opposing force headed by

Brandatimor himself, who was full of fury, determined to avenge

the insult to his Ambassador and to possess himself of the

Princess Sabella. All the army of Farda-Kinbras could do, being so

heavily outnumbered, was to act upon the defensive, and before

long Mannikin won the esteem of the officers for his ability, and

of the soldiers for his courage, and care for their welfare, and

in all the skirmishes which he conducted he had the good fortune

to vanquish the enemy.



At last Brandatimor engaged the whole army in a terrific conflict,

and though the troops of Farda-Kinbras fought with desperate

courage, their general was killed, and they were defeated and

forced to retreat with immense loss. Mannikin did wonders, and

half-a-dozen times turned the retreating forces and beat back the

enemy; and he afterwards collected troops enough to keep them in

check until, the severe winter setting in, put an end to

hostilities for a while.



He then returned to the Court, where consternation reigned. The

King was in despair at the death of his trusty general, and ended

by imploring Mannikin to take the command of the army, and his

counsel was followed in all the affairs of the Court. He followed

up his former plan of amusing the Princess, and on no account

reminding her of that tedious thing called 'love,' so that she was

always glad to see him, and the winter slipped by gaily for both

of them.



The Prince was all the while secretly making plans for the next

campaign; he received private intelligence of the arrival of a

strong reinforcement of Spaniels, to whom he sent orders to post

themselves along the frontier without attracting attention, and as

soon as he possibly could he held a consultation with their

Commander, who was an old and experienced warrior. Following his

advice, he decided to have a pitched battle as soon as the enemy

advanced, and this Brandatimor lost not a moment in doing, as he

was perfectly persuaded that he was now going to make an end of

the war and utterly vanquish Farda-Kinbras. But no sooner had he

given the order to charge than the Spaniels, who had mingled with

his troops unperceived, leaped each upon the horse nearest to him,

and not only threw the whole squadron into confusion by the terror

they caused, but, springing at the throats of the riders, unhorsed

many of them by the suddenness of their attack; then turning the

horses to the rear, they spread consternation everywhere, and made

it easy for Prince Mannikin to gain a complete victory. He met

Brandatimor in single combat, and succeeded in taking him

prisoner; but he did not live to reach the Court, to which

Mannikin had sent him: his pride killed him at the thought of

appearing before Sabella under these altered circumstances. In the

meantime Prince Fadasse and all the others who had remained behind

were setting out with all speed for the conquest of the Ice

Mountain, being afraid that Prince Mannikin might prove as

successful in that as he seemed to be in everything else, and when

Mannikin returned he heard of it with great annoyance. True he had

been serving the Princess, but she only admired and praised him

for his gallant deeds, and seemed no whit nearer bestowing on him

the love he so ardently desired, and all the comfort Mousta could

give him on the subject was that at least she loved no one else,

and with that he had to content himself. But he determined that,

come what might, he would delay no longer, but attempt the great

undertaking for which he had come so far. When he went to take

leave of the King and Queen they entreated him not to go, as they

had just heard that Prince Fadasse, and all who accompanied him,

had perished in the snow; but he persisted in his resolve. As for

Sabella, she gave him her hand to kiss with precisely the same

gracious indifference as she had given it to him the first time

they met. It happened that this farewell took place before the

whole Court, and so great a favourite had Prince Mannikin become

that they were all indignant at the coldness with which the

Princess treated him.



Finally the King said to him:



'Prince, you have constantly refilled all the gifts which, in my

gratitude for your invaluable services, I have offered to you, but

I wish the Princess to present you with her cloak of marten's fur,

and that I hope you will not reject!' Now this was a splendid fur

mantle which the Princess was very fond of wearing, not so much

because she felt cold, as that its richness set off to perfection

the delicate tints of her complexion and the brilliant gold of her

hair. However, she took it off, and with graceful politeness

begged Prince Mannikin to accept it, which you may be sure he was

charmed to do, and, taking only this and a little bundle of all

kinds of wood, and accompanied only by two spaniels out of the

fifty who had stayed with him when the war was ended, he set

forth, receiving many tokens of love and favour from the people in

every town he passed through. At the last little village he left

his horse behind him, to begin his toilful march through the snow,

which extended, blank and terrible, in every direction as far as

the eye could see. Here he had appointed to meet the other forty-

eight spaniels, who received him joyfully, and assured him that,

happen what might, they would follow and serve him faithfully. And

so they started, full of heart and hope. At first there was a

slight track, difficult, but not impossible to follow; but this

was soon lost, and the Pole Star was their only guide. When the

time came to call a halt, the Prince, who had after much

consideration decided on his plan of action, caused a few twigs

from the faggot he had brought with him to be planted in the snow,

and then he sprinkled over them a pinch of the magic powder he had

collected from the enchanted boat. To his great joy they instantly

began to sprout and grow, and in a marvellously short time the

camp was surrounded by a perfect grove of trees of all sorts,

which blossomed and bore ripe fruit, so that all their wants were

easily supplied, and they were able to make huge fires to warm

themselves. The Prince then sent out several spaniels to

reconnoitre, and they had the good luck to discover a horse laden

with provisions stuck fast in the snow. They at once fetched their

comrades, and brought the spoil triumphantly into the camp, and,

as it consisted principally of biscuits, not a spaniel among them

went supperless to sleep. In this way they journeyed by day and

encamped safely at night, always remembering to take on a few

branches to provide them with food and shelter. They passed by the

way armies of those who had set out upon the perilous enterprise,

who stood frozen stiffly, without sense or motion; but Prince

Mannikin strictly forbade that any attempt should be made to thaw

them. So they went on and on for more than three months, and day

by day the Ice Mountain, which they had seen for a long time, grew

clearer, until at last they stood close to it, and shuddered at

its height and steepness. But by patience and perseverance they

crept up foot by foot, aided by their fires of magic wood, without

which they must have perished in the intense cold, until presently

they stood at the gates of the magnificent Ice Palace which

crowned the mountain, where, in deadly silence and icy sleep, lay

the heart of Sabella. Now the difficulty became immense, for if

they maintained enough heat to keep themselves alive they were in

danger every moment of melting the blocks of solid ice of which

the palace was entirely built, and bringing the whole structure

down upon their heads; but cautiously and quickly they traversed

courtyards and halls, until they found themselves at the foot of a

vast throne, where, upon a cushion of snow, lay an enormous and

brilliantly sparkling diamond, which contained the heart of the

lovely Princess Sabella. Upon the lowest step of the throne was

inscribed in icy letters, 'Whosoever thou art who by courage and

virtue canst win the heart of Sabella enjoy peacefully the good

fortune which thou hast richly deserved.'



Prince Mannikin bounded forward, and had just strength left to

grasp the precious diamond which contained all he coveted in the

world before he fell insensible upon the snowy cushion. But his

good spaniels lost no time in rushing to the rescue, and between

them they bore him hastily from the hall, and not a moment too

soon, for all around them they heard the clang of the falling

blocks of ice as the Fairy Palace slowly collapsed under the

unwonted heat. Not until they reached the foot of the mountain did

they pause to restore the Prince to consciousness, and then his

joy to find himself the possessor of Sabella's heart knew no

bounds.



With all speed they began to retrace their steps, but this time

the happy Prince could not bear the sight of his defeated and

disappointed rivals, whose frozen forms lined his triumphant way.

He gave orders to his spaniels to spare no pains to restore them

to life, and so successful were they that day by day his train

increased, so that by the time he got back to the little village

where he had left his horse he was escorted by five hundred

sovereign Princes, and knights and squires without number, and he

was so courteous and unassuming that they all followed him

willingly, anxious to do him honour. But then he was so happy and

blissful himself that he found it easy to be at peace with all the

world. It was not long before he met the faithful Mousta, who was

coming at the top of his speed hoping to meet the Prince, that he

might tell him of the sudden and wonderful change that had come

over the Princess, who had become gentle and thoughtful and had

talked to him of nothing but Prince Mannikin, of the hardships she

feared he might be suffering, and of her anxiety for him, and all

this with a hundred fonder expressions which put the finishing

stroke to the Prince's delight. Then came a courier bearing the

congratulations of the King and Queen, who had just heard of his

successful return, and there was even a graceful compliment from

Sabella herself. The Prince sent Mousta back to her, and he was

welcomed with joy, for was he not her lover's present?



At last the travellers reached the capital, and were received with

regal magnificence. Farda-Kinbras and Birbantine embraced Prince

Mannikin, declaring that they regarded him as their heir and the

future husband of the Princess, to which he replied that they did

him too much honour. And then he was admitted into the presence of

the Princess, who for the first time in her life blushed as he

kissed her hand, and could not find a word to say. But the Prince,

throwing himself on his knees beside her, held out the splendid

diamond, saying:



'Madam, this treasure is yours, since none of the dangers and

difficulties I have gone through have been sufficient to make me

deserve it.'



'Ah! Prince,' said she, 'if I take it, it is only that I may give

it back to you, since truly it belongs to you already.'



At this moment in came the King and Queen, and interrupted them by

asking all the questions imaginable, and not infrequently the same

over and over again. It seems that there is always one thing that

is sure to be said about an event by everybody, and Prince

Mannikin found that the question which he was asked by more than a

thousand people on this particular occasion was:



'And didn't you find it very cold?'



The King had come to request Prince Mannikin and the Princess to

follow him to the Council Chamber, which they did, not knowing

that he meant to present the Prince to all the nobles assembled

there as his son-in-law and successor. But when Mannikin perceived

his intention, he begged permission to speak first, and told his

whole story, even to the fact that he believed himself to be a

peasant's son. Scarcely had he finished speaking when the sky grew

black, the thunder growled, and the lightning flashed, and in the

blaze of light the good Fairy Genesta suddenly appeared. Turning

to Prince Mannikin, she said:



'I am satisfied with you, since you have shown not only courage

but a good heart.' Then she addressed King Farda-Kinbras, and

informed him of the real history of the Prince, and how she had

determined to give him the education she knew would be best for a

man who was to command others. 'You have already found the

advantage of having a faithful friend,' she added to the Prince

'and now you will have the pleasure of seeing King Bayard and his

subjects regain their natural forms as a reward for his kindness

to you.'



Just then arrived a chariot drawn by eagles, which proved to

contain the foolish King and Queen, who embraced their long-lost

son with great joy, and were greatly struck with the fact that

they did indeed find him covered with fur! While they were

caressing Sabella and wringing her hands (which is a favourite

form of endearment with foolish people) chariots were seen

approaching from all points of the compass, containing numbers of

Fairies.



'Sire,' said Genesta to Farda-Kinbras, 'I have taken the liberty

of appointing your Court as a meeting-place for all the Fairies

who could spare the time to come; and I hope you can arrange to

hold the great ball, which we have once in a hundred years, on

this occasion.'



The King having suitably acknowledged the honour done him, was

next reconciled to Gorgonzola, and they two presently opened the

ball together. The Fairy Marsontine restored their natural forms

to King Bayard and all his subjects, and he appeared once more as

handsome a king as you could wish to see. One of the Fairies

immediately despatched her chariot for the Queen of the Spice

Islands, and their wedding took place at the same time as that of

Prince Mannikin and the lovely and gracious Sabella. They lived

happily ever afterwards, and their vast kingdoms were presently

divided between their children.



The Prince, out of grateful remembrance of the Princess Sabella's

first gift to him bestowed the right of bearing her name upon the

most beautiful of the martens, and that is why they are called

sables to this day.