The Sacrifice

: OURSON
: Old French Fairy Tales

Ourson turned his steps homeward, discouraged and exhausted. He walked

slowly and arrived at the farm late. Violette ran to meet him, took him

by the hand, and without saying a word led him to his mother. There she

fell on her knees and said:--



"My mother, I know what our well-beloved Ourson has suffered to-day.

During his absence the fairy Furious has told me all and the good fairy

Drolette has confirmed
her story. My mother, when our Ourson was, as we

believed, lost to us for ever and lost for my sake you revealed to me

that which in his nobility and goodness he wished to conceal. I know

that by changing skins with him I can restore to him his original

beauty. Happy, a hundred times happy in having this opportunity to

recompense the tenderness and devotion of my dearly-loved brother

Ourson, I demand to make this exchange allowed by the fairy Drolette and

I entreat her to complete the transfer immediately."



"Violette! Violette!" exclaimed Ourson, in great agitation, "take back

your words! You do not know to what you engage yourself; you are

ignorant of the life of anguish and misery unparalleled, the life of

solitude and isolation to which you thus condemn yourself; you know not

the unceasing desolation you will feel at knowing that you are an object

of fear to all mankind. Violette, Violette, in pity to me, withdraw your

words!"



"Dear Ourson," said Violette, calmly, but resolutely, "in making what

you believe to be so great a sacrifice, I accomplish the dearest wish of

my heart; I secure my own happiness; I satisfy an ardent and imperious

desire to testify my tenderness and my gratitude. I esteem myself for

doing what I propose. I should despise myself if I left it undone."



"Pause, Violette, for one instant longer, I beseech you! Think of my

grief, when I no longer see my beautiful Violette, when I think of you

exposed to the railleries, the horror of men. Oh! Violette, do not

condemn your poor Ourson to this anguish."



The lovely face of Violette was veiled with sadness. The fear that

Ourson would feel repugnance towards her made her heart tremble; but

this thought, which was wholly personal, was very fleeting--it could not

triumph over her devoted tenderness. Her only response was to throw

herself in the arms of Agnella, and say:--



"Mother, embrace your fair and pretty Violette for the last time."



Whilst Agnella, Ourson and Passerose embraced her and looked lovingly

upon her--whilst Ourson, on his knees, supplicated her to leave him his

bear-skin to which he had been accustomed for twenty years--Violette

called out again in a loud voice:--



"Fairy Drolette! Fairy Drolette! come and accept the price of the life

and health of my dear Ourson."



At this moment the fairy Drolette appeared in all her glory. She was

seated in a massive chariot of gold, drawn by a hundred and fifty larks.

She was clothed with a robe of butterflies' wings, of the most brilliant

colors while from her shoulders fell a mantle of network of diamonds,

which trailed ten feet behind her and it was so fine in texture that it

was light as gauze. Her hair, glittering like tissue of gold, was

ornamented by a crown of carbuncles more brilliant than the sun; each of

her slippers was carved from a single ruby and her beautiful face, soft,

yet gay, breathed contentment. She fixed upon Violette a most

affectionate regard.



"You wish it, then, my daughter?" said she.



"Madam," cried Ourson, falling at her feet, "deign to listen to me. You,

who have loaded me with undeserved benefits--you, who have inspired me

with boundless gratitude--you, good and just--will you execute the mad

wish of my dear Violette? Will you make my whole life wretched by

forcing me to accept this sacrifice? No, no, charming and humane fairy,

you could not, you will not do it!"



Whilst Ourson was thus supplicating, the fairy gave Violette a light

touch with her wand of pearl and Ourson another--then said:--



"Let it be according to the wish of your heart, my daughter. Let it be

contrary to your ardent desires, my son."



At the same moment, the face, arms and the whole body of the lovely

young girl were covered with the long hair which Ourson had worn, and

Ourson appeared with a white smooth skin, which set off his extreme

beauty to advantage.



Violette gazed at him with admiration, while he, his eyes cast down and

full of tears, dared not look at his poor Violette, so horribly

metamorphosed. At last he looked up, threw himself in her arms, and they

wept together.



Ourson was marvellously handsome. Violette was, as Ourson had been,

without form, without beauty, but not ugly. When Violette raised her

head and looked at Agnella, the latter extended her hands towards her,

and said:--



"Thanks, my daughter, my noble, generous child."



"Mother," said Violette, in low voice, "do you love me still?"



"Do I love you, my cherished child? Yes, a hundred times, a thousand

times more than ever before."



"Violette," said Ourson, "never fear being ugly in our eyes. To my

eyes, you are a hundred times more beautiful than when clothed with all

your loveliness. To me you are a sister--a friend incomparable. You will

always be the companion of my life, the ideal of my heart."



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