Oh, Tot, asked the starling, how do you think our princess looks now in these fine jewels?
Ugh! growled the parrot, who was really always cross in the mornings, and never recovered his temper until after lunch, shes got all her beauty at one end of her now; if she had a few of those fine gew-gaws round her neck and wrists she would look better; but now, to my mind, she looks more than ever like the washerwomans daughter dressed up.
Poor princess! she wept and stormed and raved until she made herself quite ill; and then she declared to her father that, unless she had bracelets and necklace to match the anklets she would die.
Again the king sent for Ameer Ali, and ordered him to get a necklace and bracelets to match those anklets within a month, or be put to a cruel death.
And again Ameer Ali spent nearly the whole month searching for the jewels, but all in vain. At length he made his way to the hut in the forest, and stood and cried:
Fairy of the forest! Fairy of the forest! Help me! help me!
Once more the beautiful maiden appeared at his summons and asked what he wanted, and when he had told her she said he must do exactly as he had done the first time, except that now he must cut off both her hands and her head. Her words turned Ameer Ali pale with horror; but she reminded him that no harm had come to her before, and at last he consented to do as she bade him. From her severed hands and head there fell into the cauldron bracelets and chains of rubies and diamonds, emeralds and pearls that surpassed any that ever were seen. Then the head and hands were joined on to the body, and left neither sign nor scar. Full of gratitude, Ameer Ali tried to speak to her, but she ran into the house and would not come back, and he was forced to leave her and go away laden with the jewels.
When, on the day appointed, Ameer Ali produced a necklace and bracelets each more beautiful and priceless than the last, the kings astonishment knew no bounds, and as for his daughter she was nearly mad with joy. The very next morning she put on all her finery, and thought that now, at least, that disagreeable parrot could find no fault with her appearance, and she listened eagerly when she heard the starling say:
Oh, Tot, how do you think our princess is looking now?
Very fine, no doubt, grumbled the parrot; but what is the use of dressing up like that for oneself only? She ought to have a husband-why doesnt she marry the man who got her all these splendid things?
Then the princess sent for her father and told him that she wished to marry Ameer Ali.
My dear child, said her father, you really are very difficult to please, and want something new every day. It certainly is time you married someone, and if you choose this man, of course he shall marry you.
So the king sent for Ameer Ali, and told him that within a month he proposed to do him the honour of marrying him to the princess, and making him heir to the throne.
On hearing this speech Ameer Ali bowed low and answered that he had done and would do the king all the service that lay in his power, save only this one thing. The king, who considered his daughters hand a prize for any man, flew into a passion, and the princess was more furious still. Ameer Ali was instantly thrown into the most dismal prison that they could find, and ordered to be kept there until the king had time to think in what way he should be put to death.
Meanwhile the king determined that the princess ought in any case to be married without delay, so he sent forth heralds throughout the neighbouring countries, proclaiming that on a certain day any person fitted for a bridegroom and heir to the throne should present himself at the palace.
When the day came, all the court were gathered together, and a great crowd assembled of men, young and old, who thought that they had as good a chance as anyone else to gain both the throne and the princess. As soon as the king was seated, he called upon an usher to summon the first claimant. But, just then, a farmer who stood in front of the crowd cried out that he had a petition to offer.
Well, hasten then, said the king; I have no time to waste.
Your majesty, said the farmer, has now lived and administered justice long in this city, and will know that the tiger who is king of beasts hunts only in the forest, whilst jackals hunt in every place where there is something to be picked up.
What is all this? what is all this? asked the king. The man must be mad!
No, your majesty, answered the farmer, I would only remind your majesty that there are plenty of jackals gathered to-day to try and claim your daughter and kingdom: every city has sent them, and they wait hungry and eager; but do not, O king, mistake or pretend again to mistake the howl of a jackal for the hunting cry of a tiger.
The king turned first red and then pale.
There is, continued the farmer, a royal tiger bred in the forest who has the first and only true claim to your throne.
Where? what do you mean? stammered the king, growing pale as he listened.
In prison, replied the farmer; if your majesty will clear this court of the jackals I will explain.
Clear the court! commanded the king; and, very unwillingly, the visitors left the palace.
Now tell me what riddle this is, said he.
Then the farmer told the king and his ministers how he had rescued the queen and brought up Ameer Ali; and he fetched the old queen herself, whom he had left outside. At the sight of her the king was filled with shame and self-reproach, and wished he could have lived his life over again, and not have married the mother of the proud princess, who caused him endless trouble until her death.
My day is past, said he. And he gave up his crown to his son Ameer Ali, who went once more and called to the forest fairy to provide him with a queen to share his throne.
There is only one person I will marry, said he. And this time the maiden did not run away, but agreed to be his wife. So the two were married without delay, and lived long and reigned happily.
As for the old woman whose pitcher Ameer Ali had broken, she was the forest maidens fairy godmother, and when she was no longer needed to look after the girl she gladly returned to fairyland.
The old king has never been heard to contradict his wife any more. If he even looks as if he does not agree with her, she smiles at him and says:
Is it the tiger, then? or the jackal? And he has not another word to say.
[2] A galail is a double-stringed bow from which bullets or pellets of hard dried clay can be fired with considerable force and precision.
THE COMB AND THE COLLAR
Once upon a time there was a king of Lombardy who, though he was uglier than any of his subjects, loved beauty in others, so he married a wife who was declared by everyone to be the handsomest of women; and, whispered some, the most ill-natured also. Certainly she could not endure the sight of a pretty person, and her ladies were all the plainest of their sex. Worse than all, she was desperately jealous of the kings son and daughter by his former wife.
Unfortunately, in spite of all her evil qualities, the king was her complete slave, and badly though she treated the boy, the lovely princess was made to suffer ten times as much. Not contented with giving the girl, for a governess, a woman whose temper was as bad as the queens own, the cruel step-mother did everything she could think of to spoil the girls beauty, and to force her to appear as ugly as she was herself; but, try as she might, when the hideous clothes and frightful brown paint had been removed, her loveliness shone out as bright as ever.