Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 06 (34 page)

Disgusted and furious with the poor creature, he seized a thick
stick and began to beat it so hard that he nearly broke every
bone in its body. The miserable donkey was so distracted at such
treatment that, far from pouring out precious stones, it only
tore and dirtied all the fine linen.

When poor Masella saw her table-cloths and sheets being
destroyed, and that instead of becoming rich she had only been
made a fool of, she seized another stick and belaboured Antonio
so unmercifully with it, that he fled before her, and never
stopped till he reached the ogre's cave.

When his master saw the lad returning in such a sorry plight, he
understood at once what had happened to him, and making no bones
about the matter, he told Antonio what a fool he had been to
allow himself to be so imposed upon by the landlord, and to let a
worthless animal be palmed off on him instead of his magic
donkey.

Antonio listened humbly to the ogre's words, and vowed solemnly
that he would never act so foolishly again. And so a year passed,
and once more Antonio was overcome by a fit of home-sickness, and
felt a great longing to see his own people again.

Now the ogre, although he was so hideous to look upon, had a very
kind heart, and when he saw how restless and unhappy Antonio was,
he at once gave him leave to go home on a visit. At parting he
gave him a beautiful table-cloth, and said: 'Give this to your
mother; but see that you don't lose it as you lost the donkey,
and till you are safely in your own house beware of saying
"Table-cloth, open," and "Table-cloth, shut." If you do, the
misfortune be on your own head, for I have given you fair
warning.'

Antonio set out on his journey, but hardly had he got out of
sight of the cave than he laid the table-cloth on the ground and
said, 'Table-cloth, open.' In an instant the table-cloth unfolded
itself and disclosed a whole mass of precious stones and other
treasures.

When Antonio perceived this he said, 'Table-cloth, shut,' and
continued his journey. He came to the same inn again, and calling
the landlord to him, he told him to put the table-cloth carefully
away, and whatever he did not to say 'Table-cloth, open,' or
'Table-cloth, shut,' to it.

The landlord, who was a regular rogue, answered, 'Just leave it
to me, I will look after it as if it were my own.'

After he had given Antonio plenty to eat and drink, and had
provided him with a comfortable bed, he went straight to the
table-cloth and said, 'Table-cloth, open.' It opened at once, and
displayed such costly treasures that the landlord made up his
mind on the spot to steal it.

When Antonio awoke next morning, the host handed him over a
table-cloth exactly like his own, and carrying it carefully over
his arm, the foolish youth went straight to his mother's house,
and said: 'Now we shall be rich beyond the dreams of avarice, and
need never go about in rags again, or lack the best of food.'

With these words he spread the table-cloth on the ground and
said, 'Table-cloth, open.'

But he might repeat the injunction as often as he pleased, it was
only waste of breath, for nothing happened. When Antonio saw this
he turned to his mother and said: 'That old scoundrel of a
landlord has done me once more; but he will live to repent it,
for if I ever enter his inn again, I will make him suffer for the
loss of my donkey and the other treasures he has robbed me of.'

Masella was in such a rage over her fresh disappointment that she
could not restrain her impatience, and, turning on Antonio, she
abused him soundly, and told him to get out of her sight at once,
for she would never acknowledge him as a son of hers again. The
poor boy was very depressed by her words, and slunk back to his
master like a dog with his tail between his legs. When the ogre
saw him, he guessed at once what had happened. He gave Antonio a
good scolding, and said, 'I don't know what prevents me smashing
your head in, you useless ne'er-do-well! You blurt everything
out, and your long tongue never ceases wagging for a moment. If
you had remained silent in the inn this misfortune would never
have overtaken you, so you have only yourself to blame for your
present suffering.'

Antonio listened to his master's words in silence, looking for
all the world like a whipped dog. When he had been three more
years in the ogre's service he had another bad fit of
home-sickness, and longed very much to see his mother and sisters
again.

So he asked for permission to go home on a visit, and it was at
once granted to him. Before he set out on his journey the ogre
presented him with a beautifully carved stick and said, 'Take
this stick as a remembrance of me; but beware of saying, "Rise
up, Stick," and "Lie down, Stick," for if you do, I can only say
I wouldn't be in your shoes for something.'

Antonio took the stick and said, 'Don't be in the least alarmed,
I'm not such a fool as you think, and know better than most
people what two and two make.'

'I'm glad to hear it,' replied the ogre, 'but words are women,
deeds are men. You have heard what I said, and forewarned is
forearmed.'

This time Antonio thanked his master warmly for all his kindness,
and started on his homeward journey in great spirits; but he had
not gone half a mile when he said 'Rise up, Stick.'

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the stick rose and
began to rain down blows on poor Antonio's back with such
lightning-like rapidity that he had hardly strength to call out,
'Lie down, Stick;' but as soon as he uttered the words the stick
lay down, and ceased beating his back black and blue.

Although he had learnt a lesson at some cost to himself, Antonio
was full of joy, for he saw a way now of revenging himself on the
wicked landlord. Once more he arrived at the inn, and was
received in the most friendly and hospitable manner by his host.
Antonio greeted him cordially, and said: 'My friend, will you
kindly take care of this stick for me? But, whatever you do,
don't say "Rise up, Stick." If you do, you will be sorry for it,
and you needn't expect any sympathy from me.'

The landlord, thinking he was coming in for a third piece of good
fortune, gave Antonio an excellent supper; and after he had seen
him comfortably to bed, he ran to the stick, and calling to his
wife to come and see the fun, he lost no time in pronouncing the
words 'Rise up, Stick.'

The moment he spoke the stick jumped up and beat the landlord so
unmercifully that he and his wife ran screaming to Antonio, and,
waking him up, pleaded for mercy.

When Antonio saw how successful his trick had been, he said: 'I
refuse to help you, unless you give me all that you have stolen
from me, otherwise you will be beaten to death.'

The landlord, who felt himself at death's door already, cried
out: 'Take back your property, only release me from this terrible
stick;' and with these words he ordered the donkey, the
table-cloth, and other treasures to be restored to their rightful
owner.

As soon as Antonio had recovered his belongings he said 'Stick,
lie down,' and it stopped beating the landlord at once.

Then he took his donkey and table-cloth and arrived safely at his
home with them. This time the magic words had the desired effect,
and the donkey and table-cloth provided the family with treasures
untold. Antonio very soon married off his sister, made his mother
rich for life, and they all lived happily for ever after.

(From the Italian, Kletke.)

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 taken 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.'