| Share page |
|
THE BLUE BIRD. |
7 |
||
|
ordered that she shall not leave her own apartments until my daughter is married."
"What can be the reason for keeping that lovely princess a prisoner?" cried the king in great indignation.
"That I do not know," answered the queen; ''and even if I did, I might not feel bound to tell you."
The king was terribly angry at being thwarted like this. He felt certain that Turritella was to blame for it, so casting a furious glance at her he abruptly took leave of the queen and returned to his own apartments. There he said to a young squire whom he had brought with him:
"I would give all I have in the world to gain the goodwill of one of the princess' waiting-women and obtain a moment's speech with Fiordelisa."
"Nothing could be easier," said the young squire; and he very soon made friends with one of the ladies, who told him that in the evening Fiordelisa would be at a little window which looked into the garden, where he could come and talk to her. Only, she said, he must take very great care not to be seen, as it would be as much as her place was worth to be caught helping King Charming to see the princess. The squire was delighted and promised all she asked; but the moment he had run off to announce his success to the king, the false waiting-woman went and told the queen all that had passed. She at once determined that her own daughter should be at the little window, and she taught her so well all she was to say and do that even the stupid Turritella could make no mistake.
The night was so dark that the king had not a chance of finding out the trick that was being played upon him, so he approached the window with the greatest delight, and said everything that he had been longing to say to Fiordelisa to persuade her of his love for her. Turritella answered as she had been taught—that she was very unhappy and that there was no chance of her being better treated by the queen until her daughter was married. And then the king entreated her to marry him; and thereupon he drew his ring from his finger and put it upon TuVritella's, and she answered him as well as she could. The king could not help thinking that she did not say exactly what he would have expected from his darling Fiordeliga, but he persuaded himself that the fear of being surprised by the queen was making her awkward |
|||