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NARCISSUS AND POTENTILLA. |
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birds, and when they had assembled from all the country round he tied about the neck of each one a tiny lamp of some brilliant color, and when darkness fell he made them go through a hundred pretty trick's before the delighted Potentilla, who clapped her little hands with joy when she saw her own name traced in points of light against the dark trees, or when the whole flock of sparks grouped themselves into bouquets of different colors, like living flowers. Grumedan, leaning back in his arm-chair, with one knee crossed over the other and his nose in the air, looked on disdainfully.
"Oh! if you like fireworks, princess," said he; and the next night all the will-o'-the-wisps in the country came and danced on the plain, which could be seen from the princess' windows, and as she was looking out and rather enjoying the sight, up sprang a frightful volcano, pouring out smoke and flames which terrified her greatly, to the intense amusement of the enchanter, who laughed like a pack of wolves quarreling. After this, as many of the will-o'-the-wisps as could get in crowded into Potentilla's garden, and by their light the tall yew trees danced minuets until the princess was weary and begged to be excused from looking at anything more that night. But in spite of Potentilla's efforts to behave politely to the tiresome old enchanter, whom she detested, he could not help seeing that he failed to please her, and then he began to suspect very strongly that she must love some one else, and that somebody besides Melinette was responsible for all the festivities he had witnessed. So after much consideration he devised a plan for finding out the truth. He went to the princess suddenly, and announced that he was most unwillingly forced to leave her and had come to bid her farewell. "Poteutilla could scarcely hide her delight when she heard this, and his back was hardly turned before she was entreating Prince Narcissus to make himself visible once more. The poor prince had been getting quite thin with anxiety and annoyance, and was only too delighted to comply with her request. They greeted one another rapturously, and were just sitting down to talk over everything cozily and enjoy the enchanter's discomfiture together, when out he burst in a fury from behind a bush. With his huge club he aimed a terrific blow at Narcissus, which must certainly have killed him but for the adroitness of |
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