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THE GREEN FAIRY BOOK. |
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of work so long as they lived, and they promptly made a great bonfire in the court-yard and solemnly burned all the embroidery frames and spinning-wheels. Then the princess gave them splendid presents, or rather sat by while Prince Vivien gave them, and there were great rejoicings in the green castle, and every one did his best to please the prince and princess.
But with all their good intentions they often made mistakes, for Vivien and Placida were never of one mind about their plans, so it was very confusing, and they frequently found themselves obeying the prince's orders, very, very slowly, and rushing off with lightning speed to do something that the princess did not wish to have done at all, until by and by the two cousins took to consulting with and consoling one another in all these little vexations, and at last came to be so fond of each other that for Placida's sake Vivien became quite patient, and for Vivien's sake Placida made the most unheard-of exertions.
But now the fairies, who had been watching all these proceedings with interest, thought it was time to interfere and ascertain by further trials if this improvement was likely to continue, and if they really loved one another. So they caused Placida to seem to have a violent fever and Vivien to languish and grow dull, and made each of them very uneasy about the other, and then, finding a moment when they were apart, the fairy Mirlifiche suddenly appeared to Placida and said:
"I have just seen Prince Vivien, and he seemed to me to be very ill."
"Alas! yes, madam," she answered, "and if you will but cure him you may take me back to the farm or bring the green giant to life again, and you shall see how obedient I will be."
"If you really wish him to recover," said the fairy, "you have only to catch the trotting mouse and the chaffinch-on-the-wing and bring them to me. Only remember that time presses!"
She had hardly finished speaking before the princess was rushing headlong out of the castle gate, and the fairy, after watching her till she was lost to sight, gave a little chuckle and went in search of the prince, who begged her earnestly to send him back to the black castle or to the paper boat if she would but save Placida's life. The |
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