Books Should Be Free Loyal Books Free Public Domain Audiobooks & eBook Downloads |
|
Prince Prigio By: Andrew Lang (1844-1912) |
---|
![]()
PRINCE PRIGIO
BY
ANDREW LANG
AUTHOR OF
"THE MARK OF CAIN, "THE GOLD OF FAIRNILEE"
ETC. Twenty seven Illustrations by Gordon Browne 1889
BRISTOL
J. W. ARROWSMITH, QUAY STREET
LONDON
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL & CO., 4 STATIONERS' HALL COURT
All rights reserved {"So the two went into the gardens together, and talked about a number
of things.": p0.jpg} PRINCE PRIGIO
IS
Dedicated
TO
ALMA
THYRA
EDITH
ROSALIND
NORNA
CECILY
AND VIOLET
PREFACE.
In compiling the following History from the Archives of Pantouflia, the
Editor has incurred several obligations to the Learned. The Return of
Benson (chapter xii.) is the fruit of the research of the late Mr. ALLEN
QUATERMAIN, while the final wish of Prince Prigio was suggested by the
invention or erudition of a Lady. A study of the Firedrake in South Africa where he is called the
Nanaboulele , a difficult word has been published in French (translated
from the Basuto language) by M. PAUL SEBILLOT, in the Revue des
Traditione Populaires . For the Remora , the Editor is indebted to the
Voyage a la Lune of M. CYRANO DE BERGERAC.
CHAPTER I.
{Chapter heading picture: p1.jpg} How the Fairies were not Invited to Court . Once upon a time there reigned in Pantouflia a king and a queen. With
almost everything else to make them happy, they wanted one thing: they
had no children. This vexed the king even more than the queen, who was
very clever and learned, and who had hated dolls when she was a child.
However, she, too in spite of all the books she read and all the pictures
she painted, would have been glad enough to be the mother of a little
prince. The king was anxious to consult the fairies, but the queen would
not hear of such a thing. She did not believe in fairies: she said that
they had never existed; and that she maintained, though The History of
the Royal Family was full of chapters about nothing else. Well, at long and at last they had a little boy, who was generally
regarded as the finest baby that had ever been seen. Even her majesty
herself remarked that, though she could never believe all the courtiers
told her, yet he certainly was a fine child a very fine child. Now, the time drew near for the christening party, and the king and queen
were sitting at breakfast in their summer parlour talking over it. It
was a splendid room, hung with portraits of the royal ancestors. There
was Cinderella, the grandmother of the reigning monarch, with her little
foot in her glass slipper thrust out before her. There was the Marquis
de Carabas, who, as everyone knows, was raised to the throne as prince
consort after his marriage with the daughter of the king of the period.
On the arm of the throne was seated his celebrated cat, wearing boots.
There, too, was a portrait of a beautiful lady, sound asleep: this was
Madame La Belle au Bois dormant, also an ancestress of the royal family.
Many other pictures of celebrated persons were hanging on the walls. "You have asked all the right people, my dear?" said the king. "Everyone who should be asked," answered the queen. "People are so touchy on these occasions," said his majesty. "You have
not forgotten any of our aunts?" "No; the old cats!" replied the queen; for the king's aunts were
old fashioned, and did not approve of her, and she knew it. "They are very kind old ladies in their way," said the king; "and were
nice to me when I was a boy." Then he waited a little, and remarked: "The fairies, of course, you have invited? It has always been usual, in
our family, on an occasion like this; and I think we have neglected them
a little of late." "How can you be so absurd ?" cried the queen. "How often must I tell
you that there are no fairies? And even if there were but, no matter;
pray let us drop the subject." "They are very old friends of our family, my dear, that's all," said the
king timidly. "Often and often they have been godmothers to us. One, in
particular, was most kind and most serviceable to Cinderella I... Continue reading book >>
|
Genres for this book |
---|
Kids |
Fairy tales |
Fiction |
eBook links |
---|
Wikipedia – Andrew Lang |
Wikipedia – Prince Prigio |
eBook Downloads | |
---|---|
ePUB eBook • iBooks for iPhone and iPad • Nook • Sony Reader |
Kindle eBook • Mobi file format for Kindle |
Read eBook • Load eBook in browser |
Text File eBook • Computers • Windows • Mac |
Review this book |
---|