FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147  
148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   >>   >|  
south, east, and west. It was not so large, however, but that he was able to manage it well for himself--that is to say, with certain help which I will tell you of. A year never passed without his visiting every part of his dominions and inquiring for himself into the affairs of his subjects. Perhaps--who can say?--the world was not so big in those days; doubtless, however that may have been, there were not so many folk living on it. Many things were different in those times: many things existed which nowadays would be thought strange and incredible. Human beings knew much more than they do now about the other dwellers on the earth. For instance, it was no uncommon case to find learned men who were able to converse with animals quite as well as with each other. Fairies, of course, were often visible to mortal eyes, and it was considered quite natural that they should interfere for good--sometimes, perhaps, for evil; as to that I cannot say--in human affairs. And good King Brave-Heart was especially favored in this way. For the help which, as I said, was his in governing his people was that of four very wise counselors indeed--the four fairies of the North and the South, the East and the West. These sisters were very beautiful as well as very wise. Though older than the world itself, they always looked young. They were very much attached to each other, though they seldom met, and it must be confessed that sometimes on such occasions there were stormy scenes, though they made it up afterward. And the advice they gave was always to be relied upon. Now, King Brave-Heart was married. His wife was young and charming, and devotedly fond of him. But she was of a rather jealous and exacting disposition, and she had been much spoilt in her youth at her own home. She was sweet and loving, however, which makes up for a good deal, and always ready to take part in any scheme for the good of their people, provided it did not separate her from her husband. They had no children, though they had been married for some years; but at last there came the hope of an heir, and the Queen's delight was unbounded--nor was the King's joy less than hers. It was late autumn, or almost winter, when a great trouble befell the pretty Queen. The weather had grown suddenly cold, and a few snowflakes even had fallen before their time. But Queen Claribel only clapped her hands at the sight, for with the winter she hoped the baby would come, an
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147  
148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
things
 

married

 

people

 
winter
 

affairs

 

clapped

 

Claribel

 

fallen

 

snowflakes

 

spoilt


disposition

 
exacting
 

jealous

 
charming
 
scenes
 

stormy

 

occasions

 

afterward

 

advice

 

suddenly


devotedly

 

relied

 

husband

 

children

 

confessed

 
autumn
 

delight

 

unbounded

 

trouble

 

loving


weather

 

befell

 
separate
 

provided

 

pretty

 

scheme

 

favored

 

living

 

doubtless

 

existed


nowadays
 
beings
 

thought

 

strange

 

incredible

 
Perhaps
 

manage

 
dominions
 
inquiring
 

subjects