love, the princess said to
him, "Doubtless you are anxious to know how I came to be transformed
into a fish; and I will tell you now, that there may be nothing to
explain hereafter. I must begin early, for my misfortunes commenced
almost at my birth. I am the only child of King Grabyall, in whose
dominions you now are; and according to the universal custom of all
royal christenings, a great many fairies were invited to mine, and
some few vulgar things came without invitation. Among the latter was
an old fairy, so ill-natured and malicious, that, though very powerful
to do evil, no one would pay her the least attention; for they knew
that no kindness could conciliate the wicked old creature. Of course,
neither my father nor mother paid her the least attention, or made her
presents; and no one spoke a word to her, at which she flew into a
great rage, and went away shaking her wand, and mumbling in a spiteful
manner, 'Well, good people, you are all mighty silent now, but before
long you shall have talking enough, I promise you!'

"Everybody laughed at the spiteful old woman--but it was no such
laughing matter, I assure you, my prince; for she was hardly out of
sight, when, to the astonishment of the whole court, I began to talk
with such volubility that nobody could keep pace with me. First I
scolded the nurse, then abused the fairies, and finally took my
parents to task roundly for attempting to stop me. The courtiers tried
to persuade them that this was only an omen of my precocious genius,
and that, beyond all doubt, I should one day become the wisest, most
eloquent princess in the world. But they remembered the threat of the
malicious old fairy, and became exceeding sorrowful. As I grew up my
volubility increased; I talked from morning till night, and all night
too. Sleeping or waking, it was just the same; and my voice was so
loud and shrill that it could be heard all over the palace. What
rendered the matter still worse, I was exceeding ill-natured,
satirical, and witty, insomuch, that all were afraid to come near me;
and I was obliged at last to talk to myself. It is necessary I should
apprise you that I grew up to great beauty, and by the time I was
sixteen, many of the neighboring princes came to pay their addresses
to me. But I never gave them an opportunity, for before they could
open their lips, I poured a torrent of satirical reproaches in their
ears that struck them all dumb; insomuch, that it was said some