FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118  
119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   >>  
Presently a window opened, and Cherry saw Zelia lean out and throw down a piece of meat. He seized it and was just going to devour it, when the old woman to whom he had given his crust snatched it away and took him in her arms. "No, you shall not eat it, you poor little thing," she said, "for every bit of food in that house is poisoned." At the same moment, a voice said, "Good actions never go unrewarded!" And instantly Prince Cherry was transformed into a little white dove. With great joy, he flew to the open palace window to seek out his Zelia, to try to help her. But though he hunted in every room, no Zelia was to be found. He had to fly away, without seeing her. He wanted more than anything else to find her, and stay near her, so he flew out into the world, to seek her. He sought her in many lands, until one day, in a far eastern country, he found her sitting in a tent, by the side of an old, white-haired hermit. Cherry was wild with delight. He flew to her shoulder, caressed her hair with his beak, and cooed in her ear. "You dear, lovely little thing!" said Zelia. "Will you stay with me? If you will, I will love you always." "Ah, Zelia, see what you have done!" laughed the hermit. At that instant, the white dove vanished, and Prince Cherry stood there, as handsome and charming as ever, and with a look of kindness and modesty in his eyes which had never been there before. At the same time, the hermit stood up, his flowing hair changed to shining gold, and his face became a lovely woman's face; it was the Fairy Candide. "Zelia has broken your spell," she said to the prince, "as I meant she should, when you were worthy of her love." Zelia and Prince Cherry fell at the fairy's feet. But with a beautiful smile she bade them come to their kingdom. In a trice, they were transported to the prince's palace, where King Suliman greeted them with tears of joy. He gave back the throne with all his heart, and King Cherry ruled again, with Zelia for his queen. He wore the little gold ring all the rest of his life, but never once did it have to prick him hard enough to make his finger bleed. FOOTNOTES: [30] A shortened version of the familiar tale. THE GOLD IN THE ORCHARD[31] There was once a farmer who had a fine olive orchard. He was very industrious, and the farm always prospered under his care. But he knew that his three sons despised the farm work, and were eager to make wealth fast, through
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118  
119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   >>  



Top keywords:

Cherry

 

Prince

 

hermit

 

prince

 

lovely

 
palace
 

window

 

beautiful

 

shining

 
transported

changed

 
kingdom
 

broken

 

flowing

 

Candide

 

worthy

 

orchard

 

farmer

 

ORCHARD

 

industrious


prospered

 

wealth

 

despised

 

familiar

 

version

 

throne

 

greeted

 

FOOTNOTES

 

shortened

 

finger


modesty

 
Suliman
 

actions

 

unrewarded

 

instantly

 
poisoned
 

moment

 

transformed

 

hunted

 

seized


Presently

 

opened

 

devour

 

snatched

 

delight

 

shoulder

 
caressed
 

handsome

 

charming

 

vanished