eart, which is a thing that generally
gets its possessor into trouble, but so far all things had prospered
with King Gridelin. However, it was not to be expected such good fortune
could last, and before very long the Queen had a lovely little daughter
who was named Placida. Now the King, who thought that if she resembled
her mother in face and mind she would need no other gift, never troubled
to ask any of the Fairies to her christening, and this offended them
mortally, so that they resolved to punish him severely for thus
depriving them of their rights. So, to the despair of King Gridelin, the
Queen first of all became very ill, and then disappeared altogether. If
it had not been for the little Princess there is no saying what would
have become of him, he was so miserable, but there she was to be brought
up, and luckily the good Fairy Lolotte, in spite of all that had passed,
was willing to come and take charge of her, and of her little cousin
Prince Vivien, who was an orphan and had been placed under the care of
his uncle, King Gridelin, when he was quite a baby. Although she
neglected nothing that could possibly have been done for them, their
characters, as they grew up, plainly proved that education only softens
down natural defects, but cannot entirely do away with them; for
Placida, who was perfectly lovely, and with a capacity and intelligence
which enabled her to learn and understand anything that presented
itself, was at the same time as lazy and indifferent as it is possible
for anyone to be, while Vivien on the contrary was only too lively, and
was for ever taking up some new thing and as promptly tiring of it, and
flying off to something else which held his fickle fancy an equally
short time. As these two children would possibly inherit the kingdom, it
was natural that their people should take a great interest in them, and
it fell out that all the tranquil and peace-loving citizens desired that
Placida should one day be their Queen, while the rash and quarrelsome
hoped great things for Vivien. Such a division of ideas seemed to
promise civil wars and all kinds of troubles to the State, and even in
the Palace the two parties frequently came into collision. As for the
children themselves, though they were too well brought up to quarrel,
still the difference in all their tastes and feelings made it impossible
for them to like one another, so there seemed no chance of their ever
consenting to be married, which was