Once upon a time a wicked King invaded Queen [Girl's name] 's
land , in the kingdom of [home city], [home state]
. He seized Queen [Girl's name] and her
infant daughter as prisoners, and shut them both into the highest room
of a tall tower. The room was very tiny and empty, with only one table
and a very hard bed on the floor. Then the enemy King sent for a fairy
who lived near his kingdom. He nearly pushed the Fairy up the stairs to
see the Queen. The Fairy was so touched by the sight of Queen [Girl's name] 's
miserable condition that when she kissed the Queen's hand the Fairy whispered
to her, "Courage, madam! I think I see a way to help you."
The
wicked King brings the Fairy to the tower room
where Queen [Girl's name]
is imprisoned.
Queen
[Girl's name] whispered her thanks. Then the wicked King
cried harshly, "Silence!" He turned to the Fairy. "I brought you here
for one reason and one reason only. Tell me this: Is this baby girl destined
to grow up to be a worthy bride for my son?"
The
Fairy answered that indeed, the Princess was destined to grow up to have
every grace good fortune could bestow, that she would be fair, fortunate
and in every way worthy of a throne. The old King growled to Queen
[Girl's name] that it was lucky for them both that the
Fairy had said it would be so. Then the baby would be saved to become
the future bride for his son, a spoiled boy already terrorizing the palace
with his wild tantrums and mean pranks. The King thundered that if the
Fairy had forecast differently, both the baby and her mother would have
immediately been hanged. Then he stamped off, taking the Fairy with him,
and leaving poor Queen [Girl's name] in tears.
"How
can I wish my little daughter to grow up with good graces only to be married
to that horrid King's son!" she cried. "And yet, if she were ill-fated
we would both be doomed right now. If only I could hide her safely away,
somewhere, anywhere! There must be someplace where the cruel King could
never find her."
As
the days went on, Queen [Girl's name] and the little
Princess grew thinner and thinner, for every day their hard-hearted jailer
gave them only three boiled peas each to eat and a tiny morsel of black
bread, so they were always terribly hungry. At last, one evening, as the
Queen sat at her spinning-wheel -- for she was made to work day and night
-- she saw a tiny, pretty little mouse creep out of a hole. She said to
the mouse, "Alas, little creature! Why are you coming here? I have only
three peas each each day, so unless you wish to starve I'm afraid you
must go elsewhere for your food."
The
Mouse dances and entertains Queen [Girl's name].
But
the mouse ran hither and thither, and danced and twirled so prettily,
that Queen [Girl's name] clapped and laughed with
joy and at last gave the mouse her last pea, which she was keeping for
her supper, saying, "Here, little one. I'm sorry I've nothing better to
offer you, as your fine dancing deserves far more than this wrinkled little
pea."
She
had hardly spoken when upon the table appeared a succulent roast partridge
and two dishes of preserved fruit. Amazed she was! Quickly she mashed
a portion of the meat and fruit and spoon fed her baby, who licked each
spoonful with glee. Then Queen [Girl's name] ate
with great satisfaction herself, and offered what was left to the little
mouse. The mouse danced even more charmingly than ever before. The next
morning the jailer brought the Queen and the Princess' daily allowance
of three peas each, which he brought in upon a large dish to make them
look even smaller. As soon as the jailer left, Queen [Girl's name]
gave the mouse all three of her peas.
The
empty dish was instantly covered with all sorts of wonderful things to
eat, and the Queen shared a feast with her daughter once again. But afterwards,
as she sat at her spinning-wheel, she began to worry that the fine meals
could end any time, and even if they didn't, that her precious daughter
was doomed to live as a prisoner, only to be forced to marry that horrid
prince when she grew up. The Queen despaired, "Oh! If only I could think
of some way of saving her!"
As
she spoke, she noticed the little mouse playing in a corner with some
long straws. Queen [Girl's name] began to braid the
straws, thinking, "If I had but enough straws I could make a basket with
them, and let my baby down in the basket from the window to any kind passerby
who might take care of her and raise her in freedom."
By
the time she had finished her thoughts, the little mouse had dragged in
more and more straw, until the Queen had plenty to weave her basket. The
Queen worked at it night and day while the little mouse danced for her.
At lunch and supper time the Queen gave the mouse the three peas and the
bit of black bread, and always found something scrumptious in their place.
She really could not imagine where all these yummy dishes were coming
from.
At
last one day when the basket was finished, the Queen was looking out of
the window to see how long a cord she must make to lower it to the bottom
of the tower, when she noticed a little old woman down below leaning upon
her stick who was looking up at her. Presently the old woman said, "I
know your trouble, madam. If you like I will help you."
"Oh,
dear lady!" said Queen [Girl's name]. "If you really
wish to be of use to me you will come at a time I will describe to you,
and I will let down my poor little baby in a basket. If you will take
her, and bring her up for me, when I am rich and free again, I will reward
you splendidly."
"I
don't care about any reward," said the old woman. "And you can be sure
your little daughter shall be well taken care of by me. But there is one
thing I should like. You must know that I am very particular about what
I eat, and if there is one thing that I fancy above all else, it is a
plump, tender little mouse. If there happens to be any mouse in your garret
just throw it down to me, that is all I ask."
Well,
when Queen [Girl's name]heard this began to cry.
The old woman, after waiting a few minutes, asked her what was the matter.
An
old woman makes an offer to Queen [Girl's name].
"Why,"
said the Queen, "There is only one mouse in this garret, and that is such
a dear, sweet little thing that I cannot bear to think of its being killed."
"What!"
cried the old woman, in a rage. "You care more for a miserable mouse than
for your very own baby? Good-bye, madam! I leave you to enjoy its company.
For my own part I thank my stars that I can get plenty of mice without
troubling the likes of you!"
That
night when Queen [Girl's name]'s baby was fast asleep,
she packed it into the basket and wrote on a slip of paper, "Here is my
beloved but unfortunate little baby girl. Please raise her with tenderness
and love." This she pinned to the baby's robe. Very sadly she shut the
basket. Just then, in sprang the little mouse.
"Ah,
little one!" said the Queen. "It cost me dear today to save your life."
Whereupon the Queen collapsed and cried her heart out.
The
Mouse answered, "Believe me, madam, you will never regret your kindness."
Queen
[Girl's name] was immensely astonished when the Mouse began
to speak, and still more so when she saw its little sharp nose turn to
a beautiful face, and its paws become hands and feet. Then it suddenly
grew tall, and the Queen recognized the Fairy who had come up to her tower
room with the wicked King to visit her.
The
Fairy smiled at her astonished look, and said, "I wanted to see if you
were capable of real friendship before I extended myself to help you.
You see, we fairies are rich in everything but friends, and real friends
are hard to find."
Queen
[Girl's name] and the Fairy clasp hands in friendship.
"It
is not possible that you should want for friends, you charming creature,"
said the Queen, kissing her.
"Yet
it is so," said the Fairy. "For so many are only friendly with Fairies
for their own advantage, and that I do not count at all. But when you
protected the poor little mouse, you could not have known there was anything
to be gained by it. To test you I took the form of the old woman whom
you talked to from the window and tempted you to forsake your little mouse
friend. But this you did not do! At that moment I realized that you are
indeed capable of true friendship." Turning to the little Princess, she
kissed her rosy lips three times. The Princess cooed and giggled.
"Dear
little one, I am going to take you and your mother to my very own enchanted
cottage, quite a distance from this wicked kingdom. There you both will
be invisible to all others and you, sweet baby, will grow up safe and
free, together with your mother."
In
an instant, the Fairy, Queen [Girl's name] and her
baby vanished from the tall tower prison room, never to return.
