The Story teller (1850)/The Yellow Dwarf

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THE YELLOW DWARF.

There was once a queen, who, though she had borne many children, had but one daughter left alive, of whom she was fond to an excess, humouring and indulging her in all her ways and wishes. This princess was exceedingly beautiful, so that she I was called All-Fair, and had twenty kings courting her at one time. Her mother, being advanced in years, would fain have had her married and settled before she died, but no entreaties could prevail; whereupon she determined to go to the Desert Fairy to ask advice concerning her stubborn daughter.

Now, this fairy being guarded by two fierce lions, the queen made a cake of millet, sugar candy, and crocodiles' eggs, in order to appease their fury and pass by them; and having thus provided herself, she set out. After travelling some time, she found herself weary, and lying down under a tree, fell asleep. "When she awoke, she heard the lions whieh guarded the fairy roaring, upon which, looking for her cake, she found it was gone. This threw her into the utmost agony, not knowing how to save herself from being devoured by them; when, hearing somebody cry, Hem! hem!" she lifted up her eyes, and beheld a little yellow man on a tree, half-a-yard high, picking and eating oranges.

"Ah! queen," said the Yellow Dwarf, (for so he was called on account of his complexion, and the orange tree he lived in), "how will you escape the lions? There is but one way. I know what business brought you here! promise me your daughter in marriage, and I will save you." The queen, though she could not but look upon so frightful a figure with horror, yet was forced to consent; whereupon she instantly found herself in her own palace, and all that had passed seemed only as a dream; nevertheless, she was so thoroughly persuaded of the reality of it, that she became melancholy.

The young princess being unable to learn the cause of her dejection, resolved to go and inquire of the Desert Fairy; and, accordingly, having prepared a cake for the lions, she also set off for her abode. It happened that All-Fair took exactly the same route her mother had done before her; and coming to the fatal tree, which was loaded with oranges, she had a mind to pick some; therefore, setting down her basket, wherein she carried the cake, she plentifully indulged herself. The lions now began to roar, when All-Fair, looking for her cake, was thrown into the utmost trouble on finding it gone. As she was lamenting her deplorable situation, the Yellow Dwarf presented himself to her with these words:—"Lovely princess, dry up your tears, and hear what I am going to say. You need not proceed to the Desert Fairy to know the reason of your mother's indisposition, she is ungenerous enough to repent of having promised you, her adorable daughter, to me in marriage." "How!" interrupted the princess, "my mother promised me to you in marriage! you! such a fright as you!" "Nay, none of your scoffs," returned the Yellow Dwarf, "I wish you not to stir up my anger. If you will promise to marry me, I will be the tenderest and most loving husband in the world; if not, save yourself from the lions if you can." In short, the princess was forced to give her word that she would have him, but with such agony of mind that she fell into a swoon; and when she recovered, she found herself in her own bed, finely adorned with ribbons, and a ring of a single red hair so fastened round her finger that it could not be got off.

This adventure had the same effect upon All-Fair as the former had upon her mother. She grew melancholy, which was remarked and wondered at by the whole court. The best way to divert her, they thought, would be to urge her to marry; which the princess, who was now become less obstinate on that point than formerly, consented to; and thinking that such a pigmy as the Yellow Dwarf would not dare to contend with so gallant a person as the King of the Golden Mines, she fixed upon this king for her husband, who was exceedingly rich and powerful, and loved her to distraction. The most superb preparations were made for the nuptials, and the happy day was fixed; when, as they were proceeding to the ceremony, they saw moving towards them a box, whereon sat an old woman remarkable for her ugliness. "Hold, queen and princess," cried she, knitting her brows, "remember the promises you both made to my friend the Yellow Dwarf. I am the Desert Fairy, and if All-Fair does not marry him, I swear by my coif, I will burn my crutch." The queen and princess were struck motionless by this unexpected greeting of the Fairy; but the Prince of the Golden Mines was exceedingly wroth; and, holding his sword to her throat, "Fly, wretch!" said he, "or thy malice shall cost thee thy life." No sooner had he uttered these words, than the top of the box flying off, out came the Yellow Dwarf, mounted upon a large Spanish cat, who placing himself between the king and the fairy, uttered these words:—"Rash youth, thy rage should he levelled at me, not at the Desert Fairy. I am thy rival, and claim her by promise, and a single hair round her finger."

This so enraged the king, that he cried out, "Contemptible creature! wert thou worthy of notice, I would sacrifice thee for thy presumption." Whereupon the Yellow Dwarf clapping spurs to his cat, and drawing a large cutlass, defied the king to combat; and so they went into the court-yard. The sun then immediately turned red as blood, and it became dark; thunder and lightning followed, by the flashes whereof were perceived two giants vomiting fire on each side of the Yellow Dwarf.

The king behaved with such undaunted courage as to give the Dwarf great perplexity; but was dismayed when he saw the Desert Fairy, mounted on a winged griffin, with her head covered with snakes, strike the princess so hard with a lance that she fell into the queen's arms all over with blood. He left the combat to go to her relief; but the dwarf was too quick for him, and, flying on his Spanish cat to the balcony where she was, he took her from her mother's arms, leaped with her upon the top of the palace, and immediately disappeared.

As the king stood confused and astonished at this strange adventure, he suddenly found a mist before his eyes, and himself lifted up in the air by some extraordinary power; for the Desert Fairy had fallen in love with him. To secure him for herself, therefore, she carried him to a frightful eavern, hoping he would there forget All-Fair, and tried many artifiees to eomplete her designs. But finding this scheme ineffectual, she resolved to carry him to a plaee altogether as pleasant as the other was terrible; and accordingly set him by herself in a chariot drawn by swans. In passing through the air, he had the unspeakable surprise to see his adored princess in a castle of polished steel, leaning her head on one hand, and wiping away the tears with the other. She happened to look up, and had the mortifieation to see the king sitting by the fairy, who then, by her art, made herself appear extremely beautiful. Had not the king been sensible of the fairy's power, he would certainly then have tried to free himself from her. At last they came to a stately palace, fenced on one side by walls of emeralds, and on the other by a boisterous sea.

The king, by pretending to be in love with the fairy, obtained liberty to walk by himself on the shore; and, as he was one day invoking the powers of the sea, he heard a voice, and presently after was surprised with the appearance of a Mermaid, which, coming up with a pleasant smile, spoke these words:—"O King of the Golden Mines, I well know all that has passed in regard to you and the fair princess. Don't suspect this to be a contrivance of the fairy's to try you, for I am an inveterate enemy both to her and the Yellow Dwarf; therefore, if you will have confidence in me, I will lend you my assistance to procure the release not only of yourself, but of All-Fair also." The overjoyed king promised to do whatever the Mermaid bade him; whereupon, setting him upon her tail, they sailed away on a rolling sea.

When they had sailed some time, "Now,"” said the Mermaid to the king, "we draw near the palace where your prinecss is kept by the Yellow Dwarf. You will have many enemies to fight before you can come to her; take, therefore, this sword, with which you may overcome every thing, provided you never let it go out of your hand." The king returned her all the thanks that the most grateful heart could suggest; and the Mermaid landed and took leave of him, promising him farther assistanee when necessary.

The king boldly advanced, and meeting with two terrible sphinxes, laid them dead at his feet with his sword. Next he attacked six dragons that opposed him, and despatched them also. Then he met with four-and-twenty nymphs, with garlands of flowers, at sight of whom he stopped, being loath to destroy so much beauty; when he heard a voice say, "Strike! strike! or you will lose your princess for ever!" upon which he threw himself in the midst of them, and soon dispersed them. He now came in view of All-fair, and, hastening to her, exclaimed, "O my princess, behold your faithful lover!" But she, drawing back, replied, "Faithful lover! Did I not see you passing through the air with a beautiful nymph? Were you faithful then?" "Yes," replied the king, "I was. That was the detested Desert Fairy, who was carrying me to a place where I must have languished out all my days, had it not been for a kind Mermaid, by whose assistance it is that I am now come to release you." So saying, he cast himself at her feet; but, catching hold of her gown, unfortunately let go the magic sword; which the Yellow Dwarf no sooner discovered, than, leaping from behind a shrub where he had been concealed, he ran and seized it. By two cabalistical words, he then conjured up two giants, who laid the king in irons. "Now," said the dwarf, "my rival's fate is in my own hands; however, if he will consent to my marriage, he shall have his life and liberty." "No," said the king, "I scorn thy favour on such terms which so provoked the dwarf, that he instantly stabbed him to the heart. The disconsolate princess, aggravated to the last degree at such barbarity, thus vented her grief:—"Thou hideous creature, since entreaties could not avail thee, perhaps thou now reliest upon force; but thou shalt be disappointed, and thy brutal soul shall know perpetual mortification from the moment I tell thee I die for the love I have for the King of the Golden Mines!" And so saying, she sunk down upon his body, and expired without a sigh. Thus ended the fate of these two faithful lovers, which the Mermaid very much regretted; but, all her power lying in the sword, she could only change them into two palm-trees; which, preserving a constant mutual affection for each, other, caress and unite their branches together.