儿童童话故事英文版_童话故事

2024年3月25日发(作者：刁锐)

儿童童话故事英文版

童话担负着下一代,娱乐下一代并向他们解释世界的功能,下面这些是小编为大家推荐的几篇儿童童话故事英文版。

儿童童话故事英文版1：The Iron Stove

Once upon a time when wishes came true there was a king's

son who was enchanted by an old witch, so that he was obliged

to sit in a large iron stove in a wood. There he lived for many

years, and no one could free him. At last a king's daughter came

into the wood; she had lost her way, and could not find her

father's kingdom again. She had been wandering round and

round for nine days, and she came at last to the iron ca. A voice

came from within and asked her, 'Where do you come from, and

where do you want to go?' She answered, 'I have lost my way to

my father's kingdom, and I shall never get home again.' Then the

voice from the iron stove said, 'I will help you to find your home

again, and that in a very short time, if you will promi to do what

I ask you. I am a greater prince than you are a princess, and I will

marry you.' Then she grew frightened, and thought, 'What can a

young lassie do with an iron stove?' But as she wanted very much

to go home to her father, she promid to do what he wished.

He said, 'You must come again, and bring a knife with you to

scrape a hole in the iron.'

Then he gave her someone for a guide, who walked near her

and said nothing, but he brought her in two hours to her hou.

There was great joy in the castle when the Princess came back,

and the old King fell on her neck and kisd her. But she was very

much troubled, and said, 'Dear father, listen to what has befallen

me! I should never have come home again out of the great wild

wood if I had not come to an iron stove, to whom I have had to

promi that I will go back to free him and marry him!' The old

King was so frightened that he nearly fainted, for she was his only

daughter. So they consulted together, and determined that the

miller's daughter, who was very beautiful, should take her place.

They took her there, gave her a knife, and said she must scrape

at the iron stove. She scraped for twenty-four hours, but did not

make the least impression. When the day broke, a voice called

from the iron stove, 'It ems to me that it is day outside.' Then

she answered, 'It ems so to me; I think I hear my father's mill

rattling.'

'So you are a miller's daughter! Then go away at once, and

tell the King's daughter to come.'

Then she went away, and told the old King that the thing

inside the iron stove would not have her, but wanted the Princess.

The old King was frightened, and his daughter wept. But they had

a swineherd's daughter who was even more beautiful than the

miller's daughter, and they gave her a piece of gold to go to the

iron stove instead of the Princess. Then she was taken out, and

had to scrape for four-and-twenty hours, but she could make no

impression. As soon as the day broke the voice from the stove

called out, 'It ems to be daylight outside.' Then she answered,

' It ems so to me too; I think I hear my father blowing his horn.'

'So you are a swineherd'

s daughter! Go away at once, and let the King's daughter

come. And say to her that what I foretell shall come to pass, and

if she does not come everything in the kingdom shall fall into

ruin, and not one stone shall be left upon another.' When the

Princess heard this she began to cry, but it was no good; she had

to keep her word. She took leave of her father, put a knife in her

belt, and went to the iron stove in the wood. As soon as she

reached it she began to scrape, and the iron gave way and before

two hours had pasd she had made a little hole. Then she

peeped in and saw such a beautiful youth all shining with gold

and precious stones that she fell in love with him on the spot. So

she scraped away harder than ever, and made the hole so large

that he could get out. Then he said, 'You are mine, and I am thine;

you are my bride and have t me free!' He wanted to take her

with him to his kingdom, but she begged him just to let her go

once more to her father; and the Prince let her go, but told her

not to say more than three words to her father, then to come

back again. So she went home, but alas! she said MORE THAN

THREE WORDS; and immediately the iron stove vanished and

went away over a mountain of glass and sharp swords. But the

Prince was free, and was no longer shut up in it. Then she said

good-bye to her father, and took a little money with her, and

went again into the great wood to look for the iron stove; but she

could not find it. She sought it for nine days, and then her hunger

became so great that she did not know how she could live any

longer. And when it was evening she climbed a little tree and

wished that the night would not come, becau she was afraid of

the wild beasts. When midnight came she saw afar off a little light,

and thought, 'Ah! if only I could reach that!' Then she got down

from the tree and went towards the light. She came to a little old

hou with a great deal of grass growing round, and stood in

front of a little heap of wood. She thought, 'Alas! what am I

coming to?' and peeped through the window; but she saw

nothing inside except big and little toads, and a table beautifully

spread with roast meats and wine, and all the dishes and

drinking-cups were of silver. Then she took heart and knocked.

Then a fat toad called out:

'Little green toad with leg like crook, Open wide the door,

and look Who it was the latch that shook.'

And a little toad came forward and let her in. When she

entered they all bid her welcome, and made her sit down. They

asked her how she came there and what she wanted. Then she

told everything that had happened to her, and how, becau she

had exceeded her permission only to speak three words, the

stove had disappeared with the Prince; and how she had

arched a very long time, and must wander over mountain and

valley till she found him.

Then the old toad said:

'Little green toad who leg doth twist, Go to the corner of

which you wist, And bring to m

e the large old kist.'

And the little toad went and brought out a great chest. Then

they gave her food and drink, and led her to a beautifully made

bed of silk and samite, on which she lay down and slept soundly.

When the day dawned she aro, and the old toad gave her three

things out of the huge chest to take with her. She would have

need of them, for she had to cross a high glass mountain, three

cutting swords, and a great lake. When she had pasd the she

would find her lover again. So she was given three large needles,

a plough-wheel, and three nuts, which she was to take great care

of. She t out with the things, and when she came to the glass

mountain which was so slippery she stuck the three needles

behind her feet and then in front, and so got over it, and when

she was on the other side put them carefully away.

Then she reached the three cutting swords, and got on her

plough-wheel and rolled over them. At last she came to a great

lake, and, when she had crosd that, arrived at a beautiful castle.

She went in and gave herlf out as a rvant, a poor maid who

would gladly be engaged. But she knew that the Prince whom

she had freed from the iron stove in the great wood was in the

castle. So she was taken on as a kitchen-maid for very small

wages. Now the Prince was about to marry another princess, for

he thought she was dead long ago.

In the evening, when she had washed up and was ready, she

felt in her pocket and found the three nuts which the old toad

had given her. She cracked one and was going to eat the kernel,

when behold! there was a beautiful royal dress inside it! When

the bride heard of this, she came and begged for the dress, and

wanted to buy it, saying that it was not a dress for a rving-maid.

Then she said she would not ll it unless she was granted one

favour--namely, to sleep by the Prince's door. The bride granted

her this, becau the dress was so beautiful and she had so few

like it. When it was evening she said to her bridegroom, 'That

stupid maid wants to sleep by your door.'

'If you are contented, I am,' he said. But she gave him a glass

of wine in which she had poured a sleeping-draught. Then they

both went to his room, but he slept so soundly that she could not

wake him. The maid wept all night long, and said, 'I freed you in

the wild wood out of the iron stove; I have sought you, and have

crosd a glassy mountain, three sharp swords, and a great lake

before I found you, and will you not hear me now?' The rvants

outside heard how she cried the whole night, and they told their

master in the morning.

When she had washed up the next evening she bit the

cond nut, and there was a still more beautiful dress inside.

When the bride saw it she wanted to buy it also. But the maid did

not want money, and asked that she should sleep again by the

Prince's door. The bride, however, gave him a sleeping-draught,

and he slept so soundly that he heard nothing. But t

he kitchen-maid wept the whole night long, and said, 'I have

freed you in a wood and from an iron stove; I sought you and

have crosd a glassy mountain, three sharp swords, and a great

lake to find you, and now you will not hear me!' The rvants

outside heard how she cried the whole night, and in the morning

they told their master.

And when she had washed up on the third night she bit the

third nut, and there was a still more beautiful dress inside that

was made of pure gold. When the bride saw it she wanted to

have it, but the maid would only give it her on condition that she

should sleep for the third time by the Prince's door. But the Prince

took care not to drink the sleeping-draught. When she began to

weep and to say, 'Dearest sweetheart, I freed you in the horrible

wild wood, and from an iron stove,' he jumped up and said, 'You

are right. You are mine, and I am thine.' Though it was still night,

he got into a carriage with her, and they took the fal bride's

clothes away, so that she could not follow them. When they came

to the great lake they rowed across, and when they reached the

three sharp swords they sat on the plough-wheel, and on the

glassy mountain they stuck the three needles in. So they arrived

at last at the little old hou, but when they stepped inside it

turned into a large castle. The toads were all freed, and were

beautiful King's children, running about for joy. There they were

married, and they remained in the castle, which was much larger

than that of the Princess's father's. But becau the old man did

not like being left alone, they went and fetched him. So they had

two kingdoms and lived in great wealth.

A mou has run, My story's done.

儿童童话故事英文版2:The Invisible Prince

Once upon a time there lived a Fairy who had power over the

earth, the a, fire, and the air; and this Fairy had four sons. The

eldest, who was quick and lively, with a vivid imagination, she

made Lord of Fire, which was in her opinion the noblest of all the

elements. To the cond son, who wisdom and prudence made

amends for his being rather dull, she gave the government of the

earth. The third was wild and savage, and of monstrous stature;

and the Fairy, his mother, who was ashamed of his defects, hoped

to hide them by creating him King of the Seas. The youngest, who

was the slave of his passions and of a very uncertain temper,

became Prince of the Air.

Being the youngest, he was naturally his mother's favourite;

but this did not blind her to his weakness, and she foresaw that

some day he would suffer much pain through falling in love. So

she thought the best thing she could do was to bring him up with

a horror of women; and, to her great delight, she saw this dislike

only incread as he grew older. From his earliest childhood he

heard nothing but stories of princes who had fallen into all sorts

of troubles through love; and she drew such terrible pictures of

poor little Cupid that the young man had no difficulty in believing

that he was the root of all evil.

All the time that this wi mother could spare from filling her

son with hatred for all womenkind she pasd in giving him a

love of the pleasures of the cha, which henceforth became his

chief joy. For his amument she had made a new forest, planted

with the most splendid trees, and turned loo in it every animal

that could be found in any of the four quarters of the globe. In

the midst of this forest she built a palace which had not its equal

for beauty in the whole world, and then she considered that she

had done enough to make any prince happy.

Now it is all very well to abu the God of Love, but a man

cannot struggle against his fate. In his cret heart the Prince got

tired of his mother's constant talk on this subject; and when one

day she quitted the palace to attend to some business, begging

him never to go beyond the grounds, he at once jumped at the

chance of disobeying her.

Left to himlf the Prince soon forgot the wi counls of

his mother, and feeling very much bored with his own company,

he ordered some of the spirits of the air to carry him to the court

of a neighbouring sovereign. This kingdom was situated in the

Island of Ros, where the climate is so delicious that the grass is

always green and the flowers always sweet. The waves, instead of

beating on the rocks, emed to die gently on the shore; clusters

of golden bushes covered the land, and the vines were bent low

with grapes.

The King of this island had a daughter named Rosalie, who

was more lovely than any girl in the whole world. No sooner had

the eyes of the Prince of the Air rested on her than h

e forgot all the terrible woes which had been prophesied to

him ever since he was born, for in one single moment the plans

of years are often upt. He instantly began to think how best to

make himlf happy, and the shortest way that occurred to him

was to have Rosalie carried off by his attendant spirits.

It is easy to imagine the feelings of the King when he found

that his daughter had vanished. He wept her loss night and day,

and his only comfort was to talk over it with a young and

unknown prince, who had just arrived at the Court. Alas! he did

not know what a deep interest the stranger had in Rosalie, for he

too had en her, and had fallen a victim to her charms.

One day the King, more sorrowful than usual, was walking

sadly along the a-shore, when after a long silence the unknown

Prince, who was his only companion, suddenly spoke. 'There is

no evil without a remedy,' he said to the unhappy father; 'and if

you will promi me your daughter in marriage, I will undertake

to bring her back to you.'

'You are trying to soothe me by vain promis,' answered the

King. 'Did I not e her caught up into the air, in spite of cries

which would have softened the heart of any one but the

barbarian who has robbed me of her? The unfortunate girl is

pining away in some unknown land, where perhaps no foot of

man has ever trod, and I shall e her no more. But go, generous

stranger; bring back Rosalie if you can, and live happy with her

ever after in this country, of which I now declare you heir.'

Although the stranger's name and rank were unknown to

Rosalie's father, he was really the son of the King of the Golden

Isle, which had for capital a city that extended from one a to

another. The walls, washed by the quiet waters, were covered with

gold, which made one think of the yellow sands. Above them was

a rampart of orange and lemon trees, and all the streets were

paved with gold.

The King of this beautiful island had one son, for whom a life

of adventure had been foretold at his birth. This so frightened his

father and mother that in order to comfort them a Fairy, who

happened to be prent at the time, produced a little pebble

which she told them to keep for the Prince till he grew up, as by

putting it in his mouth he would become invisible, as long as he

did not try to speak, for if he did the stone would lo all its virtue.

In this way the good fairy hoped that the Prince would be

protected against all dangers.

No sooner did the Prince begin to grow out of boyhood than

he longed to e if the other countries of the world were as

splendid as the one in which he lived. So, under pretence of

visiting some small islands that belonged to his father, he t out.

But a frightful storm drove his ship on to unknown shores, where

most of his followers were put to death by the savages, and the

Prince himlf only managed to escape by making u of his

magic pebble. By this means he pasd thro

ugh the midst of them unen, and wandered on till he

reached the coast, where he re-embarked on board his ship.

The first land he sighted was the Island of Ros, and he went

at once to the court of the King, Rosalie's father. The moment his

eyes beheld the Princess, he fell in love with her like everyone

el.

He had already spent veral months in this condition when

the Prince of the Air whirled her away, to the grief and despair of

every man on the island. But sad though everybody was, the

Prince of the Golden Isle was perfectly inconsolable, and he

pasd both days and nights in bemoaning his loss.

'Alas!' he cried; 'shall I never e my lovely Princess again?'

Who knows where she may be, and what fairy may have her in

his keeping? I am only a man, but I am strong in my love, and I

will ek the whole world through till I find her.'

So saying, he left the court, and made ready for his journey.

He travelled many weary days without hearing a single word

of the lost Princess, till one morning, as he was walking through

a thick forest, he suddenly perceived a magnificent palace

standing at the end of a pine avenue, and his heart bounded to

think that he might be gazing on Rosalie's prison. He hastened

his steps, and quickly arrived at the gate of the palace, which was

formed of a single agate. The gate swung open to let him

through, and he next pasd successively three courts,

surrounded by deep ditches filled with running water, with birds

of brilliant plumage flying about the banks. Everything around

was rare and beautiful, but the Prince scarcely raid his eyes to

all the wonders. He thought only of the Princess and where he

should find her, but in vain he opened every door and arched

in every corner; he neither saw Rosalie nor anyone el. At last

there was no place left for him to arch but a little wood, which

contained in the centre a sort of hall built entirely of orange-trees,

with four small rooms opening out of the corners. Three of the

were empty except for statues and wonderful things, but in the

fourth the Invisible Prince caught sight of Rosalie. His joy at

beholding her again was, however, somewhat lesned by eing

that the Prince of the Air was kneeling at her feet, and pleading

his own cau. But it was in vain that he implored her to listen;

she only shook her head. 'No,' was all she would say; 'you

snatched me from my father whom I loved, and all the splendour

in the world can never console me. Go! I can never feel anything

towards you but hate and contempt.' With the words she

turned away and entered her own apartments.

Unknown to herlf the Invisible Prince had followed her, but

fearing to be discovered by the Princess in the prence of others,

he made up his mind to wait quietly till dark; and employed the

long hours in writing a poem to the Princess, which he laid on

the bed beside her. This done, he thought of nothing but how

best to delive

r Rosalie, and he resolved to take advantage of a visit which

the Prince of the Air paid every year to his mother and brothers

in order to strike the blow.

One day Rosalie was sitting alone in her room thinking of her

troubles when she suddenly saw a pen get up from off the desk

and begin to write all by itlf on a sheet of white paper. As she

did not know that it was guided by an invisible hand she was very

much astonished, and the moment that the pen had cead to

move she instantly went over to the table, where she found some

lovely vers, telling her that another shared her distress,

whatever they might be, and loved her with all his heart; and that

he would never rest until he had delivered her from the hands of

the man she hated. Thus encouraged, she told him all her story,

and of the arrival of a young stranger in her father's palace,

who looks had so charmed her that since that day she had

thought of no one el. At the words the Prince could contain

himlf no longer. He took thepebble from his mouth, and flung

himlf at Rosalie's feet.

When they had got over the first rapture of meeting they

began to make plans to escape from the power of the Prince of

the Air. But this did not prove easy, for the magic stone would

only rve for one person at a time, and in order to save Rosalie

the Prince of the Golden Isle would have to expo himlf to the

fury of his enemy. But Rosalie would not hear of this.

'No, Prince,' she said; 'since you are here this island no longer

feels a prison. Besides, you are under the protection of a Fairy,

who always visits your father's court at this ason. Go instantly

and ek her, and when she is found implore the gift of another

stone with similar powers. Once you have that, there will be no

further difficulty in the way of escape.'

The Prince of the Air returned a few days later from his

mother's palace, but the Invisible Prince had already t out. He

had, however, entirely forgotten the road by which he had come,

and lost himlf for so long in the forest, that when at last he

reached home the Fairy had already left, and, in spite of all his

grief, there was nothing for it but to wait till the Fairy's next visit,

and allow Rosalie to suffer three months longer. This thought

drove him to despair, and he had almost made up his mind to

return to the place of her captivity, when one day, as he was

strolling along an alley in the woods, he saw a huge oak open its

trunk, and out of it step two Princes in earnest conversation. As

our hero had the magic stone in his mouth they imagined

themlves alone, and did not lower their voices.

'What!' said one, 'are you always going to allow yourlf to

be tormented by a passion which can never end happily, and in

your whole kingdom can you find nothing el to satisfy you?'

'What is the u,' replied the other, 'of being Prince of the

Gnomes, and having a mother who is queen over all the four

elem

ents, if I cannot win the love of the Princess Argentine? From

the moment that I first saw her, sitting in the forest surrounded

by flowers, I have never cead to think of her night and day, and,

although I love her, I am quite convinced that she will never care

for me. You know that I have in my palace the cabinets of the

years. In the first, great mirrors reflect the past; in the cond, we

contemplate the prent; in the third, the future can be read. It

was here that I fled after I had gazed on the Princess Argentine,

but instead of love I only saw scorn and contempt. Think how

great must be my devotion, when, in spite of my fate, I still love

on!'

Now the Prince of the Golden Isle was enchanted with this

conversation, for the Princess Argentine was his sister, and he

hoped, by means of her influence over the Prince of the Gnomes,

to obtain from his brother the relea of Rosalie. So he joyfully

returned to his father's palace, where he found his friend the Fairy,

who at once prented him with a magic pebble like his own. As

may be imagined, he lost no time in tting out to deliver Rosalie,

and travelled so fast that he soon arrived at the forest, in the

midst of which she lay a captive. But though he found the palace

he did not find Rosalie. He hunted high and low, but there was

no sign of her, and his despair was so great that he was ready, a

thousand times over, to take his own life. At last he remembered

the conversation of the two Princes about the cabinets of the

years, and that if he could manage to reach the oak tree, he

would be certain to discover what had become of Rosalie.

Happily, he soon found out the cret of the passage and entered

the cabinet of the prent, where he saw reflected in the mirrors

the unfortunate Rosalie sitting on the floor weeping bitterly, and

surrounded with genii, who never left her night or day.

This sight only incread the miry of the Prince, for he did

not know where the castle was, nor how to t about finding it.

However, he resolved to ek the whole world through till he

came to the right place. He began by tting sail in a favourable

wind, but his bad luck followed him even on the a. He had

scarcely lost sight of the land when a violent storm aro, and

after veral hours of beating about, the vesl was driven on to

some rocks, on which it dashed itlf to bits. The Prince was

fortunate enough to be able to lay hold of a floating spar, and

contrived to keep himlf afloat; and, after a long struggle with

the winds and waves, he was cast upon a strange island. But what

was his surpri, on reaching the shore, to hear sounds of the

most heartrending distress, mingled with the sweetest songs

which had ever charmed him! His curiosity was instantly roud,

and he advanced cautiously till he saw two huge dragons

guarding the gate of a wood. They were terrible indeed to look

upon. Their bodies were covered with glittering scales; their curly

tails extended far over the la

nd; flames darted from their mouths and nos, and their

eyes would have made the bravest shudder; but as the Prince was

invisible and they did not e him, he slipped past them into the

wood. He found himlf at once in a labyrinth, and wandered

about for a long time without meeting anyone; in fact, the only

sight he saw was a circle of human hands, sticking out of the

ground above the wrist, each with a bracelet of gold, on which a

name was written. The farther he advanced in the labyrinth the

more curious he became, till he was stopped by two corps lying

in the midst of a cypress alley, each with a scarlet cord round his

neck and a bracelet on his arm on which were engraved their own

names, and tho of two Princess.

The invisible Prince recognid the dead men as Kings of

two large islands near his own home, but the names of the

Princess were unknown to him. He grieved for their unhappy

fate, and at once proceeded to bury them; but no sooner had he

laid them in their graves, than their hands started up through the

earth and remained sticking up like tho of their fellows.

The Prince went on his way, thinking about this strange

adventure, when suddenly at the turn of the walk he perceived a

tall man who face was the picture of miry, holding in his

hands a silken cord of the exact colour of tho round the necks

of the dead men. A few steps further this man came up with

another as mirable to the full as he himlf; they silently

embraced, and then without a word pasd the cords round their

throats, and fell dead side by side. In vain the Prince rushed to

their assistance and strove to undo the cord. He could not loon

it; so he buried them like the others and continued his path.

He felt, however, that great prudence was necessary, or he

himlf might become the victim of some enchantment; and he

was thankful to slip past the dragons, and enter a beautiful park,

with clear streams and sweet flowers, and a crowd of men and

maidens. But he could not forget the terrible things he had en,

and hoped eagerly for a clue to the mystery. Noticing two young

people talking together, he drew near thinking that he might get

some explanation of what puzzled him. And so he did.

'You swear,' said the Prince, 'that you will love me till you die,

but I fear your faithless heart, and I feel that I shall soon have to

ek the Fairy Despair, ruler of half this island. She carries off the

lovers who have been cast away by their mistress, and wish to

have done with life. She places them in a labyrinth where they are

condemned to walk for ever, with a bracelet on their arms and a

cord round their necks, unless they meet another as mirable as

themlves. Then the cord is pulled and they lie where they fall,

till they are buried by the first pasr by. Terrible as this death

would be,' added the Prince, 'it would be sweeter than life if I had

lost your love.'

The sight of all the happy lovers

only made the Prince grieve the more, and he wandered

along the ashore spending his days; but one day he was sitting

on a rock bewailing his fate, and the impossibility of leaving the

island, when all in a moment the a appeared to rai itlf

nearly to the skies, and the caves echoed with hideous screams.

As he looked a woman ro from the depths of the a, flying

madly before a furious giant. The cries she uttered softened the

heart of the Prince; he took the stone from his mouth, and

drawing his sword he rushed after the giant, so as to give the lady

time to escape. But hardly had he come within reach of the

enemy, than the giant touched him with a ring that he held in his

hand, and the Prince remained immovable where he stood. The

giant then hastily rejoined his prey, and, izing her in his arms,

he plunged her into the a. Then he nt some tritons to bind

chains about the Prince of the Golden Isle, and he too felt himlf

borne to the depths of the ocean, and without the hope of ever

again eing the Princess.

Now the giant whom the invisible had so rashly attacked was

the Lord of the Sea, and the third son of the Queen of the

Elements, and he had touched the youth with a magic ring which

enabled a mortal to live under water. So the Prince of the Golden

Isle found, when bound in chains by the tritons, he was carried

through the homes of strange monsters and past immen

aweed forests, till he reached a vast sandy space, surrounded

by huge rocks. On the tallest of the rocks sat the giant as on a

throne.

'Rash mortal,' said he, when the Prince was dragged before

him, 'you have derved death, but you shall live only to suffer

more cruelly. Go, and add to the number of tho whom it is my

pleasure to torture.'

At the words the unhappy Prince found himlf tied to a

rock; but he was not alone in his misfortunes, for all round him

were chained Princes and Princess, whom the giant had led

captive. Indeed, it was his chief delight to create a storm, in order

to add to thelist of his prisoners.

As his hands were fastened, it was impossible for the Prince

of the Golden Isle to make u of his magic stone, and he pasd

his nights and days dreaming of Rosalie. But at last the time came

when the giant took it into his head to amu himlf by

arranging fights between some of his captives. Lots were drawn,

and one fell upon our Prince, who chains were immediately

looned. The moment he was t free, he snatched up his stone,

and became invisible.

The astonishment of the giant at the sudden disappearance

of the Prince may well be imagined. He ordered all the passages

to be watched, but it was too late, for the Prince had already

glided between two rocks. He wandered for a long while through

the forests, where he met nothing but fearful monsters; he

climbed rock after rock, steered his way from tree to tree, till at

length he arrived at the edge of the a, at the foot of a mountain

that he remembered to have en in the cabinet of the

prent, where Rosalie was held captive.

Filled with joy, he made his way to the top of the mountain

which pierced the clouds, and there he found a palace. He

entered, and in the middle of a long gallery he discovered a

crystal room, in the midst of which sat Rosalie, guarded night and

day by genii. There was no door anywhere, nor any window. At

this sight the Prince became more puzzled than ever, for he did

not know how he was to warn Rosalie of his return. Yet it broke

his heart to e her weeping from dawn till dark.

One day, as Rosalie was walking up and down her room, she

was surprid to e that the crystal which rved for a wall had

grown cloudy, as if some one had breathed on it, and, what was

more, wherever she moved the brightness of the crystal always

became clouded. This was enough to cau the Princess to

suspect that her lover had returned. In order to t the Prince of

the Air's mind at rest she began by being very gracious to him,

so that when she begged that her captivity might be a little

lightened she should not be refud. At first the only favour she

asked was to be allowed to walk for one hour every day up and

down the long gallery. This was granted, and the Invisible Prince

speedily took the opportunity of handing her the stone, which

she at once slipped into her mouth. No words can paint the fury

of her captor at her disappearance. He ordered the spirits of the

air to fly through all space, and to bring back Rosalie wherever

she might be. They instantly flew off to obey his commands, and

spread themlves over the whole earth.

Meantime Rosalie and the Invisible Prince had reached, hand

in hand, a door of the gallery which led through a terrace into

the gardens. In silence they glided along, and thought

themlves already safe, when a furious monster dashed itlf by

accident against Rosalie and the Invisible Prince, and in her fright

she let go his hand. No one can speak as long as he is invisible,

and besides, they knew that the spirits were all around them, and

at the slightest sound they would be recognid; so all they could

do was to feel about in the hope that their hands might once

more meet.

But, alas! the joy of liberty lasted but a short time. The

Princess, having wandered in vain up and down the forest,

stopped at last on the edge of a fountain. As she walked she

wrote on the trees: 'If ever the Prince, my lover, comes this way,

let him know that it is here I dwell, and that I sit daily on the edge

of this fountain, mingling my tears with its waters.'

The words were read by one of the genii, who repeated

them to his master. The Prince of the Air, in his turn making

himlf invisible, was led to the fountain, and waited for Rosalie.

When she drew near he held out his hand, which she grasped

eagerly, taking it for that of her lover; and, izing his opportunity,

the Prince pasd a cord round her arms,

and throwing off his invisibility cried to his spirits to drag her

into the lowest pit.

It was at this moment that the Invisible Prince appeared, and

at the sight of the Prince of the Genii mounting into the air,

holding a silken cord, he guesd instantly that he was carrying

off Rosalie.

He felt so overwhelmed by despair that he thought for an

instant of putting an end to his life. 'Can I survive my

misfortunes?' he cried. 'I fancied I had come to an end of my

troubles, and now they are wor than ever. What will become of

me? Never can I discover the place where this monster will hide

Rosalie.'

The unhappy youth had determined to let himlf die, and

indeed his sorrow alone was enough to kill him, when the

thought that by means of the cabinets of the years he might find

out where the Princess was imprisoned, gave him a little ray of

comfort. So he continued to walk on through the forest, and after

some hours he arrived at the gate of a temple, guarded by two

huge lions. Being invisible, he was able to enter unharmed. In the

middle of the temple was an altar, on which lay a book, and

behind the altar hung a great curtain. The Prince approached the

altar and opened the book, which contained the names of all the

lovers in the world: and in it he read that Rosalie had been carried

off by the Prince of the Air to an abyss which had no entrance

except the one that lay by way of the Fountain of Gold.

Now, as the Prince had not the smallest idea where this

fountain was to be found, it might be thought that he was not

much nearer Rosalie than before. This was not, however, the view

taken by the Prince.

'Though every step that I take may perhaps lead me further

from her,' he said to himlf, 'I am still thankful to know that she

is alive somewhere.'

On leaving the temple the Invisible Prince saw six paths lying

before him, each of which led through the wood. He was

hesitating which to choo, when he suddenly beheld two people

coming towards him, down the track which lay most to his right.

They turned out to be the Prince Gnome and his friend, and the

sudden desire to get some news of his sister, Princess Argentine,

caud the Invisible Prince to follow them and to listen to their

conversation.

'Do you think,' the Prince Gnome was saying, 'do you think

that I would not break my chains if I could? I know that the

Princess Argentine will never love me, yet each day I feel her

dearer still. And as if this were not enough, I have the horror of

feeling that she probably loves another. So I have resolved to put

mylf out of my pain by means of the Golden Fountain. A single

drop of its water falling on the sand around will trace the name

of my rival in her heart. I dread the test, and yet this very dread

convinces me of my misfortune.'

It may be imagined that after listening to the words the

Invisible Prince followed Prince Gnome like his shadow, and after

walking some

time they arrived at the Golden Fountain. The unhappy lover

stooped down with a sigh, and dipping his finger in the water let

fall a drop on the sand. It instantly wrote the name of Prince

Flame, his brother. The shock of this discovery was so real, that

Prince Gnome sank fainting into the arms of his friend.

Meanwhile the Invisible Prince was turning over in his mind

how he could best deliver Rosalie. As, since he had been touched

by the Giant's ring, he had the power to live in the water as well

as on land, he at once dived into the fountain. He perceived in

one corner a door leading into the mountain, and at the foot of

the mountain was a high rock on which was fixed an iron ring

with a cord attached. The Prince promptly guesd that the cord

was ud to chain the Princess, and drew his sword and cut it. In

a moment he felt the Princess's hand in his, for she had always

kept her magic pebble in her mouth, in spite of the prayers and

entreaties of the Prince of the Air to make herlf visible.

So hand in hand the invisible Prince and Rosalie crosd the

mountain; but as the Princess had no power of living under water,

she could not pass the Golden Fountain. Speechless and invisible

they clung together on the brink, trembling at the frightful

tempest the Prince of the Air had raid in his fury. The storm had

already lasted many days when tremendous heat began to make

itlf felt. The lightning flashed, the thunder rattled, fire bolts fell

from heaven, burning up the forests and even the fields of corn.

In one instant the very streams were dried up, and the Prince,

izing his opportunity, carried the Princess over the Golden

Fountain.

It took them a long time still to reach the Golden Isle, but at

last they got there, and we may be quite sure they never wanted

to leave it any more.

儿童童话故事英文版3:The Little Green Frog

In a part of the world who name I forget lived once upon

a time two kings, called Peridor and Diamantino. They were

cousins as well as neighbours, and both were under the

protection of the fairies; though it is only fair to say that the

fairies did not love them half so well as their wives did.

Now it often happens that as princes can generally manage

to get their own way it is harder for them to be good than it is

for common people. So it was with Peridor and Diamantino; but

of the two, the fairies declared that Diamantino was much the

worst; indeed, he behaved so badly to his wife Aglantino, that the

fairies would not allow him to live any longer; and he died,

leaving behind him a little daughter. As she was an only child, of

cour this little girl was the heiress of the kingdom, but, being

still only a baby, her mother, the widow of Diamantino, was

proclaimed regent. The Queen-dowager was wi and good, and

tried her best to make her people happy. The only thing she had

to vex her was the abnce of her daughter; for the fairies, for

reasons of their own, determined to bring up the little Princess

Serpentine among themlves.

As to the other King, he was really fond of his wife, Queen

Constance, but he often grieved her by his thoughtless ways, and

in order to punish him for his carelessness, the fairies caud her

to die quite suddenly. When she was gone the King felt how

much he had loved her, and his grief was so great (though he

never neglected his duties) that his subjects called him Peridor

the Sorrowful. It ems hardly possible that any man should live

like Peridor for fifteen years plunged in such depth of grief, and

most likely he would have died too if it had not been for the

fairies.

The one comfort the poor King had was his son, Prince Saphir,

who was only three years old at the time of his mother's death,

and great care was given to his education. By the time he was

fifteen Saphir had learnt everything that a prince should know,

and he was, besides, charming and agreeable.

It was about this time that the fairies suddenly took fright

lest his love for his father should interfere with the plans they had

made for the young prince. So, to prevent this, they placed in a

pretty little room of which Saphir was very fond a little mirror in

a black frame, such as were often brought from Venice. The

Prince did not notice for some days that there was anything new

in the room, but at last he perceived it, and went up to look at it

more cloly. What was his surpri to e reflected in the mirror,

not his own face, but that of a young girl as lovely as the morning!

And, better still, every movement of the girl, just growing out of

childhood, was also reflected in the wonderful glass.

As might have been expected, the young Prince lost his heart

completely to the beautiful image, and it was impossible to get

him out of the room, so busy

was he in watching the lovely unknown. Certainly it was very

delightful to be able to e her whom he loved at any moment

he cho, but his spirits sometimes sank when he wondered what

was to be the end of this adventure.

The magic mirror had been for about a year in the Prince's

posssion, when one day a new subject of disquiet ized upon

him. As usual, he was engaged in looking at the girl, when

suddenly he thought he saw a cond mirror reflected in the first,

exactly like his own, and with the same power. And in this he was

perfectly right. The young girl had only possd it for a short

time, and neglected all her duties for the sake of the mirror. Now

it was not difficult for Saphir to guess the reason of the change

in her, nor why the new mirror was consulted so often; but try as

he would he could never e the face of the person who was

reflected in it, for the young girl's figure always came between.

All he knew was that the face was that of a man, and this was

quite enough to make him madly jealous. This was the doing of

the fairies, and we must suppo that they had their reasons for

acting as they did.

When the things happened Saphir was about eighteen

years old, and fifteen years had pasd away since the death of

his mother. King Peridor had grown more and more unhappy as

time went on, and at last he fell so ill that it emed as if his days

were numbered. He was so much beloved by his subjects that

this sad news was heard with despair by the nation, and more

than all by the Prince.

During his whole illness the King never spoke of anything but

the Queen, his sorrow at having grieved her, and his hope of one

day eing her again. All the doctors and all the water-cures in

the kingdom had been tried, and nothing would do him any

good. At last he persuaded them to let him lie quietly in his room,

where no one came to trouble him.

Perhaps the worst pain he had to bear was a sort of weight

on his chest, which made it very hard for him to breathe. So he

commanded his rvants to leave the windows open in order that

he might get more air. One day, when he had been left alone for

a few minutes, a bird with brilliant plumage came and fluttered

round the window, and finally rested on the sill. His feathers were

sky-blue and gold, his feet and his beak of such glittering rubies

that no one could bear to look at them, his eyes made the

brightest diamonds look dull, and on his head he wore a crown.

I cannot tell you what the crown was made of, but I am quite

certain that it was still more splendid than all the rest. As to his

voice I can say nothing about that, for the bird never sang at all.

In fact, he did nothing but gaze steadily at the King, and as he

gazed, the King felt his strength come back to him. In a little while

the bird flew into the room, still with his eyes fixed on the King,

and at every glance the strength of the sick man became greater,

till he was once more as well as he ud t

o be before the Queen died. Filled with joy at his cure, he

tried to ize the bird to whom he owed it all, but, swifter than a

swallow, it managed to avoid him. In vain he described the bird

to his attendants, who rushed at his first call; in vain they sought

the wonderful creature both on hor and foot, and summoned

the fowlers to their aid: the bird could nowhere be found. The

love the people bore King Peridor was so strong, and the reward

he promid was so large, that in the twinkling of an eye every

man, woman, and child had fled into the fields, and the towns

were quite empty.

All this bustle, however, ended in nothing but confusion, and,

what was wor, the King soon fell back into the same condition

as he was in before. Prince Saphir, who loved his father very

dearly, was so unhappy at this that he persuaded himlf that he

might succeed where the others had failed, and at once prepared

himlf for a more distant arch. In spite of the opposition he

met with, he rode away, followed by his houhold, trusting to

chance to help him. He had formed no plan, and there was no

reason that he should choo one path more than another. His

only idea was to make straight for tho spots which were the

favourite haunts of birds. But in vain he examined all the hedges

and all the thickets; in vain he questioned everyone he met along

the road. The more he sought the less he found.

At last he came to one of the largest forests in all the world,

compod entirely of cedars. But in spite of the deep shadows

cast by the wide-spreading branches of the trees, the grass

underneath was soft and green, and covered with the rarest

flowers. It emed to Saphir that this was exactly the place where

the birds would choo to live, and he determined not to quit the

wood until he had examined it from end to end. And he did more.

He ordered some nets to be prepared and painted of the same

colours as the bird's plumage, thinking that we are all easily

caught by what is like ourlves. In this he had to help him not

only the fowlers by profession, but also his attendants, who

excelled in this art. For a man is not a courtier unless he can do

everything.

After arching as usual for nearly a whole day Prince Saphir

began to feel overcome with thirst. He was too tired to go any

farther, when happily he discovered a little way off a bubbling

fountain of the clearest water. Being an experienced traveller, he

drew from his pocket a little cup (without which no one should

ever take a journey), and was just about to dip it in the water,

when a lovely little green frog, much prettier than frogs generally

are, jumped into the cup. Far from admiring its beauty, Saphir

shook it impatiently off; but it was no good, for quick as lightning

the frog jumped back again. Saphir, who was raging with thirst,

was just about to shake it off anew, when the little creature fixed

upon him the most beautiful eyes in the world, and said, 'I am a

friend of the b

ird you are eking, and when you have quenched your thirst

listen to me.'

So the Prince drank his fill, and then, by the command of the

Little Green Frog, he lay down on the grass to rest himlf.

'Now,' she began, 'be sure you do exactly in every respect

what I tell you. First you must call together your attendants, and

order them to remain in a little hamlet clo by until you want

them. Then go, quite alone, down a road that you will find on

your right hand, looking southwards. This road is planted all the

way with cedars of Lebanon; and after going down it a long way

you will come at last to a magnificent castle. And now,' she went

on, 'attend carefully to what I am going to say. Take this tiny grain

of sand, and put it into the ground as clo as you can to the gate

of the castle. It has the virtue both of opening the gate and also

of nding to sleep all the inhabitants. Then go at once to the

stable, and pay no heed to anything except what I tellyou. Choo

the handsomest of all the hors, leap quickly on its back, and

come to me as fast as you can. Farewell, Prince; I wish you good

luck,' and with the words the Little Frog plunged into the water

and disappeared.

The Prince, who felt more hopeful than he had done since he

left home, did precily as he had been ordered. He left his

attendants in the hamlet, found the road the frog had described

to him, and followed it all alone, and at last he arrived at the gate

of the castle, which was even more splendid than he had

expected, for it was built of crystal, and all its ornaments were of

massive gold. However, he had no thoughts to spare for its

beauty, and quickly buried his grain of sand in the earth. In one

instant the gates flew open, and all the dwellers inside fell sound

asleep. Saphir flew straight to the stable, and already had his

hand on the finest hor it contained, when his eye was caught

by a suit of magnificent harness hanging up clo by. It occurred

to him directly that the harness belonged to the hor, and

without ever thinking of harm (for indeed he who steals a hor

can hardly be blamed for taking his saddle), he hastily placed it

on the animal's back. Suddenly the people in the castle became

broad awake, and rushed to the stable. They flung themlves on

the Prince, ized him, and dragged him before their lord; but,

luckily for the Prince, who could only find very lame excus for

his conduct, the lord of the castle took a fancy to his face, and let

him depart without further questions.

Very sad, and very much ashamed of himlf poor Saphir

crept back to the fountain, where the Frog was awaiting him with

a good scolding.

'Whom do you take me for?' she exclaimed angrily. 'Do you

really believe that it was just for the pleasure of talking that I gave

you the advice you have neglected so abominably?'

But the Prince was so deeply grieved, and apologid so very

humbly, that after some time the heart of

the good little Frog was softened, and she gave him another

tiny little grain, but instead of being sand it was now a grain of

gold. She directed him to do just as he had done before, with

only this difference, that instead of going to the stable which had

been the ruin of his hopes, he was to enter right into the castle

itlf, and to glide as fast as he could down the passages till he

came to a room filled with perfume, where he would find a

beautiful maiden asleep on a bed. He was to wake the maiden

instantly and carry her off, and to be sure not to pay any heed to

whatever resistance she might make.

The Prince obeyed the Frog's orders one by one, and all went

well for this cond time also. The gate opened, the inhabitants

fell sound asleep, and he walked down the passage till he found

the girl on her bed, exactly as he had been told he would. He

woke her, and begged her firmly, but politely, to follow him

quickly. After a little persuasion the maiden connted, but only

on condition that she was allowed first to put on her dress. This

sounded so reasonable and natural that it did not enter the

Prince's head to refu her request.

But the maiden's hand had hardly touched the dress when

the palace suddenly awoke from its sleep, and the Prince was

ized and bound. He was so vexed with his own folly, and so

taken aback at the disaster, that he did not attempt to explain his

conduct, and things would have gone badly with him if his friends

the fairies had not softened the hearts of his captors, so that they

once more allowed him to leave quietly. However, what troubled

him most was the idea of having to meet the Frog who had been

his benefactress. How was he ever to appear before her with this

tale? Still, after a long struggle with himlf, he made up his mind

that there was nothing el to be done, and that he derved

whatever she might say to him. And she said a great deal, for she

had worked herlf into a terrible passion; but the Prince humbly

implored her pardon, and ventured to point out that it would

have been very hard to refu the young lady's reasonable

request. 'You must learn to do as you are told,' was all the Frog

would reply.

But poor Saphir was so unhappy, and begged so hard for

forgiveness, that at last the Frog's anger gave way, and she held

up to him a tiny diamond stone. 'Go back,' she said, 'to the castle,

and bury this little diamond clo to the door. But be careful not

to return to the stable or to the bedroom; they have proved too

fatal to you. Walk straight to the garden and enter through a

portico, into a small green wood, in the midst of which is a tree

with a trunk of gold and leaves of emeralds. Perched on this tree

you will e the beautiful bird you have been eking so long.

You must cut the branch on which it is sitting, and bring it back

to me without delay. But I warn you solemnly that if you disobey

my directions, as you have done twice before, you have nothing

more to ex

pect either of me or anyone el.'

With the words she jumped into the water, and the Prince,

who had taken her threats much to heart, took his departure,

firmly resolved not to derve them. He found it all just as he had

been told: the portico, the wood, the magnificent tree, and the

beautiful bird, which was sleeping soundly on one of the

branches. He speedily lopped off the branch, and though he

noticed a splendid golden cage hanging clo by, which would

have been very uful for the bird to travel in, he left it alone, and

came back to the fountain, holding his breath and walking on tip-toe all the way, for fear lest he should awake his prize. But what

was his surpri, when instead of finding the fountain in the spot

where he had left it, he saw in its place a little rustic palace built

in the best taste, and standing in the doorway a charming maiden,

at who sight his mind emed to give way.

'What! Madam!' he cried, hardly knowing what he said. 'What!

Is it you?'

The maiden blushed and answered: 'Ah, my lord, it is long

since I first beheld your face, but I did not think you had ever

en mine.'

'Oh, madam,' replied he, 'you can never guess the days and

the hours I have pasd lost in admiration of you.' And after the

words they each related all the strange things that had happened,

and the more they talked the more they felt convinced of the

truth of the images they had en in their mirrors. After some

time spent in the most tender conversation, the Prince could not

restrain himlf from asking the lovely unknown by what lucky

chance she was wandering in the forest; where the fountain had

gone; and if she knew anything of the Frog to whom he owed all

his happiness, and to whom he must give up the bird, which,

somehow or other, was still sound asleep.

'Ah, my lord,' she replied, with rather an awkward air, 'as to

the Frog, she stands before you. Let me tell you my story; it is not

a long one. I know neither my country nor my parents, and the

only thing I can say for certain is that I am called Serpentine. The

fairies, who have taken care of me ever since I was born, wished

me to be in ignorance as to my family, but they have looked after

my education, and have bestowed on me endless kindness. I have

always lived in clusion, and for the last two years I have wished

for nothing better. I had a mirror'--here shyness and

embarrassment choked her words--but regaining her lf-control,

she added, 'You know that fairies insist on being obeyed without

questioning. It was they who changed the little hou you saw

before you into the fountain for which you are now asking, and,

having turned me into a frog, they ordered me to say to the first

person who came to the fountain exactly what I repeated to you.

But, my lord, when you stood before me, it was agony to my heart,

filled as it was with thoughts of you, to appear to your eyes under

so monstrous a form. However, there was no help for

it, and, painful as it was, I had to submit. I desired your

success with all my soul, not only for your own sake, but also for

my own, becau I could not get back my proper shape till you

had become master of the beautiful bird, though I am quite

ignorant as to your reason for eking it.'

On this Saphir explained about the state of his father's health,

and all that has been told before.

On hearing this story Serpentine grew very sad, and her

lovely eyes filled with tears.

'Ah, my lord,' she said, 'you know nothing of me but what

you have en in the mirror; and I, who cannot even name my

parents, learn that you are a king's son.'

In vain Saphir declared that love made them equal;

Serpentine would only reply: 'I love you too much to allow you

to marry beneath your rank. I shall be very unhappy, of cour,

but I shall never alter my mind. If I do not find from the fairies

that my birth is worthy of you, then, whatever be my feelings, I

will never accept your hand.'

The conversation was at this point, and bid fair to last some

time longer, when one of the fairies appeared in her ivory car,

accompanied by a beautiful woman past her early youth. At this

moment the bird suddenly awakened, and, flying on to Saphir's

shoulder (which it never afterwards left), began fondling him as

well as a bird can do. The fairy told Serpentine that she was quite

satisfied with her conduct, and made herlf very agreeable to

Saphir, whom she prented to the lady she had brought with her,

explaining that the lady was no other than his Aunt Aglantine,

widow of Diamantino.

Then they all fell into each other's arms, till the fairy mounted

her chariot, placed Aglantine by her side, and Saphir and

Serpentine on the front at. She also nt a message to the

Prince's attendants that they might travel slowly back to the

Court of King Peridor, and that the beautiful bird had really been

found. This matter being comfortably arranged, she started off

her chariot. But in spite of the swiftness with which they flew

through the air, the time pasd even quicker for Saphir and

Serpentine, who had so much to think about.

They were still quite confud with the pleasure of eing

each other, when the chariot arrived at King Peridor's palace. He

had had himlf carried to a room on the roof, where his nurs

thought that he would die at any moment. Directly the chariot

drew within sight of the castle the beautiful bird took flight, and,

making straight for the dying King, at once cured him of his

sickness. Then she resumed her natural shape, and he found that

the bird was no other than the Queen Constance, whom he had

long believed to be dead. Peridor was rejoiced to embrace his

wife and his son once more, and with the help of the fairies began

to make preparations for the marriage of Saphir and Serpentine,

who turned out to be the daughter of Aglantine and Diamantino,

and as much a princess as he was a prin

ce. The people of the kingdom were delighted, and

everybody lived happy and contented to the end of their lives.