Oldal 65 [65]
Zhe Hand in the Wood. 6
hid herself far away in the forest. She was just fancying herself quite safe,
when she caught sight of the Prince. She instantly fled, but as she was crossing
a path, he lodged an arrow in her leg, when her strength failed her, and she
fell. The Prince came up and was greatly grieved to see the hind bleeding.
He gathered some herbs, bound them round her leg, and made her a new bed
of branches. He placed the hind’s head upon his knees, and lavished caresses
upon her. At last the time arrived for returning to the old woman’s; he lifted
up his game, but he felt that without assistance he could not get his captive
home, so he bound her with ribands to the foot of a tree, and went to look for
Becafigue. The hind tried in vain to escape, when Giroflée passed by the spot
where she was struggling, and set her free just as the Prince and Becafigue
arrived and claimed her. ‘‘ My lord,” replied Giroflée, ‘‘ this hind belonged to
me before she did to you. I would much sooner lose my life than her.” Upon
this the Prince generously gave her up.
They returned to the cottage, and the Prince went in shortly after and inquired
who the young woman was. The old dame replied that she did not know; but
Becafigue said he knew she had lived with Princess Désirée, and being deter¬
mined to convince himself, he set to work and made a hole in the partition
large enough to perceive them. Giroflée was binding up the Princesss arm,
from which the blood was flowing. They both appeared much distressed.
‘“Alas!” said the Princess, ‘‘must I become a hind every day, and see him
to whom I am betrothed without being able to speak to him!” Becafigue was
astonished. He ran for the Prince, who looked through the aperture, and imme¬
diately recognised the Princess. Without delay he knocked gently at the door,
Giroflée opened it, and the Prince threw himself at the feet of Désirée.
“What!” exclaimed he, ‘‘is it you whom I wounded under the form of a
white hind?” He was so afflicted that Désirée assured him it was a mere
trifle; she spoke to him so kindly that he could not doubt her love for him.
He was explaining in his turn the trick that Longue-épine and her mother had
played him, whena shrill noise of trumpets echoed through the forest. The
Prince looked out of the window and recognised his own colours and standards,
and catching sight of his father’s litter, ran to it, and told the King of his
for.inate meeting with the real Princess.
All this was brought about by the Fairy Tulip. The pretty house in the
.wood was hers, and she herself was the old woman. The army was ordered
to march back again. The Prince and Princess were received in the capital
with shout» of joy; everything was prepared for the nuptials, which were
rendered more s\lemn by the presence of the six fairies; and Becafigue was
A
married to Giroflée at oe time, Cau ATOR