Oldal 160 [160]
IA BOUTGAY E SG-BAURY BOOK
Intoxicated with joy, the prince kissed again and again
the charming hand that crowned his wishes. He was more
happy than wise, and little deserved to succeed; but fairies
have their caprices, and Fortune is always a fairy.
It was a long distance from the end of the world to the
kingdom of the Vermilion Towers. Carlino experienced
more than one storm and braved more than one danger
on his way across land and sea, but at last, after a long
voyage and a thousand trials, he reached his father’s coun¬
try with his three citrons, which he had treasured like the
apple of his eye.
He was not more than two hours’ journey from the royal
castle when he entered a dense forest where he had hunted
many atime. A transparent fountain, bordered with wild
flowers and shaded by the trembling leaves of the aspen,
invited the traveler to repose. Carlino seated himself on a
carpet of verdure enameled with daisies, and, taking his
knife, cut one of the citrons.
All at once a young girl as white as milk and as red as
a strawberry darted past him like lightning. “Give me a
drink!" said she, pausing an instant.
“How beautiful she is!” cried the prince, so ravished by
her charms that he forgot the advice of the Fate. He paid
dearly for it; in a second the fairy had disappeared. Car¬
lino smote his breast in despair, and stood as astonished as
a child that sees the running water slip through his fingers.
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