Once upon a time, when countries were ruled
by kings, there lived in an old, but
neat little hut in a deeply wooded forest, a poor wood
cutter and his little daughter Alice.
Every day this good man went out with his
axe just as tile first rays of the sun fell through
the tall trees to wrest from the woods a living for
himself and child. Alice, too, did her part, for,
while her father was away working, she stayed at home and
tended the house and cared for the
flowers in their tiny garden. She was never lonely, for
she was fond of the flowers and often spoke
to them in loving terms. It seemed to her, that as the
breezes played about them, they nodded
their heads in reply.
Many times while working in the house, she
would run to the little window through
which she could look up to a magnificent palace that
stood imposing and majestic on the crest of
a high hill a few miles away. Often she dreamed of being
in it, but more often she wished she
could see a real little princess.
"How happy I would be if only I could see a
baby princess," she was wont to cry.
At the very thought of seeing one, she
would smile then sigh, for she knew her dreams
were idle. No little princess lived in the palace.
One day, however, as evening was coming on
and he had been too busy to spend time at
the window, she chanced to cast a hurried glance toward
the palace. A strange sight met her
gaze. Flying from every turret and window was a gorgeous
silk flag.
"It must be something very wonderful. The
palace is in holiday attire," exclaimed
Alice excitedly. "Oh, what can it mean? I must find
out."
She glanced at the sun. From where it shone
in the heavens, she knew she would have
time to run to the little village that lay between her
home and the palace ere it was time to get
dinner for her father.
Quickly, her eager feet ran over the
woodland path, and, in a short time, along the main
highway to the very gate of the village. As she joined
the throng of people in the busy streets,
more wonderful sights greeted her. From every housetop
floated a flag. The sweet, melodious
twang of stringed instruments in joyous song floated on
the gentle breeze from many gardens,
while children in the streets laughed as they played.
The cobbled streets were crowded with gaily
dressed people going in the direction of the palace. In
their arms were mysterious packages and
their little pack animals were laden with chests and
jewel boxes that Alice knew must surely
contain gold, jewels, rich perfumes, and silks from
faraway lands, while the jingle of the bells
around their necks blended musically with the laughter of
their masters.
Gently tugging at the sleeve of one of the
travelers, she shyly inquired:
"Pray, kind friend, tell me what all this
means?"
"Means?" asked the astonished man in
reply. Then, softly he questioned, "Child, know
you not that a little princess was born to the king and
queen in yon palace?"
Seeing no gift, he added, "You must bring
her a gift. See that it is the most precious one
you can find." So saying, he moved on.
For a moment, Alice stood as in a daze.
"A little princess! A little princess!"
she cried out in joy. "So there really is a little
princess!"
Her heart swelled with happiness, but
instantly sank within her for she remembered that
she had no rich gift like other people to give to her
princess, nor had she any money to buy one.
Sadly, with her head bent low, she turned and walked
slowly homeward. Her heavy heart ached in
startling contrast to the gay ones she had just left.
The road seemed long and lonely. She grew
very tired before reaching her own little
garden. As she stepped through the gate, she lifted her
eyes toward the palace where the last
bright rays of the setting sun set aglow its many colored
windows with their gay flags.
She pictured in her mind the wee baby
princess nestled snugly beneath her silken
coverlets and from her royal cradle gazing out upon her
loyal subjects who knelt before her and
laid their precious gifts at her feet. A sob choked her.
Wearily she sank onto a low wooden bench
and laid her head down close to where the branches of the
jasmine swept the back of the bench
until its sweet perfume soothed her troubled senses.
She had not lain there very long before the
red rose across the garden, near a tiny
pool, nodded and unfolded its petals. Or did it?
She wasn't quite sure for it might have
been only the breeze moving the leaves. But
there, it did it again. This time Alice was not
mistaken. She looked about her. To her surprise, a
change had come over the garden. Night had fallen and
through the tall trees a silvery moon cast a
faint shimmering radiance about. There were the
heliotrope, roses, marigolds, and all the flowers
she knew so well, but oh, how different they looked! The
heliotrope fluffed its green leaves and
disclosed myriads of tiny amethysts. And from their bed
the snow-white daisies lifted their dainty
petals, a shower of miniature diamonds. Close to the
purple-rayed violet, the yellow hyacinth cast
a golden light on the pearly gown of the
lily-of-the-valley, while the rich red glow that filled
the heart of the red rose grew and grew until each petal
reflected the fiery glow of a ruby. The grass
beneath it radiated with strange green lights, each
emerald shaft gently swaying as if to music.
Suddenly, as if she had come unnoticed
while the flowers were turning into jewels, there
appeared the most charming flower-like creature, a little
fairy queen. She was seated on the
daintiest of fairy thrones. Her long golden tresses
blending with her delicate gown was a sight so
beautiful that Alice was sure she would never forget it.
On her radiant head was a wreath of
flowers that glowed with the fires of opals. In her hand
a silvery wand caught and reflected the
moonbeams.
With the coming of their Queen, the flowers
bowed their heads and filled the night with
their perfume. At the same time, from every blossom
stepped a tiny creature with gossamer
wings and golden hair. Their gowns, as they danced
around, glistened with precious gems while
the music of their voices was as the tinkle of silver
bells. Round and round they danced in a
magic circle until the Queen raised her wand and all
bowed in silent obeisance.
"Come, my children," she spoke, her
musical voice clear and sweet. "Come to me that I
may inform you of your beautiful trusts."
The hyacinth fairy stepped forth. The
Queen touched her gently on the head and said:
"Oh, child of sweetness and charm, I
charge thee always to guard thy spirit of sweet
loveliness."
Next, a pansy fairy in soft sapphire and
topaz shades bowed her gentle head before the
queen.
"Remember, dear child, thoughtfulness
is a sacred virtue. The Queen thus smilingly
spoke to her.
Then the tiny spring daisy raised its
trusting eyes.
"Babe of the flowers," softly crooned the
Queen, "always retain thy innocence."
Following, the damask rose, in splendor,
lowered its glorious head.
"Lovely flower," praised she then, "keep
thy petals ever new in beauty."
Shyly the violet peeped from under her
emerald green cloak and slowly lowered her head.
Gravely the fairy administered this charge:
"Modesty is thy charm. Guard it well, for
once lost it is gone forever."
After the violet, the smilax and passion
flower, hand in hand, knelt before their queen.
"Ah," breathed she, "constancy and faith,
two cherished gifts are entrusted into thy keeping."
Next, the snow white water lily bowed in
simplicity and grace and the deep red rose
blushed by its side. The Queen kissed them gently as she
rose and said:
"Purity of thought is the gift of God and
love is its perfect attribute. May you, chaste
lily, keep your soul so pure, and you, lovely rose, keep
thy flaming heart aglow, that the world
may see that purity and love over all else are supreme."
So exquisite were they as they bowed their
heads, that the child on the bench rose to
touch them. Instantly they vanished, the jewel flowers,
the Queen and her court, and Alice stood
alone in the fading light. She rubbed her eyes, but gone
was the magic spell. There were the
flowers, just as before, when she had lain down on the
bench, their colors merging into the dusk
of the evening.
For a moment she watched them swaying in
the breeze, then, clapping her hands in joy,
gaily cried, "I know what I shall do. I have found my
gift for the princess." So saying, she went
from flower to flower and thought, "Which one shall it be?"
Smelling a hyacinth, she murmured,
"Loveliness sublime." The pansy thoughtfully
returned her gaze. The innocent daisy and modest violet
nodded in a manner shy. A treat of rare
beauty awaited her as the damask rose unfolded her lovely
pink petals and gracefully swayed in
the breeze. The passion flower and the smilax entwined
their long strands and seeing them thus,
she said, "I remember — `Constancy and faith, two
cherished gifts'."
Passing on, she came to the miniature pond
and there in snowy whiteness, the untainted
lily lay.
Bending over it from the water's edge, the
blushing rose nodded its head.
Clasping her hands in awed reverence, she
softly breathed: "`Purity and love.' In all the
world, I know of no better gift. I shall take these."
She stooped to pick them. As she did so,
the fragrance of all the other flowers seemed to
come to her as if the blossoms were calling her. It was
then that she knew that all the flowers
were necessary to make a perfect gift. Carefully, she
went from flower to flower taking from each
one its most delicate blossom.
The following morning, in the joyous mass
that crowded the palace halls, none bore a
happier heart nor a humbler one than the child from the
forest hut. Kneeling before the wee, royal
maid's cradle she shyly offered her gift.
A ripple of laughter ran through the richly
garbed crowd, but the wise and good king
silenced them.
Taking the varied bouquet, he gazed on it
long and thoughtfully. There were the pansies,
hyacinths, daisies, and all their lovely sisters, but
crowning them all, in the very heart, were the
symbols of love and purity. Not a single blossom with its
treasured meaning had been overlooked
by him. Smiling gravely, he looked down at Alice.
"Dear little maid," he said, "you, above
all others, have given your princess the most
precious gift, for all the gold in my kingdom could not
buy it. It is a fairy bouquet. And, as the
happiest of kings, I kiss the hand that brought it."
So saying, he bent his royal head and
lifting her hand to his lips, kissed it. That was not
all, for to the astonishment of his subjects, he lifted
Her Royal Highness, the baby princess, and
carefully placed her in Alice's arms. Alice, her dream at
last fulfilled, gazed happily upon a real
little princess, while the flowers on the silken coverlet
nodded their heads and filled the room with
their fragrance.
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