L
LILLA walked through the garden, saying—
“I should like to be a princess,” for she had been reading a story about a princess who had only to say “Come,” and anything she wished for came at once.
It was a hot summer day, and she sat down on a mossy bank under an elm tree thinking what she should wish for if she had the power of the princess. All at once the garden seemed strange to her, and she heard a voice saying:
“If you take a rose from meYou will then a princess be.”
“If you take a rose from meYou will then a princess be.”
“If you take a rose from meYou will then a princess be.”
“If you take a rose from me
You will then a princess be.”
She looked up and saw an aster growing in a green flower-pot which she had never seen before; and on one of the flowers was perched a tiny fairy.
“And you can have everything you can wish for except one thing. If you wish for that you will lose the rose.”
“And what is that?” asked Lilla, taking the rose which the fairy offered her.
“You must never ask for soap bubbles.”
“Oh, soap bubbles? Of course, I shall not wish for them!” said Lilla.
“Whenever you want anything,” said the fairy, “just say:
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to me
Everything I wish to see.”
“You will be a princess as long as you keep the rose. Butyou must never ask for soap bubbles. Good-by; now I must go back to my home.”
So the fairy went to Fairyland, and Lilla went home; but no one knew her, because she was now a princess with long hair and a golden crown.
“I will go up to the castle on the hill,” thought Lilla; “princesses go there to stay.”
At the castle they were expecting a princess, so they thought Lilla must be the one who was coming, and they gave her a grand room, all hung with velvet curtains, to sleep in. On the table was a silver box which Lilla thought just right to keep her rose in.
“Now, I shall try what I can do with my rose,” thought Lilla. So she thought of a box of toys, and said:
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to me
Everything I wish to see.”
Scarcely had she spoken when a maid came to say that a box had come for her.
When the box was opened, Lilla saw so many pretty things that she thought she would like a Christmas tree to hang them on, and again she said:
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to me
Everything I wish to see.”
And in a few minutes a Christmas tree arrived hung all over with gold and silver drops, and colored lights, and bonbons, and still more bonbons, and gifts of all kinds.
The people at the castle had never seen such a beautiful Christmas tree, and they were delighted with the gifts which Lilla divided among them.
Day after day Lilla asked her rose for something new, and every day more and more beautiful things came, till not only her own room, but the whole castle was full of them.
She gave them away to every one, for she soon grew tired of them.
On One of the Flowers was Perched a Tiny Fairy
On One of the Flowers was Perched a Tiny Fairy
Every day she was trying to think of something she did not have, but at last there seemed nothing left to wish for.
That was when she began to long for—soap bubbles, which were the only things she must not have.
“But how beautiful thousands of soap bubbles would look, floating about in the sunshine with rainbow colors upon them,” she thought.
She could think of nothing else, and grew quite sad because she could not ask for soap bubbles.
So one day, she went into the garden, taking her rose with her. “Shall I ask? or shall I not?” she kept thinking, but she could not make up her mind.
So she counted on the buttons of her dress.
“Yes; no; yes; no; yes; no;My mother told me to say—Yes; no.”
“Yes; no; yes; no; yes; no;My mother told me to say—Yes; no.”
“Yes; no; yes; no; yes; no;My mother told me to say—Yes; no.”
“Yes; no; yes; no; yes; no;
My mother told me to say—
Yes; no.”
“Oh, dear,” sighed Lilla, “I wanted it to come, ‘yes’—I am going to ask for them!”
So she said the magic rhyme:
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to me
Everything I wish to see.”
But no soap bubbles came. She looked all around the garden, even up in the branches of the trees, but no bubbles were to be seen.
Then she grew impatient; she took the rose, and said:
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to meEverything I wish to see.”
“Rose, Rose, bring to me
Everything I wish to see.”
Then suddenly the air was filled with soap bubbles; little ones, big ones, floated all over the garden.
“Oh, aren’t they lovely!” cried Lilla, holding out her arms to catch some; and then a bubble larger than the others opened, and closed around the golden rose, and lifted it out of her hand,floated quickly away with it, higher, higher, higher, until Lilla could no longer see it.
She watched and watched until only two soap bubbles were to be seen; then she sank on her knees, and stretched out her hands after them.
But it was too late; her rose was gone, the bubbles were gone, and she was no longer a princess. Her hair was as short as it ever had been, and her crown had disappeared.
It was of no use to return to the castle now, as the people would not know her. Where should she go? What could she do? She was so worried that she cried aloud, and you can imagine how glad she was to hear her own mother’s voice saying:
“Lilla, dear, you must have fallen asleep. Come, wake up! Tell mother about your dream.”
“Why, mother, it was just like a story,” said Lilla, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
Then she told her mother all about it.
“A very pretty story,” said her mother, “and one that shows you that people who can have almost everything they wish for, are not really happier than others. There is always something just out of their reach, and that makes them discontented with what they have.”
“Yes, even soap bubbles,” said Lilla, laughing.
* * * * * *
“That’s a good story—too good to be lost,” said the Story King, when the Story Lady finished.
“Yes, but we have better, and you shall hear some of them to-morrow,” said the Story Queen to Mary Frances, smiling graciously.
Then to the people she announced:
“There will be a reception in the court of honor this evening to our visitor, Mary Frances, the finder of the lost story. As it is now dark, let every one retire and prepare.”
Then all the people applauded, formed in line and marched out, each bowing to the King, Queen and Mary Frances, who stood rather timidly in her place with the Story Lady beside her.
After the others were gone, the Story Lady turned to her and said:
“The Queen has planned for you to be in my charge during your visit, and all you wish to see or hear is at your command.”
“How kind, and how perfectly lovely!” exclaimed Mary Frances, clapping her hands. “I couldn’t possibly wish for anything I would rather have than to be with you!”
This pleased the Story Lady greatly, and she led the way to their apartments.
I wish I had the time and space to tell you more about the wonderful and delightful reception—how Mary Frances stood in line with the King and Queen, and was introduced to all the people of the island as a distinguished visitor whose deed would never be forgotten as long as stories were told.
But if I were to relate all they said and did this book would not hold one-quarter of the stories which the Story Lady had planned for Mary Frances to hear.
The revels continued far into the night; and when at last they ended, Mary Frances retired to her apartment, excited and happy. As the Story Lady kissed her good-night, she said:
“To-morrow will be the first day.”