Perrault's Fairy Tales (Dover Children's Classics) by Charles Perrault, Gustave Doré Read Free Book Online

her feet, begging her pardon for all the ill-treatment she had suffered at their hands.
    Cinderella raised them, and declaring as she embraced them that she pardoned them with all her heart, bade them to love her well in future.
    She was taken to the palace of the young prince in all her new array. He found her more beautiful than ever, and was married to her a few days afterwards.
    Cinderella was as good as she was beautiful. She set aside apartments in the palace for her two sisters, and married them the very same day to two gentlemen of high rank about the Court.
    Moral
    Beauty is a treasure rare.
Who complains of being fair?
    He perceived that her little foot slid in without trouble
    Yet there’s still a something more
That good fairies have in store.
’Tis that little gift called grace,
Weaves a spell round form and face,
Of each word makes magic, too,
Lends a charm to all you do.
     
    This it was—and nothing less—
Cinderella’s fairy dress!
And if you would learn the way
How to get that gift today—
How to point the golden dart
That shall pierce the Prince’s heart—
Ladies, you have but to be
Just as kind and sweet as she!
     
     
     
     
    Another Moral
     
    Godmothers are useful things
Even when without the wings.
Wisdom may be yours and wit,
Courage, industry, and grit—
What’s the use of these at all,
If you lack a friend at call?

PICKY OF THE TUFT

    Once upon a time there was a queen who bore a son so ugly and misshapen that for some time it was doubtful if he would have human form at all. But a fairy who was present at his birth promised that he should have plenty of brains, and added that by virtue of the gift which she had just bestowed upon him he would be able to impart to the person whom he should love best the same degree of intelligence which he possessed himself.
    This somewhat consoled the poor queen, who was greatly disappointed at having brought into the world such a hideous brat. And indeed, no sooner did the child begin to speak than his sayings proved to be full of shrewdness, while all that he did was somehow so clever that he charmed everyone.
    I forgot to mention that when he was born he had a little tuft of hair upon his head. For this reason he was called Ricky of the Tuft, Ricky being his family name.
    Some seven or eight years later the queen of a neighboring kingdom gave birth to twin daughters. The first one to come into the world was more beautiful than the dawn, and the queen was so overjoyed that it was feared her great excitement might do her some harm. The same fairy who had assisted at the birth of Ricky of the Tuft was present, and in order to moderate the transports of the queen she declared that this little princess would have no sense at all, and would be as stupid as she was beautiful.
    She saw below what appeared to be a large kitchen full of cooks
    The queen was deeply mortified, and a moment or two later her chagrin became greater still, for the second daughter proved to be extremely ugly.
    “Do not be distressed, Madam,” said the fairy; “your daughter shall be recompensed in another way. She shall have so much good sense that her lack of beauty will scarcely be noticed.”
    “May Heaven grant it!” said the queen; “but is there no means by which the elder, who is so beautiful, can be endowed with some intelligence?”
    “In the matter of brains I can do nothing for her, Madam,” said the fairy, “but as regards beauty I can do a great deal. As there is nothing I would not do to please you, I will bestow upon her the power of making beautiful any person who shall greatly please her.”
    As the two princesses grew up their perfections increased, and everywhere the beauty of the elder and the wit of the younger were the subject of common talk.
    It is equally true that their defects also increased as they became older. The younger grew uglier every minute, and the elder daily became more stupid. Either she answered nothing at all when spoken to, or replied