Sunday, September 1, 2024

The Story of the Enchanted Canary - Part Nine

 

Titty suddenly had a plan to get rid of the Princess and take her place as to become the bride of Prince Desire. She immediately arranged her features into a smile and waved at the princess. “If the prince is gone to bring carriages for you, that means that plenty of Lords and Ladies good also come with him.” Titty waved at Princess Zizi. “You cannot show yourself in this manner before them. Come down here so that I can comb your hair and make you look more presentable.”

Zizi did not think that there was anything wrong in what the other girl had said and she climbed out of the hiding place and came near Titty.

Titty ran her hands over the locks of the beautiful brown hair of Zizi and when the opportunity was right,  Titty pulled a pin from the folds of her clothes and she stuck the pin in Titty's hair.



The minute the pin was stuck in Zizi's hair, Zizi changed into a canary and the canary flew away from there.

Titty then took Zizi's place and sat on the grass near the fountain.

Meanwhile back to the prince many Lords and Ladies from Tubby's castle accompanied Prince Desire when he went to meet the women that he was going to marry.

Desire was impatient to meet Zizi and he hurried before the others to meet Princess Zizi.

Desire was shocked out of his wits when he saw Titty instead of Zizi. “Who are you?” 

“I am the princess that you left behind.” Titty told the prince calmly. “But when you were away a wicked witch came here and she changed me like this. She said that this curse would be lifted only when you married me when I am looking like this.”

Desire was first shocked when he heard this. But then he blamed himself for leaving Zizi alone which he thought was the reason for her predicament. But now that he had been given a way to break the wicked witch's curse he decided that he would marry this woman and break the curse.

Adapted from Andrew Lang's Red Fairy Book


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