Once upon a time, though I cannot tell when, and in what country I do not now remember, there lived a maiden as fair as a lily, as gentle as a dewdrop, and as modest as a violet. A pure, sweet name she had,--it was Blanche.
She stood one evening, with her friend Victor, by the sh.o.r.e of a lake.
Never had the youth or maiden seen the moonlight so enchanting; but they did not know
"It was midsummer day, When all the fairy people From elf-land come away."
Presently, while they gazed at the lake, which shone like liquid emerald and sapphire and topaz, a boat, laden with strangely beautiful beings, glided towards them across the waters. The fair voyagers were clad in robes of misty blue with white mantles about their waists, and on their heads wreaths of valley-lilies.
They were all as fair as need be; but fairest of all was the helms-woman, the queen of the fairies. Her face was soft and clear like moonlight; and she wore a crown of nine large diamonds, which refracted the evening rays, and formed nine lunar rainbows.
The fairies were singing a roundelay; and, as the melody floated over the waters, Victor and Blanche listened with throbbing hearts. Fairy music has almost pa.s.sed away from the earth; but those who hear it are strangely moved, and have dreams of beautiful things which have been, and may be again.
"It makes me think of the days of long ago when there was no sin,"
whispered Blanche.
"It makes me long to be a hero," answered Victor with a sparkling eye.
All the while the pearly boat was drifting toward the youth and maiden; and, when it had touched the sh.o.r.e, the queen stepped out upon the land as lightly as if she had been made entirely of dewdrops.
"I am Fontana," said she; "and is this Blanche?"
She laid her soft hand upon the maiden"s shoulder; and Blanche thought she would like to die then and there, so full was she of joy.
"I have heard of thy good heart, my maiden: now what would please thee most?" said the queen.
Blanche bowed her head, and dared not speak.
Queen Fontana smiled: when she smiled it was as if a soft cloud had slid away from the moon, revealing a beautiful light.
"Say pearls and diamonds," said Victor in her ear.
"I don"t know," whispered Blanche: "they are not the best things."
"No," said the queen kindly: "pearls and diamonds are _not_ the best things."
Then Blanche knew that her whisper had been overheard, and she hid her face in her hands for shame. But the queen only smiled down on her, and, without speaking, dropped into the ground a little seed. Right at the feet of Blanche, it fell; and, in a moment, two green leaves shot upward, and between them a spotless lily, which hung its head with modest grace.
Victor gazed at the perfect flower in wonder, and, before he knew it, said aloud, "Ah, how like Blanche!"
The queen herself broke it from the stem, and gave it to the maiden, saying,--
"Take it! it is my choicest gift. Till it fades (which will never be), love will be thine; and, in time to come, it will have power to open the strongest locks, and swing back the heaviest doors.
""Gates of bra.s.s cannot withstand One touch of this magic wand.""
Blanche looked up to thank the queen; but no words came,--only tears.
"I see a wish in thine eyes," said Fontana.
"It is for Victor," faltered Blanche, at last: "he wishes to be rich and great."
The queen looked grave.
"Shall I make him one of the great men of the earth, little Blanche?
Then he may one day go to the ends of the world, and forget thee."
Blanche only smiled, and Victor"s cheek flushed.
"I shall be a great man," said he,--"perhaps a prince; but, where I go, Blanche shall go: she will be my wife."
"That is well," said the queen: "never forget Blanche, for her love will be your dearest blessing."
Then, removing from her girdle a pair of spectacles, she placed them in the youth"s hand. He drew back in surprise. "Does she take me for an old man?" thought he. He had expected a casket of gems at least; perhaps a crown.
"Wait," said Fontana: "they are the eyes of Wisdom. When you have learned their use, you will not despise my gift. Keep a pure heart, and always remember Blanche. And now farewell!"
So saying, she moved on to the boat, floating over the ground as softly as a creeping mist.
When Blanche awoke next morning, her first thought was, "Happy are the maidens who have sweet dreams!" for she thought she had only been wandering in a midsummer"s night"s dream; so, when she saw her lily in the broken pitcher where she had placed it, great was her delight. But a change had come over it during the night. It was no longer a common lily,--its petals were large pearls, and the green leaves were now green emeralds. This strange thing had happened to the flower, that it might never fade.
After this, people looked at Blanche, and said, "How is it? she grows fairer every day!" and every one loved her; for the human heart has no choice but to love what is good and gentle.
As for Victor, he at first put on his spectacles with a scornful smile: but, when he had worn them a moment, he found them very wonderful things. When he looked through them, he could see people"s thoughts written out on their faces; he could easily decipher the fine writing which you see traced on green leaves; and found there were long stories written on pebbles in little black and gray dots.
When he wore the spectacles, he looked so wise, that Blanche hardly dared speak to him. She saw that one day he was to become a great man.
At last Victor said he must leave his home, and sail across the seas.
Tears filled the eyes of Blanche; but the youth whispered,--
"I am going away to find a home for you and me: so adieu, dearest Blanche!"
Now Victor thought the ship in which he sailed moved very slowly; for he longed to reach the land which he could see through his magic spectacles: it was a beautiful kingdom, rich with mines of gold and silver.
When the ship touched sh.o.r.e, the streets were lined with people who walked to and fro with sad faces. The king"s daughter, a beautiful young maiden, was very ill; and it was feared she must die.
Victor asked one of the people if there was no hope.
It so happened that this man was the greatest physician in the kingdom and he answered,--
"Alas, there is no hope!"
Then Victor went to a distant forest where he knew a healing spring was to be found. Very few remembered it was there; and those who had seen it did not know of its power to heal disease.
Victor filled a crystal goblet with the precious water, and carried it to the palace. The old king shook his head sadly, but consented to let the attendants moisten the parched lips of the princess with the water, as it could do no harm. Far from doing harm, it wrought a great good; and, in time, the royal maiden was restored to health.
Then, for grat.i.tude, the king would have given his daughter to Victor for a wife; but Victor remembered Blanche, and knew that no other maiden must be bride of his.