The Princess Mayblossom

'

`What! Fanfaronade,' said the Princess, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, `is it possible that when I am here with you you can want anything else? You ought to be thinking all the time how happy you are.'

`Happy!' cried he; `say rather unhappy. I wish with all my heart that you were back in your dark tower again.'

`Darling, don't be cross,' said the Princess. `I will go and see if I can find some wild fruit for you.'

`I wish you might find a wolf to eat you up,' growled Fanfaronade.

The Princess, in great dismay, ran hither and thither all about the wood, tearing her dress, and hurting her pretty white hands with the thorns and brambles, but she could find nothing good to eat, and at last she had to go back sorrowfully to Fanfaronade. When he saw that she came empty-handed he got up and left her, grumbling to himself.

The next day they searched again, but with no better success.

`Alas!' said the Princess, `if only I could find something for you to eat, I should not mind being hungry myself.'

`No, I should not mind that either,' answered Fanfaronade.

`Is it possible,' said she, `that you would not care if I died of hunger? Oh, Fanfaronade, you said you loved me!'

`That was when we were in quite another place and I was not hungry,' said he. `It makes a great difference in one's ideas to be dying of hunger and thirst on a desert island.'

At this the Princess was dreadfully vexed, and she sat down under a white rose bush and began to cry bitterly.

`Happy roses,' she thought to herself, `they have only to blossom in the sunshine and be admired, and there is nobody to be unkind to them.' And the tears ran down her cheeks and splashed on to the rose-tree roots. Presently she was surprised to see the whole bush rustling and shaking, and a soft little voice from the prettiest rosebud said:

`Poor Princess! look in the trunk of that tree, and you will find a honeycomb, but don't be foolish enough to share it with Fanfaronade.'

Mayblossom ran to the tree, and sure enough there was the honey.