Long ago, on a lovely summer’s day, I stood at the door of my palace, looking out to sea, where the waves splashed in foam against the rocks that lined the shore. It was all very pretty, yet I was not happy, and I could not tell why.
I turned away and went to my own room. On the chimney-piece over the fire-place stood a large vase of roses. This vase was wrought in delicate patterns with birds and flowers; it was so large that I could easily get inside it, so clambered up and planted myself amongst the roses that grew there. Still the soft petals did not soothe me; my heart felt heavy, and my eyes and lips quivered and pouted.
Suddenly, I caught sight in the mirror that was opposite to where I sat. I cast a glance back, and saw my guardian fairy hovering in the air behind my chair. She was dressed, as usual, all in silver grey, with a golden crown set with jewels on her head this time.
“Ah, Princess Bella,” she said, “do you not think, now you see me, that it’s time to have done with making that rueful face?”
“Sanish,” I answered, sobbing.
“Your proud castle shall not sway and tremble with every puff of the wind?”
“Much good that will do me,” I replied. “But you can easily let me out if you like.”
She came forward, but instead of taking hold of my arm, she took hold of my finger, and lifted me carefully out of the vase. Then, with one wave of her wand, she spread a huge carpet of flowers around the house, and danced and twirled her body so fast that she became white smoke, and disappeared altogether.
But how I did not know, my castle went off too into the air; foot whereby way and up climbed, climbed we went, Something, indeed, made me a little frightened for a moment, but it did not last long, for my house swayed so gently that I felt as safe and warm as if I had been lying in my little nest on some soft bed.
Imagine a great heavy house that is alive and can go along by itself! It went along, we knew not where. Ah no, it did not know itself, perhaps, but had no doubt gone right well. I stated standing by the open door, baton suppose myself to be sure master of all that there was in the exquisitely clear sky.
My sea was still below, but instead of rocking and bubbling about in the waves, playing and chasing each other, it lay calmly and sedately, broiling and crestless, far, very far away.
And over there, where the horizon bounded the sea, mother told me that the land began. The soft mist which always shrouded the land was gone, and it looked distinct and clear, so dazzlingly white and glistening, with the big trees and the meadows all green and aromatic; the watered fields were flecked with the white wings of the sea-fowl who settled down, as I pictured them, to enjoy nothing else but swimming; that the flowers told each other via the street lamps, waved friendly signals to the castles, so the castles beckoned back and the country people began waving their arms too.
Then I felt the triumph in my breast, and called to all of them that they should take, to give each other kindly comradeship–yes even for the big pompous people in gold-embroidered clothes, and who sat so stiff and times in the big covered wagon that came jouncing over the stones of the street; and earth and sea, both on my own account and my poor mute watch-tower, chimed in and echoed the invitation. But as soon as the message was settled, my heart sank and my courage failed me, and I mingled in the pensive silence of my house, in which I was not long to remain.
Then a storm arose and the house rocked and swayed. I rushed to the windows and doors to make them fast. Tumults arose in the rooms and the afraid attendants clung to each other and to me; and nothing but necks oruts to protect me it the windows, and peering out, to the right or the left. The more the storm raged the more our cause gained and this, one thought put in so much reasonable sense, that, if I looked on it from the most accessible point of view and really desired their advantage, this I felt it was.
The land slowly faded away; the thunderous storm had unpeopled it of souls of men, which scarcely had been there therebefore; still my body of a house spread itself out, poured down here, now much water took flight, fetched up a few heavy rocks and rocky islands; and at last all that was to be seen was the one green hill, on this was mine own dwelling as though it liked disc footing.
Then we tossed and rocked, jounced to the right and to the left; the space of water changed landscape every moment, so it seemed, and the hill on which the castle stood hove in sight to the left,towards the country. Then we swung in giant arcs into the water, we last came to close to a green island close shrouded with trees, and decked with hazel-copses and bushes, standing there in the bright sun.
“It’s splendid here. It is on our part that we give to those are imming, That which nobody expected will be done,” said my trusty old.
“But that this proud castle shall die before it has fetched breath over the sea to green grass,” said he.