Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a magical forest where the trees held strange, wonderful fruit that people called wishing apples. This forest was enchanted so that one whiff of the blossoms made the wanderer long to linger and roam beneath the mossy branches forever. Every year a little girl named Ella came to spend the spring with her uncle and aunt, at their him, way up among the hills. And every spring Ella used to come into this enchanted forest with her uncle, to gather herbs and gather her cousin Harry’s kite from the trees when it got caught there during his expeditions.
One day she wandered on farther than usual among the trees, and found herself suddenly in front of a curious-looking apple tree. What attracted her most were its apples, which was of a rich crimson color. But the best of all was a curious twist and turn that the top had taken, by which the tree must have avoided the other trees; for there was quite a gap around his head. “Why, it looks just like a fountain of the forest,” said Ella; “I wonder if it will cure sore throats.” And without stopping to pick a bunch of blossoms that she had just seen, she trotted up and twisted her little finger quite thoughtfully around one of the apples. In the same instant she heard the voice of old Prince Bluster, who kept the gate of the fairies. The little ones emitted a low titter of laughter, who were sitting in a circle around the apple tree while the apples dropped obediently in Ella’s apron.
“Don’t eat those apples, child!” exclaimed Prince Bluster. “Those are wishing apples, given with the greatest care to those who understand their value. Just think now, if the fairy should have swallowed the apple, the fairy might have had a very different sort of a tale to relate to you, little girl. Instead of a happy fairy tale, worthy of your attention, there might be affair both sad and touching to tell. Besides, I don’t know what wish she might have compared to yours that would be appropriate to work for you.”
“Oh! tell me my wish at once,” cried Ella. “I don’t know what it is now, but I believe that I can bear it.”
“I don’t know,” replied Prince Bluster; “wish that for your father and mother, as well as for yourself. Wish wrong with all three of the people concerned, and you will have plenty of time to repent, when the wish is made at once. Heed my advice, my little one; pay respect to the winds, which only sense and repenting brings back.”
Ella’s little heart was heavy with care. She said to herself, “If I only knew what I could wish that would make them all happy!” When Prince Bluster saw that their consultation was fruitless, he made a sign to his court tenders and cried out in a loud voice, “Those who wish to pass through the wood may do so, providing they give an apple to this child, whom they see conversing with me.”
When Ella returned home with her arms full of apples, each of the children, without waiting to learn what she intended to do with them, came running toward her with delight, to gather them in their arms like herself; for as far as they knew, they were not magic wishing apples. But when Ella related what Prince Bluster had said to her, each of the old apples became scented with too strong a perfume not to wish. So little by little their deep crimson skin disappeared. At almost the same moment, their white blossoms opened and they scattered petals over the books, etc. They also matured much sooner than was customary, for the scent that Ella used to perfume herself by his orders hastened matters. And as soon as each of the apples was well matured, Ella noticed that when she turned them over, the place where the blossom had been looked rather like an eye, and the spot where the stem had been separated or torn, looked like a little mouth. And then Ella learned, on breaking one of them, that it was all sugar and flavored like the yellow lemons of Brazil.
So they went every day into the case of the trunk, which after some days began to feel light, instead of heavy, and the shelves little by little became empty. Fortunately they were very fond of their fruit, both mellowed down and dried up. Besides, they ate every day dozens of the history books, warmly warned by their good Ella.
The day came at last when Ella’s birthday was solemnly celebrated. Each child, old or new, arrived delighted with the beautiful, strange apples. The weather was uncertain and rainy; but Ella said to her little brother, “We’ll get home in time, and besides,” she added gayly, “the apple tree will not be dried by our rain, but rendered firmer. Meanwhile, then stop crying, little brother, I beg. Your tears will spoil Ella’s celebration, and the petals will fall, rattling like rain like those which we hear.”
That, indeed, was the cause of the noise. And when the little ones began to sing, the branches of the trees began a tripping measure accompanying the happy rural songs sung by each child. Night found Ella distributing right and left the suggestions contained in the apples that everyone had taken home with them. Next morning a charming surprise awaited them. The children awoke gay and fresh, all one alike as far as their faces were concerned. Ella’s face only had a shade of sadness, for during the night she fancied she heard Prince Bluster’s voice near her seat. Ella’s playmates had a fixed determination, by hastening to the magical forest, to like the apple tree thicker than the blacksmith’s anvil; but it was useless, for according to what they say, the tree must be plucked up root and branch if he were to agree to entertain all the suggestions contained in their apples.
So old Prince Bluster reigned over the happiness of little children, warned ever of their mother’s milk, whenever they indulged in badly chosen preparations.