PRINCESS BONNIEBELLE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2474, 19 May 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

PRINCESS BONNIEBELLE.

. -♦— A FAIRY STORY. By Mrs W. Rattray. Once upon a time—for all good stories begin that way, don't they, children ?— once upon a time there lived in a very large house a little girl called Princess Botmieholle. Her father and mother had taken a little boy, whose parents were dead, to live with them. His name was Prince Hildobrande. Theso two children played together all day long, and Prince Hildebrsnde never let. Princess Bonniebelle out of his sight when they were playing iti tho garden, or rowing on the river in their boat. For what do you think happened when the Princess 3onniebelle was a tiny baby ? Her mother was sitting in un easy chair in the garden, just out of sight of the bonse, when an old ogre who lived in a great castle a very long way ofl, came up to her and said, "You must give me that baby ; it's such a pretty one." The old ogre was very tall, very thin, with long white hair, and a long white beard which reached to his waist. He had great round oyes, which, when he was angry, shone like two live coals out of tho lire, and his mouth was so large he could have swallowed the poor baby, clothes and all, at one bite. " You must give me that child," ho said, and he put out a great long skinny claw to catch hold of poor little Princess Bouniebclle. Her mother screamed out, "No, you shan't have her ! Thieves ! Murder ! Fire ! Help! Help!" Out rushed the servants ; out rushed her husband; and the ogro took two long stops and vanished down the river, caying, "I'll have Princess Bonniebelle yet. Ha ! ha!" So that was why the little girl was never left alone. But bye and bye Hildebrande was twelve years old, and they said he must go to a boarding-sehool a long way off. So he kisoed Bonniebelle, and said, "You promised me you would bn my wife when we are old enough. Don't forget. And don't go and marry any other follow. Good-bye, Boiinu'bullo," and off ho went; and poor Princess Bunniobelle cried three pocket handkerchiefs full of tears, and then hung them in tho sun to dry, so that no one might know she had "wept so ranch for Princo Hildebrando; and then they got her a governess—a very strict, quiet, lady. She would not let Bnnniebello climb any more trees or row in tho boat on tho river, becwiso she was not a cat, and she might fall from the trees, and break her neck; and she was not a fish, and she might be upset on tho river and be drowned. So ehe had to sit and sew, or learn horrid lessons, and never do what she likoi ; and at last she said, "I shall run away!" One afternoon —her father and motfcer were . away for a few days' visit-her governess said, " Now, Princess Bonniebelle, you have been so very rude and naughty this morning that I shall not allow you to go out in the garden at all to-day. You are to sit in the schoolroom and eew. I have a very bad headache, and I must go and lie down. Now, don't leave this room;'' and the governess went off upstairs. And what do you think that naughty little girl did? Well, she resolved she would be disobedient, and go out into the garden. She got her hat, and she softly opened the door, and cropt quietly aloDg the path till nho got on to the grass, and then she ran away down to the river, got her boat out, and rowed herself as hard as she could down tho stream. At last her arras ached, so she pulled to the shore, fastened her bout to a willow tree, climbed up the bank, and found berself in a lovely wood, and there, sittiDg on a fallen tree, was a lady with a veil on. She held out her hand to Bonniebelle, and said, "How aro you, dear ? You look so tired, come and sit down by me ;" and she spoke bo kindly that Bonniebolle was charmed with hor, and sat down at once, and began to talk to her. The lady g»vo hor some peaches, and then some sort of eyrup to drink, aud this mado Bonniebello feel so queer and sleepy that at last sho dropped her head on tho lady's shoulder, and fell fast asleep. There was somo nasty stuff in tho syrup, which made Bonniebello sleep so soundly that she kuew nothing that happened to her. The

iarly looked nfc her very carefully find lifted her eyelids, and peeped at her eyes, to be quite sure she was not shamming. And then she took off her thiek veil, and who do you suppose sho was ? why, she ■was the old ogre's housekeeper! She was nearly as ugly as the ogre herself! She put her hands to her mouth and called out, "To whit, Te What. To Who !' three times ! And suddenly with his <?reat long stride, up ca-ne the ogre! " Hullo, Fiuirerapen, have you got her? ,, A'id he poked Bonuiebelle's nob half off so as to nee her facet. "Hullo," said he: " She's a dumpling, She's .1 daisy, Kim's a d;>r!in,p-, She's .-i lamb, Whenlicwlicn." And then he picked up poor Bonniebelle in his groat strong , arms, and inarched off with her. And when Bonniebelle next awoke, she found herself shut up in the ogre's oaHlo with l.he old ogro and his housekeeper, Finsrerapen. They never let tho poor child out of their eight for three years. And then, as Bhe seemed so

quiet and good sometimes they let her out in tho garden and watched her from the f:astlp. All round the garden was a tremendously high wall, so that Bonnihclle could not possibly have got out if sho had tried ever so hard. And all round the top, in fenr she ever should get up so high, was barbed wire. This was the ogro's own invention, and ho took out a patent for it himself. Tho barbs came close together, about every two inches, and there were three rows on the wall, so no one could possibly climb over to rescue her. And all round was an electric wire, which if you touched the top of the wall, anywhere, rang four loud bells in tho house. But at tho bottom of the garden was a very wide, deep river. This was so wide that if yon wanted to cooey to anyone on tho opposite bank, you would have to got another cooey to carry the first one. One day Bonniebolle said sl*e would like to learn to swim, "Because" she said to herself, "some day when I can swim very well, I'll swim over to the other side and escipe." So Pinsrerapen, the housekeeper taught her to ewim, you don't suppose the old woman went into the water herself, oh, no ! She showed Bonniebelle what to do, tied a rope round her, and threw her into tho water. The first three times, Finsrerapen had to drag her out, or she would have been drowned. But she soon learned to swim properly, and one dny when thoy were not watching: her, she thought, she resolved to swim over to the other side, and run awav home. She had got quite halfway, and she was thinking, "I shall be free soon," when suddenly she heard a srreat splash! splash ! On she swam, fast! faster! oh! she couldn't go fast enough, quick, quick ! And she was nearly there, when suddenly a great hand seized her hair, and lifted her out of the water, and carried her liko a poor drowned kitten, by her hair, right ba-;k to tho house! The ogre took her into the kitchen aud flung her into old Fingerapen's arms, and said, " Take her and put her to bed and feed her on bread and water for a week ; and teach her to be disobedient to me again if she duros !'' And he went off to chango his wet things.

CHAPTER 11. And all this long timo what do you think the poor Father and Mother were doing? When the governess came down to tea, the afternoon silly, disobedient little Bonniehelle ran away, she couldn't find the girl anywhore. Why, of. course she couldn't find her, for by that time the osjre was marching off with her to his strong rattle. Tho governess called the servants, and they hunted high and low, fur aud near, and called aud shouted, and thoy could find no trace of Bonniebelle. The next day they found her boat and her hat in the river, for the wicked old ogre told Pincrerapen to throw it in, so that they mifjht think she was drowned. And when the parents came home ! oh I then there was a fuss. They turned the whole house inside out for four sho had crept into a cupboard or chest, and couldn'o get out. But, of course, Bonniebolle W.inn't found anywhere. She was quite lost. But when Hildebnnde came back from pnhool and college he paid he would find Princess Bonniebelle. He was quite a young man then, a handsome, pleasant

younsr fellow. One evening: he was walking in the garden, smoking , and wondering wherever Bonniebelle was, when he kicked against soinethiug with his foot. Ho looked down and saw it was a frog. He was a very kind young man, so he stooped down and lifted it off the path, intending to place it on tho grass, when suddenly it spoke. " Princo Hildebrande, do you want to know where Princess Bonniebelle is ?" " Yes ! Oh yes ! Tell mo quickly !" cried the young Prince, and in his excitement he nearly squezod tho breath out of the poor thing's body. The frog gave a little choke, and said, " Princess Bonniebelle is in the ogre's castle ?" - The Prince was so anxious to hear all about his lady love that he nearly choked the frog off again. " Whore, and oh, where is that ? Tell me quickly 1" he shouted. "Gently, gently," said the frog, "'don't you see them's a label on my back : " Lift me up tenderly, Nurse me with care. Bonniebelle sent me, She's over there." And he pointed with one claw down the riser. "Come with me, let's start at once," cried the Prince. "You must get your good horse, 'Bobboliiiks,' ready, and a sword, and a pistol, and I'll wait for you at the gate at daybreak to-morrow morning," and the frog jumped off his hand into the grass and disappeared. The next morning, as soon as there was a streak of light in the sky, Prince Hildebrand". mounted his good horse, ' Bobboliiiks,' and rode down to the gate. There he f."-pid the frog, and he put him on his saddle in front, and off they set through the forest. When they had gone a little way Prince Hildebrando besau to sing, " Where is Bonniebelle, Over mountain, over hill, Over river, over dell, I seek Konniebelle. Presently he wanted to ask the fro? which way to go. And then he fouud tho frog had tumbled off ! So he hitd to dismount and walk back to fiud the

frog. Ho discovered him about u mile back, sitting oh a large fern by the side of the triiok. " Hullo !" ho snid, " did you full oft ?" The frog grumbled out, " Of course I did !' I'm not used to riding ? You forgot all about me, and just wont on trotting , away and singing all that nonsense, co I tumbled off," '-AH right,'' said Priuue Hildebrando "I'llpfet some flax aud tie you in front of my hat, an 1 then you can stick your claw into me, and show ma the way, you know." So they went on for two hours, until they came to a stream. Here they got off the horse, and Hildebrande stooped down to the water to drink, whon instantly up started a numbor of crabs. Thero they stood, both Bides of tho stream, and they all sang in chorus. " Ha ! ha ! ha ! can't find Bonniebclle," " Ha ! ha! ha ! we know well," " Ha ! ha ! ha > what a sol]!" " Ha ! ha ! ha ! can't find Bonniebellc." Priuco Hildfibrando was so aujfry, ho threw water at them with his hat, and knocked tho poor little frog off it into the stream, and the wicked crabs caught it and nearly hilled it. Rut at last, after the crabs had soaked him for getting angry, Priaco

Hildebrande and the frog went on their way. The next thing that happened was finding all the track was on fire in front of them. Hildebrande stopped, " I say. Froggy!" he said, " Must we go through all that flame ?" and all tliefrogsaid was : " Honniebclle you wish to see," Well, then, you must go with, me. Through the fire, right merrilie, It .will not burn'nor injure thee" And so they went on, right through the flames and the blinding- 3moke, and though Prince Hildebrande was nearly suffocated, they arrived safely the other side. After a few hours more hard riding, they came to a high fence, and there they found a very old man and a very thin cow. He was 1 'aning against the fence, and had a violin in his ;hand, and this is what he was singing :— " There was an nlil man wSn bought a cow, And ho had no grass to give her, So he tnnfc his fiddle and played her a tune, Consider, my row, consider, This isn't (he time for grass to grow, " Stop that noise," said the Prince, and tell mo how to take this fence down, it is too high to jump." TSut the old man wouldn't answer when ho wns spoken to so rudely, and ho went on playing , away, " This isn't the tirao for prass to grow. Consider my cow, consider." "I'll raako you consider if you don't tell me at once," shoatod Prince Hildobrande, but the old man only went on, " Consider my cow, consider." So Hildebrande seized his fiddle, and broke it over the poor old man's back. But, alas ! the good horse Bobbolinke was so frightened at the beating that ho broke his bridle and ran away, and Prince Hildebrande couldn't catch him, so he had tn walk. "Why didn't you ask me?'' said the frog. "Oh! I beg your pardon, Froggy, I quite forgot you. What ever ehall Ido now ?"

"Yon must go on walking now," said

the frog. So on they went till they came to a very wide, deep river, too wide and too rough to swim, even if Prince Hildebrande hadn't been so tired.

Four largo fishes camo grinning up at him.

"Look here," he β-iid, " I'll give you Gil each if you will let mo tie you all together, and Rwim across with me." But they nil buret out laughimg, and began to ting— "Ha! ha! ha! can't findHßonniebeUe, Hα ! ha ! ha! wo know well, Ha! ha! ha! can't find H">nniebelle, Hi! ha! ha! what a soil ?" And off they swam. Then a great saurian appeared. " Hi! mister, I'll tiike you over." " What for ?" .inked Hildcbrand. " Oh ! I'll just bite oft your leg at the other side." "Won't do," eaid Hildebrande, "how could I walk ?" " Well then I'll do it for yonr arm!" "Won't do," snid Hildebrande, "I might have to fight the ogre!" '• Well, then shoot me three plump rabbits!" So Hildebrande shot the rabbits in the wood, came back to the river, jumped on the saurian's back, and the moment they reached tho other side, thrust the three rabbits into his great hungry jaw, and ran off. At last they came to the castle walla, They slept there all night, and the next morning the frog crawled through a tiny little hole in tho thick wall, found Bonniebelle walking in garden, told her all they had done, and then the frog said, "Run up to your room, aud bring down another dress of yours." So she did, and then he told her to sit down on a seat where only part of her could bo aeen from the ca<tlo.

Thou be waved his claws about her, and sho turned into a little tiny frog, whilst nil her clothes remained sitting on the seat ju<t as if she was there ntill. Then he carried her towards tho little hole, and one moment when the ogre wasn't looking, Hildebrnnde threw a lino over tho wall, the frog tied the little bundle of clothes to it, and he dr.<w it safely over. Then the frog told Princess Bonniebelle to orawl through the hole, whiuh she did, and Prince Hildebrando picked them both up and the clothes, and Ret oft as fast as he could for the forest. Here they found a very largo cave, and tho frog changed Bonniebelle hack into her ownself agaiu, dressed in the clothes they had broughtaway with them from the Ogre's castle. Then he took a large acorn, and turned it into a beautiful carriage, and he hunted about and on tight two pretty little mice which were liiding in the oak tree near the cavo. These he transformed into splendid prancing horses, and harnessed them to the carriage. Tho Prince and Princess Bonniebelle got into it ; and the frojj, turning himself into a coachman, drove them home by a good road, which was, how. ever, vi-ry much further than tho way the Prince had come to find Bonniebelle. The Ogre ran after them, but Prince Hildebrande shot him dead, and he and Bonniebelle lived happily ever after.