The Queen and the Mouse

Once upon a time a Queen and her infant daughter were seized as prisoners by the King of an invading army. The wicked King shut the Queen and her baby in the highest room of a tall tower, which was very tiny, and miserably furnished with a table and a very hard bed upon the floor. Then he sent for a fairy who lived near his kingdom. After receiving the Fairy with more politeness than he generally showed, he took her up to see the Queen. The Fairy was so touched by the sight of the Queen's misery that when she kissed the Queen's hand the Fairy whispered, "Courage, madam! I think I see a way to help you."

The Queen whispered her thanks. Then the King cried harshly, "Silence! I brought you here for one reason and one reason only. Tell me this: Will this child grow up fortunate?"

Then the Fairy answered that the Princess would have every grace good fortune could bestow, that she would be fair, fortunate and in every way worthy of a throne. The old King growled to the Queen that it was lucky for them both that it was so. The baby would be saved to become the future wife for his son when he grew up, a spoiled young boy who was already terrorizing the palace with his wild tantrums and mean pranks. Had it been otherwise, the King thundered, both the baby and her mother would certainly be hanged. Then he stamped off, taking the Fairy with him, and leaving the poor Queen in tears.

"How can I wish my little daughter to grow up with good graces only to be married to that horrid King's son," she said to herself. "And yet, if she were ill-fated we would both be doomed. If only I could hide her safely away, somewhere, anywhere! the cruel King would never find her."

As the days went on, the Queen and the little Princess grew thinner and thinner, for every day their hard-hearted jailer gave them only three boiled peas apiece and a tiny morsel of black bread, so they were always terribly hungry. At last, one evening, as the Queen sat at her spinning-wheel -- for she was made to work day and night -- she saw a tiny, pretty little mouse creep out of a hole, and said to it, "Alas, little creature! What are you coming to look for here? I have only three peas for my day's provision, so unless you wish to starve I'm afraid you must go elsewhere." But the mouse ran hither and thither, and danced and capered and twirled so prettily, that the Queen clapped and laughed and at last gave it her last pea, which she was keeping for her supper, saying, "Here, little one. I'm sorry I've nothing better to offer you, as your fine dancing deserves far more."

She had hardly spoken when upon the table appeared a succulent roast partridge and two dishes of preserved fruit. Quickly she mashed a portion of the meat and fruit and spoon fed her baby, who licked each spoonful with glee. Then the Queen ate with great satisfaction, and offered what was left to the little mouse. The mouse danced more charmingly than ever afterwards. The next morning the jailer brought the Queen and the Princess's daily allowance of three peas apiece, which he brought in upon a large dish to make them look even smaller. As soon as the jailer left, the Queen gave the mouse all three of her peas.

The empty dish was instantly covered with all sorts of wonderful things to eat, and the Queen shared a feast with her daughter once again. But afterwards, as she sat at her spinning-wheel, she began to consider that the fine meals could end any time, and even if they didn't, that her precious daughter would live her entire childhood in captivity, only to be forced to marry in when she was grown. The Queen despaired, "Oh! If only I could think of some way of saving her!"

As she spoke, she noticed the little mouse playing in a corner with some long straws. The Queen began to braid them, saying, "If I had but enough straws I would make a basket with them, and let my baby down in it from the window to any kind passerby who might take care of her and raise her in freedom."

By the time the straws were all braided the little mouse had dragged in more and more, until the Queen had plenty to make her basket. The Queen worked at it day and night while the little mouse danced for her amu t. At lunch and supper time the Queen gave the mouse the three peas and the bit of black bread, and always found something scrumptious in their place. She really could not imagine where all these yummy dishes were coming from. At last one day when the basket was finished, the Queen was looking out of the window to see how long a cord she must make to lower it to the bottom of the tower, when she noticed a little old woman down below leaning upon her stick who was looking up at her. Presently the old woman said, "I know your trouble, madam. If you like I will help you."

"Oh, dear lady!" said the Queen. "If you really wish to be of use to me you will come at a time I will describe to you, and I will let down my poor little baby in a basket. If you will take her, and bring her up for me, when I am rich I will reward you splendidly." "I don't care about any reward," said the old woman. "And you can be sure your little daughter shall be well taken care of by me. But there is one thing I should like. You must know that I am very particular about what I eat, and if there is one thing that I fancy above all else, it is a plump, tender little mouse. If there is such a thing in your garret just throw it down to me, that is all I ask."

Well, when the Queen heard this began to cry. The old woman, after waiting a few minutes, asked her what was the matter. "Why," said the Queen, "There is only one mouse in this garret, and that is such a dear, sweet little thing that I cannot bear to think of its being killed." "What!" cried the old woman, in a rage. "You care more for a miserable mouse than for your very own baby? Good-bye, madam! I leave you to enjoy its company, and for my own part I thank my stars that I can get plenty of mice without troubling you to give them to the likes of me."

That night when the Queen's baby was fast asleep, she packed it into the basket and wrote on a slip of paper, "Here is my beloved but unfortunate little girl. Please raise her with tenderness and love." This she pinned to the baby's robe, and then very sadly she shut the basket. Just then, in sprang the little mouse.

"Ah, little one!" said the Queen. "It cost me dear today to save your life." Whereupon the Queen collapsed onto the floor and cried her heart out. The Mouse answered, "Believe me, madam, you will never regret your kindness."

The Queen was immensely astonished when the Mouse began to speak, and still more so when she saw its little sharp nose turn to a beautiful face, and its paws become hands and feet. Then it suddenly grew tall, and the Queen recognized the Fairy who had come with the wicked King to visit her. The Fairy smiled at her astonished look, and said, "I wanted to see if you were capable of real friendship before I extended myself to help you. You see, we fairies are rich in everything but friends, and real friends are hard to find."

"It is not possible that you should want for friends, you charming creature," said the Queen, kissing her. "Yet it is so," the Fairy said. "For those who are only friendly with me for their own advantage, I do not count at all. But when you protected the poor little mouse, you could not have known there was anything to be gained by it. To try you further I took the form of the old woman whom you talked to from the window and tempted you to forsake your little mouse friend. But this you did not do, and at that moment I realized that you are indeed capable of true friendship." Turning to the little Princess, she kissed her rosy lips three times. The Princess cooed and giggled.

"Dear little one, I am going to take you and your mother to my very own enchanted cottage, quite a distance from this wicked kingdom. There you both will be invisible to all others and you, sweet baby, will grow up safe and free, together with your mother." In an instant, the Fairy, the Queen and her baby vanished from the tall tower room, never to return.

Auther Unknown