January, 2007
The Princess Rosette - A Fairy Story
I.-- The home on the farm
There was once a king and a queen who had three daughters. Orangine and Favarola, the two oldest,
were twins, and very beautiful, and much beloved by their parents. They were not good, however;
and in this respect they resembled their father and mother.
Rosette, the youngest of princesses, was three years younger than her sisters, and was not only
as beautiful as they were, but was remarkable for her pleasant disposition and great goodness.
The fairy Powerful was her godmother, and this so excited the jealousy of her sisters that her
parents sent her, while she was yet a little child, into the country to live with a farmer's wife;
and there she stayed for fifteen years. During all this time her father and mother never came once
to see her.
They sent someone every year to inquire about her, and also sent a small sum of money
to pay her expenses; but they never visited her, nor had her visit them; neither did they trouble
themselves at all with regard to her education, and she would grow up very ignorant if it had
not been for the kindness of the fairy Powerful.
This good fairy sent her teachers, who instructed her not only in the solid branches, but taught her
music and drawing, and several foreign languages, and she grew up learned and accomplished, as well
as beautiful and good.
It was true of her that she was the most beautiful and the most cultivated princess in the whole
world. And, what was better than all, she lived in perfect harmony with her fostermother, the
farmer's wife. She was always submissive to her, and also to the fairy Powerful; so she was never
found fault with, nor treated severely; and she was not acquainted with her parents, and did not
even remember them, she didn't mourn for them, nor desire any other home than home on the farm.
But one day, when she was sitting before the door, she saw a man approaching her, and in a moment he
came up to her, and asked if he could "speak to the Princess Rosette".
"Yes, certainly," she replied; "I am the Princess Rosette."
"My fair pricess," answered the man. "here is a letter your farther gave me, he charged me to deliver
it to you."
( To be continued next month)
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