Prince Vance: The Story of a Prince with a Court in His Box Read online

  Produced by Meredith Bach, Asad Razzaki and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Thisbook was produced from scanned images of public domainmaterial from the Google Print project.)

  PRINCE VANCE

  PRINCE VANCE

  The Story of a Prince with a Court in his Box

  BY

  ELEANOR PUTNAM and ARLO BATES

  _ILLUSTRATED BY FRANK MYRICK_

  BOSTON ROBERTS BROTHERS 1888

  _Copyright, 1888_, BY ARLO BATES.

  University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

  _TO THE BOY ORIC_

  _Dear son, this twisted, tangled web of whims For you was woven while you scarcely knew The simplest speech men use; but infant limbs, That round and smooth in dimpled fairness grew, Waved for all word in a babe's perfect glee, So wondrous sweet to see._

  _It is not stranger than this world must seem To one who its vagaries first does scan; It is less weird than the enchanted dream Which life may change to ere you be a man. Such as it is, take it for this alone,-- That it is all your own._

  _Those who together wrought its colors gay, And its fantastic warp and woof entwined, May not again for you in work or play Together labor. Yet the loving mind In which they then were one will still be one Till life and sense be done._

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

  Page

  THE FAIRY COPETTA AND THE PRINCE _Frontispiece_

  INITIAL: Chapter I 15

  INITIAL: Chapter II 20

  "'Come,' he said to the Prince, in rather an injured tone" 21

  "He picked up the poor tutor, and putting him on the window-sill laughed at him" 24

  TAILPIECE: "'It is in here,' the Blue Wizard said, holding out a pretty gold bonbon box" 25

  INITIAL: Chapter III 26

  THE ROYAL TABLE, WITH THE COURT SHRINKING 27

  "'Oh, as to that,' the Blue Wizard answered carelessly, giving the King in turn a bath in the finger-bowl" 31

  TAILPIECE: "He seated his royal mother on the top of the sugar-bowl" 33

  INITIAL: Chapter IV 34

  TAILPIECE: THE HISSING SWANS 40

  INITIAL: Chapter V 41

  "The Lord Chancellor, who seemed to be always in trouble, picked some sort of quarrel with a large green grasshopper" 44

  "He moved from a bunch of thistles which he had carefully stripped to the next" 46

  INITIAL: Chapter VI 50

  "'How do you know?' demanded the raven, fixing his glittering eye on the Prince" 51

  "But presently a little window opened in the side of the tree trunk, from which a wrinkled old face looked out" 56

  INITIAL: Chapter VII 59

  "'But I want it in my mouth,' sighed the man on the ground" 61

  "A second man stood on an overturned bucket and blew into the mouth of the first with a pair of bellows" 63

  "'What's all this?' the Prince asked of one who seemed of some authority" 66

  INITIAL: Chapter VIII 68

  The Court on the Fisherman's Table 71

  INITIAL: Chapter IX 76

  "He stopped in amazement, and no wonder" 77

  TAILPIECE: THE GIANT'S CASTLE 81

  INITIAL: Chapter X 82

  PRINCE VANCE ON THE GIANT'S HAND 83

  "'I should not wonder, now,' she said, 'if my husband would give these things to me; they are too small to be of any use except as seasoning'" 90

  INITIAL: Chapter XI 93

  INITIAL: Chapter XII 97

  "'There!' she exclaimed, as she held it toward him, 'there it is; and good enough eating for a royal prince'" 99

  "'But,' asked the Prince, 'does nobody know anything? Has nobody any sense?'" 101

  TAILPIECE: "'Why don't you catch me?'" 104

  INITIAL: Chapter XIII 105

  "Now that at last he was standing still, the Prince perceived his nose was of a most peculiar and curious fashion" 107

  "'Simply a sort of slow-match; grows in the daytime as much as it burns away at night'" 110

  INITIAL: Chapter XIV 112

  At the Funny Man's Table 113

  INITIAL: Chapter XV 118

  "The monkey, looking up, wiped its eyes upon a small lace handkerchief, which was already quite damp enough" 121

  TAILPIECE: "At this the monkey wept so violently" 125

  INITIAL: Chapter XVI 126

  "He was a good-natured-looking old man; but his head, body, arms, and legs, even his features, were twisted" 127

  INITIAL: Chapter XVII 130

  "The Prince took the spade and began to dig, though not very hopefully" 134

  THE WIZARD MAKING A CAT'S-CRADLE 137

  INITIAL: Chapter XVIII 140

  "'Don't quibble!' retorted the cat, sharply" 143

  INITIAL: Chapter XIX 146

  "As the last stroke of twelve ceased, out stepped the Fairy Copetta" 148

  PRINCE VANCE.

  I.

  It was certainly not strange that Prince Vance was so stupefied withastonishment that he sat for a full half-hour foolishly staring beforehim, without an effort to move a muscle or to stir from his seat.Indeed, it is probable that any other prince in the same circumstanceswould have been equally struck dumb with amazement,--as any one may seewho will attend while I go back to the beginning, and relate what hadhappened.

  By the beginning is meant the birth of Prince Vance, when the powerfulfairy Copetta had been chosen his godmother, since which time shecertainly had not devoted herself to being agreeable to the Prince. Shehad insisted, for instance, that her godson should pay attention to hislessons; that he should show respect to his tutors; and, what was mostoutrageous of all, that he, Prince Vance, only son of his parents andsole heir to the kingdom, should learn to obey. She had coolly informedher godson, moreover, that if he did not obey her willingly, it wouldcertainly be the
worse for him; since learn he must, by harsh means, ifno others would move him.

  All this seemed to Vance a most unpleasant and unreasonable sort oftalk, and, as may be imagined, it did not increase his love for hisgodmother. So things had gone on from bad to worse between them untilVance was a fine, lusty lad beginning his teens, when one day the BlueWizard came to court.

  Vance had been having a remarkably unpleasant scene with his godmotherthat morning. She had come popping into the school-room, in adisagreeable way she had of appearing when she was least expected; and,of course, nothing would do but she must come at the exact moment whenthe Prince was engaged in boxing his tutor's ears (withoutboxing-gloves), because the poor old man wanted him to learn theboundaries of what would some day be his own kingdom.

  "You shall see the boundaries by travelling over them all on foot," thefairy had said crossly. "You are growing up idle, selfish, anddisobedient; a shame to your godmother and a disgrace to your family.You will be associating with the Blue Wizard next, I dare say!"

  "Yes, so I will," the Prince answered stubbornly; for though he reallyhad never heard of the Blue Wizard before, he would have said anythingjust then to vex his godmother,--"so I will. I should like to see him. Ireally wish he would come this very day!"

  "As for me, you evil boy!" Copetta said, more angrily yet, striking hercane sharply upon the ground, "you shall want me badly enough before youfind me, I promise you; and sorrow shall have made you wiser before youlook upon my face again."

  "Not that I shall miss you much, with your scoldings andfault-findings!" replied the saucy Prince; and as she vanished beforehis eyes, according to her startling custom, he began shying his booksat the head of his tutor, to the great discomfort of that unhappy man,who thought that his lot in life was indeed a sad one, and wishedhimself a wood-cutter in the royal forest, or indeed anything ratherthan what he was.

  When his pile of books was quite gone, and the blackboard erasers, thebits of crayon, and the pointer had been thrown after them, the Princeput his hands in his pockets and lounged to the window, whistling a tunehe had caught from a hand-organ. His twelve younger sisters were justcoming into the courtyard, two by two, returning from taking theirmorning airing with their governesses. The Princesses were quite as goodas the Prince was bad, and there could certainly have been no prettiersight than that of the twelve royal little girls walking along soproperly and primly. Each had a green velvet pelisse, a neat Leghornbonnet, and a green fringed parasol; each wore nice buff mitts and agood-tempered smile, and each had a complexion like pink and whiteice-cream, and eyes like pretty blue beads. It was therefore verynaughty indeed of Prince Vance to shout "Boh!" so loudly that eachPrincess started and hopped quite one foot from the ground, and even thegovernesses put their hands to their hearts. This, however, gave muchjoy to the Prince; and after his sisters had disappeared he stood by thewindow still whistling, with his hands in his pockets and a wicked grinon his face.

  "Your Royal Highness," began the tutor, meekly, "your Highness reallymust not put your Highness's hands in your Highness's trousers pockets,and whistle that dreadful tune. If her Royal Highness the Queen shouldhear you, she would certainly have me beheaded."

  "Why should I care for that?" asked the Prince, carelessly; and just atthat moment he caught sight of the Blue Wizard himself coming into thecourt below.

  II

  Whatever else might be said of the Blue Wizard, nobody would ever thinkof calling him a beauty. His nose and his chin were long and pointed,his eyebrows big and bushy, his teeth sharp and protruding from hismouth; and everything about him--skin, hair, teeth, and dress--was asblue as a sky on a June afternoon when not a cloud is to be seen. Hehad, too, a way of perking his head about, which was most unsettling tothe nerves; twitching and twisting it constantly from side to side, likea toy mandarin. He came boldly into the courtyard of the palace, quiteas if the whole place belonged to him; and catching sight of PrinceVance at the window above, he raised one finger, long and skinny andblue as a larkspur blossom, and beckoned for him to come down.

  The Prince hesitated. Certainly the Blue Wizard was not so charming inhis looks as to make one wish to get any nearer to him, but Vancehappened to remember that his godmother had seemed to disapprove mosthighly of this very wizard; so with an idea of displeasing Copetta, thePrince obeyed the beckoning finger and went down.

  At a nearer view the Wizard looked even uglier than from a distance. Hisvery lips were blue, and when he opened his mouth his tongue was seen tobe blue also.

  "Come," he said to the Prince, in rather an injured tone, "you keep mewaiting long enough, I hope, when I only came to teach you a drolltrick."

  "That is good," answered Vance, growing interested at once. "I do likedroll tricks. What is it?"

  "It is in here," the Blue Wizard said, holding out a pretty gold bonbonbox. "Just make anybody eat one of these, and then you shall see whatyou shall see."

  The Prince took the box in his hand and opened his lips to ask anotherquestion; but before he could speak a single word the Blue Wizard hadvanished quite away, and he stood alone.

  He went slowly and thoughtfully upstairs, wondering what the trick couldbe.

  "I'll try it on the tutor first," he concluded, "because I'm sure Idon't care what happens to him, and I really must know what the drolltrick is."

  So he went smilingly up to his tutor and offered the open box; and thesimple old gentleman, suspecting nothing, bowed and simpered at thegreat honor his Royal Highness did him, and quickly swallowed one ofthe little bonbons.

  And this is what happened. Pouf! The unfortunate tutor shut up like acrush-hat, and shrunk together until he was as short as a pygmy and asplump as a mushroom. Really one might just as well have no tutor at allas to have one so tiny. How Prince Vance did laugh! Of all the wizardshe had ever known--and for one so young his Highness had known a greatmany wizards; he almost always met more or less of them when he playedtruant by climbing out of a back window and going into the woodsfishing--he thought the Blue Wizard was the most amusing and hadinvented the very drollest trick.

  "Dear me, your Highness!" said the poor tutor, in so tiny a voice thatit was quite all the Prince could do to hear him. "Dear me! what is thematter? I certainly feel very queer; I do, indeed."

  "You look even queerer than you feel, I fancy," replied the naughtyPrince, chuckling with glee.

  He picked up the poor tutor, and putting him on the window-sill laughedat him till his sides were fairly sore. Then he began to consider how hecould get the most fun and make the most mischief out of his bonbons,for there were not a great many of them; and, being a shrewd youngrascal, he at last contrived the plan of putting them into the ice-creamwhich was then being frozen for the royal dinner. Then everybody wouldbe sure to get a taste at least of the magic potion; and slipping downinto the kitchen, the wicked young Prince succeeded in carrying out thisevil and dangerous plan.

  III

  Everybody looked at the Prince when at dinner he declined ice-cream. Itwas unheard of. Nobody had ever known him to do such a thing before. Thetwelve young Princesses, though much too well bred to remark upon it,stared at their brother with their twenty-four beady blue eyes, and madetheir twelve little mouths as round as penny pieces in their surprise.

  Now the King, being fond of ice-cream, happened to eat quite steadilyfor some moments without stopping; so that when he did look up he beheldhis Queen already shrunk to the size of a teaspoon, and every momentgrowing smaller.

  "My dear," said he, gravely, "really I don't think you ought,--beforethe children too; just consider what a bad example you are settingthem."

  "I'm sure, Sire," replied the Queen, rather crossly, for the suddenshrinking had given her quite a giddy feeling,--"I'm sure I cannotimagine what you are talking about. Bad example, indeed! You had betterbe looking to your own behavior. What the children will think of you forgrowing so very small, I'm sure I cannot imagine."

  At this moment the royal pair looked about on their daug
hters. They wereabout the size of lucifer matches! They ran their eyes down the longtable; every person there was a pygmy.

  Horror and fear filled every mind save that of Prince Vance. He nearlywent wild with joy over the great success of his trick. He had, it istrue, run out of the dining-hall at first, from his old habit ofstarting off whenever he had performed any of his abominable jokes; buthe soon ventured to come back again, and round and round the table hewent, laughing as if he would kill himself at the tiny people sprawlinghelplessly in their big chairs.

  The Prince helped himself to fruit and cakes and bonbons from thetable. He seated his royal mother on top of the sugar-bowl, and put thepoor old King in the salt-cellar. As for the Lord Chancellor, whom heespecially hated, Vance dumped the bewigged old fop into the pepper-box,where he would really have sneezed himself to death in another minute,had not the Blue Wizard fortunately appeared and given the unhappy man asudden bath in a finger-bowl.

  "It worked well, didn't it?" the Blue Wizard observed with a grin, as heput the Lord Chancellor, very white and limp, on the window-seat to dryin the sun.

  "Oh, awfully well!" Vance replied briskly, although secretly he was morethan a little afraid of this particular wizard, who seemed to be muchmore sudden in his way of appearing and disappearing than the commonsort of wizards to which the Prince was accustomed.

  "The worst of it is," remarked the Wizard, thoughtfully, pulling hisbushy eyebrows with his long blue fingers, "you can't change 'em back."