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This is a vintage fairy tale, and may contain violence. We would encourage parents to read beforehand  if your child is sensitive to such themes.

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One time upon a time, in the reign of King Cambrinus, there lived at Avesnes one of his lords, who was the finest human being—by which I mean the fattest—in the whole country of Flanders. He ate 4 meals a day, slept twelve hours out of the xx-iv, and the only matter he ever did was to shoot at small-scale birds with his bow and arrow.

Still, with all his practice he shot very badly, he was so fat and heavy, and equally he grew daily fatter, he was at last obliged to surrender walking, and be dragged about by others, and the people fabricated fun of him, and gave him the proper name of my Lord Tubby.

At present, the only trouble that Lord Tubby had was about his son, whom he loved very much, although they were not in the least alike, for the immature Prince was as thin equally a cuckoo. And what vexed him more all was, that though the young ladies throughout all his lands did their best to make the Prince fall in love with them, he would have nothing to say to any of them, and told his begetter he did not wish to ally.

Instead of chatting with them in the sunset, he wandered about the woods, whispering to the moon. No wonder the young ladies thought him very odd, merely they liked him all the better for that; and as he had received at his nativity the proper noun of Want, they all chosen him d'Amour Desire.

'What is the affair with you lot?' his father often said to him. 'You have everything you can possibly wish for: a good bed, good food, and tuns full of beer. The simply thing you desire, in social club to become as fat as a squealer, is a wife that tin can bring you wide, rich lands. And then marry, and you will be perfectly happy.'

'I inquire nothing meliorate than to marry,' replied Desire, 'but I take never seen a adult female that pleases me. All the girls here are pink and white, and I am tired to death of their eternal lily and roses. In that location must be women somewhere in the world who are neither pink nor white, and I tell yous, once and for all, that I will never marry until I accept found 1 exactly to my taste.'

Some time subsequently, it happened that the Prior of the Abbey of Saint Amand sent to the Lord of Avesnes a basket of oranges, with a beautifully-written letter saying that these gilded fruit, then unknown in Flanders, came straight from a land where the sun always shone.
That evening Tubby and his son ate the golden apples at supper, and thought them delicious.

Next morning as the day dawned, Want went downwardly to the stable and saddled his pretty white horse. Then he went, all dressed for a journey, to the bedside of Tubby, and found him smoking his first pipage.

'Father,' he said gravely, 'I have come to bid yous adieu. Last dark I dreamed that I was walking in a woods, where the trees were covered with aureate apples. I gathered one of them, and when I opened information technology there came out a lovely princess with golden skin. That is the wife I want, and I am going to await for her.'

The young man took his father'southward hand, kissed it tenderly, opened the door, and in the twinkling of an eye was every bit at the bottom of the staircase. He jumped lightly on his horse, and soon was a mile from habitation.

The servants mounted their horses and rode after the Prince; simply equally they did not know which road he had taken, they went all ways except the right one, and instead of bringing him dorsum they returned themselves when it grew dark, with their horses worn out and covered with dust.

When Desire idea they could no longer catch him, he pulled his horse into a walk, like a prudent human who knows he has far to go. He travelled in this style for many weeks, passing by villages, towns, mountains, valleys, and plains, but always pushing south, where every day the sun seemed hotter and more bright.

At last one solar day at dusk Want felt the sun so warm, that he thought he must now be about the identify of his dream. He was at that moment close to the corner of a forest where stood a little hut, earlier the door of which his equus caballus stopped of his own accord. An erstwhile human with a white beard was sitting on the doorstep enjoying the fresh air. The Prince got downwards from his horse and asked get out to rest.

'Come up in, my immature friend,' said the old man; 'my house is not large, but it is big enough to hold a stranger.'

The traveller entered, and his host put before him a simple meal. When his hunger was satisfied the old man said to him:

'If I practice not mistake, you come from far. May I inquire where yous are going?'

'I will tell you,' answered Desire, 'though nearly probable you will express joy at me. I dreamed that in the country of the dominicus there was a forest full of orange copse, and that in one of the oranges I should find a beautiful princess who is to be my wife. It is she I am seeking.'

'Why should I express joy?' asked the old human. 'Madness in youth is true wisdom. Get, young man, follow your dream, and if you lot practise not notice the happiness that you seek, at whatsoever rate you will accept had the happiness of seeking it.'

The next day the Prince arose early and took leave of his host.

'The forest that you saw in your dream is not far from hither,' said the former man. 'It is in the depth of the woods, and this road volition lead y'all at that place. Y'all volition come to a vast park surrounded by high walls. In the middle of the park is a castle, where dwells a horrible witch who allows no living being to enter the doors. Behind the castle is the orange grove. Follow the wall till you lot come up to a heavy iron gate. Don't try to printing it open, but oil the hinges with this,' and the quondam man gave him a small bottle.

'The gate will open up of itself,' he connected, 'and a huge dog which guards the castle will come to yous with his oral cavity wide open, only just throw him this oat cake. Side by side, yous will come across a baking woman leaning over her heated oven. Give her this brush. Lastly, you volition find a well on your left; exercise non forget to take the cord of the bucket and spread information technology in the sun. When you have done this, practice not enter the castle, but go round it and enter the orange grove. And then gather iii oranges, and get back to the gate as fast every bit you lot can. Once out of the gate, leave the wood by the reverse side.

'Now, attend to this: whatever happens, exercise not open your oranges till you reach the bank of a river, or a fountain. Out of each orangish will come a princess, and you can choose which yous like for your wife. Your pick one time made, be very careful never to leave your helpmate for an instant, and remember that the danger which is most to be feared is never the danger we are most afraid of.'

Want thanked his host warmly, and took the road he pointed out. In less than an hour he arrived at the wall, which was very high indeed.

He sprang to the ground, attached his horse to a tree, and soon establish the iron gate. Then he took out his bottle and oiled the hinges, when the gate opened of itself, and he saw an old castle standing within. The Prince entered boldly into the courtyard.

Of a sudden he heard fierce howls, and a domestic dog as alpine as a donkey, with eyes like billiard balls, came towards him, showing his teeth, which were like the prongs of a fork. Desire flung him the oat cake, which the great dog instantly snapped upwards, and the young Prince passed quietly on.

A few yards farther he saw a huge oven, with a wide, red-hot gaping oral cavity. A woman as tall equally a behemothic was leaning over the oven. Want gave her the castor, which she took in silence.

And then he went on to the well, drew up the cord, which was half rotten, and stretched information technology out in the sun.

Lastly he went round the castle, and plunged into the orangish grove. There he gathered the three most beautiful oranges he could find, and turned to go back to the gate.

Just only at this moment the sun was darkened, the earth trembled, and Want heard a vocalization crying:

'Bakery, baker, take him by his feet, and throw him into the oven!'

'No,' replied the bakery; 'a long time has passed since I first began to scour this oven with my own mankind. You never cared to give me a brush; only he has given me i, and he shall get in peace.'

'Dog, my good dog,' cried the voice. 'Spring at his throat and eat him upwardly.'

'No,' replied the dog; 'though I accept served you long, you never gave me any bread. He has given me as much equally I desire. Let him go in peace.'

'Fe gate, iron gate,' cried the phonation, growling like thunder, 'autumn on him and grind him to pulverisation.'

'No,' replied the gate; 'it is a hundred years since you left me to rust, and he has oiled me. Let him go in peace.'

In one case outside, the immature adventurer put his oranges into a bag that hung from his saddle, mounted his horse, and rode rapidly out of the forest.

Now, as he was longing to see the princesses, he was very anxious to come to a river or a fountain, but, though he rode for hours, a river or fountain was nowhere to be seen. Nonetheless his middle was light, for he felt that he had got through the most difficult part of his chore, and the rest was easy.

Near mid-day he reached a sandy manifestly, scorching in the sun. Here he was seized with dreadful thirst; he took his gourd and raised it to his lips. But the gourd was empty; in the excitement of his joy he had forgotten to fill information technology. He rode on, struggling with his sufferings, simply at last he could acquit information technology no longer.

He let himself slide to the earth, and lay downward beside his horse, his throat burning, his chest heaving, and his head going round. Already he felt that death was about him, when his eyes savage on the bag where the oranges peeped out.

Poor Desire, who had braved so many dangers to win the lady of his dreams, would have given at this moment all the princesses in the world, were they pink or gilded, for a single drop of h2o.

'Ah!' he said to himself. 'If just these oranges were real fruit—fruit as refreshing as what I ate in Flanders! And, afterward all, who knows?'

This idea put some life into him. He had the force to lift himself up and put his hand into his handbag. He drew out an orange and opened it with his knife.

Out of it flew the prettiest little female canary that e'er was seen.

'Give me something to beverage, I am dying of thirst,' said the golden bird.

'Wait a minute,' replied Want, so much astonished that he forgot his ain sufferings; and to satisfy the bird he took a second orange, and opened it without thinking what he was doing. Out of it flew another canary, and she too began to weep:

'I am dying of thirst; give me something to potable.'

Then Tubby'southward son saw his folly, and while the two canaries flew abroad he sank on the ground, where, wearied past his final endeavour, he lay unconscious.

When he came to himself, he had a pleasant feeling of freshness all about him. It was night, the sky was sparkling with stars, and the earth was covered with a heavy dew.

The traveller having recovered, mounted his horse, and at the kickoff streak of dawn he saw a stream dancing in front of him, and stooped down and drank his fill.

He hardly had courage to open his last orangish. Then he remembered that the night before he had disobeyed the orders of the one-time homo. Perhaps his terrible thirst was a flim-flam of the cunning witch, and suppose, fifty-fifty though he opened the orange on the banks of the stream, that he did not detect in it the princess that he sought?

He took his knife and cut it open. Alas! out of it flew a little canary, just like the others, who cried:

'I am thirsty; give me something to potable.'

Cracking was the thwarting of Desire. However, he was adamant not to let this bird fly away; so he took upward some water in the palm of his hand and held it to its pecker.

Scarcely had the canary drunk when she became a beautiful girl, tall and directly as a poplar tree, with blackness eyes and a gilded peel. Desire had never seen anyone half and then lovely, and he stood gazing at her in delight. On her side she seemed quite bewildered, but she looked well-nigh her with happy eyes, and was non at all afraid of her deliverer.

He asked her proper noun. She answered that she was called the Princess Zizi; for ten years the witch had kept her shut upwardly in an orange, in the shape of a canary.

'Well, and then, my charming Zizi,' said the young Prince, who was longing to marry her, 'permit us ride abroad rapidly so as to escape from the wicked witch.'

But Zizi wished to know where he meant to take her.

'To my father'south castle,' he said.

He mounted his horse and took her in front end of him, and, belongings her carefully in his arms, they began their journey.

Everything the Princess saw was new to her, and in passing through mountains, valleys, and towns, she asked a 1000 questions. Desire was charmed to reply them. Information technology is so delightful to teach those one loves!

Once she inquired what the girls in his country were similar.

'They are pink and white,' he replied, 'and their eyes are blue.'

'Do you like blue eyes?' said the Princess; but Want thought information technology was a good opportunity to find out what was in her eye, so he did not answer.

'And no doubtfulness,' went on the Princess, 'one of them is your intended bride?'

Still he was silent, and Zizi drew herself up proudly.

'No,' he said at last. 'None of the girls of my own state are beautiful in my eyes, and that is why I came to look for a wife in the land of the sun. Was I wrong, my lovely Zizi?'

This time it was Zizi's plow to be silent.

Talking in this fashion they drew nearly to the castle. When they were well-nigh four stone-throws from the gates they dismounted in the woods, by the edge of a fountain.

'My dear Zizi,' said Tubby's son, 'we cannot nowadays ourselves before my father like two mutual people who have come up back from a walk. We must enter the castle with more ceremony. Look for me hither, and in an 60 minutes I will return with carriages and horses fit for a princess.'

'Don't exist long,' replied Zizi, and she watched him go with wistful eyes.

When she was left past herself the poor girl began to feel agape. She was alone for the beginning time in her life, and in the middle of a thick forest.
Suddenly she heard a noise amid the trees. Fearing lest information technology should exist a wolf, she hid herself in the hollow torso of a willow tree which hung over the fountain. Information technology was big enough to hold her altogether, but she peeped out, and her pretty caput was reflected in the clear h2o.

And then there appeared, not a wolf, but a beast quite every bit wicked and quite as ugly. Let us see who this creature was.

Not far from the fountain in that location lived a family of bricklayers. Now, fifteen years before this time, the father in walking through the woods constitute a little daughter, who had been deserted by her parents. He carried her home to his wife, and the good woman was lamentable for her, and brought her up with her own sons. Every bit she grew older, the little daughter became much more remarkable for strength and cunning than for sense or dazzler. Equally she was always being teased, she got as noisy and cantankerous equally a titmouse. Then they used to call her Titty.

Titty was often sent past the bricklayer to fetch water from the fountain, and as she was very proud and lazy the girl disliked this very much.
It was she who had frightened Zizi by appearing with her pitcher on her shoulder. Merely every bit she was stooping to fill up it, she saw reflected in the water the lovely image of the Princess.

'What a pretty confront!' she exclaimed, 'Why, it must be mine! How in the globe can they phone call me ugly? I am certainly much too pretty to be their water carrier!'

So saying, she bankrupt her bullpen and went home.

'Where is your pitcher?' asked the bricklayer.

'Well, what exercise you expect? The bullpen may become many times to the well….'

'But at terminal it is cleaved. Well, hither is a saucepan that will not break.'

The girl returned to the fountain, and addressing once again the image of Zizi, she said:

'No; I don't mean to be a fauna of burden any longer.' And she flung the bucket and so loftier in the air that it stuck in the branches of an oak.

'I met a wolf,' she told the stonemason, 'and I bankrupt the bucket across his nose.'

The bricklayer asked her no more questions, but took down a broom and gave her such a beating that her pride was humbled a little. Then he handed to her an old copper milk-tin can, and said:

'If you don't bring information technology back full, your bones shall suffer for information technology.'

Titty went off rubbing her sides; but this time she did not dare to disobey, and in a very bad atmosphere stooped downwards over the well. It was not at all easy to make full the milk-can, which was big and circular. Information technology would non go downwardly into the well, and the daughter had to effort once more and once again. At last her arms grew so tired that when she did manage to get the can properly under the h2o she had no strength to pull it upwardly, and information technology rolled to the lesser.

On seeing the can disappear, she made such a miserable face that Zizi, who had been watching her all this time, burst into fits of laughter.

Titty turned round and perceived the error she had made; and she felt and then angry that she fabricated up her mind to be revenged at once.

'What are y'all doing there, you lovely creature?' she said to Zizi.

'I am waiting for my lover,' Zizi replied; and so, with a simplicity quite natural in a girl who so lately had been a canary, she told all her story.

The gypsy had often seen the immature Prince pass by, with his gun on his shoulder, when he was going afterwards crows. She was as well ugly and ragged for him ever to have noticed her, but Titty on her side had admired him, though she thought he might well accept been a footling fatter.

'Dear, dear!' she said to herself. And then she thought of a plan. 'What!' cried the sly Titty, 'they are coming with bang-up pomp to fetch yous, and you are non agape to prove yourself to so many fine lords and ladies with your hair downwards like that? Become down at once, my poor child, and let me dress your hair for you!'

The innocent Zizi came downwardly at once, and stood by Titty. The gypsy began to comb her long brown locks, when suddenly she drew a pin from her stays, and, only as the titmouse digs its neb into the heads of linnets and larks, Titty dug the pin into the caput of Zizi.

No sooner did Zizi feel the prick of the pin than she became a bird again, and, spreading her wings, she flew away.

'That was neatly washed,' said the girl. 'The Prince volition be clever if he finds his bride.' And, arranging her dress, she seated herself on the grass to look Want.

Meanwhile the Prince was coming every bit fast equally his equus caballus could carry him. He was then impatient that he was e'er full fifty yards in front of the lords and ladies sent by Tubby to bring back Zizi.

At the sight of the hideous girl who sat there instead of Zizi, he was struck impaired with surprise and horror.

'Ah me!' said Titty, 'so you don't know your poor Zizi? While you were away the wicked witch came, and turned me into this. But if you simply have the courage to marry me I shall get back my beauty.' And she began to cry bitterly.

Now the skilful-natured Desire was as soft-hearted as he was dauntless.

'Poor girl,' he idea to himself. 'It is not her fault, after all, that she has grown and then ugly, information technology is mine. Oh! why did I not follow the old man'due south advice? Why did I leave her alone? And likewise, it depends on me to pause the spell, and I dear her too much to let her remain like this.'

Then he presented the gypsy to the lords and ladies of the Court, explaining to them the terrible misfortune which had befallen his cute helpmate. They all pretended to believe information technology, and the ladies at in one case put on the false princess the rich dresses they had brought for Zizi. She was then perched on the top of a magnificent ambling palfrey, and they set forth to the castle.

But unluckily the rich clothes and jewels only fabricated Titty look uglier still, and Want could not assistance feeling hot and uncomfortable when he made his entry with her into the metropolis. Bells were pealing, chimes ringing, and the people filling the streets and standing at their doors to watch the procession go by, and they could hardly believe their eyes every bit they saw what a foreign bride their Prince had chosen.

In order to practice her more than award, Tubby came to come across her at the foot of the slap-up marble staircase. At the sight of the hideous animal he about fell backwards.

'What!' he cried. 'Is this the wonderful beauty?'

'Yes, male parent, it is she,' replied Desire with a sheepish look. 'But she has been bewitched by a wicked sorceress, and will not regain her beauty until she is my married woman.'

'Does she say and then? Well, if you lot believe that, you may beverage cold water and call up it bacon,' the unhappy Tubby answered crossly.

Simply all the same, every bit he adored his son, he gave the gypsy his mitt and led her to the keen hall, where the bridal banquet was spread.

The feast was fantabulous, only Desire hardly touched anything. However, to brand up, the other guests ate greedily, and, every bit for Tubby, nothing always took away his appetite.

When the moment arrived to serve the roast goose, there was a pause, and Tubby took the opportunity to lay downwards his knife and fork for a little. But as the goose gave no sign of appearing, he sent his head carver to find out what was the matter in the kitchen.

Now this was what had happened.

While the goose was turning on the spit, a cute little canary hopped on to the sill of the open window.

'Practiced-morning, my fine cook,' she said in a silvery voice to the man who was watching the roast.

'Good-forenoon, lovely golden bird,' replied the chief of the scullions, who had been well brought up.

'I pray that Heaven may ship you to sleep,' said the golden bird, 'and that the goose may burn, then that in that location may be none left for Titty.'

And instantly the chief of the scullions fell fast comatose, and the goose was burnt to a cinder.

When he awoke he was horrified, and gave orders to pluck some other goose, to stuff it with chestnuts, and put it on the spit.

While information technology was browning at the burn down, Tubby inquired for his goose a second time. The Master Cook himself mounted to the hall to make his excuses, and to beg his lord to accept a little patience. Tubby showed his patience by abusing his son.

'As if it wasn't plenty,' he grumbled between his teeth, 'that the boy should pick up a hag without a penny, but the goose must go and burn now. It isn't a married woman he has brought me, information technology is Famine herself.'

While the Master Cook was upstairs, the golden bird came again to perch on the window-sill, and called in his clear voice to the head scullion, who was watching the spit:

'Good-morning, my fine Scullion!'

'Good-forenoon, lovely Golden Bird,' replied the Scullion, whom the Master Cook had forgotten in his excitement to warn.

'I pray Heaven,' went on the Canary, 'that it will ship you to sleep, and that the goose may burn, so that at that place may exist none left for Titty.'

And the Scullion roughshod fast asleep, and when the Master Cook came back he found the goose as black as the chimney.

In a fury he woke the Scullion, who in society to save himself from blame told the whole story.

'That accursed bird,' said the Cook; 'it volition cease by getting me sent abroad. Come, some of y'all, and hide yourselves, and if it comes again, catch information technology and wring its neck.'

He spitted a third goose, lit a huge fire, and seated himself by it.

The bird appeared a tertiary time, and said: 'Good-morning, my fine Cook.'

'Good-morn, lovely Gold Bird,' replied the Cook, as if naught had happened, and at the moment that the Canary was beginning, 'I pray Heaven that it may ship,' a scullion who was subconscious outside rushed out and shut the shutters. The bird flew into the kitchen. Then all the cooks and scullions sprang later on it, knocking at it with their aprons. At length 1 of them caught it simply at the very moment that Tubby entered the kitchen, waving his sceptre. He had come to see for himself why the goose had never fabricated its appearance. The Scullion stopped at once.

'Volition some one be kind enough to tell me the meaning of all this?' cried the Lord of Avesnes.

'Your Excellency, it is the bird,' replied the Scullion, and he placed it in his hand.

'Nonsense! What a lovely bird!' said Tubby, and in stroking its head he touched a pin that was sticking betwixt its feathers. He pulled it out, and lo! the Canary at once became a cute girl with a golden peel who jumped lightly to the footing.

'Gracious! what a pretty girl!' said Tubby.

'Begetter! it is she! it is Zizi!' exclaimed Want, who entered at this moment.

And he took her in his arms, crying: 'My darling Zizi, how happy I am to see you once more than!'

'Well, and the other one?' asked Tubby.

The other i was stealing quietly to the door.

'Cease her! called Tubby. 'We will estimate her cause at in one case.'

And he seated himself solemnly on the oven, and condemned Titty. After which the lords and cooks formed themselves in lines, and Tubby betrothed Want to Zizi.

The marriage took identify a few days later. All the boys in the state side were in that location, armed with wooden swords, and decorated with epaulets made of golden paper.

Zizi obtained Titty'due south pardon, and she was sent back to the brick-fields, followed and hooted at forevermore.

On the evening of the wedding-day all the larders, cellars, cupboards and tables of the people, whether rich or poor, were loaded as if by enchantment with staff of life, vino, beer, cakes and tarts, roast larks, and even geese, and so that Tubby could not complain any more that his son had married Famine.

Since that time there has always been plenty to eat in that country, and since that time, also, you meet in the midst of the fair-haired blue-eyed women of Flanders a few beautiful girls, whose eyes are black and whose skins are the colour of gilt. They are the descendants of Zizi.

FAIRY TALES WRITTEN BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM

Header illustration by Pixabay, with cheers

LET'S Conversation ABOUT THE STORIES ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Beauty, Dear

1. This story shows how there are many dissimilar kinds of people who live in the world.  For example, in this fairy tale in that location are pink and white women who live in Desire'southward kingdom, and gilt-skinned women who live in warmer lands. Tubby is fat, and Want is sparse. How do you think our differences make the globe a better place?

2. Desire falls in honey with Zizi considering she is beautiful, and dislikes Titty considering he does not consider her beautiful. What are some other things that Desire might take considered were worth loving about the ii girls?

Independent Thinking, Empathy

one. Practise yous retrieve Titty could be blamed for trying to ally the Prince?

ii. Do you think she deserved what happened to her? Why or why not?

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