. Tales of fantasy . 0 Tales of Fantasy CHAPTER III. Tells Who the Fairy Blackstick Was, and Who Were Ever SoMany Grand Personages Besides. ETWEEN the kingdoms ofPaflagonia and Grim Tartary,there lived a mysterious per-sonage, who was known inthose countries as the FairyBlackstick, from the ebony wand orcrutch which she carried ; on whichshe rode to the moon sometimes,or upon other excursions of busi-ness or pleasure, and with which she performed herwonders. When she was young, and had been first taught theart of conjuring, by the necromancer, her father, shewas always practising her skill, wh
. Tales of fantasy . 0 Tales of Fantasy CHAPTER III. Tells Who the Fairy Blackstick Was, and Who Were Ever SoMany Grand Personages Besides. ETWEEN the kingdoms ofPaflagonia and Grim Tartary,there lived a mysterious per-sonage, who was known inthose countries as the FairyBlackstick, from the ebony wand orcrutch which she carried ; on whichshe rode to the moon sometimes,or upon other excursions of busi-ness or pleasure, and with which she performed herwonders. When she was young, and had been first taught theart of conjuring, by the necromancer, her father, shewas always practising her skill, whizzing about fromone kingdom to another upon her black stick, and con-ferring her fairy favors upon this Prince or that. Shehad scores of royal godchildren; turned numberlesswicked people into beasts, birds, millstones, clocks,pumps, bootjacks, umbrellas, or other absurd shapes;and in a word was one of the most active and officiousof the whole College of fairies. But after two or three thousand years of this sport, I. The Rose and the Ring 241 suppose Blackstick grew tired of it. Or perhaps shethought, What good am I doing by sending thisPrincess to sleep for a hundred years ? by fixing a blackpudding on to that boobys nose ? by causing diamondsand pearls to drop from one little girls mouth, andvipers and toads from anothers ? I begin to think I doas much harm as good by my performances. I mightas well shut my incantations up, and allow things totake their natural course. There were my two young goddaughters, KingSavios wife, and Duke Padellas wife; I gave themeach a present, which was to render them charming inthe eyes of their husbands, and secure the affection ofthose gentlemen as long as they lived. What good didmy Rose and my Ring do these two women ? Noneon earth. From having all their whims indulged bytheir husbands, they became capricious, lazy, ill-hu-mored, absurdly vain, and leered and languished, andfancied themselves irresistibly beautiful, when theywere really qui
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