Stories from the Faerie Queen, Told to the Children

nd all the ladies beautiful, the lady who was on

ell loved only one, and he was Marinell, the son of a sea-nymph

had no sooner fought one fight

maiden who feared no one, and who wore man's armour and carried a magic spear, h

?' whispered the court

were sad at heart fo

t had befallen Marinell, sh

said. 'Living or dead,

like the sweetest rose in the garden. A circlet of gold and jewels crowned her head. She mounted her sn

gh a lonely forest, a wicked robber saw her. He rode after her with his heavy boar-s

ff it flew, like the wind, with the thud of the other

d like the shining track of a shooting star. Her face

trees on her white palfrey, like a streak o

en hair flew beh

that he was real enough. They rode hard after him, and frightened

d ceased to follow her, she fancied that she heard his rough voice and the thu

s stride, it jerked the reins from out her ti

te palfrey that galloped where it would under the grey boughs of the forest, carrying a lady whose hair gleamed like gold in the light of the s

off his back and co

the tops of the tall trees in the valley Florimell saw a little blue curl of smoke. Glad at heart to

e to the door, the old woman was sitting on the dusty floor, busy with some of her evil magic. When she looked up and saw beautiful Florimell, with her golden hair, an

ng her face look like a lily in the dew, begged h

art. She told Florimell not to cry, and bade her sit down and rest. So Florimell sat down on the dusty floor and rested, as a little bird rests after a storm.

could not say a word, so much did she

frightened as his mother had been, and stared in wonder and in fear. But Florimel

d to do everything that he thought would please her. He would bring her from the woods the rosiest of the wild apples, and the prettiest of the wildflowers he

n until it was quite strong once more, at daybreak one morning she put its golden trappings on again and rode away. She

When they awoke and found her gone, they were furiously angry, and the witch's son was s

back, or else kill

ble beast like a hyena. Its back was speckled with a thous

me!' said the witch, 'or

long it saw Florimell on her whit

t as fast as the wind. As they came out of the forest, the beast's hot breath was close behind Florimell. And by that time her horse was so tired that its pace slackened. They had come to w

she thought, 'than be kille

, and while they dried he slept in the bottom of his littl

In a rage it fell upon the white palfrey and tore it in pieces, and was eating it when a good knight who knew Florimell passed that way. He knew that the white horse was Florimell's, so he attacked the beast, and cut

ad seen worn by Florimell. With this girdle he bound the beast, and led it after him like a dog. As he led it,

as like Florimell as she could. Its cheeks were rosy, like Florimell's, and she took two little burning lamps and put them in silver sockets, so that they looked just like Florimell's bright eyes. Her hair she made of the very finest golden wire. She dressed the image in some clothes that Florimell, in her flight, had left behind her, and round its waist she fastened Florimell's jewelled girdle.

hought the false Florimell so beautiful that he seized her and rode

great fright when he found himself far from the shore, and with a lovely lady beside him. But he was a very bad old man, and when he saw Florimell's fine jewels and beautiful clothes he thought he would rob her. He knoc

ay. He was an old man with long white hair and beard. Sometimes on a stormy day one may see

was very little life left in him. Then he lifted Florimell, all tearful and trembling, into his chariot. When she could only cry, he

ow rock at the bottom of the sea,

lorimell. 'I do not love you

ade himself look like a fairy knight, an

love Marinell,' still

elf into dreadful shapes-giants, and all sorts of animals and monsters. He went inside the waves, an

risoned her in

at, and then she will mar

nly Marinell. I am glad to suffer, bec

-flowers of scarlet and green, and had the gay little fi

voice coming out of her prison far beneath the sea, like th

hepherd had imprisoned a beautiful maiden in his darkest cave, and be

ree at last, and all h

le by the golden strand. Every beautiful lady and every brave knight in Fairyland was there. They had to

he was beaten by another brave knight. This knight had o

ld see the faces of the knights, for their helmets covered them. So when the wicked knight came forward, carrying the blazing shield, and preten

wered the knight. 'I would not fight f

one could answer him, the knight drew forwar

own beautiful bride that he loved so dearly, so exactl

e shield had been stolen

' he cried. 'Where is the sword you pretend

eding wounds, and every one knew that the wicked knight h

pointing at the image. 'It is a wicked fairy, who is a fit mate for this base

age, than the image melted away, and vanished altogether. Nothing of it was left but the girdle of gold and jewels that Florimell had lost on the day she escaped from the wit

d, lived happily ever after with her gallant hu

N GREAT B

LSON AND