Fairy Tales - 2. The Ugly Princess

Once upon a time there lived a little princess who was very beautiful. She was so gentle and kind and gracious that she almost glowed. Everyone who saw her smiled and felt happier, and almost everybody loved her. The people of the kingdom loved her. The men and women who worked in the castle loved her. The knights and the soldiers and even the visitors from far away lands loved her. The king, her father, loved her most of all.

Every day she was told how beautiful she was.

“You are the prettiest little girl in the world,” the people of the kingdom said.

“The sweetest angel, and so very kind,” said the men and women who worked in the castle.

“A treasure above all others,” remarked the visitors from far away lands.

“My pride and joy, the most beautiful creature in the world,” said the king, her father, who loved her most of all, and the little girl would hug him and kiss him.

But the queen, her mother, said nothing. Nobody told the queen that she was pretty. Nobody called her an angel, or a treasure, and the king never said she was the most beautiful creature in the world. In secret she grew jealous of the little princess and her beauty.

One day the queen heard of an old woman who lived in the mountains and who knew many secrets and the ways magic. And so she journeyed far over the land, through the towns of the people, across the bridge over the river, and through the woods to the foot of the mountains. There she found the hut of the old magic woman, with the old woman herself standing just outside. The hut was old and dirty, and the woman was dressed in rags.

“My daughter the princess is very beautiful,” the queen said, “but everyone treats her like such a treasure that I am afraid she will grow up very spoilt and selfish.”

“I have just the thing,” the old woman said, and she went into her hut. In a few minutes she returned, holding a beautiful mirror. It was framed in delicately crafted bronze and its surface was clear and smooth.

“Look closely, your highness,” said the old woman, “And you will see this is no ordinary mirror.”

And so the queen bent down and peered into the mirror, and shrieked. She could see a woman dressed in beautiful, royal robes but who looked so ugly and wretched and cruel that the queen shuddered. The ugly woman in the mirror shuddered too. And at last the queen understood that the hideous woman was herself.

“Thank you,” the queen said, and she took the magic mirror from the old woman, “You will be well rewarded.”

And so the queen journeyed back to the castle.

The next week was the little princess’ birthday, and all the men and women of the kingdom came to the castle to bring her presents. She was given gifts of gold, of precious stones, and jewelry. She received servants and puppies and ponies and many beautiful dresses. She was given everything a little princess could possible desire.

That night, when all the castle was preparing for bed, the queen came to her room with her own gift for the princess.

“Oh, it’s lovely!” the princess said when she saw the mirror. “Thank you so much, mother!”

“You’re very welcome,” said the queen.

“Oh!” the little princess cried. “But who is that horrible little girl in the mirror, mother? The one who looks so cruel and ugly?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” the queen replied, “There is only your own reflection, dear.”

“Is it really me?” the girl asked. Her face was very white and pale. “I don’t believe it!”

“Go to sleep, darling,” the queen said, “You will feel better in the morning.”

But the little princess did not sleep at all. She lay in her bed, thinking of the horrible sight in the mirror. It could not be real! She waited until she could not stand it any longer, and then leapt from the bed and rushed to the mirror to prove to herself that it had all been a nightmare. But the image in the mirror was always the same. If anything, it looked more hideous than she remembered. And so she fled back to her bed and wept, until she grew convinced again she had been dreaming and rushed back to the mirror again to check.

And so on and so on, throughout the night.

And in the morning, when the sun crept in through the windows of her room, the princess looked at herself in the mirror and said, “I am ugly.” And she got dressed and went about her day.

“You are the prettiest little girl in the world,” the people of the kingdom said when they saw her, but the little princess squeaked and ran away.

“The sweetest angel, and so very kind,” said the men and women of the castle, but the little princess hid her face in shame.

“A treasure above all others,” said the visitors from far away lands, but the little princess stamped her foot and wept.

“The most beautiful creature in the world,” said the king, her father, who loved her most of all. But the little princess did not hug him or kiss him, but pushed him away and ran back to her room in tears.

“How cruel they all are to tell such lies,” the little princess said to her reflection in the mirror.

And so the little princess did not go out of her room any more. She didn’t visit the people, or hug or kiss her father. She stayed in her room all day and night, looking in her mirror.

One day the little princess heard of an old woman who lived in the mountains and who knew many secrets and the ways of magic. “Maybe, just maybe,” the little princess thought, “she could make me beautiful again.” And so she set off on a journey to the mountains, leaving the castle, and the knights and the soldiers, and the visitors from far off lands, and the king, her father, who loved her most of all. She left them all far, far behind.

She passed through a little town where the people had never seen the king or the queen or the princess before. But when the people saw the princess coming, she looked so beautiful and noble that they knew at once who she was. They came out of their houses and lined the streets to see her. But when she came near, they were so awed by her beauty that they bowed their heads in respect.

“I knew it,” the little princess said to herself, “they cannot bear to look at how ugly I am.”

And she passed through the town without saying a word.

She came to the bridge that crossed the mighty river. There was a little man who lived by the bridge and tended it and who helped travelers across.

“The bridge can be treacherous and slippery,” the little man said to the princess, “Please let me help you to the other side.”

“Thank you,” the little princess said, and held out her hand for him to take.

And the little man looked at his own hands, which were dirty and coarse, and not at all suited to touch the lovely, clean hands of a beautiful princess. So he took out a clean kerchief and wrapped it about his hand, and then he gently took the hand of the little princess and guided her carefully across the mighty river.

And the little princess thought, “I am so ugly he could not even bear to touch me.”

And she left the little man and the bridge without saying a word.

She walked through the woods, which were full of creatures. She saw deer frolicking, and hear birds singing, and watched squirrels leap from tree to tree. The she heard a deep, scary growling, and she turned to see a fearsome, terrible lion. The little princess grew very frightened and began to tremble.

But the lion was so impressed by the little girl’s beauty that he lost his appetite and began to feel bad for her. He bowed deeply to the princess with respect, then turned and wandered off into the forest.

“Oh,” the little princess cried, “I am even too ugly to eat!”

And she walked through the forest without saying a word.

At last she reached the foot of the mountains and the hut of the old magic woman. The hut was large and spacious, and decorated very elegantly. The old woman herself was standing outside, dressed in very fancy clothes.

“Please, please, help me,” the little princess cried. She fell to her knees before the old woman and begged.

“My dear child,” the old magic woman replied, “What is the matter?”

The princess wept. “I am ugly,” she said, “I’m so very, very ugly. Please, can you make me pretty?”

The old woman was confused. “What are you talking about, my dear?”

“Please,” the princess begged, “I cannot bear to look at myself anymore!”

And then the old magic woman remembered the queen and the magic mirror and her heart broke. “My dear, dear child. You are not ugly at all. You are a very beautiful princess.”

“Do not lie to me, old woman, please,” the princess said, “I have seen myself many times in the mirror.”

“Come,” the old woman said, “I will show you.”

And she went into her hut for a few moments and returned with a plain, simple looking mirror.

“Here we are,” the old woman said. “This is just an ordinary mirror. It has no magic in it.”

The little princess took it from her nervously.

“Now, what do you see?” the old woman asked.

The little girl stared at the mirror. She stared so hard her eyes began to hurt. She stared and stared and stared and stared.

But she could only see an ugly princess, no matter how hard she looked.