by A. A. Milne
THE KING'S SONS
_"Tell me a story," said Margery._
_"What sort of a story?"_
_"A fairy story, because it's Christmas-time."_
_"But you know all the fairy stories."_
_"Then tell me a new fairy story."_
_"Right," I said._
Once upon a time there was a King who had three sons. The eldest son wasa very thoughtful youth. He always had a reason for everything he did,and sometimes he would say things like "Economically it is to theadvantage of the State that----" or "The civic interests of thecommunity demand that----" before doing something specially horrid. Hedidn't want to be unkind to anybody, but he took what he called a "largeview" of things; and if you happened to ask for a third help ofplum-pudding he took the large view that you would be sorry about itnext morning--and so you didn't have your plum-pudding. He was calledPrince Proper.
The second son was a very wise youth. You couldn't catch him anyhow. Ifyou asked him whether he knew the story of the three wells, or "Why doesa chicken cross the road?" or anything really amusing like that, hewould always say, "Oh, I heard that _years_ ago!"--and whenever youbegan "Adam and Eve and Pinchme" he would pinch you at once withoutwaiting like a gentleman until you had got to the end of the verse. Hewas called Prince Clever.
And the third son was just wonderfully beautiful. He had the mostmarvellously pink cheeks and long golden hair that you have ever seen. Idon't much care for that style myself, but in the country in which helived it was admired more than I can tell you. He was called PrinceGoldenlocks. I'll give you three guesses why.
Now the King had reigned a long time, so long that he was tired of beingking, and he often used to wonder which of his sons ought to succeedhim. Of course, nowadays they never wonder, and the eldest son becomesking at once, and quite right too; but in those days it was generallyleft to the sons to prove which among themselves was the most worthy.Sometimes they would all be sent out to find the magic Dragon's Tooth,and only one would come back alive, which would save a lot of trouble;or else, after a lot of discussion, they would be told to go and findbeautiful Princesses for themselves, and the one which brought back themost beautiful Princess--but very often that would lead to anotherdiscussion. The best way of all was to call in a Fairy to help. A Fairyhas all sorts of tricks for finding out about you, and her favouriteplan is to pretend to be something else and see what you do.
So the King called in a Fairy and said, "To-morrow I am sending out mythree sons into the world to seek their fortune. I want you to test themfor me and find out which is the most fitted to succeed to my throne. Ifit _should_ happen to be Prince Goldenlocks--but, of course, I don'twant to influence you in any way."
"Leave it to me," said the Fairy. "You agree, no doubt, that the qualitymost desirable in a king is love and kindliness----"
"Y-yes," said the King doubtfully.
"I was sure of it. Well, I have a way of putting this quality to thetest which has never yet failed." And with that she vanished. She couldhave gone out at the door quite easily, but she preferred to vanish.
I expect you know what her way was. You have read about it often in yourfairy books. On the next day, as Prince Proper was coming along theroad, she appeared suddenly in front of him in the shape of a poor oldwoman.
"Please give me something to buy a crust of bread, pretty gentleman,"she pleaded. "I'm starving."
Prince Proper looked at her sternly.
"Economically," he said, "it is to the advantage of the State that thesubmerged classes should be a charge on the State itself and not onindividuals. The civic interests of the community demand thatpromiscuous charity should be sternly discouraged. Surely you see thatfor yourself?"
The Fairy didn't quite. The language had taken her by surprise. In allher previous adventures of this kind, two of the young Princes hadrefused her roughly, and the third had shared his last piece of breadwith her. This adventure was going all wrong.
"Let me explain it to you more fully," went on Proper, and for an hourand twenty-seven minutes he did so. Then he went on his way, leaving adazed Fairy behind him.
By and by Prince Clever came along. Suddenly he saw a poor old woman infront of him.
"Please give me something to buy a crust of bread," she pleaded. "I'mstarving."
Prince Clever burst into a roar of laughter.
"You don't catch _me_," he said. "I've read about this a _hundred_times. You're not an old woman at all; you're a Fairy."
"W-what do you mean?" she stammered.
"This is a silly test of Father's. Well, you can tell him he's got _one_son who's clever enough to see through him." And he went on his way.
By and by Prince Goldenlocks came along. I need not say that he did allthat you would expect of a third and youngest son who had pink cheeks,long golden hair, and (as I ought to have said before) a very lovingnature. He shared his last piece of bread with the poor old woman....
(Surely he will get the throne!)
But the Fairy was an honest Fairy. She did understand Proper's point ofview; she had to admit that, if Clever saw through her deception, it washonourable of him to have said so. And though, of course, her lovingheart was all for Prince Goldenlocks, she felt that it would not be fairto award the throne to him without a further trial. So she did anotherthing that she was very fond of doing. She changed herself into a prettylittle dove and--right in front of Prince Proper--she flew with a hawkin pursuit of her. "_Now_ we shall see," she said to herself, "which ofthe three youths has the softest heart."
You can guess what Proper said.
"Life," he said, "is one constant battle. Nature," he said, "isruthless, and the weakest must go to the wall. If I kill the hawk," hesaid, "I am kind to the dove, but am I," he said, and I think there wasa good deal in this--"am I kind to the caterpillar or whatever it isthat the dove eats?" Of course, you know, there _is_ that to be thoughtof. Anyhow, after soliloquizing for forty-seven minutes Prince Properwent on his way; and by and by Prince Clever came along.
You can guess what Clever said.
"My whiskers!" he said, "this is older than the last. I knew this in mycradle." With one of those nasty sarcastic laughs that I hate so much hewent on his way; and by and by Prince Goldenlocks came along.
(Now then, Goldenlocks, the throne is almost yours!)
You can guess what Goldenlocks said.
"Poor little dove," he said. "But I can save its life."
Rapidly he fitted an arrow to his bow and with careful aim let fly atthe pursuing hawk....
I say again that Prince Goldenlocks was the most beautiful youth youhave ever seen in your life, and he had a very loving nature. But he wasa poor shot.
He hit the dove....
_"Is that all?" said Margery._
_"That's all," I said. "Good night."_
