The House of Joy

A long time ago there lived a King and a Queen, who had an only son. As soon as he was born his mother gave him to the foresterÕs wife to be nursed; for she herself had to wear her crown all day and had no time for nursing. The foresterÕs wife had just given birth to a little daughter of her own; but she loved both children equally and nursed them together like twins.

One night the Queen had a dream that made the half of her hair turn grey. She dreamed that she saw the Prince her son at the age of twenty lying dead with a wound over the place of his heart; and near him his foster-sister was standing, with a royal crown on her head, and his heart bleeding between her hands.

The next morning the Queen sent in great haste for the family Fairy, and told her of the dream. The Fairy said, ÒThis can have but one meaning, and it is an evil one. There is some danger that threatens your sonÕs life in his twentieth year, and his foster-sister is to be the cause of it; also, it seems she is to make herself Queen. But leave her to me, and I will avert the evil chance; for the dream coming beforehand shows that the Fates mean that he should be saved.Ó

The Queen said, ÒDo anything; only do not destroy the foresterÕs wifeÕs child, for as yet at least, she has done no wrong. Let her only be carried away to a safe place and made secure and treated well. I will not have my sonÕs happiness grow out of another oneÕs grave.Ó

The Fairy said, ÒNothing is so safe as a grave when the Fates are awake. Still, I think I can make everything quite safe within reason, and leave you a clean as well as a quiet conscience.Ó

The little Prince and the foresterÕs daughter grew up together till they were a year old; then, one day, when their nurse came to look for them, the Prince was found, but his foster-sister was lost; and though the search for her was long, she was never seen again, nor could any trace of her be found.

The baby Prince pined and pined, and was so sorrowful over her loss that they feared for a time that he was going to die. But his foster-mother, in spite of her grief over her own childÕs disappearance, nursed him so well and loved him so much that after a while he recovered his strength.

Then the foresterÕs wife gave birth to another daughter, as if to console herself for the loss of the first. But the same night that the child was born the Queen had just the same dream over again. She dreamed that she saw her son lying dead at the age of twenty; and there was the wound in his breast, and the foresterÕs daughter was standing by with his heart in her hand and a royal crown upon her head.

The poor QueenÕs hair had gone quite white when she sent again for the family Fairy, and told her how the dream had repeated itself. The Fairy gave her the same advice as before, quieting her fears, and assuring her that however persistent the Fates might be in threatening the PrinceÕs life, all in the end should be well.

Before another year was passed the second of the foresterÕs daughters had disappeared; and the Prince and his foster-mother cried themselves ill over a loss that had been so cruelly renewed. The Queen, seeing how great were the sorrow and the love that the Prince bore for his foster-sisters, began to doubt in her heart and say, ÒWhat have I done? Have I saved my sonÕs life by taking away his heart?Ó

Now every year the same thing took place, the foresterÕs wife giving birth to a daughter, and the Queen on the same night having the same fearful dream of the fate that threatened her son in his twentieth year; and afterwards the family Fairy would come, and then one day the foresterÕs wifeÕs child would disappear, and be heard of no more.

At last when nine daughters in all had been born to the foresterÕs wife and lost to her when they were but a year old, the Queen fell very ill. Every day she grew weaker and weaker, and the little Prince came and sat by her, holding her hand and looking at her with a sorrowful face. At last one night (it was just a year after the last of the foresterÕs children had disappeared) she woke suddenly, stretching out her arms and crying. ÒOh, Fairy,Ó she cried, Òthe dream, the dream!Ó And covering her face with her hands, she died.

The little Prince was now more than ten years old, and the very saddest of mortals. He said that there were nine sorrows hidden in his heart, of which it could not get rid; and that at night, when all the birds went home to roost, he heard cries of lamentation and pain; but whether these came from very far away, or out of his own heart he could not tell.

Yet he grew slenderly and well, and had such grace and tenderness in his nature that all who saw him loved him. His foster-mother, when he spoke to her of his nine sorrows, tried to comfort him, calling him her own nine joys; and, indeed, he was all the joy left in life for her.