Long ago, when there were still many kingdoms and dukedoms and earldoms in the world, there was a king who lived in an old castle in the middle of a wild and mountainous country. His name was King Richard, and he was not a happy man. His queen had died young, and he was left to took after their five daughters alone. Fate had not given him son, and this was another great sorrow for him.
King Richard knew nothing about raising children, so when his daughters were old enough to leave the nursery, he sent for his sister to teach the five girls to behave as princesses should. Aunt Michtilde was forbidding old lady; she was very stiff and very, very formal. She showed the girls how to curtsy, how to nod, and how to use their fans properly. She instructed them to say, "Yes, Your Majesty," and "No, Your Majesty," in a submissive voice, and -most important -to keep quite at the dinner table, a very difficult thing indeed. The girls were allowed to dine with their father only on Sundays, for he was a very busy king. And even then Aunt Michtilde surveyed their manners with an eagle eye.
The youngest daughter, however, was excluded from this strict training and from the dinner ceremony. Her name was Rosalinda, and aunt Michtilde found her a most stubborn and disobedient child - she simply would not behave. And so she was entrusted to the care of an old nurse, who spoiled her quite dreadfully.
Rosalinda, who called herself Linda because she found her name much too long, spent her days running through the large gardens and exploring the rooms of the castle. She spied on the aristocratic guest who visited her father, and then made the cooks and maids scream with laughter at her droll imitations. When nobody was looking, she slid down the ornamental banisters that lined the staircase -from the very top if the turret to the very bottom of the big marble entrance hall. Oh, it was glorious fun.
But Linda always took great care to stay out of King Richard's sight. Long ago her nurse had told her that the king was angry because she was a girl. He had hoped so much for the fifth child to be a little prince, that he wanted nothing to do with yet anther daughter.
King Richard saw his youngest child so seldom that, in time, he almost believed he had but four daughters. For were quite enough, he thought. The search for acceptable suitors was an overwhelming task for a busy, unhappy king.
When the eldest girl came of age, the king gave a ball in their honor. He hoped to have at least one of his daughters married by the end of the year. But four years and four balls went by, and not one candidate had come forward to woo one of his four daughters. What could be wrong? The princesses all had candidate, regular features. For each ball they were attired in silk and brocade, and their thick braids -coiled around their heads - were decorated with glittering jewels. What was lacking?
Every year Linda watched the festivities through a secret little window. But instead showing compassion for her neglected sisters, she laughed and made fun of theme. "You are much too stiff and much too formal!" she said. "You never even smile." And she would laugh again and imitate theri wooden expressions and their proper curtsies.
Another year passed, and another ball was to be held. Linda had grown tall and lanky; she was sixteen now, and she was still full of mischief. One week before the dance she told her old nurse of a plan she had devised. She coaxed and begged for assistance, and although her nurse was horrified at first, she let Linda have her way, as usual.
First she made Linda a velvet suit, just perfect for a young gentleman. Then she cut off Linda's unruly braids and snipped and trimmed until the hair was cut in the latest man's fashion. Linda added to the costume a green felt hat with feathers, s flowing cape, a glittering sword. Then she practiced in front of a large mirror until she could sit and stand, bow and dance like the most elegant of the young gentlemen she had observed. She capered about for hours, enjoying herself hugely and bringng teras of laughter to her nurse's eyes.
On the night of the ball, the dancing had just begun when a new arrival was announced. The Prince of Livonia!
Livonia? No one had ever heard of such a place. People craned their necklace to see. The prince was a handsome young man, self-assured, proud, and a bit arrogant; he wore a small mask over his eyes. A mystery! At last, something to break a monotony of this tiresome ball.
The prince dance first with the eldest daughter Miranda. He was visibly courting her, but to the curious guest it seemed a most unusual conversation. The princess laughed at everything he whispered in her ear! Then the prince danced with each of the other three princesses -with Tatiana, with Elfrieda, with Doarda -and each time with the same result: he made them laugh out loud. Though they tried hard to smoother their giggles and now and then looked stealthily to see if their father and aunt were angry, they could not sop their unseemly behavior.
The other young gentlemen in the hall, who had been thoroughly bored with the formal ball and the dull princesses, begun to wonder whether the king's daughters were as serious as they looked. In five years they had not been able to win even one small smile from the princesses, but this upstart from Livonia had succeeded at once! What did that strange fellow whisper into their ears? One after the other they jealously asked for a privilege of a dance.
From his throne King Richard watched the proceedings with growing amazement. Never had he seen his daughter s so animated, so lively, so . . . noisy. Aunt Michtilde choked with indignation and had to be carried away, but the king found - to his great surprise -that he was enjoying himself immensely. But when in heaven's name was causing all this merriment?
The dancers wanted to know, too, but each time they asked their partners, the princesses could only giggle, and blush, and stumble. The young en had to hold them closer for fear they might fall. Never before had such a spectacle been in the palace.
The Prince from Livonia still danced -now with the on, now with another princess -and after each dance the gaiety rose higher, till at last everybody had to join n the laughter. And without really knowing why, the people became so merry, and the dancing so lively, that not four but eight young men fell in love with the four princesses. Two suitors for each daughter! Another dilemma. king Richard rubbed his beard thoughtfully.
But the Prince of Livonia had a suggestion, " Your Majesty," he said, bowing very low, "allow all the suitors to visit your court; then let the princesses decide for themselves."
"A wise decision," agreed the king. "You are a very clever young man." There was cheering and singing from the guests. "One more thing I should very like much to know," continued the king. "What did you say that made my daughters so merry? I've never known them to be anything but serious."
To everyone's astonishment, the Prince of Livonia climbed the few steps up to the throne and whispered something in King Richard's ear. The king's face was indeed a picture to be hold. First he opened his eyes wide in surprise, then he grinned from ear to ear, and then he laughed until his royal belly shook so much that he had to hold it fast with both hands. This sight was so ridiculous, that the whole company burst into laughter, too. Dancing started all over again and only stopped in the early hours of the morning. By that time everyone was too tired to ask any more questions.
The four princesses were married three months later- all on the same day. It was a holiday for the entire kingdom, and the Prince of Livonia and Aunt Mechtilde were the only one who missed the celebration. But arm in arm with old King Richard stood Princess Rosalinda, smiling mischievously and waving to all of her subjects. Everyone agreed that she promised to become the dearest and loveliest of King Richard's five daughters.
That she was also the cleverest, only the King knew.
THE END
Source: CRICKET the magazine for children
Volume 3 Number 5
Copyright January 1976
Published by: Open Court Publishing Company
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