Crippled Prince Brownie - (Illustrated Edition of World Children's Literature)

Author: (English) Malachy Craik
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: A minor disaster befell Dolor. Dolor was the most handsome prince in the world. People said that as a prince, Dolor was indeed the most handsome, and even among ordinary people, he was just as striking. When this little prince gazed at the candlelight, his eyes revealed a persistent inquisitiveness, which was truly rare among newborns. As for his nose, it was not yet large under his eyes, but it already seemed to be rising high. His skin was healthy and charmingly purple. In short, he was an extraordinary and adorable infant, and every person in the kingdom was proud of this outstanding prince, especially his parents—the King and Queen of Normansland. This couple had waited for ten years since their ascension to the throne. The birth of this handsome prince and heir to the throne was a great happiness and solace to both the King and Queen and to their subjects. In the entire kingdom, only one prince was melancholic, and that was the King's younger brother, the former heir apparent. If the little prince had not been born, the throne of this kingdom would one day belong to him. The King was always kind-hearted and even felt pity for his brother's current situation. Thus, he agreed to the Queen's request and granted the prince a territory equivalent to a county. The prince also put on a show of feigned joy, making us believe that he was truly overjoyed at the birth of the prince.
Currently, the royal palace is busy with the great event of the little prince's baptism. According to the royal customs, the King selected twelve pairs of godparents and godmothers for the little prince. Each of them was to give the prince a name and promise to support him wholeheartedly. When the prince reached the legal age, he would choose the name he liked the most from these and use it as his lifelong name. During this time, the entire kingdom was immersed in a festive atmosphere. The wealthy people donated generously to the poor; the mayors of the cities prepared lavish feasts for the workers, placing their wives' tea and snacks by the streets; and the children in the schools also enjoyed abundant milk and bread due to the birth of the little prince.
To speak of the Kingdom of Normansland, although I cannot point to its exact location on a map and have never read any records of it in any history book, I believe it is no different from our country or any other. The royal palace—naturally resembling any other palace in the world—is now in a frenzy of preparations for this grand event. The Queen's bedroom is the only quiet place in the palace; although the little prince is already six weeks old, the Queen has never left this room since his birth. No one has mentioned that the Queen is ill, though she is indeed feeling unwell. She would never mention it herself, preferring to lie in bed quietly to avoid causing trouble for others, and others rarely thought of her.
The people of the entire kingdom were busy praising this extraordinary little prince. Finally, the day of the baptism arrived, and the weather was just as perfect as the little prince himself. Everyone in the entire palace was dressed beautifully—or at least they thought so. The meticulous Queen thought of every single person, ensuring that everyone could wear new clothes on this day. Thus, from the court ladies to the poor little cook girl in the kitchen, they all believed they had made a grand entrance on this day.