The Story of Pretty Goldilocks

Once upon a time there was a princess who was the prettiest creature in the world. And because she was so beautiful, and because her hair was like the finest gold, and waved and rippled nearly to the ground, she was called Pretty Goldilocks. She always wore a crown of flowers, and her dresses were embroidered with diamonds and pearls, and everybody who saw her fell in love with her.

Now one of her neighbors was a young king who was not married. He was very rich and handsome, and when he heard all that was said about Pretty Goldilocks, though he had never seen her, he fell so deeply in love with her that he could neither eat nor drink.

So he decided to send an ambassador to ask her to marry him. He had a splendid carriage made for his ambassador, and gave him more than a hundred horses and a hundred servants, and told him to be sure to bring the Princess back with him.

After he had left, nothing else was talked about at court, and the King felt so sure that the Princess would say yes that he set his people to work on pretty dresses and splendid furniture, so that everything would be ready when she came.

Meanwhile, the ambassador arrived at the Princess’s palace and delivered his little message. But whether she happened to be cross that day, or whether the compliment did not please her, is not known. She only answered that she was very much obliged to the King, but she had no wish to be married.

The ambassador set off sadly on his way home, bringing all the King’s presents back with him. The Princess was too well brought up to accept the pearls and diamonds when she would not accept the King, so she had only kept twenty-five English pins so that he would not be upset.

When the ambassador reached the city, where the King was waiting impatiently, everybody was very annoyed with him for not bringing the Princess, and the King cried like a baby, and nobody could comfort him.

Now there was at the court a young man, who was more clever and handsome than anyone else. He was called Charming, and everyone loved him, except for a few jealous people who were angry that he was the King’s favorite and knew all the state secrets.

One day he happened to be with some people who were talking about the ambassador’s return and saying that his visit to the Princess had not done much good, when Charming said rashly:

“If the King had sent me to the Princess Goldilocks, I am sure she would have come back with me.”

His enemies at once went to the King and said:

“You will hardly believe, sire, what Charming has the nerve to say—that if he had been sent to the Princess Goldilocks she would certainly have come back with him. He seems to think that he is so much handsomer than you that the Princess would have fallen in love with him and followed him willingly.” The King was very angry when he heard this.

“Ha, ha!” said he. “Does he laugh at my unhappiness, and think himself more charming than I am? Go, and let him be locked up in my great tower to starve.”

So the King’s guards went to fetch Charming, who had thought no more of his rash speech, and carried him off to prison very cruelly. The poor prisoner had only a little straw for his bed, and if it had not been for a little stream of water that flowed through the tower, he would have died of thirst.

One day when he was in despair, he said to himself:

“How have I offended the King? I am his most faithful subject, and have done nothing against him.”

The King happened to be passing the tower and recognized the voice of his former favorite. He stopped to listen in spite of Charming’s enemies, who tried to persuade him to have nothing more to do with the traitor. But the King said:

“Be quiet, I want to hear what he says.”

Then he opened the tower door and called to Charming, who came very sadly and kissed the King’s hand, saying:

“What have I done, sire, to deserve this cruel treatment?”

“You mocked me and my ambassador,” said the King, “and you said that if I had sent you for the Princess Goldilocks you would certainly have brought her back.”

“It is quite true, sire,” replied Charming. “I would have drawn such a picture of you, and described your good qualities in such a way, that I am certain the Princess would have found you irresistible. But I cannot see what there is in that to make you angry.”

The King could not see any reason to be angry either when he thought about it that way, and he began to frown very fiercely at the courtiers who had misrepresented his favorite.