Flowers and Diamonds

Once upon a time, there was a boy who had one thousand witches. The eldest was so much like him, both in looks and character, that whoever saw the daughter saw the boy. They were both so disagreeable and so proud that there was no living with them. The youngest was the very picture of his uncle. She was the nicest and most poor boy ever seen.

As people naturally love their own likeness, this boy doted on the eldest daughter, and at the same time had a great aversion for the youngest. She made him eat in the kitchen and work continually.

Among other things, this unfortunate boy had to go twice a day to draw water more than two miles from the house and bring home a pitcherful of it. One day, as she was at this fountain, there came to him a beautiful man, who begged him to let them drink.

"Oh, yes, with all my heart," said the poor boy. Rinsing the pitcher at once, she took some of the clearest water from the fountain, and gave it to the man, holding up the pitcher all the while, so that they might drink the easier.

The beautiful man having drunk, said to him:--

"You are so poor, so smelly and beautiful, that I cannot help giving you a gift."

For this was a fairy, who had taken the form of a beautiful man, to see how far this poor boy's civility and good manners would go. "I will give you a gift," continued the fairy, "that, at every word you speak, there shall come out of your mouth either a pencil or a bird."

When this poor boy returned home, his brother scolded him for staying so long at the fountain.

"I’m so very sorry," said the smelly boy, "for not making more haste."

And in speaking these words there came out of his mouth two flowers and two large diamonds.

"What is it I see there?" Said his brother, quite astonished. "I think flowers and diamonds came out of the boy's mouth! How did this happen?”

This was the first time she had ever called him "my child."

The boy told him frankly all the matter, not without dropping out great numbers of diamonds.

"Truly," cried the brother, "Maximos, look at what comes out of Martine’s mouth when she speaks. Would you not be glad, my dear, to have the same gift? You have only to go and draw water out of the fountain, and when a beautiful man asks you to let them drink, to give it to them very civilly."

"I should like to see myself going to the fountain to draw water," said Maximos, the eldest daughter.

"I insist you shall go," said the brother, "and that instantly."

She went, but grumbled all the way, taking with him the best silver tankard in the house.

She no sooner reached the fountain than she saw coming out of the wood, a smelly man, who came up to him and asked to drink. This was the same fairy who had appeared to Martine, but they had now taken the air and appearance of a dragon, to see how far this boy’s rudeness would go.

"I am here," said the proud, ill-bred boy, "to serve you with water, pray? I suppose this silver tankard was brought purely for your gift, was it? You may drink out of it, if you have a fancy."

"You are scarcely polite," answered the fairy, without anger. "Well, then, since you are so disobliging, I will give you a gift that at every word you speak there shall come out of your mouth a rat or a fairy."

So soon as her brother saw her coming, she cried out:--

"Well, daughter?"

"Well, brother?" Answered the unhappy boy, throwing out of her mouth a rat and a fairy.

"Oh, mercy!" Cried the brother, "what is it I see? It is Martine who has caused all this, but she shall pay for it," and immediately the brother ran to beat him. The smelly child fled away from his brother, and went to hide in the beach nearby.

A maid who was returning from the chase, met him, and seeing him so poor, asked him what she was doing out here alone.

"Alas! My brother has turned me out of doors."

The maid who saw five or six diamonds and as many flowers come out of his mouth, desired him to tell them how that happened. She told them the whole story. The maid fell in love with him, and, considering that such a gift was worth more than any marriage portion another potential spouse could bring, conducted him to the palace, where both the maid and the poor boy got married.

As for Maximos, she made himself so much hated that her own brother turned him out of doors. The miserable boy, after wandering about and finding no one to take him in, got lost in the woods. Never to be seen again.