The Blue Bird (fairy tale)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other literary works called The Blue Bird or L'Oiseau Bleu, see The Blue Bird.

The Blue Bird is a French literary fairy tale by Madame d'Aulnoy, collected by Andrew Lang in The Green Fairy Book.

It is Aarne-Thompson type 432, the prince as bird.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A wealthy king was unable to do anything but mourn the loss of his wife. A lady came to him, telling him that she had just lost her husband, and they lamented their losses together, and in time talked of other things, and then the king married her.

The king had a daughter named Fiordelisa. The queen also had a daughter from a prior marriage named Turritella, who was far less lovely than Fiordelisa. One day the king decided to marry them off. The queen insisted that her daughter must be the first to marry because she was older and, by her estimate, far more charming. The king agreed.

Soon, King Charming visited the kingdom. The queen dressed up Turritella and bribed Fiordelisa's ladies-in-waiting to steal all her dresses and jewels. Still, King Charming was taken with Fiordelisa and paid only her attention. The queen and Turritella badgered the king until he agreed to lock Fiordelisa up for the length of the visit, and attempted to blacken her character to the king.

The queen sent King Charming many gifts, including a token from the princess who desired him as her knight; when he heard it was Turritella, he rejected it. When the queen told him that Fiordelisa was locked in a tower until he left, he was outraged and said, after leaving the queen, that he wished to speak with Fiordelisa if only for minutes. The queen arranged a secret meeting with Turritella as if she were Fiordelisa, and the deceived king arranged to marry her.

Turritella asked to marry at the castle of the fairy Mazilla, her godmother, and Mazilla spoke of how difficult it would be to deceive the king. Although Turritella produced his ring at the wedding ceremony, he refused, and nothing that Turritella or Mazilla did persuaded him, until at last Mazilla threatened to make him do penance for seven years for breaking his promise, and he said he would do it. Mazilla turned him into a bluebird.

The queen, on hearing of the news, blamed Fiordelisa; she dressed Turritella as a bride and showed her to Fiordelisa, claiming that King Charming had agreed to marry her. She then persuaded the king that she was so infautated with King Charming that she had best remain in the tower until she came to her senses.

The Blue Bird flew to the tower and told her the truth. Over two years, he visited her often, bringing her rich gifts of jewels.

One day, the queen was annoyed when another prince refused to marry Turritella, saying that he would gladly marry Fiordelisa, and deciding that Fiordelisa was in league with them, went to visit her tower. She found Fiordelisa singing with the Blue Bird. Fiordelisa shut the window to let the Blue Bird escape, but the queen found her jewelry and guessed that she was receiving some kind of aid. The Blue Bird foiled the queen's plot to plant treasonable letters on Fiordelisa, but she sent a maid to spy on her.

For many days, Fiordelisa did not call the Blue Bird, but the spy slept soundly two nights, and she called him in safety, which led them to believe they were safe; the third night, the spy heard and told the queen, who had the fir tree where he perched covered with sharp edges, so that he was bitterly wounded, could not fly to her, and believed she had betrayed him.

A friend of the king's, an enchanter heard him lamenting and rushed to his aid, and took him away to live safely in a cage until the years were done.

Fiordelisa's father died, and the people of her kingdom demanded her release. When the queen resisted, they killed her, and Turritella had to flee to Mazilla. Queen Fiordelisa arranged the kingdom to be governed in her absence, and taking the jewelry King Charming had given her, left.

The enchanter persuaded Mazilla to release King Charming for a few months, after which, if he still refused Turritella, he would be turned back.

Fiordelisa met an old woman who proved to be another fairy, who told her that King Charming had his own form, and gave her four eggs to break when she had great need.

The first she used to climb a great hill of ivory; it held golden hooks that let her climb. The second contained a chariot pulled by doves that brought her to King Charming's castle, but she could not reach the king in her disguise. She offered to sell to Turritella the finest jewelry King Charming had given her, and Turritella showed it to King Charming to find out the proper price. He recognized it and was saddened. Turritella returned to Fiordelisa, who would sell them only for a night in the Chamber of Echo, which King Charming had told her of, one night: whatever she said in there would be heard in the king's room. She reproached him with leaving her and lamented all night long, but he had taken a sleeping potion, and did not hear.

She broke the third egg and found a tiny coach drawn by mice. Again, she traded it for the Chamber of Echoes, and lamented all the night long. The pages heard her.

The next day, she opened the last egg, and it held a pie with six birds, still singing. A page told her that it was good that the king took his sleeping potion, or she would keep him awake. She bribed him with other jewelry to ensure that the king did not drink it that night, and traded it for a third night. The king was awake, and they were united.

The enchanter and the fairy assured them that they could prevent Mazilla from harming them, and when Turritella attempted to interfere, they turned her into an owl.