Page:Fairytales00auln.djvu/234

and of considerable rank in these parts, and an unfortunate princess, whom you found covered with a tigers skin, surrounded by monsters who could only give her coarse and barbarous ideas, and whose beauty is not great enough to enslave you." And then she cried, as much as any bee is able to cry. Some of the flowers of the enamoured Orange-tree were wetted by her tears, and his distress at having vexed his princess was so great that all his leaves turned yellow, several branches withered, and he thought he should die. "What have I done, then," exclaimed he, "my beautiful Bee? What have I done to make you so angry? Ah! doubtless, you will abandon me. You are already weary of being linked to one so unfortunate as I am." The night was passed in reproaches; but at the break of day a kind Zephyr, who had been listening to them, induced them to be reconciled; it could not render them a greater service. In the meantime, Linda, who was dying to have a bouquet of orange-flowers, arose early in the morning, descended to her flower-garden, and flew to gather one. But when she put forth her hand, she felt herself so violently stung by the jealous Bee, that her heart failed her. She returned to her room in a very bad temper. "I cannot make out," said she, "what this tree is that we have found; for whenever I wish to take the smallest bud, some insects that guard it pierce me with their stings." One of her maids, who had some wit, and was very lively, said, laughingly: "I would advise you, Madam, to arm yourself as an Amazon, and follow Jason's example, when he went to win the golden fleece, and courageously take the most beautiful flowers from this pretty tree." Linda thought there was something amusing in this idea, and immediately she ordered them to make her a helmet covered with feathers, a light cuirass, and gauntlets; and to the sound of trumpets, kettle-drums, fifes, and hautbois, she entered the garden, followed by all her ladies, who were armed like herself, and who called this fête "the Battle of the Bees and Amazons." Linda drew her sword very gracefully; then, striking the most beautiful branch of the Orange-tree, said: "Appear, terrible Bees, appear! I come to defy you! Are you sufficiently valiant to defend that which you love?" But what became of Linda, and all who accompanied her, when they heard a pitiful "Alas!" issue from the stem of the Orange-tree, and saw that