At these words Ariel was on the point of making himself known, but he dared not do it yet. "If I terrify this lady whom I love," he said; "if she fears me, she will never love me." This thought made him keep silence, and induced him to retire into a corner of the grotto.The princess, thinking she was alone, called for Abricotine, and told her the wonders of the animated statue, whose voice was so heavenly, and that in her swoon Arjel had tended her so well."What a pity," she said, "that this spirit is deformed and hideous, for could anyone have more gracious and pleasant manners?""And who told you," said Abricotine, "that he is as you imagine him to be? Did not Psyche think that love was a serpent? Your adventure is something like hers. You are no less beautiful. If it were Cupid that loved you, would you not love him?""If Cupid and the unknown were the same," said the princess, blushing, "alas! I would indeed love Cupid. But how far I am from such happiness! I am following a chim
"Ayos lang ba yong kwento?""Yon lang po ba? May iba ka pa ho bang kwento hehe?" Sabi nong batang nasa gitna."Gusto pa po naming makinig." Saad naman nong isa.My god, mauubos yata laway ko nito sa kakakwento eh."Okay sige. Narinig niyo na ba ang kwento na ang pamagat ay the blue bird?" Umiling naman silang tatlo."There was once upon a time a king who was very rich in lands and money. When his wife died he was inconsolable, and for eight whole days he shut himself up in a little room, and knocked his head against the wall, so desperate was he.They feared lest he should kill himself, and they therefore put mattresses between the tapestry and the wall, so that however hard he might strike his head, he could do himself no harm. All his subjects planned amongst themselves to go and see him, and to say everything they could think of as likely to comfort him in his sorrow. Some of them made up grave and serious speeches; others again went with cheerful, even gay words on their tongues,
Now the day of their escape being fixed, the king came to take the princess away in a flying chaise, drawn by winged frogs, which one of his friends, a wizard, had made him a present of. The night was very dark. Truitonne crept out of a little door with great mystery, and the king, who was waiting for her, received her in his arms and swore eternal faithfulness to her. But as he had no desire to go flying through the air in this chaise for ever so long without marrying the princess whom he loved, he asked her when she would like their wedding to take place.She told him that she had for god-mother a very celebrated fairy called Soussio, and that she wished to go and visit her at her castle, Although the king did not know the way, he had nothing to do but tell his big frogs to take them there, for they knew the chart of the whole world, and in no time they landed the king and Truitonne at Soussio's dwelling.The castle was so brilliantly lighted that there the king would have found out
"Do I in truth see you again, my princess?" he cried. "Can I taste such perfect happiness and not die for joy? But, alas! how my joy is troubled by your captivity, and at the shape into which Soussio has changed me for seven years.""And who are you, you charming bird?" said the princess, caressing him."You call me by my name," said the king, "and you pretend not to know me!""What!" said the princess. "The little bird in my hand is King- Charming!""Alas! fair Florine, it is but too true," he replied. "And if anything could console me it is that I have preferred to suffer this rather than give up my love for you.""For me!" said Florine. "Ah! do not seek to deceive me. I know, I know that you have married Truitonne. I recognised the ring on her finger as yours. I saw her sparkling with the diamonds you had given her. She came to insult me in my sad captivity, wearing a grand crown and royal mantle that she got from you; and all the while I was laden with chains and irons.""You saw
This voice, so unexpected, frightened the queen to such a degree that she did not dare to do what she had intended."You see, madam," said the princess, "that the spirits of the air are my friends.""I believe," answered the queen, beside herself with anger, "that you have the demons on your side, but in spite of them your father will know how to right himself.""Heaven grant," cried Florine, "that I may never have worse to fear than my father's wrath! Yours, madam, is more terrible."The queen left her in great trouble at all she had seen and heard, and took counsel as to what she should do to defeat the princess. They told her that if some fairy or some enchanter had taken her under their protection, it would only irritate them to torment her further, and it would he best to try to discover her secret.The queen approved of this suggestion, and sent a young girl to sleep in her room, who played the part of an innocent, and by her orders told Florine she had come for the purpose of w
The infinite care that was taken of her health, and her strong desire to go in search of Blue Bird, helped to cure her, and before long she felt well enough to nominate a council to take charge of the kingdom in her absence. Then choosing out jewels to the value of an immense sum, she set out one night quite alone, without letting anyone know where she was goingThe enchanter who was looking after King Charming's affairs, not being powerful enough to undo all that Soussio had done, determined to go and find her, and to propose to her some arrangement by means of which the king would have his natural shape restored to him. Taking the frogs, he flew to the fairy, who at that moment was speaking with Truitonne.There is not very much difference between an enchanter and a fairy. These two had known each other for five or six hundred years, and in that space of time they had had a hundred quarrels and made them up again. She received him very kindly."Well, and what does my comrade want?"
"My name is Mie Souillon," she answered; "I come from a long way off to sell you rarities." Then she rummaged in her sack and drew out the emerald bracelets that King Charming had given her."Ho, ho!" said Truitonne; "these are pretty bits of glass. Will you have a five sou piece for them?""Show them to those who know their value, madam," said the queen, "and then we can make our bargain."Truitonne, who loved the king more tenderly than such a monster seemed capable of, was delighted to find opportunities of speaking to him, and approaching his throne, showed him the bracelets, and asked him what he thought of them. At sight of them he called to mind those he had given to Florine, and grew pale, sighed, and remained long without answering a word. At length, fearing lest they should notice evidences of the conflicting thoughts within him, he made an effort, and answered: "These bracelets are worth, I should think, as much as my kingdom. I thought there was but one such pair in the wo
"Ate wala ka bang alam na kwento yong may enchanted po?""Enchanted? Meron may alam ako enchanted canary, gusto niyo ba marinig?""Opo!""Once upon a time, in the reign of King Cambrinus, there lived at Avesnes one of his lords, who was the finest man—by which I mean the fattest—in the whole country of Flanders. He ate four meals a day, slept twelve hours out of the twenty-four, and the only thing he ever did was to shoot at small birds with his bow and arrow.Still, with all his practice he shot very badly, he was so fat and heavy, and as he grew daily fatter, he was at last obliged to give up walking, and be dragged about by others, and the people made fun of him, and gave him the name of my Lord Tubby.Now, the only trouble that Lord Tubby had was about his son, whom he loved very much, although they were not in the least alike, for the young Prince was as thin as a cuckoo. And what vexed him more than all was, that though the young ladies throughout all his lands did their best to
May biglang kumatok sa pintuan kaya naitulak ko siya at mabilis naman akong tumayo pero medyo napadaing pa ako dahil sumakit itong likod ko."S-Sino yan?" Nauutal kong tanong sa kumatok. Binuksan ni James yong pituan at wala namang tao.Napakagat naman ako ng labi dahil nanggigilgil ako don sa kumatok. Panira ng moment eh, bwes*t!Nagkatingan kami ni James pero ako na mismo ang umiwas dahil nahihiya akong tignan sya sa mata lalo na napapatingin den talaga ako sa labi niya at naaalala ko lang ang nangyaring pag halik niya sa akin.Tumikhim ako bago nagsalita. "A-Asan ba yong tubig ko? Diba inutusan kita kumuha ng t-tubig?" Nautal pa talaha ako hayst, masyado kang nagpapahalata na kinakabahan ka Vee! Pano ba naman eh, sinulyapan niya ako at tinignan saglit sa mata.Napakamot siya sa ulo niya bago nagsalita. "Ano kase... nakalimutan ko." Saad nito kaya napakunot ang noo ko kase di ako makapaniwala na nakalimutan niya eh, tanging tubig lang naman inutos ko sakanya!"Vee yong kanina nga pa
Inirapan ko siya. "Meron naman talaga akong binila ah, Ito oh." Sabay abot sakin ng isang maliit paper bag."Ano yan?" Taka kong tinignan yong paper bag, binigay niya 'yon sakin kaya tinignan ko rin naman ito."Para sakin ba to?""Hindi." Kumunot naman ang noo ko dahil sa sagot niya."Bwes*t ka di ba't mo pa binigay sakin kung ganon ha!" Nag expect pa naman ako ng kunti kainis, mabuti nalang talaga di ako ngumiti kase nakakahiya kung ganon. Akala ko para sakin hayst!"Hindi ko naman binigay ah, inabot ko lang sayo para malaman mo ang laman niyan baka kasw ayaw mo maniwala na may binili ako." Saad nito pero tinignan ko lang siya ng masama.Kinuha niya pabalik yong paper bag at kinuha ang laman ni. In-open niya at nakita ko na isang kwentas 'yon."Biro lang para sayo talaga 'to Vee." Sabi niya kaya mas kumunot ang noo ko pero biglang bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko dahil don."Seryoso? Akin yan? Ba't mo naman ako binilhan ng kwent--" hindi ko na natapos ang sasabihin ko kase mas lumapit si
"Ang saya naman ata nila peste!" Tsk, mukhang enjoy na enjoy ka yata James ah, akala ko ba bakla kang putcha ka! Hmm, baka naman bisexual ano?? Akala ko ba may bibilhin lang sya ha?Sabi niya mabilis lang sya tsk. Kaya pala siguro ayaw niya akong ipasama sakanya eh, dahil pala sa babaeng yan!Nag lakad ako at nag tungo sa gawi nila. "Order-an mo nga rin ako ng coffee." Sabi ko sabay umupo ako sa tabi ni James.Halatang medyo nagulat itong babae na nasa harapan ko nakaupo ngayon at lalo na itong si James na nanlake ang matang nakatingin sa akin."Oh? Ano? Parang gulat na gulat ka ata Mr. James??" Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay."What are you doing here? Sinundan mo ba ako?" Medyo nakataas rin ang kilay nito sakin."Of course not! Sino ka ba para sundan ko ha! M-May kikitain lang ako dito ano tapos nakita kitang bakla ka!" Mahinang sabi ko sakanya sa huli."At kanino ka naman makikipag kita? Ba't wala kang sinabi sakin Vee??""Aba bakit may sinabi ka rin bang may kikitain ka ha??" Pabalik k
Lumabas ako ng kwarto kase pag gising ko wala si James. Pumasok ako sa kwarto niya at nakita siyang kakabihis lang ng pantalon niya at sinuot yong polo shift nito. Lumingon ito sa gawi ko at medyo nagulat pa sabay na tinakpan ang katawan niya. Hindi pa kase naka batones yong suot niyang polo. Tsk, ano bang tinatakpan niya e' wala naman siyang dede. "Ba't ka andito?" Tanong nito. Umupo muna ako sa gilid ng kama at tinignan siya. "James san ka pupunta? May lakad ka ba??" Takang tanong ko sakanya. Ba't yata bihis na bihis siya ngayon? Parang iba yong suot niya eh, mukha siyang may date ganon. "Sa mall, may bibilhin lang ako." Sagot nito sakin habang nakatalikod at binabatones ang suot niya. "Ha? Pano naman ako? Isasama mo ba ako?" Matutuwa na sana ako kase ilang araw na rin akong hindi nakakapunta sa mall. "Hindi. Dito ka lang sa bahay niyo po Ms. Vee." Kumunot naman ang noo ko sa sinabi nito. Akala ko isasama niya ako kase nga bodyguard ko siya at dapat nasa tabi ko siya lagi par
Flashback_Naiinis kong tanong sakanya. Sino ba naman kaseng hindi magagalit kung may bigla nalang pumasok sa kwarto mo ng walang pasabi diba? Pano nalang kung kakagaling ko lang maligo at hubot hubad ako dito sa kwarto tapos ganyan sya?! Ano makikita niya akong nakahubad ganon diba hindi naman tama yon!Ano mali ba ako, sobrang sama ko pa rin ba ngayon?! Sobrang mali naman talaga ang pumasok sa kwarto ng iba."Pasensya na po Ms. Vee." Nakatalikod nitong sabi sabay sinira ang pintuan."Aray ko naman Vee! Ba't mo naman ako tinulak!" Nilingon ko si James na nakaupo ngayon sa sahig at nakahawak pa ito sa balakang niya."Eh, ano kase nagulat ako kay Keven kaya natulak kita pasensya ka na!" "Okay, mukhang hindi mo naman sinasadya talaga." May diin niyang saad.Sige sabihin na nating medyo sinasadya ko nga 'yon pero hindi ko naman talaga ginustong itulak sya okay. Inabot ko naman sakanya ang kamay ko para tulungan syang makatayo at nong aabutin na niya sana ang kamay ko ay bigla ko itong
Flashback_"Bumaba ako rito para kumain, hindi makipag chikahan po sayo." May diin kong sabi sakanya.Pano ako kakajn kung makikipag chikahan lang kami dito sa isat-isa. Tsk, wala rin naman akong interest na makipag usap sakanya o kahit makipag man chikan ng kunti.Tumikhim naman sya bago nagsalita. "You can start eating now then." Saad nito.Hindi na ako nag salita pa. Nag simula lang akong kumain at napansin ko namang ni isang kutsara ay hindi pa sumusubo si James ng pagkain."Ano pang inaantay mo? Pasko? New year?" Mahinang tanong ko tama na kami lang ang makakarinig sa boses ko.Mabuti nalang nandito si James, nandito si James makikisabay rin sa amin kumain kase kung wala sya ay di ako makikisabay at pigilan ang sarili ko "Kakain ka o susubuan pa kita?" Medyo napalakas ang boses ko at mukha narinig nilang dalawa 'yon kaya nabaling pareho ang paningin nila sakin."What?" Bagot kong tanong at ilang segundo lang ay bumalik na sila sa pag pagkain."Oo, kakain na po." Tanging sagot n
Flashback_Tulala ako nang umuwi kami sa bahay.Nandito ako ngayon sa kwarto nakahiga sa kama habang pilit na inaalala yong nangyari noon. Sa pagkakaalala ko ilang beses na akong nakidnap pero di ko talaga maalala saan don eh, at saka marami akong mga nakalimutan na nong mga nakaraan ko. Tanging si Bellie nga lang nagpapaalala sakin sa mga bagay-bagay na nangyari sakin kase ewan alangan namang tanongin ko si dad na mag kwento sakin eh, hindi nga kami close.At saka mukhang wala siyang balak ipaalala sakin yong mga nangyari noon. Ewan ko nga ba ba't nakakalimutan ko? Este ba't hindi ko maalala?? Agad akong napabangon ng may biglabg pumasok sa kwarto ko. Inayos ko yong paa ko at tinabunan ng kumot. Nakabukaka lang kase akong nakahiga at naka short lang ako, malamang nakikita na ang panty ko."Oh, James ikaw pala." Tanging nasabi ko."Wag mo na ako pansinin, humiga ka nalang ulit dyan dito lang ako sa sofa manonood ng movie." Wika niya.Napakurap-kurap ko naman siyang sinunod. Unti-un
Flashback_"James anong ginagawa natin dito?"Nag tatakang tanong ko habang nililibot ang paningin sa paligid.Bakit dinala niya ako dito sa sementeryo? May bibisitahin ba sya? Sino naman??Nag lakad-lakad kami at huminto sya kaya huminto rin ako sa paglalakad."Well, dito nakalibing ang mommy ko."Medyo nabigla ako sa sinabi nito.Napakamot ako sa batok. "Ba't mo naman ako sinama dito?""Because I promise to her that--" hindi na nito natuloy ang sasabihin dahil may biglang nag ring na cellphone."Cellphone mo yata yong nag r-ring." Sabi ko."Sasagutin ko muna to." Saad niya at tumango lang ako. Kinuha nya ang cellphone sa bulsa nya at sinago yong tawag, nag lakad sya palayo sakin ng kunti at nakipag usap don sa tumawag sakanya sa telepono.Nagtataka ko naman syang tinignan mula dito. Napapataas ang kilay ko kase panay ang tawa at ngiti nitong si James yong para bang kilikiliti sya ng kung sino dyan sa gilid."Hmm, sino kaya yang kausap niya?" Takang tanong ko sa sarili.Ilang minuto
Flashback_"Alam mo umagang-umaga nambu-bwesit ka James!" Inis kong sabi sabay alis sa kama."Joke lang ito naman hindi mabiro."Inis ko syang tinignan."Tsk, kala ko ba friends na tayo tapos nang gaganyan ka sakin ngayon!" Nakakainis sya! Swerte niya pumayag ako sa gusto niya tapos mang gaganyan sya sakin ngayon! Sobrang feeling close nya yata sakin kung ganon ah!"Bakit hindi ba nang gaganito ang magkaibigan?""Hindi!" Pabulyaa kong sagot sakanya."Ang tunay kaibigan parang kapatid nag dadamayan!" Wla nga pala akong kapatid pero feeling ko naman same lang yun este tama naman siguro ako? Diba?"No, may mga kaibigan den namang na ganitong klase na kaibigan. Yung nag iinisan, nang-aasar minsan, yong kasama mo kapag masaya o malungkot ka man. Yung maasahan mo, mapagkakatiwalaan at higit sa lahat handang damayan ka.""Okay, ikaw na ang tama ako na yung mali!""Alam mo Vee hindi naman masama kung minsan aminin mo na mali ka, na ikaw ang mali okay. Just take it as a lesson kapag nakakagaw