--- title: The Brown Fairy Book, part 22 — The Brown Fairy Book · full text with trees · page 2 description: The Brown Fairy Book, part 22, «The Brown Fairy Book» by Andrew Lang: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: “Very well, my lord,” said the old woman, “I will set off at once for the bridge.” --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [The Brown Fairy Book](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/) / The Brown Fairy Book, part 22 # The Brown Fairy Book, part 22 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/) **2** - [101](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/101/) — And a negro appeared, and inquired what she wanted. - [102](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/102/) — “The head, your master, bids you find forty slaves of unequalled beauty, and of the same height, and place them in the sultan’s palace on the other side of the garden.” - [103](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/103/) — And when, on the morning of the fortieth day, the sultan went to the blue palace, and was received by the forty slaves, he nearly lost his wits from surprise. - [104](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/104/) — “I will assuredly give my daughter to the old woman’s son,” thought he. - [105](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/105/) — “If I were to search all the world through I could never find a more powerful son-in-law.” - [106](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/106/) — And when the old woman entered his presence he informed her that he was ready to fulfil his promise, and she was to bid her son appear at the palace without delay. - [107](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/107/) — This command did not at all please the old woman, though, of course, she made no objections to the sultan. - [108](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/108/) — “All has gone well so far,” she grumbled, when she told her story to the head,” but what do you suppose the sultan will say, when he sees his daughter’s husband?” - [109](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/109/) — “Never mind what he says! - [110](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/110/) — Put me on a silver dish and carry me to the palace.” - [111](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/111/) — So it was done, though the old woman’s heart beat as she laid down the dish with the head upon it. - [112](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/112/) — At the sight before him the king flew into a violent rage. - [113](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/113/) — “I will never marry my daughter to such a monster,” he cried. - [114](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/114/) — But the princess placed her head gently on his arm. - [115](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/115/) — “You have given your word, my father, and you cannot break it,” said she. - [116](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/116/) — “But, my child, it is impossible for you to marry such a being,” exclaimed the sultan. - [117](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/117/) — “Yes, I will marry him. - [118](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/118/) — He had a beautiful head, and I love him already.” - [119](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/119/) — So the marriage was celebrated, and great feasts were held in the palace, though the people wept tears to think of the sad fate of their beloved princess. - [120](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/120/) — But when the merry-making was done, and the young couple were alone, the head suddenly disappeared, or, rather, a body was added to it, and one of the handsomest young men that ever was seen stood before the princess. - [121](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/121/) — “A wicked fairy enchanted me at my birth,” he said, “and for the rest of the world I must always be a head only. - [122](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/122/) — But for you, and you only, I am a man like other men.” - [123](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/123/) — “And that is all I care about,” said the princess. - [124](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/124/) — \[Traditions populaires de toutes les nations (Asie Mineure)\]. - [125](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/125/) — The Sister of the Sun - [126](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/126/) — A long time ago there lived a young prince whose favourite playfellow was the son of the gardener who lived in the grounds of the palace. - [127](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/127/) — The king would have preferred his choosing a friend from the pages who were brought up at court; but the prince would have nothing to say to them, and as he was a spoilt child, and allowed his way in all things, and the gardener’s boy was quiet and well-behaved, he was suffered to be in the palace, morning, noon, and night. - [128](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/128/) — The game the children loved the best was a match at archery, for the king had given them two bows exactly alike, and they would spend whole days in trying to see which could shoot the highest. - [129](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/129/) — This is always very dangerous, and it was a great wonder they did not put their eyes out; but somehow or other they managed to escape. - [130](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/130/) — One morning, when the prince had done his lessons, he ran out to call his friend, and they both hurried off to the lawn which was their usual playground. - [131](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/131/) — They took their bows out of the little hut where their toys were kept, and began to see which could shoot the highest. - [132](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/132/) — At last they happened to let fly their arrows both together, and when they fell to earth again the tail feather of a golden hen was found sticking in one. - [133](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/133/) — Now the question began to arise whose was the lucky arrow, for they were both alike, and look as closely as you would you could see no difference between them. - [134](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/134/) — The prince declared that the arrow was his, and the gardener’s boy was quite sure it was HIS—and on this occasion he was perfectly right; but, as they could not decide the matter, they went straight to the king. - [135](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/135/) — When the king had heard the story, he decided that the feather belonged to his son; but the other boy would not listen to this and claimed the feather for himself. - [136](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/136/) — At length the king’s patience gave way, and he said angrily: - [137](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/137/) — “Very well; if you are so sure that the feather is yours, yours it shall be; only you will have to seek till you find a golden hen with a feather missing from her tail. - [138](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/138/) — And if you fail to find her your head will be the forfeit.” - [139](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/139/) — The boy had need of all his courage to listen silently to the king’s words. - [140](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/140/) — He had no idea where the golden hen might be, or even, if he discovered that, how he was to get to her. - [141](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/141/) — But there was nothing for it but to do the king’s bidding, and he felt that the sooner he left the palace the better. - [142](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/142/) — So he went home and put some food into a bag, and then set forth, hoping that some accident might show him which path to take. - [143](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/143/) — After walking for several hours he met a fox, who seemed inclined to be friendly, and the boy was so glad to have anyone to talk to that he sat down and entered into conversation. - [144](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/144/) — “Where are you going?” asked the fox. - [145](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/145/) — “I have got to find a golden hen who has lost a feather out of her tail,” answered the boy; “but I don’t know where she lives or how I shall catch her!” [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/22/) **2** - ← previous: [The Brown Fairy Book, part 21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/21/) - next →: [The Brown Fairy Book, part 23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/23/) - ↑ back to [The Brown Fairy Book](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/)