TSQ-IV COLOURING PAGES: HELEN CRAWFORD-WHITE

The text of this colouring book is an abridged adaptation of the full-novella translation by Misha Hoekstra for Pushkin Press (Helen Crawford-White is the illustrator of this adaptation) - so, no subdivision into Stories (as little or as much as in the Pink Fairy Book), and no mention of the honeymoon in the finale either. Anyway, these illustrations for my favourite fairytale subplot are all freebies for the readership of this blog!

... a story. "In this kingdom lives a princess, who decided to get married. But she wanted a husband who could answer when she spoke to him -- not just someone who stood there and looked respectable, for that would be deadly dull. So the men came streaming in. Such a rush and a crush! Yet nothing came of it, for when they came in through the palace gate and saw the guards dressed in silver, and the footmen on the stairs in gold, and the great rooms full of light, they became confused and could not speak."

"But on the third day, a small fellow arrived. His eyes were shining and he had lovely long hair, but his clothes were ragged."

"He marched straight in to see the princess. She was sitting on a pearl the size of a spinning wheel. The princess was clever, which pleased him -- and he pleased her."

"Please, won't you show ... into the palace?"

"It's quite impossible for ... to go in," ... "... But ..., we will get ... inside. My sweetheart knows a little back stairway that leads to the sleeping chamber -- and she knows where to get the key!" So they went to the palace and walked into the gardens and along the wide avenue.

They waited until the lights went off in the palace, one by one, and then ... led ... to a back door that stood open a crack. They went up the stairs. A small lamp was burning on top of a cabinet.

"I think there's someone behind us!" ..., and then something rushed past ... like shadows on the wall -- horses with fluttering manes and thin legs, grooms, lords and ladies on horseback.

"Those are only dreams," ....

Soon they reached the royal chamber. The ceiling looked like a great palm tree with leaves of costly glass, and in the middle of the room, two beds that looked like two lilies hung from a trunk of gold. One bed was white, and in it lay the princess; the other bed was red, and it was here that .... ... turned back one of the red petals and saw a brown neck -- ... and held the lamp up to his head. He woke up, turned his head to ..., and... ....

Then ... them ....

"Poor child!" said the prince and the princess together.

The following day, they gave ... a muff as well as boots, so that now ... was very prettily dressed. And when ... went to the palace gates to leave, a new carriage of pure gold was standing there. The royal coat of arms shone from it like a star, while a coachman, servants, and outriders sat waiting with golden crowns on their heads.

................................................................................................

... drove on through the dark forest, the carriage shining like fire. But the glare was too much for the eyes of the watching bandits.

"It's gold! gold!" they shouted, rushing forward. They seized the horses, killed the coachman, servants, and outriders, ...

The text of the colouring book is an abridged adaptation of the full-novella translation by Misha Hoekstra - so, no subdivision into Stories, and no mention of the honeymoon in the finale either. Sorry to end up on such a sad note of the redshirt entourage...