4. Prince Marvel

The Enchanted Island of Yew

by L. Frank Baum

It is easy to imagine the astonishment of the three girls at
hearing this strange request. They gazed in a bewildered fashion
upon the kneeling fairy, and were at first unable to answer one word.
Then Seseley said--sadly, for she grieved to disappoint the pretty
creature:

"We are but mortal children, and have no powers of enchantment
at all."

"Ah, that is true, so far as concerns yourselves," replied the
fairy, eagerly; "yet mortals may easily transform fairies into
anything they wish."

"If that is so, why have we never heard of this power before?"
asked Seseley.

"Because fairies, as a rule, are content with their lot, and do
not wish to appear in any form but their own. And, knowing that evil
or mischievous mortals can transform them at will, the fairies take
great care to remain invisible, so they can not be interfered with.
Have you ever," she asked, suddenly, "seen a fairy before?"

"Never," replied Seseley.

"Nor would you have seen me to-day, had I not known you were
kind and pure-hearted, or had I not resolved to ask you to exercise
your powers upon me."

"I must say," remarked Helda, boldly, "that you are foolish to
wish to become anything different from what you are."

"For you are very beautiful now," added Berna, admiringly.

"Beautiful!" retorted the fairy, with a little frown; "what does
beauty amount to, if one is to remain invisible?"

"Not much, that is true," agreed Berna, smoothing her own dark
locks.

"And as for being foolish," continued the fairy, "I ought to be
allowed to act foolishly if I want to. For centuries past I have not
had a chance to do a single foolish thing."

"Poor dear!" said Helda, softly.

Seseley had listened silently to this conversation. Now she
inquired:

"What do you wish to become?"

"A mortal!" answered the fairy, promptly.

"A girl, like ourselves?" questioned the baron's daughter.

"Perhaps," said the fairy, as if undecided.

"Then you would be likely to endure many privations," said
Seseley, gently. "For you would have neither father nor mother to
befriend you, nor any house to live in."

"And if you hired your services to some baron, you would be
obliged to wash dishes all day, or mend clothing, or herd cattle,"
said Berna.

"But I should travel all over the island," said the fairy,
brightly, "and that is what I long to do. I do not care to work."

"I fear a girl would not be allowed to travel alone," Seseley
remarked, after some further thought. "At least," she added, "I have
never heard of such a thing."

"No," said the fairy, rather bitterly, "your men are the ones
that roam abroad and have adventures of all kinds. Your women are
poor, weak creatures, I remember."

There was no denying this, so the three girls sat silent until
Seseley asked:

"Why do you wish to become a mortal?"

"To gain exciting experiences," answered the fairy. I'm tired
of being a humdrum fairy year in and year out. Of course, I do not
wish to become a mortal for all time, for that would get monotonous,
too; but to live a short while as the earth people do would amuse me
very much."

"If you want variety, you should become a boy," said Helda, with
a laugh, "The life of a boy is one round of excitement."

"Then make me a boy!" exclaimed the fairy eagerly.

"A boy!" they all cried in consternation. And Seseley added:

"Why--you're a girl fairy, aren't you?"

"Well--yes; I suppose I am," answered the beautiful creature,
smiling; "but as you are going to change me anyway, I may as well
become a boy as a girl."

"Better!" declared Helda, clapping her hands; "for then you can
do as you please."

"But would it be right?" asked Seseley, with hesitation.

"Why not?" retorted the fairy. "I can see nothing wrong in
being a boy. Make me a tall, slender youth, with waving brown hair
and dark eyes. Then I shall be as unlike my own self as possible,
and the adventure will be all the more interesting. Yes; I like the
idea of being a boy very much indeed."

"But I don't know how to transform you; some one will have to
show me the way to do it," protested Seseley, who was getting worried
over the task set her.

"Oh, that will be easy enough," returned the little immortal.
"Have you a wand?"

"No."

"Then I'll loan you mine, for I shall not need it. And you must
wave it over my head three times and say: 'By my mortal powers I
transform you into a boy for the space of one year'."

"One year! Isn't that too long?"

"It's a very short time to one who has lived thousands of years
as a fairy."

"That is true," answered the baron's daughter.

"Now, I'll begin by doing a little transforming myself," said
the fairy, getting upon her feet again, "and you can watch and see
how I do it." She brushed a bit of moss from her gauzy skirts and
continued: "If I'm to become a boy I shall need a horse, you know. A
handsome, prancing steed, very fleet of foot."

A moment she stood motionless, as if listening. Then she
uttered a low but shrill whistle.

The three girls, filled with eager interest, watched her
intently.

Presently a trampling of footsteps was heard through the
brushwood, and a beautiful deer burst from the forest and fearlessly
ran to the fairy. Without hesitation she waved her wand above the
deer's head and exclaimed:

"By all my fairy powers I command you to become a war-horse for
the period of one year."

Instantly the deer disappeared, and in its place was a handsome
charger, milk-white in color, with flowing mane and tail. Upon its
back was a saddle sparkling with brilliant gems sewn upon fine
dressed leather.

The girls uttered cries of astonishment and delight, and the
fairy said:

"You see, these transformations are not at all difficult. I
must now have a sword."

She plucked a twig from a near-by tree and cast it upon the
ground at her feet. Again she waved her wand--and the twig turned to
a gleaming sword, richly engraved, that seemed to the silent watchers
to tremble slightly in its sheath, as if its heart of steel throbbed
with hopes of battles to come.

"And now I must have shield and armor, said the fairy, gaily.
"This will make a shield,"--and she stripped a sheet of loose bark
from a tree-trunk,--"but for armor I must have something better.
Will you give me your cloak?"

This appeal was made to Seseley, and the baron's daughter drew
her white velvet cloak from her shoulders and handed it to the fairy.
A moment later it was transformed into a suit of glittering armor
that seemed fashioned of pure silver inlaid with gold, while the
sheet of bark at the same time became a handsome shield, with the
figures of three girls graven upon it. Seseley recognized the
features as those of herself and her comrades, and noted also that
they appeared sitting at the edge of a forest, the great trees
showing plainly in the background.

"I shall be your champion, you see," laughed the fairy,
gleefully, "and maybe I shall be able to repay you for the loss of
your cloak."

"I do not mind the cloak," returned the child, who had been
greatly interested in these strange transformations. "But it seems
impossible that a dainty little girl like you can ride this horse and
carry these heavy arms."

"I'll not be a girl much longer," said the little creature.
"Here, take my wand, and transform me into a noble youth!"

Again the pretty fairy kneeled before Seseley, her dainty,
rounded limbs of white and rose showing plainly through her gauzy
attire. And the baron's daughter was suddenly inspired to be brave,
not wishing to disappoint the venturous immortal. So she rose and
took the magic wand in her hand, waving it three times above the head
of the fairy.

"By my powers as a mortal," she said, marveling even then at the
strange speech, "I command you to become a brave and gallant
youth--handsome, strong, fearless! And such shall you remain for the
space of one year.

As she ceased speaking the fairy was gone, and a slender youth,
dark-eyed and laughing, was holding her hand in his and kissing it
gratefully.

"I thank you, most lovely maiden," he said, in a pleasant voice,
"for giving me a place in the world of mortals. I shall ride at once
in search of adventure, but my good sword is ever at your
service."

With this he gracefully arose and began to buckle on his
magnificent armor and to fasten the sword to his belt.

Seseley drew a long, sighing breath of amazement at her own
powers, and turning to Berna and Helda she asked:

"Do I see aright? Is the little fairy really transformed to
this youth?"

"It certainly seems so," returned Helda, who, being unabashed by
the marvels she had beheld, turned to gaze boldly upon the young
knight.

"Do you still remember that a moment ago you were a fairy?" she
inquired.

"Yes, indeed," said he, smiling; "and I am really a fairy now,
being but changed in outward form. But no one must know this save
yourselves, until the year has expired and I resume my true station.
Will you promise to guard my secret?"

"Oh, yes!" they exclaimed, in chorus. For they were delighted,
as any children might well be, at having so remarkable a secret to
keep and talk over among themselves.

"I must ask one more favor," continued the youth: "that you give
me a name; for in this island I believe all men bear names of some
sort, to distinguish them one from another."

"True," said Seseley, thoughtfully. "What were you called as a
fairy?"

"That does not matter in the least," he answered, hastily. "I
must have an entirely new name."

"Suppose we call him the Silver Knight," suggested Berna, as she
eyed his glistening armor.

"Oh, no!--that is no name at all!" declared Helda. "We might
better call him Baron Strongarm."

"I do not like that, either," said the Lady Seseley, "for we do
not know whether his arm is strong or not. But he has been
transformed in a most astonishing and bewildering manner before our
very eyes, and I think the name of Prince Marvel would suit him very
well."

"Excellent!" cried the youth, picking up his richly graven
shield. "The name seems fitting in every way. And for a year I
shall be known to all this island as Prince Marvel!"