The Brownie and the Princess & Other Stories The Brownie and the Princess She was not a real Brownie, but a little girl named Betty, who lived with her father in a cottage near a great forest. They were poor, so Betty always wore a brown frock, a big brown hat, and, being out in the sun a great deal, her face was as brown as a berry, though very pretty with its rosy cheeks, dark eyes, and curly hair blowing in the wind. She was a lively little creature, and, having no neighbors, she made friends with the birds and flowers, rabbits and squirrels and had fine frolics with them, for they knew and loved her dearly. Many people drove through the beautiful wood, which was not far from the King's palace; and when they saw the little girl dancing with the daisies in the meadow, chasing squirrels up the trees, splashing in the brook, or sitting under her big hat like an elf under a mushroom, they would say, "There is the Brownie." Betty was wild and shy and always tried to hide if anyone called to her; and it was funny to see her vanish in a hollow tree, drop down in the tall grass, or skip away into the ferns like a timid rabbit. She was afraid of the fine lords and ladies, who laughed at her and called her names but never thought to bring a book or toy or say a kind word to the lonely little girl. Her father took care of the deer in the King's park and was away all day, leaving Betty to sweep the little house, bake the brown bread, and milk Daisy, the white cow, who lived in the shed behind the cottage and was Betty's dearest friend. They had no pasture for her to feed in; so, when the work was done, Betty would take her knitting and drive Daisy along the road where she could eat the grass on either side till she had had enough and lay down to rest under some shady tree. While the cow chewed her cud and took naps, the little girl would have fine games among her playmates, the wood creatures, or lie watching the clouds, or swing on the branches of the trees, or sail leaf boats in the brook. She was happy, but she longed for someone to talk to and tried vainly to learn what the birds sang all day long. There were a great many about the cottage, for no one troubled them, and they were so tame they would eat out of her hand and sit on her head. A stork family lived on the roof, swallows built their clay nest under the eaves, and wrens chirped in their little homes among the red and white roses that climbed up to peep in at Betty's window. Wood-pigeons came to pick up the grain she scattered for them, larks went singing up from the grass close by, and nightingales sang her to sleep. "If I only knew what they said, we could have such happy times together. How can I ever learn?" sighed Betty, as she was driving Daisy home one day at sunset. She was in the wood, and as she spoke she saw a great gray owl fluttering on the ground as if he was hurt. She ran at once to see what ailed the bird and was not afraid, though his round eyes stared at her, and he snapped his hooked beak as if very angry. "Poor thing! Its leg is broken," she said, wondering how she could help it. "No, it isn't; it's my wing. I leaned out of my nest up there to watch a field mouse, and a ray of sunshine dazzled me, so I tumbled down. Pick me up, child, and put me back, and I shall be all right." Betty was so surprised to hear the owl speak that she did not stir, and, thinking she was frightened at his cross tone, the gray bird said more gently, with a blink of his yellow eyes and a wise nod, "I shouldn't speak to everyone, nor trust any other child, but I know you never hurt anything. I've watched you a long time, and I like you; so I'm going to reward you by giving you the last wish you made, whatever it is. I can; I'm a wizard, and I know all sorts of magic charms. Put me in my nest, tell me your wish, and you shall have it." "Oh, thank you!" cried Betty joyfully. "I wished to understand what birds say." "Dear me, that's a wish that may make trouble, but I'll grant it if you won't tell anyone how you learned the secret. I can't have people coming to me, and my neighbors won't want their gossip heard by many ears. They won't mind you, and it will amuse you, poor thing!" said the owl, after a pause. Betty promised, and, holding the fat bird carefully in her arm, she climbed up the old oak and put him safely in his hole, where he settled himself with a great ruffling of feathers and a hoot of pleasure at being home again. "Now, pull the tallest bit of down off my right ear and put it in your own; then you will hear what the birds say. Good night; I'm used up and want to rest," said the owl, with a gape. "Thank you," said Betty and ran after Daisy, who was slowly eating her way home. The bit of down lay snugly in Betty's ear, and in a moment she heard many sweet voices calling to one another -- "Good night!" "Happy dreams!" "A bright tomorrow!" "Lie still, my darlings!" "Hush, my birdie, sleep till day." -- and all sorts of pretty things, as the wood-birds were going to bed with the sun ... The Brownie and the Princess & Other Stories . Copyright © by Louisa Alcott. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold. Excerpted from The Brownie and the Princess and Other Stories by Louisa May Alcott All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
