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1]LessonThirteenAModernFairyTaleBythetimespringcamearoundagain,therewasababysisterforhim.Thistimewe'llplantanappletree,mylove,theprincessdecreed“Nexttotheorangetree.Andinthespringtimewe’llcallourdaughterAnne.Aforapple,AforAnne.”Thetreewasdulyplantedatthecorrectdistancefromtheorangetreewhichbynowwasverysturdy.Annewasasweetcontentedbaby,andOscarwasalreadyonhischubbybutratheruncertainlegs.Exactlyayearlaterathirdbabyarrived.Andifyou'rethinkingthatbynowourprincesswillhavelostsomeofhergraceandbeautyyou'dbewrong.Witheachbirthshegrewmoreradiant.Herhairwasjustas-gold,hercomplexionlikeanosepetal,andherfigure(thoughadmittedlyforonlyabrieftimeeachyear〉wasasslimandsuppleasthedayshemarried.Thebabywasanotherboy.Blondlikehismotherandtheothertwochildren.Alemontreethistime,”theprincess.“Forhishairisthesamepalegoldasalemon.Andwe'11callhim---”Shepaused,thinkingofnamesbeginningwithL.We’11callhimLeo.2Thelemontreewasimmediatelyplanted.Theprincejudgedthatbynowthetreesreachedhalfwaydowntheavenuefromthefrontdoortothemaingates,leavingspaceforthreemore.Therewassurelynotahappierplaceinthecountryanywhere!Filledwiththesoundsofhappychildrenplaying,thelatestbabycrying,andalwaysinthebackyardavistaofsnow-whitenapkinsstrungaroundtherotaryhoist.(Theprincessdidn'tapproveofclothesdryers.)Asfortheprince,het00,onewayandanother,waskeptprettybusy.Heengagedayoungmantotendthelawnsandtheflowerbedsandthevegetab1egarden,buthehimselflookedafterthefruittrees.Heafertilizedandprunedattheappropriatetimes,andkeptthemfreeofpests.Hedidn'tbelieveinnoxiouschemicals,andpersonallyremovedchewing,gnawingandcrawlinginsectsbyhand,keepingaladderexpresslyforthepurpose.BythetimeeveningcamehewasaLwaystired----thoughnottootired,mindyou.Justastheorangeandtheappleandthelen1ontreeblossomedinthespringtime,sodidourprincess.Nextspringifwastwinboys!Theprincewasparticularlydelightedbecausetheylobkedexactlylikehin1,witholiveskin,glossyblackcurlsandbigdarkeyes.PeterandPaul,the(temporarily)exhaustedprincesssaiddreamily.Apeachand,aplumtree,mylove.Why,we'regettingquiteanorchard,aren'twe?3Andit'sverynearlyreachedthemaingates,tobeprinceremindedher.We'rerunningoutofspace,mylove,andsoonwe'llberunningoutoffruitstoo.lNonsense-Why,wedon'thaveanapricottreeyet,noracherry,nora----Butwithathattheprincesssmiledathimsweetly,thenpromptlyfellasleep,ababeozieacharm.Asamatteroffacttheywererunningoutofbedroomstoo,becausebynowtheprincehadmovedintooneofhisown.Hehadto,becauseheneededhisrest.Theprincessbelievedinfeedingondemand,andnoneofthebabieshadtheremotestideaoftime.Theprince,asyoumayremember,wasquitealotolderthantheprincess.(Thisalwaysseemstoberegardedasagoodthing,bothinfairytalesandreallife,thoughwhyitshouldbesoisamystery.Becausementendtolosenotonlytheirhairandtheirfiguresfirst,buttheirenergyaswell.)Anyway,hemanagedtopersuadetheprincessthattherewasacertainromanticcharmaboutvisiting,insteadofalwaysbeingontap,sotospeak.Andtohiscredit,heprovedhispointquitefrequently.Springwasearlynextyear.Whichmeantthatthecherriesweretoo.Andsowastheprincess.Theunseasonablywarmdaysripenedthesmalllusciousfruitatthesametimeasshewasdeliveredofagirl,slightlyaheadofschedule.Therewasnoquestionastowhattreewouldbeplanted,orwhattocallthisbaby.Withhervividdark4coloringandherlivelylittlefacethenameCherrysuitedhertoperfection.Therowoffruittreeswasnowcomplete,andfromthenontheprinceseemedtoflagalittle.Tobesure,hestillvisitedhisprincessfromtimetotime,buthisvisitswerenotquiteso---spontaneous,shallwesay.Theprincessknewalmosttothehourwhentoexpecthim.Sheherself,though,seemedtohaveperennialyouth.Shewasinsatiable.No.Thatisdefinitelynotanicewordforafairytale.Letussay,rather,thatshehadaninfinitecapacityforlove,includingtheloveofchidren.It'snotSurprising,therefore,thatwiththespringtimeshegavebirthtoyetanotherbabyboy.Theprincewaspleasedandproud.Somewhatsurprised,too.Whosaidhewasgettingold?Yethewasalittlepuzzledbythechild’stitiancoloring.Hiseyesweremoregreenthanblue,andhishairwasthecolorofaburnishednew-mintedcoppercoin.Extraordinary!Notextraordinaryatall,mylove,theprinces-shastenedtoexplm.“infact,it'sstrangethatithasn'thappenedbefore.Thecombinedgenesofablondeandbrunetteoftenproducethisparticularcoloring.Surelyyou'reawareofthat?No.Theprincehadn'tbeenawareofit·Hesmiledratherfatuouslyandstifledanexclamationofpainasherosefromthefloorbesidehiswife’sbedwherehe’dbeenkneeling.5Now,aboutthebaby'sname,hesaid.Andthefruittree.Wherearewegoingtoplantthisone?“Anectarine,theprincessrepliedpromptly.“Andpiaf1titrightundermybedroomwindow.Theprincelookeddubious.“Howaboutanothercitrustree?”hesuggested.“Oramulberry?Idon'tthinkanectarineisatruefruit,myown.Iseemtorememberreadingthatit'sacrossstrain.Betweenapeach,Ithinkitwas,andsomethingelse.That'sasmaybe,”theprincesssaidfirmly.“Butcrossstrainornot.Ihappentobeveryfondofthem.Andtherichgreenleavesandrosyfruitwilllookbeautifulagainstthewhitewall.Theprincewalkedstifflyovertothewindowandleanedoverthesill.Yes,nodoubtaboutit,itwasafinespotforatree.Thenhenoticedthatthedownpipewasbroken.Hetookouthislittlepocketbookandn1adeanotetohav