Fairer-than-a-Fairy (Caumont de La Force) facts for kids

Fairer-than-a-Fairy (which means More Beautiful than a Fairy in French) is an old fairy tale. It was written by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force in 1698. This story was also included in a collection of tales by James Planché.

The Story of Fairer-than-a-Fairy

A Princess is Born

Once upon a time, a King and Queen had many children. They traveled across their kingdom. One day, they stopped at a castle near the border. There, the Queen gave birth to a very beautiful princess. Everyone called her Fairer-than-a-Fairy because she was so lovely. Soon after, the Queen had to leave to join the King. He was defending a faraway part of their land from enemies.

The Fairies' Jealousy

When Fairer-than-a-Fairy turned twelve, her beauty was known everywhere. The Fairies became very jealous of her looks and her name. They decided to get revenge and ruin her beauty. Nabote, the Queen of the Fairies, went to the castle. She wanted to kidnap Fairer-than-a-Fairy. But she couldn't, because a wizard had put a special spell on the castle. This spell meant no one inside could be taken unwillingly or be magically controlled.

A Tricky Plan

Nabote then entered the castle disguised as a servant. She became friends with Fairer-than-a-Fairy. One day, Nabote opened a door that led outside. She pretended to faint just outside the castle walls. Fairer-than-a-Fairy rushed out to help her. As soon as the princess was outside, Nabote grabbed her. She took Fairer-than-a-Fairy to her own kingdom. There, Nabote dressed the princess in dirty clothes. She told her to clean a room that would always get dirtier, no matter how much she swept.

New Friends and Help

Nabote’s son, Phratis, fell in love with Fairer-than-a-Fairy. He magically cleaned the room for her. He also gave Fairer-than-a-Fairy a key. He told her to open a hidden panel in her cell. She did, and there she met Désirs. Désirs was another princess who had been kidnapped. She was also very beautiful, even without any magical gifts from the Fairies.

Difficult Tasks

When the Fairies found out the two princesses had finished their tasks, they gave them new orders. Fairer-than-a-Fairy had to go to Mount Adventurous. She needed to fill a vase with the Water of Immortal Life. The Fairies gave her feathers and wax, hoping she would fall like Icarus. Désirs was sent to the beach. She was told to write something on the sand that would never disappear. Phratis helped Fairer-than-a-Fairy with her task. She then asked him to help Désirs too.

The Final Challenges

Finally, Fairer-than-a-Fairy was told to catch the Hind with Silver Feet. A hind is a female deer. Désirs was sent to the Fair of Time. She had to fetch the Rouge of Youth, which is like a magical makeup.

At the fair, Désirs met a mean Fairy. This Fairy put Désirs in prison. She even sent for an evil spirit to make Désirs ugly. But Désirs was rescued by her true love. He had been told by a wise person to bring her back to the Queen of the Fairies.

Meanwhile, Phratis helped Fairer-than-a-Fairy find the Hind. It turned out the Hind was actually the former Queen of the Fairies. She had been under a magic spell. The former Queen and Fairer-than-a-Fairy returned to Nabote’s court. There, they saved Désirs from being harmed. It was also revealed that Désirs’ true love was Fairer-than-a-Fairy’s brother!

The former Queen got her throne back. She sent Nabote to another kingdom. Then, she arranged for the two couples to get married.