Babiole is a French literary fairy tale, written by Madame d'Aulnoy. A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ... Marie-Catherine le Jumelle de Barneville, Baronne dAulnoy (1650/1651–4 January 1705) was a French writer known for her fairy tales. ...

Synopsis

A queen thought she was childless because of the ill wishes of the fairy Fanferluche. One day, Fanferluche appeared to her to say that this was not true, that she would have a daughter who would bring her much woe, and that to avert this, a branch of hawthorn that she gave should be attached to the child's head as soon as possible. After the birth, the queen had this done, and the princess was instantly turned into a monkey. Catching the monkey and removing the branch did not restore the princess. A lady-in-waiting persuaded her to tell the king the baby had died and throw it into the sea. The queen agreed. On the way to the sea, the servant decided to keep the box. He took the monkey out. Meanwhile, the queen's sister, with her four-year-old son, came by. She had heard of the birth, and then of the death; but the son saw the monkey and wanted it. She was raised in his chambers. When she was four, she started to speak. The queen took her from the prince and showed her off to all the ambassadors, and educated her. She fell in love with her cousin, but he did not realize it. It has been suggested that Trooping fairies be merged into this article or section. ... Shapeshifting, transformation , transmogrification or morphing is a change in the form or shape of a person, especially: a change from human form to animal form and vice versa a change in appearance from one person to another Shapeshifting is not considered scientifically or medically possible for humans (and animal shapeshifting...

The king of the monkeys, Magot, decided to marry her. The queen favored his suit when the ambassadors arrived. Babiole did not wish to marry him, but the queen said it would prevent war, and the prince mocked her declaration of love. Babiole ran away. Attempting to swim a river, she sank to the bottom, to a grotto where an old man, the King of the Fish, welcomed her. He told her the prince would marry the most beautiful princess in the world, warned her not to lose the glass chest Magot sent her, and gave her a tortoise to ride. She set out on it, but Magot's ambassador spotted her, and she was captured. They made her travel in a state carriage.

The company reached a city, which was that of Babiole's parents. The queen had forbidden any kind of monkey to enter it, and this struck her with horror. The monkeys were captured. Babiole, however, was prettily dressed, and they had heard of her. She soon charmed her captors and lived pleasantly. The queen saw her and was quite taken. They talked, and the queen realized that Babiole was her transformed child. Her ladies in waiting told her that her reputation demanded that she shut Babiole up in a castle. Babiole heard this and fled.

Finding no food, she opened the glass box and went to eat an olive inside it. Oil flowed from it and turned her into a beautiful princess, but still hungry. She went to eat the hazel nut in the box, and out of it came people who made her a castle and attended her in it. She lived there as a queen. Several tournaments were held in her honor. One day, some knights fought and were wounded. She descended to reason with them, and found her cousin was one, and nearly dead. She had him tended, but her love for him caused him agony, and she fled. Fanferluche carried her off and imprisoned her in a glass bottle.

The prince set out in search of her. He met the king of the fishes, who told him where she was. Armed and on a winged dolphin given by the king, he rescued her. She told him her story, and he regretted his scorn. They married and reconciled their kingdoms.

External links

• Babiole