Music Welcome to snoozecast. The podcast is signed to help you fall asleep. Find us at snoozecast.com and if you enjoy our show, please search with a friend. This episode is brought to you by A Favourable Wind. Tonight, we'll read a fairy tale called The Invisible Prince, found in the Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, and published in 1894. This story is about the Prince of Air and how he overcame adversity and found his way to the Golden Isle. Andrew Lang was a Scottish poet, novelist, and literary critic best known for his influential fairy books, a twelve volume series that gathered tales from a wide range of cultures. volume was named for a different color, and included a mix of well-known stories and lesser-known folk tales, translated and adapted with the help of his wife, Lanora. The invisible prints is thought to be drawn from a French literary fairy tale originally penned in the 17th century. These stories often featured enchanted beings, clever heroines and extravagant settings. This particular tale leans into the fanciful, involving a kingdom in the sky, magical and visibility, and a hero who must conceal his identity in order to reclaim his fate.

It reflects the courtly tone and elaborate imagination that were hallmarks of French Solan

story telling.

Let's get cozy.

Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now, take a few deep breaths. Once upon a time, there lived a fairy who had power over the earth, the sea, fire, and the air. And this fairy had four sons. The eldest, who was quick and lively with a livid imagination, she made Lord a fire, which was in her opinion the nobelist of all the elements. the second son whose wisdom and prudence made amends for his being rather dull, she gave the government of the earth. The third was wild and savage and of a monstrous stature, and the fairy, his mother, who was ashamed of his defects, hoped to hide them by creating him king of the seas. The youngest, who was beholden to his passions and of a very uncertain temper, became prince of the air. Being the youngest, he was naturally his mother's favorite, but this did not blind her to his weaknesses, and she foresaw that someday he would suffer much pain through falling in love. So she thought the best thing she could do was to bring him up with a fear of women, and to her great delight only increased as he grew older. From his earliest childhood he heard nothing but stories of princes who had fallen into all sorts of troubles through love, and she drew such terrible pictures of poor little cupid, that the young man had no difficulty in believing that he was the root of all

eve. terrible pictures of poor little Cupid, that the young man had no difficulty in believing that he was the root of all evil. All the time that this wise mother could spare from filling her son with an aversion for all women kind, she passed in giving him a love of the pleasures of the chase, which henceforth became his chief joy. For his amusement she had made a new forest, planted with the most splendid trees, and turned loose in it every animal that could be found in any of the four quarters of the globe. In the midst of this forest, she built a palace which had not its equal for beauty in the whole world, and then she considered that she had done enough to make any prince happy. his secret heart. The prince got tired of his mother's constant talk on the subject, and when one day she quit at the palace to attend it to some business, begging him never to go beyond the grounds, he had once jumped at the chance of disobeying her. Left to himself the prince soon forgot the wise councils of his mother, and feeling very much bored with his own company, he ordered some of the spirits of the air to carry him to the court of a neighboring sovereign.

This kingdom was situated in the island of roses, where the climate is so delicious that the grass is always green and the flowers always sweet. The waves, instead of beating on the rocks, seemed to die gently on the shore.

Clusters of golden bushes covered the land, and the vines were bent low with grapes. The king of this island had a daughter named Rosalie, who was more lovely than any girl in the whole world. No sooner had the eyes of the prince of the air rested on her than he forgot all the terrible woes which had been prophesized to him ever since he was born. For in one single moment the plans of years are often upset. He instantly began to think how best to make himself happy, and the shortest way that occurred to him was to have Rosalie carried off by his attendant spirits. It is easy to imagine the feelings of the king when he found that his daughter had vanished. He wept her last night in day, and his only comfort was to talk over it with a young and unknown prince who had just arrived at the court. Alas, He did not know what a deep interest the stranger had in Rosalie. For he too had seen her and had fallen a victim to her charms. One day the king, more sorrowful than usual, was walking sadly along the seashore. When after a long silence, the unknown prince, who was his only companion, suddenly spoke, he said to the unhappy father, and if you will promise me your daughter in marriage, I will undertake to bring her back to you. You are trying to soothe me by vain promises, answered the King. Did I not see her caught up into the air? But go generous stranger. back rosal you can, and live happy with her, in this country, of which I now declare you heir. Although the strangers name and rank were unknown to Rosalie's father, he was really the son of the king of the Golden Isle, which had for a capital city that extended from one sea to another. The walls washed by the quiet waters were covered with gold, which made one think of the yellow sands. Above them was a rampart of orange and lemon trees, and all the streets were paved with gold. The king of this beautiful island had one son, for whom a life of adventure had been foretold at his birth. so frightened his his father and mother that in order to comfort them a fairy, who happened to be present at the time, produced a little pebble which she told them to keep for the prince till he grew up. As by putting it in his mouth, he would become invisible, as long as he did not try to speak. For if he did, the stone would lose all its virtue. In this way, the good very hoped that the prince would be protected against all dangers. No sooner did the prince begin to grow out of boyhood, and he longed to see if the other countries of the world were as splendid as the one in which he lived. So, under pretense of visiting some small islands that belonged to his father, he set out. a frightful storm drove his ship onto the unknown shores, where most of his followers were lost to sea, and the prince himself only managed to escape by making use of his magic pebble. By this means he passed through the midst of them unseen and wandered on till he reached the coast, where he reimbarked on board his ship. The first land he sighted was the island of roses, and he went at once to the court of the King, Rosalie's father. The moment his eyes be held, the princess, he fell in love with her like everyone else. He had already spent several months in this condition when the prince of the air world her away. But sad though everybody was, the Prince of the Golden Isle was perfectly inconsolable, and he passed both days and nights in bemoning his loss. Alas, he cried, I am only a man, but I am strong in my love and I will seek the whole world till I find her. So saying, he left the court and made ready for his journey. He traveled many weary days without hearing a single word of the lost princess. Till one morning, as he was walking through a thick forest, he suddenly perceived a magnificent palace standing at the end of a pine avenue, and his heart bounded to think that he might be gazing on Rosalie's prison. He hastened his steps and quickly arrived at the gate of the palace, which was formed of a giant slab of marble. The gate swung open to let him through, and he next passed successfully three courts, surrounded by deep ditches filled with running water, with birds of brilliant plumage, flying about the banks. Everything around was rare and beautiful, but the prince scarcely raised his eyes to all these wonders. He thought only of the princess and where he should find her, but in vain he opened every door and searched in every corner. He neither saw Rosalie nor anyone else. At last, there was no place left for him to search, but a little wood, which contained in the center a sort of hall built entirely of orange trees, with four small rooms opening out of the corners. Three of these were empty except for statues and wonderful things, but in the fourth, the invisible prince caught sight of Rosalie. joy at beholding her again was, however, someone lessened by seeing that the prince of the air was kneeling at her feet and pleading his own cause. But it was in vain that he implored her to listen. She only shook her head. No, was all she would say. You snatched me from my father, whom I loved, and all the splendor in the world can never console me. Go, I can never feel anything toward you but contempt. With these words, she turned away and interred her own apartments. Unknown to herself, the invisible prince had followed her, but fearing to be discovered by the princes in the presence of others, he made up his mind to wait quietly till dark. He resolved to take advantage of a visit, which the Prince of the Air paid every year to his mother and brothers in order to strike the blow. One day Rosalie was sitting alone in her room thinking of her troubles. When she she suddenly saw a pen get up from off the desk and begin to write all by itself on a sheet of white paper. As she did not know that it was guided by an invisible hand, she was very much astonished. the moment that the pen had ceased to move, she instantly went over to the table, where she found some lovely verses, telling her that another shared her distresses, whatever they might be, and loved her with all his heart, and that he would never rest until he had delivered her from the hands of the man she hated. Thus encouraged, she told them all her story, and of the arrival of a young stranger in her father's palace, whose looks had so charmed her that since that day she had thought of no one else. At these words, the prince could contain himself no longer. He took the pebble from his mouth and flung himself at Rosalie's feet. When they had got over the first rapture of meeting, they began to make plans to escape from the power of the Prince of the Air. But this did not prove easy. For the magic stone would only serve for one person at a time.

And in order to save Rosalie, the prince of the Golden Isle would have to expose himself to the fury of his enemy. But Rosalie would not hear of this. No, Prince. She said, since you are here, this island no longer feels a prison. Besides, you are under the protection of a fairy who always visits your father's court at this season. Go instantly and seek her, and when she is found, implore the gift of another stone with similar powers. Once you have that, there will be no further difficulty in the way of escape. The Prince of the Air returned a few days later from his mother's palace, but the invisible Prince had already set out. He had, however, entirely forgotten the road by which he had come, and lost himself for so long in the forest that when at last he reached home, the ferry had already left. And in spite of all his grief, there was nothing for it, but to wait till the ferry's next visit and allow Rosalie to suffer three months longer. thought drove him to despair, and he had almost made up his mind to return to the place of her captivity. When one day, as he was strolling along an alley in the woods, he saw a huge oak open its trunk, and out of its step-two princes in earnest conversation. As our hero had the magic stone in his mouth, they imagined themselves alone and did not lower their voices. What? Said one, are you always going to allow yourself to be tormented by a passion which can never end happily and in your whole kingdom can you find nothing else to satisfy you? What's the use? Reply the other of being Prince of the Nomes and having a mother who is queen over all all four elements, if I cannot win the love of the Princess Argentine. From the moment that I first saw her, sitting in the forest surrounded by flowers, I have never ceased to think of her night and day, and although I love her, I am quite convinced that she will never care for me.

You know that I have in my palace the cabinets of the years. In the first, great mirrors reflect the past. In the second, we contemplate the present. In the third, the future can be read. was here that I fled after I had gazed on the Princess Argentine, but instead of love, I only saw a scorn and contempt. Think how great must be my devotion, when in spite of my fate, I still love on. Now the Prince of the Golden Isle was enchanted with this conversation. For this Princess Argentine was his sister, and he hoped by means of her influence over the Prince of the Nomes, to obtain from his brother the release of Rosalie, so he joyfully returned to his father's palace, where he found his friend the fairy, who had once presented him with a magic pebble like his own. As may be imagined, he lost no time in setting out to deliver Rosalie and travelled so fast that he soon arrived at the forest in the midst of which she lay captive. But though he found the palace he did not find Rosalie, he hunted high and low, but there There was no sign of her, and his despair was so great that he was ready a thousand times over. At last, he remembered the conversation of the two princes about the cabinets of the years, and that if he could manage to reach the oak tree, he would be certain

to discover what had become of Rosalie. Happily, he soon found out the secret of the passage

and entered the cabinet of the present, where he saw reflected in the mirrors the unfortunate

Rosalie sitting on the floor, weeping bitterly, and surrounded with Jinniai, who never left her, night for day. This sight only increased the misery of the prince, for he did not know where the castle was, nor how to set about finding it. However, he resolved to seek the whole world through till he came to the right place. He began by setting sail in a favorable wind, but his bad luck followed him even on the sea. But what was his surprise, on reaching the shore, to hear sounds of the most heart-ending distress, mingled with the sweetest songs which had ever charmed him? His curiosity was instantly roused, and he advanced cautiously till he saw two huge dragons guarding the gate of a wood. They were terrible indeed to look upon. Their bodies were covered with glittering scales. Their curly tails extended far over the land. Flames darted from their mouths and noses, and their eyes would have made the bravest shudder. But as the prince was invisible and they did not see him, he slipped past them into the wood. The prince went on his way lost, thinking about this strange adventure, when he wandered along the sea shore spending his days. One day he was sitting on a rock bewailing his fate, and the impossibility of leaving the island. When all in a moment the sea appeared to raise itself nearly to the skies. As he looked, a woman rose from the depths of the sea, flying madly before a furious giant. The cry she uttered softened the heart of the prince. He took the stone from his mouth, and drawing his sword he rushed after the giant, so as to give the lady time to escape. But hardly had he come within reach of the enemy, then the giant touched him with a ring that he held in his hand, and the prince remained immovable where he stood. The giant then hastily rejoined his prey, and seizing her in his arms, he plunged her into the sea. Then he sent some tritons to bind chains about the prince of the Golden Isle, and he too felt himself born to the depths of the ocean and without the hope of ever again seeing the princess. Now the giant whom the invisible had so rashly attacked was the Lord of the sea and the third son of the Queen of the Elements, and he had touched the youth with a magic ring, which enabled a mortal to live underwater. So the prince of the golden aisle found, when bound in chains, he was carried through the homes of strange monsters and past immense seaweed forests, till reached a vast sandy space surrounded by huge rocks. On the tallest of the rocks sat the giant as on the throne. Rache mortal said he when the prince was dragged before him. You shall suffer." At these words, the unhappy prince found himself tied to a rock, but he was not alone in his misfortunes. For all around him were chained princes and princeses, whom the giant had led captive. Indeed, it was his chief delight to create a storm in order to add to the list of his prisoners. As his hands were fastened, it was impossible for the prince of the Golden Isle to make use of his magic stone, and he passed his nights and days, dreaming of Rosalie. But at last, the time came where he was able to slip away and swim to shore. The astonishment of the giant at the sudden disappearance of the prince may well be imagined. He ordered all the passages to be watched, but it was too late for the prince had already glided between two rocks. He wandered for a long while through the forests, and that length he arrived at the edge of the sea, at the foot of a mountain that he remembered to have seen in the cabinet of the present, where Rosalie was held captive. Filled with joy, he made his way to the top of the mountain, which pierced the clouds, and there he found a palace. He entered, and in the middle of a long gallery, he discovered a crystal room in the midst of which sat Rosalie, guarded night and day by Geniei. There was no door anywhere, nor any window. But this sight, the prince became more puzzled than ever, for he did not know how he was to warn Rosalie of his return. One day as Rosalie was walking up and down her room, she was surprised to see that the crystal which served for a wall had grown cloudy as if someone had breathed on it. And what was more, wherever she moved the brightness of the crystal, always became clouded. This was enough to cause the princess to suspect that her lover had returned. In order to set the prince of the air's mind at rest, she began by being very gracious to him, so that when she begged that her captivity might be little lightened, she should not be refused. At first, the only favor she asked was to be allowed to walk for one hour every day up and down the long gallery. This was granted, and the invisible prince speedily took the opportunity of handing her the stone, which she at once slipped into her mouth. No words can paint the fury of her captor at her disappearance. He ordered the spirits of the air to fly through all space, and to bring back Rosalie wherever she might be. They instantly flew off to obey his commands, and spread themselves over the whole earth. In time, Rosalie and invisible prince had reached hand in hand, a door of the gallery, which led through a terrace into the gardens. Unfortunately, the next day while they wandered through the wood, they became separated.

The prince tried to find her by walking back when she came. The invisible prince suddenly beheld two people coming towards him. They turned out to be the prince's gnome and his friend, and the sudden desire to get some news of his sister. Sargentine, caused the invisible prince to follow them and to listen to their conversation. Do you think the prince gnome was saying? Do you think that I would not break my chains if I could? I know that the Princess Argentine will never love me.

Yet each day I feel her dare still. So I have resolved to put myself out of my pain by means of the golden fountain. A single drop of its water falling on the sand around will trace the name of my rival in her heart. I dread the test, and yet this very dread convinces me of misfortune. It may be imagined that after listening to these words the invisible prince followed Prince Nome like a shadow, and after walking some time They arrived at the golden fountain. The unhappy lover stooped down with a sigh and dipping his finger in the water, let fall a drop of this and. It instantly wrote the name of Prince Flame, his brother. A shock of this discovery was so real that Prince Nome sank, fainting into the arms of his friend. Meanwhile, the invisible prince was turning over in his mind how he could best deliver Rosalie. As since he had been touched by the giant's ring, he had the power to live in the water as well as on land. He had once dived into the fountain. He perceived one corner adore leading into the mountain, and at the foot of the mountain was a high rock on which was fixed in iron ring, with the cord attached. The prince promptly guessed that the cord was used to

chain the princess and drew his sword and cut it. In a moment, he felt the princess's hand in his, for she had always kept her magic pebble in her mouth, in spite of the prayers and and treaties of the Prince of the Air to make herself visible.

So... in spite of the prayers and entreaties of the Prince of the Air to make herself visible. So hand in hand the invisible Prince and Rosalie crossed the mountain, but as the Princess had no power of living under water, she could not pass the golden fountain. Speechless and invisible, they clung together on the brink, trembling at the frightful tempest the prince of the air had raised in his fury. The storm had already lasted many days when tremendous heat began to make itself felt. The lightning flashed, the thunder rattled, fire bolts fell from heaven, burning up the forests and even the fields of corn. In one instant, the very streams were dried up, and the prince seizing the, carried the princes over the golden fountain. It took them a long time still to reach the golden aisle, but at last they got there. And we may be quite sure they never wanted to leave it anymore. Yn yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n y