When Apples Grew Noses and White Horses Flew: Tales of Ti-Jean
objects were not quite the gifts the brothers had been expecting but when the oldest brother saw his name on the purse he picked it up On the side of the purse was writing Every time I open wide a hundred gold coins are inside The oldest brother opened the purse He could hardly believe his eyes There were the gold coins all ready to be counted He opened the purse again There were more coins The brothers knew the money was going to be useful It was going to be very useful indeed The second brother saw his name on the bugle That had narrow end the mouthpiece Outside the barn there was the sound of marching feet and officers shouting orders The second brother went to the door to look I’ve never seen so many soldiers in my life he cried His brothers were quite relieved when he blew on the wide end of the bugle and the soldiers disappeared Now of course the brothers wanted to know about the belt writing on it too is clear Blow one end the troops appear Blow the other the field The second brother blew on the bugle He blew on the
Ti-Jean saw his name on it He picked it up He looked at It says Put me on and tell me where In a minute you’ll the back be there he read Where are you going to go his brothers asked I want to see the Princess of Tomboso Ti-Jean replied She’s just in a story his brothers insisted She isn’t said Ti-Jean I want to go to the Princess of Tomboso With that he was in the Princess of Tomboso’s room She was sitting on her throne eating an apple She was very pretty and very surprised to see him Who are you Why have you come here she asked My name is Ti-Jean I’ve come for a visit The princess looked at him more carefully She noticed he
was not as richly dressed as everyone else who approached her My servants should never have let you enter the palace she exclaimed Your servants could not stop me Ti-Jean replied I came directly here to where you are Such a thing is not possible It is said Ti-Jean I have a magic belt Show me she ordered With pleasure Ti-Jean showed her the belt He demonstrated how it worked by having it carry him into a closet and out The princess was very interested She wanted to look more closely Might I touch it she asked I would be honored Could I try on the belt perhaps You are most welcome Ti-Jean said The princess put on the belt at once Ti-Jean watched and waited throne room The princess ordered the belt to take her to her father’s The next thing Ti-Jean knew he was facing the palace guards They beat him until he was black and blue all over They marched him through the palace door and left him in a
ditch Ti-Jean did not want to go home He did not want to tell his brothers what had happened but he did not know what else to do so he set out The way was long and perilous By the time he arrived his brothers were living much more comfortably thanks to his oldest brother’s purse and the gold coins His brothers welcomed him and teased him They called him a dunderhead and life went on Perhaps that would have been the end of it but Ti-Jean wanted his belt back He wanted it very much As well he kept remembering how pretty the Princess of Tomboso had looked Perhaps she did not really mean to steal the belt from me Perhaps it was really her father’s fault he thought He racked his brains and racked his brains until at last he came up with a plan He went to his oldest brother I was wondering if I could borrow the purse from you he said The purse Why would I lend you the purse Because it’s the only way I can get my belt back If I have the purse I can buy the belt The oldest brother was very doubtful but Ti-Jean begged and pleaded You must promise you won’t let the princess hold the
